Lindsey Albury

Early Detection and Expert Care: Lindsey Beats Breast Cancer with TMH

Lindsey Albury had always been vigilant about her family’s history of breast cancer. Her mother was diagnosed at just 40, so Lindsey began annual mammograms at age 24. Each clear scan brought a sigh of relief — until October 2024, when everything changed.

Lindsey went in for her routine mammogram with no symptoms, no pain and no reason to expect anything other than a clean scan. But then the call came: she needed additional imaging. A second mammogram and an ultrasound-guided biopsy confirmed her worst fear — invasive ductal carcinoma.

“When they said it was cancer, I just shut down,” Lindsey said. “You go to the darkest place imaginable. You wonder, ‘Will I survive this? What will happen to my son?’”

Her son, Easton, just eight years old, was her first thought. A mama’s boy, her baseball buddy, her world — the thought of leaving him was unbearable.

At first, Lindsey considered leaving Tallahassee for treatment. 

“People were telling us to go to Gainesville, Jacksonville, anywhere else,” she said. 

But after talking it over with her husband Erin, they decided to explore care closer to home. That decision led her to Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare’s (TMH) Walker Breast Program.

“When we walked in [to my first appointment], we felt overwhelmed and scared,” she said. “But that changed so quickly.”

Shlermine Everidge, MD, a surgeon with TMH Physician Partners – General Surgery and the region’s first fellowship-trained breast surgical oncologist, was the first to meet with Lindsey.

“Lindsey came in with all the emotions you’d expect — fear, anxiety — but also with this quiet determination,” said Dr. Everidge. “She was ready to fight, and our job was to walk beside her every step of the way.”

A Nationally Recognized Model of Care in Tallahassee

The Breast Clinic at the Tallahassee Memorial Cancer Center brings a nationally recognized model of care – one typically found only in cancer centers in much larger cities – to patients in Tallahassee. Instead of waiting weeks for separate appointments, patients meet their entire care team in one visit, all in one place. This both streamlines the process and accelerates treatments. 

During the first visit, Lindsey met her full care team: Dr. Everidge, Aaron Flanders, MD, medical oncologist with TMH Physician Partners – Cancer & Hematology, Laurence Rosenberg, MD, plastic surgeon with Southeastern Plastic Surgery, and nurse navigator Amy Anderson, RN. 

From genetics and radiology to pathology and surgery, everyone reviewed Lindsey’s case and collaborated to create her personalized treatment plan. 

“We don’t want patients waiting weeks between appointments, wondering what’s next,” Dr. Everidge said. “Our goal is to give answers, give clarity and give back control.”

On November 24 — just days before Thanksgiving — Lindsey underwent a bilateral mastectomy.

“Dr. Everidge walked in that morning with the most comforting smile and said, ‘We’ve got this.’ And I believed her,” Lindsey said.

During surgery, her lymph nodes were biopsied to determine if the cancer had spread. Thankfully, they were clear.

“Getting the call that your patient’s lymph nodes are negative — that’s a huge win,” Dr. Everidge explained. “It means we caught it early and did exactly what we needed to do.”

It Takes a Village to Beat Breast Cancer

Lindsey’s support didn’t end with her care team. That Thanksgiving, while she was recovering, Lindsey and her family had planned to have their holiday dinner at a restaurant. Instead, a group of moms from Easton’s school surprised the family with a full holiday meal. 

“It wasn’t just food,” Lindsey said. “It was love. It was support. It was knowing we weren’t alone.”

Recovery was tough. As a nurse with Big Bend Hospice, Lindsey was used to being the caregiver — not the patient. But her sister became her rock, helping manage every detail of post-surgical care and lifting her spirits when the weight of it all felt overwhelming.

Through it all, Lindsey found healing — physically and emotionally. 

“It’s not just about losing your breasts. It’s about losing a piece of your identity,” she said. “But Dr. Rosenberg gave that back to me. He helped me feel whole again.”

Dr. Everidge echoed that sentiment.

“People often focus on the survival aspect, but there’s so much tied to body image, confidence, femininity. That’s why reconstruction isn’t just cosmetic — it’s restorative.”

Lindsey also began hormone-blocking therapy to reduce her risk of recurrence. When side effects began interfering with her daily life, Dr. Flanders adjusted her medication, ensuring she could still enjoy Easton’s baseball games and maintain her quality of life.

“We live at the ball field,” she laughed. “That’s our thing. I couldn’t miss that.”

Throughout her journey, Lindsey drew strength from the memory of her mom — who lived 24 years after her diagnosis and never let cancer take her joy.

“She always said, ‘It’s better to laugh than to cry.’ That’s what I carried with me.”

A Lot of Memories Left to Make

Today, Lindsey proudly calls herself a breast cancer survivor.

“At first, I felt like a victim. Now, I know I’m a survivor. Because of the team at TMH, I’m still working the job I love, still making memories with my son and still standing.”

Dr. Everidge reflected on Lindsey’s journey with admiration:

“Lindsey is the kind of patient who inspires the entire team. She was strong, open and willing to face everything head-on. And now, she’s living proof that early detection and coordinated care save lives.”

Lindsey’s message to others is simple — but urgent:

“Get the mammogram. That 10 seconds of discomfort? It’s nothing compared to what cancer takes from you. The earlier you know, the better your chances.”

Thanks to her vigilance, her village, and the compassionate expertise of her care team at TMH, Lindsey Albury didn’t just face breast cancer — she conquered it.