Staying positive while battling breast cancer

By Louie St. George III

For Stephanie Malpass, all was smooth sailing in September 2018. That’s when she married her boyfriend of 10 years, Todd Malpass, on the shores of Lake Superior, celebrating with family and friends on Barker’s Island.

A ripple in the water surfaced a month later. Stephanie first felt a lump in her left breast in mid-October. She gave herself time to process and prepare for the expected diagnosis. On Nov. 8, she had a mammogram and ultrasound. Breast cancer was confirmed.

“It was a very aggressive and fast-growing cancer, which knocks you back a little bit,” Todd said.

Stephanie, whose optimism is infectious, was devastated.

“I thought about my kids, my grandkids, my husband, my parents. I was sad because I thought about what-if — what if I’m not there for them. I worried about everyone,” said the 55-year-old mother of three. Todd has three children from a previous marriage, as well. “You don’t want to be a burden and have people take care of you.”

Initially stunned, the Superior couple found comfort in their conversations with Dr. Dan Nikcevich, an Essentia Health oncologist. Stephanie and Todd described Dr. Nikcevich as patient, compassionate and genuine. “He cared,” she said. Dr. Nikcevich never was too busy to answer their questions. He was simultaneously their doctor and counselor. After telling Stephanie she had cancer, he then called it “treatable cancer.”

The word “treatable” was music to their ears. Stephanie and Todd also found strength in the plan Dr. Nikcevich mapped out for them. They now knew what to expect and had a road map to follow.

Stephanie started chemotherapy in December 2018 and, upon completing it in May, had a double mastectomy. Dr. Nikcevich then delivered the news they’d been hoping and praying for.

“You’re cancer-free,” he told them.

As a precaution, Dr. Nikcevich prescribed more chemotherapy to remove any remaining traces of cancer — scant as they may have been. This subsequent treatment significantly reduced the chance of recurrence.

Stephanie had breast-reconstruction surgery in December 2019. She’s been in remission since.

Throughout that trying year, Stephanie and Todd clung to the positives. While it would have been “really easy to just sit on the couch,” she was adamant about maintaining a “normal lifestyle.” That included continuing to work as an administrative assistant at Enbridge.

“Stephanie is full of strength and resilience, and her intestinal fortitude propelled her forward,” Dr. Nikcevich said.

Not long after Stephanie and Todd Malpass married in September 2018, she was diagnosed with an aggressive and fast-moving breast cancer. Stephanie endured surgeries and a year of chemotherapy treatment. She’s been in remission since December 2019.

A sense of humor also aided her recovery.

“Cancer has saved us a ton of money. We didn’t have to buy things like shampoo,” Todd joked.

More than anything, though, it was the love, support and selflessness of others that carried Stephanie and Todd. Her sister would drive from Hudson, Wis., to accompany Stephanie during chemo treatments. Others were there for chemo, as well. Todd’s sister, a registered nurse who lives in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, came to help for 10 days after surgery. Kids and grandkids helped shave her head, and a couple family members then shed their own locks as a sign of solidarity.

People checked in with phone calls and text messages. They delivered healthy, home-cooked meals. They stopped by to clean. There was a well-planned and well-attended benefit. A boss had bracelets made that read “Stephanie Strong.”

Todd, Stephanie says, was her “rock.” Similarly, her daughter was always there for Stephanie and Todd.

“The uncomfortable feelings of fear, worry and powerlessness that I felt at the beginning stages of diagnosis, chemotherapy and breast reconstruction were softened and relieved by the love, optimism, hopefulness and appreciation for my life and those who I love and who love me,” Stephanie wrote.

Half a year before her diagnosis, in February 2018, Stephanie had a clear mammogram. The ensuing fall, her life was “turned upside-down.” That’s why she highlights the importance of women conducting self-exams and listening to their bodies. If something doesn’t feel quite right, consult your primary care provider. Better to be safe than sorry.

Stephanie is grateful she caught her cancer early enough for it to be treated. And she heaped praise on her Essentia care team, which helped her navigate a scary and uncertain time. That included her

Homeschooling continued from page 27

Lyila Stroup, 44, of Superior, an elementary school special education assistant, urges parents to do whatever it takes to get their children to virtual meetings.

“If you just get your kid logged in, get your kid there, set them up,” she said, “I will keep them engaged and they will learn something. But they just have to show up.”

Sadly, for many of the sessions available, very few children, if any, attend.

Not what she hoped for, as a special education assistant or parent, Stroup has tried to make the most of distance learning, having her children buddy up with classmates to work together. She knows how difficult it is to work and parent and educate from home.

“And here I am, I’m trying to monitor and I’m like, ‘Oh, yeah, send your kid over, I’ll be responsible for making sure everybody’s doing their stuff,’ and then I find out they’re not doing anything and we’re sitting in the same room together.”

Commending her colleagues and her children’s teachers for how virtual teaching has improved, she worries about widening gaps in education and

Malpass continued from page 28 own primary care provider, Olga TerGrigoryan, who didn’t mince words and encouraged Stephanie to schedule a mammogram; as well as Dr. Nikcevich and his attentive colleagues at Essentia’s cancer center; and her plastic surgeon, Dr. Jason Fowler, who was methodical and supportive. social-emotional development. Stroup worries even more for the children without siblings, having less social interaction, while parents work from home. Because of the in-classroom support she and her colleagues provide, Stroup believes if her students and her own children were there, they’d be learning better.

Today, Stephanie feels great. And she’s back to spending money on things like shampoo and other hair-care products. Neither she nor Todd mind the expenses.

“No problem with it at all,” Todd laughed. “We’re glad to pay those bills.” D Louie St. George III is the public relations/ external communications manager at Essentia Health.

“For this to be the new norm, I see my kids suffering greatly,” she said. D

• Environmental Education integrated throughout the curriculum

• Art, Music, PE, and Environmental Ed Specialists

• Small Class Sizes

• Busing from Duluth and Two Harbors