An unexpected gift

Provided.

Jessie Milano.

Few people would be thankful for a painful fall. But after Tehachapi cattle rancher Jessie Milano took a tumble last summer, she soon learned that she had a lot to be grateful for.

"I got hit by a flat cart, and I fell on my right side," she says. "It knocked the wind out of me, and I had a lot of pain in my right breast." When the pain lingered, she visited Amber Medina, FNP, her family medicine provider. After several tests, Adventist Health's experts found the source of Milano's pain - she had a cancerous tumor in her breast.

"If I hadn't been hit by that cart, I might not have found it for a long time," she says. Milano shares how her experience has increased her gratitude and motivation to support her community.

Breast cancer forms in the milk ducts, glands, lymph nodes or other breast tissue. Milano had a type of cancer called ductal carcinoma in situ, meaning the tumor was in her ducts, but it had not spread beyond this area. When found early, before it spreads, breast cancer is more easily treated, and the chances of survival are higher. That's why Adventist Health's AIS Cancer Center experts recommend that women have a mammogram every year beginning at age 40, along with doing monthly self-exams.

Milano says her care team sprang into action as soon as she got the news that she had cancer.

"Things just moved so fast," she says, starting with a consultation with breast surgeon Francesca Hoehne, MD, at the AIS Cancer Center in Bakersfield. "She said, 'I promise you we'll have this out of you in a month.'"

Sure enough, four weeks later, Milano had surgery to remove the tumor and surrounding lymph nodes, followed by six weeks of radiation therapy to ensure that no cancerous cells remained. Throughout her treatment, Milano stayed positive and tapped into her sense of humor.

"I said, 'I'm going to wear pajamas every day until I start radiation,' and I did," she says, adding, "I ironed them, of course!" She also kept her extensive support system of family, friends and loved ones apprised of news with regular text updates. Her friends, in return, coordinated meal deliveries while she underwent radiation.

Now that Milano is cancer-free, she hasn't forgotten the care team that got her there. In fact, as a local philanthropist, she says her experience reminded her of why she loves giving back.

"I really have a new perspective on how important it is that our community has access to good healthcare," Milano says. "We wanted to do something special to help Adventist Health care for our community."

Jessie and her husband, Mark, have made a significant contribution to Adventist Health to open an outpatient pavilion in Tehachapi. Their gift will also support a residency program, bringing more doctors to the rural community.

"The hope is that the residents will stay in Tehachapi after they finish the program," Milano said. "This is going to change the way healthcare is delivered in our area."

Call (661) 633-5000 to schedule a screening with Adventist Health Quest Imaging in Bakersfield, Delano or Tehachapi.