By: Jessica Cihacek
jcihacek@kcautv.com
Carolyn Hogan was diagnosed with breast cancer two and a half years ago.
After going through a bilateral mastectomy, chemotherapy and several subsequent surgeries, she's proud to say she's a survivor.
And while she can say there is light at the end of the tunnel, it's a tunnel, she admits, one never fully escapes.
Now, she deals with lymphedema, which is fluid retention and painful swelling that comes as a result of the cancer. She also deals with the constant fear of cancer's return.
Hogan explains, "Every little pain you have, every little bump. You wonder...is it back?
Not to mention the physical and emotional changes that follow.
"There's physically, actually parts of me that aren't there anymore, and just knowing that there are things that I cannot do now that I used to be able to. I'm just not the same person I used to be and it's kind of hard to deal with sometimes."
All of this has added up to another uphill battle: depression.
You see, during her treatment she didn't have time to think about what was happening to her. She was focused on beating the cancer. Now that it's finally sunk in, she says it's critical to keep herself just as occupied as she was before.
That's why she volunteers for a cause she believes in. Like the annual June E. Nylen Cancer Center's Race for Hope, benefiting patients of all types of cancer.
Hogan says, "It's kind of therapeutic for me to talk to these people and let them know, I've been there, I've done this. I know what you're going through, but there's going to come a point where you feel better."
And while she may not be back to her old self quite yet, she can confidently say she is a survivor.
The Race for Hope was once again, a grand success. The event drew in over 900 people and raised for $54,000.
