More Than Medicine: How Sturdy Made All the Difference in Elizabeth’s Cancer Care
When visual and performing arts teacher Elizabeth Woodbury was diagnosed with apocrine carcinoma, a particularly rare kind of breast cancer, she knew she needed to tell her students why she was leaving their tight-knit school community before the end of the school year. “It was important work for me as an educator to have honest conversations with my students about what was happening,” Elizabeth explained. “I’d taught there for eight years and was the eighth-grade advisor, so students I had taught for my whole career were graduating.” She promised them that she would come back for graduation. Since she decided to shave her head before beginning chemotherapy, she invited her eighth graders to vote on which wigs she would wear to different end-of-year activities. “I ended up making a very serious speech wearing a George Washington wig.”
Fortunately for Elizabeth, her entire team at Sturdy Health, including physicians, nurses, radiologists, technicians, therapists, and receptionists, proved to be as strong, conscientious, and nurturing for her as she’d been for her students. “From the day I checked myself in the shower and found something that didn’t seem normal, through chemotherapy and surgery and radiation, I’ve had all these incredible female practitioners who’ve helped me through,” Elizabeth said. “They are so kind and so good at what they do and how they advocate for and care for me. I’m very thankful to have had that kind of experience.”
At the head of Elizabeth’s care team is oncologist and breast cancer specialist Dr. Asma Latif, who Elizabeth described as “what everyone thinks a doctor should be, but so few are. Dr. Latif has an incredible way of explaining things. I've never met a doctor with the bedside manner that she has.”
Elizabeth was confident that Dr. Latif was looking out for her through every stage of care. “Dr. Latif has been such an advocate for me in a way I’ve never experienced with another doctor. At one point, I was at Sturdy to receive IV antibiotics,” Elizabeth recalled. “I was stressed out and anxious. I reached out to her, and she came to my room and checked on me. Then, she contacted her colleagues and had other doctors check on me regularly. Whenever I call her, she calls back right away. I always feel seen and heard.”
Elizabeth appreciates how supportive and collaborative the staff at Sturdy Health have been throughout her treatment and how Dr. Latif planned ahead to ensure that it would be easy for Elizabeth to get appointments with members of the team when she was ready. Chemotherapy was the first step in eliminating the tumor. Elizabeth shared, “the nurses in the oncology infusion unit at Sturdy are incredible–they’re wonderful, funny, and kind. Next came the double mastectomy, during which tissue expanders are placed in the chest to allow for future reconstructive surgery. Radiation followed, but Elizabeth had completed only two-thirds of her planned sessions when radiology technicians noticed a problem. Elizabeth’s body was rejecting the tissue expanders, which prompted emergency surgery to remove them. She has since decided not to go forward with reconstructive surgery. “I feel really good about that,” Elizabeth explained. “Every woman is different. But I feel like my body has worked hard and gotten me through a lot, so after this treatment ends, I’ll be done.”
When she returned to radiation after recovering from the emergency surgery, Elizabeth was warmly greeted by radiation oncologist Dr. Jennifer Pretz and her staff. “You feel like not only do you matter, but you’re always on everyone’s mind. It really matters to feel so well taken care of when things are so unknown.” She also regularly sees lymphedema therapist Jennifer Goyette-Mercier, who has helped Elizabeth keep her body’s drainage system healthy since she had lymph nodes removed at the same time as the mastectomy surgery.
Elizabeth is thrilled to note that she has successfully responded to all treatment—there are no signs of tumors. Because of the nature of apocrine carcinoma, Elizabeth will continue to have infusions for several months after she finishes radiation. Her appointments will taper off until she eventually sees Dr. Latif only once a year. “She’s been a rock and a constant support through this whole very jarring and scary thing,” Elizabeth said. “Now I’m looking forward to making plans that have nothing to do with breast cancer.”
