Kim loves caring for her community. She coached softball at Murphysboro High School for many years while her husband coached their baseball team. A doting grandmother who prioritizes her family, she stepped down from coaching to care for her husband during a time of illness. Kim returned to coaching as the Murphysboro High School freshman volleyball coach after he healed in the summer of 2023.
That September, Kim had her routine screening mammogram at the SIH Breast Center in Carbondale. She consistently had her mammogram each year since she turned 40, which was only six years prior. A few days later, she was asked to return for a diagnostic mammogram, where the team discovered a cancerous spot on her breast.
“There's no breast cancer in my family, so I always tell people I'm a wild card,” Kim says. “I have been getting my mammograms for six years, seven years. Never had anything come up on any of them, so this was a complete shock.”
Kim received a phone call from SIH Breast Center Medical Director and breast surgeon Dr. Catherine O’Connor with her diagnosis of stage 2A breast cancer on September 25, 2023. In addition to being in her breast, the cancer had spread to one lymph node.
Kim was originally diagnosed by a screening mammogram. ’Screening’ is the mammogram you get once a year to see if there's anything to be concerned about. In Kim's case, her tumor was way in the back of her breast. There was no way she could feel it, I couldn't feel it. By the time either one of us would have been able to feel it, it most likely would have been stage three, which has a lower survival rate, more aggressive treatment. With getting it early, Kim had more treatment options.
Kim continued to coach volleyball as long as she was able, making it much of the way through the season. The team put together a “Pink Out Night” in her honor in early October. Even the opposing team, Harrisburg, wore their pink in support. But once Kim began chemotherapy in late October, she had to step back from coaching and watch from the bleachers. Her return to coaching lasted less than one month.
SIH’s advanced cancer team leapt into action. Dr. O’Connor, medical oncologist Dr. Lakshmi Manogna Chintalacheruvu and radiation oncologist Dr. Michael Little tailored a care plan just for Kim. Over the next six months, Kim underwent six rounds of chemotherapy and surgery on March 7, 2024. Kim’s post-surgery pathology report confirmed her lymph nodes were clean, which was the biggest influence on her long-term outcome.
Kim was determined to be in remission on March 30, 2024. However, her biopsy results from surgery showed a small number of cancerous cells remaining. As a precaution, Kim’s team prescribed additional radiation treatment and targeted chemotherapy. She completed 33 rounds of radiation in early June and will complete 14 rounds of targeted chemotherapy in January 2025.
To help herself through her treatment journey, Kim took the sporting approach. Each stage of treatment was one inning.
When asked why she viewed her journey this way, Kim said, “I've always been part of a team. Before I even knew what was going to happen, I knew that I had a team of doctors, specialists, nurses, friends and family. I’ve definitely seen a team come together and support me all the way.”
Now, Kim is back to being involved with her community. She and her husband travel throughout Southern Illinois attending her grandson’s football and baseball games. A private person, Kim decided to document her treatment journey on social media. Many of her friends have already scheduled their own mammography appointments due to Kim’s journey. When asked what she would tell someone who is apprehensive about receiving their screening mammogram, Kim says, “Get your mammogram. It could cost you your life if you don't. Don't be afraid of what might be there. Be afraid of what you don't know is there.”
Dr. O’Connor echos the importance of regular mammograms.
“The important thing about consistent screening mammograms is having something to compare results to. You're looking for small subtle changes that may not have been on past mammograms. Finding something early and getting it taken care of while it’s small instead of waiting until you can feel something, your outcomes are so much better.”
To schedule your screening mammogram in Carbondale, Marion or Harrisburg, call 800.360.6902 or through MyChart today.
SIH Breast Center is our region’s leader in prevention and treatment of breast cancer. In fact, we were the first facility in Southern Illinois to bring patients 3D mammography.
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Our skilled and compassionate staff use the latest technology. Services offered at the Breast Center include: Digital and 3D mammography, minimally invasive biopsy technique, risk assessment, genetic counseling and breast MRI.
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We want you to be proactive about taking care of yourself. We encourage you to make an appointment with one of our primary care physicians and schedule regular check-ups.
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