Breast cancer & fire prevention

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. It is also Fire Protection Week. On Wednesday, The Kirsten Campbell Court will be dedicated.

I mention all of these, because each one has had an impact on my life, indirectly, but still an impact.

Shortly after I moved to Saratoga, my maternal grandmother was diagnosed with breast cancer.

She cried when she told me. I remember that moment vividly and probably will for the rest of my life.

I began self-examinations and months later, something was different. I called my doctor who referred me to the Sally Jobe Clinic in Denver.

Fortunately it was a non-malignant cyst, which they drained. Because of that, once a year I would drive to Denver for my mammogram.

Fortunately, Memorial Hospital of Carbon County now has a mammogram clinic and I don’t have to drive so far away.

Early detection is key in any form of cancer. Mammograms cannot always detect the cancer. That was the case with my grandmother, she had three mammograms in the year she was diagnosed, but nothing was found. Yet, she knew something was wrong through self examination. Her persistence in going back to the doctor extended her life.

Since then, several friends have been diagnosed with breast cancer. I admire them as they drive themselves back and forth for chemotherapy and radiation. We have interviewed two of them here at the Saratoga Sun. It is very brave of them to share their stories, as it is a very personal battle.

Recently, $14,200 was donated by the Saratoga High School Technology class - $7,100 of it went to the Corbett Medical Foundation, the other half to Susan G. Komen.

Led by their sponsor, Scott Bokelman, these young teenagers are working to bring awareness of cancer to the forefront. They, too, have been affected indirectly. Their mothers, teachers, aunts, grandmothers and friends have had some sort of cancer.

The donation to the Corbett Medical Foundation is to help offset the cost of traveling for those who have been diagnosed with cancer. If you need help, contact Conna McGuire at the Platte Valley Medical Clinic for an application, which is ultimately approved by the Corbett Medical Foundation Board.

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Since we are on the subject of cancer, it has been a little more than one year since we lost our favorite chef at the Hotel Wolf. Kirsten Campbell was a unique woman. I learned more about her at her funeral than I knew about her in life.

After she was diagnosed, I ran into her folding silverware into napkins in the bar at the Wolf. She was all smiles and having a good time joking around with her brother Judd. I told her it was so good to see her. She said it was good to be out and spending time with her brother. We hugged. That was the last time I saw her.

We learned more about her this week as Erik Gantt wrote the story about the dedication of the gym. She was what you call a “real” person. She didn’t let other people dictate who she was. She was brutally honest and said what she thought. I admire that in a person, even if what they have to say stings a little bit.

If you knew Kirsten, or know her family, take time Wednesday evening for the dedication of the gym floor at the Platte Valley Community Center. The Chamber Social begins at 5:30 p.m.

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My paternal grandparents were on an anniversary trip when their mobile home caught on fire. My kids and I had just been to that home the week before helping them celebrate their 60th anniversary. It was a tradition for them to take a trip for the anniversary every year.

An electrical fire started in the bathroom and destroyed the home. It was gutted. They lived in a small town in southern Colorado with a volunteer fire department. They lost nearly everything they owned, with the exception of several photos albums, a few anniversary cards and some dishes.

My grandmother was astonished how one thing could be burned beyond recognition and something sitting right next to it was unscathed.

The week before, I was sleeping in the bedroom next to the bathroom where the fire started. Despite the loss of the home, I was grateful the fire didn’t start when the house was full of guests or when my grandparents were there.

In Saratoga and the Platte Valley, we depend on volunteers in the fire department to answer the call of duty when the whistle blows and the pagers go off.

They have fundraisers to help offset the cost of training. In Saratoga, they meet every Wednesday for training.

Remember that little white and red envelope you got in the mail this summer? Take the time to put a donation in the envelope and drop it in the mail. I found mine this weekend while going through all my summer mail and plan to do the same.