b'I loved Arizona, Mary reminisces. It felt fresh andTHE FIGHT OF HER LIFEnew. I met my husband here. I spent a season travelingMary almost skipped her annual mammogram with him when he caddied on the PGA and Nike Golfappointment in April of 2022 because, like so many Tours. When we decided to settle down here, wepeople, she had a busy work schedule that day. She convinced my mom to relocate to be closer to us. didnt think it was important because she didnt fear She continues, We had a great life until my mom wasbreast cancer. The only reason she went was that she diagnosed with lung cancer in 2011. She fought thehappened to have another appointment nearby.disease with everything she had, but it went on toShe got a call the next day and was told she needed to spread to her brain and then bone. In March of 2012,come in for a needle biopsy. She still wasnt worried.her battle ended.It was Thursday at 5:20 PM when I got the call, Following her moms passing, but before her ownMary said. It wasnt from my doctor; it was from the diagnosis, both her mother-in-law and father-in-imaging facility. I remember thinking, if it was bad, it law also fought cancer.Her father-in-law Jerryswould be my doctor. And I also thought no one would battleended first, followed by Marys beloved mother- be calling me after hours with bad news. I was wrong. in-law, Brenda. The radiologist asked if I was somewhere I couldMary had a newer, more complextalk. I said I was in my laundry room. (This became something I repeated on the call as if nothing bad can happen in a laundry room). She was very direct and simply stated, you have invasive breast cancer.She felt like she was underwater. Her boss at the time mastectomy procedure which usedcalled just as she hung up the phone. He quicklyrealized something was wrong. In what is one of oncoplastic techniques that result in athe kindest things anyone has ever done for her, he much improved cosmetic outcome. helped her rehearse telling her family. She wanted her husband and two boys to know that everything was Dr. Victor Zannis going to be OK in a very matter-of-fact manner.Mary then broke the difficult news to her husband, Jeff. And the look that crossed his face broke her heart.She immediately knew then how hard this would be on her boys as well. Her older son, Dillon, was away at the University of San Diego.She wanted to tell him in person, but he was adamant to be told and immediately wanted to come home.She didnt tell her younger son, Peyton. As he processes things more internally, Mary knew he would require more information. She didnt have all the answers he needed, but her OB/GYN was a lifesaver. Her doctor also insisted Mary contact Victor Zannis, MD, at the HonorHealth Cancer Center.Dr. Zannis was amazing, Mary said. He immediatelyput me at ease because he was confident and compassionate. He told me that had I skipped my mammogram as I told him I almost did, the outcome may have been very different. He ran through all the scenarios, never letting me feel like I didnt have a choice. I learned so much about the many types of 6 HonorHealth Foundation Magazine'