Resilience and Giving Back
Erin Karlin, DOWL’s Marketing Program Manager, isn’t one to talk about herself. In fact, she’s one of those “doer” people we all know, worrying about if things are getting done, seeing they’re not, and then just doing them herself without complaint or requiring fanfare.
So to interview Erin about Erin probably wouldn’t have been within her comfort zone if it wasn’t for the fact that the interview turned out to be a way for her to help other people.
At the age of 36, she found a lump on her breast. “After a mammogram, doctors determined the lump was benign. It took another six months to see it had grown,” said Erin. “Then three days after my 37th birthday, the biopsy confirmed it was cancer.”
If they had done a biopsy six months earlier and had it been properly diagnosed, her treatment might not have been so invasive.
“I wish I’d known I could have advocated for myself more,” said Erin. “I could have asked for a biopsy, and they would have done one.”
She now advises others with similar experiences to advocate for themselves, ask for a second opinion, and be sure to get a case manager who can help you navigate the often-complex world of healthcare and insurance. She emphasized that the case manager was, and continues to be, invaluable.
“For example, I wanted a wig, but my insurance policy doesn’t include wigs,” said Erin. “My case manager suggested I get in touch with a local organization that assists with this type of request. She really helped me every step of the way.”
Steps that included chemotherapy, radiation, and three trips to the Mayo clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, which is an 1,100-mile car trip from her home in Helena, Montana during the COVID pandemic, all while working at DOWL and raising two small children with her husband, Daniel.
“I realized early that I needed to try to find joy in life and keep moving so I did things like running a 5K and hiking to the top of Mt. Helena during chemo,” said Erin. “I found happiness in the little things and then got up the next day and did it again.”
Today, more than two years after her last chemotherapy treatment and now cancer-free, Erin is living her life much like she did during her treatment. In typical Erin fashion, she has shifted her focus to helping others in her community. She is working to help establish a Cancer Support Community Montana chapter with a brick and mortar support center in Helena. The programs (also offered virtually) are free of charge to patients and offer a variety of wellness programs. Erin is confident that these services will positively impact the approximately 591 people diagnosed with cancer each year in Helena and the surrounding areas.
In support of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and mostly in support of Erin and others like her in Helena, Montana, DOWL is gifting the charity $5,000 to assist with its fundraising efforts.
“Wow! That’s amazing.” Erin said with some serious quiet space between speaking. “You’re going to make me cry.”
We all know who is amazing in this story, Erin.
To assist with the fundraising efforts of the Cancer Support Center’s mission to open a new facility in Helena, please visit Cancer Support Community Montana to contribute.