It all started with a routine physical.
63-year-old Lue Bockenstedt of Dyersville told her medical provider she had tenderness in her right breast, and at the time, she thought it was related to her farm work. She manages a personal hobby farm with horses, goats, cats, and dogs.
“And even she was not concerned at the physical with it, but we did our routine mammogram,” Bockenstedt said. “I always do them. A yearly routine mammogram. And it was at that mammogram that they discovered that I had some suspicious activity going on.”
A biopsy of the area was taken and came back with triple-negative breast cancer. According to the American Cancer Society, triple-negative breast cancer is an invasive breast cancer that tests negative for estrogen receptors (ER), progesterone receptors (PR), and HER2 protein. Because it lacks these three common receptors, standard hormone therapies and HER2-targeted drugs do not work against it.
Bockenstedt then traveled to MercyOne in Dubuque for treatment.
“I wanted to stay local and I couldn't be happier. They are wonderful. The care has been over the top for me,” Bockenstedt said.
She underwent two 12-week sessions of chemotherapy. Following chemo, Bockenstedt did immunotherapy and a subsequent surgery.
“And then I had also 3 lymph nodes taken for staging, make sure that we just were pretty much for staging where we were at. And so, and with that, I had no residual cancer left,” Bockenstedt said. “The pathology report came back with no residual cancer left. And so then after that, I needed to do radiation, which honest to God, scared to death of, and found out that was probably one of the easier ones to do. I just finished it today [Oct. 7], so I'm kind of excited and worked up about that. I did 15 consecutive days with the weekends off, and I did that at MercyOne there too. So I just right now need to finish up six more immunotherapies, and I can ring that bell, and I am done.”
She encourages other cancer patients to stay strong and brave, and to know they are not alone.
“I think it's very important that we be our own advocates and make sure we go for those yearly physicals and screenings, cancer screenings. So the other thing that I think once you've been diagnosed, for me, my family and friends, they were just, they were so positive and they were just such great support,” Bockenstedt said. “And I think that that's really important too, you know, who you surround yourself with. And then of course, listen to your doctors, and there's a lot of help there for you.”
MercyOne is holding its annual “Pink the Rink” on Saturday, Oct. 10, at the ImOn Arena in Dubuque. The Dubuque Fightin Saints are facing the Youngstown Phantoms at 7:05 p.m. Proceeds from the 50/50 raffle will benefit the MercyOne Dubuque Cancer Center, which opened in 2020 and offers holistic services, including medical oncology and hematology.
