PATIENT FEATURE
‘It’s All About Your Mindset!’ Cancer survivor Tarralyn Jones shares life lessons BY KARI C. BARLOW
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indness. Compassion. Sincerity. Those are the words that come to mind when Tarralyn Jones thinks about Florida Cancer Specialists & Research Institute (FCS). And as a three-time cancer survivor who has spent more than her fair share of time at the FCS Winter Park clinic, she has earned the right to have an opinion. “Every time I go, I am greeted and called by name,” said Tarralyn, a motivational speaker and the founder of TJ’s Designs and Events in Winter Park. “They know who you are, and that’s just excellent customer service. It’s like a family atmosphere.” Tarralyn first found her way to FCS in 2002 after a mammogram revealed a complex mass in her right breast. Under the care of Dr. David Molthrop, she endured eight aggressive chemotherapy treatments, ultimately reaching a good outcome. “Dr. Molthrop truly cares about his patients,” she said. “It isn’t scripted. He truly cares, and there is a level of trust there.” In the years that followed, Tarralyn and her family — husband
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FCS Magazine
Willie and their three children, Brian, Candace and Christian — would find out just how much that trust mattered. In 2008, her breast cancer returned, and it wasn’t easy. “You’re dealing with the treatment, the hair loss and nausea and you’re looking at your kids’ faces, and they’re wondering if you’re going to be here,” Tarralyn said. But once again, she sought treatment, fought hard and moved on with her life. In 2014, on a frightening day Tarralyn still recalls vividly, she felt a little off while driving around town. “I had a throbbing headache, and I could not see,” she said. “To this day I can’t tell you how I got home. … By the time I did arrive, I couldn’t see how to put the car in park. The pain was excruciating.” Dr. David Molthrop, MD
