ABOUT 85-PERCENT OF BREAST
CANCERS OCCUR IN WOMEN WITH
áNOá FAMILY HISTORY OF THE
DISEASE. JUST BEING A
WOMAN.. AND GROWING OLDER..
ARE TWO OF THE BIGGEST RISK
FACTORS FOR DEVELOPING BREAST
CANCER. TONIGHT, WE CONTINUE
OUR SPECIAL SERIES
"CELEBRATING SURVIVORS" WITH A
MOTHER OF TWO WHO SAYS HEARING
THOSE TWO WORDS WAS THE LAST
THING SHE EXPECTED.
NOVEMBER 28, 2011 IS A DAY
FRAN HOOVER WILL NEVER FORGET.
"I CRIED FOR ABOUT TEN MINUTES
AND THEN I WENT HOME AND WE
TALKED ABOUT IT." FROM ONE
SECOND TO THE NEXT... BREAST
CANCER BECAME A DISEASE THAT
IMPACTS EVERYONE ELSE... TO
HER REALITY."THERE WERE SOME
DAYS, I HAVE TO BE HONEST,
THAT I COULDN'T REALLY GET OUT
OF BED. AND IT WAS HARD TO SEE
THE LIGHT AT THE END OF THE
TUNNEL." UNDER THE
GUIDENCE OF HER MEDICAL TEAM
AT GOOD SAMARATIN HOSPITAL'S
BREAST CENTER SHE UNDERWENT A
LUMPECTOMY, FOLLOWED BY CHEMO
AND RADIATION THERAPIES, AND
ANOTHER ANTI-CANCER DRUG TO
TREAT HER SPECIFIC TUMOR.
ALMOST ONE YEAR LATER... SHE
SAYS THE LIGHT AT THE END OF
THAT TUNNEL IS FINALLY
SHINNING BRIGHTER. "I'M KIND
OF READY TO MOVE ONTO THE NEXT
CHAPTER OF MY LIFE AND I WANT
TO BE HERE FOR THAT." SHE
CREDITS HER YEARLY MAMMOGRAM
WITH FINDING HER BREAST CANCER
EARLY."I KEEP TELLING MY
FRIENDS AND FAMILY YOU'VE GOT
TO DO THIS. I MEAN, I STILL
TALK TO WOMEN WHO HAVE NEVER
HAD A MAMMOGRAM. I GUESS THEY
FEEL LIKE WHAT THEY DON'T KNOW
WON'T HURT THEM, BUT THERE'S
SO MANY OF US WHO CAN SIT HERE
AND TALK ABOUT THIS AND IT'S
SO TRU WHAT THEY SAY - YOU
NEED TO FIND IT EARLY." SHE
SAYS SHE DREW STRENGTH FROM
OTHERS BATTLING THE DISEASE AS
WELL AS LOVED ONES - LIKE HER
HUSBAND JOHN, WHOM SHE CALLS
HER ANGEL. AND SHE SAYS HER
EMPLOYER, LION, HAS BEEN
AMAZING. IN A SHOW OF SUPPORT,
CHECK OUT WHAT HER COWORKERS
DID.. THEY SHAVED THEIR HEADS
WHEN FRAN LOST HER HAIR DURING
TREATMENT. HER HAIR IS
GROWING BACK... AND SO IS SHE
SAYS A DESIRE TO GIVE BACK.
"IT'S TAKEN ON SPECIAL MEANING
TO ME AND I WANT TO DO MORE
THAN THAT; I WANT TO VOLUNTEER
HERE WITH CANCER PATIENTS."
THE JOURNEY THAT STARTED
NOVEMBER 28, 2011... HAS LEAD
HER TO THAT NEXT CHAPTER...
"THROUGH ALL OF THIS, I MADE A
DECISION TO GO PART TIME.
BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THE CLICHE;
LIFE IS TOO SHORT AND THERE
ARE OTHER THINGS I WOULD LIKE
TO DO NOW AND I THINK THAT I
WILL HAVE THE TIME TO DO THAT!"
OUR SERIES CONTINUES
TOMORROW NIGHT AT TEN AND
ELEVEN WITH THE STORY A
OUR SERIES CONTINUES
TWO-TIME BREAST CANCER
SURVIVOR WHO HAS FOUND HEALING
IN SHARING.
