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Crystal Futrell-Pratts has worked at MD Anderson for 23 years. While she's always felt connected to its mission, she never imagined she would have a new appreciation for MD Anderson as a patient.

Leading up to her annual mammogram in October 2020, Crystal noticed an unusual soreness and tenderness in her breasts. During her mammogram, her doctor ordered additional ultrasounds and decided to move forward with a biopsy. The biopsy results showed she had a type of breast cancer called invasive ductal carcinoma. Crystal was shocked by the news.

¡°I always have my annual mammogram, and I am diligent about reminding my friends not to miss their appointments,¡± she says. ¡°It¡¯s such a hard feeling to describe when you get a diagnosis. When you first hear the word ¡®cancer,¡¯ you want to faint, but I was ready to fight.¡±

As an MD Anderson employee, there was never a question about where she¡¯d seek treatment. She called and requested an appointment at MD Anderson.

Receiving breast cancer treatment as an MD Anderson employee

Because Crystal was undergoing treatment during the COVID-19 pandemic, she couldn¡¯t bring a caregiver with her to her appointments. She did her best to remember and process as much information as possible on her own. She also leaned on her work family within the Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine department. 

Breast medical oncologist Daniel Booser, M.D., now deceased, led her treatment plan, which included surgery led by , in December 2020. The following month, she started radiation therapy. Crystal has vitiligo, a chronic skin condition where patches of the skin lose color. She was concerned about how radiation therapy might impact her skin, but she was impressed with radiation oncologist , who researched how to best care for her condition. Crystal experienced minimal side effects or visible issues thanks to his expertise.

She also underwent testing to see whether chemotherapy was likely to reduce the risk of cancer returning. Her results were borderline, and after discussing her options with her care team, she decided to move forward with chemotherapy after completing radiation.

Finding neuropathy relief through scrambler therapy

Once she completed treatment in July 2021, Crystal noticed tingling in her fingers and toes, a common side effect of chemotherapy called chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy. The tingling intensified to the point that her feet felt numb. She tried taking medication, but that made her feel like she was in a fog. She also tried hypnosis. Crystal started to feel hopeless because nothing seemed to relieve the neuropathy. She learned about scrambler therapy, a type of therapy , offers through MD Anderson¡¯s Pain Management Center.

Scrambler therapy mixes up (scrambles) a patient¡¯s pain signals to only permit non-pain signals to be transmitted to the brain. During the therapy, electrode patches were placed on Crystal¡¯s feet and hands, where she experiences pain. The patches are connected to a machine that sends electrode pulses to the area to interfere with the pain signal. 

Crystal¡¯s treatment required her to receive scrambler therapy for 30-45 minutes, five days in a row. Crystal¡¯s neuropathy isn¡¯t completely gone, but scrambler therapy has increased her quality of life. She experienced immediate relief once she started the treatment. While it made the most impact on her feet by removing the tingling sensation, she plans to continue to receive scrambler therapy for her hands. 

¡°Scrambler therapy is the only treatment option that has provided true relief for me,¡± she says. ¡°It is a game-changer. I want to spread the word about it because I think it could help others.¡±

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