Bernice Watson Discusses Her Fight Against Breast Cancer and Becomes the face of the Susan G. Komen Race For The Cure, April 22nd

Bernice Watson is pictured 2nd from the left with her husband and supporters
Bernice Watson is pictured 2nd from the left with her husband and supporters

As the face of Savannah’s 2017 Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure, Bernice Watson’s journey through breast cancer is inspiring all of those who are running, including South- Coast Health’s staff, family, and friends. Bernice, a local special education teacher, also happens to be the wife of Dr. Benjamin Watson, an internal medicine doctor at SouthCoast Health. Before her diagnosis, Bernice rarely got sick. She was always on top of her health and kept up her yearly appointments.

On October 27, 2016, all of that changed. Bernice went to her regular OBGYN to have an annual checkup. Unfortunately, nothing was regular about this appointment. Her doctor found an unusually shaped lump in her left breast. It was evident that she needed a mammogram to get a view of the lump. It was late in the day and the imaging center was about to close, that’s when her husband’s nurse, Dianna Flagella, made an important call and was able to schedule Bernice for a diagnostic mammogram after hours at SouthCoast Health Imaging, a place Bernice knew she could trust. The mammogram revealed the suspicious lump and a biopsy was scheduled. When the biopsy results were in, SouthCoast Health radiologist Dr. Andrew Wade delivered the unfortunate news that the lump was cancerous.

From there, Bernice says it was all a blur.

SouthCoast Health surgeon Dr. Jeff Mandel worked with and supported her through the decision to undergo a lumpectomy, rather than a mastectomy.

Of course, Bernice’s hus band Dr. Benjamin Watson was also by her side her every step of the way. While Dr. Watson’s medical experience put Bernice at ease, she believes his intimate knowledge of the fight that lay ahead made the diagnosis more difficult for him.

Despite these difficulties, Bernice never let her diagnosis take over her life. As an award-winning teacher and school leader at The STEM Academy, an accelerated middle school, Bernice refused to miss a day of work. She was successful in this endeavor, even with thirty total radiation treatments, an effort that did not go unnoticed. On March 31, The STEM Academy dedicated a day of fundraising and wearing pink to honor Bernice’s commitment to her students and her courage in the fight against breast cancer.

In the same spirit, those planning to participate in the Susan G. Komen Race For The Cure will not only be supporting everyone who has gone through breast cancer, but they will also be supporting Bernice and her story. To Bernice, it’s support like this that got her through this challenging time. Her family, her co-workers, and her friends created an incredible support system that helped her tremendously.

On February 9, 2017, Bernice completed her treatments. To learn more join the Susan G. Komen Race For The Cure

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