Latest news with #BuddyCheck3
Yahoo
04-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Buddy Check 3: Jeff Stauffer
BLUFFTON, S.C. (WSAV) — 1% of men are diagnosed with breast cancer every year. In April's Buddy Check 3 report, an email to WSAV's Tina Tyus-Shaw from a Bluffton man led to a face to face meeting about being in that 1%. After 30 years in health care, Jeff Stauffer and his wife Linda retired and decided to make Bluffton their home. The move was something they had been looking forward to, but not long after they settled into their home he discovered he had breast cancer when he was on the mend from a shoulder injury. 'My arm was in a sling with that little cushion behind it,' said Stauffer. 'When I was finally able to take it off, get in the shower I noticed a lump in my armpit, and I also noticed one right next to my sternum.' Having a background in health care, he knew all about breast cancer. In addition, his own mother had the disease. What he didn't realize is that he was one of only 1% of men who get it. 'I didn't have any pain because all of the nerves were cut,' Stauffer said. 'I had a total mastectomy. I didn't have to get radiation or the more traditional intravenous chemo, just take hormone therapy tamoxifen. They said you're lucky, you're on a pill for 5 years.' As he navigates the after effects of his treatment, he continues to take medication to help keep him in remission. Now, this Air Force Veteran is living a full, happy life. On this particular day, he reflected on the life of his father, a World War II Veteran. 'Don't ignore any unusual sensations if you just happen to touch your chest or anything,' Stauffer said. 'You're not going to feel it just sitting in the chair. You've got to go in and find it. Even if you go to the doctor and it's a false alarm, better going to the doctor than ignoring something.' Stauffer says he's most thankful for his treatment at Beaufort Memorial Hospital. 'My primary care Dr. Wallace, and my surgeon Dr. Deanna Mansker up at Beaufort Memorial. They've all been great. Once a year, I have a mammogram. She does the breast exam on the other side to make sure nothing is coming up there.' Cancer nurse navigators there said that national guidelines indicate that breast cancer usually occurs in men between the ages of 60 and 70 years old and make up less than 1% of all cases of breast cancer. In addition, they suggest all men should look for lumps that can be felt or discharge from the nipple. If you have those, visit your doctor to get checked out. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
04-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Buddy Check 3: Chiquita Frazier
SAVANNAH, Ga. (WSAV) — One in eight women will develop breast cancer in her lifetime, but mammography saves lives. In today's Buddy Check 3 report, a Savannah woman credits St. Joseph's/Candler's Hospital on Wheels with saving her life during a routine mammogram. Chiquita Frazier, admin and educator at Massie Heritage Center, is sharing her own history; her breast health journey. 'When I was 11 I had a lump on my left side,' she said. 'It was benign, but they ended up removing it.' After surgery that young girl walked through life with joy while understanding doctors orders to begin having her annual mammogram at age 30. Now 49, a mother of 3 and a grandmother, she's opening up about a new season in her life that reactivated worry. 'I didn't realize I had a lump because my breast,' Frazier said. 'It was so dense.' That news was revealed in March 2021 after Frazier had her mammogram on St. Joseph's/Candler's mobile mammography bus. The breast cancer was in the same breast where that benign lump was discovered at age 11. Then, she had to break the news to her children 'I told them I'm okay, and I'm gonna be okay. but I had to tell God that I couldn't do this, that he had to do it. I gave it all to him.' Genetic testing followed and her cancer was removed, but Frazier's battle was far from over. 'I had to do 3 draws of chemo, and I did radiation every day, I think for 40 days. At this point Chiquita started losing her hair and was in excruciating pain. 'Cancer is real, but i really think god allowed me to see me and get to know me through all of this.' So she leaned on her faith and what she calls an awesome chemo team at the Lewis Cancer & Research Pavilion a place of hope. 'They knew my good days, they knew my bad days,' Frazier said. 'I always had a smile on my face.' How is she feeling right now? 'Right now, I'm grateful,' she said. 'I'm not feeling the best , but I'm grateful because I'm here. I'm here to tell a story. I'm here to encourage other people. I'm here to say you can do all things through Christ, who strengthens you.' Frazier says she's forever grateful to her former employer, the Housing Authority, for bringing the mammography bus to her job in 2021. St. Joseph's/Candler's mobile mammography unit serves 15 counties in our region. If you're interested in setting up a mammogram day at your school or business, call 912-819-6140. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
05-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Buddy Check 3: St. Joseph's/Candler breast cancer trials
SAVANNAH, Ga. (WSAV) — A special guest is here to tell us about a new and innovative clinical trial for breast cancer patients. In today's Buddy Check 3 report, the Lewis Cancer and Research Pavilion at St. Joseph's/Candler, has seen better outcomes for breast cancer in the past few years. Tens of thousands of women die each year from the disease. Joining WSAV's Tina Tyus-Shaw is Stephanie Reyes, manager of clinical trials at the Lewis Cancer & Research Pavilion. She explains how much of the progress is due to clinical trials, which bring the latest treatments to Savannah. To learn more about the study, visit Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
