Skiatook-Area Couple Battle Breast Cancer Together

Most breast cancer patients will tell you, the diagnosis touches everyone in your life - especially your spouse. It's hard to watch as a loved one goes through treatment and experiences these changes.

But as you're about to see, it can be a team effort

Larry Nunley appears on Six in the Morning in our Wild Wednesday segments with the Tulsa Zoo. Gay Lynne is Larry's better half.

She loves to be outdoors and work side by side with her husband. But earlier this year she was diagnosed with breast cancer.

"When they did diagnose it I was just in shock. I said this doesn't happen to me. This happens to other people, everybody else. I have friends, I have a sister-in-law, I have three or four friends that have had it but doesn't happen to me," Gay Lynne said.

"And it took me a while for it to sink in and realize, yes I have to go through this."

Because of her type of cancer, Gay Lynne chose to have a double mastectomy, and she's about to finish up with chemotherapy.

"When I thought of breast cancer, I thought everyone basically does the same thing but there are so many different techniques and treatments and methods and things for different kinds," she said.

"After about two weeks, I reached up and pulled out hair and Larry said 'let's just shave it off.' I'll shave mine and you shave yours, and so we shaved each others head."

"She'll only let me do that once 'cause I don't look near as good without hair as she does. It's like...naw!" Larry said.

Gay Lynne will still have to have radiation but she knows it will give her the best chance of survival and she's grateful for that.

"You know so many people, and I was like that, you take your health for granted. Everyday comes and nothing happens and then something does and it's just a wake up call and everyday is precious."

Larry says he wishes there was more he could do for his wife.

Gay Lynne and Larry will tell you, this diagnosis is one of the hardest things they've ever faced but they're committed to one another in sickness and in health.

"Men try to fix things you know. That's what you want to do - like, 'no let me just fix it,'" Larry said. "And the only way you can fix it you told me a long time ago, just be there.

Be there be patient, do what you can, support. It's frustrating - sometimes it's really frustrating. But you let the people who know what they're doing fix it because you can't, we can't guys. We just help take care of the process and the journey."