Surviving Cancer 2018

SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT BY CAPITAL NEWSPAPERS

SURVIVING CANCER 2018

cancer survivors from columbia, dodge, Juneau and sauk counties share their inspirational stories of their battle with cancer

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4 | July 2018

SURVIVING CANCER

Capital Newspapers

wondEr woMan undErwEar BrouGht to worK in BuLK healing with humor (with a side of science, medicine) ELIZABEtH ONHEIBER

Tammy Kasuboski of Beaver Dam, had a proactive, hands-on approach when it came to her children, community, faith, and health. That attitude might have kept her schedule pretty full back then in February 2017, but her proactiv-nality was about to save her life.

Tammy, then 48, had three daughters— Haylee, 16, Abbey 12, and Chloe 9–with husband Barry. She’d been happily married for 23 years, and was entering her second year of being “happily employed” with Beaver Dam Community Hospital’s Hillside Home Care and Hospice.

She was an active leader in daughter Abbey’s Girl Scout troop, a member of her church’s youth committee, and even attended a rigorous fitness program, Aspire Bootcamp, five days a week at 5:30 a.m.

But there was even more on Tammy’s plate than met the eye.

Her father had been diagnosed with lymphoma weeks prior, and was about to begin cancer treatment. She was gathering her strength—in body and spirit—to be supportive for her parents, John and Marilyn Vander Sanden, when father John started chemo.

Then, Tammy found a lump.

She told herself it was just fibrous tissue, an issue shed had for most of her life, because she’d had a clean mammogram just months before. But a month later Tammy noted no change, and started to become rightly concerned.

Had Tammy’s self-exams not detected the lump, she might be dead.

Her PA at the Beaver Dam Women’s Clinic confirmed the lump warranted another mammogram. Inexplicably, that mammogram came back negative too.

Regardless, the radiologist recommended Tammy have an ultrasound-guided biopsy.

Tammy was told to not worry about it “too much”. It didn’t appear to be of much concern, only a slight discrepancy in tissue, they said to her.

She had the biopsy performed within a week, and results were slow to come; “I waited for what seemed like forever” Tammy revisits.

Eventually, some days later someone Tammy can’t remember called with the biopsy results and told her yes, she had breast cancer. They diagnosed her at Stage 2B, initially.

Tammy says as soon as she hung up the phone, tears began to fall. “I happened to be in my office alone and sat there and cried for I don’t know how long”.

Tammy called husband Barry immediately to tell him, and he rushed home from work right then.

They didn’t want to tell her parents over the phone. She knew her parents were already struggling with her father’s Lymphoma diagnosis, and didn’t want to tell them over the phone.

Tammy and her father had been diagnosed with cancer two months apart.

Barry and Tammy drove through a bad snowstorm straight to her parents house.

She says when she was finally able to get the words out, she recalls her father sim-

Contributed by: tammy Kasuboski

Tammy and youngest daughter Chloe living life at a UW softball game this April.

Kasuboski has reconstruction surgery scheduled for September.

ply hugged her, saying “we will fight this together”.

Tammy says telling their younger daughters, 12 and 9, was the hardest part.

Tammy says before she even announced what the results revealed, tears were already forming.

She remembers thinking to herself come on, Tammy. Keep it together. So she just told them the truth, she told them Mommy has breast cancer.

“We all sat there on the couch hugging and crying for quite some time. I think we were all scared of the unknown.”

Tammy’s kids had questions in the face of so much uncertainty. Would she need chemo? Surgery? Would it hurt…?

Kasuboski poignantly points out that the hardest question to hear your kids raise is “Are you going to die?”

A friend at BDCH Oncology helped Tammy decipher her medical report and diagnosis -- invasive lobular carcinoma-and gave her a referral to the UW Carbone Cancer Center, where all her providers could be in one location.

Invasive lobular carcinoma is the second most common form of breast cancer, but continued on page 6

1 in 8

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SURVIVING CANCER

6 | July 2018 it’s a very distant second. Most—80%—of breast cancer begins in the milk ducts.

The structures can be thought of in terms of Ancient Roman waterways. The lobules, or milk glands, are like the cistern water reservoirs; ducts, as the name suggests, are the aqueducts that transport water from the cistern to the people.

Tammy’s cancer had reduced the cistern walls to rubble, and was invading surrounding tissue, targeting her lymph nodes.

At the UW Carbone Center, Tammy’s oncology team told her the prognosis was good, but confusingly changed the treatment plan they recommended several times.

It sure is a good thing Tammy’s lobular invaders were grade 1–the slow-growing type.

Initially diagnosed with Stage 2 B, doctors told her treatment would likely only require a lumpectomy, possibly radiation too.

However, further testing would reveal the

disease was more widespread than doctors first thought. Her diagnosis was amended to Stage 3C. Abruptly, Tammy was told she needed a mastectomy. She set a date with the surgeon for a few weeks later in April, and prepared herself as the appointment quickly approached.

But then, Tammy got another call.

Her oncology team had reviewed her scans and determined the best course of action would actually be chemotherapy.

So Tammy had to cancel the scheduled mastectomy, ending up at her first chemotherapy treatment instead. That was April 13, 2017.

It’s a good thing she has a sense of humor.

Tammy says humor was a good coping mechanism for her, and laughter helped her through the darkest hours of the disease.

During her chemo appointments, you could often hear laughter coming from Kasuboski’s cubicle. She liked making light of side effects she experienced, an effort to

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embrace them.

She recalls one chemo appointment where she received a sedating medication and, comedically, started slurring her words.

Tammy’s treatment had 2 phases of chemo, finishing in August 2017.

By the end of September, she did end up having a complete mastectomy. During the surgery, they also removed 11 lymph nodes--9 of which tested positive for cancer.

She then began a course of 31 radiation treatments in November--finally completing the soul-draining process on December 22nd.

“Just in time for Christmas”.

Capital Newspapers Tammy says her boss indicated many times that it was time for her to take care of herself, and not worry about her job. She remembers co workers coming together in a prayer circle when she first broke the news.

One colleague bought all of their co-workers Wonder Woman underwear, saying they’d all wear them on days Tammy had chemo treatments.

Tammy appreciated the light-hearted humor, saying this shined a lot of laughter on that dark and stressful time in her life.

Tammy feels appreciative of her medical team.“Never once did I feel like a number or just another patient to them.”

Tammy says she found online resources and support groups like “PatientsLikeMe”, “The Breast Cancer Site” and “MyBCTeam” extremely helpful.

At this time, Tammy says she is free from signs of cancer, and has reconstruction surgery scheduled for early September.

Tammy says that confronting her mortality through cancer has given her a deeper and richer appreciation for people she loves.

However, she does have to continue taking medications for the next decade to decrease chances of recurrence. Tammy acknowledges their side effects dismissively—using words like “troublesome”—as if they almost irritate her.

Tammy wants readers affected by cancer to know to be kind to yourself. Take breaks when you can. Ask questions when you do not understand something. Accept help from others, even if this is difficult to do.

“Heck if I can beat cancer I can survive this too!”

All in all, she says she’ll fight through side effects just fine, since now she knows she is an all-caps SURVIVOR!

Tammy encourages women to conduct self-exams since, after all, the cancer was not detected on two separate mammograms. The cancer was caught because Tammy found it herself.

The support shown to Tammy and her family since being diagnosed last year has left Kasuboski astounded.

“Please don’t hesitate to get checked if you find something that doesn’t feel right”, Tammy implores.

“I truly never thought so many people cared that much about little old me… “

“Science has come a long way. Cancer is not always a death sentence anymore, and the earlier it can be detected, the better.”

Kasuboski concludes.

Low-Dose 3D Tomosynthesis Mammography A New Dimension in Breast Care SSM Health is pleased to offer low-dose 3D mammograms (also known as low-dose Tomosynthesis) as our standard of care. 3D mammography offers better cancer detection with fewer call backs and greater peace-of-mind.

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SURVIVING CANCER

8 | July 2018

Capital Newspapers

BranchinG out sun shines again on Lavender ELIZABEtH ONHEIBER

Tamara Lavender had just started a new chapter in her life. Newly single, her children were grown—grandsons 9 and 11 quickly approaching tweens and teens— Tamara knew this was an opportunity to truly flourish.

Lavender spent a year establishing her roots at a new job with Milwaukee Valve in Sauk City, and a new apartment in Baraboo.

It wasn’t easy starting over after ten years of marriage, especially after Lavender’s position of 15 years at UW-Baraboo Student Services (a job she excelled at, ask staff and former students) was abruptly eliminated, a casualty of the budgeting and leadership problems that rocked the UW-Colleges System in recent years.

expressed medical concern that got Tamara’s attention.

Our word for cancer originated almost 2,500 years ago in Ancient Greece, with the Father of Medicine Hippocrates. The story goes that cancer masses and the way they spread reminded Hippocrates of a crab’s shell and legs, so he took to using the greek word for crab, carcinos.

Apparently, it caught on with friends.

Millenia later, this would undoubtedly confuse people born under the astrological sign of Cancer the Crab.

Lavender’s perennial spirit never fails to bounce back after the world grows dark and cold.

The record goes dark on cancer for ages--The Middle Ages, actually--after Hippocrates and his crabs. Because cancer takes time to mutate and develop, people simply didn’t live long enough to get cancer. When cancer was encountered back then, it’s pretty likely our ancestors thought witchcraft was at play.

Advancements in science and medicine wouldn’t gain momentum again until the renaissance period in Europe.

And January 2018–shortly before marking one year in her new apartment—after settling in her new place—was a pretty dark one for Lavender.

Cancer used to be a death sentence, but that isn’t true anymore, says Lavender. If you find it before it spreads too far, you have a lot of options.

Around the holidays last December, Tamara went to an appointment for a routinely-scheduled mammogram.

Tamara’s pre-cancerous cells were detected early enough that the calcifications could readily be removed through surgery.

A month later, she was diagnosed with breast calcifications, mutant cells that are pre cancerous. She was told she had to have surgery—a lumpectomy—to remove the calcifications.

“I had what they call a lumpectomy, even though I didn’t have a lump”, Lavender insists. She has a scar approx, two and a half inches long. It is fading, she says.

Easy? No. Worth it? Yes.

Lavender says her first reaction at diagnosis was...interest. She said she had learned to doubt herself when she felt like something wasn’t right, but when doctors

Tamara turns to family and friends for support, and shares she sometimes wonders if the cancer will come back. This uncertainty has popped up enough for Tamara to really weigh the gravity of the

situation. When thoughts drift to worrying about whether she will ever need a mastectomy, Tamara reigns them in with her character and flair.

“At one point, I told myself that I didn’t need breasts anyway, and maybe I could get some cool chest tattoos!”

Lavender is loving life again and cancer-free, with check ups every six months for the next year or so.

Tamara says that this new experience has led her to re-examine her Contributed by: tamara Lavendar priorities and how she spends Lavender is naturally easy-going, but not easily intimidated. her energy.

She tries to be conscious of She says this decision was a result of not letting people-pleasing tendencies changes she made in her thinking, “due to interfere with meeting her needs, or goals. my mutants” “I decided to live my life in a way that Lavender signs off with a sunglasses pleases me, not my family, not my friends” emoji.

Tamara even took up motorcycle lessons.

Capital Newspapers

SURVIVING CANCER

July 2018

| 9

you cannot do this on your own

Wendy Sweeter

When Andrea Parrish was diagnosed with stage 2 vaginal cancer on St. Patrick’s Day 2017, she was filled with a mix of emotions.

She was shocked at first, then dazed at how fast things moved. She was also panicked about the financial burden and helplessness.

“It’s one of those times when you have no choice but to surrender control, take a deep breath and free fall. Perhaps that was the most unsettling part for me of all. I knew the prognosis was good but getting there was going to be all encompassing and there were no shortcuts,” she said.

When she was diagnosed, she and her husband, Terry, had their own business to run - Little Crane Cafe in Necedah.

“Frankly, I had no time for cancer,” she said.

Parrish said that the cancer had probably been present for years before discovery.

She was uninsured so doctor visits were rare. However, the prognosis was good and doctors were confident they could eradicate the tumor entirely. That meant they were going to treat her cancer aggressively.

Her husband and three sons, small circle of friends and her oncology team helped her through her treatment. The oncology nurses really helped to encourage her through the discomfort.

During her treatment, she appreciated those around her who put their own emotions and fears to the side and laughed with her. Humor is her go-to when things get rough.

up and remain positive were a blessing,” Parrish said.

She also appreciated the random acts of kindness from people, like the customer who left a single red rose, the friend who never cooks making her a pan of lasagna, anonymous cards in the mail with words of support and gas money, the friend who mowed the lawn at the cafe without being asked and the countless prayers.

“It was the quiet, unobtrusive kindnesses people went out of their way to do that really touched me,” she said.

“Cancer and treatment does a lot to you physically and emotionally. It takes a lot to not let it defeat you and the laughter was, for me, the best medicine possible. Those around me who instinctively got that and went out of their way to keep my spirits

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“It was the quiet, unobtrusive kindnesses people went out of their way to do that really touched me,” she said.

Today she is cancer-free and July 8 was the one-year mark since treatment ended.

While she is not considered cured until she reaches the five-year mark without more cancer showing up, she is happy to not be a full-time cancer patient.

After her diagnosis, cancer has changed her perspective on life. It shows you your own mortality and you realize you cannot do this on your own, Parrish said.

“When you have cancer, you find out what you are made of because it takes an incredible amount of strength and resilience to fight,” she said. “I have always been a firm believer that it’s the little things in life that can have the most

meaning if you simply take the time to notice them. Never in my life has that proven to truer than during this past year.”

Parrish advises people who want to help someone who’s battling cancer in their life to just do something. Don’t ask if they can do something, just do it.

“They’re going to smile and say thank you for the kind offer but most likely they aren’t going to take you up on it because they are just too mentally overwhelmed.

So don’t ask, just do,” Parrish said.

Make a hot casserole or pick up some basic groceries and drop them off.

Schedule a cleaning service or volunteer to do their laundry. Don’t forget about the main support person, like a spouse, needs some additional love and attention too.

“The greatest gift you can give a cancer patient and their family is to just lighten the load a little. That pan of lasagna you just drop off will be more appreciated than you know,” she said.

Parrish wants everyone to know early detection is important, but she feels affordable medical care for everybody is more important.

“We can talk about early detection all we want, but if people can’t afford basic medical care, what’s the point? With early detection, I would have never had stage 2 vaginal cancer. Had it not been for the mandate of the Affordable Care Act, it would have never been found. Literally three and a halfw months after I signed up for insurance I was diagnosed and in treatment,” she said. “Sadly, I met people along the way who were diagnosed far later than they should have been because they could not afford insurance; some of them terminal.”

SURVIVING CANCER

10 | July 2018

Capital Newspapers

LiVinG For today

Faith, family and friends continue to be tschumperlin’s strength.

Contributed by: Christine tschumperlin

Christine Tschumperlin with husband Joe and their sons Eric, 18 (left) and Luke, 16 (right)

WENdy SWEEtER

When Christine Tschumperlin was diagnosed with breast cancer in February 2005, she was in a state of shock and disbelief.

At the time of her diagnosis, her boys were five and two and a half years old. She owned and operated a storefront travel agency in Durand, Wisconsin, and worked

for the school district. She had only associated the word “cancer” with death.

“I was in a state of shock and disbelief.

My boys were first on my mind. We were not expected to be able to have children and were blessed with two wonderful boys of our own. I wanted to be there forever for them, to experience the milestones in their lives,” Tschumperlin said.

Tschumperlin noticed a slight pain and felt a lump. Within a week of finding the lump, the biopsy confirmed breast cancer.

Following the diagnosis, she underwent surgery and had 11 axillary lymph nodes removed from her arm. She was diagnosed with an aggressive form of stage 2B breast cancer, which was also found in a lymph node.

Following the surgery, her treatment required chemotherapy followed by herceptin therapy over the course of a year. Unfortunately, she developed a blood clot in her heart due to the port placement, which resulted in identifying a blood clotting disorder called Factor V Leiden.

SURVIVING CANCER

Capital Newspapers

husband, Joe, and sons, Eric and Luke, along with other family and friends helped her through it. She is also grateful to the school district of Durand, the Beaver Dam Unified School District, the University of Wisconsin Health System and Beaver Dam Community Hospital, Central Wisconsin Christian School family, Father Mike and the Sacred Heart Parish, and her WalMart Transportation family.

Tschumperlin developed lymphedema in her arm due to the removal of the lymph nodes, which has caused repeated cases of serious cellulitis infections.

She was in remission until December 2010 when she was diagnosed with regional recurrent breast cancer from her routine breast MRI. She required daily radiation therapy in Madison for seven weeks and repeated the herceptin therapy.

Fighting cancer twice, Tschumperlin relied on her family and friends for help with food, childcare, cleaning, appointments, companionship and a listening ear. A neighbor and dear friend came to her door with her head shaved in support after Tschumperlin lost her hair.

“My faith that God has a plan and will provide me with the strength I need to continue to stay positive with my health challenges. My family supports me with their love and care,” she said.

Tschumperlin noted that she could never have gone through this alone. Her

Her cancer journey has changed her perspective on life. She and her family have overcome other challenges too - her husband’s massive heart attack, the loss of a brother to depression and a sister and nephew to a bleeding disorder, and a sister with a permanent injury from an accident, all within one year. She has focused on living for today.

“I live for today, have the perspective to embrace challenges with strength and integrity, compassion, empathy and a true understanding of what cancer patients go through. I have recently needed to refocus on what is important and redirect my

R C

EED HRYSLER

July 2018

future based on me and my family,” she said.

She wants others who are fighting cancer to know they have the strength to fight.

“You have the strength to fight, you just may not know it now. Ask a lot of questions as you are your best advocate.

Share all issues with your medical staff, they can help you. Most importantly, give in and let others help you,” Tschumperlin said.

Now that she is in remission again, she looks forward to her oldest son going to college and playing soccer for Marian University and watching her youngest son finish his junior year at Central Wisconsin Christian School.

Tschumperlin continues her lifelong challenge to manage the pain and risk of serious infections from her lymphedema with occupational therapy, daily at home pneumatic compression therapy treatments, and with the use of compression garments.

Tschumperlin will attend the Infinite Boundaries Retreat in August on Madeline Island. She plans to work with helping others with breast cancer on retreats in the future.

“I hope to meet others that have gone through breast cancer. I’m very excited,” she said.

She noted that remission does not leave a person without the lifelong effects of treatments, continuous scans and tests and the fear of life changing again in an instant.

“When you go through the diagnosis once, you do not really understand what you have in front of you. When you’re diagnosed a second time, you know what is ahead and what it all means. The fear is worse because you know the pain to come, you know how you will feel, and you know and understand your prognosis of a reoccurrence,” she said. Faith, family and friends continue to be her strength.

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The more we know,

BONE

Primary bone cancer starts in the bone’s cells. A rare disease, it is not the same as secondary bone cancer, or bone metastases, which starts elsewhere in the body and spreads to the bones. Osteosarcoma is the most common type of bone cancer. It starts in new tissue in growing bones, most often in the knee area. Osteosarcoma tends to spread to other parts of the body, especially the lungs.

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BRAIN

BREAST

Primary brain tumours start in the brain and can be either benign or malignant. Cancerous tumours that begin to grow in other parts of the body and spread to the brain are called secondary or metastatic brain tumours. Elsewhere in the body, benign tumours are generally not considered as dangerous as malignant tumours. In the brain, however, both kinds can be serious and possibly life-threatening.

Breast cancer starts in breast tissue cells, which extend beyond the actual breasts, from the armpits across to the breastbone in the middle of the chest and up to the collarbone. The breasts sit on the chest muscles that cover the ribs. Breast cancer is the second leading cause of death by cancer in women.

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THE HEALTHIER WE’LL BE

3

things that will increase our chances of keeping ferocious diseases like cancer at bay are to quit smoking; talk to a doctor about cancer screening; and improve diet and physical activity.

Quit Smoking

CERVICAL

COLORECTAL

HODGKIN LYMPHOMA

The medical evidence that links tobacco use with cancer is overwhelmingly strong; quitting is a move that instantly increases a person’s chances of avoiding this and other serious diseases. The National Cancer Institute (NCI) offers support through its free Smoking Quitline, 1-877-44U-QUIT, and most towns offer other resources to assist with smoking cessation, including psychologists, hypnotists, and public health units.

regular cancer ScreeningS Cervical cancer starts in cervix cells. The cervix is the narrow lower part of the uterus and is the passageway that connects the uterus to the vagina.

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Most colorectal cancers start in the cells that line the inside of the colon or the rectum, which make up the large intestine (large bowel). The large intestine is the last part of the digestive system.

Colorectal cancer usually grows slowly and in a predictable way and is curable when diagnosed at an early stage. Colorectal cancer is the second most fatal cancer in men and the third most fatal cancer in women.

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Hodgkin lymphoma is a cancer that starts in the lymphocytes, the cells of the lymphatic system, which extends across the body. Hodgkin lymphoma usually begins in a group of lymph nodes in one part of the body, most often the neck. It grows in a predictable, orderly way from one lymph node group to the next. Eventually, it can spread to almost any tissue or organ in the body through the lymphatic system or the bloodstream.

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Regular cancer screening for breast cancer, cervical cancer, and colorectal cancers have been shown to reduce the risk of the occurrence of those diseases. It is important to talk to your doctor about your family’s medical history and have regular medical exams to determine when and if these screenings are appropriate for you.

imProVed diet and PHySical actiVity For the average American, eating a healthy diet and integrating more physical activity into daily life greatly reduce the risk of cancer. The NCI recommends eating plenty of fruits and vegetables, whole grain products, low-fat dairy products, lean meats, fish, beans, eggs, and nuts. They also suggest reducing salt and sugar intake. Simple forms of exercise, such as going for a walk for 30 minutes three times a week, are also great ways to stay healthy and resistant to disease.

KIDNEY

Kidney cancer occurs in either of the two kidneys, which are part of the urinary system.

The main function of the kidneys is to filter water, impurities, and wastes from the blood. There are several types of kidney cancer, the most common being renal cell carcinoma.

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PANCREATIC

The pancreas is a large gland that lies behind the stomach, deep inside the upper abdomen. The pancreas is part of the digestive system and is also part of the hormonal system, for which it makes insulin and other hormones. Most pancreatic cancers start in the ducts that carry pancreatic juices.

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LEUKEMIA

LIVER

LUNG

Leukemia is a cancer that starts in the stem cells of the bone marrow. Bone marrow, which makes blood cells, is the soft, spongy material that fills the centre of most bones. Leukemia develops when the blood stem cells produce abnormal blood cells. Over time, the leukemia cells crowd out normal blood cells, making it hard for the white blood cells, red blood cells, and platelets to do their jobs.

Primary liver cancer starts in the cells, bile ducts, blood vessels, or connective tissue of the liver.

It is uncommon and is different from secondary liver cancer or metastatic liver cancer, which spread to the liver from other parts of the body. Most primary liver cancers begin in liver cells called hepatocytes, and the most common type is hepatocellular carcinoma.

There are two main types of lung cancer: small cell lung cancer and non-small cell lung cancer, which is the most common and slower-growing type. Small cell lung cancer grows quickly and often spreads to distant parts of the body. Lung cancer is the leading cause of death by cancer in both men and women.

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PROSTATE

The prostate is part of the male reproductive system. This gland’s main function is to make seminal fluid, which mixes with sperm from the testicles to make semen. Prostate cancer is the most common type found in men. It usually grows slowly and can often be cured or successfully managed. Nevertheless, prostate cancer is the third leading cause of death by cancer in men.

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SKIN

The most common types of skin cancer are squamous cell cancer and basal cell cancer. Both are known as non-melanoma skin cancer and can usually be treated successfully.

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STOMACH

Stomach cancers can start in the lymphatic tissue (lymphoma), in the stomach’s muscular tissue (sarcoma), or in the tissues that support the organs of the digestive system (gastrointestinal stromal tumours). They are treated in different ways.

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OVARIAN

There are three main types of ovarian cancer. For each type, the cancer starts in a different type of cell found in the ovaries: • epithelial cell cancer starts in the cells that cover the outer surface of the ovary; • germ cell tumours start in the egg cells within the ovary and generally occur in younger women. Germ cell cancer can even develop in children.

• Stromal tumours start in the connective tissue cells that hold the ovary together.

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TESTICULAR

More than 90 percent of testicular cancers start in germ cells, which are the sperm-forming cells within the testicles. Other types of cancer can spread to the testicles, at which point they are called testicular metastasis. It is the most common cancer to occur in young men who are between 15 and 29 years old.

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SURVIVING CANCER

14 | July 2018

Capital Newspapers

staGE 4 at diaGnosis: “i’m a living example of why early detection is vital” ELIZABEtH ONHEIBER

Kris Kindred had a cough and a runny nose that wouldn’t go away, no health insurance, and “no time to be sick”.

When her parents and husband finally convinced her to visit urgent care, it was almost too late.

Life took an abrupt turn in the space of that afternoon.

One horrible, no good day Karissa—or Kris—didn’t know it yet, but she had been living with stage 4 Hodgkin Lymphoma for months.

The cancer had spread from the lymph nodes to her lungs—filled with so much fluid that her life was in immediate danger, X-rays revealed.

She could have drowned in her sleep within 48 hours had she not walked in to Divine Savior Healthcare that fateful day in October 2016, doctors told her family.

In the blink of an eye, she was swept from Urgent Care to X-rays to the E.R for insertion of a chest tube after x-rays revealed the copious amount of fluid in her lungs.

“I remember when she [the ER doctor] came in and told me and my husband it was likely cancer. CANCER!” Kindred immediately panicked.

Kindred was rushed by emergency transport to Meriter hospital, and she wouldn’t be checking out for weeks.

It’s safe to say Kindred was having a bad day.

seemed almost impossible. Kindred had cancer.

It was Hodgkin Lymphoma, a rare form of cancer that attacks the lymph nodes.

Usually only 8,000 Americans are diagnosed each year, but the vast majority of them seem to be young adults like Kris—generally a demographic at peak health. Cancer doesn’t always make sense.

Hodgkin Lymphoma is typically considered a highly treatable cancer— usually identified through early detection—but critically, Kindred was already at death’s door by the time it was discovered, and the cancer was spreading to other parts of her body.

For this reason, Kindred says she is a living example of why early detection is so important.

“I am extremely lucky to be alive because I waited so long” Kindred’s daily life revolved around work or taking care of her children, with little time for anything else. She didn’t have time to be sick.

Kris was only 28 years old, working fulltime as Manager at Portage Ace Hardware, and raising two young children with husband Scott Kindred.

Reasonable fears rocked Kris with the invasive, repeating thoughts. She had not met many people who survived cancer.

Her kids were still toddlers. She couldn’t just leave them.

And she wouldn’t.

Attacking Cancer Back

Diagnosed at Death’s Door

She had one choice; attack the cancer back.

Biopsy results took two days; the diagnosis

Chemotherapy was started immediately.

Kindred didn’t know how long she had to live, but hope bloomed when they began to see improvement. The aggressive course of chemotherapy was working, the cancer was dying.

“I am extremely lucky to be alive because I waited so long” Kindred advocates for others to listen to their bodies and always ask if something doesn’t seem normal.

Kindred Spirits As Kris fought for her life in Madison, sistersin-law Rachel Photo credit: Melissa Cam Schoyck Paskey and Kassie Melissa Cam Schoyck documented the empowering moment Kreklow rallied Kindred fearlessly defined herself through choice. the community to Kindred’s aid, determined to Rodriguez invited the Kindreds and their raise funds for the uninsured health costs. children to move in. Traci, a nurse, was uniquely suited to managing Kris’ atMuch of Kindred’s life had revolved around managing Portage’s Ace Hardware, home care, and involved the whole family in supporting roles. so it was a great relief when colleagues stepped up to cover her shifts while Kris Kris’ body was doing so much getting kept fighting. cancer-free.

“They are like a second family to me, so Inevitably her hair started falling out. their support meant a lot,” she says.

Every morning she’d wake to more and more clumps on her pillows. The sight Parents Traci Harwood and Joseph

SURVIVING CANCER

July 2018

| 15

triggered intense panic attacks, until she decided to take its power away.

detection made her journey longer, lonelier, and more dangerous that it needed to be.

She couldn’t stop it from shedding, but with the support of her sister-in-law and close friends, she could take matters into her own hands.

“Listen to your body, I waited too long and went through more than I needed to because I didn’t have insurance or time to be sick.”

Kris asked Paskey to shave her head.

Kindred’s words of wisdom for patients and their supporters are to trust doctors and the power of modern medicine. Get regular check ups. Listen to your body.

It was a special moment Kindred says she’ll never forget. Friends came to support her, some even appearing by video call from out of state.

Kindred appreciates that she was lucky enough to have a robust social support system—friends would visit, bring treats, or simply send her funny messages.

She says what was really helpful we’re just little things that kept her mind off having cancer.

It took 6 months of treatment, but in March 2017 Kris was free of all signs of the disease.

Kris says she was lucky to have the amazing doctors at Meriter Hospital, who recently graduated her to 3 checkups a year based on her tremendous recovery.

Lean on your family for help if you can, but if you’re not lucky enough to have a support system like hers, she says local support groups are an essential resource.

Quiet togetherness was an important source of her strength.

If you know someone fighting cancer, you don’t have to be a motivational speaker or in a caregiving role to be positive for them, assures Kindred.

You’re already being supportive just by being there.

Things are looking up for Kris and family.

Her children, now ages 3 and 5, know that Mommy is not sick anymore.

Kindred says facing your own mortality transforms your perspective on life. She says she took too much for granted, swept up in the demands of daily life.

“I didn’t spend enough time doing things that truly made my soul happy.”

With hard-won insight Kindred makes a point to create new memories with her children, friends, and family. At diagnosis, she realized they hadn’t even had their family portrait done yet.

This November will be the 3rd annual Kindred family photo shoot.

Advice Kindred urges others not to be as flippant about her health as she had—her delayed

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16 | July 2018

SURVIVING CANCER

Capital Newspapers

achiEVinG rEMission FroM staGE 4, twicE developed drug sensitivity during recurrence ELIZABEtH ONHEIBER

Cindi Gill, manager of Lyndon Station’s Bank of Mauston, lived in Lyndon Station with her husband Mark and their 16-yearold son, Ryan.

Cindi, member of St. Luke LutheranLyndon Station and involved in the church’s National Woman Organization (Lutheran Women in Missions/LWML), a Ladies Auxiliary member of the Maurice Havey Post-Lyndon Station, and secretary of the Village of Lyndon Station Planning Commission, had a habit of putting others needs before her own.

“I just put myself at the bottom of the list”, prioritizing her family, work, church, community, and taking care of her father.

Then, after a regularly-scheduled pap smear, Cindi would be forced to spend a little more time on self-care.

The day she was diagnosed with uterine cancer in December of 2014, they told her the disease had already advanced to stage 4.

She says there’s “no excuse” for not seeking medical attention sooner.

Cindi felt filled with fear and questions— some of the medical terminology wasn’t communicated very clearly, and only added to Cindi’s mounting feelings of uncertainty.

After she learned of her diagnosis, she drove straight from the gynecologist’s office back to her house, saying she was blessed that her husband, Mark, worked from home and was there for her that day.

“We sat on the couch and I told him. I cried and he held me.”

Then, the Gill’s considered their options moving forward. Together, they developed a game-plan.

When son Ryan, 16, came home that afternoon his parents broke the news.

Ryan was in his junior year at Mauston High and preparing for his future. Cindi says she didn’t want him feel like he had to put his life on hold because of the diagnosis.

“We made a pact that nothing was going to change for him”

Contributed by: Cindi and Mark Gill

Cindi with husband Mark Gill.

Cindi had surgery less than a month later, shortly after New Years Day, 2015.

After this initial surgery, doctors declared the cancer stage 4.

She began chemo treatment around Valentine’s Day, a cycle every three weeks, for four months.

Cindi says she would bring get well cards from home for the windowsill at her chemo appointments, sometimes over

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a dozen, to appreciate the the words of encouragement and and be reminded of all the thoughts and prayers directed her way.

Six months after being diagnosed with stage 4 uterine cancer, in May 2015, Cindi achieved remission.

Almost exactly two years later, she had a recurrence.

Capital Newspapers

SURVIVING CANCER

The medical team turned to the same familiar chemo schedule that was successful for Cindi in 2015- except this time, Cindi developed adverse reactions due to new drug sensitivities.

event with the VFW-Maurice Havey post, where she held a longtime membership in the Ladies Auxiliary, and a spaghetti dinner put together by her church family at St. Luke’s.

Doctors had Cindi try a new chemo medication—for 6 months. After another 6 cycle treatment, Cindi reached remission for the second time in December 2017–the three year anniversary of her diagnosis.

“I was blessed” Cindi observes.

8 months have passed since Cindi finished her most recent chemo treatment, crushing cancer a second time. Moving forward, Cindi will have to do quarterly CT scans to confirm she’s still in remission.

Cindi acknowledges the anxiety that surrounds these periodic scans—she is currently waiting on results for the most recent —but says she makes it her mission to focus on the positive. She asks others

Cindi reflects on the past 3 and a half years, and the insights she’s gained.

She says these cancer experiences have changed her.

She believes in the fundamental power of positivity, and you can hear it in her voice.

“We have a choice...either to drown in negavity or swim bravely thru each storm with positively”.

She also believes combating negative thinking can help slow the spread of cancer. Between the symptoms of the disease itself and the side effects from treating the disease—not to mention impact on family, relationships, and financial health—there are a lot of negative thoughts to stop.

Lyndon Station community members were hungry to help, putting together two fundraisers to aid Cindi; a chicken dinner

“I have a great network of friends and family, who help me through those moments.”

“I can’t live in a state of regret, I take full responsibility for not taking care of “me” early on. I would like to encourage everyone to follow the American Cancer Society guidelines concerning cancer screenings.

to please stay hopeful, too. She says it’s in God’s hands and “it is what it is”.

Co-workers, “my Bank of Mauston family”, worked around Cindi’s chemo schedule, giving Cindi the opportunity to work 32 hours a week.

Cindi, in her warm and authentic manner, adds that her brave face and faith beneath don’t mean there aren’t “fears or tears”.

Gill is now the honorary chair for the Juneau County Relay for Life, and says she’s passionate about promoting early detection after her harrowing experience.

“We have a choice... either to drown in negavity or swim bravely through each storm with positivity”.

Cindi says she turned to husband Mark for support, to God and her church family, her community in Lyndon Station, colleagues, her medical team at Mile Bluff Cancer Care and Infusion Department, and the Friends and Family Cancer Foundation and American Cancer Society.

July 2018

“I would like people to focus on the positive. Cancer has so many negatives, and I believe cancer feeds on that.”

Cindi allows that while her cancer is incurable, she can fight it more fiercely when empowered by positive thoughts and prayers combos.

“I have to stay strong for myself and those around me.”

SUPPORTING THE admIRING THE HONORING THE aNd NEvER, EvER GIvING UP

| 17

18 | July 2018

SURVIVING CANCER

Capital Newspapers

is thErE a chiroPractor in thE housE? rare cancer left undetected by physicians ELIZABEtH ONHEIBER

Jolene Gill, Fall River, is the strong, silent type. A stoic woman with a work ethic so fierce that the only time she cried when actively fighting cancer was when she was declared disabled, and told she could never return to work.

Jolene was passionate about her position as an administrative assistant to a highranking executive of a financial firm, usually working over 50 hours a week.

She didn’t cry when she first learned she was diagnosed with multiple myeloma-an incurable cancer of the plasma cells in bone marrow--in fact, she kept pretty quiet about it.

At that time, she’d been married for 38 years to husband Bill, and all three of their children--Ethan, Dugan, and daughter Devin-- were grown and living on their own. She had one granddaughter, and another due in summer. Her and Bill shared a love for flea markets, making frequent excursions to browse and find.

Then, Jolene thought she had thrown out her back.

She’d be in and out of the doctors for various x-rays and pain management appointments over the next year and a half, trying to uncover the source of her back pain.

The cause of that back pain would ultimately cost her five inches in height, and nearly her life.

Eventually her boss at the financial firm grew concerned, though he didn’t know the extent of the problem, he recommended his celebrated assistant

check out his chiropractor, who offered several holistic healing services.

The chiropractor was ultimately the one who saw signs of cancer among Jolene’s back pain complaints. She urged her to have her primary doctor order lab work for a certain protein.

That is when they found Multiple Myeloma; and Jolene was already stage 3.

Multiple Myeloma is an incurable type of cancer in the blood and bone. Plasma blood cells that become cancerous reproduce, but don’t die a normal cell death. They just keep accumulating in the places they pass through bone marrow.

Multiple Myeloma typically affects elderly men, not a woman in her fifties.

Symptoms are non-specific or even not present in the early stages of the disease.

Jolene and family never imagined that her chronic back pain was actually a cancer symptom. Who would?

Daughter Devin was 23 years old when her mom was diagnosed. It was already an emotionally-charged time; Devin had recently learned she was going to become a mother herself. When she finally heard about her mother’s condition, Devin was swallowed by fears. As a young, first-time mother Devin didn’t want to think Jolene wouldn’t be around for support or advice.

“Not only is there a possibility of losing my mother” who Devin calls her best friend, “but also that my child may never know their grandmother”.

Even though she was stage 3 at diagnosis, she says they seemed pretty positive. And so was she.

Photo Credit: Julyn Panicola

Jolene’s sister Julyn snaps a sweet moment shared with grand-daughter Lilly, who turns three next month. Jolene’s daughter Devin was pregnant with Lilly when she was diagnosed.

“I was not going to lose and I was going to get back to work and not leave my family.”

Jolene had had a bone marrow transplant, and had chemotherapy administered in

pill form.

A private person by any measure, Jolene preferred quality over quantity when it came to her support circle.

SURVIVING CANCER “I am a weird duck. I didn’t want people around me. I just wanted the doctors, nurses and my husband.”

She says the most helpful thing her loved ones did, perhaps unknowingly, was just being a part of daily life.

Having her children home for special occasions (without needing to say anything about the disease), friends going to dinner, or even just picking up the phone and calling—anything that restored a sense of normalcy. “ I wanted my life to be as normal as it could be.”

Jolene really didn’t want to tell her kids-Devin and brothers Ethan and Dugan-even though they were in their twenties or thirties and living out of the house, but she knew she had to. So she just gave them the facts. There. Done.

“I didn’t want them to worry…..I knew they would research it; I didn’t. I just

July 2018

| 19

Jolene says she feels bad for her husband, because the cancer cost Jolene her ability to do certain work around the house or walk long distances--affecting their favorite past-time, browsing flea markets.

The damage to her spine even shrank her stature by five inches, but she says they still get out and do what they can, adding “I couldn’t do this without him”.

Being weak has been really hard for Jolene, says Devin. She didn’t seem to want to talk about it at all, or even let it show that she wasn’t “feeling well”.

Devin says her mother is the strongest woman she knows. In addition to dealing with her diagnosis, Devin mentions her mother was a positive supporter for her through her pregnancy during the same time.

“She is so selfless, I hope that I can be even a fraction of the mother she is one day. “

“Be positive!!!

Times are hard but keep a smile, it really does wonders.” wanted to know things on a day to day basis.”

Though Multiple Myeloma is not curable, it is manageable, especially if you’re a Gill.

“My mom won’t ever technically be in remission” Devin informs.

The cancer forms a protein that will stay in her body forever, and the cancer could return. Jolene must take a daily dose of chemo in pill form, but right now her blood work shows no cancer present, and she is doing well.

Looking back, pillar of strength Jolene says there was only one time she cried.

“My hardest day was when they said I was disabled and couldn’t go back to work. Only day I cried.”

”I believe everything happens for a reason. Since I have been labeled permanently disabled, I could stay home and take care of my new granddaughter.

If I had been working I could not have spent this time with her.” Jolene affirms.

Devin wouldn’t have an opportunity to take maternity leave after her daughter’s birth. But baby Lilly Gill probably couldn’t have been in better hands than Grandma Jolene’s, who stayed home with little Lilly for a year and a half after she was born in August, 2015.

Jolene’s life is looking much brighter these days, and in true-to-form fashion, she shares some final words and happy thoughts: “Be positive!!! Times are hard but keep a smile, it really does wonders.”

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20 | July 2018

SURVIVING CANCER

Capital Newspapers

FaMiLy history EMPowErEd

EarLy dEtEction advocating for your own health is essential ELIZABEtH ONHEIBER

Sheila Link’s American Family Insurance office in Baraboo is a busy place, but Link doesn’t look like she’s feeling outgunned, multi-tasking with ease at her sunlit glass desk looking much the part of a captain at the helm of a ship.

Sheila Link is a do-er. So when family medical history caused concern about her risk for breast cancer, she decided to do something about it.

Breast cancer runs in Sheila Link’s family, and Sheila knew it was highly heritable.

That burden weighed heavily on Link’s mind, but also armed her with the knowledge she ultimately used to save her life.

Though inherited breast cancer risk is polygenic--meaning many genes are involved-- 1 out of 10 cases can be blamed on a mere 15 identified mutations in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes alone.

Everyone has a version of these genes, but some versions are riskier than others.

Human chromosomes come in pairs-one from each parent--and much of your genetic predisposition is determined by whether either parent (or both, in some cases) has passed on a version known to be associated with developing breast cancer, called “risk alleles” Sheila’s grandmother died from breast cancer at age 47; Sheila’s mother lived a total of seven years after her diagnosis at age 53. Her mother had saved her whole life for a retirement that she would never be able to enjoy, Sheila ruminates.

Link connected the family medical history to a likelihood of developing the same disease herself, so at age 32 she proactively asked for a mammogram.

Sheila had to pay for that out-ofpocket, since it was deemed “medically unnecessary” because she was under 40.

There are even some doctors out there who say women can wait until they’re 50, but early screening save the lives of women with a genetic predisposition to the disease. That adds up to a lot of lives, since breast cancer affects one in eight women.

Her mammogram results were normal then, and a follow-up was scheduled for two years later. When Sheila returned for that appointment, the results were significantly different.

In that two year period of time, Link developed breast cancer.

Link’s diagnosis came while her mother was still living with breast cancer herself, and her mother was devastated about it, Link revisits.

“She told me she would take my place in a heartbeat to not have to see me go through that” Sheila says her mother blamed herself. Sheila’s children were still young, and so was she.

Link was only 34 when she was diagnosed with stage 1 DCIS (ductal carcinoma in situ) in 2003. If Link had not sought and paid for her own mammogram, it would have been 6 years before insurance even offered her first screening.

For that reason, Link says she’d like to shed more light on early detection.

Contributed by: Sheila Link

The Links seen here entering the city of San Gimignano, recently returned from a family vacation in Italy’s wine country.

Capital Newspapers

SURVIVING CANCER

“Had I not advocated for my own health, I may not be here today.“

“It takes the patient years—if ever—to feel like a survivor.”

Insurance eventually covered the second mammogram costs when the cancer was found.

She says even though 15 years had passed and she’d told her children she was cancerfree following her mastectomy, Sheila continued to live in fear. She said each annual scan remained unsettling.

Link endured failed lumpectomies and lots and lots of radiation--but her progress in treatment was tenuous. The cancer stubbornly gave no ground, and Sheila eventually switched oncologists. She said she felt he was uninterested in Sheila and failed to advocate for her at all.

She wishes she would have gotten a second opinion sooner, she says. Her new--and current--oncologist told her that had she come to him right away, he would have told her then that a mastectomy was her best option.

Instead, she went through three surgeries and 28 radiation treatments only to end up needing a mastectomy anyway.

As luck would have it, Link’s initial radiation treatments spanned the Christmas holiday.

Link’s family belonged to Clintonville United Methodist Church, and she says she couldn’t believe the outpouring of support they received from other members.She says she didn’t have to make a meal for the entire six weeks, thanks to her “church family”.

Her church family and employees were very supportive during the course of her treatments. They provided her with rides to appointments and meals for her family.

“You really see the good in people when you go through a hardship”.

That was 15 years ago—since then the Links have relocated twice; first to Minneapolis suburb Prior Lake before moving back to her native Columbia County—but it was only this year that Link’s oncologist officially declared her cancer-free.

“My oncologist gave me a big hug and told me I was in the clear.” Link points out that it wasn’t until that moment she felt safe using the term cancer-free Link thinks it can be problematic for patients like her to be labeled a “survivor” immediately after completing treatments, even if they don’t feel like one yet.

When asked if the ways society talks about cancer can sometimes feel harmful for patients, Link shared some things she found troubling. ”Save the Tatas” and other sexualizing slogans found on t-shirts and merchandise cheapen the breast cancer experience, she reveals feeling.

Sheila feels thankful to be a breast cancer survivor, and hopes her story will help others make informed decisions. She advocates for other young women to take their own health into their hands.

Link wants to let others know that no matter what, you need to stand up for your own health. You know your body best.

July 2018

you need peace of mind, don’t let anyone tell you not to get checked out” Link imparts.

Link’s experiences have grown her gratitude for each day spent being healthy. The Link family now does a lot of traveling together, and makes sure to make each birthday special, an echo of the lesson Link’s mother imparted to Sheila when she was living with breast cancer.

| 21

“Embrace 40, Love being 50. Love your family, tell them you love them and thank God for good health, without it, you have nothing. Life hurts when you are hurting.”

Sheila’s experience showed her the pivotal role of compassionate people who step up to help the struggling when the world seems like a cruel, mean place, she says.

“Now I get to do that for others.”

pinkribbonangels.org Sheila, Pink Ribbon Angels donor and annual golf outing participant, encourages readers to consider supporting the local non-profit.

“The Pink Ribbon Angels provide financial assistance to Columbia County residents with breast cancer to help cover uninsured out-of-pocket expenses incurred during cancer diagnosis and treatment.” -mission statement

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From left, are Melissa Schuett, RN, Cancer Nurse Navigator; Dr. David Hei, Oncologist; Tammy Kasuboski; Jenny Budig-Rubbelke, RN, Cancer Nurse Navigator; Julie Marks, RN, Cancer Nurse Navigator

Your JourneytotoRecovery Recovery Begins Begins at BDCH Your Journey Home Cancer.

The diagnosis left Tammy Kasuboski feeling panicked, scared and confused. But after meeting with Oncologist Dr. David Hei and Cancer Nurse Navigator Melissa Schuett, Tammy left Beaver Dam Community Hospital with a plan and much-needed peace of mind.

We offer comprehensive cancer care, close to home, meaning you can focus your time and energy on fighting your disease instead of rush-hour traffic.

Now cancer free, Tammy is thankful high-quality oncology and support services were available just minutes away, from state-of-the-art diagnostics and skilled surgeons to occupational therapy and dietary education. For more information on BDCH’s Oncology Clinic, visit bdch.com/cancer or call 920-887-4105.

bdch.com • 707 S. University Ave., Beaver Dam, WI 53916 • 920-887-4105

“After the diagnosis I was really scared.

But after talking with Melissa and Dr. Hei, I was calm, I knew what was next and I knew I could beat this. And when I found out I could be treated at BDCH I was ecstatic. It was incredibly helpful to receive treatment so close to home with people I know and trust.”

-Tammy Kasuboski