When Ms. Susan Parish was asked to give one word to describe her victorious fight against breast cancer, she had to take a minute. After some thought she stated, “ Perspective” the things that used to mean so much to you, you realize really fast that they don’t matter at all. Then the things that do matter started to matter more to me.”

Ms. Susan Parish is a kindergarten teacher at First Baptist Church in Clinton, a mother to three, a wife, a sister, a friend, and now a survivor. She was born in Eldorado, Arkansas and grew up in a small town called Dewitt. Susan married Clinton graduate Mickey Parish.

In 2013, her sister-in-law was diagnosed with breast cancer, and while tempted to skip her yearly check up due to a busy schedule she went. She went because in the back of her mind she knew it was something that needed to be done, and 3 months after her sister-in-law was diagnosed, Susan Parish found out she had breast cancer.

Ms. Susan spoke with friends and past students, Kyler Hensley and Hallie Treece about tackling life with breast cancer.

The Facts

• What made you go to the doctor? And When were you Diagnosed

I went for my yearly mammogram, and in November of 2013 I was diagnosed with breast cancer.

• What stage were you diagnosed in?

I was really blessed, they caught my cancer early. When I went to the doctor I didn’t have any symptoms. So I diagnosed with stage 2 cancer, and it was maybe a millimeter big, so very small.  

• When you found out the news how did you react? And how long until you felt comfortable telling people?

I was very very shocked, and just now recently have I felt comfortable telling people. I struggled with survivor’s guilt a lot at first. Like why did I get to be lucky and so many people I knew or my friends knew weren’t so lucky?

• What helped you the most throughout your battle?

Most definitely my faith in Jesus Christ, and then it would be my friends and family. They were very supportive throughout the process.

• What treatment did you receive?

I recieved 5 years of medication, I’m on year four right now, and had surgery that December of 2013 to remove the cancer and lymph nodes. Along with those things I received 6 ½ weeks of radiation to make sure they had all the cancer cells killed.

• If you could leave the readers with one word of advice, what would that be?

I would leave them with two things, Love Life and Love People, and start your mammograms early. They are a must!