WACO, Texas — "To live to see 50 and beyond has been truly a blessing and I thank the good Lord every day," Nancy Drexler said, a Central Texas woman.
Drexler was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1995 at 49 years old.
"I was scared of course. It is very very frightening and you just want to live," Drexler said.
She had a mastectomy and underwent chemotherapy, then weeks of radiation. By her 50th birthday, Drexler was cancer free.
"It's really very important to try to diagnose cancer early so that there will be better chances of survival," Dr. Carlos Encarnacion said, a medical oncologist who treated Drexler at Texas Oncology.
Dr. Encarnacion said thousands of women have gone undiagnosed because of skipped screenings due to the pandemic.
"A woman should have an examination by a health provider once a year and they should do self exams once a month," Dr. Encarnacion said.
That's how Drexler found her first lump. Years later, it wasn't so obvious. She got tested for the BRCA gene, known as the breast cancer gene. That's when her doctor gave her the news.
"He said I think we're ahead of this but it's ovarian cancer and we can do surgery," Drexler said.
Because of Drexler's diagnosis her daughter got tested too. She also had the BRCA gene.
"We cried together, we laughed together and it was a very bonding experience to say the least," Drexler said.
Her daughter took action early and had a mastectomy and hysterectomy.
"She was proactive and that's what I would like to stress. Be proactive. Take charge of your health," Drexler said.
Now Drexler spends her free time visiting cancer patients on special holidays, being an ambassador of hope to others like her.
American Cancer Society: www.cancer.org
National Cancer Institute: www.cancer.gov
Texas Oncology: www.texasoncology.com