In Kim’s fight with cancer, strength and inspiration come from unexpected sources   

Both of her children were born at Geisinger hospitals. Also, when Kim was just out of college, she had turned to Geisinger physicians in Danville to finally diagnose and treat her with Crohn’s disease, a condition of the digestive tract that physicians elsewhere had misdiagnosed for years. 

“My doctor was like my Dad, always watching over me,” she says. “I feel like they’ve saved my life more than once already, so I knew I was going to stick with Geisinger.”

Family support

As Kim prepared for surgery, her family rallied around. 

“My husband was my strength. My children were my inspiration,” she says.

In addition, just as Kim had decided to face cancer head-on, her sister, Lisa made a similar choice. She decided to step up in an amazing way, to be by her sister’s side during surgery, and later through chemotherapy treatments.

“She became such an important support. She was so selfless,” Kim says with grateful emotion. “She had this cancer with me.”

More welcomed support

Confident in her surgeon and with a strong circle of family and friends, Kim scheduled surgery to remove the cancerous cells, calcifications and lymph node. On the day of surgery, her network of support grew in yet another welcomed way. 

Geisinger Health System had just hired its first “breast nurse navigator,” a professional dedicated to helping people like Kim to navigate through the procedures, examinations and treatment important to her recovery. Vickie, Kim’s breast nurse navigator, set up appointments, explained procedures, and shared practical tips that were important during treatment and recovery. 

“She even came with me to my doctors’ appointments,” Kim says, recalling with surprise and gratitude the first time she saw her there. “There’s so much information to learn, and having a medical person like Vicky with me helped so much.” 

From surgery and through chemotherapy, Kim learned she could rely on Vickie’s expertise and compassion.

“I know it was Vickie’s job, but it was so much more than that,” Kim says. “Truly, she became a very good friend. And she remains so today.”

With Vickie and her sister, Lisa, at her side, Kim continued to fight breast cancer head on. 

On-going treatment

“I was grateful that my doctor was so thorough during the surgical treatment,” she says. After surgery, her oncology team scheduled Kim for two types of chemotherapy. The first and toughest type included four months of intravenous medications.

“I was lucky that the side effects weren’t as severe as what others have,” Kim says. “But it was hard.”

The second round of medication, designed to prevent cancer from recurring, had fewer side effects. 

More support from Geisinger staff

“We can’t say enough about the staff during chemotherapy,” Kim says of her and Lisa’s regular visits. “It’s surprising, but we joked then and we even joke now, that Geisinger’s staff made us look forward to my treatment days. Though I would sit there for hours with medication dripping into my veins, they actually made it enjoyable.

“I wouldn’t trade my experiences with them for experiences anywhere else in the country,” Kim says seriously. “That’s how important they became to me.”

Kim completed chemotherapy in May 2009. Today, as a direct result of her experience with breast cancer, she’s witnessed the strength of her family’s love and care. She’s grown much closer to her sister. And her appreciation for her caregivers, though strong before, has taken on deeper meaning.

From terrible to positive

“I’d received this devastating news that changed my life in a moment,” she says. “But this terrible situation turned out to be a positive, all because of my family and the staff at Geisinger. 

“I made the decision to fight this cancer, to commit to Geisinger to see me through it. What really, really surprised me more than anything else, however, was the commitment Geisinger made to me, too.