she would undergo a reconstruction of where the breast was removed and a reduction of the other to balance out the chest area . As a part of these procedures , a tissue expander was placed in order to expand the tissue underneath the skin in order for there to be space for an implant .
Unfortunately , conflict would only continue to arise as a result of this . During this time , Bullock endured continuous chest pain caused by her having three broken ribs for an unknown period of time . The cause for this was speculated to have been because of the radiation treatments weakening the ribs prior to her surgery .
Additionally , the treatments weakened the surrounding tissue , resulting in complications with the implant attaching . As a result , the area became terribly infected , becoming stiff and hard as opposed to a more natural softness .
To combat this , Bullock went to Saint Joseph Hospital in Lexington , where they would remove the infection and heal the area through flap surgery . This procedure involved moving healthy tissue from her back to the previously infected area in order to restore it . While the surgery finally put an end to these specific complications , the health damage that resulted from the infection still affects her to this day .
Through it all , Bullock was uplifted by the love and support of her family , especially her late husband Edgar , who would take her to all her appointments and surgeries .
" Our whole family rallied around her ," added Padgett . " I always joke that our family ' s a little crazy because we ' re just a little crazy about each other ."
She also felt very connected to her daughter during this time , as she raised Padgett single-handedly her entire life until she graduated from college . "( My daughter and I ) have always been very close ," said Bullock , " but she always gave me the courage to do what I had to do ."
" I don ' t want to see anyone go through what [ my mother ] went through ," Padgett added , " and what she went through compared to others is miniscule ."
With this concern , she has since been able to aid others facing the same struggles her own mother once faced . After working in local broadcast media for 31 years , Padgett was laid off due to downsizing . Having always been involved with volunteer efforts and community projects , she envisioned her next endeavor , stating , " I just knew I wanted to do something that mattered ."
To her surprise , she found that opportunity upon learning that Gloria Sams was retiring from the position of Regional Cancer Control Specialist with the Kentucky Cancer Program . Other than from what she learned from interviews with medical professionals and cancer survivors , Padgett ' s knowledge in the field was limited . Nonetheless , she was encouraged by loved ones to pursue this position , to which she acquired in 2017 .
Her job involves her reaching out to all the counties in the Lake Cumberland area , whether it be conducting research and surveys , educating communities about prevention and screenings , or helping those less fortunate get connected to resources and programs where they can be tested or medically assisted . Plus , with how much she travels for work , her mother often gets to tag along for the ride .
" Working with survivors is probably the best of all the work that we do ," says Padgett , " because they all have their story to tell ."
Wynona Padgett , right , and mother Norlena Bullock , left . By Kayla Rider Photography
October 2024 SEKY - Southeast Kentucky Life • 7