Make Breast Health a Priority

Distracted with family, her work as an assistant district attorney and the COVID-19 pandemic, Sally Kirby-Turner says she missed her regular OBGYN appointment. Sally has known for years that seeing an OB-GYN is important. Her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer when Sally was just a baby and she succumbed to the disease when Sally was only five years old.

“I had my first mammogram in my 20s before I had children so I could compare it to after I had children and then every year after I turned 40. In October 2020 I had forgotten my appointment. I was 41 years old, and the results showed I had a mass in my left breast.”

Sally was in shock and scared but felt confident in her physician and her planned treatment. Dr. Katie Borders with Atrium Health Women’s Care Shelby OB-GYN, caught Sally’s cancer early thanks to her patient being so diligent about her own healthcare.

“Too many people think ‘I’m healthy, I don’t need to go to the doctor’,” says Borders. “Really, we love those kinds of visits where we can talk to you about your history and what kinds of screenings you need.

Borders referred Sally to Dr. Amy Voci with Atrium Health Levine Cancer Institute (Breast & Surgical Oncology) where she underwent a lumpectomy to remove the cancer from her breast and a sentinel lymph node biopsy to help discover if the cancer had spread from a tumor to the sentinel lymph node. Three lymph nodes were positive for cancer cells, so Voci performed a full lymph node dissection and gave Sally the good news that the cancer did not spread.

“I have to applaud Sally and Dr. Borders for being diligent with her screening mammograms, so we were able to detect and treat her at an early stage with excellent outcomes,” Voci says.

Borders adds women tend to manage everyone else’s lives so sometimes their health takes a back seat.

“One of the things that needs to be a priority is breast health,” says Borders. “We were watching Sally like a hawk. Sally finished radiation in June 2021 and is on hormone suppression therapy, which she jokes, basically puts her in menopause.

“The worst thing,” says Sally, “are the hot flashes. But I’m not going to complain!”

Sally plans to continue scheduling well visits and making her health a priority – for her and her family.

The best cancer care focuses on the whole person. Their physical and emotional needs. That’s what makes Atrium Health Levine Cancer Institute the region’s top-rated cancer program and the only program in the nation to be Planetree-certified for compassionate, patient-centered care. We’re here to provide you with the most advanced treatments, including some that aren’t available elsewhere, plus a full suite of cancer support services that ensure you receive comprehensive care for your body and mind. And with a team of 200+ leading cancer doctors, we’re ready to guide you through a personalized care plan designed to help you heal – and thrive.

Learn more at

AtriumHealth.org/cancer

126 Mooresville Commons Way, Suite C | Mooresville | 704.662.0007 Bliss by the Lake blissbythelakeboutiquenc | @blissbythelake

Monday - Friday 10am-6pm | Saturday 10am-4pm | Sunday by Appointment

THE EVENTS & CATERING DREAM TEAM!

BY MARTIE EMORY

If you’re a true believer that presentation is everything, you’ll be in awe of the catering skills – and fabulous fare – created by Lake Norman Catering. A full-service catering and event coordination company, this is the dream team who handles your entire event from set-up to clean up, is always a crowd-favorite among party goers, and a true lifesaver for hosts and hostesses!

“We have really taken our presentation to the next level,” says Chef Alexander, owner of Lake Norman Catering, who also notes that food is really artwork, and we couldn’t agree more!

Having lived near Lake Norman for 21 years, “Chef Alexander” is a Veteran U.S. Army Military Police Ranger, and former design consultant turned food consultant in 2011. He had begun catering for Lake Norman charter boats pre-Covid, then focused on the Queens Landing Marina charter dinner boats. Alexander has seen big changes, from a simpler suburban vibe when he first moved here, until now – where the lake is truly the center of attention and heartbeat of the area! While Lake Norman Catering creates all kinds of events from weddings to corporate events and boat parties, most of their business happens within a five-to-10-mile radius of the lake itself – they have catered at over 18 Lake Norman area venues.

And they truly do it all: event planning, catering, bar service, transportation, and overall hospitality coordination. Your menu is always in the very best hands, with vegetarian and vegan options also available, just make sure to preplan. Trust them with your fully plated, fine dining experience (yes, for up to 3,000 guests!), your backyard barbecue bash for an intimate group of 12, and everything in between. The staff has catered events at every major wedding venue in the Lake Norman region, including many in the metro Charlotte area. Chef Alexander has assembled a culinary team that is second-to-none, along with a large catering field staff flexible enough to accommodate thousands of meals at the same time! (Note: The company did 350 events in 2021!)

The Details: When you book a catering event with Lake Norman Catering, they offer a staffed buffet service, or a full plated service, where additional staff is added, and the team brings in their own in-house rentals. Larger events may require the assistance of local rental companies as well. Your chosen venue should provide tables and chairs, but they have local resources available to handle additional rentals if necessary, including round tables, rectangular tables, and hightop cocktail tables. The same is true for silverware and glassware. Lake Norman Catering can supply linen/ polyester tablecloths as needed from their private inventory, or help you select a color option from local rental resources. Service, by the way, is a top priority, and, as Alexander states, just as important as the food itself. The entire catering kitchen staff is also ServSafe Food Protection Manager certified. For the last three years, Lake Norman Catering has also been the exclusive caterer at Queens Landing Marina, on the shores of the lake. They prepare memorable feasts for dinner cruises, sight-seeing boats, and private and corporate catered facilities accommodating anywhere from 100 to 300 guests.

Besides local weddings and parties, Alexander’s team is also skilled at preparing the finest meals – for the most successful fundraisers. Again, with a nod to his style and art of presentation, a well-choreographed food display seems to be a good tool for raising money! The staff has even done catering displays for TV commercials, not knowing who the client was until filming had ended.

The Lake Norman Catering wedding and event showroom is located at 119 Landings Drive, #106, in Mooresville, and coming soon is a 4,000-plus square foot catering kitchen facility in Mooresville, with Executive Chef Nate Grice at the helm. Reach Lake Norman Catering at 704-438-9777 or at www. LakeNormanCatering.com, where a quote for your event is just a click away!