By Gail H.M. Brown, Ph.D.,
Contributing Writer,
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Holy Temple Missionary Baptist Church in West Jackson has maintained it worship services and special programs both simultaneously from the sanctuary (observing CDC guidelines) and virtually via Zoom.
This past Sunday was no exception as it was blessed to celebrate its annual Breast Cancer Awareness Month program: “Holy Pink Out!”
The close-knit family-like congregation began the Holy Pink Out! special more than 10 years ago in celebration of the pastor’s first year as a breast cancer “overcomer.” Rev. Dr. Audrey Lynne Hall, the church’s first female pastor, believes strongly in the scripture Roman 4:17c – “…and calleth those things which be not as though they were.” Therefore, prior to, during and after her diagnosis, she would constantly speak and still speaks the affirmation over her life: “In the name of Jesus, cancer cells cannot grow in my body.”
Sunday’s Holy Pink Out! service was in honor of Hall’s 11th year of being breast cancer free, and also in honor of trustee DeVeesha Magee’s fifth year as a breast cancer overcomer.
“To God be the glory,” said Hall.
The featured speaker for the program was Vickie Bradley, entrepreneur, educator, seamstress, interior decorator, floral designer and two times Breast Cancer survivor who received her first diagnosis in 2010 and another diagnosis in 2015.
The JSU alumnae and Pearlie Grove Missionary Baptist Church member shared a powerful testimony of how God used a few accidental injuries, at different times, to her left breast to show her that something was wrong. She, herself, felt that something was unusual.
“That’s why it is so important to know your body,” Bradley said. “Sometimes, when you are examining yourself, you need stand and look at yourself from a side view” (as she turned her side to the congregation and made a circular motion over her left breast). She said even though the swelling had gone down from the injury, she could still see and feel the protrusion.
Bradley went through treatment and was blessed to be cancer free. Then several years later, she received another cancer diagnosis in the same breast on top of the reconstruction.
According to information from Breastcancer.org, “If you have a second cancer in the same breast, your doctor will usually recommend that you have a mastectomy.”
For, Bradley, the doctor did not have to make the recommendation. She said she told him to take her other breast as well. “It is a known fact that it can (may be not always) spread to the other breast,” she stressed.
Today, she is breast cancer free. Bradley stands on the promise that “the Joy of the Lord is her strength,” -Nehemiah 8:10.
The service also featured a very valuable informational from registered nurse and oncology certified nurse Jimmie Wells. “Breast cancer is no longer a death sentence. There is such a thing as Stage 0 where you can find it,” Wells said. “It is called DCIS (Ductal Carcinoma In Situ). That means it is one little bitty spot; it hadn’t even turned into a cancer, but they can find it at that spot.” She shared that one of her siblings got diagnosed last year with DCIS. “Thank God, thank God, before it turned into a cancer,” she praised.
During her presentation, Wells pointed out some important take-a-ways:
1) “Women and men, know your body; know what’s normal for your body, know when something changes. That means that every month, you should be doing a self-breast exam. Do it on a regular basis.” She advocated setting a date that you will do it each month, and please don’t compare yourself to others.
2) “Right now, the current stats say you should start your mammogram at age 40; it used to be 50. But the other piece is this: know your family history. We now know things can be passed down through family history. Not always, but if you have had one or two relatives with breast cancer, your antenna should go up.”
3) Triple Negative Breast Cancer is cancer that tests negative for estrogen receptors, progesterone receptors, and excess HER2 protein (BreastCancer.org). “Triple Negative Breast Cancer tends to be more aggressive,” said Wells. “We tend to see it more often in African-American women.”
4) “Mammograms have improved so much over the years. We now have 3D mammography. The precision of those machine (they are not perfect) do a much better job finding things that are really, really small.”
5) “If you are in a situation where you cannot or you do not have health insurance or this crazy deductible where you are not covered, there is a group in the Mississippi State Department of Health called Mississippi Breast and Cervical Cancer Program. There is free screening. If you are a woman and if you don’t have insurance or coverage for mammograms, call 1-800-721-7222 or 601-576-7466.
The program also offers clinical breast exam, pelvic exam, pap test, diagnostic procedures as indicated (diagnostic mammograms, ultrasounds, colposcopies, breast and cervical biopsies) and patient navigation.
“This has been, by far, one of the best Holy Pink Out! services that we have had,” commented Hall. When asked about her 11th year as a survivor, Hall said, “It’s great to be healed and alive. I am extremely grateful to God for the many prayer warriors and encouragers who supported me through my battle.
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