Celebrating with the Chicago Bears has helped Brenda Mayfield-Anderson get through some grueling chemotherapy treatments after she was diagnosed with breast cancer.
Mayfield-Anderson, who lives in Lynwood with her husband Kenneth, was one of nine Advocate Health Care breast cancer patients to unveil a pink banner at halftime during the Chicago Bears game on Oct. 4 at Soldier Field, which ended up being a Bears victory over the New York Jets.
“It was awesome … it was amazing,” said Mayfield-Anderson. “It was really cool to be able to go out on the field and open the ribbon.
“It makes the journey a little lighter — being given this honor and feeling supported.”
Mayfield-Anderson and her family were also treated to a Halas Hall experience a few days earlier, meeting there with running back Kyle Monangai, who bestowed her and her family with gifts including a jersey. She also had the chance to customize two varsity jackets with patches, keeping one and presenting the other to Monangai, who wore it to Soldier Field the following game day.
“It makes the journey a little lighter — being given the honor and feeling supported,” she said.
The chance to share the experience with other breast cancer patients and their families also was uplifting, Mayfield-Anderson said.
She’s on her last cycle of chemotherapy at Advocate South Suburban Hospital in Hazel Crest and each dose gets that much harder, causing fatigue, nausea, vomiting and other harsh side effects. Next she’ll need a lumpectomy and another biopsy to find out how much radiation therapy will be needed.
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But along the way, Mayfield has received unwavering support from her husband and five sons, as well as colleagues at Advocate Trinity Hospital in Chicago, where she’s a lead biomedical equipment technician and is known for sporting her Bears gear.
Her breast cancer diagnosis came about after a diagnostic mammogram and ultrasound she sought out after something felt off during a self-examination. Then the diagnostic mammogram and ultrasound, which can detect abnormalities in dense breast tissue, showed the cancer.
“It was shocking,” Mayfield-Anderson said. “In the beginning, it was quite overwhelming. Once you find out, you have difficulty feeling this is real. This is happening and my life is about to change.”
Dr. Barbara Krueger, medical director of breast cancer services at Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, who helps oversee Mayfield-Anderson’s care, said her breast cancer was a more aggressive form that required not only chemotherapy, but also monoclonal antibodies.
“This is a difficult, terrifying discussion to have with women who have just been diagnosed, often resulting in fear, resistance and denial,” said Krueger. “Brenda listened to the conversation with both Dr. Priyanka Reddy (a hematologist/oncologist at Advocate Trinity Hospital) and me, processed the information, asked extremely enlightened questions and agreed to proceed with this very effective protocol.
“She has done extremely well, and we plan an excellent outcome for her,” said Krueger.
Her supportive family, including her husband, who brings her meals in bed for several days after chemotherapy, and five sons, have helped. Four of her sons live nearby and she refers to them as Honorable 1, 2, 3 and 4.
“They started this thing for me (on) weekends before treatments,” said Mayfield-Anderson “They would come over, bring food, laugh and play cards with me.”
Though she loses her sense of taste after treatments, she’s kept her appetite up and said she loves the peach cobbler her sons bring. She’s managed to gain about 25 pounds since starting treatments.
Her husband, on the other hand, has lost about that much weight after having esophageal surgery in July.
“It’s time to take care of her now,” he said.
He was the reason she initially became a Chicago Bears fan, since he likes the team. She started watching games with him years ago.
Her faith has also been a big part of her perseverance.
“Faith over fear,” said Mayfield-Anderson, “My God is a good God, he’s ever-present, always there.”
Anderson-Mayfield still feels relieved she and her medical team caught the cancer early. She has some advice for both men and women who notice anything different in their breasts.
“If something changes, don’t wait to get it checked out because timing is everything,” she said.
Janice Neumann is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.