How a mammogram changed this Sentara leader's life, and her view of patient care

Fran Peed had no symptoms. She could not feel a lump. Nothing told her that this year’s mammogram would be different from the many that had come before it.

But on June 5, 2026, a routine screening detected something Peed could not. A biopsy one week later confirmed stage 1A breast cancer.

For Peed, who is the senior director for quality improvement across Sentara Health’s hospitals in Virginia Beach and Northeast North Carolina, the diagnosis transformed decades of professional experience in healthcare into something deeply personal.

“I actually didn’t suspect anything,” Peed said. “I had no symptoms. I could not feel a lump; it was truly in my annual screening that it came up. Early detection is everything.”

Three decades of making breast cancer screening routine

About 1 in 8 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime. While routine mammograms generally begin at 40 for women at average risk, those with dense breasts, a family history or other risk factors may need a different screening plan.

Peed began receiving annual mammograms at age 26 under the guidance of her provider because of dense breast tissue and a family history that included losing two cousins to breast cancer.

For 30 years, screening simply became part of taking care of herself. Occasional findings led to biopsies, but each had come back benign, until this year.

Her experience underscores the value of knowing your individual risk and talking with a healthcare provider about the screening schedule that is right for you.

Because Peed had considered what she would do if she were ever diagnosed, she had already thought carefully about her options. In July, she underwent a double mastectomy at Sentara Princess Anne Hospital. 

Although doctors caught the cancer at stage 1A, the tumor’s aggressive grade meant her care did not end with surgery. She is receiving four rounds of chemotherapy at Sentara Brock Cancer Center to reduce the risk of recurrence, along with occupational therapy to support healing and mobility after her mastectomy.

With each chemo treatment, she also spends about 10 hours wearing a cold cap designed to help prevent hair loss from chemotherapy.

Peed stretches her arms forward as Mary Piazza, an occupational therapist at Sentara Brock Cancer Center, guides her through exercises focused on mobility and healing after her mastectomy.

When the healthcare leader becomes the patient

The experience also put Peed on the opposite side of the healthcare system she had spent her career working to improve.

“Being on the patient side is a totally opposite picture,” Peed said. “Even though I had a baseline understanding of what was next, I was surprised. Things take longer to heal than I anticipated. It’s a little different sitting in this chair versus working on the healthcare delivery side.”

Treatment also taught her something harder for many caregivers and professionals to practice: accepting help.

“My best advice to anyone going through this is to be patient, and if you’re a person who doesn’t ask for help, learn to ask for help,” she said.

She recommends bringing someone to appointments, particularly when emotions can make it difficult to absorb unfamiliar information. 

Peed's best friend and colleague, Cheryl Anne Jolly, has become what Peed simply calls “my person.” 

Jolly accompanies her to chemotherapy and doctor’s appointments, drives her to and from visits and even created a bra for Sentara Princess Anne Hospital’s Bra-Zazzle contest to honor her journey.

"Watching her navigate each challenge has been nothing short of inspiring. I am so proud to call her my 'soul sister'," said Jolly, a patient care supervisor at Sentara Princess Anne Hospital. "She shows me what true courage looks like. She has chosen hope over fear, determination over despair, and faith over uncertainty."

Jolly created this bra called "Cycle of Support" as part of a Bra-Zazzle contest to honor Peed's journey. The bicycle represents Peed's love for biking and adventure and there are actual saline implants in the bra, representing Peed's reconstruction journey post mastectomy.

Turning experience into a message for other women

Peed is sharing her experience during Breast Cancer Awareness Month with a straightforward message: do not let caring for everyone else push your own health aside.

“Take care of yourself, because as women, we often take care of others first,” Peed said. “Screenings take 15 to 20 minutes, and you don’t even need a doctor’s order. You are worth the time to get screened.”

For Peed, that time truly mattered. After thirty years of making mammograms part of her routine, one appointment found the cancer she could not feel herself. It gave her the opportunity to catch it early, face what came next, and share what she learned with others.

To learn more about Sentara’s mammography services or to schedule an appointment, visit this page on Sentara.com.