When it comes to her cancer diagnosis, Margie Bear is an open book. That鈥檚 because the 47-year-old from Pelzer, South Carolina, knows how devastating a cancer diagnosis is and how uplifting it can be to hear how other people have faced it.

In her church, she has been helped by others sharing their stories, and she wants to do the same.

鈥淧eople would come to me and say, 鈥業 don鈥檛 know how you have so much joy 鈥� how you鈥檙e doing as well as you are.鈥� I don鈥檛 know how else to go through it. The mental part, that鈥檚 half the battle. Staying positive, staying focused on the good. There is good that can come out of every bad situation. I want to know how this can change me for the good.鈥�

Bear, who had a double mastectomy, also wants people to know how important it is to research options for their care. She chose to have a nipple-sparing mastectomy using a new surgical approach called Hidden Scar recommended to her by a surgical oncologist at聽.

Bear, who was diagnosed in September 2016, said it was overwhelming in the beginning for her. First there was the shock of returning home from the gym and noticing blood in her sports bra. She knew something wasn鈥檛 right and went in to see her doctor even though it had only been a few months since she had a normal mammogram.

A local oncologist performed an MRI and Bear was diagnosed with stage IIB invasive ductile carcinoma, which was contained to one breast. But as with any diagnosis, Bear and her husband had a lot of questions about the next steps.

鈥淎s I鈥檓 getting all the information and choices, it was really overwhelming. What kind of procedure would I have? Did I have the BRCA gene?鈥� BRCA, or BReast CAncer gene, mutations may be associated with an increased risk for certain diseases, including breast and ovarian cancer. As part of that research, Bear consulted with surgical oncologist聽聽at Hollings Cancer Center at the 石榴视频黄色版. Abbott is one of only two Hidden Scar Breast Cancer Surgery trained surgeons in the region.

After meeting with Abbott, Bear felt an instant connection. 鈥淪he had my records, yet she asked me about my journey, how I got there. She explained a lot about my body and what was happening.鈥�

Bear didn鈥檛 need to look any further. 鈥淚 instantly felt this is where I should be. I felt like she understood me and where I was coming from better than anyone else could have.鈥�

Together, Bear and her husband made the decision to come to MUSC Health for her surgery and reconstruction. After a pre-surgery consult, Abbott was fairly certain she could perform a nipple sparing鈥搈astectomy using the Hidden Scar procedure, which is a minimally鈥搃nvasive approach to remove the cancerous tissue. Bear had never even heard of the procedure.

For Abbott, it鈥檚 about giving women control over a seemingly uncontrollable situation.

鈥淚t鈥檚 really important to me that women know that when they have a surgery, they have options. That there are ways that we can minimize the scarring so that every day when they wake up, they don鈥檛 have to have a visible reminder of their breast cancer,鈥� Abbott said.

Hidden Scar Breast Cancer Surgery allows surgeons to remove the cancerous tissue through a single incision made in an inconspicuous area, preserving the natural shape of the breast while reducing visible scarring. Abbott said patients who undergo this approach 鈥� available for both lumpectomy and mastectomy procedures 鈥� experience optimal clinical and cosmetic outcomes and are at no higher risk of recurrence than patients who undergo any other surgical technique.

Bear said most doctors can鈥檛 even tell she had reconstruction let alone a double mastectomy. 鈥淵ou literally cannot see the scar.鈥� 鈥淓very medical professional who sees the work that was done is shocked.鈥�

Following her surgery with Abbott and reconstruction surgeon聽Jason Ulm, assistant professor of surgery at MUSC, Bear returned to upstate South Carolina for her chemotherapy and radiation treatments, knowing her care team at HCC had provided her with what most patients can only hope for 鈥� peace of mind.

鈥淚 never felt worried. I felt very confident with the care I was getting. It was not just the surgeons, it was even the nurses taking care of me. If I ever had any other reason to come back, I would. I鈥檓 so grateful for the care that I have gotten here.鈥�

The feeling was mutual for Bear鈥檚 husband. 鈥淲e never felt alone in this journey, or that we were just another patient that walked through the door and had a problem.鈥�

These days, Bear is cancer free. Aside from routine blood work and follow-ups, she鈥檚 enjoying time with husband and their grandson, as well as at their church, where they both work.

Bear鈥檚 husband, Robert, says his wife is now helping others cope with a cancer diagnosis. 鈥淗earing her talk to the ladies that are going through cancer, it鈥檚 like now, we know the reason this happened and the purpose behind it.鈥�

Bear鈥檚 advice to others is to slow down and take time to appreciate the little things. 鈥淭he relationships are more important than the tasks. You have to remember this is just a snippet in time. You have to remember you鈥檙e going to get through it,鈥� she said. 鈥淭here are things you go through where you didn鈥檛 know how loved you were, the nearness of the Lord. He sees me and what I鈥檓 going through.鈥�