One Breast Cancer Survivor's Story

Marilys Cox of St. Petersburg never imagined she would battle her cancer in pink.

“But now, I'm wearing a pink bra with fringe,” the 57-year-old says. She is one of the estimated 230,480 women who were or will be diagnosed with breast cancer in 2011, according to the National Cancer Society. “And I will be wearing pink with pride” at the annual Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk on Oct. 22 – as a survivor. 

“How I got here is kind of an interesting story,” she says about her diagnosis. Cox had a self-pay mammogram that caught the cancer earlier this year. That caused her insurance rate to become too expensive and her cancer went untreated. After six months, she was able to be enrolled in the Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan (PCIP) under the new federal health care reform. The problem was only a few doctors actually accepted the insurance. 

Cox was eventually referred to WellSpring Oncology, and she says it was the best decision in her cancer care.

“The doctors were so fabulous. I felt like I could talk to them about anything,” she says. “I knew I was one of the lucky ones. I wasn't going through anything compared to the people in the waiting room, but I knew we were all in good hands.”

Cox' 13-year-old niece often accompanied her during her seven-week radiation treatment. She fell in love with a science magazine in the waiting room. One of the staff members overheard the niece say the subscription was too expensive to ask her parents to pay for it. The Wellspring Giving Tree was able to purchase a subscription of the magazine for her to enjoy. The Giving Tree is a non-tax-deductible fund put in place to help cancer patients and their families in need.

“It was quite an experience for them to notice that,” Cox says. “It showed their personal connection to each patient.”

Now that her treatments are over, Cox is looking forward to pursuing her two passions: spending time in the outdoor oasis she built at her Florida home and helping others who've battled cancer. Her team for Making Strides has raised hundreds of dollars this year, thanks in part to the generosity of strangers.

“I had my pink bra in the waiting room of my primary care physician, and people just started handing me money. I had an 80-year-old woman give me $5 and apologize for only having that much,” she says.

Cox says cancer may not be the worst thing that's ever happened. “It's amazing some of the opportunities having cancer can open up in your life, and the generous people you meet along the way.”

WellSpring Oncology is located at 6600 66th St. N. in Pinellas Park. For more information, contact WellSpring Oncology at 727-343-0600 or visit them online at www.WellSpringOncology.org.