CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Elizabeth Hardin was a fixture at Corpus Christi city hall, working as Chief of staff for two mayors until 2021.
Her breast cancer battle started back in 1986 when she was only 36. "I felt like I was a person walking around with a 'C' on my head or chest or something because cancer was not widely understood. We barely understand it now. Then (1987) it was even less," Hardin said.
After a lumpectomy and removal of 22 lymph nodes, Hardin thought they cleared her margins following heavy radiation.
It wouldn't be until 2021, more than three decades later, a lump reappeared. Hardin discovered her margins were not properly cleared and she had Triple Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC). "My second recurrence was in the same breast and about an inch and a half to 2 inches from the first site. It was that close," she said.
After aggressive treatments including heavy chemotherapy and 12 weeks of regular chemo, she was cleared. However, because she has TNBC, the threat of the disease returning is a possibility. But that does not stop her from living and advocating for early exams, routine physicals and yearly mammograms.
She fully supports Breast Friends, a group that helps women who have undergone mastectomies with fitted bras and prothesis and First Friday which helps women with little to no insurance schedule mammograms in South Texas.
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