A mother- daughter
battle against breast
cancer
By Eli Parker
When dealing with the burdens of breast cancer , it can often be a physically and mentally traumatic experience for those diagnosed as well as their loved ones . For one Pulaski County mother and daughter , however , it was an experience that brought them closer together , even through the hardships that came with it .
In January 2001 , Norlena Bullock was diagnosed with invasive ductal carcinoma – a very early form of breast cancer – at the age of 61 years old . In addition to the news of this diagnosis , she and her family were currently mourning her father who had passed away the day prior .
While many would typically find themselves flooded with fear and stress from these circumstances , Bullock
managed to hold her head high . " I really wasn ' t scared . There was something about it that I thought , ' Well , I have to take care of it ,'" she said . " I never was afraid and I just gave God the glory ." Her daughter Wynona Padgett , on the other hand , was much more concerned during this time . " I don ' t think ( my mother ) had enough time , at that moment , to really let ( the diagnosis ) soak in because she was grieving . We all were .
" At that time , I was right at the age to start getting screenings ," she added , reflecting on how she felt then . " It scared the daylights out of me whenever ( my mother ) was diagnosed ."
What followed soon after was a lumpectomy procedure where the tumor and surrounding tissue would be removed while still leaving most of the breast intact . While she didn ' t have
to undergo chemotherapy , Bullock did receive radiation treatments .
" Radiation wasn ' t bad , but getting you ready for it was ," she said . " It was rough getting ready for it , but after that , there wasn ' t anything to it ."
Side effects of the treatments would include redness and occasional burning sensations in her chest area .
With the treatments in place , Bullock and those around her thought she was on the road to recovery . However , a year and a half later , a resurgence of cancerous activity was rediscovered .
" That really scared me probably more than the first one because we thought we had it taken care of ," expressed Padgett .
Her next course of action would be receiving a mastectomy where the entire breast would be removed to treat the cancer . After this procedure ,
6 • SEKY - Southeast Kentucky Life october 2024