Newspaper Page Text
PAGE 6B
October 29, 2008
>• Reporter
Around Monroe County
Early detection can buy years of smiles
Kathy Mercer manages to keep on smiling, even after
two bouts of cancer.
Friday is the last day of
breast cancer awareness
month, but the fight against
breast cancer goes on all year
long. Just ask Kathy Mercer of
Forsyth. If you ever have occa
sion to walk into the business
office at Monroe County
Hospital, the first thing you see
will be the big, warm smile
belonging to Kathy. However,
because of her experiences
(note plural) with breast can
cer, this smile was not always
possible.
Kathy graduated from Jones
County High and a while later
began to work in the Medical
field at Coliseum Medical
Center in 1988.
“I had always wanted to work
in the medical field and I love
working with people,” said
Kathy. “What I did satisfied
both needs.”
She was married to her hus
band Chris and they were busy
with their community and rais
ing their two children Keith and
Christi.
Cancer never occurs at a conven
ient time and this was true for
Kathy.
One Saturday in August of 1990,
she finished helping with a youth car
wash and went home for a shower.
“As I was showering I found a lump
at the top of my left breast. I thought
I had bruised myself at the car wash
but the lump was still on Monday so
I went to my gynecologist, Dr. Perry
Wells,” Kathy said.
She was referred to a surgeon, Dr.
James Lindsey who performed a
biopsy. The biopsy showed a malig
nancy.
“Dr. Lindsey first informed Chris
and asked if he wanted to tell me,”
Kathy said. “Somehow I already
knew it was the big C and at age 311
knew I had a fight on my hands. I
was determined to defeat this cancer
because I had two small children to
raise and I did not want to let Chris
do it by himself.”
This began a time when the warm
smile was difficult.
“My daughter Christi was great.
After my surgery she helped me
change bandages and tried to ‘moth
er’ me,” said Kathy. “Keith had a very
difficult time. All you heard at that
time was that people die from cancer.
You did not hear of survivors.
Several months passed before he
could look at me.”
Kathy’s’ next trial was chemothera
py which she had to take for six
months. “The chemo did not make
me sick but I made myself sick
because I did not want to take it,”
said Kathy. She did complete the
chemo and then underwent breast
reconstruction.
For the next 15 years thing went
great. “In October 2006 I began to
have some questionable mammo
grams. I talked with Chris and we
decide that I should have a prophy
lactic right mastectomy,” said Kathy.
“I was glad I did because they found
pre-cancerous cells in the back of
the breast that the mammogram
nay not have picked up. I will have
another breast reconstruction at the
end of the year.”
The beautiful smile is easier these
days. “So much has happened that I
once was not sure I would see,” said
Kathy. “Chris and I have been mar
ried for 30 years. I have seen both
my children graduate from high
school and get married. I am the
proud grandparent of three grand
sons.”
What has she learned?
“I have learned I can do anything I
set my mind to. I am a survivor,”
Kathy says. “I have formed friend
ships with my Bosom Buddies that
will last forever. We share the bond
of surviving breast cancer.”
What advice does she offer other
women?
“Early detection does work. It saves
lives. Encourage others, a relative a
friend m friend, a neighbor to have a
mammogram and to do self examina
tions. October is breast cancer
month,” said Kathy. “Let the life you
save be yours or a loved one.”
Kathy’s warm, caring smile is back!
For more information on breast
cancer call 1-800-2345.
Relay fundraisers begin
The "Cancer Crusaders" are selling
raffle tickets for a $50 gas card. The
tickets are $1 each and can be pur
chased by calling April at 478-955-
2704, Amy at 478-256-8873 or can be
bought at Flowers By Helen.
All money raised will go towards
Relay for Life in memory of Warren
Martin.
Energy assistance available
Georgia's regular
Energy Assistance
Program will open Nov. 3
for the homebound and
elderly (65 or older) and
on Dec. 1 for all other eli
gible households. The
program provides finan
cial assistance to low-
income, elderly and hand
icapped households to
help pay their home heat
ing costs. Emergency
assistance may also be
available to those who
have been disconnected or
are in danger of discon
nection.
Households must meet
income criteria and be
responsible for the cost of
heating their homes. To
be eligible, households
must have an income
equal to or less than 150
percent of the federal
poverty guidelines.
Payments will be made
to home energy suppliers
for heating a home. The
one-time payments will
average about $345 per
household.
Applicants should con
tact Community Service
Center at 994-6061 to
make an appointment or
for more information.
Happy Birthday to Us!
We are one year old. New items weekly,
MP sportswear & jewelry, glass furniture,
Home Interiors closeout. Three booths
5©% off.
New Vendor & New Hours
Coming in November
SATURDAYS 10-5
RUMBLE ROAD AT HIGHWAY 41
James Vaughn for Commission Chairman
Vote Vaughn
for
Effective Leadership
EXPERIENCED PROFESSIONAL LEADERSHIP
MORE THAN 20 YEARS OF COMMITTMENT
• Vaughn, Wright & Boyer Law Firm, Partner
• Vaughn Farms LP, Partner
• Monroe County Bank, Board Member
• Macon State College Foundation, Board Member
• Monroe County, Past Assistant County Attorney
• Georgia Cattlemen’s Association, Member
• Monroe County Cattlemen’s Association, Member
• Middle GA Regional Development Center, Past Chair
• Georgia Agri-Leaders Forum, Member
• Develop. Auth. of Monroe Co., Past Chair/Attorney
• Georgia Forestry Association, Member
• Monroe County Chamber of Commerce, Past Chair
✓Conservative values /Honesty & integrity /Good Common Sense
I ASK FOR YOUR VOTE AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT
Paid for by the Committee To Elect James Vaughn | (478) 994-3830 | P.O. Box 736, Forsyth, GA 31029