During the day, she greets students with a bright smile and a positive attitude, but at night, she is facing a battle no one could imagine fighting. As she stands strong in her fight against cancer, attendance clerk Tammy Corbell has learned that she is not alone, but is in fact surrounded by support.
Corbell was diagnosed with breast cancer on July 21. She said she was filled with shock and disbelief when she discovered a lump during a self-examination.
“I was getting dressed one day and noticed a lump I had not felt before,” she said. “After watching it for a month or so, I decided I needed to have it checked. I eat right, exercise and take care of myself; this isn’t supposed to happen to healthy people. And then I felt scared not knowing what to expect. I’d just like to remind everyone to be sure and get checked, especially if you think something is not right. Know the signs and what to look for.”
Corbell has treatment every three weeks, which keeps her out of work for about a week of recovery time. The front office stays busy, so Corbell’s co-workers have taken up the slack while she is out.
“From day one, Mr. DuBose has encouraged me to take the time to heal and that has relieved a lot of stress,” she said.
Because of all the support, Corbell said she has been able to cope with everything around her one day at a time.
“I was pretty healthy going into this so I thought I would be able to fight this thing without too much trouble,” she said. “I was wrong. It has been way harder than I could have imagined, but having my family – especially my husband, Nick – at my side has been my saving grace.”
Corbell said her family has been at her side every step of the way, taking care of everything she needs.
“I could not go through this without my husband Nick,” she said. “He has been at every doctor visit, chemo treatment and hospital visit. He has been the one to take care of me when I’m sick and the one that brushes my hair as it slowly falls out. He is my rock.”
Overall, Corbell said she is appreciative of everyone – even her work family, who have been wearing pink #TeamTammy shirts every Tuesday during the month of October. When she saw her co-workers wearing their shirts for the first time, she cried.
“It’s been amazing,” she said of all the support around her. “The Bear family is always very supportive of our own, but this is the first time I’ve been on the receiving side of that support, and I’m just so blessed to have the work family I do. To know that all of those people have my back and are praying on my behalf just makes me feel strong. When I get on the other side of this, I want them to know that they had a big part in me getting there.”
**When performing a breast exam there are multiple ways to examine yourself. For women still menstruating, a breast self-exam should be performed a few days after her period ends. For those who are post-menopausal, a breast self-exam should be performed on the same day of each month, such as the 1st or 15th day of the month. For the exam with the pads/flats of your 3 middle fingers, check the entire breast and armpit area, pressing down with light, medium, and firm pressure. Check both breasts each month, feeling for any new lumps, thickenings, hardened knots, or any other breast changes.
