When a Routine Check-Up Matters Most

If you have ever wondered why it's called the Sandra & Malcolm Berman Comprehensive Breast Care Center, perhaps ask Desie Prince. She learned first-hand not only the value of having breast surgeons' offices right next to mammograms, but also the importance of providing an array of therapies. 

Desie shared her story, using the link provided in an emailed Greater Together, beginning: "My name is Ms. Alldalla Prince-Missouri, but you may call me Desie, and this is my story of a wonderful journey at GBMC." 

Many patients are appreciative of the expert, compassionate care they receive at GBMC's Sandra & Malcolm Berman Cancer Institute, but it's hard to say how many would call their cancer journey "wonderful." 

"I arrived there for my yearly mammogram, not expecting anything out of the ordinary, but this time was different," she writes. "After the mammogram, before I could put my clothes back on, I was told to remain in the gown. Minutes later, I was told the findings needed to be confirmed with an ultrasound. After that, I had a biopsy and learned I had breast cancer. 

"I was given an immediate appointment with Dr. Lauren Schnaper." 

At the Breast Care Center, prompt follow-up is integral to the design. When something concerning shows up in a routine mammogram, the specialized team is only steps away and prepared to provide individualized treatment. 

Dr. Schnaper reviewed Desie's options with her, "with detailed explanations of each to aid in my decision." Once she settled on a plan, Desie was introduced to Advanced Practitioner Angela Murrell, ANP-C, AOCNP, Medical Oncologist and Medical Director of the Berman Cancer Institute Paul Celano, MD, FACP, FACSO, and Surgeon Sheri Slezak, MD. These individuals embodied the idea of "team," for Desie. And they were just the beginning. Everyone who cared for her gave Desie encouragement and hope. 

"These heroes made me feel cared about," she writes. "They were extraordinarily informative, called after the treatments to check on me personally and became an important and vital part of my life and my recovery. They took all of my fears away, so that I could concentrate on getting better and looking forward to a life after cancer." 

After a series of weekly chemotherapy infusions, the results of a follow-up mammogram "appeared promising to me," she writes. Dr. Slezak, during the surgical lumpectomy, also removed problematic lymph nodes and performed a breast reduction, which Desie says has boosted her self-esteem. Four weeks of radiation therapy followed; and the few complications that arose were quickly treated and resolved. 

Like many breast cancer patients, Desie found her final care team at the Lymphedema Center, led at the time by Dr. Alan Kimmel. Just as she did with the others who treated her cancer, she found that this team was "great." 

Anyone who has been a cancer patient is forever changed by the experience. As she received her diagnosis and then made her way through treatment, Desie worried whether she would be able to sing again, something she loves. She had been on an education track that also seemed to be in jeopardy. 

Today, Desie Prince is an established singer. What's more, she went back to school, earning her Bachelor of Science degree. Desie is proud to report that she is now a Dementia Care Practitioner and Dementia Care Trainer, adding: "All of this was possible thanks to this great team."