Sharing a harrowing journey to inspire other women facing their own health battles
By Sue Baldani
It was April 2024, and 37-year-old Ann Brennan Williams was a busy lady. A wife, mother of two young children, and owner of Yearly Co., in Tennessee, she didn’t have much downtime. Then, after discovering a lump, a diagnosis of triple-positive breast cancer threatened to upend her whole world.
“When I first heard the word ‘cancer,’ it was from the radiologist who read my mammogram and ultrasound,” she says. “I was in shock and burst into tears. The next few weeks before my official diagnosis were filled with a terrible sense of limbo and fear.”
While Ann was afraid of the physical effects of the treatment she would need, her deepest fear was being taken away from her husband, Pat, and daughters, 9-year-old Regan and 10-year-old Brennan. “I knew that whatever treatments I’d have to face would be hard, but I could handle anything if it meant I’d get to watch my girls grow up.”
And it was hard. Six rounds of chemotherapy left her feeling tired and weak, and she also lost her hair. “I went through a terrible roller coaster of emotions with each cycle,” she says. “I looked for the smallest joys to hold onto when so many things were taken away. There were days when I couldn’t taste food or lacked the energy to do even the most basic tasks.”
She had a tape measure marked with all the days until the end of chemo, and she would cut off one inch each day, watching it get shorter as she neared the end. Her husband and daughters, she says, kept her smiling through it all.
Fortunately, other family members and friends were a great source of support and encouragement too, bringing food and flowers, giving hugs, and sending thoughtful texts and care packages. “We received more DoorDash® gift cards than one person should be able to spend in a lifetime—but they were incredibly helpful when we needed an easy way to feed our girls or when my chemo-altered tastebuds were especially picky,” says Ann. “My friends and family regularly checked in, reminding me they were thinking of me or praying for my healing.”
Her wonderful team at work handled everything there so she could focus on her health and recovery. She also had faith. “My faith helped me let go of control, trust my treatment plan, and believe that whatever happened would be okay,” she says.
Ann also found tremendous strength through other women who had fought the same battle. “When I was first diagnosed, I searched social media for women who had been through breast cancer and had gone on to live life again. Seeing photos of women traveling, working, and returning to their lives after chemo was incredibly encouraging.”
These women inspired her to share her own experience so other women diagnosed with cancer could feel less alone and afraid. “The resources available to connect, share, and learn about what to expect are incredibly helpful,” says Ann. “And as so many women told me, having breast cancer is a terrible club to be in—but it has the best members. You’ll find so much support in this community.”
She also encourages women to do self-checks and follow up on anything unusual. “You’re never too young or too ‘healthy’ to have cancer.”
Today, eight months out of chemo and having healed from her mastectomy, Ann is doing very well. “Every day, I feel a little more like my ‘old self.’ I felt a lot of sadness and anger during treatment, but now I carry a deeper gratitude for my life than I did before.”
@AnnBrennanWilliams
YearlyCo.com
Written for Belle Meade Lifestyle magazine in Tennesee.
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