Walking for a cause

<p>Every step Cathy Koehler took reminded her of the fight she and countless other cancer survivors had been through. A 2-mile walk in the neighborhoods near Butler University brought various emotions to the surface — happiness, sadness, relief and hope.</p><p>In June, Koehler took part in the 24 Indianapolis cycling and walking event, raising money for the organizations that helped her through the various stages of her recovery.</p><p>She was one of eight cancer survivors treated at Franciscan Health Cancer Center on the southside to participate in the event. It was hosted by the 24 Foundation, an organization formed to inspire communities throughout the country to positively impact the lives of cancer patients through monetary donations.</p><p>Joining Cathy on the walk was her husband John, 70, who served as caregiver during the time his wife of 28 years became ill.</p>[sc:text-divider text-divider-title="Story continues below gallery" ]<p>“He took care of me because of all of the treatments. There’s not much you can do during treatment,” Cathy, 66, said. “John fed me, took me back and forth to the doctor, kept my medicine on total schedule. Name it. He was the caregiver who made sure I got through therapy.”</p><p>The Koehlers raised $200 each. Overall, the 24 Indianapolis event brought in $250,000.</p><p>Franciscan Health breast cancer surgeon Dr. Erika Rager and medical oncologist Meghana Raghavendra were among those sponsoring the participation of their former patients.</p><p>“We were thrilled both with the number of participants and the enthusiasm of the participants,” Rager said. “We’re honored and happy to be one of the recipients of the money they raised at the event.</p><p>“As a group, we find that most of our cancer survivors are really generous, really enthusiastic people who tend to be grateful for the cure that they’ve received. They want to pass that on whether it’s through volunteering or through donations themselves. The technical term for it is post-traumatic growth. You go through something hard and come out stronger on the other side.”</p><p>The event raises money for cancer survivorship and treatment programs throughout the United States. This includes the Franciscan Health Cancer Center’s Moving Beyond program, a free 12-week experience that helps cancer survivors move on with the rest of their lives. Run by breast cancer survivor Kim Ziner, Moving Beyond helps cancer survivors following everything associated with months — perhaps even years — of treatments and possibly surgeries.</p><p>Ziner is an oncology nurse at Franciscan Health diagnosed in October 1990. She has been cancer-free since the spring of 1991 after undergoing a full left mastectomy with immediate reconstruction. More recently, she was asked by Rager to be the Moving Beyond program director in 2015.</p><p>“What I brought to the program was basing it on my quality of life dissertation,” said Ziner, 63, an oncology nurse for more than four decades. “The biggest fear I had as a cancer patient was the fear of it coming back. It was about living healthier and making healthy choices.”</p><p>Among services offered during 90-minute meetings are advice about proper dieting, spirituality, money budgeting and physical fitness.</p><p>“I can’t say enough about it. The program helped us so much. It’s called that because it’s moving beyond cancer,” Cathy Koehler said. “They teach you what to do. Now that you’re through treatment, now what? What do I expect? Am I going to get sick again? They walk you through everything. Finances. Exercise. Food.”</p><p>Rager helped found the Moving Beyond program not long after being hired at Franciscan Health.</p><p>“I came here seven years ago because they gave me the opportunity to start the cancer survivorship program,” she said. “There was increasing discussion about it and increasing research about the needs of cancer survivors, but there wasn’t any cancer program in town that had a formal cancer survivorship program.”</p><p>“It has certainly evolved over time, but our goal is to focus on research and the best practices for helping to improve the quality of life of people who have been through cancer treatment.”</p><p>Koehler’s cancer journey began in August 2015 — approximately 17 months after she retired — after detecting a lump on her right breast during a self-examination. She underwent a lumpectomy in September and later a lymph node biopsy.</p><p>She finished chemotherapy and in April 2016 was told her cancer was in remission. She takes three medications daily — Letrozole, Cymbalta and Lipitor. Cymbalta helps relieve anxiety while also taking away pain in her muscles and joints caused by the Letrozole. It also helps reduce the excessive sweating, another potential side-effect of Letrozole. Taking Lipitor brings down Koehler’s cholesterol.</p><p>At the Indianapolis event, she wasn’t going to miss the opportunity to show her support despite temperatures in the low 90s. The heat made the process tiring, but it proved to be a good tired, she said.</p><p>“It was satisfying. It was exciting. When you go through it and you see people who are going through the same things, it helps to be around people who know what you’re going through. It was extremely emotional,” she said.</p>[sc:pullout-title pullout-title="At a glance" ][sc:pullout-text-begin]<p>A GOOD CAUSE</p><p>The following is a look at the seventh annual 24 Indianapolis cycling/walking event hosted at Butler University in June:</p><p>Participants: 466 (376 cyclists, 90 walkers).</p><p>Money raised: Approximately $250,000.</p><p>Recipients: Franciscan Health’s Moving Beyond Program / IU Health Simon Cancer Center.</p>[sc:pullout-text-end]