L03 — January 2011 — Pink Sisters

Intro: "You have breast cancer." Those are four words no woman wants to hear. A new diagnosis is scary, and there are so many questions: What surgery should I have? Will I need chemotherapy? How can I help my family as I go through this? These issues can be tough, but a program at Mayo Clinic helps make having breast cancer easier for many women. It's called Pink Sisters, and it pairs newly diagnosed women with survivors who can help guide them through the process.

How are you doing? A smile. A laugh. Time with a woman who understands because she's been there.

The Pink Sisters started out as a little luncheon group, but we wanted to do more and wanted to help women who were going through the process.

Deb Carpenter is a breast cancer survivor and Pink Sister to Dail Hovey, who's going through treatment right now.

I've never had any history of breast cancer in my family, didn't really know anyone intimately that, you know, had been through the process. So it was all new for me, so it was a great support system.

Pink Sisters started at Mayo Clinic, but the group reaches out to any woman with breast cancer. Deb and Dail were paired as sisters because they have similar diagnoses. Both had a lumpectomy, chemo and radiation. Dail says Deb helped ease fears and answer questions about treatment.

To be able to have Deb to call and to talk with and just, you know, ask those questions. She can tell me because she's experienced what it was like for her.

No two women ever have the exact same experience with breast cancer. But having a Pink Sister can help make the journey a little easier.

For Medical Edge, I'm Vivien Williams.

Anchor tag:

Again, the Pink Sister program started at Mayo Clinic on the Florida campus. But the group will serve all women with breast cancer.

For more information, visit our website at…

STATIONS: Per the licensing agreement, please provide a link from your station's website to http://www.MayoClinic.org or voice tag "MayoClinic.org" for more information.