Linda Turner was working as a hostess at a Garden City restaurant last year when she fell against a table and hit her chest.
“I didn’t think anything about it at the time because I’m bit of a klutz,” Turner says.
Soon after, she found a lump in her breast she assumed was caused by the fall. When the lump didn’t go away, however, she headed to her physician.
After undergoing breast imaging and a biopsy, Turner was shocked to learn she had breast cancer – an aggressive, fast-growing stage 3 tumor that was about 5 inches across.
“So, it went from ‘oops I fell’ to ‘I’ve got breast cancer,’” Turner, 63, says.

Turner’s father died of lung cancer in the 1970s and, while she has a family history of breast cancer, she tested negative for BRCA and other genes linked to the disease.
Turner spent years working as the office manager at an oncology practice in Georgetown, so she had met plenty of people during their battles with cancer.
Now it was her turn.

Her first question for Tidelands Health breast surgeon Dr. Angela Mislowsky, who offers care at Tidelands Health Breast Center, our region’s only surgical practice dedicated solely to breast health, was, “what’s my life expectancy?”
Turner says Dr. Mislowsky reassured her cancer treatment has evolved from her father’s day when treatments were often focused on extending a patient’s life. Today, the focus is on curing cancer patients completely.
Tidelands Health is the exclusive MUSC Hollings Cancer Network member serving Georgetown and Horry counties, bringing together the expertise of Tidelands Health Cancer Care Network, our regions’ most comprehensive provider of cancer care, and MUSC Hollings Cancer Center, South Carolina’s only National Cancer Institute-designated cancer center.

Turner opted for a double mastectomy without reconstruction to address both the aggressive tumor in her right breast and a benign tumor in her left breast.
She and her treatment team spent the holidays of 2022 on her treatment plan.
Turner documented her entire treatment journey on social media.
“I wanted people to know that it’s an experience that’s doable and there’s no reason to be afraid,” Turner says.

Chemotherapy began in January 2023 with an accelerated schedule – treatments every two weeks rather than every three. She lost all of her hair but otherwise felt few other symptoms from her treatments.
“I feel like I was very blessed,” Turner says. “Tidelands Health is a fabulous place. We have world-class physicians right at our disposal.”
Soon after, she began another round of chemo that lasted 12 weeks. Her hair fell out again just as it was beginning to return.

Altogether, she spent the first six months of 2023 receiving chemotherapy treatments, which were followed by a double mastectomy and radiation. In October, she rang the bell signaling she beat the disease.

“I made the decision this was one year out of my life that was going to give me many more,” Turner says.
Despite all the challenges of her cancer treatment, Turner focused on keeping a positive attitude. Her sister, five children and seven grandchildren were with her through every step in the process.
“My grandkids said, ‘Mamaw, you look pretty cool bald!’” Turner says.

By documenting and sharing her journey, Turner hopes to encourage women who may be avoiding check-ups or screenings because they fear a cancer diagnosis.
“So many people feel something or have a concern, but they don’t want to go (to the doctor) because they might have something, and then it’s too late,” Turner says. “Having worked in oncology, I saw the triumphs. I saw the people who rang the bell. Then you go to the cancer walks, and you see all the survivors. They are everywhere.”