Rosary Graduate Publishes Book on Breast Cancer Journey

As a Rosary student considering her future career, Teri (Brennan '77) Carlson knew she loved to write and also wanted to help people. She decided on a career in healthcare but continued to write when she could.

She became a Radiologic Technologist, including performing mammograms on countless patients. “As an x-ray tech, every day you had the opportunity to change someone’s life for the better,” Teri said. She worked at Central DuPage Hospital and later an orthopedic practice in Elgin.

But when she was diagnosed with breast cancer in September of 2020, she turned to writing as a way to cope, share, and process her journey. Her blog via the personal health journals on the Caring Bridge website (caringbridge.org) led to publication of her book A Thin Pink Ribbon in September 2021.

“As a Radiology Tech, I had done mammograms for years,” Teri said. “I had done a lot of patient teaching, but when I was diagnosed, I still had so many questions, wondering if what I was feeling was normal. Cancer is cancer, no matter what you do and who you are.”

“Blogging through my journey on the Caring Bridge site was helpful. Then, I thought my journey might be meant for something more than a statistic, that I could turn it into something bigger as a way to glorify God,” she said.

“This book contains my thoughts, journaling, reflections, and prayers throughout my journey. These are meant for reflection and how they might fit into your story or complement it,” she said.

“The title, A Thin Pink Ribbon, is a line from a poem I wrote about the connection between my mother and I through breast cancer. I hope it helps others in some small way as they travel their own unique path.”

Teri’s love of writing goes back to her days at Rosary and before. “Writing has been a constant companion for me since childhood,” she said.

Rosary English teacher Mrs. Louise Wright encouraged her love of writing. She had a poem published in Tapestry, the school’s literary magazine, and also wrote for the yearbook.

She had written a paper on adoption for a class, and Rosary guidance counselor Mrs. Joan Etheredge asked if she could share it at a professional meeting.

Teri treasures memories of her days at Rosary. “Rosary means a lot to me,” she said. “Any successes I’ve had in my life were rooted there.”

Teri was involved in Yearbook and Glee Club at Rosary, and she sang and played guitar at school Masses. She enjoyed being in the musicals with Rosary and Marmion students, and performed in My Fair Lady, Oklahoma, and Carousel.

“At Rosary, you could just be yourself. I loved the camaraderie; there’s nothing like it,” she said. She still gets together with her Rosary friends.

Teri carries with her many lessons learned at Rosary, such as “You are made for a life of service,” “Don’t live on the fringe,” and “You can be anything you want to be.” And she embodies Rosary’s themes of preaching with your life and setting the world on fire. When Rosary graduates see a problem or something lacking, they step up to make things better.

When healthcare services were being cut to area patients in marginalized communities, Teri co-founded Tri-Cities Health Partnership with Dr. Patrick Gannon and served as its executive director. (Dr. Gannon’s daughter Meghan is a 2010 Rosary graduate.) “We felt much-needed health care would fall by the side if given the choice between that and food or rent,” she said.

“We worked to get hospital backing and were awarded a grant from Delnor Hospital, so we were able to provide all clinic services pro bono. We secured a location two doors down from Lazarus House in St. Charles. We recruited volunteers, applied for additional grants, and it grew from there,” she said. “The first year, we won the Heart of Chicago Award from the American Heart Association and Pfizer Pharmaceuticals.”

Teri has been married to her husband Doug for 42 years. They have three children—Sarah, Ashley and Matthew—and five grandchildren.

A Thin Pink Ribbon has been getting wonderful reviews:

Teri will be donating a signed copy of her book to the Rosary High School Library.

You can find A Thin Pink Ribbon on Amazon.