MEET DENISE

MEET DENISE

Denise’s Story

After two years of abdominal cramping and incessant pain became too much to bear; Denise drove to the emergency room in March 2024. Hours later, the sun had set and the results of a CT scan confirmed an unimaginable fear. Denise had a large 7-millimeter mass on her pancreas. Denise recalls the doctor’s face being white as a sheet as he entered her room to deliver the news. The emergency room doctor referred her to Dr. Warr at the Great Falls Clinic Cancer Center. He told her it was very important for her to see an oncologist as soon as possible and if the office didn’t reach out to her by noon the next day, she should call them.

“I drove home, in total shock and disbelief, crying very hard, looking through the windshield seemed like a huge rainstorm,” Denise shared. “I was up all night, planning my end of life, things that I needed to do…thinking I had pancreatic cancer.”

The next morning Denise got a call from Dr. Warr’s office at the Great Falls Clinic Cancer Center, that afternoon she facetimed her family for moral support during her appointment. Dr. Warr ordered blood tests, procedures, biopsies and imaging. On April 4, 2024, one year after she retired, Denise was diagnosed with an aggressive and fast-growing cancer, Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma. Two weeks later with her sister by her side, Denise went to her first chemo appointment. She remembers how scared she felt.

“April 18th was my first chemo; my sister was with me. Now it [feels] real. I cried. But the gals in the infusion center were awesome. They were genuinely compassionate and sincere. They put me in a private room, gave me a welcome bag. It was very thoughtful. They made me feel at ease. They were like family,” she said

Denise describes herself as an optimistic woman who always looks for positivity and humor in a difficult situation. But the cancer diagnosis proved to be a bigger challenge than she had ever faced. She shared that in the beginning she would wake up in the mornings crying and worrying about what symptoms the day would bring. Shortly after she broke the news to her family, Denise’s daughter and granddaughters flew to Great Falls to stay with her. She felt relieved immediately.

“My daughter has been a vital part of my care and support. [My granddaughters] would get up in the morning happy. It changed my mood. They have been an enormous distraction."

Her family helped her soldier through the worst of her sickness. Denise experiences extreme ‘chemo brain’, neuropathy, and fatigue; despite this, she tells us the hardest of all was losing her hair!

“My hairdresser always told me I had hair to die for. Ten days after my first chemo, my hair was falling out into clumps. I had my granddaughters cut what was left. They love to style and cut their dolls’ hair. I looked like Moe from the Three Stooges when they were done, but they loved it... which was most important,” Denise shared.

After the haircut, Denise wanted to embrace the new normal she was in. She bought scarves to cover her head from the sun and wigs for when it got colder outside. The upside to having no hair, Denise shared, is looking forward to exploring new hairstyles when her hair grows back. She shared she always wanted to try a short hairstyle.

For Denise, like too many others, cancer has shifted her world into an unrecognizable state. Being the optimist she is, Denise has made peace with her new normal.

Every day is a different day – the way I feel, physically, mentally and emotionally.  If I have a project, I must accept that I may not complete it.  I have now accepted to be grateful for what I did get done.  I have set my goals to get one done a day. I put too much pressure on myself. I have had high expectations of myself all my life. Cancer has helped me lower my expectations. I have a new balance.”

Denise has a message for anyone with a recent cancer diagnosis.

“Live each day, be positive and advocate for yourself. Keep a daily routine as much as you can. Expect hardships. Keep a diary, you will have chemo brain and forget.”

On September 10, 2024 Denise underwent her final chemo treatment and on September 24, 2024, Denise’s PET scan showed no evidence of cancer. For Denise, the scan results are still difficult to process. She may have beat cancer, but mentally, physically and emotionally it will take time to recover. “I am working on healing what cancer destroyed,” she shares.

“Being diagnosed with cancer, I feel that I am wiser. I certainly have a different/better outlook on life. I have realized what and who is important.”