The Pink Journey Foundation Spotlight - February 2024

 

We had the honor to share our story with The Pink Journey Foundation for the month of love, February!   Spotlight- Lauren and Chris Yerkes

In February we reflect on how love in our lives strengthens, guides, encourages, and provides that human need of being loved.  It doesn’t mean it will be easy or that we take it for granted,  as every day is a gift.  It is how we choose to live it,  hoping for many more days ahead, as if it is our last. The love story of Lauren and Chris Yerkes represents all of this and their journey through Lauren’s breast cancer treatment, together,  and are moving forward post treatment.

Lauren's creed I am a woman, a wife, a daughter, a granddaughter, a sister, an aunt, a friend, a niece, a cousin, a boss.   I am a warrior and member of multiple teams.   I serve myself, my husband, my family, my friends and all those I encounter.   I will always place the mission first.   I will never accept defeat.   I will never quit.   I will never let my strength go.   I am disciplined, physically and mentally tough, willing to learn and adapt to anything I encounter.   I will always maintain my gratitude and love for life.   I am a strong, proud cancer survivor.   I stand ready to fight off fear, uncertainty and anxiety for whatever comes my way.   I am the guardian of my life, and my husband, family and friends are here to cherish life with me.   I am a woman, a wife, a daughter, a granddaughter, a sister, an aunt, a friend, a niece, a cousin, a boss.

The Power of love  and their fight to survive  Facts: Diagnosed on April 7, 2022 Age: 37 Family history: none Type of breast cancer: Triple Negative, Stage 2 Immunotherapy: 7 of 9 rounds of Keytruda (too weak to complete) Chemotherapy: 14 of 16 rounds (too weak to complete) Hyperbaric treatment: 30 rounds (due to nipple necrosis) Surgery: Bilateral mastectomy with reconstruction Side effects: Nausea, vomiting, ulcers, weakness Result of side effects: GI tube placement Gene disorder: BRCA 2 (gene testing) Surgery: Preventative hysterectomy Pros: Self-exam discovered a lump; later nipple discharge Persistent follow up with mammogram, ultrasound, biopsy Great insurance Great doctors, nurses Great family and friends support Cons: Shock, fear, life changing news Dr said, “You aren’t 40 yet, you don’t need to worry about breast cancer.” Under 40 Vomiting Loss of weight GI tube Ulcers Weakness (wheelchair bound during this phase) Unknown factors (what does a diagnosis of cancer bring to you) Cancer does not know your age In 2021 after Lauren found a lump in her breast followed with eventual nipple discharge, she went to her doctor and found she had a normal mammogram, normal ultrasound, and even with follow ups with these tests showing normal results.  During this four-month period, Lauren and Chris knew something wasn’t right. With Lauren’s persistence she insisted on further testing with a biopsy. This was after she was told, by a doctor, she was “too young” to have breast cancer.   The biopsy confirmed her suspicion that she had breast cancer. She was right!  She found out she had Stage 2 Triple Negative breast cancer which launced her into her cancer journey. The year 2022 was supposed to be a year of celebration for Lauren and Chris....milestones of their 10-year wedding anniversary, Chris' 40th birthday and their newly remodeled home along with visiting their favorite "go to" relaxing place, Maui. “I was raised in a family that accepted challenges and along with being in the military I learned that giving back, fighting for what’s right and not giving up was how we were going to get through this. Were we in shock and scared, yes, but we weren’t mad or sad, just that we had a fight on our hands and no money or time would deter our focus on conquering this through our optimism,” shared Chris. As the caretaker of someone going through breast cancer one takes on a different role than the patient. It is not always the easiest role to manage. Loving someone prior to any true health challenge takes on a new meaning and puts you to the test of what that commitment is to that person crossing over to a health diagnosis.  Some marriages are challenged by a cancer diagnosis, some end in divorce or are changed forever in a way that is unexpected. Chris, being the co-survivor had a different role to play in their cancer story. For him it only made his love for Lauren even stronger. To see Lauren go through the challenges and struggles of cancer were heart wrenching and painful. Both knew their marriage commitment would withstand this battle no matter what it brought.  Lauren had her own thoughts, “Initially we cried and hugged each other, Chris called our family and friends to give the news in hopes of finding support, comfort, and advice on our next steps. All I could think was people die from this and I’m not going to make it to Christmas. I was only 37! I needed to live; to live for myself, for Chris, for my family and friends. Chris was my biggest source of encouragement. We have plans to grow old together and we were not going to let cancer get in the way of that,” said Lauren. “Before breast cancer (bc) we never thought about a serious health diagnosis, we have a large family and many friends whom we spent time with and shared wonderful memories. But we were too young to worry about anything beyond enjoying our lives,” Chris and Lauren said together. Leaning on the doctors and cancer team to do their magic and move Lauren through her bc journey became their focus. Trying to maintain a sense of normalcy by continuing to work became a challenge for both Chris and Lauren.  “My company was wonderful, but I realized my self-care was important and I had to move my energy to overcoming the many ups and downs in this journey,” said Lauren. Chris supported Lauren by attending appointments with her, caretaking her medical needs, balancing work and family needs. This all jumped to the top of the priority list for him. Their daily routine quickly changed to treatment plans, scans, surgeries, and doctor appointments. Normal conversations went from planning family events and vacations to talking to those who have walked in their steps and hoping to find comfort in their knowledge.  Questions ran through their minds…with so much technological advancements in medicine why were so many institutions focused on the magical age of 40 for mammograms? Gene testing is still not utilized as a normal routine testing for women getting mammograms. Lauren had gene testing to find out she is a BRCA 2 carrier. “If we knew that Lauren was going to develop breast cancer years ago, we could have taken the necessary steps to get ahead of the breast cancer diagnosis…..vs Lauren having to be her own advocate and fight to get the scans, tests, and treatment she needed,” shared Chris. We are learning that many women are being diagnosed with breast cancer  under the age of 40. Yet many national organization guidelines, including American Cancer Society, suggest starting annual mammograms at this age, 40. American Cancer Society Recommendations for the Early Detection of Breast Cancer Lauren’s cancer journey was one tough battle. It included chemotherapy, immunotherapy, bilateral mastectomy, breast reconstruction, a GI tube, many days of sickness due to her lack of strength and ability to keep food down, time in a wheelchair, a hysterectomy….all of which threw her in to menopause in a very short period of time which normally occurs over a 10-year period….all before she was 40! Fast forward (and no disrespect to the process in getting there) Lauren and Chris have pure gratitude to the doctors, the medicine and research, the nurses, their family and friends all who supported and contributed to Lauren’s cure.  Celebrating………. In October, Lauren gathered her friends and family to support her participation in the American Cancer Society Breast Cancer walk. The year before Lauren was in a wheelchair and unable to participate, this year she walked, and she raised over $10,000 to provide support and hope to others.  Redefining how Lauren was going to live her life as a cancer survivor and Chris as a co-survivor became their focus. Being on the other side of their cancer journey; helping others as they begin their cancer story is part of what Lauren and Chris want to do to pay it forward. Not a day goes by where they don’t think back to the struggles and the unknown, but the feelings of pure pride, joy, happiness, and love move past the hard parts. Sharing their story in a blog has allowed them to inform their family and friends and hopefully educate those who may be newly diagnosed.  They call it: The Lessons We Learned as Husband and Wife.   Blogging became a therapeutic outlet for both, they wanted to share a step-by-step process through their cancer journey, turning it into a book someday. Lauren’s words of wisdom include, “It’s going to be okay; you don’t know everyone’s outcome, tomorrow is not guaranteed. Don’t try and control it, have trust and faith in those around you…family, friends, and medical staff.” Through the blog posts, they have engaged with others on their cancer journey and continue to focus on making a difference on their progress. “If we can help one person, we have made a difference,” shared Chris.    New normal post cancer diagnosis Some days it hits Lauren hard and everything that has happened to her catches up to her and she must take a minute to talk it out, cry it out or write about it. For Lauren the old “me” is gone, it has all changed. It is the fear that comes, the anger, and the crying goes on and on, but she continues to find something that brings it back to a place of optimism, a silver lining that helps her to keep moving forward. “Life is getting back to ‘normal’ or the ‘new normal. This includes constantly seeing doctors, scans, blood work, etc. but we are okay with it, as long as the news is good, and it has been. I am stronger than I ever thought I would be and much braver than I ever wished to be…my husband, family and friends were right beside me the entire way. I’m finally able to think about the things I miss and grieve the loss of the things I know will never come back or won’t come back in the same way. I hate the grief, but it helps with the growth, so I take it in stride.” reflects Lauren. November marked a few milestones for Lauren and Chris…they celebrated their 11-year wedding anniversary, one year from Lauren’s bilateral mastectomy and ONE YEAR BEING CANCER FREE!A perfect month to celebrate the many things to be “thankful” for on their journey. Lauren and Chris smiled and passed a look to each other that only their bond and love story understands, sharing that they are “dedicated to each other, that patience truly is a virtue, that acceptance is imperative to keep moving forward, that pride goes beyond the things you own, and that appreciation is the greatest gift when it comes to the life you get to live as a husband and wife.  You can read more about Lauren and Chris' story in their blog here: Lauren and Chris Yerkes cancer journey blog

Lauren and Chris met over 23 years ago (married over 12 of these years) and through many events in their life together took this life-threatening challenge on with the commitment of ..."from this day forward, for better for worse...in sickness and in health, to love and cherish always..."  2022 was supposed to be a year of celebration for Lauren and Chris-normalcy took on a new look! Family events, vacations, and "normal" routines were quickly replaced with doctor appointments, scans, treatment, surgeries, and so much more! “I wasn’t ready to say goodbye to the old me. Cancer comes quick and it gives you no time to mourn the loss of what you have; the only thing you can do is focus on staying alive,” says Lauren. Support comes in many forms....Chris didn't have to do much to mirror Lauren's hair loss!  "We had a fight on our hands and no money or time would deter our focus on conquering through this with optimism," shared Chris. “Life is okay and I’m going to be okay and it’s my time to live happily ever after-so grief and worries, step aside-I’ve got a lot of love to give. I am alive, I am healthy, and I am living,” expressed Lauren.  Chris and Lauren are on the other side of cancer and are paying it forward by sharing their story on their blog as well as getting back to the "new normal" by visiting family and favorite vacation spots once again.  "We are going to grow old together!" Embracing the Journey- In shadows cast by doubt and fear,  A glimmer of hope begins to appear. Through battles fought and tears we've shed,  We find strength to face what lies ahead. The journey's path may seem unclear, But united, we'll overcome, my dear. With love and support, hand in hand, We'll navigate this foreign land. Together, we'll embrace the fight, Illuminating darkness with our might. With hope as our compass, we'll find our way,  Conquering breast cancer day by day. -Unknown

Next month we will follow Lauren and Chris and their continued outreach to various executives at health insurance companies and government agencies asking them to require that genetic testing be done, or offered, at a woman's annual physical.

January 2024 Update

Hi everyone, since this is the first update in our blog for 2024, Lauren and I wanted to wish everyone a Happy New Year!  We hope everyone had a great holiday. 

So, there has been a good deal of time since the last 100% pure Chris post, so I thought I would take the reins of this one, giving Lauren a night off.  First thing first, medical updates.  

 

Two weeks ago, Lauren had her one-month post hysterectomy follow up appointment with Dr. Abaid. Nothing we didn’t expect already as the results came back negative for any kind of cancerous cells. Lauren’s BRCA2 gene puts her in the higher risk for ovarian cancer, so it only made sense to reduce her chances by the means of a full hysterectomy.  Chemotherapy placed Lauren into menopause, so as odd as this may sound, her reproductive organs would have served us no purpose other than the risk of giving her cancer down the road, and we did not want to go down that road again, ever.

 

Lauren has done absolutely well post hysterectomy, her scars have practically healed, and her “second” bellybutton from the feeding tube, used as an entry way for the surgical procedure has also healed to a mere cat-scratch like scar; if you know our cat Zoey, you will understand.  

 

Dr. Abaid has cleared Lauren for flying, which is great because we plan on traveling soon to Coeur d’Alene for Lauren’s first visit to our second home.  I’m more than ecstatic because there is a boat load of snow up there and our driveway and entry way need to be shoveled out.  Going to put Lauren’s newfound strength to work, not to mention we have furniture to assemble.

 

If this really happens, I will show photographic evidence.

 

Life is getting back to “normal”, or the “new normal” of forever constantly seeing doctors, scans, blood work, etc. but we are okay with it, as long as the news is good, and it has been.  The ebbs and flow of work, family, and everything else, seem to almost be like it was pre-covid craziness, and you know, I am okay with it.  This all leads me to the next section of this posting that has put our life into perspective.

 

In one of the many posts of our blog, I think we mentioned that 1/8 women will develop breast cancer, and as staggering as that statistic may be, it’s worse in Orange County, 1/7 women.  We are both starting to see some articles being written that the 1/8 number might even be a bit low and it might be somewhere between 1/6 to 1/7 women and overall cancer rates in young adults is rising.  What in the hell is going on?  With all the technological advancements in medicine that have been available to the masses for many years, our medical providers, major insurance carriers, and bureaucrats in DC and at the state level all seem to be fixated on the magical age of 40.  Cancer does not care what age you are and it sure as hell doesn’t develop or metastasize at 40.  Gene testing or cancer screening is a drop in the bucket for insurance carriers vs. having to pay out for treatment when the diagnosis has already been assumed.  I can say that if we knew that Lauren was going to develop breast cancer years ago, we could have taken the necessary steps to get ahead of it versus Lauren having to be her own advocate and fight to get the scans, tests and the treatment needed, plus not to mention the $1.5 million dollars billed to insurance.  Truly asinine.  

 

Last week, Lauren wrote an amazing email to more than 30 people including CEOs of major insurance carriers, the California State department of Health and Human Services, local government representatives and federal government representatives with a handful of email bounce backs.  Of all the people we emailed, only one person responded to Lauren, and that person wasn’t even on the original email chain.  Again, truly asinine.  We will post the outgoing email in a few days and the response from the individual with their information redacted for privacy reasons.

 

The last part of this email is about a colleague of Lauren who has recently been diagnosed with stage 2 breast cancer.  For the sake of keeping her identity private, I will refer to this person as Jane.  Lauren and Jane have been in contact with each other since the initial diagnosis being that Jane’s cancer is similar to Lauren’s, however the difference being the cancer receptors of Jane’s cancer is slightly different than Lauren’s.   As shitty as it is for Jane, and we 100% know every single feeling and emotion Jane and her husband are going through, it is one of the strangest feelings hearing her go through every single step of the diagnosis and treatment process as it still lives vividly in my mind, each step, day by day.  I am so grateful that Lauren can be there for Jane if needed, and it’s great that Jane has reached out to Lauren with some questions since it’s still so fresh for us. 

 

Jane, if you read this, know that we are here for you whenever you need us, and for anyone who has questions.

 

More to come, and here’s to 2024!

 

Chris 

 

Friday, December 1, 2023.

It’s not always sunshine and rainbows over here.  I am still so incredibly happy with my life and where we are at post treatment and surgeries, but some days (they are fewer than they were during treatment) something hits me and everything that has happened catches up to me and I have to take a minute to talk it out, cry it out, and write it out.  

 

One of those days got me this past week.  Like I said, I don’t get those days often, but when they come, they hit hard – the fear comes, the anger comes, the crying goes on and on - but I always find something that brings it back to a place of optimism, that silver lining that helps to bring me back to continuing to move forward.

 

First, grief.  Grief that the old me is gone – how I felt, what I could do, what my mind could do, what my body could do – it’s all changed.  A lot of the old me has come back, but there are still things that have not come back or will never come back, and I wasn’t ready to say goodbye to those things.  Cancer comes quick and it gives you no time to mourn the loss of what you have; the only thing you can do is focus on staying alive.  Now that most of me has come back, I feel like I’m finally able to think about the things I miss and grieve the loss of the things I know will never come back or won’t come back in the same way.  I hate the grief, but it helps with the growth so I take it in strides.

 

Second, worries.  It’s hard not to worry.  As much as I know I am never guaranteed a tomorrow (and really no one is), the worry of cancer coming back doesn’t go away.  It’s with me every day, some days it’s very vocal, other days its dull or non-existent.  It reminds me of those red do not touch signs you’d see as a kid at a store that had pretty/expensive breakable things and all you wanted to do was touch what you weren’t supposed to touch, and one day you’d touch it because it just was staring at you and you couldn't resist any longer, but then you are in big trouble.  I feel like some days there is this ‘do not touch’ sign on me and no one touches it because it says not to, but what if one day there’s that ‘kid’ that comes up to you and touches it?  Then you know, you are in trouble.  I feel like I’m that shiny object at a store with the ‘do not touch’ sign on me wishing and hoping that no kid comes up and touches my sign.  Of course, this is just an analogy, but it’s always there, this worry gets bigger and smaller depending on how the day/week/month is going.  I know that feeling will become smaller and smaller, and that do not touch sign will get smaller and smaller, but I just wish it wasn’t there at all.  I can't wait until it doesn't exist and the store (me) is filled with everything you can touch.

 

Third, love.  Marriage is so rewarding and fulfilling.  It’s one of my proudest accomplishments, as an individual and for us as a couple.  Through the feelings of grief and worries, there is this deep love that hits and reminds me how much I love.  Love for this incredible man who has been by my side for 22 years runs far and wide.  Love that I never want to go away, that I want to tell everyone about because it’s the best feeling in the world and that I squeeze Chris's hand for when it comes crashing down on me.  I could tell him I love him over and over every day, which I do, but some days the feeling grows bigger and I love the fact that after 22 years it continues to grow in new ways.  This week brought those big love feelings on top of grief and worry - balance they say is key, right?

 

So all of that grief, all of those worries and all of that love made for a week that felt bigger than others, but ultimately it’s okay because I am okay – I am alive, I am healthy and I am living.  Plus, to wrap the week up strongly, I went to training this morning and I have graduated from 5lbs (I know, sounds small) to 8lbs (and up pretty close to 10lbs) on my left arm – the arm that can barely extend 180 degrees since surgeries and is what I am still going to physical therapy for.  It’s progress and time and patience and I am so grateful that I get to work towards creating those milestones.  And the fact that one of my friends at the gym told me my butt was back to where it was before cancer was the cherry on top of my graduation in weights!

 

Life is okay and I’m going to be okay and it’s my time to live happily ever after – so grief and worries, step aside – I’ve got a lot of love to give.

XO,

Lauren

 

 

October 27 Updates - Good Stuff!

October 27, 2023

 

Well, a few things have happened since we last updated the blog at the end of August.  All GREAT things!!

 

The beginning of September we got to travel to my step-brothers wedding in Coeur d’ Alene (CDA), Idaho.  We fell in love with CDA and will be back (and maybe even buying some property out there before you know it!).  From CDA we drove to Missoula & Kalispell, Montana for 2nd home exploration and just to visit.  It was beautiful and we’ll definitely go back and visit.  We came home and unfortunately got COVID for the first time.  We haven’t been sick in a few years and were especially careful last year due to my weakened immune system.  Luckily our symptoms weren’t too badand we finally tested negative after 10 days!

 

September 25th, I had my 2nd PET Scan since surgery last November.  It went well and was smooth, but the anxiousness and waiting for the results is daunting.  Hoag got a new machine this year and it was faster than previous tests and much smoother, so it made the process much easier and more relaxing.  Hoag is so wonderful and the technician gave us such positive feedback about Dr. Vandermolen and kept telling us how lucky we were to get in with him, we couldn’t agree more.  It’s amazing to hear from so many people that my care is in such good hands.  

September 26th we celebrated one year being done with chemotherapy.  Even though last year was so exciting to be done, things progressively got worse following treatment.  This year we got to really celebrate being done and being away from such a tough period.

 

October 5th we took a quick trip up to Napa for the evening and joined a dinner with Danika Patrick and her wine label, Somnium.  Chris and I are fans of her rose, it’s very good – but more than that, Chris is just a fan of her!  It was nice to get up there and make a quick trip and enjoy a night away.

 

October 9th we met with Dr. Vandermolen and got the results of myPET Scan.  It was CLEAR!!  What a sigh of relief it was to hear those words from him.  We high fived and Dr. Vandermolen joined in with a handshake.  If you could meet him, he’s so kind and thoughtful and we always enjoy trying to make him laugh or smile, so we were excited by the handshake – we felt like he was just as proud and excited as we were!

 

October 12th – 15th, I went back to Napa with my dad and sister for a long weekend away.  It was the first ‘daddy-daughter trip’ we’ve done and was a great trip! Plus it was fun for my dad and I to take my sister around Napa for the first time! 

 

October 22nd, we got to celebrate the American Cancer Society Breast Cancer walk in Costa Mesa.  This was HUGE for us.  Last year, I was in a wheelchair and so weak.  It was extremely rewarding on so many levels to be there and celebrate with family & friends.  I don’t know if people could tell how happy we were, but that day marked a huge triumph in our story.  We got to reflect on everything we went through and share our story with so many people.  I was asked to be the guest speaker prior to the walk – shared my story, everything I went through and where I’m at now.  On top of that I did 2 interviews with CBS News. (See it below, 0:55 in!)  It’s funny how these types of things would make me so nervous in the past and I had no fears, I was so proud and excited to share my story that it was easy to talk.  I’m pretty sure my parents and Chris’s parents have shown the video to everyone from their neighbors to the lady at the grocery story!  I was able to raise just over $10,000 this year and I can’t even begin to thank everyone for all of their support here.  It means the world to me that you supported breast cancer and more importantly that you supported me!

 

October 25th, I met with Dr. Guerra, my plastic surgeon for a 1 year post double mastectomy check up.  She said things were looking great and I’ll have another check up in 6 months.  They basically want to continue to monitor to ensure I am healing properly.  2 years post surgery I will have an MRI to get a baseline average of how my body has responded.  

 

We have 3 big milestones coming up in the next few weeks with lots to celebrate!  First, our 11 year wedding anniversary is November 3.  Last year we were in the hospital because I had my feeding tube placed – this year will be much different and a hell of a lot better!  Now I wait to see what Chris has planned for us – hehe.  November 7th marks 1 year from my double mastectomy.  Just as a reminder of the number 7 for us…I was diagnosed April 7th, I had my double mastectomy November 7th – it is 7 months between those 2 dates, so 777 has become very significant to us.  November 11th marks 1 YEAR BEING CANCER FREE!! 11.11.22 – another number significance….11 + 11 = 22.  We are number people, if you can’t tell!  So all in all, lots to celebrate, lots to be thankful for as we approach this Thanksgiving and lots to cherish.  

 

We hope you have a wonderful holiday season and we’ll be sure to update again soon!  All our love!

 

Lauren