Early Detection: Full Circle Show
I had one of those full circle moments on The Whitney Reynolds Show after finding a lump in my armpit last December. Going into a new season of The Whitney Reynolds Show this lump has left me with a new viewpoint & understanding on what it's like to open up about a life changing moment. Big thanks to my editor and friend Carrie Williams for this article. I've always loved sharing stories and now here's my own.
WHITNEY REYNOLDS' HEALTH SCARE [By Carrie Williams]
I met Whitney Reynolds over a year ago when TCW was featured on a special episode of her talk show, The Whitney Reynolds Show, on WYCC. She’s one of the hardest working women I know…bright, bubbly and a good friend. So when I saw some alarming news on Facebook one day, I was worried about her.
Whitney first noticed the lump in her armpit one night before bed in December: “I was in my pajamas and happened to look in the mirror while stretching my arms up. It immediately caught my eye because it was like a small golf ball poking out of my right armpit.” She then Googled what she saw.
“Don’t do this,” urges Whitney. “After seeing the article that popped up, I panicked. I sent a picture of the lump to my best friend who’s a nurse. She normally tells me all is fine but, this time she said to make an appointment. I waited around three days and polled everyone I saw. I started feeling pain in my arm and that’s when I knew it was time to go in.”
Whitney first met with her woman doctor who then sent her to an expert. “I knew the seriousness of what was at hand and needed some motivational, yet real advice,” she explains. “I watched my ‘Early Detection’ show once, then twice and found myself in tears and taking notes from my guests.”
At first there was a small chance the lump could have been hormonal. “So on Christmas, when it had not gone down, I was devastated,” says Whitney. “I already had the ultrasound on the books, so after the holidays I knew it was time for answers. The night before the appointment I was terrified of the unknown. However, I put my faith into action.”
Through it all, Whitney wasn’t alone. She had her husband, David, and her parents by her side. “He was my rock and handled it like a boss,” she says. “He said no matter the results, we would look it in the eye and take care of it. And my parents both offered up tons of family history on bumps that had surfaced on both sides over the years.”
After seeing a few doctors, the final results came the day of the ultrasound. “Having had a friend pass away this year from cancer my nerves were a little more on edge and my prayers turned into more of a lengthy conversation with God during the ‘waiting’ time.”
The day of the ultrasound, Whitney met with the doctor and a radiologist. “They started the ultrasound and then compared it to my other armpit,” she recalls. “They then went and looked at the results a bit closer. This 20-minute wait seemed like a lifetime. They let [my husband] David come back before they gave us the results.” Posting to Facebook once again, Whitney wrote…
With tears of joy in her eyes, Whitney gave the doctor “the biggest hug.” She really wanted to celebrate, but the reality hit her that many other women in that same doctor’s office were not getting the same results. “I went from joy to compassion and overall a spirit of thankfulness,” she says. “This experience has changed me as a person and as an interviewer. I have an amazing respect for health and a renewed sense of compassion for others. I now know what it’s like to have something very personal and sensitive come up. This experience has left a forever mark on my heart.”
