Kathy Patterson-Taylor has always been a storyteller.
As a producer, filmmaker and event planner, Kathy has spent much of her career bringing others' visions to life. But in early 2025, she found herself at the center of a story she never would have chosen to tell.
That February, she was diagnosed with invasive lobular carcinoma, a type of breast cancer. What followed was a journey through treatment and the physical and emotional challenges of recovery.
For Kathy, storytelling has become a natural extension of her survivorship. At 55, she is using her talent to help other women recognize the importance of knowing their bodies and to shed light on what happens after treatment ends, an often less-discussed part of the cancer experience.
"My cancer journey gave me a perspective I never asked for, but now that I have it, I want to do something meaningful with it," she said. "If sharing my story causes one woman to perform a self-exam, schedule her mammogram, follow up when something doesn't feel right, advocate for herself during an appointment, or help one survivor realize she isn't alone after treatment ends, then being vulnerable enough to tell my story is worth it."
Trusting her instincts
Kathy's breast cancer story began when she noticed something unusual during a breast self-exam. Initially, she tried to reassure herself that it could be benign.
"But I knew my body and knew I needed to have it checked," she said. "I’m grateful that I didn’t ignore what I felt."
Kathy had a mammogram on Feb. 10, 2025, followed by additional testing. Nine days later, she learned she had breast cancer.
"I remember hearing the words 'invasive carcinoma,' and it was almost as though everything after that became muffled," she said.
"Am I going to die? How bad is it? What happens to my family? What happens to my work? Will I lose my job? What happens to my body?" she recalls asking herself.
But as the shock settled, she realized she couldn't let the fear and confusion take over.
"A physician told me, 'You only lose the fight you don't enter.' So I entered the fight," she said.
Finding her voice as a patient
Kathy knew she needed a medical team she could trust, one that would listen to her and allow her to participate in decisions about her care. She wanted to understand what was happening to her body, why treatments were being recommended and what choices she had.
Ultimately, Kathy decided to see medical oncologist Dr. Satvir Singh of Suburban Hematology Oncology and radiation oncologist Dr. Tracy McElveen of Radiotherapy Clinic of Georgia in Snellville.
Under their care, Kathy initially chose to have a lumpectomy. But when pathology showed that the necessary margins had not been achieved, she ultimately underwent a double mastectomy with reconstruction. And while she didn't need chemotherapy, she did undergo 25 radiation treatments.
"As a patient, you remember the people who make you feel seen," she said. " My nurses and providers took the time to explain things, help make me comfortable and respond when I was scared, hurting or simply overwhelmed. Those things meant more than they probably realized."
Learning what survivorship means
Kathy's recovery has included follow-up appointments, medication, physical therapy and ongoing monitoring. She has dealt with pain and numbness, along with fatigue, skin changes and sleepless nights, while learning to live in a body that looks and feels different.
One of her biggest challenges has been accepting how much cancer has changed her and learning to balance conflicting emotions.
"There were moments when I grieved my old body and my old life while simultaneously being incredibly grateful to still be alive," she said. "Learning to hold both truths has been a major part of my healing."
Through it all, Kathy has leaned on her family and close friends, including her husband, Reggie, and daughter, Kalà. Their support carried her through the most difficult parts of her journey.
Turning experience into purpose
Now, Kathy is using her passion for storytelling to make sense of what she has experienced and help others facing cancer understand what may come next.
She has been documenting her journey for a short film, “After the Bell,” which she hopes will spark conversations about early detection, self-advocacy and the emotional challenges of survivorship, something she wishes she had understood before her diagnosis.
"I want people to understand that there is life after the bell, but there is also more healing to do," she said. "I once thought surviving cancer meant getting back to the woman I was … I've learned that isn't the goal. I'm becoming the woman who came through it."
LEARN MORE ABOUT BREAST CANCER CARE AT NORTHSIDE.
*The health story shared here is for informational purposes only and is not medical advice. Patients should consult with their own physician before making medical decisions.
