Why I Walk

In 1970 on a sunny afternoon. Kelly was out walking her dog. I had just moved into the house on Moore St. that summer and she walked Snoopy right by our house. I was checking the mail, we said hello, and were inseparable thereafter. We enjoyed riding snowmobiles, swimming at forbidden watering holes, torturing and being tortured by our siblings, and camping with our families as we grew up. Her family became mine, and mine hers. We promised to have a dual wedding and live next door to each other forever and ever. 

Kelly went to college and I went in the Marine Corps. We worked hard to get to see each other and called as often as we could. Despite the years, the miles and the additions to our families, we remain rock solid friends. 

Karen's Story

On Thanksgiving of 1984, I found a lump on my left breast.  I was 24.  When I went to the Dr's to have it looked at, they assured me it was just a lump and I was too young to have breast cancer.  They tried to drain it and could not, they gave me some antibiotics and said to come back in a month.  I did, especially as the lump was getting larger and more tender. They still assured me it was nothing but that I could have it taken out if I wanted.  I wanted very much.  When I went to the Dr's office three days after the surgery, the Dr's were apologetic, I did indeed have Breast Cancer. I took my medical records and found a surgical oncologist at the University of Illinois Circle Campus Hospital.  In February of 1985 I underwent a lumpectomy where they also removed 33 lymph nodes.  Three nodes were found to be positive.  I went thru 8 weeks of radiation therapy and then started on chemotherapy for the next 14 months.  I was a restaurant manager at this time and worked 50+ hours a week.  Work was what kept me going. That and my little sister, Kelly, who was in college at the time.  She came and lived with me in the summer and gave me a lot of support.  I survived that bout with only some lymphadema in my left arm to show that it happened. Sixteen years later, a shadow appeared on a chest x-ray.  Nothing showed on the mammogram.  I went thru pet scans, bone scans, chest x-rays, blood tests, and you name it.  And six months later I had the diagnosis: Breast Cancer.  Not a reoccurrence, but another occurrence in the same breast.  I chose to have a double mastectomy with tram flap reconstruction.  I had friends bringing me breakfast, lunch, dinner and snack.  People stopped by to say hi!  Others came over and cleaned, or grocery shopped or cooked.  Some even did Laundry.  Without my friends and family and the prayers of those I do not even know, I could not have done it. I had friends bringing me breakfast, lunch, dinner and snack.  People stopped by to say hi!.  Others came over and cleaned, or grocery shopped or cooked.  Some even did Laundry.  Without my friends and family and the prayers of those I do not even know, I could not have done it. Today, like my sister Kelly, I am happy and very grateful. 

Kelly's Story

She had the dream wedding and married Mike Helenthal. Mike has been and continues to be her rock through it all. Taking care of her in his own gentle, loving way, with a twisted sense of humor that keeps us all laughing.

Kelly was 30 when she found her first breast tumor.  She was diagnosed with Stage II Breast Cancer in October 1997.  She underwent chemotherapy and radiation.  The chemo made her loose her hair immediately, but it came back the next summer.  With a full recovery, she returned to her normal life.

Eight years later she and her husband adopted a beautiful baby boy, Matthew.  Seven months later, they found another tumor.  This one was Stage I breast cancer.  Looking at chemo and radiation again, but counting on a long happy life with her husband, son and family and friends.

The weekend of August 6, 2005, we went camping together. Kelly told me they’d found another lump in the other breast. We had our weekend camping trip as a last hoorah before she began surgery and treatment. She had some testing yet to have done. The surgery was scheduled, a lumpectomy with a node dissection. Feeling helpless, and frustrated, I went back to work and tried to focus the great camping trip and other things, anything else, like the team of walkers I belong to for the health initiative my workplace was promoting.

In my search for a walking conversion chart, I came across www.the3day.org twice. Both times thinking I couldn’t do it for so many reasons – to close to the event, dates have passed, not enough time to train, not enough money… etc. But it kept nagging at me. I went back and found out that the second day of the walk fell on Kelly’s birthday! I called 800.996.3DAY and spoke to Ariane. As I told her my story, we got chills so many times she said she’d have to go put on a sweater!