Breast cancer survivor shares her experience

Katie Brown, co-owner and broker of Trails West in Bigfork, was diagnosed with breast cancer in her mid-40s while getting her annual mammogram in March of 2004.

“I was shocked because there was no history of breast cancer in my family,” Brown said. “I was healthy, worked out, and ate well, so when I was diagnosed I thought it was a mistake.”

Because her breast cancer was detected early, she was able to avoid chemotherapy and had two options for surgery, either a lumpectomy or a mastectomy.

After the initial shock of her diagnosis, Brown said she went into denial, then felt sorry for herself and often thought “why me,” but that soon turned into “why not me” because anyone can get cancer. After that, she said she was determined to fight it.

But, where she would go to receive her treatment required some research first.

“My family is all from California and they wanted me to go to what they considered the best medical centers in California,” Brown said. “But, when I researched, even eight years ago, the best surgeon and top in the field and great oncologist and radiologists were all in Kalispell.”

What followed were 35 weeks of radiation treatment five days a week at Kalispell Regional Medical Hospital. She said radiation treatment was painless for her and her doctors were able to pinpoint the radiation treatment.

Although radiation was a painless procedure for Brown, it wasn’t without some side effects. She said she had some burns, but mostly felt tired, particularly in the afternoons about halfway through the treatment process.

She said the tired feeling from radiation was similar to the flu, but without body aches or nausea. So, she backed off from her usual workout routine toward the end of her radiation treatment. Throughout the entire process, Brown kept going to work at Trails West and tried to keep a normal daily routine. She only missed work for a couple of weeks following her surgery.

“Afterwards I found out from my husband, and it just broke my heart and makes me cry at this point, he was trying so hard to be strong for me and my kids, he told me after how scary it was for him,” Brown said. “He had to be so strong for our family, but on the inside he was so afraid of losing me and the severity of how things could have ended up.”

Brown had her lumpectomy on May 5, 2004. She said they now celebrate every Cinco de Mayo with margaritas. On the five-year anniversary of her surgery, her husband, Tom Brown, threw a surprise party at the Garden Bar where everyone wore pink and celebrated her survival.

“Being the husband, you are trying to be strong and supportive while masking the anxiety and fear that you have,” Tom said. “I really thought it was important to stay real positive because our kids were 15 and 13 years old, and I know they were scared. You wanted to put up a strong front and there was a lot of prayer time and a lot of family focused time.”

For the five years that followed her radiation treatment, Brown had to take an estrogen hormone blocker. She said this was because her doctors thought her cancer could have been a hormone-fed variety.

Brown is currently in remission and credits her faith, support of family and friends, and her doctors for getting her through the experience. She said her mother came and stayed with her and Tom and their children, Elli and Casey; and her friends stayed in close contact as well.

“In hindsight, it was a real positive experience because it brought our family closer together,” Tom said. “I am very blessed to have a wonderful woman in my life, and to come face-to-face with that she might not be here, it was hard and forced me to reevaluate a lot of the things I was doing with my life. It got me focused on what matters most, my wife, my kids, and my faith.”

As a survivor of breast cancer, Brown said it is important to go to the doctor and get the necessary tests done for early detection.

“A test is nothing compared to surgery and chemotherapy and lots of doctor appointments,” Brown said. “For me, during all of this you are faced with your own mortality and it is truly a life changing thing. Looking back at it, there were so many good things that came from it and it changed my perspective in life, and maybe not to sweat the small stuff and reprioritizing what is important.”