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Attitude is everything: Cancer patient tells story of survival

Staff reporter

The day started just like any other day for the 40-year-old mother of three and her family.

Marsha Setzkorn-Meyer was lying in her bed, playing with her daughter when she found a lump in her right breast.

"It felt like a marble," said Marsha. "I knew it shouldn't be there."

Within a few days, the life that Marsha and husband Mark knew would be changed — maybe not forever but at least for the next year.

Marsha, a marketing and public relations director of Hillsboro Community Medical Center, and husband Mark, a teacher at Marion High School, and their three children would have an unforgettable summer.

"My daughter Elizabeth turned seven June 4, 2005," said Marsha. "I turned 40 on June 19, my daughter Cassie turned four on June 20, I had a needle biopsy on June 24, and surgery on June 28."

After additional mammograms to determine the appropriate course of treatment, a lumpectomy was performed which removed the lump and six lymph nodes.

"I was told there would be the same outcome with a lumpectomy and treatments as with a mastectomy and treatments," Marsha said. A mastectomy would have been recommended if the lump had been larger.

Marsha's lymph nodes were not cancerous but the doctor did not want to take any chances.

"We knew my breast had cancer and my lymphs didn't but I had chemotherapy to kill whatever cancer there might be," she said.

While most families and teachers were making preparations for the coming school year, this family was planning cancer treatments.

Following surgery, Marsha had eight treatments of chemotherapy at Newton with Mark by her side.

"I had condensed treatments where I went daily every two weeks for four months," she said. She didn't experience any nausea but was fatigued.

Marsha also had 36 daily radiation treatments at El Dorado.

In an effort to help the children cope with her illness, Nicholas age nine, Elizabeth, and Cassie went with their mother when she had her head shaved.

"My hair was coming out in clumps and I knew eventually it would all be gone," Marsha said. Elizabeth shaved her head and Cassie swept the hair while Nicholas watched.

Marsha took a different approach in choosing doctors who would treat her.

"I chose doctors not only based on their abilities but also their personalities," she said. She asked other people for recommendations and chose the doctors who were a good fit with her personality.

Throughout her illness and recovery, Marsha and Mark tried to keep things as normal as possible. Generosity and compassion from friends in Hillsboro and Marion kept the family on track.

She is still amazed at the quick response from the communities.

Mark also is a MHS assistant football coach and sponsor of FFA.

"The football team was told about my illness and it seemed every church in the county was praying for us," Marsha said. "It brought peace."

The family's church, Valley Methodist Church of Marion, and other groups provided food which was greatly appreciated.

"It allowed me to concentrate on getting well and focus on my family," said Marsha, instead of having to worry about preparing food.

She also received rides to all home football games.

"The school district was wonderful," Marsha said, in allowing Mark to accompany her to the doctor and treatments. The district also assisted in transporting their children home when Mark was coaching.

Mark accompanies his FFA students to Colorado for their annual retreat but parents stepped up and chaperoned students to the national FFA convention in Nashville so Mark could be with Marsha.

"People sometimes don't know what to say to me and to others with cancer," said Marsha. "'You're in my prayers' is all they need to say."

Marsha said she never asked why this happened to her. Instead she asked "What am I going to do about it?"

After the surgery and treatments, it is difficult for cancer patient to go back to normal living.

"For me it was hard to stop treatments because I thought as long as I was receiving treatments, the cancer wouldn't come back," said Marsha.

This experience hasn't necessarily changed Marsha and her family, said Marsha, but it has made them more acutely aware that God definitely is in control.

She is being examined every three months and the cancer appears to be gone. Soon her exams will be every six months and then once a year.

Marsha's hair is growing back and summer activities are beginning for the young family. Last summer is becoming a distant memory but the Meyers will never forget the two communities.

"If it wasn't for Marion and Hillsboro communities coming together, I don't know what we would have done," said Marsha through her tears.

Keeping her upbeat attitude and making lemonade out of lemons, Marsha said her calling from this experience might be to write children's books about surviving cancer.

"I have been trying to find books for my children to read about cancer where the person doesn't die in the end."

reast cancer is the most common malignancy in women and the second leading cause of cancer death, exceeded by lung cancer.

Breast cancer is three times more common than all gynecologic malignancies put together. The incidence of breast cancer has been steadily increasing from an incidence of one in 20 women in 1960 to one in seven today.

For every 100 women with breast cancer, one man will develop the disease.

Incidences of breast cancer is very low for people in their 20s and gradually increases with age. By age 45, incidences plateau and then dramatically increase after 50.

Risk factors include early onset of menses and late menopause, diets high in saturated fat, a family history of breast cancer, pregnancies at an older age or no pregnancies, more than two alcoholic beverages daily, estrogen replacement therapy, and obesity.

Early detection increases the chance of survival. Self-examinations and annual mammograms after age 40 are highly recommended.

Marsha recommended that women perform self-exams in various positions.

Being diagnosed with cancer is not an automatic death warrant. Modern technology and medical procedures have significantly contributed to surviving cancer.

"Don't be afraid to go to the doctor if you think something is wrong," Marsha advises. "The longer you wait the more options you eliminate."

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