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Ladies’ Night Out is an annual event held by Western Missouri Medical Center (WMMC) to raise breast cancer awareness and emphasize the importance of early detection. Regular mammograms are the best way to catch breast cancer early, and Ladies’ Night Out provides a fun, easy way to schedule a mammogram each year. In fact, almost 500 mammograms have been scheduled at the event in the last five years.
At Ladies’ Night Out in 2021, Felisa Brown scheduled one of those almost 500 mammograms. Following her mammogram, she was diagnosed with HER2 Positive Stage I ductal breast cancer.
Felisa said she chose to begin treatment at WMMC because of the quality of the care she felt like she’d receive close to home.
“I wanted to do everything that I could to stay in Warrensburg because I did not want to drive or find drivers all the time for tests or treatments,” she said. “I have also lived in this town for almost 40 years and I feel very comfortable with our hospital.”
Felisa mentioned that familiarity when talking about beginning treatments.
“As I was going along the journey of treatments and tests, I continually ran into people I already knew that became part of my recovery team and I loved that,” she said.
She also spoke highly of the people at WMMC who helped her during her treatments and tests, including Dr. Amira Ghazali, who did her lumpectomy and biopsy; Dr. Jaswinger Singh, her oncologist; and Shea Fijal, RN-BSN, FNP-BC in Oncology.
Felisa said her breast cancer diagnosis came at a time that gave her the determination to fight it.
“When I was diagnosed with breast cancer, I had just found that I was going to be a grandma, so I had more reason to fight this,” she said.
She spoke about her experience at the 10th Annual Ladies’ Night Out, from scheduling her mammogram the year before to unexpected side effects of treatment. Felisa also shared how her faith and the love and support she received from her family, her friends, and her church helped her in her fight.
In the last year, she has gone through six rounds of chemotherapy and 20 rounds of radiation. Felisa will receive targeted therapy until February, followed by five years of immunotherapy.
Felisa’s story is one of courage and bravery, and it also shows the importance of early detection. Whether it’s at an event like Ladies’ Night Out or after a conversation with your healthcare provider, make scheduling a mammogram a priority.
Call 660-262-7370 to make an appointment or request an appointment at WMMC.com./mammogram.