Needing to have a mammogram and an ultrasound-guided breast biopsy in my twenties was a shock, and I don’t think I’ve ever felt so anxious in my life. As a nurse myself, I’m used to being on the other side of things (where I’m so much more comfortable). This time, I was the patient, and I was so scared that I couldn’t stop crying. I just kept running through the “what ifs.”

I can’t thank Cindy enough for being there for me as my nurse and as a human. She helped me feel comfortable during and after the biopsy and made me feel like I was her only patient (though I’m sure that was not the case). She validated my feelings of how scary it was to be going through this and reassured me that it was okay to cry and feel my feelings.

Before I left, she gave me a hug and told me, “You’ve got this.” I don’t think she knows just how much I needed that. (And to hear someone say “you’ve got this,” instead of “I’m sure everything will be okay” felt so good because even if everything’s not “okay,” I’ve still got this. And I can’t stop thinking about that.) She made me feel like I could get through this, whatever this ends up being. She was genuinely the most caring and empathetic nurse I’ve ever had, and if any of the girls/women in my life find themselves at a Breast Health Center like me, I hope they have a “Cindy” too. As a nurse, Cindy is the kind of Nurse I look up to and hope to be just like.