TEMPLE, TX — Sue Fetherman took all the right steps. She got her yearly mammogram since she was 40 years old, but at the age of 55, she heard the words no woman wants to hear.
Thankfully, it was stage 1. Having her mammogram, she was able to catch the disease early and Fetherman was ready to take the challenge head on.
"What's going to change for me?" Fetherman said. "It's just kind of scary, but I think I felt pretty calm about it."
Once realizing she had breast cancer, she thought of a mastectomy but wasn't entirely sure about it.
"Then we found out it was in both sides, and I said no definitely do the mastectomy. What makes me think it's not going to come back later?" Fetherman said.
Having the surgery became an easy choice after all, although losing her hair was something she wasn't ready to part with.
"I think it's so visual so seeing myself in the mirror for so long, just the same way no matter. What I did with my hair, it was part of me," Fetherman said.
Even though a tough battle to overcome, she chooses the lighthearted side of things. Realizing her shorter hair was great during the summer months.
The strength and laughter didn't always come easy, but she had family and friends to keep her smiling. Sending 50 roses one time, she always had a smile on her face with them around.
"I just knew they were always praying for me, and that meant a lot," Fetherman said.
One gift she loves the most and still has today, is a poster with sayings written by each of her family members that live out of state.
Just under a year now, Fetherman lives cancer free and has her family, doctors and mammogram to thank.
"I'm really glad I got my mammogram every year and found out early," Fetherman said. "Medicine now, they know how to handle it and it's beatable. It's totally beatable."
