‘There’s Still Hope’: Woman Recounts Breast Cancer Battle
In this holiday season, it’s a time to be with the ones you love. Even if it means dominating them on the pickleball court.
“Oh yeah, I’m really competitive,” said Stacy Caldwell, an employee of General Mills in Golden Valley. “You know, it’s moments like these that bring me so much joy, playing pickleball with friends.”
On a recent Friday at Pints & Paddle in Maple Grove, Caldwell gathered some of her close friends together for a celebration that was 18 weeks in the making.
“You know, 18 weeks is a lot, but I’ve been exercising and eating well and I think that has really done wonders for me,” she said.
Stacy Caldwell joined friends and family at Pints & Paddle on Dec. 13 to celebrate the completion of her chemotherapy treatment.
Just four days earlier, Caldwell was at M Health Fairview Cancer Center in Edina for her final chemotherapy treatment after being diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer on Aug. 5.
“Today means a lot for me. I know with metastatic breast cancer, treatments don’t end,” she said. “But with chemo it does end, and it’s important for me to celebrate these milestones when I reach them.”
Every Monday for 18 weeks, she’s had to sit in a room while a cancer drug was pumped into her bloodstream.
And during most of those visits, her mom has been right by her side.
“I’m there for her no matter what the day brings, but she’s there for me too,” said Laurie Caldwell.
The staff members at M Health Fairview have also played a pivotal role in helping Caldwell through these 18 weeks. As a token of her appreciation, she made ‘thank you’ bracelets for everyone here. A small gesture on an otherwise big day.
“What I’ll say is, I don’t think chemo is as bad as people make it out to seem,” Caldwell said. “And I think that if you’ve got the strength that you can get through anything.”
That strength was on full display later in the week as she played pickleball with the energy and exuberance of someone who was, as her shirt read, “Straight Outta Chemo.”
“I love playing the sport and just being around the people that mean the most to me is all I can ask for,” Caldwell said.
Yet while the chemotherapy stage of her journey has come to a close, another is just beginning.
Stacy Caldwell (right) is prepped for her final chemotherapy treatment at M Health Fairview Cancer Center in Edina on Dec. 9.
Cancer Progressing
When stage four cancer is involved, the news won’t always be positive, as Caldwell discovered during a visit with her doctor on Dec. 18.
“Yeah, the doctor told me that there was progression in my bones and my breasts and my liver,” she said, two days after her appointment. “And some of the bones are stable, which is really good news, but the progression does mean that the treatment isn’t working fully anymore, so I do have to switch treatment plans.”
It’s not the news she was hoping for, especially right after finishing her chemo.
“The road ahead is gonna be a bumpy one,” said Caldwell.
Bumpy or not, she’ll continue to summon her strength as she transitions to this next chapter; all the while, collecting beautiful moments with her loved-ones by her side.
“There’s still hope, and there’s life that’s to be lived,” she said. “And while life isn’t always so linear, you know there are some lows, but the lows don’t last, and you just have to take every moment as your last and live for today. “
Update: Caldwell says that before she goes on another treatment plan, she’s going to get a second opinion from the Mayo Clinic.
Related: General Mills Employee Shares Cancer Journey To Help Others
