Clear Lake woman spends an ‘amazing year’ battling breast cancer

‘I have an all new outlook on life’

by Marianne Morf

Tiffani Ward calls 2014 an amazing year.   It’s a superlative that seems contradictory.  After all, the year included her diagnosis of breast cancer, a double mastectomy and reconstructive surgery.

As a medical assistant at Mercy Medical Center’s Regency Clinic in Mason City, Ward, 37, recognized a potential health problem while checking herself.

“I found a lump and I asked a doctor here about it.  I went for my first-ever mammogram and the radiologist knew it was cancer.  You hear that “C” word and you get scared.  You think, I have two kids— 17 and 10.  I’m a single mom.  What is going to happen to me?— to them?  It’s scary no matter what age you are.”

Tiffani had no family history of breast cancer.  Her father, Chris, had brain cancer, but she was told there was no connection between the cancers, just a cruel coincidence.  Admittedly, she was frightened.  She described her daughters as “deer in the headlights.”

Biopsies, Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), and Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scan showed her cancer in two lymph nodes.  Fortunately, it was contained to the breast and had not spread.

Within a week Tiffani met with Mason City Clinic surgeon Dr. Steven Allgood.

“I didn’t know what to expect.  I had never had surgery,” said Tiffani.  “He sat me down, gave me a hug and said ‘We will get through this together.’ It was exactly what I needed to hear. I was not a number. He made me feel like a friend.  We talked about family; he asked about my school.  I felt like it was going to be okay and I didn’t have to go through this alone.”

During their conversation Tiffani learned Dr. Allgood’s wife had died three years ago from breast cancer.

“He was incredibly knowledgable and answered so many questions for me,” she added.  “I could feel his passion for the work and it comforted me.”

Allgood leads a Breast Cancer Review Conference, a comprehensive group of medical specialists from the Mason City Clinic and Mercy Medical Center-North Iowa who meet regularly and discuss the best course of treatment for their breast cancer patients.  The conference includes primary care providers, radiologists, pathologists, general surgeons, plastic surgeons, medical oncologists, and radiation oncologists dedicated to delivering a full range of services on one campus in Mason City as the Mercy Breast Center of North Iowa.

“We are dedicated to providing each person with exceptional care from the initial evaluation through

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the entire course of cancer treatment. As a comprehensive program, the professionals strive to provide a seamless transition from the primary care physician through biopsy, diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up cancer care,” said Allgood.

Tiffani also praised Nurse Case Manager Sheri Showalter for her support during her care.

“She’s been through breast cancer and was always able to answer questions and guide me the entire way.  Her help was a great asset to the health care I received.”

Tiffani’s lump doubled in size within two weeks of its discovery and her treatment began with 16 weeks of chemotherapy.  She began taking chemo in April, driving to Mason City Clinic every other Thursday for eight weeks.  She would take the “ugly, awful” treatment between 1-4 p.m., then rest at home and return to work on Friday.  As treatment advanced to eight-hour sessions of Taxol chemotherapy, she took off from work on Fridays to spend the day at the Clinic.  Radiation sessions continued daily from August to Nov. 10, 2014.

“I can’t say enough about the support system my mother (Barb) and brother (Dustin) provided.  My co-workers and everybody at Mason City Clinic was fantastic and very understanding.  Their commitment to my health was over-the-top extraordinary.”

Although her cancer appeared to have been eliminated through chemotheraphy, doctors recommended a mastectomy on the right side.  Tiffani elected to have a double mastectomy to maximize the likelihood that her cancer would not return.

“Once I had the double mastectomy, it was a struggle for me.  I didn’t want people to know I had gone through this change. I wanted to be normal.  I wanted to look normal in a T-shirt. I wanted to feel like a woman.  I wanted to feel beautiful again.”

Dr. Mark Mulkey, of the Mason City Clinic, performed her breast reconstruction surgery.

“I was kind of nervous, but he put me at ease,” said Tiffani.  “He was a young, nice guy.  There was no awkwardness. He wanted my opinion.  He asked, ‘What would you be happy with?’, and then he presented me with options.”

For the next year Tiffani will have checkups every three months.  That schedule will drop to every six months, then after five years checkups will be yearly.

“I have an all new, outlook on life— especially when it comes to peoples’ health care,” said Tiffani.  “I’m in a much better place now than I was before.   I’ve lost 150-pounds and I am happy to be able to share my story and hope that it might help someone, somehow.”

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