A Northern Michigan Breast Cancer Survivor Is On a Mission to Help Others

They say knowledge is power, but when you are first diagnosed with cancer, there so much to learn you could feel powerless at times.

In tonight's special Buddy Check Report, we'll introduce you to a northern Michigan woman who has made it her mission to make sure you know all of the little things that come along with battling breast cancer.

Breast cancer survivor Gloria Hodgins says, "I went in for my annual mammogram. They said they'd call me if they saw anything, but that it looked good. I got home and they said, no you gotta come back."

And Gloria Hodgins isn't alone.

Breast Health Nurse Leone Powell, R.N. says, "it's nice to know 5-10% of women who come in for a mammogram will be asked to come back for additional imaging. The first question we get is why am I being called back for extra testing and what did they see on my mammogram."

For Gloria, the answer was not what she had hoped.

She says "he said we we're going to do a lumpectomy. I thought well, ok... He called and said that it was cancer."

While that news can spark different reactions in different people, but the advice remains the same.

Powell says, "well the biggest suggestion is the hardest for us all to follow. That is try not to panic. Take a few deep breaths and realize this is a mental emergency, not a medical emergency that needs an immediate response."

Gloria says, "that mental emergency is right up in your face when it's going on. 1:45 The cancer was there and they assured me it wasn't going to run rampant, but I knew it was there and I wanted it out."

After a double mastectomy it was out and Gloria started a new mission.

She says, "they removed my breasts and home I came, fat dumb and happy trying to figure out what to do next."

Gloria had faced some big challenges, but it was the little things that stood out in her memory.

She says, "that was one of the biggest surprises. To lose the nasal hair and the hair in my ears."

And when you lose your nose hair, your nose runs more often, so you need more tissue. She started to gather other little things like soft bristle tooth brushes, journals, even diaper cream. She made it her mission to help other women know the small things that can make a big difference early in their treatment.

Gloria says "so that they will know these are things that can happen because the doctor will forget to tell you the little things."

She's now putting together support packets to hand out at the doctor's office.

Powell says, "to become empowered we need to become informed."

Gloria says, "I just want to encourage to have a positive attitude."

An attitude she carries with her some days in spite of adversity, some days because of it.

Powell says, It's very rewarding and I'm inspired by all of them. I always say only incredible people get cancer."