LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- For Stacy Scovanner, finding a small lump in her breast turned into eight surgeries and planning her own funeral all while fighting to survive.
October is Breast Cancer Awareness month, and Scovanner is sharing information about her darkest days to help other women.
Stacy Scovanner with her husband Drew at the hospital during her breast cancer battle. Image courtesy of the Scovanner family.Â
May 27, 2020, is etched into her memory.
"I was not ready at all," Scovanner said, reflecting on the date that she found a small lump near her armpit while in the shower after just getting home from a 7-mile run.
So she went to the doctor as soon as she could get in.
"Because, of course, the first thing I go to is, ya know, it's cancer, and you get scared," she said.
Because it was at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, her husband couldn't be with her. She was there alone on one of her worst days, getting some of the worst news of her life.
Stacy Scovanner was into running before her breast cancer diagnosis. Image courtesy of the Scovanner family.Â
"I just remember tears coming out of my eyes because I didn't have anyone there with me," Scovanner said.
That was just the beginning.
Scovanner has a rare BRIP-1 gene mutation that causes breast and ovarian cancer, which her grandmother died from. She made the decision to have a double mastectomy and hysterectomy.
"I feel like, sometimes, the thing that made me a woman is gone, if that makes sense," she said. "It wasn't a hard decision, because I have a family and I have a son to worry about."
It wasn't an easy road for Scovanner or her husband.
"There's someone who was probably healthier than you (who) can't do anything for themselves," Drew Scovanner said as tears came to his eyes.
One night in bed, the couple talked about what would happen if she died.
Drew Scovanner became emotional talking about how he and his wife discussed their future, during her breast cancer battle. She is now cancer free. WDRB Image.Â
"I just wanted them to be happy," Stacy Scovanner said. "I told him everything I wanted Nathan to successfully do in life. And for Drew to be happy."
But the diagnosis took its toll on them both.
"There were many times, at the beginning, when I would be outside cutting the grass by myself and I would just stop and let the mower run so no one could hear me, and I'd just cry," Drew Scovanner said.
Although Stacy Scovanner talked about death, she never once gave up.
"I am a fighter," she said. "I will not roll over and say, 'OK, I'm not going to fight for this. I will fight. And I will fight hard.'"
That fight brought her to another memorable date: Sept. 9, 2020, the day she became cancer-free.
But the fear and anxiety over the possibility that the cancer may come back is very real. She finds comfort in being around other survivors and thrivers.
Stacy Scovanner was the chairperson of the 2023 Susan G. Komen More than Pink Walk for Kentucky.
"It's almost like you're a family even though you don't know each other," she said. "It's a weird group to be a part of, because it's like you don't want to be part of this group but you need this group."
Through the journey, life continues, and her husband is still by her side.
"We're all still here, and that's what matters," Drew Scovanner said.
Although it was never a journey she wanted, Stacy Scovanner is focused on the future.
"Still, to this day, like what did I do?" she said. "But God has a reason, and maybe my reason is to really help others."
Stacy Scovanner also plans to get her son tested for the same genetic mutation that runs in her family. Men can also get breast cancer.
Copyright 2023 WDRB Media. All Rights Reserved.
