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Kathy Hug is an Assistant Athletic Director at the University of Illinois Athletic Department, where she has worked on event management, sport administration and facility projects over the last 13 years. As a two-time breast cancer survivor, she works with Reach to Recovery within the American Cancer Society and speaks to newly diagnosed breast cancer patients. She has also been involved with a young breast cancer survivors group in Champaign-Urbana. Kathy and her husband, Casey Hug, athletic trainer for Carle Sports Medicine and St. Joseph-Ogden High School, have been married for 11 years. They are both originally from Nebraska but moved here together in 2002. They have a daughter, Taylor, who is 9 years old.
See why we think Kathy Hug is a Chambana Mom to Know.
You are a survivor. Tell us your story.
It was December of 2005 and I was working for the Illinois athletic department at the Illinois/Mizzou men’s basketball game in St. Louis when I asked the team doctor if a milk duct could be blocked a few months after having stopped breast feeding. He said no, examined me in the locker room and then called back to Champaign to set up some appointments for me after Christmas. Here I was, a 31-year-old woman with a daughter who had recently turned 1 and a husband of two years and I was facing the possibility of breast cancer. My biopsy showed that I was positive for breast cancer. It was not estrogen positive as many breast cancers are, so the recent hormonal changes that my body went through during pregnancy didn’t feed my tumor. I then had a lumpectomy and started eight rounds of chemotherapy on Valentine’s Day.
I sought answers and went to a genetic counselor who referred me to get genetic testing done to see if I was positive for the BRCA gene. I had lost my mother 10 years prior to this from a heart attack and looked to the memory of my father and my mother’s sister to find answers about our family history. I found cancer on both sides of the family with both grandmothers. Although at that time, their death certificates stated that it was a “stomach” cancer which was most likely ovarian cancer. While going through chemo I learned that I WAS positive for the BRCA1 gene. This positive diagnosis is only the cause for 5% of all breast cancers – lucky me. The next question was what I was going to do with this new information I just received about the BRCA1 gene. The lifetime risk of getting breast cancer was 80%. Although I already had it, I didn’t want it again or in the other breast and opted to get a double mastectomy with reconstruction done when I completed chemo. Having the BRCA1 gene also has a 55% lifetime risk of ovarian cancer. I had surveillance of this for a couple years as I had ovarian cysts that would come and go. It wasn’t until I had a very painful ovarian cyst that burst that we made the decision that it was time, at age 34 to get an oophorectomy and hysterectomy done. Having the BRCA1 gene means that there is a 50% chance that I have passed this gene onto my daughter. My husband, Casey, and I had made the decision that we would not have any more kids as I didn’t think I could watch my child go through the cancer diagnosis if that would happen. The thought of knowing that I gave them that was too much to think about. So when it came to the point of removing my ovaries, it was an easier decision. This surgery puts me into menopause at an early age. I have to worry about bone density due to early menopause AND the treatments I went through during cancer.
Then in August of 2009, I had a spot on my same breast that I wanted checked to see if it was cancer or just scar tissue from my surgeries. In September I learned I had a recurrence of breast cancer in the same breast. This was difficult to swallow as I thought I had done everything I could to prevent something like this. I mean, I had a double mastectomy, how can I have breast cancer AGAIN. The best way for me to explain it is that it is like a twice baked potato and there was still a little breast tissue left for that cancer to grow. This time I decided that I wanted to remove the reconstruction in both breasts so that I could monitor my body a bit more. I again started more chemo and then decided that I was going to continue my care at Siteman Cancer Center (Barnes) in St. Louis. I had to again undergo chemo and daily radiation treatments. This meant that I had to live in St. Louis for 6 weeks while my husband managed working full time and taking care of our daughter. I managed to work from afar and travel back and forth to the hospital on my own while living in the American Cancer Society Hope Lodge with other cancer patients. I was able to come home on weekends so that I could work and also see my family. With both of our families from Nebraska, we had to depend a lot on our friends during this time. Once I was done with those 6 weeks, I continued with chemo and just traveled to St. Louis on dates that I had appointments.
I finished with treatment in October of 2010 and have continued to receive good reports. The biggest issues are the effects from treatments like lymphedema in my right arm. The lymphatic system was damaged when they removed lymph nodes and radiated in that area. It doesn’t happen to all people and I hide it well. If you look at both arms next to each other, it is quite easy to see which arm is swollen. Although I have time between my last occurrence and now, every appointment that I have scheduled with my oncologist is a difficult one. As I know that this cancer could be sitting somewhere, just ready to grow. But for now, I am doing great!
Q: YSC has lost several members who have died in recent years. 2013 was a particularly tough year. How did that impact the group?
Young Survival Coalition (YSC) – Champaign/Urbana was an affiliate of YSC which is a national organization that helps provide young women education and support needed after a cancer diagnosis. YSC has since regionalized and we are now part of the Midwest region of YSC. We had some very strong leadership within our group. We would meet once a month at Jupiter’s. Sometimes we had 20 people there, and other times there were only five people. In 2013, we had two of our members who passed away from breast cancer that had metastasized – or in other words stage 4 breast cancer. These two members were very active in the group and one of them was one of the founding members of getting this group active. I feel that the glue that held us together and kept us going is gone and we are still hurting from it. When I see the kids of those women around town or playing a sport, I will either hug them or cheer loudly for them. I want them to know that we are still there for them, even if their Mom is not. This group is unlike any friends I have. They get ME. They understand what I have been through. They understand the struggles and fears that go along with the initial diagnosis and the lingering symptoms from treatments. This support system is important for me, and for many others like me.
Q: The mission remains. What is your plan to keep the group strong in C-U?
I have been wanting to do something in C-U for quite some time. I know how much this community came together for me when I went through treatment and am ready to pay it forward. I would like to start my own non-profit to benefit young women with breast cancer. Younger women have different issues than women who are retirement age. Many of us work full-time, are dating/married, have kids or want to have kids, and try to be superwoman while going through treatment. Many breast cancers in younger women tend to be more aggressive so education is key. One of the members of our breast cancer group who passed away in 2013 was Jennifer Smith. I had lunch with her prior to her passing to discuss what resources are needed for young women with breast cancer in this community that currently don’t exist. I told her that I would try to continue what she helped start. The first thing is having monthly meetings again at a location OUTSIDE of any hospitals. Cancer patients have gone to doctor appointments enough and we don’t want to meet there. We also need it to be family friendly and easy to get in and out. Secondly, we would want to continue our Breast Cancer Symposium that we have done twice at Parkland College. Once established, the next phase would be to help individual needs. Some examples of needs within the community would be:
* House cleaning during treatments
* Gym memberships for families as many times the kid’s activities stop while treatments happen due to financial burdens.
* Assistance with groceries so that the patients are eating healthier during treatment.
* Assistance with travel for second opinions or travel for out of area appointments or treatments.
I am often asked by friends or co-workers where to send donations locally to help women with breast cancer. They want the money to stay here and make sure that it is used for either research or patient care. I wish I could say I am ready to start something today but I can say that I am closer than I have ever been.
Q: How do you feel about Pinktober?
I have mixed reactions to this month. I love it that we have an entire month that people are thinking about the disease. I think education is key and so I love the attention that pink events get.
As far as all of the pink items that are out there, that is where my thoughts vary. I remember going through treatment during the first time and having someone wear the pink ribbon for me. I felt the support and love from it. So I have no problem if the color of the ribbon is associated with the disease when it is done in an uplifting manner. On the other hand, if people are slapping a pink ribbon on something so that they can make a buck or two, I have an issue. Most people believe that when they buy a pink product that they are helping a breast cancer patient in some way. I just suggest that you look into what you are buying to make sure you know where the money is actually going. Think before you pink..
Q: How has breast cancer impacted your parenting?
As I mentioned, I have a daughter. She is 9 years old right now. She was 1 and 5 during my diagnosis. I have one chance at getting this parenting thing right. I think there are a few good things that have come out of having cancer. I enjoy the small things in life and am always thinking about making memories with her. I work full-time so when I have time with my child, I try to make it count. I am not perfect, I am not that Pinterest making mom, I am not that baking-from-scratch mom. I teach her right from wrong and have high expectations but am first to admit that I love being silly with her. I know that those days are limited – as middle school is soon and I will soon not be so cool to hang out with. I think she has learned to be compassionate as I recall her wanting to take care of me during my treatment. I often say that she will be in the medical field as she was always so curious about what was going on. I know that getting sick after chemo often scared her and to this day if I cough loud or get sick – she runs into the other room. I often feel that I made my daughter grow up too fast. When it comes to anything cancer related, I am pretty open with her about it. She sees all of the scars on my chest from surgery. She also knows when I go to follow up appointments in St. Louis that I will be honest with how my health is. She knows what cancer can be like – she has watched it take her friends Mommy’s away. She has even asked me, since you had breast cancer and dad had cancer (Hodgkins Lymphoma) – will I have cancer?
Q: The University of Illinois athletic department, where you work, has been vocal in helping to raise money to fight breast cancer. What does that mean to you?
As I went through treatment both times, my department was great to me and my family. They stepped in to help us and truly cared about me. In the 13 years that I have worked for DIA, I believe we’ve had seven sports that have done pink awareness games or events (volleyball, men’s & women’s basketball, women’s gymnastics, football, swimming & diving and softball). I love the awareness events as it reminds people to know their body and get checked and allows them to pay tribute to a friend or loved one who has been diagnosed. Illinois volleyball has taken things a step further and their booster club, the Networkers, have been heavily involved in working with the University and going through the right protocols to be able to do a fundraiser for breast cancer. They buy the pink jerseys that the volleyball team wears and then they auction off each jersey allowing the winner to put a name on the back of it. Those jerseys are then worn for the Pink Match. This year that match is Friday, October 24, 2014. It is very special for people to see the name of a loved one they have lost or maybe one who is going through breast cancer currently. I am very proud to be able to work with work with some great coaches and staff. Those that participate in these events do it because they want to and not because they have to. I remove my “breast cancer survivor cap” when I am at work as I try to keep work and personal life separate. I am more than willing to talk to teams or groups about my experience but I truly enjoy taking a step back and watching from afar.
Q: Tell us something that most people don’t know about you?
I would have to say that one of the hardest things I have ever gone through was losing my mother when I was 21 years old. She had a massive heart attack in front of me. Although I had CPR training and did all of the right things at the moment, it wasn’t enough. I think that is why I always talk about making memories with my family. I miss her!
Q: What’s your ideal family weekend outing in C-U?
Our lives seem to revolve around athletics, so we always seem to be going to an Illinois, SJ-O or my daughter’s games. We are constantly on the go as we, as a family, are involved in so many things. I would have to admit that what I truly love is the days where we can stay at home, grill out, throw the ball around, fish in the backyard, go for a bike ride or play a board game inside. The sound of laughter filling the air is the best thing. We would probably end the day getting ice cream somewhere though. I would take that type of weekend any day.
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