Ina Black

There was no telltale lump and no family history. But after a routine mammogram, Ina Black heard the words “breast cancer.” Fortunately for Ina, the cancer was caught early and was treatable. All thanks to that screening mammogram.

“My husband would ask me every month if I had scheduled my mammogram,” said Ina. “He would say, don’t you think you need one; it has been a while.” The lump found luckily was small, and Ina had a lumpectomy and endured radiation treatments. “Every day for 18 days, I had a radiation session at the Taylor Le Norman/McCasland Cancer Center,” share Ina. “Everyone there was so kind and encouraging, I never was afraid.”

Ina received a tube of Miaderm Radiation Cream. Miaderm was developed by radiation oncologists specifically to help patients minimize the skin-related side effects of radiation therapy. “I found this very helpful with the dry skin I had after my radiation treatments,” shared Ida. Through the generosity of donors to the Cancer Prevention/Treatment fund, the Foundation has purchased tubes for the Duncan Cancer Center patients.

Today, Ida has been cancer-free for over a year. “My faith and my husband are what have helped me through this,” said Ida. “I am a stronger proponent of mammograms. I will go up to total strangers and ask them if they have scheduled their mammograms.”

“If I could get one bright pink t-shirt, on the back, I would put ‘A mammogram saved my life – have you had yours?’ I would wear that every day,” smiled Ina.

“A Mammogram saved my life – have you had yours?”