Testimonials
Pam Cannon has always been diligent about self-breast exams and her annual mammograms. But considering her family history of breast cancer, she was especially concerned when she felt a lump in her left breast in the shower one morning.
"Two of my favorite aunts had breast cancer in the '70s, and they both passed away pretty quickly because they didn't know what we know now," Pam said.
After a mammogram, sonogram and a biopsy of the mass, Pam was diagnosed with stage three, HER2-positive breast cancer. And after learning her condition was highly treatable and highly curable, a friend recommended oncologist Dr. Benjamin Jones at Grandview Cancer Center.
"When I went in to see Dr. Jones, it was love at first sight. He's just so compassionate and so caring," Pam said.
Dr. Jones gave Pam the same advice he would offer his own mother regarding her treatment, including recommending a double mastectomy. He also supported Pam before the procedure, when chemotherapy caused her to lose her hair.
"People say hair grows back. But when your daughter is in the bathroom, shaving your head because it keeps falling out in clumps? It's a challenge," Pam said. "And you lose hair everywhere—you have no eyebrows, no eyelashes. It takes almost two years to grow back, but when you're undergoing treatments, it's almost the least of your concerns. I got a silver wig that I loved. And Dr. Jones, when I'd walk in, he'd say, 'Oh, it's the silver fox.'"
However, navigating cancer treatment involved more than Dr Jones's encouragement and medical expertise. It also included an emotional journey that began with Kristi Denny, the Breast Health and Genetics Navigator at Grandview Cancer Center.
The personal connection between Pam and Kristi began before the first round of treatment and is still important nearly six years later.
"Kristi has a heart for all different types of cancer because she is a navigator," Pam said. "She tells you what to expect and offers to go with you to talk to your oncologist and write down notes if you don't have a family member who can do that for you."
Kristi has worked in breast imaging for 30 years, is on the board for the National Consortium of Breast Centers and is a breast cancer survivor herself.
"It's something I'm very open about with patients because it builds trust in the care you're giving them," Kristi said of her own cancer journey. "You're their lifeline in that moment, and I know what it's like to be on the other side of that."