BRYAN, Texas — Imagine being a nurse for 39 years, taking care of cancer patients, and then becoming one yourself. This is what happened to Baylor Scott & White nurse Carla Burkhalter last year.
As Breast Cancer awareness month comes to a close, Burkhalter shared with KAGS how a strong support system became her life line in overcoming her battle with the disease.
"Working with some breast cancer patients and having the knowledge but it was still very shocking to know that it was myself," said Burkhalter. "I had a mammogram in March of 2021, that was normal, then an MRI in September of 2021. In September of 2021 an ultrasound guided needle biopsy that did reveal the invasive ductile breast cancer."
Invasive ductile breast cancer is one of the most common forms of breast cancer, which sees the cancer spread to surrounding breast tissue. Yet, fighters and survivors were common in Burkhalter's family. She is the fourth sibling out of five in her family to be diagnosed with cancer.
"My brother and sister were diagnosed in the same week, 15 years ago and they died 13 months apart of each other but they battled it together."
As a nurse, she shared how hard it was to become someone in need.
"I learned that I needed to lean on others. I'm always taking care of other people but I had to let others take care of me. I can honestly say I've been blessed by this in many ways," she stated. "A lot of things go through your mind and you're scared and you're fearful but you have to rely on your friends and your family to get through it."
Throughout her chemo process, she recalled staring out the window that overlooks Baylor Scott & White's healing garden. Burkhalter said she only hoped and wished that she would soon be back there, full of life, and with the hope that she would soon heal from her battle.
"It would give me hope that I could walk out here and enjoy it when I had more strength and energy to do that," said Burkhalter.
It's a key lifeline for anyone who battles cancer or was recently diagnosed.
"Here I am today, sitting out here and able to you know have the fresh air and be here and not looking out a window again," said Burkhalter.