Struggle can show you how to value peace

Cancer survivor advises others to not give the disease power:

battle cancer with positive outlook, friends, faith and family

 

By Natalie Hoelzel

Youngstown State University 

Julie walked into the room quietly and sat down. Starting with her Sketchers, working up to her plain white button down hanging over her broad shoulders, she was quiet and timid, and dressed well to fit the part.

 Her makeup-less face did not reveal any clues about her age. She smiled brightly with her straight white teeth in a sweet way - just how a 4^th grade school teacher should.

As soon as Julie began to talk, I noticed that she talked in such a way that made everyone want to listen - like she had a story to tell. She began to tell me about her huge, adorable family. She has a husband, and two boys, one is 4 and the other is 8, and also two little girls, one 7 and the other 11.

Julie always took pride in her health; she went on long runs, exercised on a regular basis, and always made sure she was eating the right foods. About two years ago in October, during a self-examination test, she found an unusual lump on her breast. She didn’t get worked up or frightened, she just figured it was nothing. She was a fit, active mother, who couldn’t possibly have breast cancer. The thought didn’t even enter her mind, until one day she was looking at the newspaper and came across an article about a fit woman with breast cancer. Julie thought of this as a sign, that maybe she should get it checked out - just to be safe.

 

The Diagnosis

On December 14, 2012, Julie was diagnosed with stage 2A breast cancer.

 

The day she found out about the cancer was the same day as the Connecticut Elementary School shooting. As a mom and teacher, this hit her pretty hard. On her way to the doctors’ appointment, she was already upset and crying because of everything going on that day. After she got her news about the cancer, she tried to gain perspective. Yes she was sick, but there were innocent kids dying that day because a man decided to walk into an elementary school with a loaded gun. Many people lost their lives that day, this helped her realize that her life wasn’t over.

The genetic test came back negative and the cancer cell grew on its own. As soon as she got the results back, a procedure was scheduled for 10 days later. Several of her good friends from church worked in the breast cancer area and were more than willing to help in any way they could. One of Julie’s very good friends was a breast cancer specialist, and asked her permission to take over the dissection. This friend told Julie that she was praying the entire time she was looking for the results and doing the study. Julie had a Bi-lateral Mastectomy and the cancer was then removed, leaving Julie cancer-free on December 27, 2012.

Losing hair, gaining perspective

Since her cancer was gone, Julie assumed that she would not have to have further treatments such as Chemotherapy; however, it is a preventative treatment from more cancer. Cancer cells grow over a period of time and then eventually turn into tumors. If Julie had Chemotherapy done it would prevent the cancer from spreading so, of course, she went on with the treatments. Her plan consisted of four treatments every three weeks.

 

Like others, she lost all of her hair. Her husband didn’t want her to go through this alone, so he also shaved his head. She had many friends that she had to talk out of shaving their heads as well. The best part about this experience for her was how many people she had behind her. Whether it was attending doctor appointments or making sure her family had dinner on the table, or a clean house; Julie’s friends and family always had her back.

 

During one of her Chemotherapy treatments, she had a lot of trouble when they were putting the port in place. She was put to sleep, but she woke up in pain from nine pricks marking where they were trying to insert the port. Her lung was punctured several times, and she developed pneumothorax, which is a pocket of air outside of her lung. This pocket of air caused her severe back pain, and she was in the hospital for a full week. This period of time was her lowest point and her biggest setback.

She was in a lot of pain and was bed-ridden in the hospital with four little kids at home to worry about.

 

Julie’s family and good friends took care of her house, there was always a meal for her family to eat there and it was always kept clean. When she needed people the most, they stepped up. She said, “God can use my present struggle as a blessing.” She believes God had his hand on her life from the beginning of this process. From the procedures, to the doctors, to the people she knew in the breast cancer department, she knew who was in control.                  

 

Julie now participates in many races and marathons. Six weeks after her last Chemotherapy treatment, she did the Memorial 5K race at Mill Creek Park. That next year, she ran two different half marathons, and is now training for a full marathon next spring. Julie looked at running as a way out. When she was running, she forgot about the troubles going on in her life. When she ran, she was inspired. It got her mind off of all the doctors’ appointments and the crazy things going on with her health.

Appreciate bad days

After going through this strenuous and exhausting time in life, she sees everything differently. She appreciates the bad days just as much as the good ones. When she’s overwhelmed with her daily life, she is reminded of how life was when she was in and out of the hospital all the time. A life lived outside of a hospital and doctor office, is a life of blessing, she said.

She was thankful for her health - something many people take for granted. She said that sometimes you have to experience struggle to know what it is like to be in peace.

 Impacting a young reporter

My favorite part about Julie’s story is her advice to other people going through a situation similar to hers. She would tell them to think positively, ask the doctors a lot of questions, and make sure they’re informed. She says not to give cancer too much power, that’s everyone’s No. 1 mistake. Julie said, “People hear the word and give up because of how powerful we think it is, but we serve a God who’s more powerful than the word Cancer.” She is a cancer survivor with a story to tell. I never would have thought a middle-aged teacher had such a powerful story. I’ll never forget the strength she showed, that is what stuck with me the most.

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Produced for Journalism as Literature Class at YSU, Fall 2014. For more information or to use this story, contact Professor Alyssa Lenhoff at ajlenhoff@ysu.edu.