Why We Ride || (For Lobular Breast Cancer Awareness)
On Wednesday, February 9, 2011, at the age of 46, Kim was diagnosed with Invasive Lobular, Progesterone Positive, Estrogen Positive, Her2 Negative, Breast Cancer. Kim led a healthy life style. She drank little, exercised regularly teaching and taking yoga, tried to eat healthy and had her annual physical and mammograms. By most standards, doing things right.
On February 24, Kim underwent a 4-hour surgery where the surgeons performed a bilateral, double mastectomy, removed a 6-centimeter mass and 22 lymph nodes from here left side; 10 of which came back positive. The final diagnosis was Stage 3C breast cancer.
Kim’s prior annual mammograms reported to her by the clinic always came back negative and everything was good, but the actual radiology report was never sent to her. Kim has inquired and received her previous exam reports. Every report said that her breasts were too dense, using language like “the tissue of both breasts is heterogeneously dense. This may lower the sensitivity of mammography.” or “There are scattered fibro glandular elements in both breasts that obscure a lesion on mammography.” Perplexing and disappointing we learned that ILC is usually diagnosed in later stages and we need more research on how to detect this type of cancer and detect it earlier.
Kim went through 8 months of chemotherapy, radiation and multiple surgery’s because of infections resulting in abandoning the breast reconstruction.
On a Saturday morning in early July of 2016, Kim and John stopped by the local drugstore in Chaska, MN, for some essentials. As we walked to the front door, we noticed a young lady standing next to two fully loaded bicycles. Saddle bags front and back, water bottles, tent, sleeping bags and maps out. Upon exiting the store, we noticed a young man had joined the young lady as they hovered over their map. We were both drawn to them to figure out what they were up to. We introduced ourselves and asked what they were up to. They said they we are riding across America. We thought, “How cool is that?”. From that moment on we’ve been contemplating how we could make such a trip. That was the moment our planning started to bike across America.
2021 will mark the 10-year anniversary of Kim being cancer free and completion of her breast cancer drug prescription regiment. A milestone of sorts. A wonderful accomplishment and the fact that the drug regiment has run its effectiveness course of keeping a reoccurrence at bay. With this milestone we want to find a way to give back for the blessings we have while accomplishing something we’ve wanted to do for many years. We want to raise awareness of what lobular breast cancer is and how to diagnose it to those that have and will follow our journey, as we are an example of what is possible and how to get back up after falling down.
Kim and John will arrive in Astoria, Oregon on May 25 and plan to begin their 4,250-mile, 3-month, give or take a few weeks, fully loaded and self-contained bike ride across America to Yorktown, Virginia.
Over the years, Kim and John have had the support of many wonderful friends and family — this adventure is no exception! Here are some snapshots of a few of them!
