WACO, Texas (KXXV) — Bethie Timmons, a Whitney resident, is a breast cancer survivor. She said battling cancer changed her life and that getting a breast cancer diagnosis isn't a death sentence.
“She was able to talk me through it, and I was able to finish," said Whitney resident Bethie Timmons.
Inside this quiet chapel, Bethie Timmons reflects on a journey that changed her life forever.
She's standing today in the very place that helped her through her battle with breast cancer.
Three years ago, Timmons said she heard the words no one wants to hear: "You have breast cancer."
Determined to fight, she pushed through chemotherapy and radiation, but said the journey wasn't always easy.
“I was able to finish; it was a big time, and within two weeks, the body is so amazing…from Friday to the next, I woke up, and the skin was completely healed," said Timmons.
Timmons said back in 2023 it was a self-exam that led her to find a lump in her breast. She was diagnosed with stage three breast cancer that may be, and took four months of treatment at Baylor Scott and White. She said she decided to fight until the end.
Michele Boggs, a mammographer at Baylor Scott and White, said early detection can be lifesaving.
“If you do have a cancer that starts to grow in your breast between your mammograms, you can catch it by doing your self-check, and we recommend you do it with the pads of your three fingers, making sure you get your entire breast. As soon as you find something, you need to call your doctor to get some imaging done," said Michele Boggs, a mammographer for Baylor Scott and White.
During Timmons treatment, she leaned on many people, including her family, friends, and her church: Holy Spirit Episcopal Church.
“I actually had three of my fellow church members who came and sat with me for six hours at the infusion center while I had chemotherapy. You need a community, and this was a huge part of my community," said Timmons.
After ringing the bell years ago, she urges women to stay on top of their health and mammogram checkups.
And there’s no better time than right now… especially since October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
“They’re so important, and they really do help on the preventative side of things…if they can catch things early, it’s such a different story to tell," said Timmons.
