When Mindy VonWeihe found a lump near her armpit, she brought it up to her doctor and he told her it was nothing to worry about. After all, she was only 39. And even though her mother had fought breast cancer, her doctor thought that keeping an eye on it was all that was needed. Though she tried not to worry, her concern deepened as the lump grew and, when she accompanied her daughter to a pregnancy check-up, she brought it up to her doctor again. He sent her to get a mammogram, which was followed by a biopsy that not only revealed possible cancer but also punctured one of her lungs. While she was recovering from the lung injury, she was scheduled to have a lumpectomy but decided she wanted to take on the battle on her own terms and found an oncologist on her own.
Mindy sat in the lobby of Oncology Associates and cried until Dr. Lemon agreed to see her. They started treatment that day and formed a partnership that would ultimately help Mindy not only beat cancer, but also emerge a stronger, happier person. After a double mastectomy, eight rounds of chemotherapy and weeks of radiation, Mindy was cancer-free and was able to have reconstructive surgery on her breasts. Feeling better than she ever had in her life, Mindy wanted to share her story with others. She thought of a unique way to do that after seeing, of all things, boudoir photos on Facebook by local photographer Tammy Muecke of Bare Body Studio. “Tammy’s photos were so empowering and showed the beauty of a woman,” Mindy said. I wanted to show that even though cancer left me with scars, it has made me an even stronger and more beautiful person.” She approached Tammy, who loved the idea. Tammy herself had been exposed to the world of cancer through a number of her loved ones and was excited about a project that would allow her to help women show their strength and beauty after a fight with the disease.
For the photo session, Mindy bought pink boxing gloves and she and Tammy came up with a number of shots that showed her unique personality. “The session made me feel beautiful and powerful,” Mindy said. “I was blown away when I saw the actual pictures. The results were so amazing that I knew I wanted to help other women do the same thing.” She ended up bringing a friend in who had also battled cancer and supporting her through a photo session with Tammy. The women all bonded through the process and agreed they wanted to help even more women feel the same way. “I have a new lease on life after fighting cancer, a new perspective,” Mindy explained. “I ‘m excited that I can help others achieve this same outlook through Tammy’s photo project.”
Mindy’s oncologist, Dr. Lemon, also wanted to help those who have recently been diagnosed with cancer and took a similar route by creating videos of patients he’d already treated. “Upon a recent cancer diagnosis, such as breast cancer, a patient is often in shock and might not be able to initially gather the information they need, or know what to ask,” said Dr. Lemon. “We want to provide both support and useful information to our patients diagnosed with cancer, but in way that’s helpful for them to better understand their situation and options when it’s convenient for them. We’re finding that video is an effective way for patients and their families to learn more about cancer.” The cancer patient and survivor videos we produce are intended to be both informational and inspirational. Just as no two cancers are the same, no two patients have exactly the same way of going through their cancer diagnosis or their treatments. To see Mindy’s video, please visit: http://www.oacancer.com/mindy.
Cancer has the potential to rob a woman of her health and her future. It should not be allowed to also rob them of their strength, beauty or confidence. Through Tammy Muecke’s project, women can feel more empowered and have gorgeous images that prove that even though they may have had cancer, they are still beautiful on the inside and out.
Dr. Stephen Lemon
8303 Dodge St. #225
402-354-5860