Survivor | Chei's Story
Story 136

Chei Whitmore: My daughter was getting married in May. My mindset was, I just need to make it to her wedding. And I remember laying and having just tears running down my eyes, because I was so scared. I found out through a self exam. I remember that evening, I felt the lump. I called my doctor the next day. She got me in that same day. When I saw that the results were in, they said triple positive, HER2-positive. And it was the HER-2 that made it aggressive.

Nicole Gordon: If you go into breast, you already know the field is fast-paced and you must stay on top of it. It's about coming to a meeting and let's create a plan and it's going to work for you in the best way that we possibly can.

Chei Whitmore: How can I still try to be as strong as possible through chemo and make it to my daughter's wedding? When they say it makes you tired and fatigued, that is such an understatement. Every ounce of energy is just sucked from you. And to think that there are patients that have to travel out of town for their treatment and then have to come back home, I mean, that's draining on you. To have that ability for more Kern County residents to be able to take advantage of that here, I think that's absolutely incredible. Because I had chemo every three weeks, the week after chemo, Jackie knew I would be really tired. And so she was strategic in scheduling my chemo to start so that my daughter's wedding was the third week, and I would be on my strongest of the three weeks.

Francesca Hoehne: The people who work here really do care. My patients are kind of an extended family. That's what makes that difference in your care, is being able to have that person who is truly fighting for you.

Nicole Gordon: Tackling cancer is a team sport. It's not just surgery. It's not just medical oncology. It's not just radiation. It's not just immunotherapy. It gets hard. And sometimes you need your cheerleader. Sometimes you need different people in your life to get you to the finish line.

Chei Whitmore: Everyone that has been my care provider has been amazing. I had my family. I'm spiritual, so God. I have my church family. I have my work family. I have my Pink Sisters. I just had this village of people. Through all of this, I truly feel like I've grown personally and professionally, because change is inevitable, and if I could deal with these changes, oh, these little changes that you guys are throwing at me, no problem. I made it to my daughter's wedding, and I was strong. My name's Chei Whitmore, and I am a breast cancer survivor.