life after cancer: from fighting to surviving

When Kristin Erickson found out that the lump in her breast was cancer, she moved into “fighting mode.”

The 42-year-old busy mom, with two teen children at home, says Sanford Health’s embrace survivorship services at Roger Maris Cancer Center helped her move from active treatment to a life after cancer.

“For the first time in almost a year, life is getting back to normal,” says Kristin. “There are still physical signs that I went through chemo, but I’m positive and looking to the future.”

Kristin, who tested positive for a gene that made her likely to face breast and ovarian cancer, appreciated the seamless care she got throughout her treatments. Nurse navigators and a coordinated medical team at RMCC made sure she moved easily from appointment to appointment, for treatments that included a mastectomy, chemotherapy, radiation, and a preventative hysterectomy.

When the treatments were done, Kristin’s life forever changed. Her outlook was positive, but her body and medical needs were different.

“Life is too short not to make the best out of every day,” she says.

Her team at Sanford Roger Maris Cancer Center referred her to Sanford’s embrace survivorship clinic to help her make new plans for the next phase of life – follow-up treatment and eventually reconstructive surgery.

Kristin says she knows there is a team, including doctors and physical therapists, social workers and dieticians, who can help with all her post-cancer needs.

“If I have a question or a concern, I know my team is there for me,” she says. “I’m never alone.”