A Pedicure Saved Her Life: Mom Who Discovered Cancer on Her Foot During Spa Visit is 3 Years Cancer-Free, Starts Foundation to Help Amputees

Jenn Andrews, a Charlotte, NC-based mom of two, went to get a pedicure a few years ago and the nail technician discovered a lump on her foot, which turned out to be cancer.

What is Sarcoma?

Sarcoma is a tumor that occurs in the bones and soft tissues. Sarcoma refers to cancers that begin in the bone; these bone tissues connect other bodily structures, including muscle, fat, and the lining of the joints.

Related: Medical Student Krista Bose, 27, is Not Letting Metastatic Bone Cancer Get In the Way of Her Dream of Becoming a Doctor

Treatment for sarcomas may include surgery. Andrews, an amputee, had surgery to treat her disease. “Andrews said amputation was the only option to give her the best chance at a cancer-free life. Andrews underwent amputation surgery in March 2018,” reports WCNC Charlotte.

Following her diagnosis, Andrews created a foundation, Move for Jenn, which raises funds to issue grants for sarcoma research and people who need prostheses. And this week, Andrews was able to gift a recipient Staci Vredeveld her prostheses in person.

When Breast Cancer Spreads to the Bone

Coping with a Diagnosis

A diagnosis of cancer can lead to much grief, anxiety, and even depression. If you experience these things, it’s important to treat it. Dr. Scott Irwin explains the necessity of this in an earlier interview. He says, “Depression is a really interesting topic, because a lot of people assume that, oh, they have cancer. They must be depressed. That’s actually not true.”

“85% of patients do not get what would be considered a clinical depression,” he says. “15% do. For prescribing medications for depression in the context of cancer, I often try to choose medications with the lowest side effect profile.”

Related: Dealing With Grief After a Cancer Diagnosis

“If patients are getting hormonal therapy, there’s particular antidepressants that we can’t use, because they may lower the effectiveness of that hormonal therapy. And so we choose antidepressants that don’t impact the cancer care. Depression and stress make it harder to treat cancer, make it harder to tolerate the treatments.”

Treating Depression After a Cancer Diagnosis

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