For five years, she waited.
For five years, she worried.
It took more than five years until biology teacher Ibet Klersy felt safe to say she is cancer free— and now, she can appreciate cancer awareness for its emphasis and recognition it brings to the community.When Klersy was getting tested for breast cancer, it felt like a long waiting game that would never end.
“You get your first diagnosis, you wait for your appointment, and then they run labs and you wait for those lab results.” Klersy said. “And it felt like every single time I was just waiting for the hammer to fall.”
“My experience of finding out was the radiologist saying, ‘Hey, I have some good news and I have some bad news,” Klersy said. “ And the good news is, you have itty bitty cancer. And this was while I was at work, which left me panicked and freaked out.
Once she found out, Klersy had to make the choice of keeping it private from her loved ones.
“I couldn’t tell my parents because my parents had health issues and I didn’t want them stressing out and getting sick,” Klersy said.
“I also had to mitigate which siblings I could tell, because I’m one of seven. I kept it private from the family, and nothing on social media.”
Although she couldn’t tell her family at first, she was supported by her coworkers who made sure she was alright.
“I had a great supervisor and a great coworker,” Klersy said. “We were both administrators at the same time, and I just automatically went over there to the office and we were talking about it, and I was crying automatically. I remember my boss became upset [because of] how it was a casual joke for this radiologist. I was really disgusted with how it was said because getting that cancer diagnosis is not a joke.”
While Klersy was getting tests and procedures done,he was stuck wondering when this could all end, when she could say that say she was cancer free, as removing lymph nodes was an lengthy process.
“You have the surgery and you’re still waiting for results back,” Klersy said. “You have to see different oncologists, at least three, if not four, and you’re constantly worrying about if you’re going to be okay or if you’re going to survive.”
Klersy believes that Breast Cancer Awareness Month is crucial, as it is a reminder that anyone can get breast cancer, and it affects everyone differently.
“Some cancers are slow growing, some cancers are fast growing,” Klersy said. “There’s also that small percentage that men can get breast cancer too. It’s crucial to remember to know your body, to do the self-exam.”
Awareness also helps remind people to have their examinations, providing vital information and life-saving care.
“Breast Cancer Awareness Month, I think it’s critical, it’s crucial because it shares awareness and emphasizes how important mammograms are,” Klersy said. “Encourage your moms, your sisters, your aunts, your grandma, everyone to get breast cancer, get the mammogram done.”
