Breast cancer survivor says something good came out of 2020

LAMAR COUNTY, Miss. (WDAM) - Lamar County resident Amy Rozier said there’s some good that came out of 2020. It’s not the typical story, but she thanks COVID-19 for helping her become cancer-free.

Rozier said looking back, she can honestly say COVID-19 changed her life for the better.

“I was supposed to have my mammogram back in March of 2020. COVID hit. Everything started shutting down, so my appointment got canceled,” Rozier said.

Rozier didn’t reschedule her appointment until seven months later, in October. She had her yearly check-up and mammogram. The mammogram came back abnormal.

“I had another mammogram. It came back abnormal, so by the following week, I had my first biopsy done. Still came back abnormal,” Rozier said.

Another biopsy would reveal Rozier had breast cancer, called DCIS, in her left breast. Four days after that biopsy, she had a double mastectomy.

Rozier said what she and her doctor’s realized next can only be credited to God’s timing.

“The whole big thing for me is if I would have had this done in March, when I probably should have, it may not have shown up, and I wouldn’t have had my yearly check-up until March of the next year, and it’s no telling what it would have been by then,” Rozier said.

But, her journey wasn’t over yet. After the double mastectomy, doctors told her she needed radiation treatment. The potential side effects were alarming.

Rozier said radiation could have potentially put her heart at risk. She said she had a gut feeling that she needed a second opinion.

“We actually went out to MD Anderson and did get a second opinion,” Rozier said.

Trusting her gut paid off. Rozier said the doctors at MD Anderson told her the risk of the side effects from the radiation were greater than the risk of the cancer coming back.

“If you’ve got something that is going to give you side effects and affect you for the rest of your life, I feel like you need to get that second opinion,” Rozier said.

Rozier said she is happy she can step into 2021 cancer-free, but here are her words of encouragement to others who are battling breast cancer or for those who may find themselves in the fight.

“Go and get your mammogram yearly, and if your gut is telling you something’s not right, go get a second opinion,” Rozier said.

Another piece of advice Rozier wanted to share is don’t be afraid to ask your doctor questions, as many as you want. She said asking questions is what led to her finding out she didn’t need radiation.

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