Breast cancer survivor shares story; Wellness Expo to spread awareness

MANATEE COUNTY, Fla. — October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and the local Manatee County community is spreading awareness with its annual Wellness Expo.

At 89, Geraldine Schneider holds memories close to her heart.

“Everything. And my memory is going so bad. But I remember back,” she said.

Especially memories of a time when her family helped her get through breast cancer.

“My heart,” she said.

Schneider first realized something was wrong in 2001, when she was 65.

“When I got the call from my doctor, it was before Thanksgiving, and I was like, ‘I can’t believe it,’” she said.

At the time, her late husband Ralph was dealing with his own pancreatic cancer treatment.

“I was focused more on his life than I was on my cancer, which I think was God’s way of getting me through my problem,” she said.

But family battles with cancer persisted. Two of her daughters are breast cancer survivors as well.

“Scary for me,” she said.

Now, Schneider worries about her cancer coming back. She is hoping to get some feedback by attending the Wellness Expo in Bradenton.

“I want to ask one of the doctors about it. I do have a little condition with the left breast that I’m curious about, cause if I get another cancer, I won’t not do anything. At 89, I’m totally ready for whatever happens,” she said.

Health care providers will be available at the event to answer questions.

Dr. Jose Erbella with Manatee Physician Alliance said events like this are a way to educate people about cancer.

“The big message is that cancer is really preventable. You know, it’s directly linked to lifestyle, directly linked to our eating habits, our exercise habits and our social habits,” he said.

As for Schneider, she said it’s a way to stay informed.

“People asking questions and being told the correct answers, not something that’s incorrect, will help them,” she said.

Schneider and her family have supported each other through their cancer, and she hopes the expo will provide others with support as well.

Erbella will also be introducing his new book at the expo called “The High Risk: 10 Things to Know to Lower Your Risk of Breast Cancer.”

The free Wellness Expo will be this week in Bradenton on Thursday, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at 2015 32nd Ave. W., Bradenton.

There will also be free mammography screenings starting at 9 a.m.