Eleanor Mulford turns 80 this year, and thanks to early detection through her regular mammogram screenings, she’s also celebrating four years since successfully completing breast cancer treatment.
She first began going to Manatee Diagnostic Center for routine screenings when she moved to the area in 2006 and says she always enjoyed her visits with the staff. In May 2015, a lump was discovered, and she turned to the compassionate team she’d gotten to know for support. “Everybody is fantastic there,” she says. “I would recommend it to anyone.”
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From diagnosis through recovery, her needs were met by the comprehensive services of the Manatee Healthcare System. “When I had the biopsy, the results were back to my doctor very quickly,” she recalls. “It was very important for me to get this done and over with.”
Together with her surgeon, Jose Erbella, MD, she decided to have a double-mastectomy, and spent four days at Manatee Memorial Hospital for her procedure. “The nurses were very good. I can’t say enough about it. Also, Dr. Erbella is a fantastic surgeon, very compassionate,” she says. “I didn’t need radiation and chemotherapy. They caught it in time.”
For this cancer survivor, life with her husband is full. “I bowl twice a week, we go to dances, we keep active,” she says. She continues to find strength and inspiration by attending a Breast Cancer Support Group, which she learned about from Dr. Erbella. “He said, ‘Come join us,’” she remembers. “My husband and I decided to go, and we’ve been going ever since.”
Coping with a breast cancer diagnosis was hard, but she’s been able to tackle this challenge with a supportive team by her side. “I am good. I feel good,” she says.
A Breast Cancer Support Group is held the second Thursday of each month, from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., in the Outpatient Services Lobby at 250 Second Street E, next to Manatee Memorial Hospital. The group is presented in partnership with the American Cancer Society®, Manatee Memorial Hospital and Manatee Diagnostic Center. To register, call 941-708-8330.
Manatee Diagnostic Center offers four locations for screening and diagnostic tests, including Riverside, Pointe West, Parrish and Arcadia. To schedule an appointment, call 941-74-3034.
Manatee Memorial Hospital and Lakewood Ranch Medical Center also provide breast care screening and diagnostic services. For an appointment at either hospital, call 941-745-7391.