By Melanie Jacob
Journal Editor
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It's an ordeal that no woman should have to endure. Many break down, many fall apart, and many struggle to stay strong. For too many women, getting breast cancer is a burden too big to carry.
But not for Karen Weiman.
Earlier this year, upon inspection of her breasts, Weiman realized something wasn't right. Though she's young at only 29, she's a nurse who knows to be cautious and so went to the doctor. She was sent for a mammogram and an ultrasound on July 11, and then a breast biopsy on July 18. Fewer than five days later, she was told she had Ductal Carcinoma In Situ (DCIS). Breast cancer.
"I was told it's the most common type of mammary cancer and it's in the mammary duct," said Weiman. "It kind of changes your outlook right there. I'm a nurse at a hospital and I've heard patients say that when you hear that 'C word', your mind turns off and you're in shock. That's what it was like."
Despite this, Weiman says that her position helped because she already had the background information. Perhaps that's also a part of why she didn't let it keep her down.
"Shock was my initial thought and then my only thought was beating it," she said. "There were a few times (where) I was kind of emotional, but I generally kept a positive attitude throughout this whole process."
At the beginning of September, Weiman had a mastectomy. She chose a skin-sparing option so she could do reconstruction later, but said her main focus at the time was "getting the cancer out."
"I got emotional that day because a breast is what makes you feel feminine and it's part of being a woman. It's what I had the most difficulty wrapping my head around," she said. "Then my thought process changes and I realized it's more about what's in your lady's heart and how you treat other people that makes you a woman a boob is just a boob."
Weiman says she was lucky to receive a lot of support from her family, friends, and support group. One friend in particular suggested she participate in the CIBC Run for the Cure, which raises money for the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation. Not only did Weiman agree, but she also managed to raise the most money of all the participants at the Saskatoon marathon. At the time of the event, Weiman had raised just over $4,000. Since then, donations are still coming and at last count, she was at approximately $4,265.
"Out of all the thousands of people that registered in Saskatoon, she was the top individual fundraiser. That's pretty amazing," said Wendy Paulson, a friend of Weiman's and another woman fighting the good fight. "With me, it knocked me back, but she's pretty bubbly all the time. She was out collecting donations all after she had surgery. I was just so proud of her."
Paulson isn't any pushover, either. After having surgery to remove the tumor that was in her breast in March, she fought remnants of the cancer with chemotherapy.
"At first your reaction is cut them off, cut them both off, because that's what they did in the old days," said Paulson. "I think that's a common reaction because something is growing in you and you just want it out. Luckily, the surgeon wasn't as paranoid."
As far as luck goes in these situations, Paulson could be considered fortunate. When they found her lump, it was small-- under two centimeters and still close to the surface. Since she worked in a lab, Paulson said she's used to knowing everything right away, so waiting for results was the hardest part for her.
"In the lab, you get used to checking everything and it's usually nothing, so I thought it was probably going to be nothing," she said. "I had to wait a week between doing the breast biopsy and getting the results."
Paulson said she's just grateful to be living in Saskatchewan where there's so much access to advanced technologies and procedures. They were able to inject her with radioactive dye to see whether or not the cancer had spread to her lymph nodes.
"They put a titanium clip and ribbon inside you to mark the tumors and it forms up as a breast cancer symbol," she said.
While the cancer hadn't spread that far, the battle didn't end for Paulson after surgery.
"I was so sure that I wouldn't have to do chemo and I'm not a big makeup person, but losing your hair is very traumatic," she said. "It's bad enough having your breast tunneled into and leaving scars, even though they did a better job than they used to."
Paulson has since finished chemotherapy for the time being and her hair has started to grow out. It was during this arduous journey that Paulson met Weiman.
"Karen was my nurse and she was so sweet," said Paulson. "She would come in at 4 a.m. and did a happy dance and that just picked me up."
According to Paulson, when she later found out that Weiman had also gotten breast cancer, she started crying.
"I thought, 'It's not fair. I'm old, I have kids that are grown up.' It was like one more; I wonder who's next," she said. "I was talking to her on the phone, but I don't live in Humboldt so I invited her to come to lunch with my support group."
It was that invitation that gave Weiman another channel of comfort and a new goal once she agreed to participate in the Run for a Cure. Aside from raising donations for research, Weiman said it's important that she raises awareness and makes sure other women have all the information as well. She wants women to understand that detection is key, so to know what the risk factors are.
"In younger people, breast cancer is often way more aggressive, so do your monthly exams on yourself," she said. "Listen to your body. If you think you need to go to the doctor, you probably do. Ladies know what their breasts feel like."
Weiman said there are only two things she would want to tell other women going through the same ordeal: stay positive and you're not alone. For Paulson, it wouldn't be surprising that Weiman would say something like that.
"She's absolutely amazing and unfortunately she joined the club nobody wants to join," said Paulson. "She's a good example of how to take it on the chin."
