Tracy Williams

"It was like they knew exactly what I went through. They'll be my friends for life." (Right to left, Tracy Williams with her "Chemo Angels" Kristin and Greg.)

By age 34, it seemed that Tracy Williams had it all — and she worked hard to keep it. Her position at a well-known financial services company had brought her from Ohio to sunny Arizona. After hours, she juggled a full-time school schedule, finishing her degree in business management.

One Friday night in April 2002, Tracy awoke at 3 a.m., unable to go back to sleep. Instead of tossing and turning for hours, she decided to watch television. But as she moved to sit up in bed, Tracy felt a sharp pain in her chest.

She jumped out of bed and felt around for sharp objects, but found nothing. Then, gingerly, she pressed on her left breast. Sharp pain lanced through the area.

Monday morning, Tracy visited her physician at Mayo Clinic Family Medicine - Arrowhead in west Phoenix, who referred her to the Breast Clinic at Mayo Clinic in Arizona. A biopsy was performed, and a few days later, the diagnosis was confirmed: Tracy had breast cancer.

Treatment Options

"I don't know how I could get cancer," Tracy says. "I eat right, I exercise, I don't drink or smoke. And my mom and sister are both healthy."

One of Tracy's friends accompanied her to the treatment consult with Dr. Richard Gray, who would be Tracy's surgeon. "She took notes," Tracy says. "I was so shell-shocked, all I could do was stare at Dr. Gray's hands."

There were multiple tumors in Tracy's breast, measuring up to 4 centimeters in diameter. Fortunately, the tumors hadn't metastasized (spread to other tissues). Because of the multiple tumors, the only treatment option was a mastectomy, with or without reconstructive surgery. Tracy chose a mastectomy with reconstruction, so her treatment team expanded to include Dr. Edward Buchel, then practicing in Mayo Clinic's Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.

One of the plastic surgery options included using Tracy's own tissue to fill out her breast area. A slender woman, Tracy didn't have much extra tissue to offer. "I had to gain weight in three weeks," she says. "I ate junk food like you wouldn't believe! I gained seven pounds, and they used it all. And then they gave me a tummy tuck."

Tracy's breast tumors were surgically removed May 21, 2002, about six weeks after experiencing her initial symptom. Reconstructive surgery occurred at the same time. And a few weeks after her surgery, Tracy began six months of chemotherapy treatments designed to clear any remaining cancer cells from her body.

Chemotherapy ended in December 2002, and was followed by six weeks of daily radiation therapy. Tracy opted to receive both chemotherapy and radiation treatments at Mayo Clinic in Arizona instead of at an outside facility closer to her home. "Dr. Buchel, Dr. Gray, and Mary and Lana in the Breast Clinic were my support group," Tracy says. "I looked forward to seeing them, because I knew they wanted me to get better."

"How do you say, 'Thank you for saving my life?'" (Left to right, Lana Busche, R.N.,
Dr. Richard Gray, Tracy Williams, and
Mary Bothe, R.N.).

Friends — and Angels

"I'm a people person," Tracy says. "I have to be around people." But there were times Tracy couldn't leave her house, because chemotherapy left her immune system quite low.

So every week, Tracy's workmates would come to visit. "They'd read to me, and I'd be so sick that I'd fall asleep. Then they would do the dishes and the grocery shopping," Tracy recalls. "When you have cancer, you find out who your true friends are, and you find out who your family is. They don't have to be biological."

One of Tracy's best friends came through a support group called chemoangels.com. "Mayo Clinic directed me to this support group," she recalls. "And through them, I met Kristin. She lives in California. Each time I came home from chemotherapy, there was a card from Kristin and her husband. My other friends were wonderful, but they had no idea what it was like to lose your hair from the chemotherapy, and be so sick you couldn't get out of bed. Kristin knew exactly what I went through."

Mayo Clinic also introduced Tracy to other women in the Phoenix area who had battled breast cancer. "They'll be my friends for life," Tracy says. "Now we sit back and laugh about being bald together!"

New Life, New Career

Tracy has decided to become a nurse. "I wish I had gotten my degree sooner, so I could be helping others now.

Tracy's treatments were a success, and she recently passed the benchmark of two years cancer-free. "But you can't leave cancer behind and forget it," she says, "because it affects every decision you make in life."

One of those decisions involved Tracy's career. Although she's back at work and in school full-time, her focus has changed. Tracy plans to become a nurse.

"It was something I'd originally thought of doing after high school. Back then, I didn't think I could handle it. But having cancer has made me a better person. The care I received from my doctors and nurses was wonderful. And when I get my degree, I want to work for Mayo. I wish I'd gotten my degree sooner, so I could be helping people now."

Although Tracy's treatments at the Breast Clinic have ended, she continues to have yearly follow-up evaluations at Mayo Clinic. "My last visit with Dr. Buchel was in March 2004. He said, 'You're done.' And I broke down in tears.

"How do you say, 'Thank you for saving my life?'"