Patient Stories
Kim Futch
Like so many breast cancer stories, Kim Futch's begins with finding a lump.
She felt it in June, and had it checked out. By January it had grown and by February she was having breast cancer surgery. She was referred to Dr. Jean-Claude Schwartz and felt immediately comfortable in his care. Dr. Marc Bisseck became her plastic surgeon and Dr. Harsh Bhushan, her oncologist.
"The three doctors communicate well," she said, which made the whole process easier on her and her family.
"The doctors know who I am. They know me," she said. "I ran into Dr. Schwartz in the cafeteria and he recognized me. That might not happen at bigger hospitals."
Kim was grateful to be able to have surgery and chemotherapy locally.
"I was sick the first three months. I couldn't have made it driving out of town," she said. She completed chemo last month. Already, her hair is growing back and she's trying to figure out what to do with all the scarves and hats she bought during treatment.
"Part of me is still in shock," she admits, and she's trying to be strong to get through it all. Kim was just 34 when she was diagnosed. She's turned 35 since then. She and her husband have a 7-year-old son to raise, and she counts on her strong faith to get her through. That, and the personalized care she received at East Georgia Regional Medical Center.