Staff photos / R. Michael Semple Gloria Hayter, 48, of Hanoverton, recalled having fallen while ice skating at a rink that hosted a niece’s birthday party, during which she injured her wrist and led to the discovery of a lump in her armpit. That was the first of a series of steps she had to take during her yearlong odyssey battling breast cancer. A lumpectomy in which 20 lymph nodes were examined showed that 12 tested positive for cancer.

EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the first in a series of stories about breast cancer survivors that will run throughout October, which is Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Much of Gloria Hayter’s adult life has revolved around traveling and taking care of business, so it was difficult for her to adjust to having to take care of herself.

“I got to meet with a lot of businesses over there. It was the international business portion of a class I was taking to see how they do business,” the Hanoverton woman said, referring to a 15-day bus trip in 2015 that took her to Delhi, Chennai and other parts of India and included stops at a Ford Motor plant, the Nestle Co. and numerous other businesses.

During her time in India, Hayter also saw the Taj Mahal and got to celebrate Holi with the locals, she remembered. Holi is an ancient and colorful Hindu festival that celebrates the triumph of good over evil.

Four years after having traveled halfway around the world, however, Hayter, 48, was diagnosed in July 2019 with Stage 3B invasive ductal carcinoma, in which abnormal cells typically form in the milk ducts and spread to other areas of the breast tissue. IDC is one of the most common forms of breast cancer in men and women and makes up 70 to 80 percent of all diagnoses, according to the National Breast Cancer Foundation.

“I thought it was Stage 1, but it kind of snowballed,” she said in explaining that the cancer spread “like buckshot,” which was a main reason for the sudden jump in severity.

For years before her diagnosis, Hayter, who earned an executive master’s in business administration degree in 2016 from Kent State University, worked in many aspects of the business world, which included as a cashier, then a manager, in a Walmart store’s electronics department. She also has been in the video business, as well as having worked as an operations manager in the payday-lending industry for a company, which took her on a regular basis as far as Marietta.

Hayter recalled having fallen while ice skating at a rink that hosted a niece’s birthday party, during which she injured her wrist and led to the discovery of a lump under her armpit. That was the first of a series of steps she had to take during her yearlong odyssey of battling breast cancer.

“I thought I did damage to my wrist; it felt different, but I kept telling myself, ‘I’m sure it’s fine,'” Hayter said.

Nevertheless, things weren’t fine. Before her first appointment at the Joanie Abdu Comprehensive Breast Care Center in Youngstown in late July 2019, her first biopsy revealed a positive test for cancer. A lumpectomy in which 20 lymph nodes were examined showed that 12 tested positive for cancer, she noted.

After a second biopsy a few months later, Hayter was subjected to CT scans to her chest and abdominal areas, which showed no further spread. That biopsy, however, led to a rare pseudoaneurysm, which results when a blood vessel wall is injured and the leaking blood accumulates in the nearby tissue.

Making matters worse for Hayter was an allergic reaction she had to the medication she took for the pseudoaneurysm, she continued.

In early March, Hayter completed eight chemotherapy treatments over two-week intervals at St. Elizabeth Youngstown Hospital. After that, however, the complications weren’t over, because Hayter was scheduled for another surgery in early April that was canceled then rescheduled several times because of COVID-19 concerns. After that, she began 28 radiation treatments in mid-June that lasted until July 23.

Now in remission, Hayter is beginning to feel more like her old self, and is preparing herself to re-enter the workforce, in part by taking an online course through H&R Block.

“Each day, you feel better, but you definitely have your ups and downs, but definitely you can feel your energy coming back,” she observed.

Hayter also had nothing but praise for Michelle Apple, a breast cancer survivor who started the Apple Breast Cancer Warrior Foundation, which helped her cover certain medical bills and deductibles, as well as provided emotional support.

“She doesn’t stop; she’s not giving up,” Hayter said.

For her part, Apple called Hayter “a fighter and a warrior,” and added that both women have tried to use their experiences to reach out to and encourage others who are dealing with the same fate.

“She’s never said, ‘Poor me.’ The first thing she said (after her diagnosis) was, ‘Can I volunteer for your organization?'” Apple said about Hayter, whom she advised to get back to health first.

Hayter advised those with a breast cancer diagnosis to seek others’ support and take advantage of available services. She also stressed being circumspect about conducting online research and gleaning information by relying solely on reputable websites.

“Take a deep breath, because it takes a while to sink in … It feels like you’re watching someone else do it — like watching a movie,” Hayter said. “Don’t do it alone; let people in, even if it’s embarrassing. Find your identity and keep as much routine as possible.”