Garrett Junior High Principal Melanie Teemant is sharing her breast cancer journey to encourage women to prioritize annual mammograms. A routine screening in March revealed a mass, leading to a Stage III diagnosis and chemotherapy starting in May, just before the school year ended.
"I don’t have any genetic predisposition, and I had no symptoms," Teemant said. "That’s why the annual mammogram is so important, because you wouldn’t necessarily have any symptoms that would make you wonder about it or not."
Teemant, 64, informed her staff before treatment began and said they have been extraordinarily supportive. Boulder City High School later partnered with Garrett Junior High to raise $3,167 for the Cure 4 the Kids Foundation in her honor, presenting an oversized check during a pink-themed volleyball game for Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
Six months after her diagnosis, Teemant has completed six chemotherapy treatments and entered maintenance therapy, receiving a shot every three weeks to rebuild her immune system. Doctors report the mass has shrunk to one-third its original size, though lesions on her liver have been discovered and may require a specialist visit in California.
Sources: Las Vegas Review-Journal
Original reporting: Las Vegas Review-Journal →
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