Statistics Have Faces
African-Americans have the highest death rate and the shortest survival of any racial or ethnic group in the United States for most cancers according to the American Cancer Society.
In 2000, Liz Echols feared she would join the many lives that make up this grim statistic, when she was diagnosed with breast cancer.
“I was pretty sure I was going to die,” said Echols, a Medicaid Liaison with DCH’s Legislative and Constituent Services. “My father had. My mother had. My youngest brother had. The lump in my left breast had been causing a dull ache for the past four months. When the doctor told me it was Stage IV cancer and that cancer cells were in my blood system, I thought, ‘everybody just dies'.”
Liz said it was difficult to decide what her next step should be. She found a doctor who was open and honest and who she trusted. He suggested a full-scale bombardment with everything and surgery.
With encouragement from her medical team, she scheduled the mastectomy and TRAM flap reconstruction. According to the Mayo Clinic a TRAM flap surgery reconstructs a breast with fat and skin from the patient’s abdomen, back or buttocks.
She admits she was afraid to die and afraid to even think of having cancer. In fact, she was so reluctant to admit that she had cancer, that she didn’t tell her grown son that she was having surgery until the night before the 13-hour operation.
“I am happy that I had stopped procrastinating about the surgery and had it done,” said Liz. “It truly is a blessing to be alive."
It has taken Liz seven years to heal from this experience and feel comfortable talking about her battle with cancer. Now she reminds her friends to make sure they get their mammograms and encourages women who have never had a mammogram to get one. She also recommends breast self-examination checks.
Although she missed three months of work, Liz didn’t miss a step. She is right back cooking her favorite Italian recipes in her tan house with burgundy shutters in Fairburn.
“I feel good talking to people I don’t know about cancer. Maybe it will help someone,” Liz said, with a broad smile.