Sisters Celebrate Cancer Remission

Sisters Celebrate Cancer Remission

BY: SHARON BEUCHAW FOR THE OKLAHOMAN

PUBLISHED: Wed, March 29, 2017

[Photo by Chris Landsberger, The Oklahoman]

Sisters Colby and Jess Wedel battled cancer that is now in remission. Outside an Oklahoma City coffee shop, the differences between the sisters were as noticeable as the unseasonably warm winter day. Her face framed by long brown hair, Colby Wedel wore a denim dress and cowboy boots. Jess Wedel, her dark hair shorn, made a fashion statement in a colorful dress featuring polka-dots.

Jess, 28, was the outdoor type while growing up, into running and competitive soccer. Colby, 29, studied ballet, swam and participated in musical theater. As adults, however, they found something in common: The sisters saw the same oncologist for chemotherapy.

About five years ago, Colby was diagnosed with a desmoid tumor in the chest area. Desmoid tumors arise from cells called fibroblasts, which are found throughout the body. Fibroblasts provide structural support and protection to the vital organs and play a critical role in wound healing. Though they don't metastasize, desmoid tumors can cause life-threatening problems or even death when aggressive, according to the Desmoid Tumor Research Foundation. In the United States, about 900 people are diagnosed with desmoid tumors every year, meaning that for every 1 million people, two to four are diagnosed with the tumors. A senior accountant at Remington Management, accustomed to dealing with facts and figures, Colby immediately set her mind to solving the problem. “I tend to approach things very logically,” she said. “We're gonna get it out, and we're going to move on.”

In November 2011, Colby underwent surgery to have the pectoral muscle on her left side removed. The tumor grew back, and in July 2013 she started a six-month round of chemo, which stopped the growth. Her tumor is monitored, and she sees a specialist at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston every October for an MRI. Should the tumor grow around the heart and lungs, it could prevent the organs from functioning and be fatal, she said. “It's kind of what I call my new normal now,” she said. “As long as it doesn't grow, it's gonna live inside me.”

In March 2016, Colby was at work when her mother called her from the hospital with bad news about Jess: She had been diagnosed with a rare kind of ovarian cancer that is not genetic. Colby packed up, went home, made sure the family had groceries, received visitors and acted as a caretaker. When she saw her sister, Colby said, “I just told her I loved her and that it wasn't something that we wouldn't be able to get through.” Having her sister by her side made her feel safe, Jess said.

Watching her sister's health crisis had taught her a crucial lesson, she said. As Colby dealt with the tumor, Jess said, a lot of people were telling her what to do, yet she made up her own mind. “However you get through is right for you,” Jess said.

Jess saw a doctor at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. After two surgeries in which her ovaries, uterus and cancer were removed and 18 weeks of chemo, she was declared cancer-free on Dec. 13. She took a vacation to France and Italy to celebrate, a “woo-hoo, I beat cancer trip.”

A director for Presbyterian Health Foundation, she said the experience drove home the importance of her career in medical research. Personal goals include helping the young adult cancer community through a support group, and advocating for good health care policy with the state Legislature. Colby plans to live as normal a life as possible despite the tumor, and wants to someday have children.

Helping others The sisters now share a common cause. Colby is on the University of Oklahoma Stephenson Cancer Center Board of Advocates. She helped found the Young Adult Cancer Support Group in June 2016, for ages 18 through 39. Started by word-of-mouth, it is now part of Stephenson's overall care support groups. Cancer is an isolating experience, and even more so for young adults, Jess said. The group members don't just talk about feelings; it provides a place for them to hang out and feel normal. Email yasgoklahoma@gmail.com to be on the distribution list, and the Facebook page is at https://www.facebook.com/theyasg/. The group also partners with the nonprofit Tenaciously Teal to help build cancer care packs for patients throughout the state and nation.

There is no history of cancer in the immediate or extended family, said their mother, Valari Wedel. Valari, a homemaker and registered nurse, and her husband, Greg, an entrepreneur, are lifelong Edmond residents. Before her daughters' ordeals, Valari felt that her family was blessed. They are a religious family, she said, and belong to Memorial Road Church of Christ. She has since realized how one can quickly lose the things that are valued the most. “We have very little control over our lives,” she said. Colby and Jess remained optimistic and courageous throughout their struggles, Valari said, her voice breaking into sobs. “They weren't afraid of the cancer,” she said. Each had the ability to find the resources they needed, she said. “It's just another way of surviving."

https://oklahoman.com/article/5543221/sisters-celebrate-cancer-remission