6 minute read
Anything is Possible
Momentum 6
“I have always thrived in chaos,” said Schulz, a Bismarck native. “I think being an intensive care nurse, you tend to adapt and thrive in stressful and fast-paced environments. There are a lot of late nights and homework time during the kids’ naps, but you do what you have to do to get the work done for your dream you’ve wanted for so long.”
Earning her graduate degree and becoming a DNP suddenly took an unexpected turn that not only put Schulz’s career dreams in jeopardy, but also her life. In September of 2018, during classroom hands-on assessments, Schulz and her group partner needed assistance with their thyroid evaluations because they were unsure if they were doing it properly. They asked their professor, Dr. Annie Gerhardt, to assist.
“A thyroid exam tends to be a difficult assessment to learn,” said Gerhardt, who is a Family Nurse Practitioner [FNP] clinical competence coordinator and assistant professor, as well as a captain in the North Dakota National Guard State Medical Detachment Unit. “During the exam, I noted a palpable mass on Alexis’s thyroid and questioned if she or another provider had noted this previously. She had not.”
Gerhardt knew Alexis had recently been pregnant with her second child, and women can develop thyroid issues during or just after pregnancy, making the finding not completely abnormal. However, it could also indicate cancer or other serious health issues. Either way, the finding absolutely required follow-up, and Gerhardt encouraged Alexis to go in and see her provider for further testing.
“During our remaining class time, being the great student and learning partner that Alexis is, she shared the finding with the class and volunteered to have her fellow classmates assess her thyroid so that they could see an abnormal thyroid exam for learning purposes,” Gerhardt said.
Schulz soon made an appointment with her primary doctor that determined a biopsy was needed. Through her own research, Schulz learned that thyroid nodules are very common, and 90 percent are benign, so she became optimistic. However, soon after the removal, she quickly learned that her nodule was cancerous.
That’s when Schulz’s chaotic world quickly became even more complicated. Her head filled with worry and uncertainty: What about her schooling, her homework, her clinicals, her job, and most importantly — her family?
“At the time of the call, my mom, dad, husband and two little kids were at the table eating dinner. I thought, ‘how am I going to say this? What do I say?’ This is going to rock everyone’s world. I had told them it was Dr. Chalmers before I left the room, so they knew what it was about. I had no choice but to tell them.”
Together with her family and her doctor, Alexis decided to remove the rest of her thyroid for preventive treatment and longterm care. Her second surgery was January 17, 2019. Schulz is recovering well and hasn’t needed any treatment since the surgery. Alexis Schulz, left, thought she knew what to expect when enrolling in the University of Mary Doctorate of Nursing Practice [DNP] program. On its own, preparing to be a DNP is a full-time job. Add to that her everyday job at CHI St. Alexius Health as a registered nurse and helping her husband raise their two children.
“I will still have to check my thyroglobulin levels for the rest of my life, because if it were to come back, I would have to undergo treatment,” said Schulz.
Schulz gives credit to her huge support system during what she calls a “crazy time” of her life — her family, her classmates, friends, coworkers and University of Mary faculty, and especially Dr. Annie Gerhardt.
“She is my guardian angel, life saver, and my family is forever grateful for her as well,” Schulz said. “When I think of my career goals, the first thing that comes to my mind is being a confident and excellent practitioner like Dr. Annie Gerhardt. I want my patients to trust me with their health and lives without hesitation.”
As a Christian, Schulz firmly believes this entire experience and her choosing the University of Mary is truly providential. She selected Mary for its nursing undergraduate program in 2014 and graduate degree because of the university’s mission.
“There is such a sense of family and belonging on the UMary campus, I always felt I was ‘home,’” Schulz said. “I had wonderful and caring instructors for my undergraduate program and I knew I would have the same for my doctorate. The University of Mary is known for its excellent nurses and nursing program so I knew I wanted to go back for my continuing education.
“Whenever I tell my story or get asked about it, I am reminded how blessed I am that I was placed in this program. I don’t think there is really any other way to explain what happened besides that God was looking out for me. It made my faith stronger because everything worked out. As an intensive care nurse, I see patients with severe life-altering ailments every day and am constantly reminded that even with this diagnosis, I am still so very blessed. I am forever grateful that God spoke to Dr. Annie Gerhardt that day to find this life-changing diagnosis that potentially saved my life.”
“I have been watching how gracefully Alexis has continued moving with her life journey as a new mother, with a new cancer diagnosis, treatment and uncertainty, continuing through clinicals and her graduate education,” Gerhardt said. “Her resilience is admirable. Alexis’s experiences will only enhance her capabilities as a nurse practitioner. I am so excited to see where she will go.”
Sure, Schulz knew this journey towards earning her DNP at the University of Mary would be challenging and downright hard, but not this hard. Her advice to current or future students?
“If you want something bad enough, you’re going to get out there and get it; nothing will stand in your way. That’s how I cope with everything that has happened in the last year,” Schulz said. “Lean on the UMary faculty. They care about you. I don’t know how many times I got a phone call or email from Dr. Gerhardt last year when this was all happening, saying she was praying for me and asking if there was anything I needed. That is a special attribute that not all instructors have and what makes Dr. Gerhardt stand out. I am so lucky to have the faculty that I have at UMary.
