cancer-free

By Andrea Busche

Every woman’s body is unique. And when it comes to fighting cancer, a treatment plan is highly individualized, too.

Today, we introduce you to two local women: Rachael Perlinger and Terri Newman. Both are moms and hardworking professionals. The women also share at least one other similarity: both were diagnosed with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), a type of breast cancer.

While the women battled the same form of breast cancer, their personal journeys are very unique. Despite following different treatment regimens, we are pleased to say that today, both are happily living very fulfilled lives, cancerfree.

The Women

Rachael Perlinger lives between Duluth and Two Harbors with her large family: husband, Paul; daughters Kayla, 22, and Lauren, 20; and step-children Kaitlyn, 18, Lauren, 16, and Ethan, 13. The family also has horses, chickens, Guinea hens, barn cats and a couple of dogs.

“Sometimes we have seven people at home. It’s kind of a revolving door at our house,” Perlinger said with a laugh.

Perlinger has worked in health care for over 20 years, and today serves as the administrator for Northland Plastic Surgery where she handles the financials, human resources, marketing, and other aspects of helping the clinic run smoothly.

“I’m the problem solver,” she said. “I run the business side of the clinic.”

Today, she owns a small jewelry-making business, called Terri’s Treasures.

“I make earrings, necklaces, bracelets, and rings –customized, beaded jewelry,” she said. She is also a competitive ballroom dancer.

Rachael’s Journey

Perlinger is a busy, active woman who loves running and the outdoors. So, when she was diagnosed with DCIS at age 46, it came as a bit of a shock.

“I went in for my routine physical, which I do every

Rachel Perlinger

Terri Newman of Duluth has two adult daughters, Michelle, 39, and Gina, 37. She also has two young grandchildren. Newman and her husband, Jerry Metcalf, were married for 27 years, until his passing in 2012.

Newman worked for the local telephone company (which held many names over the years, including Century Link and Qwest) from 1990 until her retirement in 2012. She also served as the representative, vice president, and president of her union – the Communications Workers of America.

Rachael Perlinger smiles in front of a shed on her farm. She and her husband have lived on the property for about a year and have loved every minute of it.

December,” she said. “My primary care doctor discovered a lump, so I got a mammogram.”

Following the mammogram, an ultrasound and biopsy would follow. She received the results while she was at work.

“My primary care doctor was a friend, and the moment I heard her voice, I knew,” Perlinger said.

Perlinger considers herself lucky to have the diagnosis of DCIS.

“I was lucky – mine was very early-stage, it had not spread, and it was encapsulated. I asked a surgeon in my office, ‘What does this mean?’ And he said, ‘You’re going to be OK.’”

It was recommended that Perlinger treat her cancer with either a lumpectomy paired with radiation, or a double mastectomy. She opted for a lumpectomy, without the radiation.

“Neither of those options fit me,” she said, while stressing that her decision was highly personal. While Perlinger believes women should listen to their intuition, they should also follow the advice of their medical provider(s).

“I am the daughter of a chiropractor, and I believe if you need something removed, get it removed,” she said. “But then let your body go back to healing itself.”

“I knew radiation could scar my heart and lungs,” she added. “And I was a runner. I was in fantastic shape. The recurrence rate was low enough – I had a three in 10 chance – that the radiation didn’t make sense for me.”

Perlinger bounced back in short order.

“I recovered quickly. Because my cancer was encapsulated, I was cancer-free after my first surgery,” she said. “But I had a second surgery a week later to take out more tissue to ensure the margin was large.”

Healing energy work, including guided breathing and guided imagery, were also crucial to Perlinger’s healing.

Today, at age 50, Perlinger is cancer-free. She returns for an annual mammogram once a year.

“I consider it a Christmas gift to myself,” she said.

After receiving genetic testing, Perlinger was grateful to learn that her daughters are not genetically predisposed to the types of cancer caused by the BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes.

2003 when she discovered a lump. She was 49 years old. “I didn’t think much of it,” she said. “I had always faithfully gotten my mammograms.”

After visiting a nurse practitioner, she got a mammogram, followed up with a biopsy. She learned over the phone that she had a fast-growing, triple-negative form of DCIS. It was recommended that Newman receive a lumpectomy, plus chemotherapy and radiation.

After her first surgery, Newman learned that the margins were not clean. So, she traveled to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester for a second surgery. But this discovery was a bit of a fluke, and a lucky one at that.

“A friend from the union asked if I had gotten a second opinion,” she said. “Based on his comment, I ended up at Mayo. I would not have known to ask if I had clean margins without his comment. I firmly believe that, throughout my journey, there were little angels looking over me.”

Newman endured two months of radiation, and eight sessions of chemo. After her long hair started to fall out, a beautician friend gave her a buzz cut, and she chose to wear wigs. She chose to make the best of it, and changed her look regularly.

“I could be a blonde one day, and a redhead the next,” she said with a laugh.

While Newman didn’t get sick from her treatment, she suffered from fatigue, and what she called “chemo brain,” where she experienced memory loss. She also had some joint pain, and developed a thyroid condition as a result of her treatment.

For five years, Newman returned for mammograms every six months. Now, she’s back to once a year. Today, 16 years later, Newman remains cancer-free.

Although she tested negative for the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes, there is a lot of cancer in Newman’s family. Her daughters have been advised to start receiving mammograms at age 39.

Advice

Both Perlinger and Newman have some advice to impart when it comes to dealing with the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer. For instance, it is imperative to lean on others for support.

“Ask for the help you need, and let others help you,” Perlinger said, noting that her husband and other family members created a sturdy support network for her. For Newman, bringing her husband along to doctor’s appointments and having her girlfriends accompany her to chemo treatments gave her a boost of strength.

When it comes to cancer, knowledge is power.

“Going online was very helpful,” Newman added. “You can’t underestimate the amount of knowledge out there.”

Newman also recommended a couple of books she found helpful.

“The Mayo Clinic Breast Cancer book is the best place to start,” she noted. And Peggy Anderson, the founder of Circle of Hope, also wrote a helpful book called “Dear Auntie, Why Me,” which is about breast cancer.

“I would also advise people to learn as much as they can about family genetics,” she added.

Speaking of Circle of Hope, both women support the cause in efforts to help others battling breast cancer. Perlinger, a marathoner, is a charity runner who raises donations for the group.

“I consider Peggy Anderson an angel on earth,” Perlinger said. “There is literally a village of women through Circle of Hope – I want others to know that we have got you, and you’re not alone.”

And Newman has served on the group’s board of directors, and also donates a portion of the proceeds from her jewelry sales to the cause.

Lessons

Both women have learned many lessons as a result of breast cancer, such as living life in the present.

“I don’t allow myself to ask, ‘What if it comes back?’ Newman said. “I keep wigs in my basement, but I don’t think about it. I want to fill my days with my grandchildren, jewelry, and ballroom dancing.”

Another big lesson is finding peace within yourself.

“Find what gives you peace – whether it’s God, nature, yoga, or your best friend – find what settles your heart,” Perlinger said.

Breast cancer is also a thorough teacher about the fragility of life.

“I used this as an opportunity to slow down and be deliberate; be thoughtful. Time is finite,” Perlinger said.

“Life is precious and it’s short,” Newman added.

If you are diagnosed, these two survivors recommend trying to remain positive, while learning as much as you can.

“It’s easy to become scared by another woman’s journey, or the statistics,” Perlinger said. “But, don’t be afraid to ask questions. I brought a notebook to all of my appointments to write everything down, but I’ve since burned it. That’s a part of my past now.” D