In the fall of 2022, Weatherly Gay’s life took a dramatic turn when she made a shocking discovery while putting on lotion.
“I felt something on my breast,” recalls Weatherly. “I was terrified, remembering the pain of my father’s death from cancer when I was 18 and not wanting my children to experience that same suffering.”
Weatherly, a Bishop, Georgia-based wife and mother of a six- and nine-year-old, reached out to her friend Heather Wheatley, a nurse practitioner at University Cancer & Blood Center (UCBC), for support.
“I asked Heather to check the lump,” Weatherly says “She said it was probably nothing, but that it would be a good idea to get a mammogram since I hadn’t had one yet, being that I was 38.”
What seemed like a precautionary step soon turned into a harsh reality when the results came back: triple-negative breast cancer. When you are diagnosed with triple-negative breast (TNB) cancer, the chances the cancer is passed on through your genes can be closer to 30%, causing you to be at higher risk. Weatherly was recommended to get tested for the TNB gene to determine whether it was genetic.
She quickly made an appointment with UCBC’s Dr. Nikolinakos and Dr. Gunn to create a personalized care plan. Two weeks later, Weatherly started chemotherapy.
“At that moment, I knew it was time to start fighting for my husband and my kids,” Weatherly says. “I knew how much I needed them and they needed me. I wasn’t ready to leave them.”
Despite the physical toll of her treatments, Weatherly found solace in the care and dedication of the UCBC staff. The chemotherapy nurses became pillars of strength, offering comfort and companionship during her treatment.
As she progressed through her cancer journey, Weatherly received the results of the genetic testing, revealing that she indeed has the TNB gene. After much consideration, she opted for a mastectomy and hysterectomy to eliminate the risk of cancer returning in her ovaries and/or uterus.
“I would have moments when I would be scared, but I knew I was in good hands,” Weatherly explains. “Dr. Nikolinakos is extremely brilliant and goes through all these lengths to do research. He knows what he is talking about.”
Today, she is cancer free. To help keep it that way, Weatherly continues immunotherapy treatment. She is looking forward to one more surgery where she will have expanders removed from her chest.
With the support of her loved ones and her new extended family at University Cancer and Blood Center, Weatherly was able to find hope.
“You really don’t have to go far for quality care,” she explains. I am extremely thankful for UCBC’s commitment to hiring people who are passionate about making cancer treatment accessible to all. I’m just so thankful that they are right here in Athens. I got the care that I needed so that I can possibly live to be 100.”
Her experience with cancer also gave Weatherly a new perspective.
“Every day I wake up now and I look at life a lot differently,” she says “I’m so thankful for all the doctors and the nurses.”
