Written by Kim Kockler
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​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.   

by: BARB MCMAHON

I went for my usual Mammogram (delayed 6 months because of Covid). The tech was taking more pictures than usual. I said something to my husband that evening, and he said I should wait until the radiologist read my results. Two days later I got a call from the doctor in the breast clinic. She wanted me to come in to talk. I then found out I had suspicious changes in both of my breasts. She then asked if we could do some biopsies. We did it right away that afternoon.

The clinic said they would let me know when they received the results. We decided to go to our cabin for a long weekend. On Tuesday we got THE phone call, and the biopsies came back as cancer. My husband took the phone call, and I could tell by his facial expression that the news was not good. I cried most of the day. I asked God, why me? I have no family history of breast cancer. Since I made the decision to have both breasts removed and reconstruction done at the same time, the surgery date was delayed. So, after I shared this with my family of five girls, they came over and said they would be on my team to pray for me. So, this was the last part of April.

Previously we had made the decision to move out of our home we had lived in for 30 years. We started packing up our house on May 12, 2022. We had so much stuff! I started to get things ready for a big garage sale. I asked people to help because we had to keep somethings for the next house. The garage sale was a success. This took my mind off the cancer.

We still had a lot to pack up, but we were going to downsize. We waited until after my surgery for the final packing. I chose to remove both breasts and have reconstruction done at the same time. It was a long surgery. I don’t remember much after the surgery. The next day both doctors came in to see me. They asked if I wanted to stay another day and I said no. I like being at home, Hospitals tend to be loud. Mary brought in some heart pillows from the Beyond Pink TEAM support group to put under my arms. They were such a relief. I had a village that surrounded me with a lot of love and encouragement. The pink team answered all my questions, and gave me a bag to carry everything home in.

When I got home my daughters had made a sign to welcome me home. They had a dinner for us, and then my youngest daughter gave me a boob puzzle. I loved their sense of humor! They were keeping my spirits up. I had sent a prayer request to our church and that goes online. The cards and casseroles started coming in. I felt God was taking CARE OF ME. My husband made an encouragement board for me. All cards and Smacks went up on this board.

​I believe that God brought me through this. I was very close to Him and listened to Him. It ‘s been a year since the diagnosis, and I am doing well. My endurance is almost back to baseline. Both cancers turned out to be early and no lymph nodes were involved. I did not need radiation or chemo. I am on an anti estrogen pill that I tolerate well. - I am grateful.

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