Relay For Life kicks off Friday

By Carrie A. Mizell

As a two-time cancer survivor, Betty Durden will celebrate Mother’s Day this weekend by walking the high school track with her daughters and grandchildren during the Gilchrist/Levy Relay For Life.
The theme of this year’s Relay For Life is ‘Celebrating More Birthdays,’ which is ironic since Durden was first diagnosed with breast cancer just before her 60th birthday.
“I was totally shocked,” Durden said. “It’s really an outer body experience. All these questions came to my mind: What’s going to happen? What’s my prognosis?”
Breast cancer does not run in the Durden family; in fact, Betty is the first member to receive such a diagnosis. It was April 2003 and Durden had gone for her annual mammogram appointment alone, never dreaming that she would undergo a biopsy that would lead to a cancer diagnosis.
Durden credits her willingness to undergo an annual mammogram, beginning at the age of 40, with her early diagnosis of Stage 1 breast cancer.
“My cancer was discovered very early, so it had not had time to spread to my lymph nodes,” Durden explained. “People should go every year for a mammogram. Be very faithful and if you have family members who don’t want to go, make them.”
After her initial diagnosis, Durden underwent a lumpectomy and began taking Tamoxifen, an anti-estrogen commonly used to treat breast cancer. For five years Durden remained cancer free and then her breast cancer returned.
“Every year after I would go in, I would think, I’m home safe again,” Durden said. “And then on year six I was diagnosed again.”
Durden underwent a left-sided mastectomy and credits her doctor with helping her get through the traumatic experience.
Without her faith, Durden said she doesn’t know how she would have made it through surviving two bouts with cancer. She also credits her family and the strength they gave her. Her mother Maude and daughter Susan have been by her side throughout her fight, as well as her daughter Sheila, who is a nurse and took care of Durden after her mastectomy.
“Physically, I’m fine now; but emotionally I don’t know that I’ll ever be over it,” Durden said.
In April, Durden returned to Gainesville for her annual mammogram and said she was more nervous than ever before, but thankfully she got a good report.
“The fear is still there,” Durden said. “It was such a relief to get a good report.”
Durden would like to encourage the community to attend the annual Relay For Life this weekend and support the American Cancer Society and the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.
As Durden said herself, the money raised at the Relay For Life and similar fundraisers goes to research that directly benefits people struggling to fight cancer.