Two Fundraising Events Set For Etna Green Woman Battling Cancer
Two Fundraising Events Set For Etna Green Woman Battling Cancer
Posted
Jennifer Peryam-jperyam@timesuniononline.com
Two Fundraising Events Set For Etna Green Woman Battling CancerETNA GREEN- Kim Waggoner is like any other mother of five that enjoys attending her children's sporting and school events.
She is married to Eric and they have five children: Kristyn, 16, Mikayla, 14, Ben, 14, Nick, 12, and Emily, 10. Their children attend Triton Elementary and Triton Jr.-Sr. High School.
The thing that is unique about Waggoner, 36, Etna Green, is that she was diagnosed in March with Follicular Lymphoma at age 35.
Follicular Lymphoma is a common type of Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma in the lymph nodes. It is a slow growing lymphoma that arises from B-cells, a type of white blood cell.
It is a slow growing disease and is a blood cancer. The cancer mainly affects adults with the average age being 55.
There is no cure for the cancer, but patients receive chemotherapy.
In January, Waggoner traveled to Haiti as a nurse on a medical mission trip.
What she didn't know is two months later she would be diagnosed with the life-threatening cancer.
That leap of faith she took to serve others in Haiti would prepare her for her battle with lymphoma.
"Of course I had fears when I was diagnosed with the cancer, but I think the thing that has sustained my family is our faith in God because the first thing I heard from God was that he had not abandoned me," Waggoner said.
"I don't regret having cancer because I have grown closer with my family and to the lord."
She said she has made the decision with God's grace that everyday she will live, and that everything is in God's control.
Waggoner said the Triton community, her family, Kosciusko Community Hospital and her church family at Christ's Covenant Church, Winona Lake, where her family are members have helped ease the struggles that have come with the cancer.
The cancer accumulated in her lymph nodes when she was 35. She noticed last March she had swollen lymph nodes.
She waited a month, and her doctor referred her to a surgeon and blood work was done and the cancer spread to different lymph nodes in her body in her arms and neck.
A biopsy was conducted the first week of March and it came back positive for lymphoma. She also had a bone marrow biopsy and was diagnosed with stage four Follicular Lymphoma.
The cancer was in her bone marrow and that meant she needed immediate treatment. She also had a tumor in her abdomen.
She had a port tube placed in her left upper chest that she still has currently where she gets chemo and medication.
Her first chemotherapy was in April, and she has received seven chemo treatments and she has one more treatment to go the last week of this month.
She receives chemotherapy once every three weeks at Kosciusko Community Hospital Center of Hope Cancer Care Center.
At the time of Waggoner's cancer diagnosis in March she was employed as a registered nurse in the Kosciusko Community Hospital emergency room for the past eight years.
However, due to chemotherapy treatments she has not been able to work since March due to her immune system being down with the cancer and she cannot be around infectious disease.
Her husband, Eric, is employed at United Postal Service, Bourbon. Eric said he is thankful for the community's support.
Two fundraisers have been planned by the community to help raise funds to help with Waggoner's medical expenses.
A golf scramble has been planned for Sunday at Raccoon Run Golf Course, Warsaw, with a shotgun start at 2 p.m. that is being put on by Multi Township EMS.
The cost is $40 per player for a team of four and includes 18 rounds of golf , dinner and door prizes. People can call David Rapp at 574-551-0156 to register or can register the day of the golf scramble.
Kosciusko Community Hospital and Kosciusko Runners Association are planning a 5K walk and run Oct. 2 at Kosciusko Fairgrounds.
The entry fee registration is $15 by Saturday or people can register the day of the race at the fairgrounds for $20 from 7:45 to 8:45 a.m.
People can call Bill Crane at 574-268-1007 for more information on the 5K race.
Waggoner has set up a Web site where people can follow her personal story and receive updates on her progress. The address is www.caringbridge.org/visit/kimwaggoner
