Rockwall Relay for Life, April 27-28 at Cain Middle School
Spaghetti supper fundraiser, March 22 at Rockwall Rotary Club
“My doctor noticed some suspicious dense breast tissue about six years ago,” Maggie Hatfield recalls.
“He decided that we would just keep an eye on it. Two-and-a-half years later, while I was working in my kitchen, my breast started leaking fluid. I didn’t realize that it was a symptom of breast cancer, so I waited a couple of weeks before contacting my doctor who opened up the nipple and scraped out some precancerous cells, then started me on a preventative course of Tamoxifen. Not long after that, my milk ducts began to look infected, so my breast specialist sent me for a sonogram. My gynecologist wasn’t satisfied with the results and referred me to Dr. Michael Grant at Baylor who biopsied it,” Maggie remembered.
“My daughters and I were heading out the door when the phone rang with the news that I had breast cancer. As soon as I hung up the phone, I said, ‘Guess what. I have breast cancer. It’s not a big deal. It’s not a death sentence,’” Maggie stated matter-of-factly. “I wasn’t going to have them whisper cancer. I wanted the word cancer to become familiar, not scary.”
She called her husband to let him know then phoned six of her best friends, told them the news and asked them to start praying right away.
Maggie was determined not to let cancer stop her. She refused to be pushed out of the hospital in a wheelchair, preferring to walk out on her own power less than 24 hours after her mastectomy. Three days later she was at The Oar House with her friends, enjoying a glass of wine.
“Of course, that meant my drains had to be left in a bit longer than normal, because I was being too active, but that was okay,” Maggie shrugged.
Maggie has received unexpected blessings from her diagnosis. Her good friend from North Carolina arrived prior to her mastectomy, spent the night with her in the hospital, and served as a much-needed distraction.
“She left her four children at home, cleaned my house and filled my freezer,” Maggie said, shaking her head in amazement.
Another friend spelled out the words Hope Faith Love on her bed with rose petals. The community provided meals three days a week for six weeks.
“I had no idea how much I would need that, because just cooking dinner for my family left me exhausted,” Maggie said. Maggie was especially touched by a gift of hats from a friend who had survived cancer.
Her dachshund, Bentley, was just a baby when Maggie was diagnosed. Maggie laughs at how pudgy the now 1-year-old puppy is and professes that her condition made him that way.
“He was really a hyper puppy, but he changed immediately when I was diagnosed and started napping for 8 hours with me if I needed the rest.”
Her husband, Greg, has been very supportive throughout the whole ordeal.
“He is my hero,” Maggie declared. Greg has been faithful about making postings to the website CaringBridge.org to keep friends and family updated on Maggie’s progress. He has also kept up her spirits with a trip to Vanderbilt to tour the campus with their three girls and a trip to New Orleans to blow off steam.
“My doctors prescribed antibiotics, so I could make the plane trip to Louisiana, and I was really good about washing my hands,” Maggie related. She lost her hair on Day 14 of chemo and had taken to wearing a hat to hide the peach fuzz that had grown in its place. “But there we were on Bourbon Street, and I ripped off my hat. I didn’t care who saw my fuzzy buzz!”
Maggie didn’t let cancer stop her from flying to Florida with her family for Thanksgiving. Maggie found solace in walking the beach and heard messages from God in the sounds the seashells made. “My family has always been shell seekers, and I started seeing life lessons in the shells. Think of how amazing it is that the fragile shells survive being tossed about by rough seas,” Maggie exclaimed. She knew that if those fragile shells could survive, then she would survive cancer.
“The chemotherapy treatments made me very emotional,” Maggie admitted. “When I was walking on the beach I would feel the wind blowing against my body, and I was so grateful to be alive. I have never questioned that this is the journey I was meant to take. I’ve never said Why me? I would rather it be me than a single mom with no insurance and a young child to raise,” Maggie declared.
“I would say I still have about a year to go with my treatment and reconstruction,” Maggie estimated. “I have 3 more months of chemotherapy followed by 7 weeks of radiation with a break to remove my ovaries, then reconstructive surgery.”
Maggie’s attitude is positive, and she eagerly anticipates a change in her wardrobe that will reflect that attitude. “I am looking forward to sporting that Survivor t-shirt and walking the Survivor Lap at Relay For Life,” Maggie proclaims.
She also covets, much to her daughters’ chagrin, a tee shirt that reads, Yes, these are fake, because the real ones tried to kill me.
“I can’t wait for that shirt,” Maggie says with a laugh.
The Rockwall County Relay For Life will be Friday and Saturday, April 27-28 at Cain Middle School in Rockwall.
There will be a spaghetti supper fundraiser from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday, March 22 at the Rockwall Rotary Club, 408 S. Goliad St. Team captain meetings will be held every second Thursday at the Hilton Bella Harbor from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. Feb. 9, March 8 and April 12.
For more information, visit Relay for Life.
By Mary Thacker of Rockwall, Rockwall Relay For Life; edited for publication by Blue Ribbon News, all rights reserved.
To submit your news and events, email editor@BlueRibbonNews.com.
Rockwall woman shares story of survival, Relay set for April 27-28 added by Editor on
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