Christa knew something was off in October 2022.
“I was feeling generally achy and was having random fevers,” she recalled. “I had an appointment to see my doctor, and she ran a panel of bloodwork. The results were abnormal, so she referred me to a rheumatologist.”
Christa and her husband, Chris, live in Watertown, WI, but Aurora Medical Center – Summit had more immediately available appointments, so she chose a doctor there.
“I had more bloodwork, which also came back abnormal. My symptoms didn’t match what the lab work showed, and the doctor asked if I had a cough. I said I did, but only when I lie down in bed at night.”
The doctor recommended a chest X-ray to rule out any problems with Christa’s lungs.
“I had a huge mass in my lungs,” explained Christa. “Then I saw a pulmonologist at Aurora Summit. We had recently gotten back from a trip to Arizona, and he thought it was valley fever, which is a fungal virus found in the Southwest.”
“He even showed us side-by-side pictures of Christa’s X-ray and one with valley fever, and they both looked the same,” added Chris. “We were all convinced that’s what it was.”
But a biopsy showed the diagnosis was much worse. Christa had cancer.
“It was completely unexpected and turned our lives upside down. She was only 48 years old and in good physical health with no family history of cancer,” said Chris.
She was scheduled to have surgery, but a PET scan showed the cancer had already spread to 20 different parts of her body. Christa’s oncologist at Aurora Summit, Dr. Adam Siegel, ordered a brain MRI as a precaution.
“Once again, we heard a doctor say, ‘I’m so sorry.’ The scan showed three masses in my brain,” said Christa. “Dr. Siegel referred us to Dr. Daniel Lindsay, a radiation oncologist at Aurora St. Luke’s Medical Center.”
Christa underwent CyberKnife® radiosurgery, an innovative treatment that uses highly focused beams of radiation to target cancer cells with pinpoint accuracy. The procedure was successful in removing the masses in Christa’s brain, but her health was still rapidly deteriorating.
“It’s incredible how quickly she got sick. We’d gone to a concert in October, and she felt fine. By the end of November, she was battling daily fevers, vomiting and lethargy. By the middle of December, she only had the energy to walk from our bed to the couch,” explained Chris. “Aurora was able to get her into appointments so quickly, and that was key. If we’d had to wait any longer, she wouldn’t be here today.”
Christa began chemotherapy in January 2023.
“The chemo made me feel better almost instantly,” shared Christa. “Three months later, by some miracle, I was in remission. But three months after that, the cancer had returned.”
Now Christa’s care team is working to find the right combination of medication and chemotherapy while managing the drugs’ many side effects.
“The current chemo is working, but the side effects are a little brutal,” shared Christa. “I’ve lost my hair, and I’m dealing with sores in my mouth and on my lips, but the cancer is shrinking.”
While undergoing chemo, Christa also utilized integrative therapies, like massage and reiki, which are made possible through philanthropy.
“I get a massage once a week, and reiki is a really nice service that they offer,” she shared. “Whether you believe in it or not, it’s very relaxing when you’re sitting there doing something that’s not fun.”
Through it all, Christa’s care team has made their lives as easy as possible.
“The care is incredible. Everyone is so friendly,” shared Christa. “They’ve become a second family to us. Their attention is so personalized that they make you feel like you’re their only patient.”
“They know everything about Christa and answer my many questions,” added Chris. “You can feel that they care about you. It would be impossible to name everyone who’s cared for Christa and supported us through this journey, but I hope they all know how grateful we are.”
How you can help
Cancer programs and integrative therapies like massage and reiki, are supported by the generosity of donors like you. To help people like Christa during their cancer journeys, please make a gift today.