It’ s given me a new lease on life, and I feel like we should be doing something good for a reason.”
he had multiple myeloma, an incurable – but controllable – blood cancer that forms in the plasma cells.
“ Who would have ever thought that we’ d be grateful for a heart attack?” Kathy asked.“ The tests alerted us to a cancer that we likely wouldn’ t have found so early.”
After two stents were placed to open blocked arteries, Neil started chemotherapy. The cancer responded well, so three years into the therapy Neil underwent a successful stem cell transplant at Barnes Hospital in St. Louis. He has been cancer-free for the last three years.“ Every day that I get up, I am grateful to be alive,” Neil said.
Sadly, Neil’ s cancer diagnosis was not foreign territory to the couple. In 2002, Kathy was diagnosed with ovarian and endometrial cancer. A full hysterectomy and six chemotherapy treatments later, she was cancer-free. Ten years later, endometrial cancer cells were discovered on a nerve bundle in her lower back. A St. Louis-area surgeon meticulously shaved off as many cancer cells as he could without harming the nerve that affected her ability to walk.
Again, Kathy underwent six chemo treatments and 25 radiation therapy treatments at Sarah Bush Lincoln Regional Cancer Center to rid her body of the endometrial cancer.“ I can’ t say enough good things about the staff. They are upbeat and can answer any question we ask. I had heard terrible stories from people who underwent radiation therapy, but the staff quickly put my mind at ease. I didn’ t have any problems at all,” she said.
Kathy has continued to see SBL Medical Oncologists Kuppuswamy Jagarlamudi, MD, and Abdur Shakir, MD, every three months, yet, in recent months, her blood work has crept just beyond the“ normal” range. She has said that she is mentally prepared to continue her cancer fight.
“ It is such a blessing to continue to get my care right here,” Kathy said.“ I’ ve had two of the same nurses since the very beginning and that’ s comforting. They have given us so many tips and tricks to stay healthy during our treatments.”
“ We just do what we’ ve got to do,” Kathy added.“ We have been fortunate to have the right people in our lives when we’ ve needed them.”
Always upbeat and bubbly, Kathy and Neil live life with a‘ a glass half-full’ attitude, believing that they have a greater purpose in life.“ There’ s something we’ re suppose to be doing. We’ re still alive. I hate to think that we’ re seasoned pros, but we’ re able to help others by talking with them. I’ ll tell them,‘ It’ s not as bad as you’ re thinking,’” Neil said.“ I make them laugh and give them a shoulder to cry on.”
Neil concedes that cancer has changed his outlook to some degree.“ I think I’ m a better person than before. I’ m more considerate of others’ feelings,” he said.“ It’ s given me a new lease on life, and I feel like we should be doing something good for a reason.”
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It’ s given me a new lease on life, and I feel like we should be doing something good for a reason.”
Neil Bradford
The newly constructed SBL Regional Cancer Center. For more information about the Center, call 217-258-2250. january 2017 healthstyles 11