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This next part of the series, dealing with Beth Anne Dorman’s breast cancer diagnosis, takes place on the eve of her mastectomy. Beth Anne admits she’s tired — not just physically, but that kind of tired that comes from too many thoughts and not enough sleep. She talks honestly about the fear that settles in at odd times, and equally honestly about the support that keeps showing up. Family. Friends. Coworkers. Neighbors. People who didn’t have to step in but did. And for the first time in her life, she’s saying yes to it.
Dr. Roopa Gupta from Lotus Oncology and Hematology sat next to her, the calm in the room. Beth Anne still smiles about her surprise at finding someone like Dr. Gupta “on this side of the bridge,” but she’s not really joking. There’s a steadiness to Dr. Gupta. Her approach is straightforward: “You do the living; let me do the worrying,” she tells her patients. She also speaks about getting clear information to newly diagnosed patients as quickly as possible, before fear fills in all the blanks.
The conversation didn’t follow any structure. It wasn’t meant to. It was simply two women — one heading into surgery, one guiding her through the maze — talking about what this moment actually feels like. A little messy. A little funny. Very real.
This video is approximately 10 minutes in length. For more information about breast cancer, please go here. For information about Lotus Oncology, please visit here.
