CULLMAN, Ala. – Hanceville native Renee Quick shared her inspirational story of battling breast cancer as the keynote speaker at this year’s Think Pink Luncheon Thursday. This is the second year Cullman Regional has hosted the luncheon, in a continued effort to bring awareness to breast cancer detection, treatment and research. This year’s event saw more than 120 guests at Top of The Town, easily doubling the participation from last year’s inaugural luncheon.
Quick, a professor at Wallace State Community College, was diagnosed with breast cancer when she was 51. Her diagnosis was followed by a double mastectomy, reconstruction and a full course of chemotherapy. She spoke candidly about her struggles and the worry of who would take care of her twin boys.
She knew one thing, she said, “I wanted to live!”
She shared a picture of lemons and encouraged everyone, men and women, to “know your lemons.”
The illustration uses lemons to show the many ways breast cancer can present itself, including the example that best fits what Quick said she first saw during a self-exam that led to her first doctor’s visit and diagnosis. To learn more about your lemons, visit www.knowyourlemons.com.
Cullman Regional’s Women’s Diagnostic Center offers many services that once required a trip out of town to obtain. Besides mammograms, the center is now equipped with the Automated Breast Ultrasound System (ABUS) for women with high-density breast tissue. Women older than 40 need to have a yearly mammogram, along with monthly self-exams.
Mammograms are the only procedure the hospital offers that does not require a physician’s referral. Appointments are preferred, but walk-ins are also welcome. For more information about scheduling a mammogram, call 256-737-2270.
Cullman Regional provides waterproof shower hangers to help remind a person when it’s time for a thorough self-exam. The hanger also illustrates the 4-step exam process, with easy pop-out tabs to keep up with the schedule.
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Find out more at www.nationalbreastcancer.org/breast-cancer-awareness-month.
Look for a full, feature-length interview with Quick in Saturday’s print edition of The Cullman Tribune.
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