Relay For Life of Cape County

Flossie Leggett decided to consult a doctor in September 2001 because of pain she had been feeling in her breast. Pain that felt like a bruise. After doing an ultra sound, the doctor found something suspicious and decided to do a needle biopsy. The doctor did surgery that same day to take out "whatever was there" in the doctor's words. They found three lumps which all turned out to be cancerous. The next week she went back to have a modified radical mastectomy.

Her local doctor, Dr. Chan sent her to St. Louis because she had not seen anything like Flossie's condition. She said that "scared her" to say the least. The physicians in St. Louis found out it was a rare non-spreading form of breast cancer.

Less than a year before her diagnosis, she had received her annual mammogram where nothing was found. Because of some family history with cancer she decided not to take the pain in her breast lightly and had feared that cancer would be the diagnosis, which unfortunately it was.

Because she was not at risk of the cancer spreading she didn't have to undergo chemotherapy or radiation. She did have to take oral medication for five years however.

She has been cancer-free for eight years. When she was in the hospital after her surgery, Flossie was greeted by a Reach to Recovery volunteer with the American Cancer Society with a bag of information about breast cancer. She decided at that moment that when she retired from teaching, she would become involved with the American Cancer Society.

She is now the committee chair for survivors and has been for the past three years. This year she has started her own Relay team for the annual Relay For Life of Cape County. Her team name is Flossie's Flock and she has 15 members. In October she was sent to the team captain's summit in Dallas, TX where she says she was "fired up" for Relay. This experience really brought her to the realization of where the money goes raised by the American Cancer Society and encouraged her more than ever to get people to participate in Relay. She said the summit got her involved in what the Relay For Life stood for.

The American Cancer Society provides services of care for cancer victims. As Flossie says it was the support from the members of the American Cancer Society that she appreciated the most.

As her first year as team captain, Flossie's Flock will hit the $3,000 Silver Fundraising Club mark. Her team is made up of her family members and fellow church members. The amount of support she has received from people not even on her team has been incredible she says. Flossie has seen what money from Relay can do for cancer patients and cancer research more importantly.

"Working with the American Cancer Society has been an amazing experience," Flossie said.

"I couldn't have made it through surviving cancer without the support of my family -- my husband especially." She says she has learned a lot from volunteering at the American Cancer Society about cancer, support, and even about herself.

The American Cancer Society Relay For Life of Cape County will be held on Saturday, April 24th beginning at 4p.m. and ending on Sunday, April 25th at 5a.m. at Arena Park in Cape Girardeau, MO. Due to the forecast of inclement weather the event will be held inside the Arena Building. Southeast Missouri Hospital once again is our 2010 Presenting Sponsor. For more information, please call 573-334-9352 or visit www.relayforlife.org/capemo.