Jeanie, Peggy and Kathy
Left to right: Jeanie, peggy and Kathy
By Jeanie, a Sister Study participant from Ohio
I would like to share my sister's story with you.
My name is Jeanie and I am from a family of 11, 3 boys and 8 girls. I am
5th from the bottom and my sister Peggy was 6th. She lived in Indiana with
her husband, 2 sons and 2 daughters. I attended a presentation in 1999 by
a writer from our local newspaper who spoke about her own battle with breast
cancer. I remember her saying that 1 out of 8 women would be diagnosed with
breast cancer. Knowing there were 8 of us girls, I recall thinking which
one of us that could be. Breast cancer does not run in our family so I dismissed
it. I was wrong. It doesn't matter. Peggy always kept up with her annual checkup,
exam and mammogram. She noticed a lump in March 1999. During her routine
yearly check up she asked about the lump she felt, but was told not to worry,
it was nothing. She also had her yearly mammogram in August which showed
nothing. Peggy went to her doctor for a routine cholesterol check in early
January of 2000 and asked the doctor about the lump she had felt for the
past 9 months. Peggy went for a second mammogram and two weeks later she
was diagnosed with stage 2 breast cancer. I was shocked, but the words of
the newspaper writer I heard a year ago rang in my head. It was my sister,
Peggy, my best friend who had breast cancer. On February 16, 2000 my sister
underwent a partial mastectomy. She came through the surgery great
and everyone was very optimistic. Peggy started chemotherapy and appeared
to be in remission. She felt great, had a wonderful summer and came home
for our July 4th family picnic. She was also planning our first family reunion for
the summer of 2000. She was active in school projects, committees, sports
with the kids and was also volunteering. In late fall she started complaining
of back pain that she thought was probably from work. In January of 2001
Peggy went back to the doctor and after more tests learned the cancer was
back and had metastasized. Peggy was now diagnosed with bone cancer, only
1 year after her first diagnosis. She underwent treatment again and it was
much harder on her this time. We talked almost every day and I went to see
her at least once a month. She was always so strong, and worrying about how
everyone else was doing. She hardly ever complained, even though I
knew the pain was beneath her smile. We were able to have our family
reunion in July 2001, just a short distance from her home in Indiana.
All along I had tried to get Peggy to go for a second opinion but she was
very comfortable with her physician. By the fall of 2001 the cancer had spread
to her lungs and she finally agreed to have a second opinion in Ohio. Once
all the questions and x-rays had been looked at, the physician felt that
everything was done that could be. We had forgotten Peggy’s x-rays
in the office so I went back to get them. The physician was standing
there and something deep down inside said ask her the question. Peggy
was not present when I asked the question to the physician, what did she
feel was Peggy’s prognosis? She said “given her rapid decline,
maybe 3 months.” My heart sank and now I had to go back and face
my sister and her family. I saw it in Peggy’s eyes and in our
conversations that she was declining, but with the final news, I was devastated.
Some of the family went to Indiana for one of our old fashioned Thanksgiving's
that Peggy wanted to have. She felt good for most of the day, but again the
pain was hidden by her smiles. The next few months were the hardest, especially
with the holidays. In January she asked the sisters to come to Indiana to
spend the weekend. We had a beautiful time with Peggy, knowing that we were
spending our last weekend together with her. Peggy went into the hospital
on February 12th. I told her I wanted to come down and spend some time with
her, and she kept telling me the following week was better, “no need
while I'm in the hospital” she felt. We spoke everyday and on Thursday
I noticed a change in her. I called her and talked with her for a few minutes
and then she asked if she could call me back after visiting hours. She asked
me about coming to Indiana and I told her I would be there. We talked about
her girls and how much she wanted me to be there for them. We talked
about our childhood and what we meant to each other. I could tell the time
was drawing near but she was so much at peace. Peggy came home from the hospital
on Friday. I did not speak with her on Saturday, and the following
afternoon she was taken back to the hospital. The girls had called
and said they would let me know when to come once they got her settled there. Of
course we got the call, but Peggy died on that Sunday, February 17, 2002
at the age of 49 while my son was driving me to Indiana. Thursday was the
last time I heard my sister's voice and I arrived at her home on Monday February
18th as she had planned.
When I heard about the Sister Study from a friend who helped me through the
loss of my sister, there was never a question in my mind that it would be
an honor to participate and to represent my sister, Peggy, and all women
who battle breast cancer. I passed the study along to my sister Kathy, who
is now participating as well. Peggy taught me how to always look for the
wonderful and blessed things in our life even as we walk through, indeed
the valley of death.