ISU faculty member reflects on past cancer battle

The news came on a rainy Friday morning in October of 2004. The waiting room of the doctor?s office in North-Central Texas was empty; regular business hours weren?t being held that day. But in this case, the doctor would make an exception.

After being ushered into an examination room, Jennifer Sicking, who was a Texas newspaper reporter at the time, was quickly met by her doctor. What came next would send her into a state of shock.

?[The doctor] said, ?You have uterine cancer.? And I really don?t remember much of what she said after that,? Sicking said. ?You hear that word and the world kind of stops for a moment.?

Just over eight years have passed for Sicking, associate director of Indiana State Media Relations, since her diagnosis of uterine cancer. Upon her fifth year in the ISU communication department, she reflected on her experience with an illness that affects tens of thousands of women every year.

The disclosure of her condition came after a regular checkup appointment with Sicking?s obstetrician/gynecologist, which included regular yearly tests.

?I didn?t know that when a doctor calls you in and wants to see you, that?s not a good thing,? she said. ?Normally you just get a note saying that your test results are fine.?

Sicking said she was at a loss for words when she heard the diagnosis and couldn?t help but stand in disbelief at the odds of becoming ill.

?You never think it?s going to happen to you. You know people who have had cancer, or are battling cancer, or have unfortunately died from it, but you don?t think it?s going to be you,? she said. ?And it was me.?

As with any type of cancer, Sicking had to act fast to address what treatment options were available to her. Chemotherapy and radiation resulted in a 65 percent survival rate, she said, while 100 percent of patients survived what is known as a hysterectomy procedure.

Sicking eventually decided on the surgery and the higher percentage rate. Originally from Texas, she relied on nearby family and friends as a source of support during the long month and a half leading up to her procedure. Her love for motorcycles also played a role in keeping her mind of off things.

?A host of friends ? made t-shirts for a bunch of us that said ?Jenny?s Motorcycle Gang: Hot Wheels, Hot Mamas? as a sign of support and solidarity,? she said. ?I remember getting together with a big group of them before the surgery and they were all wearing their t-shirts. There?s a lot of love and support from all that.?

This comfort helped ease Sicking?s mind up until December 4, 2004, when doctors successfully removed an egg-sized tumor from her uterus.

?It hadn?t [spread] yet, so I was very, very fortunate,? she said. ?It was caught early. It hadn?t developed into stage two, it was still stage one.?

As some may not realize, doctor visits don?t stop after the surgery is finished. Frequent appointments made up Sicking?s first year after the procedure, occurring less and less after each visit. Because of this, she made it a point to celebrate her health after each appointment.

?I?d go out and have drinks with friends,? she said. ?Life is a cause for celebration, isn?t it? One of the things I realized is that we have so much to celebrate and too often we get caught up in the day-to-day [routine].?

As the eighth year of health passes since her surgery, Sicking said she wants to remember what she?s learned from the process, but won?t let it define who she is.?

?I don?t think about it as much anymore,? she said. ?It?s part of my story, it?s part of who I am, but it?s not all of who I am.?

Three years after fighting her illness, Sicking made her way to Terre Haute to transition from her job as a reporter to her role in media relations at ISU. But before being diagnosed, Sicking lived in Kyushu, Japan and taught conversational English. She also worked at a number of newspapers upon receiving her undergraduate degree from West Texas A&M University.

With cases rising every year, Sicking encourages all women to get tested regularly and keep their health in mind. In 2008, 43,134 women were diagnosed with uterine cancer, which is the most recent statistic available from the Center for Disease Control and Prevent webpage.

?Of course it?s not your favorite doctor?s visit in the world, but it?s so important and you would rather it be caught early,? she said. ?So just go and make sure you?re getting tested and checked.?

Source: http://www.indianastatesman.com/news/isu-faculty-member-reflects-on-past-cancer-battle-1.2935311

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