Nina Hughes Anderson grew up on a small farm near Cumming, Georgia, a little town located northeast of Atlanta, nestled in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. She is one of seven children (the middle child and oldest daughter) born to Wesley and Lois Hughes. She married Richard Anderson and they have two daughters, Lynn and Shelly. Nina has worked in the accounting and finance industry for most of her career.

For the past fifteen years, she served as the Corporate Secretary and Treasurer for the company from which she retired in 2006. She has also been a leader in her church where she has served as Sunday School Teacher and Treasurer for many years. Nina and her family have a deep and abiding faith that has helped to sustain them when (as everyone does) they walked through the valleys of life.

The first valley that they experienced was one of deep and lasting sorrow. A tragic automobile accident took the life of their precious and beautiful sixteen-year-old daughter, Lynn. The second valley came eighteen years later when Nina was diagnosed with a rare and deadly form of breast cancer known as Inflammatory Breast Cancer.

Nina was a very health conscious individual. Other than the usual childhood illnesses, she had never been sick in her entire life. She had a mammogram and Pap test every year and did monthly self breast examinations. That’s why she and Richard were so stunned when what appeared to be a minor breast infection, turned out to be Inflammatory Breast Cancer (IBC). She didn’t know that you could have breast cancer without having a lump. She didn’t know that some breast cancers do not show up on a mammogram. Nina only had the symptoms for about two weeks when she was diagnosed as Stage 3b with IBC. Stage 4 is the final stage of cancer. After completing her treatments and having survived five years, she decided she would share her story in the hope of educating women about the symptoms of IBC.

No woman should have to suffer the consequences of this disease because they have never heard of it or the symptoms associated with it. She also wants to give hope to every woman who is diagnosed with IBC that YOU CAN SURVIVE.

Her prayer is that this book will save lives. The Bumble Bee Miracle is the story of her survival and is a testimony to her faith and to God’s sustaining grace and infinite love.

AGE AT DIAGNOSIS:  55

TYPE OF BREAST CANCER:  Inflammatory Breast Cancer (5.5 cm nests/sheets)

LYMPH NODE STATUS: 11 positive nodes out of 16 removed

TUMOR DESCRIPTION:  Stage 3b

SURGERY: 3 IN ALL

(1) Modified Radical Mastectomy of the right breast. Was not able to get clear margins.
(2) 4 weeks later had a Re-excision. Obtained clear margins.
(3) 1 week after re-excision drain tubes were removed which resulted in a hematoma. This required emergency surgery at the same incision site to repair artery.

TREATMENTS: 

Chemotherapy with ACT (Adriamycin, Cytoxan, Taxotere) and Neulasta and Procrit injections for 6 months before surgery. 3 surgeries then radiation of surgery site for 7 weeks in conjunction with 12 more Chemotherapy treatments of Taxol for 12 weeks.  Total of 11 months of treatments.

HORMONE THERAPY:  Negative ER/PR No Hormone Therapy   Her2nu Factor 14

DIAGNOSED ON:  April 15, 2002

FAMILY HISTORY OF BREAST CANCER: 1 Paternal Aunt, None with IBC

As of March 1, 2010, I am cancer free.  In June 2006, I had to have colon cancer surgery for pre-colon cancer discovered during a colonoscopy.  In November 2008, I was having problems with my heart rate and during a heart catherization, I went into Congestive Heart Failure.  This was determined to be a direct result of damage caused to my heart from the chemotherapy treatments.  I have scar tissue throughout my heart. I have a bi-ventrical pacemaker/defibrulator to protect against a sudden heart attack.  Before the pacemaker, I had less than 20% Ejection Fraction (normal is 65%).  I now have 40-45% and I am doing OK.  Still Praising the Lord for my “Bumble Bee Miracle”.