Katherine is our model for our 2004 Merlot Shiraz.

Cancer does not have to be a death sentence.

As if a painful divorce and rough re-entry into the work force, after playing stay-at-home mom to three children, wasn’t enough to manage, the results of Katherine’s annual physical exam were devastating. Her primary care doctor found a lump in her breast. Over the course of several weeks, she underwent a mammogram which subsequently lead to an ultrasound only to be followed up by a fine needle aspiration which yielded inconclusive results. A biopsy finally revealed that Katherine had an infiltrating ductal carcinoma – breast cancer. She knew that surgery was next and that it would be a mastectomy.

“When I heard the conclusive diagnosis, my initial thought was that I was going to die,” says Katherine. “And even after the doctors told me that I had a good prognosis, I thought I would have surgery, go through months of chemo that would make me look and feel like ‘death warmed over’, and then I’d probably die anyway. The word ‘CANCER’ meant death to me. It was soon after this initial fright that I felt God’s peace in and around me. I knew that I could count on His grace and provisions and faithfulness to get me through surgery and treatment, but I still melted into a puddle of tears when I thought about leaving my children motherless. And it took a few more weeks to trust God with not only my medical and financial decisions but to trust Him with my life should my days on earth be limited. I wasn’t afraid of death, but I was anxious about leaving my children and, oddly enough, about not having their photo albums in order – really and truly! I was worried about whether I had taught them all they needed to know - had I prepared them well enough to succeed in the world. Once I was able to release the timing of my life and death into God’s hands, and I was confident He would help me finish what was important and help me be at peace with things I couldn’t complete, I found the additional peace I needed to go forward without being paralyzed by fear.

Between her biopsy and mastectomy, a 3.5 centimeter tumor was removed. Katherine underwent a skin-sparing mastectomy with an immediate tram flap reconstruction.

Within 5 weeks of her mastectomy surgery, Katherine began 4 months of dose dense chemotherapy. Within 2 weeks of her first treatment, she began to lose clumps of hair. “ Luckily, I had planned to have my head shaved the afternoon of my second treatment. It was traumatic to hear that I would lose my hair. I really couldn’t picture my hair growing back even though the doctor and nurses told me repeatedly that it would. They were right; it eventually grew back.”

“During the chemo, I didn’t vomit, but I felt nauseas for the first 2 months. Then I endured 2 months of Taxol, and my body hurt all over, all the time. With the steroids that were being pumped into my body, sleep was a rarity. I would spend many nights, awake and unable to sleep, but oh so exhausted. I remember after my Taxol treatments were finished, I yawned one day and thought, ‘I can’t remember the last time I yawned’!”

The importance of having the best medical team was always foremost in Katherine’s mind, both pre-surgery and post surgery. “I was treated respectfully and with kindness by my doctors, nurses and the office staff. I made sure I was surrounded by those I could look in the eye and trust. Having a healthy and confident relationship with my medical team was imperative. I had more than enough stress in my life, and did not need to have to worry about my care givers. I arrived at each medical appointment with the mindset that this was ‘my appointment with life’ and I dressed accordingly – nicely put together with makeup on and with as pleasant an attitude and smile as I could muster under the circumstances.”

“I felt a responsibility for remaining positive and optimistic regarding my treatments. My success was not solely up to my doctors. I needed to be pleasant and helpful and cooperative with the treatment plan and my medical team.”

“The emotional part is always tricky – there wasn’t much time for that. The nurses were delightful and very eager to chat and listen to my complaints, give their suggestions, laugh with me and support me. They were also eager to laugh at me when I pulled my shenanigans. All and all, I was truly blessed with the care I received.”

Katherine learned the importance of nurturing herself physically and emotionally through her battle with cancer. “One of the most important things I read before surgery was that I needed to take responsibility for my emotional needs. No one else would be able to focus in and know how to meet my emotional needs. I needed to take charge of that myself. This was just the thing I needed to hear as I had spent a lifetime neglecting myself in many areas. So I made sure I had cozy pajamas to wear in the hospital, some new body spray that had a cheerful fragrance, some new fluffy slippers, a small framed photograph of my children, makeup and a nice hand mirror, etc. I also took a small CD player and my favorite CD’s, one of which I asked to be played in the operating room as I drifted off to sleep. If I had an idea of what would make this a more pleasant experience for me, I asked for it or brought it myself, rather than keeping my needs silent. I continued being in charge of getting my emotional needs met through my chemotherapy. Sometimes it was buying a little bracelet to cheer me up, nothing big or expensive, just little things that made a positive impact on my emotional health. Consequently, I’m conscious every day of taking care of my emotional health.”

Surrounding herself with all types of care and support was key to Katherine's survival and her wellness. "I called the American Cancer Society several times for imformation; I checked the Internet, purchased several helpful books and talked to anyone who would listen to me. I perused the local cancer library and found several books and videos that were helpful. My church helped me with financial gifts and also provided meals for several weeks after surgery. My son was on the high school basketball team while I was in treatment and some of the players

autographed my bald head. The team parents organized a night at a local restaurant with 25% of the tab given to assist with my expenses. They also organized a silent auction, and I was the recipient of the proceeds. I was overwhelmed yet humbled by the outpouring of generosity and support.

I was planning to 'ignore' the festivities that Christmas, but my church generously provided a tree and loads of gifts for my family as well as ingredients for a delicious meal. Unfortunately there wasn't any help to prepare the meal or to set up and decorate the tree so it felt

overwhelming. I slipped into a post treatment depression which is very common and decided to try a support group that was mentioned in a list of local resources. It was absolutely awful. I left crying and even more depressed and never went back. Since then, I have found a dear group of ladies who have continued to be my source of support and friendship today. Most of us have had breast cancer but several have survived other cancers. We are a fun, lively, loving, passionate group. Watching us from the outside, you would never guess that each of us had looked death in the face."

“The American Cancer Society’s free program called Look Good Feel Better, for women experiencing treatment related hair loss was terrific. Local beauticians and estheticians would demonstrate how to take care of your skin and give you tips on wigs and head coverings. Each patient was given a huge box of makeup donated by the cosmetic industry – including big names like Este Lauder, Lancôme, Clinique, Mary Kay etc. The box was filled with not samples, but regular size compacts, lipsticks, foundation, mascara, etc. This was very therapeutic for me and a wonderful opportunity to meet other frightened, gorgeous bald women.”

Two years after her mastectomy, Katherine was diagnosed with lymphedema in her right arm, the side of her surgeries. Lymphedema is fluid retention caused by a compromised lymphatic system. This condition can often occur after cancer treatments. “I cried and cried when I heard the diagnosis. I thought that all this cancer stuff was behind me. I gingerly asked the Physical Therapist how long I would need to monitor my arm, how long I would need to wear an ugly compression sleeve. And her answer made me cry even more, ‘The rest of your life', she answered. It was like another slap in the face.” Yet Katherine persevered through this setback and refocused her attention. She got to work on ideas to make compression garments more attractive, and has been quite creative with her results.

Dealing with cancer has been likened to going to war. The cancer patient has a host of strategic options. Katherine decided that her option was to fight to win. “I remember coming home after I had my initial appointment with the surgeon that told me that the lump was probably cancer. All I could think of was my children, that I had 3 sets of eyes watching how their mother would handle this latest challenge. My children had endured the trauma of divorce. And now I faced cancer, even more trauma for them. I remember thinking that I wanted to appear out of the other end of the dark tunnel of cancer treatment with a better attitude and proud of how I handled the situation. Well, I’m proud to say today that I’m delighted with the way I handled myself and proud of how my children behaved and supported me. They continue to be my inspiration.”

Katherine has won the battle with cancer thus far. It’s the overall war that lingers in her mind for the long term. “There is always that apprehension in the back of my mind – wondering if and when cancer will rear its ugly head again. I know that it took me a good year to stop looking over my shoulder or to stop anticipating the ‘other shoe dropping’. Every ache and pain, after you’ve been diagnosed with cancer, can cause alarm. It’s exhausting to maintain that level of anxiety. For about a year, my goal was to not allow myself to ever be shocked like that again. I would have to be vigilant and watch every nook and cranny and listen to every creak and crack my body made because I must have missed a sign before. Well, I couldn’t maintain that level of vigilance. None of us ever knows what our day will hold anyway. So now I’ve learned to be confident that should I have to ever go through cancer again, or any other trauma, the same God that was there with me before, will be there to help me again. I am hesitant to think of myself as a ‘winner’ or that I ‘won’ because that seems to mean that those that have passed away weren’t winners. And that’s just not true. I wish I could come up with a better expression.”

A new day and a new attitude pervade with Katherine in her daily health regime. She’s quite conscious that cancer could return at any time. Her focus, however, remains on taking each day as it comes. “I watch what I eat, exercise, keep my weight down, don’t allow undue stress in my life. I don’t drink or smoke. I lived a healthy lifestyle before I got cancer. I know that there’s no assurance that it won’t come back. My focus centers on making the best of each day. The stress part is what I’m really handling differently. I’m taking better care of myself, I don’t stuff my thoughts and emotions like I used too, and I now treat myself with respect and dignity. I matter. I acknowledge that, and I work every day to make a difference.”

Katherine understands the importance of giving back and lending support and help to others battling cancer. Her cancer experience has inspired her to grow in areas she never dreamed of before. Hers is a new found confidence. “In the past few years, I’ve been involved with the American Cancer Society. I’ve been an opening speaker for my town’s Relay for Life. I’ve done several Look Good Feel Better presentations at other local Relays. I have been a speaker at 2 workshops for the Every Woman Counts and Breast and Cervical Cancer Detection and Treatment Programs; these programs provide services to those battling cancer and even cover medical premiums for low income women. I am a poster girl for the American Cancer Society’s Making Strides Against Breast Cancer campaign, and I have done several radio spots for them. I’ve also been a speaker for the local National Cancer Survivor’s Day celebrations. For 4 years, I have been a survivor model in the Catwalk For a Cure, a fundraiser for the local Breast Care Center.”

“For 2 years after my chemotherapy was completed, I delivered small gifts to my oncology center. I remembered how much joy even the smallest gesture gave me when I was in treatment . I felt especially blessed when the giver was a stranger. I would give coffee mugs, Christmas and Valentine bears that had been put on clearance at Hallmark, Groucho Marx noses, silly socks, leis and flamingo straws in the summer, and scarves and hats. This was all part of my healing process – to help others traveling the path behind me.”

“Since those days after chemo, and delivering gifts to patients, I have started a business called Sweetlaughter, named such because laughter was especially precious and deliciously sweet when I was surrounded by cancer. I have a gift bag for ‘the woman who has everything but her hair’ currently called the “Fuzzy Wuzzy Hair Loss Survival Kit”. I‘m working on a line of t-shirts, note cards, and coffee mugs to brighten up a patient’s day.”

“I also want to produce a line of greeting cards and maybe a calendar from the many funny photos that were taken of me during treatment – to inspire others to find laughter in the midst of their cancer. These photographs have also been framed to take on a traveling show for others to view.”

“I’m just getting started on all of this. My business acumen is growing slowly but surely. My vision is to help others by inspiring them to find a touch of humor in the midst of their life-changing cancer diagnosis.”

About Katherine Klemin

Katherine Klemin is a native of Windsor, California. She’s one of 8 children, has been a Homecoming Queen, and holds an AA degree in Liberal Arts. She studied Early Childhood Development. She is divorced and has 3 children of whom she’s immensely proud.

“Laughter was especially precious and deliciously sweet when found in the midst of cancer. Humor was my alternative medicine and laughter was my saving grace.”