SURVIVOR SPOTLIGHT

Brandy Scott:
Winner Takes All

By Genevieve Branco

This June newsletter marks one year that I’ve been meeting with survivors each month, listening to them bare their souls and doing my best to share them with the Links for Life family; Trying to do these survivors justice, to somehow put myself in their shoes, to find the words to describe the indescribable experiences they underwent. Each story is so unique because each woman is so unique, yet the one constant I hear is how valuable is the bond between the survivors at Links for Life because of their shared experience. The time I’ve spent with the survivors has challenged my complacency, taken me to church, redirected my moral compass, sharpened my awareness of time’s value, and reminded me to count my blessings. I’m forever grateful for the lessons I’ve learned listening to these beautiful woman. Here’s to another year of brilliant breast cancer heroes.

Brandy Scott told me that during the months following her chemotherapy, she watched her old, brittle nails slowly grow out, being replaced by new, stronger fingernails. She said it was a daily reminder to herself about her own regeneration. It’s a funny thing to notice. Most survivors talk about how their hair grew back – perhaps curlier, thicker, thinner, or grayer – but Brandy watched the ridges on her fingernails. And the day that the ridges were gone she knew she had been made new. Here’s Brandy’s story of renewal and rebirth, in more ways than one.

Brandy celebrates five years being a breast cancer survivor this year – a milestone certainly worth celebrating. She was 39 when she felt a lump in her breast in January 2019, so she had never had a mammogram and that made it easy to ignore the lump for a couple of months. In March she decided to tell her health care system that she had found a lump in her left breast and they wasted no time and immediately transferred her to the breast care department. It was around then that Brandy got a bad feeling. Perhaps it was intuition, but she just knew that something was wrong. She had her first mammogram a week later and immediately understood all the jokes that people make about what it feels like to contort around and hug tight to the life-saving, yet vice-griping machine that we all love and hate so much in the world of breasts. The technician didn’t sooth Brandy’s concerns when she immediately went to get the doctor after seeing the images. That led to a quick ultrasound. Brandy recalled that she could see the lump on the ultrasound, and vaguely remembers the doctor telling her that they would call her with next steps.

Two days later Brandy had her biopsy. At this point she hadn’t spoken a word of this to anyone in her family. She had just one friend who knew her secret and was her support system. Typical mom, right? She didn’t want anyone to feel the dread she was feeling, so she walked these early days almost entirely alone. The radiologist said, it doesn’t look good.

Brandy sat in the surgeon’s chair a week later and discussed her options. Because of the location of the tumor and all the many factors that go into these decisions, Brandy and her doctor decided on a double mastectomy, and Brandy decided she would do a full reconstruction.

Brandy knew about Links for Life, but she isn’t sure how. She recalls that she had an aunt who had breast cancer a few years prior and perhaps that’s where she remembered the organization. Her aunt had passed away, but not before Brandy had encountered several breast cancer resources. Before her own surgery Brandy looked up Links for Life and went to her first meeting on a Tuesday night. She said this was the best decision she ever made. What she saw was all these women from young to old, standing there and supporting her. She hadn’t realized until that moment how much she needed to see survivors. To see these women who had survived (and thrived!) despite their cancer, was such a pivotal moment of hope for Brandy. She isn’t much of a crier, but she cried that night.

During Brandy’s journey she didn’t take much time for self-pity or even to worry about death or pain. What she worried about most was her kids. She thought, if I die, will this be my children’s story? If I am consumed by cancer, will this be my children’s story? Those thoughts were turned into motivation and determination to do whatever she had to, to make it through this challenge in her life. If her kids were going to have a story about how her cancer affected them, Brandy wanted it to be a triumphant and even joyful story. So, Brandy said a tearful farewell to the breasts that had served her so well in her life, and stepped forward to do what had to be done.

Her cancer was stage 2 and moderately growing. She was fortunate not to have any cancer found in her lymph nodes, but the doctor still wanted her to undergo chemotherapy infusions. That was news she did not want to hear him say. So, next came the insertion of the porta-cath, which is a routine surgery that rarely has complications. Most people are in and out after a porta-cath placement. Brandy was one of those rare people with complications – severe complications. Now, I don’t want this next part to scare anyone because this is not what usually happens during a porta-cath placement surgery, but this is part of Brandy’s amazing story and so it must be told. Although still unclear about the specific difficulties that the surgeon encountered during her attempted porta-cath placement, what she remembers is waking up in the OR and seeing blood transfusion bags hanging above her. She can recall in that moment feeling the tension in the air and hearing the doctor comment about saving her life, then her eyes closed again. Fast forward to the ICU where she spent two days with a pneumothorax and a collapsed lung from internal bleeding, her recovery would be complicated by a chest tube, oxygen, and lots of pain. Needless to say, what should have been a simple surgery, for Brandy, was almost a death sentence. Fortunately, God had other plans. She recalls thinking, a week later, as she took her weary, recovering steps back into her home, that she was grateful that her family was there with her, bringing her home instead of planning a funeral. 

In three weeks Brandy went to see her oncologist to discuss the plan for chemotherapy. The compassionate doctor said he couldn’t make her undergo that surgery again, and he revised the chemo cocktail so that it could be given through a normal IV. This meant longer sessions spaced further apart, but it would keep Brandy from having to attempt that porta-cath placement again. Unfortunately, what Brandy wasn’t spared were the chemotherapy side effects, the way it effects your entire body, from hair loss to exhaustion. In fact, she says she believes she’s never slept so much in her entire life! She can even remember the first day during her recovery that she didn’t need a nap, over a year after her first surgery.

Brandy had the best support system. Not only was she connected to Links for Life, but her kids, sister, parents, friends, and her husband were all there for her. She was never alone at a chemo appointment, even though they lasted up to eight hours long. People came out of the woodworks to provide meals and offer assistance. She had a revolving door of visitors, and she was extremely grateful. Her eyes even welled up with tears as she recalled how much love and support she was shown during her cancer journey. She also shared with me that she underwent a divorce shortly after her chemotherapy was over, but before her reconstruction surgeries. Another set back from this time, but certainly not one that would keep her down for long.

As mentioned earlier, Brandy is celebrating five years this year of overcoming cancer, and this is where the story really gets interesting! During four of those past five years, Brandy was laser-focused on getting healthy and regenerating, to be there for her children. She found balance in rest, healing, and parenting. For four years all her energy went to her kids or her own health and recovery. Then one day she started to realize how much she wanted to give back to a larger community because of her overwhelming gratitude for all that she had been given and supported over the past years. Serendipitously, she attended the Links for Life Love Links Luncheon at the Crystal Palace and she saw the Bakersfield Pageant holders helping at the event. A spark touched her heart as she thought how wonderful it must be that they get to support so many organizations all around Kern County. She inquired and found out that many of assumptions about pageants that she may have had in the past were wrong – that the foundation of this pageant was to do exactly what she had been wanting to do – to give back to the community.

Brandy wanted to be part of that, but insecurities plagued her mind. She thought, what am I doing at my age thinking I’m a pageant winner? She talked herself in and out of running for Ms. Bakersfield several times. One day when she was feeling inspired to go forward, she reached out to Links for Life to find out if she could be sponsored by Links for the pageant. The Links for Life Survivor Sisters stepped up to the call and jumped in to help her! As financial donations by other breast cancer survivors poured in, Brandy’s insecurities didn’t go away. She still talked herself in and out of running, and it wasn’t until the very day before the entries closed that she gave herself one more pep talk and went through with it. The thing that pushed her over the top was that she had told all those Survivor Sisters that she was going to run on a platform of breast cancer awareness – and to tell her story of renewal, regeneration, and resiliency! The thought of calling each one up on the phone and explaining to them that she chickened out, was something she could not bear! So, she entered, and she wore the hottest pink, and she told her story out loud for all to hear!

Where Words Fail, Music Speaks

This was the theme of the pageant this year, and Brandy embraced this theme by talking about how Lee Ann Womack’s song, “I Hope You Dance” had inspired her during her breast cancer journey. She talked about how meaningful this song was to her, giving her hope and reminding her to treasure every day. This song became her anthem for recovery, but it wasn’t until the day she stepped on that stage, proudly wearing pink for all those who have been affected by breast cancer, that she was truly triumphant.

Brandy was 44 years old when she won the Ms. Bakersfield pageant, culminating a five-year journey of growth and renewal. She reflects today that it took her almost dying to be able to live the life she is living today. Before cancer, Brandy was always going 100 miles a minute. She ran in the wheel of an over-busy life, always trying to be everything for everyone, trying to do the right thing, but never doing enough, never giving enough, and never meeting the mark. It wasn’t until she laid in the hospital bed thinking, what now, God? I have nothing left to offer, that she heard His words, be still, and know that I am God, and she truly gave herself to his will. She became 100 percent dependent on God. She let go of shame, stress, and worry and allowed herself to experience a spiritual and mental shift.

Although she is well on her way to supporting 70 or 80 community events this year as the title holder, Ms. Bakersfield, her entire perspective is different. Her giving is joyful and from the right place in her heart. She makes room for what she loves the most and finds life’s precious moments. Whether she’s doing the most or the least that day, she doesn’t allow herself to feel the shame that she isn’t doing enough because she knows she is doing what God wants her to do, and she is letting Him lead the way. In an essence, Brandy Scott came close to losing everything, but through an incredible journey of transformation and renewal, instead she won it all!

“As a breast cancer survivor, the song I hope you dance by country singer Leann Womack is my anthem. Its message of resilience and joy mirrors my journey. Through highs and lows I dance through adversity, standing strong, and am grateful for every step.” Brandy Scott, Ms. Bakersfield, 2024