By UofL Health
Up to date on her mammograms, Kim Landrum was concerned when a self-exam revealed a lump on her breast. Right away, Kim visited her doctor for imaging tests, which produced suspicious results. The next day, a biopsy was performed to test three spots – two lumps and one lymph node.
All three spots came back malignant. In August 2019, Kim was diagnosed with invasive lobular carcinoma (breast cancer). Surgery was advised, and hopes were high for a successful treatment.
With a first grader at home, Kim began to navigate being both a wife and a mother while dealing with a life-altering cancer diagnosis. Right away, Kim’s husband handled everything, allowing her time to heal, but she knew she would have to explain to her son what this meant. Kim’s son had previously gone through surgery, so she told him that she would have to go through surgery, just like he did, and that she would be okay, just like he was.
Wanting to talk through her diagnosis and the journey ahead of her, Kim got coffee with a friend who had been fighting metastatic breast cancer. While discussing Kim’s treatment plan, Kim’s friend urged her to visit the oncologist she had been seeing, Beth Riley, M.D., FACP, with UofL Health – Brown Cancer Center.
With no intentions of switching her care over to the Brown Cancer Center, Kim made an appointment with Dr. Riley for a second opinion, just to make sure everything she was doing was correct. Dr. Riley was pleased with Kim’s treatment plan, until she saw there were plans to surgically dissect Kim’s other lymph nodes to see if the cancer had spread. Dr. Riley explained that there was some new technology that would be able to test these lymph nodes with much less risk.
Dr. Riley suggested that Kim visit surgical oncologist Nicolás Ajkay, M.D., MBA, for his opinion on her planned surgery. Kim had two appointments with Dr. Ajkay before knowing that this was where she needed to be; Kim switched all of her care over to Brown Cancer Center.
At the Brown Cancer Center, there’s a team for cancer treatment based on the type of cancer. Kim’s team specifically focused on patients facing breast cancer. Kim’s team included a breast medical oncologist, breast radiologist, breast surgical oncologist, radiation oncologist, social worker, oncology nurses and music therapist. Teams can also include plastic and reconstructive surgeons, genetics nurse practitioners, research and clinical trial nurses, resource center coordinator, dietician, counselors, therapists and cancer rehab specialists.
“The thing that I loved the most about it is with all of my doctors, they were so up on the research,” she said. “They were just always up to date and really took their time to explain to their patients what they were doing, what the treatment plan was and why they were doing the treatment plan.”
During testing, it was found that she actually had four positive lymph nodes. Because this could mean that the cancer was on the move, Kim had five months of chemo and a month of radiation ahead of her.
With this difficult news, Kim kept her son home from school the next day, and they spent the day on the couch together. When her husband got home, he brought in a scarf and an attached cancer survivor’s story that a local organization, Hope Scarves, had sent her. This gift lifted her spirits.
With a renewed sense of hope, Kim had surgery to remove the cancer. The next morning, Dr. Ajkay called her room to check on her. He assured her that if she ever needed anything at all, she could pick up the phone and give him a call.
After the surgery and all the necessary scans, Kim had no evidence of disease. Of course, she still had a journey ahead of her. Beginning chemotherapy and radiation, Kim learned to appreciate even the little things.
“You get to sit with your feet up in a heated seat and pretend that you’re at the spa. They bring you heated blankets; they bring you food,” she said. “Again, just really focusing on those tiny little things made all the difference in the world.”
Kim brought someone along with her to every treatment, until COVID-19 hit, and she had to go alone. This was a scary time because Kim was especially susceptible to any illness. Thankfully, Kim knew she was in good hands at the Brown Cancer Center.
“I felt fortunate because I was so comfortable at the Brown Cancer Center,” she said. “I knew it was a safe place for me.”
Kim finished treatment by herself, and celebrated with her family, at home. She even got a dog to celebrate. Now, Kim hugs everyone a little bit tighter and feels like she is a better mom.
Like many other cancer survivors, Kim’s journey did not end there. She felt like she should be relieved that she was cancer free, but she couldn’t balance those feelings with the fear that the cancer would come back.
Kim hadn’t yet utilized the resource center at the Brown Cancer Center but decided to reach out for help. Through the Resource Center, Kim was able to receive counseling services and music therapy, where she wrote a song about her journey. Both were healing to Kim, in many ways, she explained, saving her life.
“I will never say I am back to where I was because you never can go backwards. You’re a changed person and you just never truly go back. But I feel alive again.”
Looking back on her journey, Kim is so thankful she chose the Brown Cancer Center. Kim is grateful for every person she worked with from the time she got there, from the nurse navigator who set up all her appointments, to Dr. Riley who first noticed an issue with Kim’s original care plan.
“I really truly believe that I had the dream team. I do not think that I could have gotten better care anywhere. I have zero regrets going to the Brown Cancer Center.”
Today, Kim works for Hope Scarves, the non-profit organization that sent her a scarf with a story. Hope Scarves’ mission is about scarves, stories and research – raising funds for metastatic breast cancer research. Hope Scarves has helped support metastatic breast cancer clinical trials at Brown Cancer Center, and the Brown Cancer Center was one of the first cancer centers to serve as a distribution center for Hope Scarves, handing out scarves and stories to patients through the Resource Center.
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