By Patty Blackburn
Anna Faulkenberry, a nurse for 28 years, enjoyed working everyday with her patients. Over the years, she worked many overtime hours, but she always made sure the family spent time together. They went on a cruise, visited New York City, attended all events in Chapel Hill, and were always so active – until April 2, 2025. On this day, Anna was diagnosed with breast cancer. This diagnosis has slowed down their family time.
Anna has dense breast tissue and when this is diagnosed, a mammogram and an ultrasound are required every six months. Her last tests in March 2025, resulted in finding two spots and biopsies were required. The results came back as Invasive Lobular Carcinoma and Invasive Mammary Duct Carcinoma, two completely different types of cancer.
Her pain became unimaginable and she looked forward to surgery with the hopes of her pain diminishing. On May 9, 2025, Anna had a double mastectomy with the start of reconstruction at St. Thomas Rutherford, a seven hour surgery. It’s not only the surgery she had to go through but the appointments, decision making, pre ops, and preparing to go home were so stressful and still are to this day.
After the first surgery, she had to wait for pathology to decide how much chemo and radiation was needed. She had four drains and had to call each day with drain totals. Before Memorial Day, the four drains were finally removed and she found out that chemotherapy will start in June and last approximately three months. First a port had to be placed in her neck for chemo. Due to her tiny veins, the IV was placed in her foot due to her lymph nodes being removed, and an incision was made in her neck to help aid in placing the port. Her first chemotherapy treatment was June 10, 2025.
The day after her chemo session, she had to go to oncology for a shot to get her white blood cells built back up after the two different, five hours of chemo treatments. She had terrible pain in her ankle, ribs, all over really. The bone pain she stated was coming from the white blood cell shot which builds the cells back fast by speeding up the bone marrow.
July 1, 2025, was her second round of chemo and on July 22, 2025, she had the third round. The days after this third treatment were very hard on her. Her bones, muscles, and joints hurt. She was tired, nauseated, and had dizzy spells. The last chemo treatment was August 12, 2025. This was the last treatment but Anna knows her body will go through so much more.
She realizes there will be more scans, procedures, and a tumor has been discovered on her right shin, which requires a follow up. She wasn’t able to have the MRI sooner due to the expanders in her breast consisted of a metallic port which is a concern for a MRI scan. Her implant exchange took place on October 2, 2025, and so far there have not been any complications and her wounds are healing. So on October 8, she was cleared to have a MRI scan and the results came back that the tumor is benign. Anna and her family were so excited to get this great news!
Another surgery is scheduled on October 15 to have her ovaries removed since she has a high risk of ovarian cancer. After an appointment with the Ears, Nose & Throat physician, due to her not being able to breath as she should, results show that she has a 90% blockage on her right nasal passageway and not much better on the left nasal passageway. This surgery is scheduled for November.
Anna focuses on one thing at a time and looks for the good in her life. She knows her diagnosis has brought people closer to God, and things she took for granted, she plans to appreciate more as days go by. She is glad to say that she’s made it to her 48th birthday. Her mother passed in the year 2000 at the age of 61 due to having non-Hodgkins lymphoma. Her father passed in 2008 from T-4 Cell Lymphoma. A cousin also had breast cancer and had only one mastectomy. Six years later, she had a scan and cancer was found in her lungs.
Anna wants women to know that they NEED to have a mammogram each year. Her advice to those diagnosed with breast cancer is to critically think about have a double mastectomy. “A double mastectomy lowers chances of cancer returning later. Do not have a single mastectomy – have all breast tissue removed. Doctors do not stress this to their patients enough,” stated Anna. “If you do not like what your doctor tells you or your doctor will not listen to you, go to another doctor – do your research.”
Her family –husband, Mike; son, Colby; and daughter, Courtney are her FIGHT TEAM. Colby is her nurse and is always by her side.
“The community has shown so much support to me and my family. They have sent gifts, cards, food, uplifting messages, flowers, wigs, balloons, books, phone calls, texts, prayers. Everyone has been amazing,” said Anna. “Please keep praying.”
Anna’s strength and faith in God is amazing. She says prayers not only for herself, but for everyone dealing with any type of cancer. She asks God to give them strength and comfort.
Anna’s motto is: “Breast cancer stinks! God is bigger than breast cancer!”