Dr. Lise Forestal, a geriatric specialist at Atrium Health Navicent Primary Care West Macon, remembers the first time that her job made a hard intersection with her life. It was February of 2023. She was sitting in her own doctor’s office as a patient receiving a breast cancer diagnosis.
“I was in tears,” she said. "I had been healthy my whole life. As a doctor, I’ve always known what cancer patients look like, but I could never truly relate to what they were going through. My role was to treat and encourage them. But now, things have changed. When I'm home, I find myself thinking about my patients more deeply. When I’m with them, I can talk about the small details that matter, because I’ve experienced it firsthand. We talk about dropping things, the fatigue, the depression ... and sometimes, we cry together.”
Forestal is a mother of three and a survivor of triple positive, grade 3 invasive ductal carcinoma. It’s a diagnosis that she says changed her life for the better.
Growing up in New York City as the daughter of Haitian immigrants, Forestal spent the first 10 years of her professional career as a nurse, like her mother. She has two older sisters who are physicians, and they encouraged her to go to medical school.
She received her medical degree at the University of Medicine and Health Sciences in St. Kitts, and moved to Macon to complete her residency in family medicine and a fellowship in geriatrics through the Atrium Health Navicent Family Medicine Residency program.
When she started her residency, she was busy mom juggling a 3-month-old and a 3-year-old. A surprise baby came along in 2021.
“It was the most eventful three years of my life,” she said with a laugh.
By Christmas 2022, her residency was finally slowing down enough for her to enjoy the holidays with her family.
“One day, I was taking a shower and felt a lump in my breast.,” Forestal said. “My APP sent me for an ultrasound just as a precaution. I wasn’t yet 40 and at that time, the recommendations for breast screenings for the USPSTF did not start until age 50. Thank goodness they have been revised to age 40 this year. If I hadn’t been doing my self-exam, I wouldn’t have known.”
Forestal, now 41, made an appointment with Dr. Paul Dale, a surgical oncologist at Atrium Health Navicent.
“I got an order for an ultrasound and a mammogram,” she said. “I remember looking at the screen as the ultrasound technician was working and I could see a mass that looked like a bright star. In the medical field, we want everything to be concentric and it wasn’t perfectly round so I knew right away that something was wrong.”
A biopsy confirmed her breast cancer diagnosis.
“During my first appointment with Dr. Dale after that, I was a mess” Forestal said. “I was in tears. I couldn’t even say the diagnosis out loud.”
Forestal immediately underwent six rounds of chemotherapy. In September 2023 she went through DIEP flap surgery, which is a type of surgery where doctors use blood vessels and fat from the lower belly to reconstruct the breasts after a mastectomy. Thirteen more rounds of chemotherapy followed because of her triple-positive diagnosis.
“My kids think I’m a superhero,” she said about going through the surgery and chemotherapy. “Afterward, I healed, stayed home for a few weeks, and then came back to work. I just love the work.”
Forestal admits she wasn’t intending to stay in central Georgia after her residency, but her experience with the health care team at Atrium Health Navicent changed her mind.
Since she moved to Macon, she’s been treated as a patient of obstetrics, general surgery, family medicine and now oncology.
“I can’t tell you how grateful I am that I ended up here, it’s like a family, she said. “They all took part in me being here today. After my diagnosis, I knew I wanted to remain in Macon. I’ve always been interested in the geriatrics program, and I just love that population. So, I opted to stay.”
Now a cancer survivor with a thriving medical practice, Forestal said that despite all the heartache and tears, cancer has made her a better person.
“Cancer has made me a better doctor, a better mom, a better wife,” she said. “It has opened up my world. I live in the present, and I’ll face tomorrow, tomorrow. I truly understand my patients better than ever before because I’ve walked in their shoes. Having been a patient here at Atrium Health Navicent, I can relate to their experiences in a profound way. This journey has also deepened my role as a mother and wife; I cherish every moment with my family and prioritize showing them how much I love them. Life is fleeting, and being present is now my greatest priority. Each day at work, I take a moment to appreciate the beauty around me—the trees, the sunlight—and it reminds me of how precious life really is.”
If you or a loved one has concerns about cancer risk factors, available screenings or cancer care, contact Atrium Health Navicent Peyton Anderson Cancer Center at 478-633-3000.
Dr, Forestal is accepting patients at Atrium Health Navicent Primary Care West Macon. To schedule an appointment, call 478-633-5500.