Jeni Gerber

Survivor

In November 2006 at only 38 years old, my family doctor suggested that I get a mammogram. I’ll never forget receiving her phone call as I was headed out the door to go bowling. She told me that the imaging came back abnormal and had scheduled for me to see a surgeon in the morning. The surgeon, Dr. P.K. Chaudhuri, did an ultrasound and biopsy. His patient and gentle demeanor was just what I needed as he told me that I had breast cancer. I work in a field where I am expected to be strong and authoritative, yet here I was facing circumstances I had never encountered before, without a clue how I was supposed to respond. Dr. Chaudhuri’s kind words were incredibly helpful, and I can still hear him say what an honor it was for him to care for me. Due to some insurance challenges, a lumpectomy was decided upon and soon completed. It was stage 2, but an aggressive cancer. After the new year began I saw Dr. Mohammed to begin chemo. I struggled with losing my hair, but soon grew accustomed to wearing a hat or scarf, not only to keep my head warm, but to keep others from seeing what was underneath. After 2 rounds, the chemo was causing havoc on my body and I had to have an emergency radical hysterectomy. Once my body stabilized I finished chemo then began radiation. Radiation caused some nodules in my thyroid and the following spring, Dr. Chaudhuri removed half of my thyroid. I had a lump on my forehead the following summer that when x-rayed was diagnosed as breast cancer, however after prayer with my church, First Baptist Church of Greater Toledo, it disappeared. I feel truly blessed to be cancer free today.