The year 2021 marks a significant anniversary for me — 25 years ago, in Thunder Bay, I was diagnosed with endometrial cancer and had a complete hysterectomy/oophorectomy. The prognosis was the best it could be — stage 1 and apparently considered curable with surgery. All went well, but within a month, I received a report of atypical cells found in the wash. These wouldn’t have necessarily been cause for alarm, but given that cancer was involved, I was offered the option of radiation as further treatment. It wasn’t being recommended, but it was offered. The decision was difficult for me — all treatments risk side effects, and yet I didn’t want to live with the fear and regret of not doing everything possible to beat the cancer and maintain my health. It was my great good fortune to be given an appointment at PMH with Dr. Joan Murphy — a specialist in this particular area. In May of 1996, I traveled to Toronto, received the empathetic and compassionate attention that is appreciated by so many … and Dr. Murphy was able to assure me that I could put this condition behind me with no further treatment. Her expertise and experience, tempered with kindness, gave me the confidence to look forward to a healthy future.
I am pleased to share this story 25 years later and will always feel a deep sense of gratitude for the presence of PMH in my life and the lives of so many others.
Thank you.
Heather Morrison
Thunder Bay ON