Pruned to Bloom: Nanette’s Breast Cancer Journey Is Rooted in Positivity
For Nanette Burbank, a rose became much more than a pretty flower. It became a reminder. A reminder that sometimes life prunes us back, but that doesn’t mean we’re finished blooming.
Her story began unexpectedly. In July 2024, Nanette had her annual mammogram, and everything looked fine. Then, one night in February 2025, she was getting ready for bed and noticed moisture. It was bloody discharge from her right breast.
With an existing appointment coming up in a few days with her primary care doctor, she stuck with the plan to bring it up during that visit. At that visit, her doctor found a lump, and a biopsy soon after revealed stage 0 breast cancer. Because Nanette had a family history of breast cancer, including cousins, a grandmother and aunts, her care team also recommended genetic testing.
Surgery to remove the cancer, and a breast reconstruction at the same time, followed in June. Two weeks later, Nanette learned she would need another surgery to remove a lymph node. Altogether, she had nine incisions.
Through it all, Nanette says she never shed a tear, but that doesn't mean the journey was easy. “I never got down on myself,” she says. And she made a choice to stay positive. “This is my journey. Why not me, when so many have gone through breast cancer before me and unfortunately more will come after me?”
While recovering at home before beginning radiation, Nanette ordered a bracelet with roses that she had been eyeing, to lift her spirits. One day, she was admiring the bracelet and says she heard a message, clear as day. “Even roses are pruned to come back healthier and more beautiful.” For Nanette, the meaning was immediate -- that was how she wanted to look at her cancer journey.
She already had a creative outlet through her hobby of making jewelry, so she began making her own rose bracelets and pins. Soon, she had made over 100 pieces. She gave some of them to her surgeon, Dr. Cuntz, to share with other patients who were struggling -- each one with that same simple message of hope and courage that she hung on to: “Even roses are pruned to come back healthier and more beautiful.”
Over time, her original bracelet grew into something even more meaningful. She added gemstone flowers representing the people and moments that matter most to her. One rose represents her breast cancer journey, while other stones represent her son’s birth and her grandmother. She calls it her “garden of life” bracelet.
That garden carries more than memories, it carries perspective. Through her journey, Nanette learned that listening to your doctors is important. She learned to stay positive and to lift up other people when she can. And she learned that kindness matters.
Nanette rang the bell on Sept. 8 after completing six weeks of radiation. Now, survivorship means making peace and protecting her peace of mind. She says she is more intentional about getting enough rest, eating better, moving her body and maintaining her strength and muscle mass. She knows that making healthy choices and staying consistent with follow-up care remain important even after treatment ends.
Most of all, she hopes other women will take action when something doesn't feel right. Having a recent clear mammogram doesn't mean you should ignore new symptoms or put off talking to your doctor. Fear can make people want to wait, she says, but her story is a reminder not to.