beyond pink team
  • Home
  • About Us
    • Who We Are
    • Our Board
    • Annual Report
    • Contact Us
  • Support
    • Physical
    • Emotional
    • Community
    • Financial
    • Caregiver
    • Online
  • Education
    • Newsletter
    • Ignite the Cancer Conversation
    • Quality Care
    • Resources
    • Request Speaker
    • The Cancer Journey
  • Advocacy
    • What is Advocacy
    • National Breast Cancer Coalition
    • Iowa Stop Breast Cancer
    • Research
    • Influencing Policy
    • Access to Care
  • Join Us
    • Be an Advocate
    • Volunteer
    • Events >
      • 16th Annual Pink Ribbon Run
    • Membership
    • Donate to BPT
    • Follow Us
 If you are Breast Cancer Survivor and  you would like to contribute your story to our Newsletter, 
​please send us a message here.
DOWNLOAD Current NewsletteR

Categories

All
Advocacy
Bone Health
Breast Density
Breast Disease
Caregivers
COVID 19
COVID-19
Emotional Support
Environment
Exercise
Fatigue
Financial
Gender
Genetic Testing
Grief
High Risk
Hormone Replacement Therapy
Ignite
Implants
Intimacy After Cancer
LGBTQ
Lymphedema
Mammography
Meditation
Men
Mental Health
Metastasis
MRI
NBCC
Nutrition
Obesity
Pain
Pregnancy
Prevention
Radiation
Reconstruction
Reduce Risk
Rehabilitation
Screening
Sex
Side Effects
Support Groups
Surgery
Survivor
Survivorship
Treatment
Vaccine
Yoga
Young Women

Archives

January 2023
October 2022
July 2022
April 2022
January 2022
October 2021
July 2021
April 2021
January 2021
October 2020
July 2020
April 2020
January 2020
October 2019
July 2019
April 2019
January 2019
October 2018
July 2018
April 2018
January 2018
October 2017
July 2017
April 2017
January 2017
October 2016
July 2016
April 2016
January 2016
October 2015
July 2015
April 2015
January 2015
October 2014
July 2014
April 2014
January 2014
October 2013
July 2013
April 2013
January 2013
October 2012
July 2012
April 2012
January 2012
October 2011
July 2011
April 2011
January 2011
October 2010
July 2010
April 2010
January 2010
October 2009
July 2009
April 2009
January 2009
October 2008
July 2008
April 2008
January 2008
October 2007
July 2007
April 2007
January 2007
October 2006
July 2006
April 2006
January 2006
October 2005
July 2005
April 2005
January 2005
October 2004
July 2004
April 2004
January 2004

Survivor Story - MY SON IS WHY I WAS DIAGNOSED WITH BREAST CANCER

10/1/2022

0 Comments

 
Picture
Written by Kim Kockler
​

​In April of 2020, my husband and I welcomed baby #2 into our family. Rylan joined big brother Gavin at home. Fortunately or unfortunately, however you look at it, Rylan is the reason I was diagnosed with breast cancer.  Just four short months after birth, I was having severe pain and felt a lump in my right breast. I thought for sure it was a clogged milk duct, so I tried all the methods to find relief. Nothing seemed to work so I went to my doctor for some help. Little did I know, that “clogged milk duct” would turn out to be breast cancer.

I was diagnosed with Invasive Ductal Carcinoma(IDC). I was also triple negative.  The week of diagnosis was a whirlwind. I’m a teacher. It was the start of a new school year. We were in the mist of the Covid-19 pandemic. Teachers were told to be very flexible because rules/ regulations were changing daily. I went to my initial visit with my oncologist. Due to my compromised immune system while on chemo and the unknown of the coronavirus, my team of doctors made the suggestions of taking a medical leave of absence for the school year.

Only a few days into the school year, I was going to be leaving my students to begin fighting my battle with cancer. My medical team decided that I would do chemotherapy first and then have surgery to remove any remains of the tumor. Fortunately for me, my cancer had not spread and was contained to my right breast.  I did 20 rounds of chemo from  September 2020 to  February 2021.

In February, I made the decision to have a double mastectomy, with reconstruction. Mastectomy recovery was rough. It was painful. I also had two boys at home that I wasn’t able to interact with because of weight restrictions and just the fear of them hitting my chest.  In July of 2021, I was able to have my expanders taken out and my breast implants put in. That surgery was a breeze compared to the mastectomy surgery. The recovery was much easier. 

Five weeks after surgery, I started back to work for the 2021-2022 school year. I was determined to go back to work at the start of the year. Physically, I was ready. I wasn’t at my full strength, but anything I needed to do as a teacher, I could handle. However, looking back I was mentally not ready to be back to work.

The first semester was tough. I cried a lot. My body had changed a lot in the past year and I hadn’t fully realized that. I was under a lot of stress for a lot of different reasons. I was able to get some medical help, and second semester went much smoother. 

​As I write this reflection, I am a year and a half cancer free. It is a fantastic feeling! Instead of spending the summer recovering from surgeries, this year, I am spending quality time with my 5- and 2-year old. We are keeping busy with the typical summer activities, but I am also taking all the snuggles, hugs and kisses I can get, since I couldn’t experience them last year.   

READ FULL NEWSLETTER
0 Comments
Forward>>

CONTACT US

Beyond Pink TEAM
c/o Jeanne Olson, Treasurer
1407 Asbury Lane
Waterloo, IA 50701
​beyondpinkteam@gmail.com
(319) 239-3706
©2020 Beyond Pink TEAM
  • Home
  • About Us
    • Who We Are
    • Our Board
    • Annual Report
    • Contact Us
  • Support
    • Physical
    • Emotional
    • Community
    • Financial
    • Caregiver
    • Online
  • Education
    • Newsletter
    • Ignite the Cancer Conversation
    • Quality Care
    • Resources
    • Request Speaker
    • The Cancer Journey
  • Advocacy
    • What is Advocacy
    • National Breast Cancer Coalition
    • Iowa Stop Breast Cancer
    • Research
    • Influencing Policy
    • Access to Care
  • Join Us
    • Be an Advocate
    • Volunteer
    • Events >
      • 16th Annual Pink Ribbon Run
    • Membership
    • Donate to BPT
    • Follow Us