GREEN BAY, Wis. (WBAY) – It is very difficult to find someone who is not affected in any way by cancer.
February 4 is World Cancer Day, 24 hours, where there is an extra boost to raise awareness and education about the disease.
A Green Bay doctor and mother are sharing messages of encouragement and inspiration, hoping their personal stories will help others stay healthy.
“I had no reason to be a cancer patient. I eat healthily. I’m active. I had no symptoms, no warning signs. There was no reason to think that I would have a regularly scheduled mammogram and come back with the news that it was a significant mass that needed to be removed, ”says Paula Wilde.
However, it was there that Paula, wife and mother of two daughters, met in October.
Two weeks later, she had surgery.
That same month, her best friend, also battling breast cancer, lost the fight.
“She is not here to guide me, but I feel that she almost prepared me to do this alone in some way,” says Paula.
Although she has an incredible support team, COVID forced her to physically go through the most difficult parts, like surgery, alone.
“My husband and my daughters left me at the door and picked me up the next day. You go to chemotherapy alone every time. You are alone, which makes everything even more scary, I think ”, says Paula.
But she doesn’t want it to discourage people from keeping up with their routine checkups or checking something that doesn’t feel right.
In fact, she is trying to do the exact opposite.
That’s why she is stepping out of her comfort zone to share her story.
“You don’t think you’ll ever be the person sitting in my chair. And if I can help just one person to keep a commitment or keep thinking about it and do something and maybe, you know, God forbid, discover something that they wouldn’t have at an early stage or in general just because I came here and said about that, I’m happy to do that, ”says Paula.
“Every day is cancer day. You know, the people who are dealing with it … it’s like a cloud hanging over your head that you can’t get out of, ”says Nick Grimm, assistant physician in Plastic Surgery and Skin Specialists at BayCare Clinic.
Grimm sees cancer on the other side.
“I think it has a profound impact on everyone’s life. My wife is a cancer survivor. This day has a special place for me, ”he says.
He experienced its impact not only personally, but professionally.
Grimm estimates that he treats more than 1,500 skin cancer patients a year.
“I think that, as health professionals, what we are really trying to do is make sure that we are trying to minimize the impact of cancer on people’s lives, not only by early detection in the case of skin cancer, but by reasonable treatment for skin cancer, ”explains Grimm.
Paula recognizes the dedication of health professionals.
She credits a persistent radiologist for detecting what could easily have gone unnoticed.
“She is incredible and probably saved my life,” says Paula.
Both Grimm and Paula urge others to take their messages seriously, not just on World Cancer Day, but every day, no matter what is on the calendar.
“(I am) grateful to have kept the commitment, despite having no reason to feel that I needed to go”, adds Paula.
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