BODY
Lynn
Haynes
Most cancer survivors remember their day of diagnosis as easily as their birthday. For Grand Island resident Lynn Haynes, the dates are identical. In January 2016, Lynn received an unpleasant surprise on her 45th birthday when she was diagnosed with an aggressive form of breast cancer, HER2-positive. This cancer occurs when breast cancer cells have a protein receptor called human epidermal growth factor receptor 2, which promotes the growth of cancerous cells. What was supposed to be a day of celebration turned into a day of uncertainty and fear. Lynn canceled plans to go out with her husband, Michael, and several friends.
“I stayed positive and told myself, ‘I am going to battle this,’” she says. “There was no other option.” That positive mindset helped Lynn persevere through a total of 16 chemotherapy treatments, as well as radiation and surgery. The chemotherapy robbed her of her beautiful hair, and the radiation left scarring on her lung. However, neither could touch her indomitable spirit. Lynn coped with hair loss by purchasing two wigs that closely matched her hair color and length. And every morning, she showered, dressed herself, and went to work as a real estate agent. “I wanted to continue living as normally as possible,” Lynn says. “I didn’t want to be someone who
“IF YOU SIT THERE AND THINK ABOUT CANCER ALL THE TIME, IT’S EASY TO FALL INTO DEPRESSION.” “I didn’t feel like being with anyone; I needed to digest it all,” Lynn recalls. “It’s very hard receiving news like that and not knowing the magnitude of my condition. I didn’t know how far it had spread or what stage I was in.” The answers to those questions came days later. Lynn’s cancer had advanced to stage 3 and metastasized to a lymph node under her arm. That grim news did not spark a defeatist attitude. Instead, it produced a warrior’s spirit.
exists merely to battle cancer. If you sit there and think about cancer all the time, it’s easy to fall into depression. Working allowed me to remain strong.” By June 2016, imaging tests no longer detected cancer in her body. As of this writing, Lynn has not experienced a recurrence.
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