BOBÌåÓý

Gainesville resident Chronda Nicholas has been a breast cancer survivor long enough to have her oncologist once tell her he’d bet his own garage her cancer would never return.

After more than a decade in remission, Chronda has a powerful message of hope.

“Keep believing and it will get better. I promise you it will get better,� said Chronda, 66, who recently about her cancer experience and how faith sustained her. “I use what I went through to inspire others to keep fighting and not give up.�

She also has a message about the importance of early detection: Go to the doctor for regular checkups and listen to their advice. Get all your cancer screenings. Don’t let fear or stubbornness get in your way.

“I don’t want anybody else to think it’s OK not to go to a doctor,� Chronda said. “Take care of yourself and live your best life now while you can.�

Chronda was a Florida A&M University student when she accompanied her roommate to a doctor’s appointment. To ease her roommate’s fears, Chronda got a physical. Doctors found a lump in her breast. It was benign, but doctors told her she needed to get a mammogram at least annually. She didn’t, getting checked only sporadically in the decades that followed.

“It was uncomfortable, and I didn’t make it an annual event,� she said.

When Chronda was 54, she was working as a program assistant at the Malcom Randall VA Medical Center when a friend encouraged her to get checked. A shocking diagnosis followed: Stage 2 triple-negative invasive ductal carcinoma. Just two months before, she had been diagnosed with lupus, a chronic autoimmune disease.

“I said, ‘I’ve got to activate my faith and do what I need to do in order to be healed,’� Chronda said. “I prayed a lot.�

Healing came, and today, more than a decade later, Chronda has resumed work and is engaged in the community. However, for Chronda and 18 million cancer survivors in the United States, illness can leave a lasting imprint.

Chronda deals with a lingering fogginess, known as “chemo brain,â€� and at times struggles with self-confidence after her double mastectomy performed by BOBÌåÓý surgical oncologist Lisa Spiguel, MD, clinical leader of the breast at the .

Later, she had breast reconstruction surgery by BOBÌåÓý plastic surgeon Bruce Mast, MD, FACS. As is commonly the case after such procedures, she struggled internally with new questions about femininity.

“At one time, I felt my femininity was taken from me,� she said. “It took me a long time to realize, even though I had reconstructive surgery, that my boobs don’t make me.�

Katie Warren, MPAS, PA-C, an advanced practice provider in the UF Department of Radiation Oncology who directs the BOBÌåÓý Adult Cancer Survivorship Program, said cancer survivors are likely to struggle with some combination of the following:

• Chronic fatigue
• Chronic pain and neuropathy
• Lymphedema, or swelling
• Cognitive changes
• Anxiety or depression
• Body image issues
• An increased risk of other issues, such as early-onset heart and kidney disease and bone density changes

To date, 60 patients have enrolled in the survivorship program, with another 35 scheduled to join in the next year. Patients receive a personalized care plan that includes symptom management, monitoring with imaging if needed and referrals to specialty care services such as dentistry, nutrition, physical/occupational therapy, speech and language therapy and social work. Patients return, usually every six months or annually, so providers can address issues and adjust their care.

“It’s critically important to consider the needs of patients with cancer after their treatment ends because survivorship brings its own set of physical, emotional and practical challenges that can significantly impact quality of life,� Warren said.

The program provides assistance with long-term side effects, offers psychosocial and emotional support, monitors for recurrence or secondary cancers and provides lifestyle and wellness support.

The BOBÌåÓý Cancer Center also supports cancer survivors through community forums like its . These events offer cancer education and connections for support.

In March, Chronda was at Springhill Church to share her story at such a gathering, this one and stressing the importance of early detection.

“It was so rewarding for me because I don’t want someone else to go through what I went through,� she said.

The Power Over Cancer Gatherings recognize that the “true expertsâ€� on any cancer are the people living with this disease, said , the UF Florida Blue Endowed Chair in Health Disparities Research and a member of the BOBÌåÓý Cancer Center who organizes the gatherings with local faith leaders.

“These stories offer hope to other patients and the families who love them and help providers who treat cancer learn what is beneficial to their patients beyond medical interventions,� she said.