I entered the world of cancer survivors in January of this year. Everything was a whirlwind from finding the lump to getting an ultrasound, mammogram, and biopsy to more scans and awaiting results and making what felt like a billion phone calls for appointments.

Receiving a breast cancer diagnosis is devastating and overwhelming, only made bearable by consistent support and care. I have been completely blown away by my incredible care at the Breast & GYN Cancer Pavilion and Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center. My oncologist, Dr.

Lauren Zatarain, and her staff immediately made me feel seen and cared for, listened to and understood. I’ll never forget Dr. Zatarain relating to me as a mom, offering personal comfort with her medical advice. She took careful notes of everything she told us during that first appointment, knowing that our brains were fuzzy with information and shock.

I am a fourth of the way through my chemo treatment, and as difficult as receiving the infusions are, it is made more bearable by Miss Dee’s loving smile and hello at the front desk when I walk in.

By Michelle’s greeting upstairs and the kindness of all of the nurses in the infusion center. By the care of a multitude of other people: my nurse navigator, the nutritionist, the social worker, and the woman whose job it is to bring us hot tea or warm blankets. I truly feel taken care of every time I go to the Pavilion. The emotional, physical, and mental pain of going through a cancer diagnosis has been in many ways eased because of the women I interact with at the Breast & GYN Cancer Pavilion.

I would never wish this journey on anyone, but if it is your journey, you’ll be in best hands.

The Breast & GYN Cancer Pavilion is a partnership between Woman’s Hospital and Mary Bird Perkins – Our Lady of the Lake Cancer Center.