Breast cancer survivor Jenifer Harris of Cortland is surrounded by her family — husband, Steve, and their children, from left, Remi, 14, and twins, Tyler and Seth, 16. A little more than a year ago, Jenifer was diagnosed with breast cancer—about two months after the family bought their first house. Life has been “a crazy ride” since, she said.

CORTLAND — Jenifer Harris and family had just moved into their new home.

“We were renting a house in Johnston for five years,” she said. “We found out that we had to move. We found our dream house for a little bit more than what we budgeted for, but we decided we’d cut back everything we could to finance it.”

The new place was remarkable for several reasons: She and husband Steve snagged it at a time when houses often stayed on the market for less than a week. The kids — Remi, now 14, and twins Tyler and Seth, 16, could remain in the Maplewood Local School District. Jenifer is a 1992 graduate of Maplewood High School. And “it really was my dream house.”

The family settled in May 2022.

In August 2022, Harris was diagnosed with Stage I breast cancer. Two surgeries, chemotherapy, radiation and two hospital stays due to the severe side effects later, she’s used up sick time from her job as a part-time phlebotomist at Warren Medical Group.She has missed months of work, Steve has lost time as a truck driver at Anderson-DuBose Co. in Lordstown, and the family has given up things like vacations and the second car.

“It’s been a crazy ride lately,” Harris said about the past year.

EXCUSES, EXCUSES

During her annual physical last year, her primary care doctor noted that she hadn’t had her routine mammogram yet.

“Oh, yeah, I forgot,” Harris said she told him.

“I will have my staff schedule it,” he told her.

Harris agreed, knowing full well that she’d just cancel the appointment and reschedule it multiple times before it finally went away.

“Nobody wants to do that,” she said of submitting to a mammogram. “He must have saw it in my eyes. He said, ‘The 3-D mammogram is here today. We’ll expect your report this afternoon.'”

She countered, “But I wore deodorant,” which is a no-no for a mammogram.

“They have wipes,” her doctor said.

Short of excuses, Harris went out to mobile mammogram unit, which is when the suspicious mass was found.

“I’m so thankful that my primary care doctor didn’t let me off,” she said. “That cancer would have been inside me and growing. Prevention is always better than putting it off.”

Following up, she reported to the Joanie Abdu Comprehensive Breast Care Center in Youngstown for a biopsy.

“In late August, they told me I had breast cancer.”

A DIFFICULT

JOURNEY

She underwent surgery on Oct. 5, 2022, then a second on her daughter’s birthday. “We had her party the next day.”

Harris remembers that her first round of routine chemotherapy was on a Wednesday. That Sunday, she was admitted to the hospital for four days because of how sick the treatment made her. Same story with the second round–three days later she was back in the hospital with sepsis again.

The medical team figured out chemotherapy that Harris could tolerate, but when it came time for radiation, she received burns.

“It was really rough,” Harris said.

“Since I’m part-time for Quest Diagnostics / Warren Medical Group, I don’t qualify for FMLA (Family and Medical Leave Act), I burned through my PTO (paid time off) and I don’t qualify for short-term disability.”

Steve’s driving hours had been reduced, plus he was taking time off for her appointments.

The cancer journey has been difficult, but support and caring of friends and family is critical for healing and mental health, Harris said.

What’s helped her includes that their employers have worked with them, the community is supportive — Harris was this year’s recipient of the annual This Means War Against Breast Cancer fundraiser in September — and her family sticks together.

PUSHING

FORWARD

“The kids don’t complain,” she said. “My kids are amazing. The (community) support, outpouring and caring — I’m overwhelmed and so blessed over it all.”

This year’s mammogram, on Aug. 29, revealed no suspicious masses.

“I do have some weird pains. I hope they’re just from healing. The roller coaster I’m on, I don’t think a lot of people want to ride it.”

But a ride that leads to healing and many more years with family in their dream house is a much better alternative than ignoring preventive care and losing it all, she said.

And the love and support from others: “It means the world when you’re going through it,” Harris said.