Katie Toms never intended to tell her story. A breast cancer diagnosis wasn’t something she was going to let define her. She wanted life to feel as normal as possible, so the treatments and uncertainty would not overwhelm her or her family. For her two young daughters, Hadleigh and Pearl (then ages 11 and 7), Toms could not let fear take hold; normal was non-negotiable.
Now more than a year into her cancer journey, Toms has found a way to stay positive. In fact, someone meeting her for the first time might never guess what she’s going through, and we’re grateful she’s ready to share her story with others.
“I found a lump in August of last year,” said Toms. “I had gone to Katzmann Breast Care center. At the time, we did an ultrasound and nothing was showing up. So, we did a biopsy and found that I have noninvasive ductal carcinoma.”
After another biopsy and MRI, doctors discovered the cancer had spread to a lymph node, which meant Toms had invasive ductal carcinoma. The finding changed her treatment plan immediately.
“Once I found out that my path had changed and that I would need a full-body oncologist, that’s when I asked if I could get transferred back to Carroll – we have a great cancer center back here.”
Keeping it normal
Breast cancer treatment rarely feels normal, but Toms made normal her goal. To give herself a chance to keep her hair, she took inspiration from a friend and tried cold capping, which cools the scalp during chemotherapy. The cold is said to narrow the blood vessels in the scalp and reduce blood flow, so less of the chemotherapy medicine reaches the hair follicles. The cold also slows the activity of the follicle cells, making them less vulnerable to the medicine that does reach them.
“I did the cold capping and had great success with it,” said Toms. “It was very painful, but I would do it all again for my kids.”
Toms’ husband, Mark, has been with her every step of the way throughout her journey, including during cold capping. The caps have to stay frozen on dry ice, so they brought two coolers to every treatment.
“You can bring two individuals with you at each treatment, and they helped me with the cold capping because you have to switch out the caps every 30 minutes,” Toms said.
And to ensure they had enough space, the St. Anthony care team moved them to a larger room for each treatment.
After cold capping and chemotherapy, Toms’ treatment path consisted of a double mastectomy, followed by radiation and then immunotherapy. While the double mastectomy was completed in Des Moines at another hospital, she was grateful she could have the other services completed close to home at St. Anthony.
Efficient and compassionate care when it mattered most
For Toms, each visit to St. Anthony Regional Cancer Center was, in her words, “simply amazing.”
“I was diagnosed on a Thursday, and everything was arranged on a Friday, and my port was placed on Monday,” said Toms. “I started chemo the following Friday. I was amazed at how quick, awesome and amazing everybody was. It’s not like you’re sitting there waiting for someone to call you back for weeks. Everything was super quick — it was great!”
From the friendly greeting at check-in to the treatment plan she created with her oncologist, Dr. Joshua Lukenbill, Toms felt she was truly cared for as a person, not just as a patient. That care extended to Dr. Mark Abraham, who placed her port, and to her physician assistant, Tara Peterson, and the nurses who supported her along the way.
“Honestly, they make you feel like you are the most important person,” said Toms. “It doesn’t feel like you’re just a number. … They make you feel really, really welcome.”
A path to healing
Chemotherapy was the first step in Toms’ treatment. Each appointment began with a blood draw; once her lab results were back and the doctor cleared her to proceed, she was taken to a treatment room for chemotherapy. She also began the cold capping process at that time. While chemotherapy typically lasted three to four hours, she continued cold capping at home to complete the process.
“I always got my chemo on a Friday,” said Toms. “If I wasn’t feeling well or had any questions over the weekend, they give you a direct line to a nurse navigator.”
Toms also appreciated that if she ever needed fluids, which she said are quite common with chemotherapy treatment, it was just a simple phone call and then a drive to the hospital.
“If you’re not feeling well and need fluids, you can go into the ER to get fluids,” said Toms. “Literally, you call the nurse navigator, they say come on up, they put the orders in, and it’s such a simple process. … I would drop the kids off at school, go up and get the fluids. It was probably about an hour, so not time consuming at all.”
For Toms, chemotherapy consisted of six treatments every three weeks. Once complete, she traveled to Des Moines for her double mastectomy and then returned to Carroll to start her radiation journey at the St. Anthony Regional Cancer Center.
“It was a really, really smooth process,” noted Toms. “I did 28 treatments of radiation in 28 business days. It was super simple. You check in and within five minutes of arrival, you’re going back for your radiation. It took me longer to drive up there than it did for the actual radiation.”
Following radiation, Toms began immunotherapy, with a plan consisting of 14 treatments every three weeks — a process she’s currently undergoing.
“I’m up there for a half day every three weeks.”
Toms notes that, while she’s been at the hospital a lot this past year, it’s the relationships she’s built with her care team that have made all the difference.
A person, not just a patient
From the nurses to her consults with Dr. Lukenbill and Peterson, Toms acknowledged that the personal touch kept every visit as enjoyable and normal as possible.
“All the nurses up there, I knew them from out in the community, and I still see them out in the community and talk to them,” said Toms. “It’s a nice, personal touch to everything. You really get to know them, know their kids. You can make it as personal as you want, but I have that personality where I like to get to know people,” she joked.
Since she began her journey, Toms has never felt unsupported in her quest for normalcy.
“You go to some of the bigger city hospitals and you might press a call button and sit there and wait,” said Toms. “That’s not at all the care you receive at St. Anthony. You have a direct line to them. They answer the phone immediately; you’re not sitting in a holding pattern. You truly feel like you’re almost the only person going through this because of the one-on-one care you receive. I don’t even know the right word … it’s personal — it’s a personal touch.”
Some advice for other breast cancer patients
While no cancer journey is the same, Toms encourages other patients to take it in stride.
“At first it’s scary and overwhelming, with a lot of appointments. It’s a very humbling experience. But my outlook has been to never take anything for granted. Embrace every opportunity that you have.”
She also reminds individuals that you make the experience what you want of it.
“Mindset is a huge part of your experience. And along with mindset, your environment is a big part of it as well. The environment at St. Anthony and the cancer center has been simply amazing. The positive environment, the amazing care you receive, and a positive mindset can make your experience a good experience.”
One thing this entire journey has taught Toms about herself is just how tough she can be.
“I can actually handle hard things. I always thought of myself as kind of a wimp, but if I can get through this, I can get through everything. Maybe I’m not as big of a wimp as I thought I was,” she joked.
While Toms had no immediate intention of sharing her story, we’re glad a simple nudge from her friends at St. Anthony inspired her to do so.
“I guess it was a sign that I could help someone by sharing.”
We thank Toms for telling her story and for reminding others on similar paths that their journey can feel normal, too, with a positive mindset and a care team close to home that makes them feel welcome and never alone.
Whether you’re just starting your cancer journey or have been on it for a while, you can find care close to home at St. Anthony Regional Cancer Center. The cancer center serves patients from 17 counties. Its team of oncologists and oncology-certified nurses has the knowledge and experience to provide expert, compassionate cancer care through every step of your journey. Connect with the team at 712-794-5265 to get started.
And for those interested in connecting with others on similar cancer journeys, St. Anthony offers a Cancer Support Group that meets the second Wednesday of each month. Learn more on our website.