
MEET LYNN
Lynn’s Story
Lynn grew up in Wisconsin as an only child; she was strong-willed, witty and there was nothing she couldn’t do if she put her mind to it. When she got married and began a family of her own, she was thrilled to say the least. However, in 2000, Lynn’s life would change forever. She was going through a divorce, taking care of two teenage boys as well as her parents and working a full-time corporate job. In October, her not-so “grand” year, took another turn for the worse when she found a lump in her chest, which was soon after diagnosed as stage two breast cancer. Lynn was confused and angry.
“I was like, ‘are you kidding me! What did I do? Why me?’. I’ve always been a person that watches over their health because neither one of my parents did, so I did it for myself,” she shares. “Really, at the core, it is an emotional mess.”
Lynn’s cancer fed on hormones and her oncologist team counteracted this with a handful of procedures. Her treatment started with a lumpectomy in November 2000, then chemotherapy for six months, followed by radiation for four months and finally the removal of her ovaries – an oophorectomy. Even after all of this, Lynns cancer was still present; for ten years she took hormone suppressants to neutralize the spread of disease in her body.
After she was diagnosed with cancer, Lynn promised herself she would go back to school. For nine years she worked full-time at her desk job and after her shift she would drive one hour to Milwaukee for night classes. In 2011, she graduated with a business degree from Mount Mary College. Things were going well for Lynn, her health was stable, her boys were raised, and she had her degree. However, just as quickly as the weather can change so can life. In 2014, Lynn’s father was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, and just a few months later he passed away. Immediately after, Lynn’s mother fell ill. She was diagnosed with endometrial cancer and chose not to seek treatment. Lynn took a leave of absence from her job so she could focus on caring for her mother.
“It was a rough couple of years. My dad just died, my mother was diagnosed, and I am not feeling quite right. But I put my feelings aside because I was her caregiver,” Lynn shares.
Within months the cancer spread across her mother’s entire body, and she passed away. Lynn worked through her heartbreak by putting all her energy into quilting, she says it was what saved her from herself during this treacherous time.
“After my mom died, I sat in my sewing room and made quilts for three weeks solid. Just sewing quilts,” She shares. “I had no idea where I was going to go but it was okay because I wasn’t lying in bed sobbing.”
Despite the negativity of her reality, Lynn chose to have a positive outlook on the situation. She transformed her grief into creativity and opened up a quilting business, which she ran from her home.
Only four years after the death of her father, Lynn noticed her health was declining. An ultrasound found cancer on her gallbladder and spinal cord; her care team wasted no time; they removed her gallbladder as soon as possible. When she came out of surgery Lynn learned that her cancer was not just in a centralized area, it was all over her connective tissue. But Lynn wasn’t going to let this ruin her happiness.
“I have a positive [outlook], I always had. I knew that if I didn’t, I would just spiral and think ‘I’m going to die’,” Lynn shares. “I’ve been through a horrible transition losing my parents, but I decided I want to be around. I don’t want to die, I just don’t. I decided that’s the end of that. There are these lifestyle changes that come with cancer; you can either change it or remain the same.”
Lynn and her family took this bout of cancer as an opportunity to start over and implement new lifestyle changes, she switched from focusing only on her physical health to working on her overall wellbeing. She prioritized her mental health in one big way; 2019, she along with her son and his wife, moved to Montana where they could reinvent themselves under the Big Sky.
“If you're in a situation where you aren't happy, figure it out!” she said. “And it took us a series of years to figure out that Wisconsin wasn’t doing it, our lifestyle wasn't doing it. I had no bonds to Wisconsin because my parents were gone. So, I decided, that's the end of it. If I had stayed in Wisconsin, I wouldn’t have changed my lifestyle, I would still be just as stressed. I would be focusing on others instead of myself. It all changed out here.”
She was referred to a local oncologist, Dr. Jessica Kaae, who quickly gained Lynn’s trust. She deliberately answered all of Lynn’s questions and together they worked to create a treatment plan that fit Lynn’s lifestyle. When Dr. Kaae transitioned from another cancer center to the Great Falls Clinic, Lynn was happy to follow her.
“I was used to the same consistency from Wisconsin. I saw the same oncologist and the same group of nurses that my parents also saw. They would take as much time as I needed, you’d sit in the patient room and he would answer a million questions,” Lynn shared. “At [the other clinic] Dr. Kaae was up to her elbows, I think, so I mostly saw the physician’s assistant and I would see Dr. Kaae every three to four months. Now at the Great Falls Clinic, I see her all the time.”
Lynn is still actively treating the cancer in her body, but she has found a home with the Great Falls Clinic Cancer Center, Dr. Kaae and her team of nurses. Every month Lynn gets her blood drawn for a tumor marker test; this lets Lynn, and her medical team know if her cancer is getting worse. Every three months she receives a shot of XGEVA to strengthen her bones and every six months she gets a chest x-ray and a CT scan. Although this can be overwhelming Lynn keeps a positive attitude and is grateful for the care provided by Dr. Kaae and her nursing team.
“Her whole team recognizes what works with each one of their patients. They know that I like a lot of information. I’m like an information foodie; I’m like give me more give me more!” Lynn shared. “Both of her nurses, every visit [reassure me] ’you just feel free to contact us, whatever you need’. And they don’t make you feel bad that you’re asking them anything. You can sense the care in the whole team. They understand my need and other patients need information and knowledge. Knowledge is power and that helps keep me from spinning.”
With her health well cared for at the Clinic, Lynn has more time to do what she loves. She lives with her son, his wife and their two children; she has a sewing room where she still runs her small business; and she is as witty and strong-willed as ever. Cancer has taught her many lessons, the biggest one being “don’t be so flipping stubborn”. Lynn believes if she can help at least one person by sharing her story it will make this whole journey worth it. Her biggest piece of advice for anyone with struggling with any health concern is this:
“Whether your last days are days or your last days are years, you want to make it [count]. Out of any time in your life to be selfish, this is the time. Make it about you and about your family.”
Lynn’s motto has been and will always be to live life one day at a time and to live it to its fullest.
“I can live like I’m dying but I would miss out on all the little glimmers in life. I choose to live every day like it is important and cherish those little things like a hug from my grandkids or laying on the floor coloring with them. Every day is special, and I choose that for myself.”