“I had complete trust in the Mississippi Cancer Institute!”
— Dr. Dawn Sumrall
Sitting with her husband Hiram one evening, Dawn Sumrall’s thoughts
were about a patient she’d examined earlier that day. She’d
found a breast lump and her patient’s health was weighing heavily
on her mind. She realized she couldn’t remember the last time she
had performed her own self-breast exam. Then and there, she found a small
lump in her breast. Anxiety set in. The next step was to call Southwest
Health’s Mississippi Cancer Institute. After a sonogram, mammogram,
and biopsy, Dawn learned that she had an aggressive cancer. “I immediately
saw Hematologist Oncologist Dr. Ronald Delrie. I had complete trust in
him and the nurses and techs at the Mississippi Cancer Institute.”
Dawn shared. Before she knew it, she found herself starting the treatment
process, first with chemotherapy, then as a patient in the same operating
room where she’d worked for over 30 years, and finally with daily
radiation. Altogether, Dawn’s treatment journey would take over
a year to complete. She’s now back at her clinic part-time and taking
the rest of her time to make up for lost time with her family. Dr. Sumrall
states, “The support from my husband kept me going, and now I’m
back to doing the things I enjoy most.” When asked what advice she
would give patients going through breast cancer, she replied, “Take
it one step at a time; trust your medical team; have a positive attitude;
lean on your friends and family; and PRAY!”