Lesley Weihs, RN, never expected to get breast cancer. She had no family history, she’d never had a scare, and she’d never felt a lump. Her OB/GYN practitioner and surgeon didn’t feel anything, either.
But a mammography found a tumor that had grown to more than a centimeter in 18 months. She’d always gotten regular mammography screenings, so if it wasn’t always precisely a year in between, she didn’t think that would make a difference.
Weihs, employee health manager at TidalHealth, was diagnosed with breast cancer in November 2016. She praised the team at the TidalHealth Breast Center as lifesavers for finding her cancer.
“If it wasn’t for regular, routine mammography, my cancer would have never been detected,” Weihs said.
Weihs had a mastectomy, and she didn’t need chemotherapy or radiation. She did take an oral medication for five years to prevent recurrence, and she has remained cancer-free.
Different breast cancer patients may make different choices in their care, and she said it’s important for people to be informed about their options.
All her care was through TidalHealth, and as someone who used to work in the operating room, she was cared for by her friends and colleagues.
Nobody wants to get cancer, but since she did, her experience with the team at TidalHealth couldn’t have been better, Weihs said. It was an honor to be cared for by her fellow team members.
“To just know that they’re there caring for you at the same time they’re doing what they do best,” she said.
You can make a difference
Help save lives in our community by supporting the Sheila Zimmer Breast Screenings Fund. Created in memory of Sheila Zimmer, a Salisbury native who bravely battled breast cancer twice after a lifetime of giving back to others, this fund helps provide access to life-saving breast screenings and care up to diagnosis for patients in need. Through this effort, Sheila’s legacy of compassion and generosity will continue to touch lives.
Visit the TidalHealth Foundation page to support and help continue Sheila’s legacy.
