After losing her mother to breast cancer in 2003, Kathy was
diligent about receiving her annual mammogram, and in 2011 her routine visit
saved her life. It was there that the doctors found a lump and after additional
tests and a biopsy confirmed Kathy’s worst fear – she had breast cancer. Kathy underwent a lumpectomy soon after but
was plagued with stress and worry each day.
In Kathy’s first appointment with an oncologist following her
surgery, she was told she needed to endure five years of intensive radiation
treatment that would cost $25,000. Hoping for better results, Kathy went to
receive a second opinion at the Cancer Center in Oconomowoc. There they
explained the radiation treatment she was first prescribed would have been
detrimental to her health due to a pre-existing blood-clotting disorder she had.
Kathy and the oncologist from the Cancer Center decided the risks of radiation
were too risky at that time, especially because the lumpectomy had removed all
of the cancer and her margins were clear.
Despite the good news that she did not need to undergo the
expensive radiation treatment, Kathy was still concerned that her unstable
financial situation did not lead to any immediate resolve for the medical bills
that began to pile up. It was when Kathy
was introduced to Komen Southeast Wisconsin by her medical team that she began
feel hopeful again. Komen Southeast Wisconsin supplied Kathy with a grant that
covered her medical bills and thanks to Komen, she has moved forward with a new
perspective on life.
As a survivor, Kathy is so thankful of the support that she
received from Komen Southeast Wisconsin that she helps fundraise for the
organization, knowing that there are
likely more women, just like her, faced with the same health and
financial challenges and that a Komen grant might be able to help.
