door and said “May I stay? Breast cancer didn’t happen to just Bobbi – it happened to both of us.” I never loved him more than that moment when my sweet darling husband stepped out of his “comfort zone” to learn, support and comfort me.
I have been changed by cancer. I will never be the same again – physically, emotionally or spiritually. I realize that tomorrow is always uncertain, but each time I hug my husband or my sons and daughter and hold and love my grandchildren, I whisper a quiet prayer of thanks to God, who has helped us through it all. I am filled with gratitude for this time that I have been given.
In April I celebrated my five year anniversary of being “cancer free.” I am a new person, able to respond to life’s challenges with a spirit of “I can”--- and to claim myself a “victor” not a “victim” of one of life’s most difficult challenge.
Bobbi lives in Pleasant Gap, PA, with her beloved husband, Dave. Together they enjoy four children and nine grandchildren. Bobbi and Dave share a clown/music ministry spreading the Word of God through song, mime and clowning. Bobbi and Dave are retired and are enjoying their “golden” times together. They are members of “Happy Valley Alley” clown organization in State College. Dave is also director of the Paul Carney Banjo Band in State College.
A Sprinkle of FUN from the Author…
Martha’s Way or My Way…
Martha’s Way: To keep potatoes from budding, place an apple in the bag with the potatoes.
My Way: Buy Instant Mashed Potatoes. They’ll keep it in the pantry for well over a year.
Pushing to Do More
Dana Chestney
I had found a large lump in my breast while on a golf trip in April of 2007, however I kept it to myself. My son was in London as an exchange student and I wanted to make sure he was home safe before I made a doctor’s appointment. When I found the lump I knew then that I had breast cancer. I had gone 7 years without a mammogram. He returned to PA in May of 2007. I spent a happy week with him and decided it was time to call for a doctor’s appointment. I was diagnosed in May 2007 at the age of 52.
I never once hesitated and I called Hershey Medical Center immediately for an appointment. I had invasive lobular breast cancer on my left side, tumor approximately 2 1/2 “ x 2”1/2” x 2” deep into my chest. From the very beginning I decided to have a bilateral mastectomy, I knew I never wanted to go through treatment or news like this again.
I had chemo treatments first, July through November, mastectomy on November 12, 2007. During the operation I had a lung collapse and was put into intensive care for several days, which was a blessing. If this would not have happened, I would have been sent home the very next day.
Two weeks later, on Friday, November 23, 2007 I had to return to Hershey Medical Center to have a second operation and have additional surgery. By then my biopsy results were back and I still had cancer in 5 out of 7 lymph nodes. In January, I started on a pill form of chemo for 3 treatments, each treatment lasting 3 weeks, and 1 week rest. I then had a 2 week break and had 35 radiation treatments.
I told myself from the very beginning that I would beat this. I had a son who I wanted to see graduate from PSU in May 2008. My next goal was to see my daughter graduate in May 2009. I made small goals and would move from one to the next on.
I worked full time at Penn State Altoona during my chemotherapy treatments. I would travel to Hershey on Thursdays, working until noon, leave Altoona, and travel to Hershey for my 4pm appointment for chemo. I would work on Fridays, sometimes with a great struggle and then rest on the weekends.
It was April of 2008 that I attended a “Girls Night Out” event in Johnstown, PA, and I met Taunia Oshelin. I was so impressed with her story and battle of cancer that I approached her and volunteered to be on her committee if she ever brought “Girls Night Out” to Altoona. So began our annual “Girls Night Out” that we hold every October at the Jaffa Mosque in Altoona. My goal is for a cure to be found for this terrible disease.
Taunia has since passed away due to breast cancer; however, her program becomes larger and larger every year. The money raised in Altoona is split between the Joyce Murtha Breast Care Center and the Milton S. Hershey Medical Center. The Joyce Murtha Breast Care Center uses the money to fund free mammograms, and Hershey uses the funds to help find a cure.
I have a phenomenal relationship with the Hershey Medical Center. I have taken something negative and made a positive out of it. I have volunteered to work “Alex’s Lemonade Stands” for neuro plasma cancer; have donated over $33,000 in the past two years to Hershey for a CURE, and just this past year I became the advisor for THON (Penn State Dance Marathon) at Penn State Altoona. Altoona was first place for the first time ever of all Commonwealth Campus locations and raised $97,228. Our highest amount ever at Altoona was $70,105 in 2009. I would have never become involved in finding a CURE for cancer if this hadn’t affected me and my life. Now I try to do more and more.
Throughout it all, I truly believe that a POSITIVE ATTITUDE means everything!
Here are two notes that my friends wrote about me while battling cancer. Friends are very, very important. I wouldn’t have been able to get through this without them. Written by Linda Filby, and Loane Maier
Becoming a Message Therapist for the Cause – Linda Filby
I’ll never forget the day Loane and I became message therapists without any prior training, degree, or certificate. You know that Nike logo: ‘Just Do It’ well we just did it because it needed to be done. Our friend Dana had such severe reactions to her chemo treatment for bilateral breast cancer that she was crying due to the severe pain in her extremities. The tag team of Loane and Linda took each foot in hand and started rubbing and massaging Dana’s feet and legs in our feeble attempt to give her comfort. We would have done anything she asked of us during those days. We liked to think it helped.
Golf Attire for Bald Women - Loane Maier
Why can’t a woman just wear a ball cap or hat when playing golf during recovery from treatment from breast cancer? Dana can. She attempted to make everyone else comfortable with her bald head by covering it with a beautiful silk scarf and a hat for golf. It was so hot that day that she took off the scarf, at this point not caring what anyone thought, and just wore her hat. I was very proud of her that day, she was beautiful. She worked very hard during treatment, losing her lovely locks as a side effect. But she got some happy, carefree therapy that day with her friends playing golf. We didn’t even keep our golf scores; we scored without numbers just being together.
Dana Chestney lives in Altoona, PA with her husband Jeff of 35 years. She is employed by Penn State University and works in the admissions office at Penn State Altoona. You can reach Dana at [email protected].
Disguised Blessing
Judy Clouser
My story started when I was having a breast reduction surgery due to back problems. It was discovered that I had a Stage 3 cancer in one of my breasts.
Two days after the stitches were removed from the surgery, I had a mastectomy and 27 lymph nodes were removed from under my arm.
After one year, I under went a breast rebuilding, using a flap from my stomach. It took 2 years to heal completely. I do not recommend it!
I have a message for large breasted women, prior to the reduction I was a 44 DD. The mammogram was completely negative before this surgery. I was fibrous, but not one sign of cancer! If not for the reduction they say I would have died due to the cancer.
I thank Jesus for his guiding me to the reduction!
Tammy asked me to consider a few questions for this piece:
What did you learn through this process? I didn’t go through the surgery alone. Jesus was with me.
What