As a wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, Jean Abbott has had her share of experience with illnesses and accidents. She knows what she wants and needs from healthcare providers – answers.

“It’s my body. I want to know what you are going to put in to it and why you are going to put it in there,” the 68-year-old Quincy resident said.

When she was diagnosed recently with breast cancer, the first specialist she saw did not offer those kinds of answers, only orders.

“I wasn’t getting the information I wanted. You cannot tell a woman or a man, ‘You’ve got cancer. This is what we have to do,’ she said. “Why do I need to do that? Is that really the best way to go? Why? What are the options? None of that was explained to me.”

Seeking answers to her questions, Jean came to the Blessing Cancer Center for a second opinion and met with board-certified medical oncologist and hematologist, Dr. Kellie Flippin. 

“Those are the details I received within five minutes of being with Dr. Flippin,” Jean stated. “I knew this is where I belonged for my care.”

“There are many important messages to convey in the initial visit. The most important are, ‘I’m listening’ and ‘I’m here to help,’” Dr. Flippin said. “We are all here to help.”

 “The most successful outcomes occur when there is an active dialogue between the patient and doctor,” she continued.

Finding cancer and the support to treat it

A disciple of early detection, Jean gets mammograms and does breast self-exam regularly. In fact, she found the lump that brought her to the Blessing Cancer Center during a self-exam. Her cancer was caught early, stage 1b.

Jean admits, for the briefest of moments, she thought maybe the lump was a milk gland, and maybe she did not need to worry about it. Jean changed her mind quickly.

“It was probably my momma up in heaven saying, ‘You get your butt in there,’” she said with a laugh.

Jean underwent a lumpectomy, chemotherapy and radiation therapy over the course of seven months and created a bond with every caregiver she met at the Blessing Cancer Center.

“They are the greatest bunch of people I have ever met,” she observed. “They are so compassionate and everyone works together as a team.”

While Jean said every member of the Blessing Cancer Center team exceeded her expectations, she called Blessing Breast Center navigator Jessica Nuebel, BSN, RN, a “blessing.”

Jessica, a breast cancer survivor, is available to support any breast cancer patient seeking care at Blessing throughout their treatment, most commonly by attending appointments with them to take notes.

“I cannot tell you how many times I referred back to those notes,” Jean said. “So much information is provided during these visits.  Being able to go back and read the notes after the appointment is invaluable.”

 “I don’t care how big your family is, or how many close friends you have, the support system within the Blessing Cancer Center is important,” she continued. “When you first hear the word cancer, I think you feel alone. I never felt that way at Blessing.”

Jean says she and her husband Jene, “went through this journey together.”  He passed away February 28, 2022.