Cancer journey changes nurse's perspective on both sides of care

PARKER, Colo. - Three weeks before her wedding, Jordan Ferrell received news she never expected: At age 32, she had breast cancer.

"At first I was definitely in shock," she said. "I didn't think that women could actually get breast cancer in their early thirties. Of course, I learned that it is not only possible but becoming more common."

For the AdventHealth Parker Pre-Op and Post-Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU) nurse, a time filled with wedding plans suddenly became a season of medical appointments, treatment discussions and difficult decisions.

Questions about fertility preservation and the hormonal effects of treatment required Ferrell and her fiancé to consider a future they had barely begun planning together.

"I hadn't even thought about any of this yet and had to make quick decisions with my fiancé," Ferrell said. "So this diagnosis profoundly affected him, too."

During Breast Cancer Awareness Month, AdventHealth honors Ferrell's survivorship, her willingness to share her experience and the understanding she brings to patients facing their own uncertain moments.

Understanding the other side of care

As a nurse, Ferrell is familiar with preparing patients for surgery and helping them recover. Becoming a patient gave her a deeply personal understanding of the emotions behind those experiences.

"For us nurses, we prepare patients for surgery and recover them every single day-but for the patients, it's their day of going into battle," she said.

Ferrell recognizes that for a patient facing cancer surgery, the day can carry fear, hope and questions about what comes next. That awareness shapes how she communicates with patients and families.

During her own treatment, information helped her feel more prepared.

"Personally, I like to know all the details. I'm more of a 'knowledge is power' kind of person," she said.

Her nursing background made medical terminology familiar, but she knows that the same language can feel overwhelming to someone encountering it for the first time. She also understands that some patients want detailed explanations while others need quiet and space to process.

"I always ask the patients what they feel most comfortable with," Ferrell said.

By tailoring her questions and explanations to each patient's preferences, she helps create an experience that feels supportive and personal.

In recovery, she carries that same thoughtfulness forward, allowing patients time to wake up, become comfortable and begin processing what they have experienced.

"In recovery, I like to think I treat patients how I would have wanted to be treated when I woke up from surgery," she said.

Allowing others to care for her

Throughout diagnosis and treatment, Ferrell found strength in an extraordinary support system. Her husband stepped into a caregiving role just as they were beginning their marriage.

"My husband was thrown right into the deep end of having to care for his spouse, and he never made me feel like I was a burden," she said.

Still, receiving help did not always come naturally. Accustomed to being the caregiver, Ferrell had to learn to let others care for her.

"As a nurse, I wasn't used to being the patient all of the time, and it took me a while to give in to my own stubborn independence and let people take care of me," she said.

That experience is part of the advice she offers others who may feel overwhelmed after a diagnosis. With appointments and decisions coming quickly, Ferrell encourages taking things one day-or even one hour or task-at a time.

She also recommends bringing a loved one to appointments, both for emotional support and to help remember information. Taking notes provided another way to return to important details when she felt more clearheaded.

"Lastly, let friends and family help you," she says. "They want to be there for you."

Speaking up about concerns

For Ferrell, Breast Cancer Awareness Month is an opportunity to share what she learned and encourage others to pay attention to changes in their bodies.

She discovered her lump just two months after a mammogram and biopsy was described as clear. At first, she wondered whether what she felt was a temporary change or a side effect of the earlier procedure. But the concern stayed with her, and she sought further evaluation.

"My gut told me to get it checked out," she said.

Her experience challenged her own assumptions about age and breast cancer. By sharing her story, she hopes others will feel empowered to raise concerns and advocate for themselves.

Sharing hope and compassion

Looking ahead, Ferrell finds hope in the continuing progress of cancer care.

"Oncology teams know more and more about how to target cancers more effectively every year," she said.

Her story also offers hope through the everyday ways people support one another: a spouse who makes room for vulnerability, loved ones who accompany someone to an appointment and a nurse who asks what a patient needs before offering an explanation.