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Cancer survivor Nancy Cunningham shares her journey emphasizing: “Cancer is not a death sentence”

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[October 29, 2021]   When Nancy Cunningham was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2009, she can’t say that she was surprised. Cancer ran in her family. As the youngest of nine children, she had witnessed cancer of some form in five of her siblings. She had lost one brother to the disease when he was only 48 years old.

What was surprising was the fact that she had zero indication that she had cancer when she went for her mammogram. She had been having mammograms since she was in her early 30s because of her family history. She expected to someday find something in her self-exams, but she didn’t. Instead her cancer was found through medical imaging, a tumor, deep under the soft breast tissue, attached to the bone. The diagnosis was a Phodes tumor. This is a more rare type of breast cancer, and she learned that the only treatment was surgery.

Hailing from Minnesota, Nancy and her husband Mike came to the community for jobs. For a time, Nancy said she and Mike were both working in Bloomington. They lived in that area. Then she got a job in Springfield, Mike remained in Bloomington, and they chose to move to Lincoln because it was the half-way mark between the two larger cities.

Over time, she left her job in Springfield and went to work with ME Realty in Lincoln. She worked as owner Seth Goodman’s assistant and had the distinct pleasure of helping people find new homes in the Lincoln and the Logan County area. She said it was a job that she loved because she enjoyed helping, especially the first time home buyers, dealing with the hurdles that are sometimes encountered when buying a home. Even though she is no longer with ME, she is still involved with real estate even today as a sort of side career, working out of the Werth Real Estate Agency with owner Becky Werth.

Nancy also owned her own business in Lincoln for a time, Beaches Boutique and Tanning. Then, in 2017 she took over directorship of the Oasis Senior Center upon the retirement of Dom Dalpoas. For the past five years, she has very much enjoyed being a part of the senior citizen organization, but just this month, made the leap to a new career, or rather the return to an old one.

Nancy’s education evolved around teaching and community service through not for profit community programs. She is now moving back into that type of work at the Logan County Correctional Center. She explained that through Lake Land College out of Mattoon, there is a special instructional program that prepares inmates for life outside of prison. She will be working with the women teaching them life skills, budgeting, resume’ writing, interview skills and offering guidance on how to make the best impression at interviews through behavior and appearance.

She said that the change is something she is very excited about. She looks forward to helping the inmates and is hopeful that through her guidance these women will go back out into society better prepared to face what is ahead of them and succeed.
 


Many people in the community know Nancy, but few would know by looking at her or talking to her that throughout her lifetime she has dealt with a number of health issues. She said that she has had more than 30 surgeries.

Nancy feels that for many people who are diagnosed with cancer, it is like going through the five stages of grief. First there is denial, it isn’t happening. Then there is anger that it is happening. Next, some go through the bargaining process of grief and then the depression of loss. And finally, there is acceptance. She says acceptance is that point in time when one says, “Okay, I have this, now what am I going to do about it?”

For herself, Nancy said yes she was indeed angry. She didn’t go through denial because her family history had forewarned her that some type of cancer would come into her life. But after anger, she feels like she skipped straight to acceptance, and the attitude of, “okay, I have this, now how do I get rid of it?”

Nancy said that in her journey through the disease she came out with some very important lessons, some she knew already, and some she learned along the way, but all of them are messages that she wants to share with LDN readers.

“Cancer is not a death sentence,” Nancy said. She said that many think that life is over when they hear those words, but in today’s world of modern medicine and technology it does not have to be. She said, “Don’t curl up and give up; make a plan and move forward.” She said that she feels that the greatest fear is the unknown, so she encourages people to learn as much as they can, to ask questions, and understand the answers.

She began her journey with Dr. Saggins delivering her initial diagnosis. From there she moved on to the surgeon who would remove the tumor. She said along the way she was blessed with doctors who were compassionate and also communicative. The doctors talked to her and her husband with straight forward, matter of fact language that they could understand, and certainly appreciate.

She also had a good support system at home. Nancy said that she and Mike had been sweethearts since she was 15 years old. He knew her family and her family history before they were married. He was with her through her sibling illnesses, and was most especially with her during her own battle. She said that she felt Mike probably went through the five stages of grief a little differently than she did, but they ended up in the same place, fight and win, that was all that mattered.

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Mike was with her for every procedure and almost all of her doctor appointments. He stood with her and held her up when she needed it. Her sons were also supportive and encouraging as she faced the disease.

As she prepared for her surgery, Nancy said that she had consulted with her doctor and surgeon and they felt that they could remove the tumor without removing the breast, but they weren’t 100 percent certain. She decided that she would sign-off on the surgeon doing whatever needed to be done. She said she didn’t want to be awakened from surgery to learn that she was going to have to have another surgery. So, she had to prepare for the unknown. She didn’t know what she would have or not have when she came out of the recovery room. That was a hard fact to consider. She could come out with no breast, or she could just come out with no tumor. Either way, she had to mentally prepare for the outcome, and have faith that the doctors would do as they felt was best for her survival.
 


When she awoke, she learned that the tumor had been removed, with no long term impact on the structure of her breast. And, the doctors felt confident that they had removed all the cancerous cells.

None the less, there were constant checks for the next five years. Mammograms were conducted every three months, then six months, nine months, and finally one per year. Nancy said when she reached the five year mark with no recurrence, she felt like she could say she was over it, and when she reached the ten year mark that confidence grew.

Nancy says that her concerns now rest more on her grandchildren and her nieces. Her son Andrew has three children, and they have inherited a family history that is conducive to cancer. She said that some of her nieces have had the DNA testing to determine their likelihood of cancer and the results are as certain as the family history.

Those who spend any time with Nancy know that she is an upbeat, fun loving, friendly person, very outgoing and energetic. She said that she tries to always be a positive person, but yes indeed there are times when the weight of the world and what she has been through crashes in on her. She said that she gives her worries to God and knows that he is there with her all the time.

She chooses not to drown in the worry but to rather live for the day and know that faith has brought her thus far, and it will carry through even the tough days.

When asked about what she would say to someone newly diagnosed she had no hesitation in her answer.

She said when she told Mike that she planned on talking about her cancer with Lincoln Daily News, he was a bit surprised. He didn’t imagine that she would want to share what she went through. She told him then that she felt she had to do it, because she felt that if she could encourage one person it would be worth it.

Her advice to all of us first and foremost: Cancer is not a death sentence. She said face it and fight it. Have a good medical support team from doctors to surgeons to nurses. She is quite thankful for those who helped her and she wants everyone to have the same confidence in their team as she had in hers.

Next, take advantage of your support team. There are those out there who want to help you through this and you need to let them. From spouses to children to parents and best friends, know who is with you and helping you and use them as they want to be used.
 


Nancy said when her cancer finally came as she felt certain it would, it did change her. It changed her priorities in life, it changed her purpose in life and it taught her not to sweat the small stuff. Cancer is big; dirty dishes are not. While you battle, focus on what is important, winning. All the other things will take care of themselves.

“What lies behind you and what lies in front of you, pales in comparison to what lies inside of you.”

-Ralph Waldo Emerson
 

“You just can’t beat the person who never gives up.”

-Babe Ruth

[Nila Smith]

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