As a trailblazing judge, Cindy Ermatinger is used to juggling it all, but even she drops a ball from time to time — like when she put off having a mammogram for a few years in her early 60s.
“I got the surprise of my life,” Cindy says of the small tumor that turned up in November 2022 during a breast cancer screening at Methodist Midlothian Medical Center. “But I am very lucky that we caught it early because it could have been a disaster.”
Now, two years removed from her final radiation treatment, the first woman to serve on Ellis County judge’s district bench retired in December 2024 but still works as a visiting judge. She’s grateful for the extra time she has to spend with her family, especially her grandchildren.
“I probably take better care of my health now since I got the wake-up call from cancer,” Cindy says. “It scared the living daylights out of me. But once I knew what I had and they got the plan of action, I felt at peace.”
Cindy got her screening exam at Methodist Midlothian because the hospital was close to her home and work – but also because she saw firsthand how the nurses and physicians on the medical staff treated patients.
“I took my mother there when she got COVID,” says Cindy, who also sits on the Methodist Midlothian Advisory Board. “They were wonderful with her. They did things that other hospitals weren’t doing, and I think that’s how my mother survived.”
Cindy poses with family and friends wearing “Team Cindy” T-shirts outside the Ellis County courthouse.
DON’T DELAY PREVENTIVE CARE
Normally a stickler for schedules and medical appointments, Cindy says she regrets delaying her screening, especially given some of her family members have been diagnosed with breast cancer or have a greater risk.
“I got busy at work, and I thought I’ll do it next year. Then the pandemic came, and I just got busy,” she says. “I thought I didn’t need to do that, but that was a mistake.”
Cindy is hardly alone: A recent study shows that the number of women getting mammograms plummeted at the beginning of the pandemic, and it was months before that figure began rising again.
“Waiting for answers was the scariest part,” says Cindy, who found support in her oncology team. She was referred to Katrina Birdwell, MD, breast surgeon on the medical staff at Methodist Midlothian, who worked with Cindy to come up with a treatment plan.
Cindy’s case just goes to show how important preventive care is, Dr. Birdwell says. Although breast cancer can happen to anyone, the median age of diagnosis is 62, according to the American Cancer Society. That’s why health experts recommend for women with an average risk of breast cancer get a mammogram every one or two years, depending on their age.
“Screenings work,” Dr. Birdwell says. “If not for her mammogram, Cindy might not have noticed anything for a long time and gotten the treatment that she did.”
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TREATING BREAST CANCER
The early detection of Cindy’s cancer, its nonaggressive nature, and advancements in medical science all played a role in her treatment. Dr. Birdwell performed a lumpectomy in February 2023 to remove the tumor from Cindy’s left breast and prescribed her radiation treatments and an estrogen-reducing pill that she will have to take for five years.
“More than 80% of breast cancers are sensitive to the hormones estrogen and progesterone,” Dr. Birdwell explains. “So if your cancer fits that category, this pill can reduce the amount of estrogen or progesterone in the woman’s body to shrink any tumors or, if the tumor has already been removed, reduce the chance of it coming back.”
Cindy’s prior good health and lifestyle also work in her favor, Dr. Birdwell added. Obesity, smoking, and heavy drinking can increase your risk.
The judge took the same focused approach in her battle with cancer as she has always been known for in the courtroom. She was back to work barely a week after her surgery, and now she’s making plans for a well-deserved retirement.
“I have the support from the other judges, my friends, and my most wonderful family. Cindy says. “They are all so amazing.”
Cindy says this experience taught her a lesson she won’t soon forget, a message that she shares every time the mammogram bus comes to town.
“Get a mammogram,” she says. “It will save your life. It really will.”
