For two decades, Audrey Smith has dedicated her career to caring for others. As a nurse in SSM Health St. Mary’s Hospital - Janesville's Cardiac and Pulmonary Rehab department, she has helped patients through some of life's most challenging moments. In January 2026, after a routine screening led to a breast cancer diagnosis, Audrey faced a journey that tested her strength, faith, and resilience.
What began as a routine mammogram in December 2025 quickly turned into a series of appointments, including an ultrasound on Christmas Eve and a biopsy on January 5, 2026. The next day, she received what she describes as "the worst phone call that no woman ever wants to receive."
“My biopsy was positive for breast cancer,” Audrey said. “It was instant heartbreak.”
In the weeks that followed, Audrey met with her care team, including general surgeon Dr. David Rainiero, who performed a lumpectomy and removed three lymph nodes during surgery on January 28.
The waiting that followed surgery was difficult, but the results brought encouraging news. Her cancer was diagnosed as Stage 1, Grade 1, with clear surgical margins.
“It was the best-case scenario,” she said.
While the prognosis was encouraging, the experience challenged her in unexpected ways.
“It was a difficult transition to go from being the nurse to being the patient,” she said. "This was my first major illness, and I realized how vulnerable patients feel. Now I understand my patients on a whole different level. It was hard feeling vulnerable, especially when you're used to being the strong one.”
After two weeks of recovery, Audrey returned to work and began a month of daily radiation treatments under the care of Dr. Roy Kim. Determined to maintain a sense of normalcy, she worked each morning before heading to treatment.
"If I sat home, I was going to feel sorry for myself," Audrey said. "When I came to work, the focus wasn't on me. It was on taking care of patients, and that gave me purpose. For me, that was good for my mental health."
Each day, Audrey would work and then walk down the hall for treatment. As the weeks progressed, the fatigue and side effects became more difficult.
“The first week or two you think, ‘Oh, this is nothing,’ but then it catches up to you,” she said. “There were a few tears along the way. At the end, I remember saying, ‘I don’t know if I can do these last couple of days.’ The team kept telling me, ‘You can do it. You’ve got this.’”
One small act of kindness became a bright spot in every treatment.
“The first day I was there, they asked what my favorite music was,” Audrey said. “I told them the ’80s. Every single day for a month they had ’80s music playing when I came in. They remembered, and it cheered me up every time.”
Her final radiation treatment was on April 15. Ringing the celebration chime that day remains one of her favorite memories.
“They give you a certificate and share hugs,” she said. “I was so thankful it was done.”
Audrey chose to keep her diagnosis private, sharing it only with a small circle of family, friends and coworkers.
“I just wasn’t prepared to share it widely,” she said. “Breast cancer is very personal. I wanted to get through it and then tell people what I had overcome.”
Those closest to her became a source of strength. Her faith grounded her, her family rallied around her, and her coworkers continually lifted her spirits.
"When I got the diagnosis, my coworkers told me, 'Cancer does not know Audrey Smith. Cancer picked the wrong person because we know you. We know you're going to fight this, and we're going to be with you every step of the way,'" she said.
Today, Audrey is focused on the future. She continues follow-up care and is preparing for her first post-treatment mammogram this October.
“I’m optimistic,” she said. “We’re expecting great results, and that’s the attitude I’m going in with. The mind-body connection is everything. If it doesn’t turn out the way I hope, then we’ll figure it out. But I’m choosing positivity.”
Looking back, Audrey says the journey reinforced the importance of faith, family and friends while teaching her just how strong she could be.
“You don’t know how strong you are until you’re faced with something very serious,” Audrey said. “Then you find that strength. You dig deep.”
As a breast cancer survivor, she now shares her story during Breast Cancer Awareness Month with the hope of encouraging other women not to delay their screenings and to make their health a priority.
“I had no symptoms at all,” she said. “That’s why I tell women, please get your mammogram. The earlier breast cancer is found, the easier it is to treat and the better the outcome. It’s not always pleasant, but it can save your life.”
When Audrey reflects on her journey, she feels grateful not only for her recovery, but for where it happened.
“When I think about our Mission and the care I received, I honestly feel like I’m a testimony to it,” she said. “We are exceptional here, and I am healed. It all happened five minutes from my home, surrounded by people who cared for me every step of the way.”
If you are due for a mammogram screening, schedule your mammogram online at https://www.ssmhealth.com/services/womens-health/breast-health/schedule-your-mammogram.
