BATON ROUGE- For years, Lorretta Duplantis welcomed viewers into the kitchen on Houston public television, serving up "A Meal with a Message." Now, she's back (this time on WBRZ) with a more personal message of hope and perseverance, sharing her journey of surviving breast cancer- twice.

A registered nurse with nearly 50 years of experience in home health, hospice, and cancer research, Duplantis is no stranger to health challenges. Yet, nothing could fully prepare her for the phone call in 2020 that changed everything.

"I hate to tell you, but you have breast cancer," Duplantis recalls hearing from Dr. Everett Bonner at Baton Rouge General after pulling over her car to take the call.

The diagnosis began a new chapter, which included two rounds of radiation at Baton Rouge General. She credits the encouragement of her doctor, who told her, "You're going to breeze right through this," a sentiment she says proved true.

Just 4.5 years after her original diagnosis, during a routine checkup, Duplantis received the devastating news that cancer had returned, this time in her other breast.

Drawing on her decades of medical knowledge, she was pragmatic about the next steps. "We did what's called an incisional biopsy. It takes out the problem as well as some of the tissue around it. It showed that I had cancer."

She underwent a total of 16 rounds of radiation for each diagnosis. Duplantis is now cancer-free, but her experience has left an indelible mark on her spirit.

She emphasizes that while her nursing background was helpful, the compassion of the healthcare workers was essential. "Even though I'm a nurse, they take that into consideration: I'm Lorretta first," she said, reflecting on the staff who helped save her life.

Duplantis’s recovery wasn't just medical; it was holistic. Key to her perseverance were good nutrition, rest, and exercise. However, she says her greatest strength came from a spiritual and emotional shift, learning to find peace in the uncertainty.

"I'm a person of prayer. As I was praying, I said Lord, either way- I win," she shared.

Now, Duplantis uses every opportunity to advocate for women's health, particularly encouraging them to keep up with mammograms. Though her cooking show days are behind her, her message of enduring hope is as strong as ever.

Duplantis continues to be the light she once preached about on TV in Houston: "We can be that light, and we can have that resurrection power in us that can help us to go forth and give us that energy and that ability to go... to persevere."