*This is the first in a series of articles on breast cancer survivors in recognition of October as Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
In May of 2022 Kathy and David Swalm were looking forward to the wedding of their daughter to her fiancé on May 21. Not long before that day, however, Kathy learned that she had breast cancer.
It was discovered after Kathy went in for an appointment with her family physician, Dr. James Presgraves, who said she was behind on several annual tests. “Let me think which one will be least invasive, and I said mammogram – that’s what I’ll get,” she said. The exam revealed a suspicious spot requiring further testing and finally a biopsy of a lump in her right breast. In addition, she had tests to get cancer markers.
Once the wedding was over, Kathy began a course of treatment that would last over a year from the initial diagnosis. Kathy’s oncologist also performed genetic tests and discovered she had the HER2 positive gene, altering the original chemotherapy medications.
The first step was a lumpectomy; then a few weeks later a port was put in place for delivery of chemo. David drove Kathy every week to Hattiesburg, where she received several strong chemo drugs at one time. These were reduced to only two drugs after three months of treatment; however, she continued to receive chemo through June of 2023.
“In November of 2022, I started my radiation. I went every day for four weeks,” Kathy recalled. Chemo continued while she underwent radiation therapy and lab work at every appointment. Kathy said, “You have skin problems and things like that with chemo and radiation. Radiation was a booger. That was very very intense.” David said that she had first and third degree sunburns from the radiation.
It was a difficult process. The location of the tumor was such that Kathy had to contort her body, increasing the existing chronic back pain she lived with already. In addition, numerous equipment failures required return trips to get the radiation treatments completed, thus intensifying the stress she was already feeling. She had 20 treatments total.
Kathy continued, “The thing about the chemo, you might not feel bad right then. They give you drugs to help combat the nausea and things like that. But then the next day it begins to wear on you. With me it was a lot of very tired feeling.”
David was her constant through those days. Their three-year-old dog Sweet Pea was a big help too and David agreed. “I couldn’t get up – I was sick,” Kathy said. She would lay right there beside me on the bed. Of course, she didn’t want David coming in and touching me. And she’s still like that,” Kathy explained.
Kathy is thankful, too, for the care she received not only from her oncologist but also from the support staff like chemo nurses, social workers, cancer center employees and others. “Even though it was a rough time, those people helped to make things better.
“The first time we went for chemo and they hooked me up to chemo this nurse went over everything we could expect, everything we should be doing, not eating salad because of what could be on there even though you wash it.
“We didn’t go anywhere. I was afraid to get out in public, really because of the germs and my immune system. We were still wearing masks. We were always up and going on little trips but we weren’t able to do that because of being tired and managing around doctor appointments. It just makes everything different,” Kathy stated.
Attitude is everything. Kathy said, “I didn’t consider it deadly. I really didn’t worry about it because I thought, ‘Well, God’s got this; I’m not worried about that.’” She also reflected on her own mother’s health issues – how she faced them – along with the fact of having three grandchildren that she wants to see grow up.
“I really felt lucky. There was one young man there (in the cancer treatment room); he had like five bags of medicines. He was maybe in his early 20’s, frail, frail, going through some terrible chemo. There I sat in my little chair reading my book, and I said, ‘I’m all right.’”
Kathy also believed she and David were made for that moment in time. “Our relationship was so strong that we could handle this. I’m sure it’s been hard on David; he worried about me a lot. He would see to it that I drank a lot of Simpson Nutrition because it would give me protein. It was something I could sip on most of the day.”
Nothing much was tasty, but Kathy could eat Progresso chicken noodle soup. She has found her tastes have changed since treatment too. Foods she enjoyed before she no longer likes.
The last time she saw her oncologist he ordered a bone scan “because some of those chemicals will make your bones more brittle.” I already have brittle bones. Medicine has all different kinds of side effects that affect you later on.”
The couple has a strong, solid marriage. “We’re tough old birds. I finished chemo and we celebrated our 50th wedding anniversary by going to St. Lucia.” The two were married on May 20, 1973.
The trip provided wonderful rest to celebrate two major milestones. They stayed at the all-inclusive Serenity Bay Resort right on the water. David added that they even had a personal butleress who tended to their every need.
Kathy did say it feels like it has been longer than only two years since diagnosis, but she takes everyday as it comes. “It might have been a way God said ‘Sit yourself down and look at things. You’re always busy, busy doing things, baking.’ That all changed. I sat here and did a lot of reflecting. Poor David had to listen to it. He’d say ‘I’m just glad you’re sitting here.’
“That makes you appreciate everything a lot more.”
