A breast cancer patient’s 'beautiful' journey

There are a lot of words patients use to describe their experience with cancer. “Beautiful” is not usually one of them. But when Davetta Greene looks back on her experience with breast cancer, that is how she remembers it.

“I had a beautiful journey,” she said. “People don’t believe me when I describe it that way, but I think it was.”

In many ways, Greene’s breast cancer journey has been far from usual, starting with how she first found out. She described hearing the news in a way that defies explanation.

“I was in a deep sleep, and I heard a voice say, ‘Vetta, wake up.’ Then again, ‘Vetta, you need to get up. You have cancer.’”

Greene, who lives alone, was shocked to receive the message – but had no doubts from whom it came. She immediately sat up and asked God to show her where the cancer was.

Two weeks later, that answer came. While showering, she felt two small, sharp lumps in her breast. She remembered her prayer and knew this was the sign she had asked for.

Trusting her instincts, she made an appointment with her doctor. With just a quick check, her doctor’s expression turned serious. Greene was already scheduled for a mammogram in a few weeks, but she was told it could not wait and was brought in for a scan that day.

The mammogram and a subsequent biopsy confirmed what she already knew: breast cancer.

When her doctor shared the biopsy results, she simply replied, “I know.” While her lack of surprise surprised her medical team, this calm acceptance is how Greene would go on to approach her entire cancer journey.

Choosing her path

Rather than despair, Greene leaned on her Catholic faith. That faith carried her through a harrowing diagnosis with the conviction that everything would be okay. And it largely was.

She also relied on the oncology team at MUSC Hollings Cancer Center, led by her breast cancer doctor Abirami Sivapiragasam, M.D., known to her patients as Abi Siva.

Greene’s cancer was caught early, so she did not need chemotherapy or radiation. She opted to undergo a double mastectomy to remove both breasts, followed by immediate breast reconstruction. Ideally, both procedures are performed at the same time, but doctors warned her that she might need a second surgery if the blood flow was not strong enough for her to receive implants. Luckily, when Greene woke up, her surgeon was smiling. Her blood was flowing perfectly, and she had her implants placed that day.

Even after major surgery, Greene’s recovery was surprisingly smooth. She said she felt little pain, experienced no swelling or fever and quickly resumed her daily activities.

She stunned her doctors and even her family with her resilience. Just two days after being cleared from surgery, she was behind the wheel, driving her regular 10-hour trek to Delaware to be with her grandchildren.

Strength from faith and family

Greene stresses that her treatment and recovery were not without challenges. But she refused to let cancer define her. She described her faith as her anchor.

“I wasn’t worried because I knew where I stood with God,” she stressed. “God puts us through things for a reason. It’s to either make us or break us. And I wasn’t going to break.”

Her family also kept her grounded. With 12 grandchildren ranging from toddlers to teenagers, her house is rarely quiet.

“There’s no time to think about cancer when the house is full of kids. I had to be strong, not just for me but for them. They gave me support and motivation that kept me moving forward.”

 

One of Greene’s most cherished memories from recovery involves her youngest granddaughter. Fresh out of surgery, she could not pick up or hold the little girl, who was used to being cradled by her “Yaya.”

“She cried and cried because I couldn’t hold her,” Greene recalled. “So my daughter sat her on the tip of my lap and held her while I kept my arms close to my chest. My granddaughter thought I was holding her the whole time. She was happy, and that made me happy.”

For Greene, that small moment captured what helped her through: the love and presence of her grandchildren.

Perhaps most inspiring is how she has extended her strength to others. When she learned that a terrified coworker had been diagnosed with late-stage breast cancer and was crying in the break room at work, Greene spent more than three hours by her side, comforting her and sharing her own experience. That friend, now thriving after treatment, credits Greene with helping her to find the courage to persevere.

Doctors, nurses and navigators who cared

Now cancer-free, Greene continues medication to control her estrogen levels and attends physical therapy to rebuild strength and flexibility. She credits her care team at Hollings, as well as her primary care provider, nurse practitioner Rosie Mincey, for getting her to that point.

“The doctors and nurses there are so wonderful. The team I had was affectionate and attentive. I’d come in and think, ‘Do I really have cancer?’ Because they never made me feel like it.”

Among those is her breast cancer doctor, Siva, and the nurse navigators who guide and support patients like Greene through the ins and outs of cancer care. She also praises her occupational therapist at Hollings, Valerie Salmon Kelley, OTD, who she worked with to restore her physical mobility and to adapt to the larger changes of life after cancer.

Her message to others

Greene always remembers how integral that care was when she talks to others going through breast cancer treatment. She encourages women to partner with their medical teams to be active participants in their treatment and recovery.

Her other advice to people facing cancer is simple but powerful: “Cancer is not the end. You were living before, so believe you’re going to live during and after. Be strong, stay positive and look for the blessings.”

For Greene, those blessings are everywhere: traveling to see family, supporting friends and finding joy in life. Looking back, she recalls her experience with cancer positively – not because it was easy – but because it revealed her resilience, faith and capacity to help others.

“I’m amazed at my own journey,” she said. “It really was beautiful.”

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