INDY nation, it is my pleasure to introduce you to Debbie Bemboom. Debbie’s story highlights the importance of preventive exams like mammograms and the importance of being aware of your body. Debbie is a fitness enthusiast and a dental hygienist of 27 years. She has also been a trainer for 20 years and has been leading classes at the YMCA for nine years!  

Deb grew up in Sauk Rapids, and still lives there with her husband Greg, who she has been married to for 26 years.  She and Greg have two children, Anthony 29 who is married to Amy, and is a catcher for the Tampa Bay Rays – she shared with me that the day she was diagnosed with her cancer, Anthony had been drafted to play for the Angel’s and said it was hard to break the news to him on what should have been such a happy day. They also have a daughter, Bailey, 23, who is a nurse at the hospital. Here is her story…
 
Can you tell us a little about your story? 
In June of 2012, at 4:00 in the morning, I was stretching and rubbing my abs since they were sore from working out the day before.  It was then, when my hand ran into a marble like bump under my right breast.  I immediately sat up as it was not there the day before even, I would have noticed.  Right away that morning I went in to my doctor and had a mammogram.  I had just had a mammogram in October. I have been getting them yearly since my late 30’s, due to my mom having breast cancer.  This mammogram turned into an ultrasound, which was followed by a biopsy on the following Monday. On Wednesday, I would meet with the surgeon to discuss the results.   
 
I was diagnosed with Stage 2A, Type 3 Triple-negative invasive Ductal Carcinoma (breast cancer).  The good news was that it was not in my lymph nodes. The bad news was it was an aggressive form and had to treat it aggressively with chemotherapy.  We all know how fun that is, and I was hoping to avoid it.  
 
I decided on a double mastectomy with implant reconstruction, mainly because it was the fastest recovery option.  My main focus was to get through this process as fast as possible and with as little disruption to our lives as possible. I wanted to stay in my normal routines as much as I could, so I continued to work. I’m a Dental Hygienist and also teach boot camps (I do personal training out of my home and teach group fitness at the YMCA).  I would work in the morning and do chemotherapy Monday afternoons. By Thursday afternoons, it would start hitting me. I then had Fridays off and could recover over the weekend.  This routine worked great for me and kept my mind off of feeling crappy.  I am also a runner and continued to try to run with my group.  Mostly, it was a walk run, but I needed the socialization and comradery.   
 
I was able to complete my treatment in six months! My final surgery was in November, so I was so very thankful for that! One little hiccup was going into a Neutropenic fever after my first chemo- very scary! But after that, they gave me the Neulasta shot (a shot used to decrease the incidence of infection, by treatingneutropenia)and that helped!
 
We all have inner superpowers. What would you say are some of yours?
**Chelsea (Warrior Correspondent) here: I have found that this is a very hard question for some our warriors to answer.  I haven’t had the pleasure of meeting Debbie face to face, but I would say that this girl’s superpower is strength! So many of us would use this diagnosis as an opportunity to slack.  Perhaps even to indulge in a little pity.  Not Debbie, reading her story tells me that she put on her bravest face and tackled the situation head on.  To continue to work and train and persevere through a “normal” schedule takes a large amount of determination and heart.  
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What brings you joy and fulfillment?
Things that bring me joy are definitely fitness, running and helping others to overcome those walls they have built up so they are able to accomplish their goals.  I love to push myself just a little more to see what I can get my body to do!  I also love to travel and experience new things!
 
What does it mean to be a cancer survivor?
It is really still crazy to me that I am a cancer survivor. It means that I fought a dangerous disease, with many people supporting me, and incredible doctors, one day at a time, one appointment at a time, and I got through it. 
 

​Who was an influential person to your cancer battle?
Honestly, one person that comes to mind is Dave Carlson.  He was a good friend of mine. At the time of my diagnosis, Dave was fighting a losing battle to brain cancer.  He was giving me advice on doctors, support opportunities, etc. His outlook, even so dim, was amazing.  All I could think was, my cancer is treatable, I will beat mine, but he won’t. It made me feel almost guilty for having a treatable cancer.  So yes, it was not easy going through my cancer, but I beat it and am still here.  The day after my first chemo treatment, I went to Dave’s funeral.  
 
What were some key things that helped you in the midst of your battle? 
Staying active- honestly it does help you get the chemo out of your system faster and recover quicker.  Mentally, I needed to keep moving as much as I could.  
 
Telling my story- people were nervous to ask me about my cancer. I’m an open book. I felt talking about it was therapeutic and made it less scary to others.  I hoped it might help others who would be diagnosed to know what it was like, and maybe not be so scared. 
 
Staying in my routine- I kept working and teaching my classes. I needed to try to keep feeling like ME and not a cancer patient.
 
Leaning on family and friends: they were scared too and didn’t know how to help.By letting them help me, it helped them too.
            
Knowing what you know about cancer, what would you tell other survivors?
ONE DAY AT A TIME, ONE DR APPOINTMENT AT A TIME, ONE CHEMO TREATMENT AT A TIME!   I can compare running a marathon to my mindset for my journey. If I look at 26.2 miles at one time, it’s way too overwhelming. I break it down into segments, focusing on the first five miles, then the next five. After I reach the 20 mile mark, it’s usually one mile at a time, but pretty soon you area at that finish line! There are times when you feel angry, sick, sad, or defeated, but you keep putting one foot in front of the other and pretty soon you make it to that amazing finish line!! You look back and are amazed you did it.  That’s exactly how my cancer journey was. You WILL make it through, lean on your friends and family, its okay to feel angry, sad, scared, etc. but know you WILL come out stronger and with skills to accomplish what life throws at you next!!

​​Candy Markfort has lived in central Minnesota her entire life.  She married Jim Markfort in 1974. She and Jim have two daughters, two sons-in-law, six grandchildren and one great grandchild. She recently left her job of 19 years as a Pharmacist Technician, to enjoy what looks to be an early retirement. Her battle with Ovarian Cancer started when she was only 30 years old. Fortunately, 32 years later, she remains cancer free. 


Can you tell us a little about your story? 
In the late fall of 1985, I thought I had an ovarian cyst and found out that I was actually pregnant. After that, they thought the baby was bigger than normal, as the size of the baby didn’t match up with the dates. Due to the baby’s size they decided to do an ultrasound and found that there was at least one cyst present.  When they checked on it again, it had grown significantly in size, which prompted them to take it out, even though I was pregnant. 
When they went in to remove the cyst, they found that I actually had Ovarian Cancer.  I actually had tumors on both ovaries.  One of my ovaries was the size of a football and the other the size of a grapefruit. 
After they removed it, I got an infection in my ureter, so they had to go in and do another surgery, while I was still pregnant.  However, I had a major sense of peace that my baby was going to be okay and be born healthy after they removed the cancer. 
It was an aggressive grade 3 (out of 4 – 4 being the worst).
If it had been necessary, no chemo was going to take place during my pregnancy, as I was not going to harm my baby to save myself. 
On July 27th, I had a healthy baby girl. 
In October of 1986, I had a total hysterectomy. Luckily, the cancer was fully contained and no further treatment was necessary. 

We all have inner superpowers. What would you say are some of yours?
I was given the ability to remain calm.  I collect the facts, take in all of the information and react from there.  I believe that we wait to worry until there is something to worry about.  I also give the best hugs!

What brings you joy and fulfillment?
Spending time with our kids, our boys and our grandkids.

What does it mean to be a cancer survivor?
For me, I feel that I’m not worthy of a cancer survivor story because I didn’t have to have any chemo or radiation.  I had surgery a few times, but it doesn’t seem the same as someone who had to go through all the treatment. 

Who was an influential person to your cancer battle?
 I couldn’t have done any of it without my husband. He took such good care of me. 

What were some key things that helped you in the midst of your battle? 
My mindset and my faith in God. I am a “give me the facts and I’ll worry about it then” kind of person. My faith told me that everything was going to be okay and that really helped me through.

Knowing what you know about cancer, what would you tell other survivors? 
Let yourself be part of a support network and don’t feel like you need to do it yourself.  Do not let anyone else tell you that your cancer is NOT a big deal.  Cancer is a big deal for every person, no matter what kind or what the prognosis is. I ask you, if you’re reading this and haven’t had cancer, never minimize someone’s cancer. 
One last thing I want to share with you is this.  When I get to heaven, the first thing I’m going to ask Jesus is if he gave me that baby girl because he knew after the cancer I wouldn’t be able to have more children or if he gave me that baby girl so that they would find the cancer and my older daughter wouldn’t be without her mom.
Jim Markfortwas also born and raised in central Minnesota.  He works full-time at LPI in Becker and also continues to farm on the family farm that has been in his family for over 100 years. His journey with Prostate Cancer started in the spring of 2018 and he has been officially cancer free since January of 2019. 

Can you tell us a little about your story? 
Barb Mergen made me come in for a physical.  I had a history of high blood pressure and she wouldn’t renew my prescription without a full physical as it had been a bit since I was last night.  During the physical, Barb noticed that my PSA numbers had climbed and thought it best to send me to a urologist. 
I went to the urologist a month later and my PSA numbers has climbed.  The PSA itself wasn’t high overall, but was escalating very quickly. 
I went in for an MRI, which gave the urologist a better picture of where to biopsy.  The MRI test results showed a suspicious area that indicated possible malignancy.  The morning, they called with the MRI results I was sitting on the side of the road for five hours, broken down in my work truck.  
The biopsy that followed revealed that prostate cancer was present.  The Gleason scale indicated that it was an aggressive cancer.  It was rated as a high 7/low 8. The urologist indicated that though it was aggressive we caught it early and the outcome looked bright.
The options presented were radiation, the nuclear seeds that they can plant in you or removal.
I opted for removal on November 9, 2018. The surgery went well.  They sent it out after surgery and it came back as a high 8, which showed how aggressive it was and reaffirmed our decision for removal.
On January 9, 2019 I went back in for a follow up PSA test and it came back at a 0. Cancer free! This means that the surgery was successful and no follow-up treatment was needed. 
I give all credit to the diligence of Barb Mergen. If she hadn’t insisted on me coming in for a full physical, this aggressive cancer would not have been caught and the outcome could have been different. 
We all have inner superpowers. What would you say are some of yours?
I learned from a young age, the value of hard work. I stand up for what I believe in and try my best to guide my children and grandchildren to be the best versions of themselves, even if they don’t always want to hear it.

What brings you joy and fulfillment?
My wife, kids, their partners and my grandkids. Being outside.  Looking at the Lord’s creation every morning when the sun comes up. There is nothing better than a beautiful sunrise and listening to the world come alive in the morning. 
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What does it mean to be a cancer survivor?
Being a cancer survivor means that you learn to appreciate the day and do not take tomorrow for granted. You always assume you’re going to have tomorrow.  After going through a cancer battle, you learn to appreciate today and the time you have here.

Who was an influential person to your cancer battle?
One person who really helped me throughout my battle was John Gibbs.  He reached out to me as soon as he heard about it and talked to me about it for a long time about it.  He himself has had fought a prostate cancer battle, so he understood what I was going through.

What were some key things that helped you in the midst of your battle? 
: My wife was very supportive. My belief in God helped me a lot in my battle.  My church family.  My family and friends.

Knowing what you know about cancer, what would you tell other survivors? 
Face it head on. Put your trust in the Lord. Do not try and do it alone, do not try and keep it a secret. Let your family and friends be your care group.  If you have a church care group, rely on them as well.  Sometimes it can feel overwhelming having so much support, but it is much better than going at it alone. 
I do want to share one short story with you.  Two days before my cancer surgery, myself and my lifelong friend were out preparing our cows for winter.  As he went to leave that day, he turned around and came back to me and hugged me. When he pulled out of the embrace, he looked at me said “You’re going to be okay.  You aren’t done yet.”.