Gratitude and Joy After a Decade of Treatment
If there’s one thing Karen Crosthwaite has learned over the past 10 years, it’s that luck only takes you so far. But today, she feels lucky beyond words.
Years of countless treatments. Moments of doubt. And yet, last month, Crosthwaite stood at Moffitt Cancer Center, ringing the bell, filled with gratitude and feeling lucky to have made it this far. Diagnosed with stage 4 HER2-positive breast cancer, she fought through all odds.
“Not everyone gets this moment,” she said, “And I don’t take it for granted.”
Crosthwaite, from Haines City, first noticed a change in her breast herself. Despite her primary care doctor’s reassurance that it was nothing to worry about, she decided to get a second opinion.
A PET scan revealed a more serious situation than she had been led to believe.
“I remember the radiologist reviewing the scan told me, ‘Karen, if you have a chance to go to Moffitt, you run. Don’t walk, run,’” she said.
Heather Han, MD
Crosthwaite sought another opinion at Moffitt, where she met Heather Han, MD, clinical research director in Moffitt’s Breast Oncology Department, who created a treatment plan for her.
She initially followed the plan with a local oncologist. But not so long after, she received some unexpected news.
“I received a call from Dr. Han. She said, ‘I just saw your scan. Is this you? Because I don’t see how it could be. It’s spread so fast,’” Crosthwaite recalled.
By the time she arrived at the cancer center, her cancer had progressed significantly. “It was in my bones, my liver, my femur, my collarbone, five places in my spine. I lit up like a Christmas tree,” she said.
Crosthwaite’s first experience with treatment outside of Moffitt had been difficult. She was hospitalized for a week due to neutropenia, a condition caused by severley low white blood cells, and faced financial barriers to receiving the medications she needed.
“One day, I got another call from Dr. Han in which she asked me, ‘Would you like me to be your doctor? Be here Wednesday and we’ll get started.’ She was so willing to help me right away. It was incredible. She’s the best,” Crosthwaite said.
For the past 10 years, she made the trip to the cancer center every third Wednesday. It became a regular part of her life and a fight she never gave up on. She was treated with a monoclonal antibody medication, which proved to be successful in managing her illness.
This past February, Crosthwaite marked the end to that long fight. She rang the bell, surrounded by family, friends and Moffitt team members.
Her time at Moffitt, from the shock of her diagnosis to the support she received from the medical team, changed her outlook on life. She remembers the small acts of kindness that made a difference, like nurses holding her hand and doctors taking the time to answer every question.
“They always told me I was a miracle patient, and for that, I feel profoundly blessed,” she added. “I feel thankful for the incredible care and the second chance at life that Moffitt has given me. I feel lucky to be here, to share my story and to give hope to others. Thank you, Moffitt, for everything.”
