CLARK COUNTY — She had no family history of breast cancer.

She was only 47.

She had two sons.

But Jean Tinsley found something off. Her doctor checked and said don’t worry — go on your planned vacations and when you get back, get it tested.

So, she did. She remembers her last day in Hawaii, where she felt the presence of her father, who passed away about six months earlier in a house fire on Christmas night.

“I remember standing on the beach, looking out at the ocean, thinking my life is about to change dramatically,” she said. “As I was standing there on the beach, it was like I was standing there with him, looking toward what was going to happen I had that feeling. I had that feeling of dread.”

•••

Her instincts were right. She said she came back and had a mammogram, which didn’t show the mass, possibly due to her breasts being dense. However, an ultrasound and biopsy revealed it was triple-negative breast cancer, meaning it lacks the three receptors known to fuel most breast cancers — estrogen, progesterone and human epidermal growth factor receptors, according to the Triple Negative Breast Cancer Foundation. That was two years ago, in July.

“I was shocked. I didn’t fall into the young women’s breast cancer group, below 40 years of age. I was between 45 to 60. That’s considered the safe zone,” Tinsley said. “I thought I was too young to have breast cancer. I didn’t have a family history of it. I went through genetic testing and there was no mutation.”

The mass she had found turned out to be large — 4 centimeters. The cancer was between stages two and three. She said it had not moved on to her lymph nodes, hence the lower number. However, it was large, growing and aggressive.

So, she had to be, too.

Tinsley, who works at Clark Memorial Hospital in the lab and even formerly worked in oncology in Louisville, hit the books and Internet to decide her course of action. Armed with her information as well as her oncologist, Tinsley chose to have both her breasts removed, even though only one had the cancer. She also had six rounds of chemotherapy, lasting from October to February. That was followed up with reconstructive surgery.

The process wasn’t easy. She remembered trying to do simple tasks like pushing a grocery cart, which was literally impossible.

“I think in a way I thought I was strong. I could do this. It was difficult to have what I felt like my body betray me,” she said. “I couldn’t do the things I used to be able to do.”

So, she tried to take control. She was told her hair would fall out 10 to 14 days into treatment. Ten days into treatment, she shaved her head.

“I wanted to be in control. You feel kind of out of control, so I think it’s really important to take control of the things that you can,” she said.

Tinsley said the whole time she tried to keep a positive outlook.

“You have to believe it’s going to have a good outcome. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be able to go through what you have to go through,” she said.

She remembered back to when she worked with cancer patients in Louisville. At the time, she said she was the type of person who couldn’t handle a bad cold.

“I was just amazed by their strength. They were an inspiration,” she said. “I thought I could never do this. Well, I did it. You’re a lot stronger than you think you are.”

Now, it’s been two years and she still has a clean bill of health. Though, she does have a daily reminder of her battle, due to chronic pain after having nerve damage during the removal of her breasts.

She said she’s counting down to her three-year point, which she said is a great milestone and increases the odds of it not happening again with the type of cancer she had.

“I don’t think anything I could have done differently would have changed what happened,” Tinsley said, adding that if she went to the doctor instead of her vacations, it would have pushed everything up a little earlier.

She said she tells women to know their bodies and listen to their instincts.

“You need to know your own breasts, because you have to be your own advocate,” she said. “Had I not found it, I wasn’t scheduled to go back to the doctor for several months. I was very fortunate, because it didn’t go into my lymph nodes. Had I waited several more months, it may have. The outcome could have been much different.”

For Tinsley, her life is much different. She said she enjoys friends and family more now. She said vacations are also more important, so she can appreciate the beauty of nature. She also bought a convertible this year.

“I thought hmm, that sounds like fun!” she exclaimed with a laugh. “I think we’ll do that. Before, I thought some day that would be fun to do when I got older. I’m older now. I’m older now than I was last year. I’m enjoying that now!”