By DARLENE PRINCE
prince@crescent-news.com
PAULDING -- Two successful women who work in Paulding County have been chosen as the honorary survivors of the Relay for Life of Paulding County this Friday and Saturday.
Linda Grant of Briceton and Jo Doster of Continental are breast cancer survivors and have continued with professional success in their respective fields even while fighting their battles with breast cancer.
Doster is manager of Home Care Services at Paulding County Hospital. She will be participating on the hospital's relay team.
"I had a routine mammogram in November 2006 when I was 52 years old, and they saw a lump that was two centimeters," she said. That was followed by an ultrasound to obtain better detail of the lump.
"I had a needle biopsy and then a lumpectomy," she said. After determining the lump was malignant, Doster had chemotherapy for a year and 34 radiation treatments.
"The chemo and radiation didn't affect my health," she said. "I wasn't sick at all from the treatments.
"I did get shots of Neulasta to help boost my white blood cell count and stop infection," she said. "The Neulasta shot was painful and caused me to have very uncomfortable bone pain. Once I had a high temperature and was in the hospital for a week."
She has not had any more signs of the cancer since her treatment ended.
"And I'm not going to have a reoccurrence," she said with a positive attitude.
"I have always relied on several verses in the Bible," she said, "and one in particular. When I was reading the Bible one day, it just fell open to the page with this verse on it.
"It is the verse Isaiah 58:11 and it says, 'And the Lord will guide continually, watering your life when you are dry and keeping you healthy.' "
In Payne, the businesses, Wedding Dreams by Linda and Grant's Catering, keep Grant very busy, especially at this time of the year.
It has been 15 years since Grant learned she had breast cancer.
"Four of my friends have passed away from breast cancer," she said. "I was 42 when it was discovered.
"I had chemo treatment for the cancer," she said. "I was dreadfully ill." She said she had many friends and family members who gave her support during her illness.
"The people at church were great," she added. "I have a lot of faith."
While there has been no reoccurrence of her cancer, she still goes in for a regular mammogram.
"I learned a lot from that experience," she said. "I knew I was going to be OK, so I just went on with my life. I learned not to worry about the small stuff.
"People worry too much about the small stuff. If there is a flat tire, just go change it. Don't worry about the little things.
"I learned to embrace life and to go on with life," she said.
Grant will be participating in the Paulding relay on Sue Young's team.