My name is Nellie Daniels and I am a two-time cancer survivor!!
In 2001, I was diagnosed with breast cancer, then again in 2012. Both times I found a lump under my arm. I know self-examinations are important and must be done on a regular basis. I went to the doctor and they looked on my chart where they saw I had made my regularly scheduled mammograms. The doctor sent me for yet another mammogram.
In the meantime, while waiting for the results, I had gone to a card game. The guy I played with is a believer and I told him about what happened. He asked if I believed, and I said yes, with no conviction. Then I told my other girlfriend and she said, “Nellie you have been down that road before. We need to get a few ladies together to stomp on the devil’s head.” Later, I told Sister Bessie about the prayer group idea and she got to working on it. On Sunday (a couple days later), Sister Bessie had a prayer group at my house that included my card playing friends. They liked it so well, that we started having the group meet at my house on the 3rd Sunday of each month. About 8 months later, we lost Jessie, one of the card playing and prayer warrior friends.
Surgery was the first step. I just wanted to have another lumpectomy. Cousin Joyce said, “you gonna keep messing around and there won’t be nothing left!” Barbara said there were wonderful doctors for second opinions. Carol, Carol’s girlfriend, and Jordan, was out in Scottsdale and they felt mastectomy was the best option. The doctors talked gibberish, but it was when Cousin Joyce spoke to me that my mind was changed. Mastectomy was the true option. After surgery, the doctor said, “I am glad we didn’t do lumpectomy because there wouldn’t be anything left.”
Tuesday, while still in the hospital and after I had my surgery, my son and some other friends stopped by. Once I finally woke up, I was ready to go. They asked if I needed any pain pills. I said, “No, I’m ready to go home.” I was in church on Sunday and they asked for a praise report. I told how the Lord blessed me through it. I also said the nurses were amazed because when they asked if I was in pain, I would say no. I didn’t take any pain pills.
In July of 2012, contact was made for me to meet Dr. Michele Y. Halyard through two church friends, Sister Bessie Ward and Dr. Joel Martin. Sis. Bessie had attended Dr. Martin’s 5th Annual Positively Powerful Woman Awards. Sis. Bessie felt so honored and blessed to hear Dr. Halyard’s presentation regarding an advanced treatment of breast cancer. Dr. Halyard is a radiation oncologist here in Phoenix and is affiliated with the Mayo Clinic Hospital. Some of my doctors at that time had already recommended the Brachytherapy procedure for breast cancer treatment for me, which is a specialty procedure of Dr. Halyard’s radiation oncology practice and was the subject of her presentation. However, no radiation therapy was required for me.