Seven years ago, Sharon Holst, director of finance for Piedmont Henry Hospital, was at an appointment at her physician’s office when the nurse practitioner asked her when she had last had a mammogram. Holst responded that it had been a few years, so the nurse practitioner made an order.

  “I told her that I would get around to it and she said, ‘No. I made you an order. You need to go,” Holst said. “I went and had it done and thought nothing of it, until I got a letter back. My friend who worked in radiology went over the letter with me and told me to go to the doctor.”

  After seeing a breast surgeon another mammogram was performed along with a biopsy. The nurse called Holst a few days later, her son’s birthday, and told her that she had breast cancer.

  “It was shocking news, obviously, and she talked to me about options, but I could barely process it all,” Holst recalled. “I called back the next day and it was still an overload of information. I had to absorb it and think about what to do next.”

  In the end, Holst decided on a second biopsy and when the diagnosis of breast cancer was confirmed she opted for a single mastectomy. She was fortunate that the cancer was caught early and that radiation therapy and chemotherapy were not required. After the surgery, she was up and out of the hospital the next day.

  “I know I was very lucky,” Holst said. “I had a great doctor and everyone I encountered, from imaging to the genetic counselor, was extremely kind and supportive.”

  Holst had a genetic test done and tested negative for BRCA-1 and BRCA-2, genetic mutations that increase the risk of breast and ovarian cancer. Although there were no incidences of cancer or breast cancer, specifically, in her family, the genetic test gave Holst peace of mind.  She urges women who might have any concerns to have genetic testing done and she is an advocate for women to get a mammogram each year.

  “Early detection is the key to beating breast cancer,” Holst said. “Catching it early truly leads to better outcomes. If you don’t do it for yourself, do it for your family.”

  To find out more and schedule your mammogram, visit pied mont.org/powerinpink