KENNEWICK, Wash. — “You have cancer – and when you hear that word, your life is changed forever,” Karen Korten said.
It’s the six-letter word diagnosis Karen, wife of Benton County Sheriff’s Office Sergeant Dan Korten, received in May 2021 after getting a mammogram.
“Had a biopsy, come to find out it was cancer. It was small, but the type of cancer after getting tested came back as triple positive breast cancer, so it was kind of aggressive,” Korten explained.
Karen, a wife, a mother to three daughters and grandmother, received treatment at the Tri-Cities Kadlec Cancer Center. She also underwent a double mastectomy.
“Losing my hair, that was probably one of the hardest things and then going through the chemo and immunotherapy and the surgeries I had to go through for my breasts,” Karen said.
Then, over a year later, Karen underwent her last treatment on August 8th, 2022.
“So as far as right now, I’m cancer free. I couldn’t have done it obviously without my husband, and my family, without their support I couldn’t get through it,” she said.
On Friday, the Benton County Sheriff’s Office and its foundation presented a $2,500 check to the Tri-Cities Cancer Foundation in Karen’s honor.
“She’s amazing, no woman should have to go through this alone, the staff here at the cancer center made everything easy and treated her awesome,” Dan, Karen’s husband, said.
“We are so inspired by the stories of our survivors,” Elizabeth McLaughlin, Director of the Foundation said.
McLaughlin said October is much more than just the pink we see everywhere.
“There are 12 signs of what breast cancer can look like in a woman, be aware of that, how to do a self-exam, be aware of that,” she said.
Karen said she’s forever thankful for the Tri-Cities Cancer Center but is glad to be done with treatment.
She has a message to spread:
“Ladies, make sure you get your mammograms.”
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