CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Our Positively Pink Series continues with a beloved high school swim coach swimming through cancer. Diving in with a purpose, she shares how her support system helped her through her journey.
Myra Nelson is a wife, mother to three kids and beloved swim coach at Incarnate word Academy. She was diagnosed with breast cancer just six days before Christmas.
She followed her physician’s advice and traveled to MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston for treatment. Nelson’s tests concluded she had three tumors instead of one.
Her next biggest challenge was sharing the news with her kids. Nelson broke the news to them after Christmas dinner. Her oldest and youngest sat there in shock while her middle child started crying.
Nelson knew gathering a big support system was a crucial part of her journey. She turned to her other kids-her swim team and school family where she found one hundred percent support.
Armed with the support of her immediate family and an army of IWA Angels, “Coach Mic” as her students call her, was ready for battle!
Nelson had a lumpectomy with reconstruction on her breast and a reduction on the non-cancerous breast. She admits being hesitant at first to the reduction of her benign breast. She consulted with her husband and decided to go through with the surgery. It turned out to be the best decision she made, because when she looks in the mirror she still “looks like herself.”
Nelson is currently cancer free but has been placed on estrogen therapy for the next five years. It comes with many side effects including hot flashes, cold flashes, sleepless nights, nausea and loss of appetite.
Nelson is a breast cancer warrior, fighting her breast cancer battle while still coaching and keeping her daily routine despite her therapy side effects. She shares that if she “just sits around it will drive her crazy.”
Her advice for others battling breast cancer is “Try not to keep it a secret, you can’t hold this in. It helps everyone if you share your story. It benefits us all.”
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