After completing breast cancer treatment at CHI Saint Joseph Health – Cancer Care at Saint Joseph East earlier this year, Susan Hampton of London poured out her gratitude on a notecard to her physicians.
"You all may never remember my name, but I will never forget you for the rest of my life," she wrote.
Hampton, 66, a retired kindergarten teacher, had her annual mammogram in February 2021 and a small lump was discovered. She later learned it was Stage Zero breast cancer and that she would need a lumpectomy and 16 radiation treatments.
Hampton, a self-described “chicken,” said she found bravery through the physicians and nurses who cared for her.
"Whenever you hear the word cancer and are talking about doing a lumpectomy or anything, it's scary,” she said. “They were the most calming, reassuring, kindest people.
"That office should be a model for how patients should be treated,” Hampton added. “There were smiles, reassuring words, hands to hold, fingers to squeeze, and answers to all my questions - lots and lots of questions. Everyone from the receptionists, the techs, the nurses, and especially the doctors made me feel important - as if I were the only patient. They made me feel safe."
On her last day of treatment, Hampton rang the bell in the Cancer Care Center to celebrate. “They cried. I cried. Everybody cried,” she said.
"It is a place of hope."
Learn more about the CHI Saint Joseph Health - Cancer Care Center at Saint Joseph East or call our Hope Line at 844.940.4673 to schedule a screening.
Elizabeth Robards will tell you that her mother’s breast cancer diagnosis may have saved her life. Genetic testing found a gene mutation associated with a higher risk of breast cancer, leading to a mammogram, a biopsy and, eventually, a diagnosis.
Read More Additional information about Patient Credits Genetic Testing for Early Diagnosis of Cancer
Osteoporosis is a disease that weakens the bones, making them fragile and causing them to break easily. Learn more about the disease, including how it's diagnosed, what treatment options are available and who's at most risk.
Read More Additional information about The Surprising Facts about Osteoporosis and Who's at Most Risk
When untreated, hepatitis C can lead to serious conditions. Here's what you need to know, including how to recognize symptoms, when to get screened and what treatment options are available.
Read More Additional information about Understanding Hepatitis C: Early Screening and Advanced Treatment