St. Johns County Board Chair Krista Joseph Urges Early Screenings After Shock Diagnosis This Month
- By Rebecca Rosenberg
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When it comes to cancer checkups, delays can be deadly.
St. Johns County Commission Chair Krista Joseph is urging women to prioritize breast cancer screenings, sharing her recent diagnosis and treatment as a reminder of how quickly things can change.
Earlier this month, Joseph underwent surgery after tests at Mayo Clinic revealed a lump in her breast.
For the past three years, she has served as a caregiver for her husband, who has advanced ALS — a commitment that often caused her to postpone her own routine medical appointments.
“It was the Friday before Labor Day,” she told The Citizen. “I saw the results online first, but because of the holiday I couldn’t reach a doctor for several days. The waiting was awful — I just knew I had to act fast.”
Doctors informed her that the cancer was progressive and presented two options: a lumpectomy or a mastectomy. She chose the latter.
“I did the one thing that would allow me to get back to caring for my husband and serving the community as quickly as possible,” she said. “I thought about my job. I thought about survivors like Donna Deegan and Casey DeSantis. I wasn’t going to let this stop me.”
The surgery took place on Sept. 15 — the day before a scheduled board meeting. Although she had intended to participate remotely, the recovery made that difficult. Still, she joined a tax hearing by phone that same evening.
Joseph credited the Mayo Clinic’s Breast Center in Jacksonville, her daughter Allie, and the local community for their support.
She hopes sharing her experience encourages others not to delay their own health screenings. “If your life is busy — especially if you’re a caregiver — don’t skip your appointments,” she said. “If I’d gone earlier, the surgery might have been less serious.”
The diagnosis has also prompted difficult personal reflection. “Your mind goes in a lot of directions,” she said. “You assume you’ll be there for your husband, for your kids. But you start to wonder — what if I’m not?”
While she’s still recovering from the procedure, Joseph says she plans to return to the dais for the Oct. 7 BCC meeting — a date which coincides with the opening week of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
“This isn’t over,” she added. “But I’m taking it one day at a time — for my husband, my daughter, this county and myself.”
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