The Advocate
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theadvocate.com
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Sunday, October 7, 2018
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A journey from a Twinkle to a Celebrity BY CHANTE WARREN Special to The Advocate
Here’s a bit of clariďŹ cation. No, Twinkle Daniels’ ďŹ rst name is not a nickname. “I was the twinkle in my mom’s eye, the ďŹ rst born,â€? said Daniels of her birth name. The true nickname she earned in fall 2015, “celebrity,â€? followed her cancer diagnosis, invasive ductal carcinoma, an invasive form of cancer which makes up 80 percent of breast cancer diagnosed. Doctors removed Daniels’ left breast in November and in 2016 she started chemotherapy. She lost her hair and experienced physical and emotional changes, she said. Still, she wore her stilettos and glamour wigs, earning her the nickname, “celebrityâ€? at Mary Bird Perkins-Our Lady of the Lake Cancer Center, she said. “I went to chemo like I was on the red carpet,â€? Daniels said. It made her feel like a champion in the face of her battle with cancer, she said. Daniels, 50, of Baton Rouge and a Ville Platte native, is a divorced mother of two and active grandmother of four grandchildren ages 9, 7, 5 and 3. She brings her grandchildren to events sponsored by Mary Bird Perkins and American Cancer Society of Baton Rouge. Through the cancer therapy sessions and support programs, Daniels has learned to share her struggles. “It encourages me to want to speak out to other women who have been through what I’ve been through and it gets me through that ‘you have breast cancer mode,’â€? Daniels said. She faced another scare in June when Daniels’ said doctors found a lump in her right breast. Her fears were allayed once she learned it was scar tissue from a previous breast reduction surgery, she said. Still, Daniels said she wants to eventually remove her remaining breast. The scare reminded her of
Twinkle Daniels, cancer survivor, poses on the walkway of the Mary Bird Perkins-Our Lady of the Lake Cancer Center, left, where she is called ‘celebrity’ because of the glamour she brings from wearing stilettos, dressy outfits and wigs. Right, when her workplace held a cancer survivor’s breakfast last fall, Daniels displayed her more whimsical side.
Twinkle Daniels, breast cancer survivor, celebrates her ‘Nifty 50’ birthday celebration last summer on June 30. her worst fear in summer 2015 when she felt a different sickness from anything she’d experienced. She remembered the feeling of “something was forming in my body.� She underwent screening in October and doctors found a lump about the size of a quarter or larger. “When they called me, I kind of knew. The doctor said I had an aggressive cancer. I had a fog over my whole body. I was numb and walking
and talking,â€? she recalled. Daniels’ usual smile and warm personality remained, but it was challenging, she explained. “People see the huge smile, the funny person and the people person. But there is hurt and pain behind the smile,â€? she said. Her home ooded during the 2016 ood and insurance did not cover the damaged contents of her home, she said. Chemo
treatments continued during the aftermath of the ood and an old friend, who became her boyfriend, accompanied her to many of her treatments and the pair stayed in temporary housing while Daniels’ home was under repair. She credited her boyfriend for encouraging her to dress up for her chemo appointments. “My boyfriend said ‘you’re not going to go there dressed like anything,’â€? he told her. His encouragement reminded Daniels’ to get “dressed upâ€? as she once had before cancer. Those dress-up days also helped her push through the stressful renovation work including after her contractor bailed on her and did not complete the work, she said. Chemo treatments were difďŹ cult and
taking off from work to tend to renovations at her home proved a challenge, she said. She admitted the cancer and the ood put her life in disarray. “It’s like I lost myself a little bit,â€? she said. “During the cancer, I lost my house. Thank God I didn’t lose my family.â€? Daniels’ strong will to ďŹ ght has kept her vigilant. “God puts things in your life to make you stronger. I’ll keep pushing,â€? she said. Though life has not been the same since her cancer diagnosis, the “disarrayâ€? helps her seek help. “I’m going to these (cancer survivor) functions to give me hope and it lets me know it’s Ok to go on and live your life,â€? While sometimes Daniels’ admits she feels like she is “gasp-
ing for air these three years,� she knows that she must swim and not sink. “I’m a Christian and a strong believer in God. I’m not negative, but I think about ‘what if’ or ‘why is this happening?’ or ‘why didn’t I do it like that because I know it can reoccur,� Daniels said. “But I also think, with God, anything is possible and without God, you have nothing...I get off track, but as long as I focus on his word on a daily basis. I know God knows what I need and he’ll do it in his given time.� Looking ahead, Daniels wants to travel and one day move to another state. “Traveling is therapeutic. And when I’m with family or my girlfriends, it helps and we build each other up,� she said.
Louisiana vs. Alabama
Giving Challenge
BATON ROUGE
vs
NORTH CENTRAL ALABAMA
Donate at www.KomenBatonRouge.org Monday, October 22 - November 3 Donate to your chosen Komen Affiliate and help determine the winner of the Louisiana vs. Alabama Giving Challenge.
Make a donation of $50 or more by Wednesday, October 31 to be eligible to win a tailgating or watch party prize pack from Creole Cabana!
...Geaux Komen Baton Rouge! To purchase tickets, register, or for a full list of Komen Baton Rouge’s events and programs, visit www.KomenBatonRouge.org or call 225-615-8740. Susan G. Komen Baton Rouge provides breast health educational materials to congregation’s within the Greater Baton Rouge area.