Denise Scronce has had a lot of time to think over the last seven months. Through all of her thinking and struggles, one thing has been clearer than ever — her love and faith in God.
Scronce was diagnosed with breast cancer in March 2016 and the third of her parents daughters to receive such a diagnosis. In fact, Scronce and her family lost her sister Dawn to cancer several years ago.
“I’ve had a lot of time to spend thinking about all the things God does for us that we don’t realize he does,” Scronce said. “The truth is, He just wants us to be still and listen. We aren’t still and we don’t hear Him.”
Through her tough times, Scronce said she put her full attention on God and what He wanted from her life.
“He really grows you in the tough times,” Scronce added. “You get brought to your knees when you realize that relationship with Him just isn’t there.”
Earlier this year, Scronce said she found a lump on her breast. Having experienced a similar situation with her sisters, Scronce contacted her physician who then ordered a mammogram. That procedure was followed with a call back from the doctor to have a second mammogram performed and then an ultrasound and biopsy.
“Along the way, each person kinda highly suspected it was malignant,” Scronce said. “But, no one ever made me feel like it was something I needed to worry about.”
A local general surgeon performed Scronce’s biopsy and told her at the time that she was pretty confident the mass was malignant.
“Even though she felt pretty confident it was malignant, she wasn’t worried about that,” Scronce shared. “She was more concerned about me and my mental state in dealing with the situation. She always wanted to make sure that I was OK.”
The biopsy was done on a Thursday, and reports were not expected back until the following week. That Friday afternoon, Scronce said she received the call she knew was coming, but still didn’t want to hear.
“Dr. Mendible was on top of things,” Scronce said. “She made sure I got that news so that I wasn’t having to sit around the entire weekend wondering what the report would say.”
Scronce’s sister Cindi Norris had received the same news 20 years before. The only difference, Norris was 35 years old and had a newborn. They only gave her sister six months to live.
“I wanted to go somewhere that specializes in breast cancer,” Scronce said about choosing a doctor.
That’s why she decided to visit her sister’s oncologist for further testing and treatment, where she learned there are multiple kinds of breast cancer. None of the sisters shared the same type.
The oncologist decided to proceed with treatment to include chemotherapy, surgery and radiation. Prior to the chemotherapy, the mass in Scronce’s breast measured 3 cm. After the chemo treatments, that same mass had been shrunk to a size 0.2 mm.
“Chemotherapy is no picnic and I hope I never have to do that again,” Scronce attested. “But I was so blessed through this whole situation.”
Following six chemo treatments over an 18-week period, a lumpectomy and four weeks of radiation, Scronce has two more weeks left of the radiation treatment. Every day during the week, Scronce and her husband Larry make the drive from Clinton to Cary for her treatments.
“I’ve had some side effects, but long before I knew it was cancer, I turned it all over to God,” Scronce said. “Often, we think we have things, but we don’t. There was nothing I could have done but rely on Him.”
Scronce, who along with her sister Cindi, runs Burney’s in downtown Clinton. During the last few months, Scronce said her family and friends, and the community that surrounds her, have been there for her.
“My husband has learned how to cook things he never cooked before,” Scronce said with a laugh.
Prior to being diagnosed with breast cancer, Scronce said she was very healthy. There have only been a few setbacks during her treatment. During a routine blood check, Scronce said her numbers and blood count were low, so she had to receive three blood transfusions.
“It’s so hard to believe that all of this has transpired since March,” Scronce added.
Throughout all of her treatments, surgery and now radiation, Scronce said she has done what it takes to get through. Her faith in God is what has brought her through this storm, despite a few setbacks.
In the 20 years since her sister Cindi was diagnosed with breast cancer, Scronce said there have been many medical advancements.
“They really have everything down to a science,” Scronce said.
Over time, Scronce said the treatments have worn her down, but she is slowly getting back to her old self, returning to the bakery a few hours a day to help out where needed.
When Scronce’s biopsy was taken, genetic testing was performed and showed that she did not carry the breast cancer gene. That, she said, was great news.
“It means that if my daughters were to get breast cancer, it wouldn’t be from me passing it down,” Scronce shared. “I’m glad I had the testing done, because it eases my mind about my daughters and granddaughters.”
