KENTUCKY — Jacqueline Coleman is the 58th lieutenant governor of the Commonwealth of Kentucky. She was born and raised in the bluegrass state. Before serving as an elected official, she has served as educator, school administrator, basketball coach, writer and founder of a nonprofit organization called Lead Kentucky, which she launched in 2013. Lead Kentucky ensures Kentucky’s college women are prepared, encouraged and empowered to seek leadership positions on their campuses and later in their professional lives.
During this In Focus Kentucky segment, Coleman talks about her recovery following a double mastectomy procedure on Dec. 18, 2023. Coleman shared publicly at the time that she had decided to undergo the procedure, citing a “significant family history of cancer.”
“Well, you know, it’s certainly not something you sign up to do. But I think about all of the women I have heard from across Kentucky who have been through this and who sent me messages of hope and reassurance, and I will never forget that. It’s a trying time physically, mentally, emotionally. But it was the decision that I felt was best for me and my family. What you mentioned about my family history of breast cancer is significant enough that it put me in the high-risk category. And so getting the news that I received from the doctors, I felt like it was the most responsible thing for me to do to move ahead with a procedure and had a double mastectomy. I have recovered. Been back in the office now for almost a month and getting back on my feet and always mindful of not only what I’ve been through, but what so many women have been through and remembering the wisdom that I have gained from this procedure in this process and carrying it with me every single day,” shared Coleman.
Coleman also reminds Kentuckians about the importance of scheduling preventative exams and not to put off taking annual physical exams.
“So I will be the first to admit I am not the best person about going to the doctor when I need to about making time for those things. And it’s worth noting that all of these issues were found in that very first mammogram and so to schedule these appointments to hold on to them and make sure that you’re showing up and doing these things to be proactive. It is a lot easier to be proactive than it is to have been reactive. If I had put this off because of the campaign or because of whatever it was that we were going through, I don’t know where I would be right now. And so I’m very fortunate to have been proactive in this journey and to do the things that I felt like I needed to do for myself and my family. You want to be able to make those decisions for yourself, not to have someone else make those decisions for you because you’ve waited too long to do what you need to do. So schedule those procedures. Take care of yourself so you can take care of other people,” added Coleman.
You can watch the full In Focus Kentucky segment in the player above.