Personalized Care is Key to Treating Advanced Illness

As a registered nurse, Kathy Daum always advised patients to pay attention to their bodies and when something seems wrong, quickly see a physician. That advice gained new meaning to her when a few years after menopause Kathy experienced bleeding and a biopsy revealed that she had stage 3 cervical cancer.

"I couldn't have surgery because it wouldn't be effective, and I learned that the expected recovery rate for my cancer is only 30 percent. I was convinced I was going to die," Kathy remembers.

She immediately started a search for leading oncologists and found Dr. Sharyn Lewin, Medical Director of Gynecologic Oncology at Holy Name. Dr. Lewin led a team of specialists in developing a personalized care plan tailored to Kathy's specific cancer, including radiation, chemotherapy and comprehensive support services.

Kathy's treatment wasn't easy– she had radiation for five weeks, including two overnight stays to receive brachytherapy, an internal radiation treatment. She also received chemotherapy, which caused bouts of nausea.

"Every person at Holy Name, from the parking lot attendant to the staff, nurses, and Dr. Lewin's team… they all had so much patience and made me feel like a part of a family," Kathy says. "They put my needs first and made a horrible experience the best it could possibly be."

Slowly, Kathy started feeling stronger and her fears dissipated. She responded well to her treatment and subsequent scans revealed no remaining cancer. She was in remission.

"Kathy's treatment highlights the best of Holy Name – patient-centered, multidisciplinary care, with a personal touch," Dr. Lewin says. "Our team is always committed to providing leading-edge, data-driven care, with careful attention paid to each patient's individual needs."

Just six months after her diagnosis, Kathy was back at work, retelling her story to patients when they mentioned ignoring symptoms. She now frequently thinks about what could have happened had she been treated somewhere besides Holy Name, without the same level of expert care and personalized attention.

"Even now, after all this time, when I visit for a check-up… everyone knows my name and greets me like a friend they saw just yesterday," Kathy says. "Holy Name is an amazing place and I'm so glad I went there for treatment."