Cancer Survivor Story - Jamie Samson

At age 39, Jamie Samson was diagnosed with stage 2 breast cancer. It was March 2017, barely long enough to recover from the flood of 2016. One day, she turned a certain way in the mirror and found a lump. Working in healthcare for 25 years, Jamie says she knew the lump was “all the wrong things” – hard, painless and non-mobile. The cancer was aggressive, as the tumor was nearly the size of a golf ball and had spread to two lymph nodes without her noticing a lump.

Her treatment plan was chemotherapy first, then a bilateral mastectomy. After four of six planned chemo treatments, Jamie ended up in the ICU -- her body couldn’t take anymore. But the chemotherapy had worked, and the tumor had shrunk enough to move forward with surgery. Eight more rounds of chemo after surgery -- all with four kids, a job, and all that life brings -- was a tough stretch. And it hasn’t been an easy road since, with multiple reconstructions over the years.

Now 6 years in remission, Jamie remembers hitting the 5-year cancer-free milestone and feeling reluctant to transition to a once-a-year check-up with her oncologists. She’s not sure how long that uneasy feeling will last, but for now, she is living in the moment with her family and friends and never taking a single day for granted. She also spends a lot of her time with patients and coworkers at BRG’s Maternal Fetal Medicine clinic, where she says she has found a second family who has been there for her every step of the way.

Jamie jumps at the chance to share her story in the hopes of making an impact on even one person with the message that early detection saves lives. She also stresses how important it is to know what your normal is, and if something is off from that, take action.