Kim’s cancer journey began on August 30, 2023, during her annual physical with her primary care physician. She had an enlarged lymph node on the right side of her neck, and at the time was thought to be the result of a sinus infection. Kim was prescribed antibiotics on two separate occasions along with prednisone. When neither made a difference, her primary care physician recommended she make an appointment with an ENT. Neither her PCP nor ENT felt that the enlarged lymph node had characteristics that were concerning, however, to be on the safe side, she was scheduled for an ultrasound. The ultrasound confirmed a swollen lymph node which then led to a CT Scan.
As an advocate for her own health, Kim requested that a biopsy be performed as the lymph node had not changed for two months and thankfully, she did as the CT scan noted concern for metastatic lymph node. Her PCP and ENT contacted Duke Cancer Institute and she was quickly scheduled for a biopsy by interventional radiology. The biopsy confirmed Squamous Cell Carcinoma.
November 2, 2023, was a day that rocked me to my core. I was never a smoker, this diagnosis was 50% more common in males than females, and at this point, the primary tumor could not be identified. I have always been considered the strong one, however at this point, my mind raced with questions, and needless to say, I was so scared, explained Kim.
The next step in Kim’s cancer journey led to an appointment with Dr. Walter Lee, an ENT Surgeon at Duke. He performed an endoscopy and saw no signs of lesions or tumors in her oral cavity, however, based on his experience, visual examination, and report results, he felt 90+% confident the tumor was in her right tonsil and most likely HPV, P16 positive.
Dr. Lee is a man of faith, and I knew I was in the right hands when he asked if I knew the three ‘F’s’ needed to get through my cancer journey. When I answered with the word ‘fight,’ he agreed that was a good one but ‘faith, family, & friends’ was what he was referring to, added Kim. He then prayed with my husband and me and gave me the thumbs up to travel to my stepson’s wedding and enjoy myself.
Dr. Lee discussed her case with the multidisciplinary team at H&N Tumor Board and since Kim had no other signs or symptoms, surgery was scheduled for December 1 to remove both tonsils and swollen lymph nodes. Upon her return from the family wedding, Kim underwent a PET scan, which confirmed NO SPREAD or metastasis outside the original lymph node, but the PET didn’t light up the primary tumor in her oral cavity; however, her medical team still believed the tumor was in her right tonsil.
At the beginning of December, Kim underwent robotic surgery to remove both tonsils and a radical neck dissection to remove 14 lymph nodes. Due to the position of her carotid artery in relation to her tonsil bed, there was one area where negative margins were not achieved which meant radiation therapy – the next step in her cancer journey after she healed from her surgery. Thankfully no chemotherapy was recommended as a result of the staging of her tumor.
Kim was scheduled for 30 rounds of radiation, five days a week for six weeks. She was fitted for the radiation mask which was an experience for her: It was the first time I felt like a ‘cancer’ patient and a new set of emotions took over. The first four weeks of radiation were manageable. I continued to work, continued to help my daughter with our horses to stay active and moving, and ate fairly normally until about the fourth week. My biggest challenge was maintaining my weight (no feeding tube was recommended) which is a challenge for most head and neck cancer patients, said Kim.
At the end of the fourth week, Kim could feel a shift in side effects, so she decided to go back on medical leave. The remaining weeks of radiation were challenging for her. Nothing seemed to help the burning in her mouth. Kim tried different pain management medications, several liquid mouth solutions, and lots of water. The recovery from radiation was more painful and intense than her recovery from surgery. Kim returned to work in mid-March, still maintaining a restricted diet consisting of soft and fairly bland foods.
During Head & Neck Cancer Awareness Month (April), Kim and her husband formed a team to fundraise for the Head & Neck Cancer Alliance’s Move-A-Thon. Cancer patient advocacy has always been important to them as both work in the pharmaceutical industry, but now that Kim has been the patient, it has taken on an entirely new meaning, and she looks to become increasingly more involved.
Kim’s cancer journey has taught her so many things: never take a day for granted, keep moving if you can, cancer doesn’t discriminate, advocate for yourself, lean on your faith, family and friends and never give up!
