Minnesotans and Nebraskans alike will be going about early morning routines today before watching the Huskers play the Gophers. While rising early is routine for Pat Miller and her daughter Katie, they will be one of only a few of us who will be partaking in the Monster Dash Half Marathon. There may not seem like anything too special about it, but this is Pat's first half marathon and she is a two-time breast cancer survivor.
In 1992, while working in the Radiology department at Prince William Hospital in Manassas, Virginia, Pat felt like something wasn’t right. At the age of 32, she was told she was too young for breast cancer but when a co-worker performed an ultrasound on her the results proved otherwise. They found cancer and Pat was told she needed to have surgery. The breast cancer diagnosis hit her hard and the days and weeks that followed are a mix of hazy memories for Pat.
As Katie got older, she got involved in fundraising for different non-profit organizations. When she was 24 years old, she inspired her mom to partake in her first non-profit walk, the
Breast Cancer Three Day; a sixty-mile walk over three days, which included walking for hours upon hours at a time and sleeping in a tent When crossing the finishing point of the grueling three-day walk, Pat said to herself, “I did this!” They walked again the next year and over two years raised about $10,000.
Pat's first race was in New Jersey, which was a 5k run for inner city kids. She had pushed herself to the limit and at the last block complete exhaustion set in. She thought, “I trained myself for three-miles, but not for the last 150 yards.” Katie was at her mom’s side the whole way and supported her through the finish line. In Pat's first race, she not only overcame another obstacle, but also finished first in her age group! It was an unbelievable accomplishment.
“Running changed her, both mentally and physically,” according to Katie. It gave Pat more confidence and made her more competitive. “Even more than that,” Pat said, “It forced me to be consistent and to be held accountable.” Pat was in the best shape of her life in 2011, which made her next health challenge difficult for those in her life to believe.
Last year, Katie was home in Minnesota for the holidays. On Christmas Eve, Pat told her children that her cancer had resurfaced. Katie received the news in shocked disbelief. Pat, on the other hand, always knew it was going to return, it was just a matter of when. Pat stated, “In an odd sort of a way, it was a relief. Now I can attack the other side of the situation and be done with it.” And that is exactly what she did.
After her second diagnosis, Pat had the BRCA gene test done to see if she carried the mutated gene, which has been linked to several cancers. She took a saliva test and her doctors were able to trace her family genes to those matching her father’s ancestors from a small village in Italy. The test results showed that she was a carrier of the BRCA1 gene. As a hereditary gene, Katie felt she should also get tested. It is rare for the results to come up negative for family members that carry the gene, but fortunately for everyone, Katie's results were negative.
With the second breast cancer diagnosis and the positive test result, Pat decided to make a decision that would be tough for any woman. She decided “to be done with it” and have a full mastectomy, along with additional surgeries on organs linked to the
BRCA-1 gene. After the last of her three surgeries, the doctor told Pat that she may be cleared to run in six-weeks. Pat’s “can do” attitude led her to call up Katie to sign them up for a race.
It was the middle of winter and Pat knew she was behind in her conditioning. To get back in shape, she would train by walking in the mall and gradually conditioned herself into running. Just six weeks later, she flew to NYC and ran in a 4-mile race in Central Park for Lung Cancer. She felt great and hasn’t stopped since!
About six months after that, Pat and Katie ran in the Brooklyn Rock n Roll 10k. While Pat was running, she heard what sounded like metal making a constant pound on the pavement. All of a sudden a man came running past her with a prosthetic blade for his leg. Pat thought, “How can I feel sorry for myself?” and pushed to finish the race strong. She continues to live each day with this positive attitude and hopes to inspire others in their difficult journeys, with Katie at her side.
The truth is we all have battles, some bigger than others, but we all face adversity at some point in our lives. Battles don't have to be fought alone. Pat's family, friends, and her co-workers were her support group. Not only did this help Pat, but it brought her family closer together because of the openness of the situation. Katie even moved back to Minnesota to be closer to her mom.
It is astonishing how far we have come in the United States from Pat's first diagnosis to her second. From receiving a death sentence with the news of breast cancer in the early 1990's to now receiving a plan on how to live. And from people hiding from it to the awareness we have today. It is an astonishing cultural transition due to people like Katie and Pat that attacked the situation and brought awareness to others.
In the future, Pat and Katie would like to set up a 5k in Omaha, Nebraska in honor of Pat's late father (who also was a and huge Husker fan and carrier of the BRCA-1 gene!). They have set up a scholarship fund under his name that will help a student go to college that has overcome all odds. They hope the 5k will help fund the scholarship and a non-profit that helps people pay for the BRCA gene test. They also plan on entering more runs for non-profit organizations. They are a great mother daughter team helping raise awareness and money for a variety of worthy causes.
Today Pat is running her first half marathon, which is a great feat for any person. But, she will be not be running as a breast cancer victim, but as a two time breast cancer survivor and an over-comer. Pat doesn't think there is anything special about her story, but her story is extremely inspiring to anyone that has had to overcome.
On a writers note, I felt blessed to have interviewed both Katie and Pat Miller. Having known Katie for many years and getting to know Pat, I am greatly honored that I was able to share their story. We all have battles, whether it’s at work, personal, or in a sport, and we need to be able to rely and stretch out our hands to others and form a support team. So, my only question for you as readers is: Who is on your team?
Written by Eric Anderson