Sally Rogers

Soon, Sally learned that her hopeful thinking was too good to be true. A mammogram and biopsy exposed a 5cm cancerous tumor growing in the 66 year-old’s right breast. For many people, this kind of diagnosis would be a perfectly understandable reason for an emotional breakdown, but Sally chose to keep her faith and glean strength from the cancer fighters who went before her. She also found great reassurance in the care of her oncology team at Kaweah Delta. “The doctors and nurses were professional, caring, and because they knew what they were doing, they made me feel safe every step of the way,” shared Sally. “And when you feel safe, it changes your attitude from scared to courageous.”

Over the next eight months, Sally’s family, friends, and medical team rallied around her as she underwent chemotherapy, a lumpectomy, and radiation therapy to eradicate the cancer cells in her body. Through it all, Sally tried to keep her head up. “For me, cancer was a detour in my life,” said Sally. “The thing about detours is you see and appreciate things you’ve never experienced before. Now I’m back on my path after the detour.”

“Cancer was not my purpose. My purpose is to serve people the way my family, friends, and the doctors and nurses served me,” continued Sally. “They gave me determination and armed me to get through cancer, so that I could get to where I needed to be. I’m a different person now because of what I’ve experienced. I am a breast cancer survivor.”