SWEPCO People – Connections

Breast cancer was an unexpected curveball

In 2012, a routine mammogram turned into something Elizabeth Dailey did not expect. But the procedure enabled her cancer to be detected early sparing her the pain and expense of chemotherapy and radiation treatments. Photos by Henrietta Wildsmith.

Breast cancer survivor Elizabeth Dailey knows firsthand the benefit of regular mammograms.

In spring 2012, the SWEPCO budget analyst went for what she imagined would be a routine appointment, however, it turned out to be anything but.

She’d had annual mammograms for the past 12 years and knew the process well. Therefore, she thought nothing of it when she received a certified letter asking her to return for additional screenings.

“I had received such a letter before, so I was not overly concerned,” she said. “I went for the follow up, which consisted of additional mammograms and an ultrasound.”

‘Breast cancer didn’t break my spirit’

Survivor says joyful outlook helped her through difficult journey

The day Cassundra Mayo discovered a lump in her left breast; it did not even cross her mind that it could be cancer.

“I was lying across my bed talking to my sister on the phone and said ‘Oh, there’s a little knot right there. Hmm, better get that checked out,’” said Mayo, who works in meter services at Southwestern Electric Power Co. (SWEPCO) in Shreveport.

Cancer survivor: Listen to that voice in your head saying something is wrong

Tony Rash, Public Safety and Health manager, began to feel off at the start of the summer in 2014. When he went to the doctor a month after his initial symptoms, he began a two-year battle with cancer that would require six surgeries.

The summer of 2014 was an eye-opening one for Tony Rash.

That June, the Longview resident began to feel off. His appetite was gone, and when he did eat, it only took a couple bites for him to feel full.

He knew something was not right but kept finding excuses for his unusual symptoms.

”It was so easy for me when I first started to say ‘Oh, it’s hot. I’m not eating as much because it’s hot weather,’” Rash said. “So many times we put off what we know are real problems.”

‘An unintentional self-exam saved my life’

After years of regular mammograms, Shreveport mom discovers she has three tumors

In 2013, only a month after having a mammogram, Suzanne Western discovered a knot in her left breast. The knot turned out to be three tumors she needed to immediately have removed. *Photos by Henrietta Wildsmith*

Suzanne Western has always been diligent when it comes to mammograms.

After losing a grandmother to breast cancer and seeing her aunt battle the disease, she’s always known the importance of keeping regular appointments for early detection. But it would be her own experience that would show her self-exams are equally as important.

In June 2013, only a month after a mammogram, Western found a knot in her left breast.

She had been getting ready for her first day back to work in fleet services in Shreveport following a summer vacation when she felt it while rubbing lotion on a sunburn.

What’s SWEPCO doing in East Texas?

SWEPCO is busy in East Texas.

Crews are storm hardening the power grid to better withstand harsh weather. They’re also trimming more trees away from power lines after more than 70 inches of rainfall between last September and June spurred vegetation growth.

Watch as Distribution System Inspector Sr. Philip Johnson details these and other ongoing projects in East Texas.