Pam Hargrove, survivor

After receiving a cancer diagnosis, many patients experience a dizzying array of emotions – fear, anger, hope, loss and confusion. Pam Hargrove felt all those emotions. Plus, she was already coping with grief. Her husband died from an asbestos-related cancer just five weeks earlier.

Today, Pam is a breast cancer survivor. Along with owning and running a business, she is on a mission to help others remain positive despite a cancer diagnosis. “Many people initially view cancer as a death sentence, but that’s not always the case,” she says. “Cancer treatments have come a long way, and many have good reason to remain hopeful.”

From day one, Pam was determined to remain optimistic. “I asked my doctors to tell me what I needed to do and what decisions I had to make. From there, my focus was on moving forward,” she says. Pam is now helping others view cancer with that same can-do spirit.

Overcoming a speed bump
Looking back, Pam says she views her cancer as a “speed bump.” But as she relates her story, there were days when overcoming that speed bump seemed like an insurmountable challenge. Not only did her diagnosis come quickly after her husband’s death, but her surgery came just days after her a questionable mammogram was confirmed by an ultrasound and biopsy.

Pam’s surgeon gave her the choice of having a mastectomy or removing lymph nodes. Pam chose to have her lymph nodes removed. After that, she went through several rounds of chemotherapy and more than 30 radiation treatments. Although she made it through the first few rounds of chemotherapy without much trouble, the last few were much more difficult.

“For awhile, I had to focus solely on myself. I had to make sure I was going to be OK,” she says. “I also had to learn that sometimes you have to let people help.” Thankfully, Pam’s tapped into her strong network of family and friends, including her many sailing friends. Her employees also joined right in.

Pam has many woman employees, and she realizes her diagnosis has prompted many to get yearly mammograms. She also volunteers Wednesday afternoons at Park Nicollet Frauenshuh Cancer Center. Her goal is to show patients they can take control of their health care, ask their oncologist and care team the right questions and receive the answers they need.

Pam also makes it a point to give cancer patients hope. “I let them know that it’s ok to be afraid,” she says. “Still, it’s important to keep moving forward. Beating cancer requires a fight.”

To learn more about seeking treatment at Park Nicollet Frauenshuh Cancer Center, call 952-993-3248 or parknicollet.com/cancer.