ROCKTON, Ill. (WIFR) – More than 17 million cancer survivors live in the united states, and on this World Cancer Survivor Day and one local lady shares her highs and lows fighting the terrible disease.
Donna Groeschel found out she was diagnosed with stage two breast cancer during a routine checkup last year. She says this isn’t her family’s first experience with the often devastating disease.
“My uncle was colon cancer, my dad was early so I have gotten very used to colonoscopies,” says Groeschel.
Rockton native Donna Groeschel was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2021. After she went into OSF Saint Anthony for another biopsy, she said this time it came back positive.
“It was a different kind that I didn’t even know ever existed. Most of the time they are ductal, this was lobular,” says Groeschel.
Groeschel thought she’d just have a lumpectomy, but she’s glad her oncologist recommended a breast MRI because, during that procedure, doctors found a second lesion
on the left side. In the months following the diagnosis, Groeschel has undergone radiation and surgery. Leaving little time.. and often little strength to see her friends as often as she would like
“You can pull yourself in and kind of hide or you can start to live again,” says Groeschel.
Donna hasn’t seen some of her friends for two years but now makes it a priority to see them and live her life to the fullest.
“One day at a time that’s all we can do anyway. We don’t know I’ve seen people that look so darn healthy and they are gone the next day,” says Groeschel.
While some of the treatment and radiation she went through is painful, Groeschel recommends anyone dreading to see their doctor should go… It could make a big difference.
“I had an old surgeon that I worked with and he always said all cancers, the key is getting it on time. He said 99% of cancers are all treatable and I think we are getting to that but people have to also be aware they need to go to the doctor,” says Groeschel.
Donna previously worked as a nurse at OSF in the operating room and with a plastic surgeon. She’s about a week away from her next three-month treatment.
She adds her friends to a list to make sure she can visit everyone that’s checked up on her throughout the process.
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