From a young age, Lanya Bernard started out running six-minute miles.

Being the daughter of a colonel, it was engrained in her to stay determined, positive and not give up when challenged. This mentality of staying strong, along with the support of some of her closest friends and family, would carry her through her toughest battle yet – breast cancer.

Her friends and family, or “Team Lanya” as her husband Roy Bernard calls them, kept her going through her battle with breast cancer and were each there through every facet of the disease.

Lanya said she couldn’t have been so strong without the support of her close friends and family.

In this CityLife exclusive, we share breast cancer from a different perspective, through the eyes of friends and family – a story untold on how this disease directly affects loved ones.

The Duchess of Fun Right around the time most were celebrating the carnival season, Lanya found a lump on her breast. She was quick to tell Roy but was slow to tell her friends, including Cathy Zahn, her former neighbor and friend of about 13 years.

“I wanted to just get through Mardi Gras without thinking about it,” Lanya said.

This past Mardi Gras, Lanya was crowned the Duchess of Fun for the Krewe of Centaur.

Zahn, who owns Flower Power, was recruited to decorate Lanya’s table for the Centaur’s Grande Bal.

“We went to market and bought all of the things for her table,” Zahn said. “[Later on,] we did the whole Mardi Gras thing and after the presentation, we were on the way to get something to eat and she goes, ‘Cathy, I haven’t told you, but I have a lump in my breast.’ I said, ‘What?’ and she said, ‘Feel it, right here.’ I said, ‘That isn’t a lump, that is the size of a pea – that’s not good.”

Zahn had a few people in her family succumb to cancer.

“I was really devastated because, you know, a long time ago that was a death sentence,” Zahn said. “I was really scared and upset. But I tried to stay positive but I was terrified every single day.”

Double dipping workouts “Exercise has always been a thing with me,” Lanya said.

Lanya does more than running, she does body pump at Sleek Physique, swimming, biking – she is into almost every form of exercise and even has a friend for each work out.

Nancy Wells made friends with Lanya through a spin class at the gym.

Though Lanya was not a road biker, Wells encouraged Lanya to give it a try.

“We met at Ellerbe Road and rode it down. She fell off the bike when we stopped because you know, it takes some getting used to,” Wells said.

From their first ride, Lanya learned that Wells worked as a nurse practitioner in the same office as her gynecologist.

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“During the whole process, I knew I didn’t have to worry because they were doing all the worrying for me.”
 –Lanya Bernard

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The two ride bikes and participate in marathons and triathlons.

Another workout friend is Meredith Mighty. She first met Lanya at the Feist-Weiller Center’s Life Savers Ball.

“Lanya walked up to me and said, ‘I’ve seen you too many times for us not to know each other,’” Mighty said.

She and Lanya kept in touch since then and shared a common love to run. “We all know Lanya double dips and each one of us are OK with that,” Mighty said.

During a run, Lanya told Meredith about her lump.

“I didn’t want her to immediately think that it was [breast cancer], but I wanted the doctor to tell her,” Mighty said. “I just told her get everything checked out before you come to the cancer conclusion.”

Mighty said Lanya was positive from the beginning.

“I didn’t want to bring her down. I listened to her and helped,” Mighty said. “I told her to keep a journal and make some sort of documentary.”

The gift of truth A couple days before Lanya’s birthday, Wells took her out for her birthday complete with Mexican food and margaritas.

After margaritas, Wells excused herself to go to the restroom.

“[Lanya] followed me in there.

And she said, ‘I need you to feel this,’” Wells said. “I was pretty worried.”

Wells said she went to work the next day and arranged the mammogram for her friend.

“I pulled as many strings as I could to set it up as quickly as I could,” Wells said.

She said she got Lanya in to see the doctor and was on watch for the mammogram report.

“When it came back across the printer it said ‘suspicious– recommend biopsy,’” Wells said.

“I knew pretty much the day [Lanya] would be expecting to hear [her results from the biopsy]. She called and said “Well, Nance, [Dr. Julie Mook of Breast Care Specialists] just called and I have breast cancer.”

Wells said it confirmed her fears but she was grateful because of the size, she knew the lump would be very manageable.

Though Wells said she never personally experienced breast cancer, she has cared for a lot of women that have been through it.

“At that point the whole road was laid out for me, but she was only about to take the first step,” Wells said. “I know where the journey goes.”

“She is just so young.”

Mad Libs on the island Wells was in the waiting room with Roy and Lanya’s mother and father during the surgery for the double mastectomy.

Mighty also showed up to the hospital to check on her friend. When Lanya was sent home, Mighty sent her a basket filled with gifts to open each day for the next two to three weeks.

The gifts were small like Mad Libs, a journal and a cross.

“Everything was pink,” Mighty said. Zahn looked to her flower business to help Lanya through her recovery.

“Because I have a flower shop she had tons of flowers [after her surgery], and she only stayed in the hospital two or three days,” Zahn said. “So I brought my [flower] van down because I said, ‘I know you cannot get all these flowers out of the hospital.’” Along with a number of arrangements, Zahn donated a piece of furniture to Lanya to help in her recovery.

“We have this big joke. I have this old recliner, I have from my lake house and it’s white and it’s been around for about three years,” Zahn said. “I told her it would be good for her to use to get up and down. So I sent it to her house and Roy called it ‘the island’ and put it in the middle of her [living room].”

Zahn said her and her husband just picked up “the island” a couple of days ago and Lanya said she will miss it.

God goes to Happy Hour “I think I was one of the first people to get her and take her out,” Wells said. “She couldn’t raise her arms, so I helped her get dressed and washed her hair. We French braided it.”

Wells said she helped Lanya into a button-down shirt, and they both went to happy hour at Oyster Bar.

“We just sat there and talked. She has never got really serious or down with me,” Wells said. “We just talked about lots of different things – occasionally about breast cancer or the surgery, but she had already decided that she already wanted a hysterectomy. She was trying to convince me to convince the doctor to do the hysterectomy.”

Wells said as they were enjoying the drinks, she was texting the doctor.

“We were having this intense conversation about things, and I noticed that there was this man at the table behind us. He was kind of noticing.”

Wells said it was the middle of the day, and it was pouring down rain.

“He looked like an electrician or worker of some sort and it seemed like his job had been canceled,” Wells said.

“We asked for the check and the waiter said, ‘Oh that gentleman over there took care of y’all’s bill. So [Lanya] walked right over and shook his hand the best that she could. So then I shook his hand and looked him in the eye and said, ‘You have no idea, but thank you so much.’ Because there is no way that he could have known that it was her first time out.”

Wells said in telling the story to the doctor at her office, she asked the doctor if she thought God goes to happy hour. The doctor said, “Yes.”

“If that wasn’t a God thing I don’t know what was,” Wells said.

‘Team Lanya’ The thing that Roy admitted he loves the most about Lanya is her personality.

“She had what it took to get through this thing because of her positive personality,” Roy said.

Roy also attributed her strength to the support of her friends.

“She had a good support group, which I think has been a big help through the whole ordeal,” Roy said. “You hate to see someone close to you experience anything bad. Whether it’s a disease or anything but it is reality and it happens all the time. I hated it for her especially at her age.”

After the double mastectomy, two weeks later, Lanya had a hysterectomy, at the recommendation of Mook. The result of the surgery and medication have resulted in premature menopause for the 39-year-old.

“Menopause has been the thing getting used to – it sucks!” Lanya said.

Lanya said the support of each of her friends has helped her through cancer.

“During the whole process, I knew I didn’t have to worry because they were doing all the worrying for me,” she said. “Pretty much over the years these women have all been in my life.”

When people get sick it brings out the true nature of others and I was just so overwhelmed with the support that so many people gave me. I got cards from acquaintances.”

Lanya said she is eager to share her story to help women keep up with annual checkups.

She is also a member of the executive board of directors for Susan G. Komen of Northwest Louisiana, which is where she first met Mook.

“One of our missions in Komen is about self awareness and being aware of your body and when things aren’t right, checking into things.”

Lanya said she received a lot of shocked responses when she was open about her battle. She is a vegetarian and never misses an exercise. “This wasn’t supposed to happen to me, but they say that cancer doesn’t discriminate,” she said.

Lanya said in the past she has won the Komen Race as a participant. This year she entered in the race as a survivor.