In July of 2009, Debbie Coberly was on her annual Myrtle Beach vacation with four generations of her mother’s family. The close-knit family filled four cottages along the shore and was happily packing lots of together time into their week. During a moment to herself, Debbie was working on her computer and leaned forward against the table. She noticed a lump in her breast against the back of her hand. Calmly, she called her doctor from the beach and scheduled a time to see him as soon as she got back to Richmond.

Upon completion of her biopsy and other tests, it was revealed that the lump she found was actually just a calcification, but it was, indeed, hiding cancer cells directly behind her nipple. That lump was actually a gift that led her to the real problem needing attention; breast cancer.

When asked about her initial reaction Debbie stated, “I was really surprised, astonished, really. Up until then I had a clear medical history.” She admits to having a couple of short periods of feeling depressed about the news, but quickly rose above them and adopted an incredibly positive attitude that she has retained throughout the rest of her journey. “I just never thought that it wouldn’t work out,” she said. “I never even thought that I wouldn’t survive. I promised my son that I would be around to see his wedding and my grandchildren, and he informed me that I was too ornery to die,” Debbie laughed.

Many tests quickly followed including a full workup on her other breast to ensure its health—MRI, mammogram and ultrasound. This one was clear. It took the surgeon about two weeks to call back and schedule a consultation for her treatment plan.

Her husband, Ed, and college-aged son, Martin, went with her to the appointment where the surgeon recommended a mastectomy. Further treatment options were to be determined after the initial surgery was completed, after which they would have more knowledge of her situation.
Coberly’s initial mastectomy surgery, and all subsequent care, was provided at Bon Secours St. Francis Medical Center, the hospital of choice for her and her family. This first surgery also included the beginning steps of reconstruction where her surgeon inserted a breast expander to hold the skin and muscles in place until she could receive an implant.

During the surgery, doctors further checked the cancer cells and lymph nodes to see if Debbie’s cancer had spread any further than the breast. When lab results came back and the doctors consulted, she met again with her doctor and was told that it did not appear that it had. She was diagnosed with stage 1 or early stage 2 breast cancer, and was informed that even though the area was small, the cells were very active. The treatment plan recommended was for her to “do it all.” Coberly noted that she was on board with this, as there would be no chance that she could look back and say, “Oh, I should have done that, too.” She wanted no regrets. Her plan included four rounds of chemotherapy, thirty-three radiation treatments, and a daily pill to be taken for at least five years.

On Monday, October 26th, Debbie went in for her first chemotherapy treatment. Ed accompanied her, but Debbie noted that he enjoys reading magazines and “wandered off within the first five minutes of being there,” so she chatted with several other women receiving treatments and completed crossword puzzles. After thirty-three years of marriage, Debbie lovingly and understandingly chuckled at her husband’s disappearance.

When asked about her chemotherapy experience, Debbie pointed out that she did not suffer nausea due to the anti-nausea drugs included in her chemo sessions. Her appointments lasted an hour and a half and were scheduled for every third week. Aside from her occasional collapsing vein, she had no difficulty with the actual sessions. “On about the third day or so after treatment, I felt like I had the flu. I ached everywhere and felt like I had been hit by a truck.” Debbie is retired and had already planned ahead for lots of rest to help her body recuperate.

She began losing her hair after the second session and often opted for her pink breast cancer ribbon hat when going out. “I heard so many stories of survival when wearing that hat and learned how different treatment approaches can be,” she noted. When sleeping and staying at home, she donned one of her mother’s sleeping caps to catch her falling hair. “Since my son was born I’ve kept my hair short anyway, because I didn’t need something else to take care of,” she chuckled. “People weren’t used to seeing me with much hair anyway!”

Just before Debbie’s second chemotherapy session, she suffered a problem with the breast expander placed during the mastectomy. Debbie and Ed were in Kansas City at an ARCA race where Martin was serving on the pit crew, when she spiked a fever leading emergency room doctors to discover that she had an infection. Her cosmetic surgeon back at home placed her on strong antibiotics. Nevertheless, while on the antibiotics, fluid began gushing out of the surgical site causing her doctor to reevaluate and remove the expander. “My body didn’t seem to like the expander, so they placed a temporary implant on November 18th, earlier than they originally wanted,” stated Coberly.

Recovery from this unexpected surgery delayed Debbie’s second chemotherapy session until December 7th. Her mother, Ethel (or “Other Mama” as Martin calls her) accompanied her this time. The third round was given at the end of December, and she finished chemotherapy on January 18th of this year, accompanied by Martin. “I had been telling the nurses about him each time, and they really wanted to meet him,” she said.

The next step in her treatment plan was her radiation therapy. Scheduled to begin on February 17th, radiation was also delayed due to yet another complication. “My breast at that point felt as hard as a rock,” Debbie noted. Her surgeon informed her that she was developing a cyst from the fluid this time. Debbie faced another surgery in early March for an implant replacement. “He told me that this should hold me until time for my nipple reconstructions, which will be six months after radiation ends,” commented Debbie optimistically.

Radiation then began on April 14th. “Radiation wasn’t anything,” stated Debbie, who went in for the treatments five days a week for six weeks and three days. Each session lasted approximately fifteen minutes. “During the last couple of weeks I noticed some skin burns. I didn’t feel much because of how the nerves were affected from the mastectomy, but I did have a bit of pain under my armpit from rubbing.” She observed darkening and tightening of the skin, as well.

Debbie completed her last radiation treatment on May 28th. Her oncologist has prescribed Femara to be taken once a day for at least the next five years. As research continues, Debbie realizes that it may be discovered that taking it for a longer period of time could be the most beneficial. Her reaction was, “No problem! I can take a pill!” followed by laughter. And then more seriously, “I do whatever I can. You don’t want to consider the alternative.”

Debbie is thankful for the incredible people that she has encountered through this experience. She cannot say enough good things about her medical team and even walked away from an appointment with the home phone number of her cosmetic surgeon, who wanted her to be able to reach him directly should she have any complications. More importantly, she is grateful that her family has supported her every day and never ceased with offers of help. Those people that annually fill the four cottages at the beach filled her life with hope and love over the past year and have helped her make it through to enjoy many more family vacations.

When asked what advice she could offer those fighting their own battles with breast cancer, Debbie commented on how important it is to find a medical team that you are comfortable with. “Find that place where you are supposed to be,” she said. Debbie was comfortable at St. Francis and didn’t feel the need for a second opinion because of the knowledge and genuine concern that the staff offered her.

“[Breast cancer] is something you don’t think about until it happens, and so much has to do with how you approach this thing.” She recalls a conversation she had with a chemo nurse about how much a patient’s mental state affects the physical. “You can either choose to feel bad, or choose to get better.” Debbie chose to get better and knows that she has a long, full life ahead of her as a wife, mother and “Other Mama” to her future grandchildren.