For one local woman battling cancer, the past year has had many ups and downs.

Jean Holland, 73, went in for her regularly scheduled mammogram, just as she had done in all the years past. However, this time would be different and drastically change her life.

In August 2007, her doctor noticed two lumps on her breast. He decided that in order to properly diagnose her he would to run more tests.

“It was pretty scary,” Holland recalls. “I remember I had just seen a movie on Lifetime with Ricki Lake and she had gone through this.”

After the MRI was conducted to get a more accurate reading of the lumps a lumpectomy was scheduled.

“I tried my best to keep a positive attitude,” said Holland.

When the doctors took out the two lumps they then found two additional lumps, which had not shown up on the original MRI scan. 

Following the surgery Holland found out that she would need chemotherapy treatments. Even though Holland does not remember having the usual side effects due to the therapy, the grueling treatments were not easy for her to go through, leaving her in the hospital for ten days at a time. During the time while her immune system was at a debilitated state she developed the flu.

In order to get her feeling better she would need to inject herself with Heparin shots daily. However, even with the daily injections, Holland found herself back in the hospital once again.

“My poor husband got the brunt of it,” Holland said.

When Holland began losing her hair she did not just chuck it in the trash can with haste, instead she decided to put it to good use, leaving it outside for the birds to get ahold of and intertwine into their nest.

“I did it just for the heck of it at first. Then I saw bluebirds in December going in and out of the bird house. They had gotten the hair above the pine cones,” Holland said. “I couldn’t figure it out.”

Since then, Holland has taken her hair out of the nest and placed it in a plastic bag which she poked holes in. This way, next year the birds will be able to use the hair again in their construction and take it as needed.

Although, Holland is still living with the cancer and still continuing chemotherapy treatments she keeps a positive attitude.

“The first couple of weeks were the hardest,” said Holland.

Holland recommends getting check-ups yearly in order to find out diagnosis and begin treatments as early as possible.

“The Virginia Cancer Center has been terrific,” Holland said. “They have terrific nurses that have been so kind and helpful throughout this process.”