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Dealing With Breast Cancer: Worthington woman didn't expect such bad news at 37
Gloria Klass was 37 years old in 1974 and had an eight-week-old baby boy when she found a suspicious lump and her doctor prescribed surgery to remove it.
"They lost me two times on the table during surgery. My heart stopped, I lost a lot of blood," said Klass. "They called all my family in. They didn't think I was going to make it."
The baby came along a year after she married Herman Klass, it was a smooth pregnancy and everything was going so well. Breast cancer was not what they were expecting.
"At age 37, you just don't think this kind of thing is going to happen."
Her doctor said a pathologist would be present during the surgery, would examine the lump after it was removed and it might not be malignant. But if it was, they would remove her entire breast.
"I left my new baby to go into surgery not knowing what was going to happen. It was a real traumatic thing for me," said Klass. "When you don't know what's going on, the unknown, it was an emotional thing."
The lump was malignant. Her left breast was removed. She was in intensive care afterward battling back from a surgery that didn't go quite the way it was supposed to, and also battling an emotional rollercoaster that was spiraling out of control.
She was in the hospital for 14 days and her despair got deeper back at home.
"I would wake up and think there's no way I can face another day. But you have to say to yourself, 'I've got this baby and I've got to do this'," said Klass. "They didn't know what the heck was wrong with me, crying all the time, they called in a psychiatrist. I only saw him one time and then they figured it out. I had a non-functioning thyroid gland."
For whatever reason, her thyroid apparently shut down after her surgery and once she was on proper medication, she was back to her normal self.
The years went by with no problems and the baby grew up along with his two older sisters.
Klass said her husband was wonderful to her every step of the way, she always worked a steady job and every day, she wore a breast prosthesis.
"It didn't bother me and I didn't feel sorry for myself," said Klass. "You see, I feel lucky to just be alive."
And then in 1997, after all those years, she could feel something pulling when she lifted up her arms as she was cleaning house.
"They did a biopsy and they found one tumor lying on top of another one under my right breast," said Klass explaining how she went back into the hospital, for another mastectomy.
This time a doctor suggested reconstruction surgery.
"I thought it would be so nice to be able to wear a bra and not have to wear a prosthesis," said Klass.
But shortly after that surgery, red streaks appeared on her skin then spread to her arms. Her body was rejecting the implants and the doctor said they had to come out.
Klass giggles as she says, "I had boobs for two months."
Despite all of these challenges, she is thankful to be able to enjoy another day with her family which now includes her first great-grandchild.
Klass works in a very public place -- she has served as the clerk-treasurer for the town of Worthington since 2000, a job which she totally enjoys.
"I look forward to going to work," said Klass noting there's always something different every day with townspeople coming in and out.
But when they talk to Klass, very few even know about her struggle with breast cancer that has now gone on for over 35 years.
Other women who do know sometimes call her to talk when they find out they have breast cancer and she's always willing to lend an ear and share her experiences.
"This is terribly hard on people and they really get down in the dumps over this," said Klass. "They need someone to talk to and I understand that. I listen and I just try to encourage women to do what their doctors recommend."
She also encourages all women to get their mammograms and take advantage of these detection tools because breast cancer can sneak up on you and put one in a fight for their life seemingly overnight without much warning.
"Women should definitely get those mammograms. I don't know what would have happened to me if my breast cancers had not been discovered when they were," said Klass. "Well, I just wouldn't be here."