Shelley didn’t see herself as “an honoree.” She saw herself as a working mom in a male‑dominated industry who just wanted to stay ahead of breast cancer. In this conversation, she walks us through the mammogram she almost didn’t get, receiving the news of a Stage 0 DCIS diagnosis, and the 10 years of follow‑up, skin checks, and colonoscopies that followed. Her story reminds us that early detection, asking questions, and having access to care—like the care The Rose offers uninsured and underinsured women—can change everything.

She also shares why she’s using her role at this year's Everything’s Coming Up Roses Luncheon to spotlight access to mammograms and diagnostics for women who can’t afford them.

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Key Questions Answered

1. What led Shelley to push for her first 3D mammogram at 41 instead of waiting until 50?
2. How did her history—friends with breast cancer in their 30s and a family member who died—shape her sense of urgency?
3. What does a stage zero DCIS diagnosis mean, and why did she wrestle with whether it “counted” as breast cancer?
4. How did Shelley decide on a shorter, more intense “Canadian” radiation regimen, and what side effects did she experience?
5. How did she talk to her husband and young son about her diagnosis without overwhelming them?
6. In what ways did her workplace support her through biopsy, lumpectomy, and radiation so she could keep working?
7. How did ringing the bell—and seeing her mother there—change how she processed the whole experience emotionally?
8. Why did she become more assertive with doctors about mammograms, Pap smears, and other screenings after cancer?
9. How did later health scares—melanoma on her back and her husband’s colon cancer—reinforce her commitment to early detection?
10. What does Shelley hope listeners understand about The Rose’s role in providing mammograms, diagnostics, and treatment navigation for uninsured and underinsured women?

Timestamped overview

03:30 Honoree at Everything’s Coming Up Roses, Shelley’s background as a mom and plastics industry leader, and her mother’s role as a business owner.

07:30 Pushing for an early mammogram at almost 40, getting delayed, then insisting at 41 on a 3D mammogram because of friends and family lost to breast cancer.

10:00 Calcifications, biopsy, lumpectomy, and hearing “stage zero DCIS”; becoming a “Google doctor” and wrestling with whether stage zero “counts” as cancer.

14:30 Choosing a four‑week Canadian radiation regimen, handling side effects, staying organized with questions for every doctor, and finishing treatment.

18:30 Ringing the bell, being surprised by her mom, finally breaking down, and how her kids processed “Mommy is sick but getting treated.”

22:30 Work support, flexible leave, staying on the job through treatment, and the relief of not having to fight employers while fighting cancer.

26:00 Living as a pragmatic, matter‑of‑fact patient, annual anxiety around scans, pushing for Pap smears and colonoscopies, and learning to question doctors.

29:00 Melanoma diagnosis, yearly (now more frequent) skin checks, taking her kids for annual skin exams, and teaching them why preventative care matters.

30:16 Her husband’s colon cancer, why “cancer” is both a scary and hopeful word in their home, and what it means to step into the honoree role to support The Rose’s mission of early detection and access to care for women who can’t afford it.