Linda - Cancer Center of Western Wisconsin

When Linda was in her late 60s, she had hip bursitis which made it hard for her to get on the floor to play with her grandchildren. “There’s nothing better than being a grandparent,” Linda beamed. “Between my husband and me, we have three children, eight grandchildren, and one great grandchild. They are the ultimate gift!”

Linda’s physician recommended surgery to remove the bursa, so Linda went in for her pre-op appointment. “That’s when they found a spot on my lungs,” Linda said. “If I hadn’t wanted that surgery, they wouldn’t have found it.”

Following the detection of the spot, Linda had a chest X-ray and PET scan. One week later at St. Croix Health, Linda and her husband met with her general practitioner, along with doctors in oncology and pulmonology. “They told me it was stage four lung cancer,” Linda said. “I knew it wouldn’t be positive news, but I never thought stage four lung cancer. All I could think was that I guess I earned it because I smoked. But I also knew that at age 68, I was too young to die.”

Six years later, recalling that day still makes Linda emotional. “I was scared stiff!” she said, her eyes blurred with tears. “All I could think was that I wouldn’t see my grandkids grow up and get married.”

Compassionate care, close to home

Linda immediately started a treatment regimen at the Cancer Center of Western Wisconsin (CCWW) in St. Croix Falls that involved chemotherapy, radiation, and immunotherapy with a PET scan every three to four months. “I went every week for four years,” Linda said. “It was a steady schedule, and it wasn’t fun, but I kept telling myself it could be worse. At least I have a chance.”

Staying in St. Croix Falls for treatment was important to Linda. She was raised there and graduated from high school in Taylors Falls. “The Twin Cities is a long drive, and for me, this is home,” Linda said.

“If you met my care team at St. Croix Health, you wouldn’t consider going anywhere else,” she promised. “The care they give is unbelievable. They treat me like a human – not a number – and give lots of hugs. How many doctors today give hugs? I love them dearly. It honestly feels like your kids giving you medical treatment. I feel so very blessed to have them in my life. Without my medical team, I wouldn’t be here.”

The power of positivity

Linda reached in her bag and brought out a little white angel, delicately crocheted, with wings and a halo. “I bet I’ve made a thousand of these,” Linda smiled. “I give them to people who have touched my life through this journey.”

The road has not always been smooth. “I’ve had moments when I really doubted this treatment would work,” Linda said. “I was never down in the dumps for long stretches; the feelings would come and go.”

As Linda reflected on her cancer battle, she said, “You need a good faith, good family and friends who will pray for you, a positive attitude, and a good medical staff. I’ve got them all. What more could I ask for?”

Coping with creativity

While treatments are Linda’s lifeline, quilting is her medicine. Linda hosts five quilting retreats every year. “It’s limited to 18 women, and we go for four days,” Linda said. “My retreats are always full, and the women have become some of my closest friends.”

During her treatment, Linda’s husband moved her sewing room upstairs so it would be easier for her to access. “I like old arts,” Linda said. “Embroidery, knitting, tatting, cross-stitch, hardanger, quilting…when you’re creative, the world just looks brighter!”

Over the years, Linda’s husband Jim has been able to develop some new talents, too. “During my four-year treatment, I really couldn’t do much. I was either in the bathroom or the bedroom, so Jim took on all the cooking responsibilities, and guess what? He’s a great cook! We had shrimp scampi last night. I don’t cook at all anymore!”

Living with gratitude

Linda’s road has been long and sometimes uncertain, but she continues to seek the sun. “I have a lot to live for!” she beamed.

Linda’s grandchildren were the reason her cancer was initially detected, and now they are the biggest source of her joy. “Two of my grandchildren are now married,” she said. “I can’t wait to have lots of great grandchildren. I want to have tea parties with them, so I keep buying teacups! Isabelle, my great granddaughter, is only two weeks old and I already have two sets of teacups for her. Of course, I also have made a wedding quilt for each grandchild, and lots of baby quilts.”

“There are so many good things in life,” Linda said with a sparkle in her eyes, “you’ve just got to look for them.”