10 years ago, Janet Farner had a routine screening procedure with Dr. Timothy Breon. Janet checked into the clinic for her appointment, thumbed through a magazine during a short wait and was called back. The routine procedure, however, turned into something more. As Dr. Breon was finalizing the procedure, he noticed something curious and took a sample. The sample turned out to be skin cancer (squamous cell carcinoma). Janet had it removed and continued to follow up with Dr. Breon a few times a year to monitor.
Fast-forward 5 years, Janet began having breathing issues and worked with Mahaska Health’s Melissa Lamb, ARNP to find the cause. The root cause was discovered through blood tests that revealed Janet had an undiagnosed autoimmune disease – scleroderma. The diagnosis answered many questions for Janet about the symptoms she was experiencing.
A few years later, healthcare providers discovered a third type of cancer (as a young adult, Janet had also been diagnosed with Hodgkins Lymphoma). Today, Janet follows up for continued care with Dr. Breon and Dr. Bradley Hiatt – a visiting oncologist at Mahaska Health, and the Cancer Care and Infusion Center (CCIC) team regularly. “Everyone involved in the chemo process and CCIC is a rock star in my eyes.” Janet says as she thoughtfully describes her care. “They even made my husband feel so welcome during weekly chemo visits. If things were tough, they took extra time to talk with us and add some sunshine to the day.”
Janet confidently credits her current health to the diligent and personal care she received at Mahaska Health. “Mahaska Health has been so important to me over the years. I am incredibly fortunate to have had such dedicated providers.”
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