Author of ‘Into the Gathering Clouds’, which details Dorchelle Spence’s very personal testimony of trial & triumph with Breast Cancer. Dorchelle shares her story of hope to help other women & men to know that the Big often dreaded “C” word does not automatically have to be a death sentence, but yet another hurdle that simply needs to be climbed over in order to be a stepping stone to a new beginning & chapter in one’s life.
She mentions how she bravely climbed in heels that she wore to every appointment which solicited oohs & aahs from the nurses, other staff, & patients. This helped her to keep a positive attitude & retain her sense of humanity as she fought the good fight of faith with both style, dignity, & grace with her family by her side.
Tell us about your journey during the battle with Breast Cancer.
It was April 19th. The day started like any other. I was in the shower when I noticed a gumball size knot in my right armpit. I could put my fingers around it & jiggle it. I knew right away that I had a problem and that it would be significant. A few days later I was sent for a breast ultrasound where three tumors were found in my right breast and one in my right lymph node. After a biopsy confirmed Infiltrating Ductal Carcinoma, Stage 2B, I was assigned a surgical oncologist & began a regimen that would include 18 months of chemotherapy, a lumpectomy, and 26 rounds of radiation. I found the battle with cancer to be intensely personal, lonely, and sad. Yet, I was grateful to have an incredibly supportive husband who lent strength, laughter, and normalcy and a few close friends and family members on whom I could lean and with whom I could be my authentic self. God’s presence was always with me & around me. These are the things that ultimately saw me through.
Why do you feel there has suddenly become a rise in African American women having breast cancer?
I believe breast cancer has always been prevalent in our community. We are just becoming more aware. We are being screened in larger numbers, which has led to an increase in diagnoses. Let’s continue this trend, keep going in for our mammograms, & if our results show dense breast tissue, let’s insist on breast ultrasounds and other high-resolution imaging. The earlier the screening, the sooner the diagnosis, the better the prognosis. For this reason, we should encourage our mothers, daughters, sisters, extended families & friends to all get screened.
Tell us about your book and what readers will take from it.
Into the Gathering Clouds follows a woman’s cancer journey from diagnosis, through various treatments, to survival. It takes you on the emotional rollercoaster, puts you on the battlefield, and takes you into the chemotherapy room, the surgery suite, and onto the radiation table. You hear the prayers and the conversations. You fight alongside the patient. You learn how to give support and how to be supported. It’s a powerful story illustrating the importance of faith, friends, and a little finesse in any battle.
On your journey, did you discover any other alternative treatments outside of, chemotherapy that you found beneficial?
Someone asked me the other day if I’d considered getting a second opinion on my treatment path. The truth is: it didn’t occur to me. As a woman of faith, I believe God imparts knowledge, wisdom, & understanding to people in various capacities and healing can come through any number of them. As the wife of a former pharmacist whose sister is a physician, I also trust science & scientific advancements. The fact that in his previous career my husband had worked directly with chemotherapy drugs, & given my familiarity with western medical treatment, I instinctively followed the traditional path. Once I took the first step the process propelled me forward at such speed there was no time to consider deviations.
Any upcoming events or exciting projects that you will be taking part in soon?
October allowed me to frequently share my testimony as it is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, but breast cancer is an important topic every day as one in eight of us will be diagnosed within our lifetimes. In March, Women’s History Month, I am Keynote Speaker for the American Cancer Society’s Think Pink Memphis event on March 25, 2023. Between now & then, I am scheduling book readings and signings, speaking to book clubs, & facilitating writing workshops.
How can our readers keep up with you?
My website www.DorchelleSpence.com has a list of upcoming events, videos of talks, and a photo gallery to inform & uplift visitors. I am also active on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter. Be sure to leave a review of my books in the comment section of my website or on amazon.com.
Although Breast Cancer Awareness month just concluded not long ago, I feel Dorchelle clearly helps us to realize that this disease is a daily ongoing battle. I am personally thankful for those survivors such as my own mother who survived stage 4 Cervical Cancer when I was only 18 years old & Mrs. Spence who has survived & now helps to shed light on this dark & sometimes grave diagnosis. I also love how she spoke on the importance of having a community and a support system such as friends, and family. They helped shower her with love, prayers, & casseroles to help alleviate the stress during a very difficult time in which she had a full plate which included still running a non-profit during the time of her diagnosis, raising kids, & caring for her own chronically ill mother.
When I think of how she has endured all these things without losing her sense of purpose and joy, I think of the song “Never Would Have Made It” by Marvin Sapp because she is truly more than a conqueror & overcomer by the word of her testimony. Please be sure to visit her website as referenced above if you or someone you know needs encouragement or details on steps to take for early detection of breast cancer as well as stay current on all the latest updates on this beautiful woman’s work.
