“A walking testimony:” How faith carried Janet through breast cancer

When you meet Janet High, one thing becomes clear almost immediately—her faith shines through every word she speaks. Whether she’s greeting patients as an emergency room secretary at Baylor Scott & White Medical Center – Plano or sharing her story of surviving breast cancer not once, but twice, Janet carries herself with strength and gratitude.

“I’m a walking testimony,” she said. “God gave me a new body and a new outlook on life.”

Through faith and the expertise of her care team, she found light in one of her life’s darkest chapters. Today, she’s thriving and sharing her story to inspire others to stay strong.

Navigating her second diagnosis

Janet first faced breast cancer in 2008. At the time, she was teaching a high school cosmetology course and raising her son and daughter. She was diagnosed after a routine mammogram, which she had skipped the year prior.

“When you hear the word ‘cancer,’ your first thought is, ‘Oh God, am I getting ready to go?’” she said. “It shakes you.”

She went through chemotherapy, enduring long hours in the treatment chair, supported by her family every step of the way. After finishing treatment, life slowly returned to normal—until 2024, when her cancer returned.

She’s thankful that she found her way to Elizabeth Jekot, MD, a diagnostic radiologist on the medical staff at Baylor Scott & White Women’s Imaging Center – Richardson.

“Dr. Jekot is such a spiritual woman,” Janet said. “She even has a prayer room where she prays for her patients. That touched my heart. To know that my doctor was not only caring for me medically but also spiritually, it meant everything.”

Dr. Jekot referred Janet to Lynn Canavan, MD, a breast surgeon with Texas Oncology on the medical staff at Baylor Scott & White Medical Center – Plano. Together, they discussed Janet’s options.

“Dr. Canavan asked me if I wanted to do radiation,” Janet said. “I thought about it but said no. I didn’t want to go through all of that again. I just said, ‘Take them off.’” 

Janet decided to move forward with a double mastectomy and DIEP flap reconstruction, a complex procedure using tissue from her own body to rebuild her breasts. Dr. Canavan called in Joshua Lemmon, MD, a plastic and reconstructive surgeon on the medical staff at Baylor Scott & White Medical Center – Plano.

“I call them my dream team,” Janet said. “Dr. Jekot, Dr. Canavan and Dr. Lemmon—all three were God-sent.”

Janet said her doctors kept her spirits up with their sense of humor.

“I asked Dr. Lemmon, ‘Do I have enough fat in my stomach to put on top? And he told me, ‘You have more than enough for that.’ I thought that was so funny.”

“The hardest thing I’ve ever been through”

In September 2024, Janet underwent a double mastectomy and DIEP flap reconstruction.

“It was the hardest thing I’ve ever been through in my life,” she said. “But I knew God had me.”

She spent five days in the ICU recovering, surrounded by a steady stream of nurses, colleagues and friends who made sure she never felt alone.

“My mom said, ‘Do you know the whole hospital?’” Janet said. “It felt like a thousand people came to visit. But that’s just the kind of place this is. Everyone here supports one another.”

After the ICU, Janet moved to the oncology floor, a place that felt familiar since she had worked there in the past.

“I couldn’t believe how well they took care of me,” she said. “The nurses were incredible. They pushed me to get up, to walk, to keep moving.”

At home, recovery wasn’t easy. Janet returned home with five surgical drains, which she describes as “the worst part of it all.” Her bed was too high to sleep in, so she slept in her recliner for weeks. Her mother, a retired nurse, was there to help. So were her son and daughter, who made sure she was always taken care of.

“Everyone had keys to my house,” Janet said. “They made sure I was drinking water, had food to eat and everything I needed.”

Each day brought a little more strength.

“Getting up was painful,” she said. “There were days I cried like a baby because it hurt so bad. But I had to get my mind right. I told myself, ‘This too shall pass.’”

Healing, inside and out

Nearly a year later, in August 2025, Janet returned to Dr. Lemmon for her final reconstruction procedure. She still has one final step—nipple tattoos scheduled for next year—but she already feels renewed.

“God gave me a new body and a new purpose,” she said. “I’m a walking testimony. I see life differently now.”

Part of that new purpose is helping others facing the same journey.

“I want to start a group for women who’ve had double mastectomies and DIEP flaps. Somewhere we can talk, share our stories and let people know they’re not alone. I want to be that voice of encouragement.”

Finding strength through faith

Throughout her journey, Janet leaned on her faith more than ever before.

“You have to have faith when you’re going through something like this,” she said. “There are going to be days when you cry, and that’s okay. God sees those tears.”

She’s grateful for her family and especially for her doctors.

“These three—Dr. Jekot, Dr. Canavan and Dr. Lemmon—they’re more than doctors to me,” Janet said. “They’re my angels. They healed my body, but they also lifted my spirit. They were praying doctors, and that made all the difference.”

Janet said she remembers them in her daily prayers.

“I pray for them every day,” she said. “Their job isn’t easy, but God is guiding them every minute, every hour, every second.”

Today, Janet is back at work in the emergency department at Baylor Scott & White Medical Center – Plano, where she greets patients with the same warmth and compassion that once helped her through her own hospital stays.

“I see women come into the ER and they’re scared,” she said. “I tell them, ‘Put God on your side and you’re going to be okay. Keep your faith.’ Because I’ve been there.”

Her advice for anyone facing a cancer diagnosis is simple but powerful.

“You’ll have good days and bad days,” she said. “But if you put God first and stay positive, you’ll get through it. It’s easy to ask, ‘Why me?’ But I like to say, ‘Thank you for letting me get through this.’”

As Janet reflects on her journey, she’s filled with gratitude.

“The point of my story is to help others have a great story at the end, too,” she said. “Because with faith and the right people by your side, there’s always hope.”

Learn more about breast cancer care today.