When Gay Ensey received a diagnosis of breast cancer, the disease was far from new to her. Both her mother and younger sister had previously been diagnosed with the disease, and she helped them through their journey. She has also been a nurse at Ascension Saint Thomas Rutherford for 46 years, and in her current position as program coordinator for orthopedics and neurosurgery, she shares a floor with oncology and sees cancer patients every day.

“I have had a lot of firsthand experience with [cancer],” said Ensey, “so it wasn’t as devastating to me. It wasn’t that my world turned upside down. I’m also a very realistic, very calm person, so I was like, ‘Hey, we have a new adventure in life. We’re going to go for it and figure this out’.”

The one thing she had to figure out is all the different types of breast cancer. Like everyone else, she heard the commercials for treatment drugs that mention “Her2,” “E-receptors” and more, but that part was all new to her. Learning more about what type she had helped her understand her treatment better.

“When I received my diagnosis, I had to look to the surgeon to understand it,” Ensey said.

One thing she knew immediately was where she was going to get treated and who her doctors were going to be, and she pulled together her support system. Her team included Dr. Jimmy Carter, Dr. Brad Medling, Dr. Victor Gian with TN Oncology and Dr. Paul Ledoux and JoAnn Mayes with Murfreesboro Anesthesia Group. But she knows not everyone has the support that she had, so she recommends that those with a new diagnosis lean heavily on their nurse navigator.

“They have been there with many people . . . from first diagnosis to those who have already had surgery, out of remission, back in remission,” Ensey explained. “They know the story and they are good to talk to. Don’t be afraid to ask for . . . resources.”

2023 Wine Around the Square Committee

One of her biggest self-discoveries was that she was not above cancer. She exercises, eats right, lives a good life and has faith, but she still received a cancer diagnosis. That is why she is so adamant that people get their annual mammograms so they can have an early diagnosis.

Ensey had a bilateral mastectomy and reconstructive surgery. Being an active and independent person, she found the two weeks after her surgery, when she was unable to care for herself because she could not raise her arms, to be the hardest. Her support system—her husband, daughter, son, extended family, and nurse friends—all kicked in, and she learned to not be afraid to ask for help. Asking for help during cancer is, Ensey says, the bravest thing you can do.

Being a nurse gave her a leg up on treatment, because she went into nursing to help others. She knew she wanted to be a nurse from the time she was 4. By age 10 she was helping her mentor and idol, Bedford County’s Health Nurse Mrs. Anderson, with the distribution of polio vaccines.

Born on a dairy farm in Unionville, she was raised by hardworking people, but few in her circle were ever in the medical field. Still, her family supported her goal of becoming a nurse. On July 7, 1977, Ensey became an RN at what was then Rutherford Hospital. She has seen more changes there than just the name, yet she has never seen a reason to go anywhere else. The hospital is a second family, she said. It was at their urging that she decided to tell her story as this year’s Power of Pink Honoree for October 2023’s Wine Around the Square.

“If anything in my story can help spread awareness that the Power of Pink provides those who are uninsured and underinsured have access to mammograms and early detection, then I am all about it,” she added.

___

2022 Wine Around the Square Volunteers

Supporting Rutherford County women in the fight against breast cancer, Wine Around the Square returns to downtown Murfreesboro on Saturday, Oct. 21.

The 12th annual Wine Around the Square event, held from 6 to 9 p.m. in various venues around the Murfreesboro Public Square, is a progressive wine and spirits tasting event. With support from Stones River Total Beverages, a wide variety of wines and liquors will be available for sampling throughout the evening.

2022 Wine Around the Square Attendees

Event tickets include dinner from the Alley on Main, entertainment from The Chris Weaver Band, and access to all of the tasting venues plus the afterparty at the Alley on Main.

Tickets are $65.

For a VIP experience, VIP ticket-holders will have access to an exclusive pre-party at Whiskey Dix Saloon where they can enjoy additional wines, hors d’oeuvres and bourbons, and receive souvenirs to take home. The VIP Party is also where the Ascension Saint Thomas Rutherford Foundation celebrates this year’s honoree—Gay Ensey.

VIP tickets are $250.

For event tickets, visit winearoundthesquare.ticketbud.com/2023.

Proceeds from Wine Around the Square benefit the Ascension Saint Thomas Rutherford Power of Pink Fund, created to provide awareness, education and diagnostic services for those who need it the most in Rutherford County. Power of Pink also partners with Ascension Saint Thomas Mission in Motion Mobile Mammography coach to provide mammograms for women in Rutherford and 26 surrounding counties, regardless of their ability to pay. Since its inception, the Power of Pink Fund has provided 25,000 potentially life saving mammograms and diagnostics for area women; the fund has also provided $500,000 to support the Our Mission in Motion Coach refurbishment to add 3D tomography and go towards the purchase of a new coach.

For more information on the Ascension Saint Thomas Rutherford Foundation, visit rutherfordfoundation.org.