Ginger Dugger: Surviving Cancer With Humor Intact
For Ginger Nidiffer Dugger, it was just women’s intuition.
“I just had a bad feeling about my mammogram,” the 48-year-old Greeneville woman recalled.
For Dr. Karin Small of the Women’s Center of Greeneville, it was just precautionary.
“Ginger had a history of fibrocystic masses, but I just wanted to make sure that the lump wasn’t cancer,” Dr. Small said.
As it turned out, the mass was cancer, launching a long journey of fear, hope and recovery for Ginger.
Ginger‘s story began in 2008 with having her mammogram at Takoma Regional Hospital, as she does every year on her birthday. Although the mammogram only revealed her usual fibrocystic masses, her breasts hurt during the procedure, which was unusual.
Her follow-up visit to Dr. Small was an opportunity to discuss the masses in her breasts. “Dr. Small said she wanted to be overcautious and pull some fluid off it,” Ginger said.
A subsequent visit was scheduled with Dr. Raymond Kohne, Takoma’s director of radiology. “Dr. Kohne performed an ultrasound and saw a 3-centimeter fibrocystic mass, but he was also able to find a thumbnail-size solid mass hidden inside it. He then performed a core biopsy, but it didn’t hurt because he was so gentle. The mass was very hard and they had to change needles three times.”
Dr. Robert Bridges, a general surgeon with Takoma Medical Associates, had the difficult task of telling Ginger that she had cancer.
“My first thought was ‘How inconvenient,’” Ginger said. “I mean, I had just sent out invitations to my wedding, which was one month away.”
Fortunately, Ginger’s cancer was caught early. “It was only Stage 1,” she said. “And it wasn’t in my lymph nodes, although it was traveling.”
Due to her family history (her sister is a breast-cancer survivor) and the revelation that the cancer was mobile, she didn’t want to risk a more serious battle later on. “After much research, I opted for a double mastectomy and aggressive chemotherapy,” Ginger said. “I got married as planned to Steve, had a brief honeymoon on the lake, then had both of my breasts removed three days later.”
Although she was mentally prepared for losing her breasts, she said she had no idea how painful recovery would be. “It was horrible, really unbearable, for at least four weeks.”
She later learned that the pain was exacerbated by the temporary expander implants. “It felt like someone had taken a rough brick and scrapped my skin until it bled, then strapped that brick on my body,” Ginger said.
The chemotherapy was another uphill battle. “I was so weak, so nauseous, and the pain at times was just excruciating,” Ginger noted. “But I kept telling myself: ‘It doesn’t matter what I go through. I’m alive.’”
Ginger -- who is noted by family, friends and her co-workers at the General Morgan Inn for her extremely good nature – said she promptly threw herself a “head shaving party” in preparation of the inevitable, forthcoming hair loss. Her menu including “Angel Hair Pasta, “Deviled Egg Heads,” “Shaved Ham Sandwiches: and “Bald Cupcakes,” with “Hairy Navels” as the signature drink.
And she happily noted that she didn’t have to shave her legs or armpits, due to the effects of the chemo. “That was a blessing,” she said with a laugh.
Ginger completed two more rounds of chemotherapy, and then underwent reconstructive surgery. Today, she continues to heal. “On Aug. 12, 2009, I celebrated being one-year cancer-free,” she said.
“I am so thankful that Dr. Small was so cautious and Dr. Kohne was so thorough,” Ginger said, her eyes welling with tears. “They saved my life.”
She also credits God. “My faith has really grown this past year,” Ginger said.