Imagine hearing the words “breast cancer” from your doctor. Now, imagine hearing them twice. That’s the strength and resilience JoAnna Brodie of North Carolina brings to our community today. A retired corporate auditor and a woman of faith, JoAnna is a two-time breast cancer survivor, and her story is one of courage, perseverance, and the unwavering power of hope.

A Diagnosis and a Turning Point

JoAnna’s first encounter with breast cancer came in 2004. Diagnosed with Triple Negative breast cancer, an aggressive form of the disease, she faced a tidal wave of emotions. Yet, JoAnna found solace in her faith. “All my doctors told me to go home and pray,” she shares. “They gave me little hope. But I didn’t let that deflate me. It caused me to ask God for guidance.”

This unwavering faith became the cornerstone of JoAnna’s journey. Refusing to be defined by the diagnosis or prognosis, she found strength in a higher power. “I never asked ‘Why?'” she says. “I never did the ‘why me?’ I did pray ceaselessly. It seemed like I had a direct connection to God, especially in the middle of the night.  That’s when He would speak directly to me, very clearly, at the exact same time. That’s when God talked to me and calmed me down, giving me these words I’d always heard before, but they meant more at this sweet hour of the morning. He told me the battle was not mine, it was His, and that He would fight it on my behalf.” JoAnna says “When God speaks, you know it without a doubt and you get a peace that surpasses all understanding. My care team felt it.  However they didn’t quite get how I could be so calm and positive. I did.”

Battling on All Fronts

Being in a high-powered corporate job and facing this diagnosis could have easily led to overwhelming stress. However, JoAnna’s faith provided a sense of calm. “For some reason, when I was woken by God to say “The battle is not mine, keep going on about your life, I did just that'” she recalls. This clarity of purpose to live a full life became her guiding light.

JoAnna discovered a lump during a routine monthly self-exam while traveling for work. “There were no symptoms,” she explains. “But my gut told me this wasn’t normal. At that point, I worried. I dropped everything, meetings and everything, and called my doctor.” This self-awareness and immediate action proved crucial.

The Importance of Early Detection

JoAnna’s story underscores the importance of regular self-exams. “I always knew the importance of my monthly exam,” she emphasizes. “No matter where I was in the world, I did my monthly exam. It was always on my calendar because life gets so busy you forget to take care of you. I never forgot to do it. You have to do this otherwise you miss signals.”

The doctor’s visit confirmed her suspicions. “They saw me the same day I landed and did the physical exam,” JoAnna recounts. “They agreed with me that this was unusual and scheduled the mammogram and biopsy at that time.”

Treatment and Triumph

Following the diagnosis, JoAnna, in consultation with her medical team, opted for a lumpectomy, followed by chemotherapy and radiation. “The treatment was as bad as the initial shock of the diagnosis,” she shares. “The chemo was just awful. It was tough to get through on a typical day during the chemo phase. Then came the radiation, and then there’s the recovery part of that. It was exhausting.”

JoAnna describes the physical challenges of chemotherapy: “The chemo was a very strong dose and it put me down immediately. I could do next to nothing but lay in bed and be nauseous and power through. That’s what I explained to my doctors when they asked ‘how are you doing?’. That’s what I would say. I’m praying and powering though because that’s what I did. I didn’t question it, I just got through it.”

Strength From Within

Throughout her treatment, JoAnna’s faith remained a constant source of strength. “My favorite piece of advice for anyone with a similar journey is that it is just temporary,” she says. “‘A temporary test will give you wonderful testimony.’ That’s my advice for anyone going through a tough time. For me, in my mind, it was temporary. My faith told me that. In the background, I knew I had prayer warriors behind me, surrounding me, visiting me, all of that. With my prayers, it was tough, but I wasn’t worried about it. I was just faithful. I knew it was temporary because my faith is that strong.”

The Power of Support

While JoAnna credits her faith with providing the foundation for her strength, she also acknowledges the invaluable role her support system played in her journey. “No support groups,” she reveals. “I tend to lean to the private side. It was family, church members, sorority sisters, and close friends that I told. They were in my space, in my house, in my bedroom praying with me, providing nourishment, support round the clock for months. I couldn’t have done it without them. My husband was an angel in disguise. I had no idea the depth of love and strength of the man I had married until this happened. He is my rock! This was true for both instances in 2004 and 2021.”

A Different Path the Second Time Around

In 2021, life threw JoAnna another curveball – a new breast cancer diagnosis. This time, it was Triple Positive in the other breast. “There is no rhyme or reason to it, it just comes as it comes,” she reflects. “No family history. I am the one. There is a genetic component, but it’s not direct (I did the testing).”

The treatment plan this time around differed due to advancements in medicine. “The second time around it was triple positive. There are far more medical advances for sure and much better drugs to treat this type,” JoAnna explains. However, this time, drawing from the experience of her first battle, she opted for a double mastectomy followed by reconstruction surgery. “I had decided during the first round that if it ever happened again, I would do a double mastectomy,” she says. “So, at that point, round two, I did the double mastectomy which also involved a follow-up of a journey of reconstruction. (That’s another journey I’d love to share, a long journey).”

This decision eliminated the need for chemotherapy and radiation. However, JoAnna now takes a daily aromatase inhibitor to block hormones that could potentially fuel cancer recurrence. “It’s a hormone positive cancer, so the pill is a hormone inhibitor,” she clarifies.

Reconstruction: A Journey of Patience

The reconstruction process itself has been a journey of patience and perseverance. “Reconstruction is incredibly personalized,” JoAnna explains. “Because of my history, I had radiation on one side previously, so that side was rather challenging to reconstruct. The tissue was very hard and inflexible. So part of reconstruction is making that tissue build out using tissue extenders. That took months. Much longer than I expected. Once the tissue reaches the desired size, the implants can be inserted.​​ There are other options. I chose implants. This is another surgery. Once you do that, you have to wait until your body takes shape and heals, and you have to tweak the breast shape over time. There are  multiple surgeries involved with tweaking it over time.”

JoAnna has undergone five surgeries so far and acknowledges there may be a need for more in the future, but on her terms. “I am in year three and I’m still tweaking,” she shares. “I have had five so far in total. How many more will you need? It’s not a matter of need, it’s a matter of want. Am I satisfied with the result right now? It’s not ideal, but at this point, I’m done with surgeries. I don’t want anymore.”

Lessons Learned: Strength, Self-Care, and Priorities

JoAnna’s journey has been a transformative one, filled with lessons learned and a newfound appreciation for life. “The answer is simple,” she says, reflecting on the source of her strength. “It rests on my faith. Not just faith for my healing, but faith on how I should be living my life. When you reach those life-changing moments, things that threaten your life, and resulting in serious consequences in your life, priorities become crystal clear. It’s about faith, listening to God who provides that clarity and then acting on the clarity and priorities that are revealed to you, and letting the other stuff go.” (This is one of her mother’s favorite sayings that she tells her).

This newfound clarity led JoAnna to re-evaluate her priorities. “God’s messaging set in much more so in the second round and that’s how I got through it,” she shares. “The faith part yes, the prayer warriors around me yes, the right people around me yes. No fake support, no. Real genuine people who love you and are there for you, and you know what? When you’re going through it, the real support shows up, your real friends show up. Everyone else won’t show up. So, you lean on them for what you need.”

Learning to Accept Help and Embrace Self-Care

Another important lesson involved learning to accept help. “I’m a very independent woman, but I learned to ask for help,” JoAnna admits. “It’s (when you learn to accept help and ask for help) humbling and rewarding because you realize how much you need it. It was a big Ah-Ha moment for both rounds.”

Self-care also became a crucial aspect of JoAnna’s healing process. “Another thing I would say for women who are working when this happens, is that multi-tasking and the stress you absorb when you’re working and everything else, contributes to the possibility of this happening and it definitely affects your recovery rate,” JoAnna explains. “So, I have people I know who have gone through this and continued to work, I did not. Both rounds. I said, ‘Nope, I’m taking care of myself.’ So, I let it go and I let certain other things go as well. I didn’t have a choice medically, but you know my mind was always busy thinking about things and what I can be doing for fun, for people, whatever, especially during the healing process. I did focus on things that keep my mind active. I did a lot of reading and I did crafts. I made quilts. I just had to keep my mind engaged.”

While not a proponent of journaling, JoAnna discovered the benefits of meditation. “I did not journal, but I did do a little meditation after round two,” she shares. “That was helpful. You remind me that I need to continue to do that because it was helpful and because I don’t do it as much anymore. It helps you focus on what’s important. I don’t journal. I also focused on family, making things for our family. To keep us together. Enjoying each other. Make sure I initiate things like gatherings/reunions. I was planning things while I was in bed (I like party planning). You reminded me that the combination of prayer and meditation intimidated me at first because I said wait a minute are you telling me my faith isn’t strong enough? The combination I learned is powerful, you clarify your focus when you meditate, you clear your mind. You give your brain and spirit rest and allow the real you to come through. Not all the other stuff.”

Sharing Her Story: A Beacon of Hope

JoAnna’s unwavering strength and resilience have made her a beacon of hope for others facing similar challenges. She is passionate about sharing her story, “I promised God that I would share my testimony in the most effective way, usually one on one,” she says. “If you know someone going through this, don’t assume they don’t want to talk about it; share your story. If they want to talk about it, great. If they don’t want to talk about it, that’s ok, share your story, it’s inspirational. You would be doing God’s work.”

A Legacy of Strength and Inspiration

JoAnna’s message to our community is one of empowerment and hope. “Take care of your body, take care of your mind,” she urges. “Enjoy life. Not just overwhelm yourself with stuff.” She emphasizes the importance of preventative measures, especially for mature Black women. “Minimize the things you’re involved with to make time to take care of yourself and to keep your body moving,” she advises.

True to her word, JoAnna embodies an active lifestyle. “Even today, I’m 66, I still work out in a boot camp (I’ve always been a gym rat). I still do my boot camp. I still go walking. I got a puppy, Pepper, I always wanted a puppy and the other part of it is that he keeps me young and healthy, I’m always walking up and down the steps, and through the neighborhood. It feeds into this idea of keeping you moving. And of course he gives me joy.”

JoAnna’s story is more than a narrative of battling cancer. It’s a testament to the unwavering power of faith, the strength found in loved ones, and the importance of self-care. As she shares her journey, JoAnna becomes a guiding light for others facing similar challenges, inspiring them to find their own strength and embrace life with renewed purpose.

RESOURCES:

General Breast Cancer Awareness Resources:

• Susan G. Komen
  • Website: https://www.komen.org/
  • Description: Invests in research, provides patient support, and advocates for policies promoting breast health and access to care.
• American Cancer Society (ACS)
  • Website: https://www.cancer.org/
  • Description: Funds and conducts research, shares expert information, supports patients, and spreads the word about prevention.
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
  • Website: https://www.cdc.gov/cancer/breast/index.htm
  • Description: Focuses on public health initiatives, offering data and guidelines on breast cancer prevention and screening.

Resources Specifically for Black Women:

• Sisters Network Inc.
  • Website: https://www.sistersnetworkinc.org/
  • Description: The only national African American breast cancer survivorship organization, providing education, support, and advocacy for Black women.
• Black Women’s Health Imperative
  • Website: https://bwhi.org/
  • Description: Addresses the most pressing health issues facing Black women, including breast cancer, offering culturally relevant information and programs.
• The African American Breast Cancer Alliance, Inc.
  • Website: https://www.aabcainc.org/
  • Description: Empowers communities through education, early detection resources, survivor support, and advocacy, specifically targeting Black women.
• Tigerlily Foundation
  • Website: https://tigerlilyfoundation.org/
  • Description: Provides support, education, and resources to young women (15-45) with breast cancer, with a focus on underserved populations, including Black women.