A devoted mother, attentive grandmother, compassionate hospital volunteer…Pat Oxford carries many titles, and she carries them well. One title she did not choose is held close to her heart, however, and that is the title of courageous breast cancer survivor.

Pat has been a volunteer at North Fulton Regional Hospital for well over 20 years, recently surpassing 28,500 hours of service. She spends her days at the hospital working in the Emergency Room, an area that requires additional, specialized volunteer training. She has become a staple in the facility, rightfully so as her tenure here exceeds that of most of the employees and physicians. It is ironic that a place where she has spent so much of her time as a caregiver would become the very same place where she would turn into a patient facing a very serious diagnosis.

“I was diagnosed here in this hospital after a routine mammogram and ultrasound,” Pat said. “My decision was pretty simple...I opted for a mastectomy based on my family history. This September marks my 6 years as a survivor.”

One of the primary risk factors for breast cancer, a family history of the disease is often what alerts women to be diligent with their self breast exams, clinical exams and mammograms. Pat’s story is a primary example of how important the knowledge of one’s family history can be.

“My first experience with breast cancer was when I was 17 and my aunt was diagnosed with the disease. It was 1955, before chemo was being used, and she had a mastectomy and subsequent radiation treatment. A recent high school graduate at the time, I really did not realize how serious the disease was; I just knew she was going to be alright. Now 92, she suffers from Alzheimer’s but she continues to be a breast cancer survivor of 53 years.”

Just 11 years later when Pat was still a young woman in her twenties, she suffered another harsh family blow when her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. Like her sister, Pat’s mother had a mastectomy; however, her treatment did not involve radiation.

“Three years after my mother’s mastectomy, her cancer returned. At that time they had just come out with a new chemotherapy drug, but it was only available at two metro Atlanta hospitals. She happened to be at a hospital that offered it, so she was able to go that route.” The treatment’s Pat’s mother received worked for a short while, but she unfortunately passed away from the breast cancer six months later. She was 49 years old.

“It was during this time that my mother was suffering that I found my first lump in my breast. I had a mammogram, which in 1969 was a little different from mammograms today. It
was determined that I had acute fibrocystic disease and would have yearly exams to monitor it. In 1990 I had my first biopsy and the diagnosis remained the same: acute fibrocystic disease. So at that point, I was still cancer free.”

Life for Pat went on as normal until 2001 when her oldest daughter was diagnosed with breast cancer. Her story, like Pat’s, has a happy ending. Today she is an eight-year survivor. Just a year later Pat would receive her diagnosis and join the many courageous women from her family who had battled the disease.

“Since 1955, my family has had quite the journey with breast cancer. Thankfully there have been many improvements in the way surgery is performed and treatments are given, and we have more choices today than my aunt had 53 years ago. Every female should have knowledge of her body and what is going on with it. Because I was tuned into my body and aware of my family history, I feel like I was better prepared when it happened to me. I had a wonderful support system all the way from the mammogram to the surgery and through recovery.”

Pat has taken her experience with breast cancer and has used it to help spread awareness to others.

“I have since had friends who have been diagnosed and they sometimes ask what is the best way to deal with the problem. It’s simple really: the only bad choice would be to do nothing. What was right for me might not be right for others. You just have to face the problem, tackle it head on and look toward the future with hope and courage.”

Courageous is certainly an understatement when trying to describe Pat Oxford. Inspiring comes a bit closer. She continues to be a fixture at North Fulton Regional Hospital and in the community through events such as the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life. If the hospital could be so lucky, she will continue her service for years to come.

North Fulton Regional Hospital (NFRH), part of Tenet Georgia, is a 202-bed, acute-care hospital located on Highway 9, Alpharetta Highway, in Roswell. Opened in 1983, NFRH serves North Fulton and surrounding counties through its team of over 1000 employees, 400 staff physicians and 200 volunteers. NFRH is a state-designated Level II trauma center and provides a continuum of services through its centers and programs, including neurosciences, orthopedics, rehabilitation, surgical services, bariatric surgical weight loss, gastroenterology and oncology. The hospital is fully accredited and also is certified as a Primary Stroke Center by the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, the nation’s oldest and largest hospital accreditation agency.

North Fulton Regional Hospital offers many breast care services including mammography, biopsy and others. For more information call 770-751-2720 or visit www.northfultonregional.com/imaging.