Lifelong Mentor Now Leads Others Through Breast Cancer Journey
Sherri Hoffman has devoted her life to mentoring and encouraging those around her.
She is a receiving manager at Nebraska Furniture Mart (NFM), where she is a mentor to those within the warehouse and is also part of NFM’s Next Level Leadership Development Program. Outside of work, she has been a mentor with Tom and Nancy Osborne’s Teammates Program for over ten years.
Sherri was comfortable in her leadership roles and being the rock for her family. Married for 35 years, with two children and two grandchildren and a close group of immediate family and friends, Sherri’s life focused on all those around her whom she could mentor and support. But with a breast cancer diagnosis in 2021, Sherri was the one who now needed to be cared for.
It all started on September 25, 2021, when Sherri felt a lump under her left arm. “I went around the corner to find my husband, Dave,” recalls Sherri. “I saw the fear in Sherri’s eyes,” remembers Dave. “She looked white as a ghost. Sherri told me that something was not right, and we immediately called her doctor.”
After a visit with her OB-GYN, Sherri underwent a mammogram on September 29th and a biopsy on September 30th. Two days later, she received a life-changing call from her radiologist. “I heard the words: you have breast cancer,” she said. Sherri pauses – full of emotion – recalling this pivotal moment in every cancer survivor’s story.
Sherri’s initial reaction was fear and uncertainty. “I got the call while at work – I was in the NFM warehouse. I looked straight ahead and happened to have in my sight a staff member who had just gone through breast cancer herself. She was able to see the fear in my eyes. She knew what I had just been told. She took me into a vacated office and was able to provide comfort right away.”
Sherri’s OB-GYN, whom she had known for over 26 years, immediately sprang into action. “She said, ‘I know exactly what we’re going to do,’” remembers Sherri. “I told her, ‘Your plan is exactly what my plan was.’”
The plan led Sherri to Nebraska Cancer Specialists, where she met with Medical Oncologist Kirsten Leu. The first step in her treatment would be surgery to remove the lump that had been found.
Sherri’s journey took an unexpected turn when her surgeon discovered a second tumor during an ultrasound. “We’re glad he decided to do an ultrasound before the surgery because that’s when they found the second tumor in the same breast,” Sherri explained. The first tumor was invasive lobular carcinoma, and this second tumor was invasive ductal carcinoma.
Initially scheduled for a lumpectomy, Sherri instead underwent a double mastectomy on December 21st, 2021. Sherri decided to do reconstructive surgery, which meant during this initial surgery, expanders would be put in her chest to set up for reconstruction in a few months.
“My first appointment with Dr. Leu at NCS was on January 26th, 2022,” remembers Sherri. “It’s pretty scary to walk into that appointment. My anxiety was high. I had two invasive tumors and two different types of cancer. I feared losing my hair from the treatments I might need.”
Sherri then takes a deep breath.
“But Dr. Leu and her nurse case manager, Machele, were amazing. They have a bedside manner that eased all my anxiety,” says Sherri. “I was told on that day that based on my Oncotype score and my age, I would not have to have any chemo or radiation. But, because my tumors were invasive, there was an opportunity for cancer to be released somewhere throughout my body in the future. So we then had to start talking about cancer medication to increase my chances of the cancer not coming back.”
Dr. Leu recommended Sherri take Tamoxifen. This medication does have side effects, but Sherri faced them all with positivity and gratitude. One of the pesky side effects includes weight gain.
“At one of my appointments last year, Dr. Leu suggested that I make an appointment with one of the NCS dietitians,” says Sherri. “I was grateful to have this resource as part of my cancer treatment. Through the NCS dietitian, I learned about the Livestrong program at the YMCA. Because of the NCS dietitian services and the YMCA, I am down 19 pounds.”
These small wins help cancer survivors feel like themselves again and return to living their best lives. Sherri also continued with her reconstruction surgery –she had her expanders removed, implants put in, and even tattoos to recover her body back to how she remembered. “The reconstructive procedures I did helped me feel more like myself. I am so glad I went through these steps because it gave me back part of my identity that the cancer tried to take from me.”
Sherri also has made an impact on her NCS team. “Sherri has an infectious positivity that is a blessing to those around her,” says Dr. Leu. “I love how Sherri approaches her healthcare decisions—she comes in with great questions and considers her different options as we weigh the risks and benefits at each step together.”
“I’m blessed with my relationship with NCS,” says Sherri. “They are there through your darkest times, through some of the littlest wins to the big wins; they are there for you through it all. Together, we are stronger. You’re not alone.”
Sherri’s breast cancer journey has been filled with challenges but also with moments of hope, strength, and community. Her positive attitude and unwavering spirit remind us that together, we are stronger than cancer–no one needs to face cancer alone.
