TheTimesTribune.com, Corbin, KY

Homepage

Related Photos

  • Jenny Hungerbuhler has one big family of support from her coworkers at Women's Health Associates. Photo by Jeff Noble

    1006 HUNGERBUHLER.jpg

Discussion

October 8, 2012

"Breast Cancer is not on my schedule"

A Power of Pink Profile: Jenny Hungerbuhler

The Times-Tribune

CORBIN — Back in the spring, Jenny Hungerbuhler had a routine mammogram. She thought it was suspicious, and decided to have things checked out.

As it turned out, she was diagnosed with breast cancer.

Since then, Hungerbuhler’s had a lumpectomy, has undergone chemotherapy, had gall bladder surgery, and last Saturday became a grandmother for the first time.

She’s also back at work at Women’s Health Associates, inside Baptist Regional Medical Center in Corbin, where Hungerbuhler works as an Advanced Practice Nurse Practitioner who specializes in nurse midwifery.

Highly organized and highly upbeat, Hungerbuhler remembered those days in May and June when her health, and her life, were challenged.

“I had a biopsy on May 29, and I knew I had breast cancer by June 1st. It was ductal carcinoma in situ. On June 15th, I had a left lumpectomy. The test showed I needed to go on chemotherapy as a precautionary measure,” Hungerbuhler said.

According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine’s website PubMed Health, breast cancer may be invasive or noninvasive. Invasive means the cancer has spread from the milk duct or lobule to other breast tissues. Noninvasive means the cancer has not yet invaded other breast tissue. Noninvasive breast cancer is called “in situ.” Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) is breast cancer in the lining of the milk duct that has not yet invaded nearby tissues. If untreated, it may progress to invasive cancer.

Hungerbuhler knew it was time to fight back. And fast.

“I had no family history of breast cancer. I’ve worked here for 32 years, was in good health, rarely missed work, and this came along. When I was diagnosed, I thought this is going to mess up my schedule. But we can work around that. Breast cancer is not on my schedule,” she stated.

Her chemotherapy began Sept. 7. After one chemo treatment, her hair fell out. In clumps. At the same time, a friend came by to help Hungerbuhler out. And what her friend did last month helped change her outlook during a rough period.

“Joyce Brown is an RN here at BRMC. She’s a breast cancer survivor and came to see me one day. I said to her, ‘Joyce, my hair is coming out by the handfuls.’ And she said, ‘Do you want me to shave your hair off?’ I told her, ‘I would love for you to shave my hair off.’ When she shaved it off, it was very liberating. It made me feel so much better. Prior to that I was throwing up, having severe abdominal pain and just feeling bad all over. Shaving my hair off my head really was a turning point during the whole ordeal,” Hungerbuhler recalled.

But the chemo treatments had to take a back seat to something else. It was gall bladder surgery, which was done Sept. 27. Hungerbuhler said the surgery was rough. While she was in recovery, she got a gift that helped her ride out the storms of surgery and chemo.

“When I woke up from the recovery area after the gall bladder surgery, there was a pink breast cancer cap. The cap came as a gift from Joyce Brown. She got that on her lunch break.”

Hungerbuhler continues to have chemo treatments every Friday, and won’t be finished with the treatments until a year from now. But she has support. From her husband, her family, and of course, from her friends at work.

“The girls at work have been fabulous. They’ve brought me dinner two times a week. And they’re very supportive. They’re like my sisters.”

And she now has that granddaughter. Born on Sept. 29, Anabelle Rain is the daughter of her son, Erik. Thanks to modern technology, Anabelle’s picture graces her grandmother’s smartphone, and is the apple of her eye.

Which is why Hungerbuhler continues to live life in an upbeat fashion. And why early detection for breast cancer is so important. To her, and to other women.

“Breast cancer is not the end of the world. There are some who think it’s a death sentence. But if you detect it early, and get proper treatment, you can beat it. If you have a mammogram every year, you should not die of breast cancer,” she noted.

Text Only
Homepage
0618 I-75 Crash Williamsburg.jpg

I-75 crash near the Tennessee state line early Tuesday morning.

Local News
  • Hospital taxing district public hearing Friday

    The Knox County Fiscal Court wants to form a taxing district to support the Knox County Hospital. But first they will have to hold a public hearing to see if there is approval or opposition to the plan.

    June 19, 2013

  • Inmates charged for drugs

    Drug charges came to 21 inmates at the Whitley County Detention Center this week after a week-long investigation by the detention center and the Williamsburg Police Department.

    June 19, 2013

  • Whitley Fiscal Court passes its budget

    The second reading of the ordinance for the Whitley County Fiscal Court’s budget for the 2013-14 fiscal year was unanimously passed during the court’s regular session Tuesday evening.

    June 19, 2013

  • Man indicted for detention center escape

    June 18, 2013

Local Sports
0619 nlhs Marcus Carson.jpg

North Laurel's Marcus Carson has been named Baseball Player of the Year.

  • A No-Brainer

    For the third straight year, the Times-Tribune Tri-County Baseball Player of the Year hails from North Laurel High School.

    June 19, 2013 1 Photo

  • Back to Work

    As of Monday, Brian Evans is now the new, and old, coach of the Knox Central Panthers basketball team.

    June 18, 2013

Letters
  • Thank you to Corbin Motorsports

    As executive director of the London-Laurel County Tourist Commission, I want to take this opportunity to publicly thank Mr. Tony Nestor and Corbin Motorsports for the use of two beautiful Polaris RTVs during the recent Archery Shooters Association PRO/AM Archery Tournament.

    June 19, 2013

Features
Entertainment
  • 0611 hard sunday.jpg Thursday Night Life is back

    Dust off your lawn chairs and put on your listening ears for this year’s Thursday Night Live concert series.

    June 11, 2013 1 Photo