When Virginia Skipper was diagnosed with breast cancer, she was shocked.
“I was a mammogram girl. I started getting mammograms when I was 45-years-old, because they had found a lump in my left breast,” Skipper said. For ten years, she had a mammogram every six months to monitor her situation.
“They kept watching and going, it’s okay, everything’s okay. So, I trusted them and I knew it was okay. And then the day that I woke up and the lump was there, I was like, how? How did this happen to me?”
After an evaluation, Skipper’s doctor sent her to Dr. KaraBeth Moore at the Lexington Clinic Center for Breast Care for treatment. Dr. Moore confirmed her cancer diagnosis and started a treatment plan. Skipper’s journey was difficult, but her team kept her going with compassion and support.
“There were days that I didn’t know if I was going to finish chemo. Because I was done. And this nurse comes in and she goes, ‘sit down.’ She said, ‘you’re not a quitter. Sit down, finish what you started.’ And that’s what I did. So finish what you start, and people will be there for you, especially in this office. They were here for me all the time. I’m thankful for that and grateful.”
Skipper knew she needed to change her habits after her diagnosis. “I was a drinker, and I drank a lot. When I found out I had cancer, I knew that was it. I knew I had to make a change. And that day, I said, ‘God, if you can get me through this, I’ll do whatever it takes.’ And it was like a flip of a switch. And I’m not saying that’s going to be everybody’s journey.”
A healthy diet is key to fighting and preventing cancer. That’s something Skipper also changed, and advises others to do so now. “Take care of your body,” Skipper said. “I was eating fast food and I was eating junk, and I was eating potato chips. And now, I eat 93% lean beef and no-nitrate chicken. There’s so many things I changed about my eating habits.”
Skipper was strengthened by her support group of friends and staff at the Center for Breast Care, along with her faith. “It was the journey that made me stronger. It made me understand that, along with Dr. Moore, there is a God that I serve, and that was with me the whole way. Also, there were times that I felt fear and I would call someone who had gone through the cancer journey, and she would say, ‘why are you afraid? You’re good.’ And I was just reassured by a lot of people that I was good. And I trusted that.”
Skipper developed an iron resolve, which she also credits with getting her through the hard times. “Every day I woke up, I said, I’m going to beat this. I’m going to beat it, and every day, I did it.”
While a cancer diagnosis can be terrifying, she offers hope and encouragement to others facing the same battle. “Breathe. Just breathe,” she stated. “I want other people to know when you hear the word cancer, it’s not a death sentence. It’s not. Breast cancer is definitely not a death sentence any more. There is help, and here, it’s abundant.”
Speaking with Dr. Moore, Skipper stressed the level of care and attention she received at the Center for Breast Care was astounding. “I’ve never had anybody have to take care of me,” she told Dr. Moore. “But I can tell you, the team that you put together and the people that work in this office are amazing. Every person in this office has a role, and one of [them] is support. There’s no one here who didn’t support me. Who didn’t say, ‘how are you doing? How are you feeling?'”
Skipper says she can see the positive effect from the Center for Breast Care’s staff on the faces of patients every time she’s in the lobby. “I see people, and it’s not like ‘oh, I have cancer.’ It’s like, ‘I get to see Dr. Moore today!’ And I felt that way every time I came. I felt, ‘I get to see her!'”
Skipper was declared cancer-free on September 15, 2025. In celebration, she donated a bell for other survivors to ring when they, too, win their own fights.
For more information about breast cancer, or to make an appointment at the Center for Breast Care, visit LexingtonClinic.com/BreastCancerCare.
