Faith, Friends, Family: key to undergoing cancer treatment survivor says

EDITOR'S NOTE: This is the fifth and final in a series of interviews with cancer survivors, leading up to Relay for Life of Garland County on June 3 at Bank of the Ozarks Arena.

Once hiding her cancer from co-workers and those around her with a wig through six months of chemotherapy, Linda Houk has been diagnosed with breast cancer twice, once in 1989 and a second time in 2009.

Houk was first diagnosed with breast cancer in February 1989 in her right breast. Doctors removed it with a modified radical mastectomy and she went through six months of chemo, no radiation.

"If you could have seen the back of our car, you would have died laughing. We had everything in the back, but our kitchen sink because I didn't know what to expect; pillow blanket, wash cloth, bucket," Houk said.

With the surgery, however, came an additional fear. Houk, who was born with cerebral palsy, feared she would lose the use of her hands and arms which allow her the capability to walk with canes.

"He was very cautious. I patted my lap and told the doctor, 'Doc, it's OK. Whatever you have to do is OK. Just leave me the use of my hands and arms,'" Houk said. "I trusted him. I think that is very important to be confident in the doctor that is treating you."

Her ability to use her arms and hands to walk did not fade away with the surgery, but her hair did. While in a grocery store with a friend, her friend brushed her hand through the back of Houk's hair, revealing Houk was losing her hair. She was advised to call her hair stylist and a home appointment was set up.

"Katy came to my house and did a little bit and said, 'Now let's wash it.' She looked at me and told me to go to the bathroom and look in the mirror. I looked into the mirror, grabbed the counter and got weak-kneed for a minute. That was it. I said, 'OK, here we go,'" Houk said.

Doctors tried to save her hair follicles by having her wear a cold chemotherapy cap during her treatments, but were not successful.

"I lost my hair and I got a little frustrated."

A church friend, who had alopecia, was informed of Houk's diagnosis and assisted her in acquiring a wig. A section of the bottom of her hair was clipped and sent off in the mail to Paula Young, a wig making company. Shortly after, Houk received a custom-made wig that matched her hair.

"Most people did not know I was losing my hair," Houk said. "I said, 'OK, God, if we are going to be hairless you have to teach me how to wear this wig,' because I looked like 'I Love Lucy.'"

Houk sought the assistance from the local cosmetology college in Russellville for her wig. A student fixed her wig and told her she owed "not a dime." She wore it when she had to and removed it while at home.

She told her boss at Ladish, a company in Russellville, that she had been diagnosed with cancer. Every Friday, Houk left work at noon for her treatments and come Monday, she would be recuperated enough to return to work and hiding everything from her co-workers.

"My co-workers never knew until almost the very last. When they found out, they filled my office asking, 'Why didn't you tell us?' I told them there was nothing they could do," Houk said. "They were real supportive."

Houk moved back to Hot Springs in 2000 after her husband died. Almost 20 years later, in April 2009, doctors became suspicious after spotting something in a mammogram. A CAT scan revealed Houk had cancer in her left breast.

"My doctor came around the curtain, looked at me and goes, 'You couldn't stay away, could you?' I told him we did this once and we'll do it again," Houk said.

On April 9, 2009, doctors removed the cancer with another radical modified mastectomy. Unlike the first round, Houk did not undergo chemo treatments, as her doctor advised it would not be beneficial.

"Some of those chemicals that they give you are kind of tough. I feel very fortunate," Houk said. "They have done so much with chemo chemicals now that I think it is better for survivors. You don't get as sick usually."

Once every few weeks, Houk continued to see her doctor for follow ups. Now, seven years later, her checkups have decreased to once a year and results have come back clear.

"Don't give up. Keep a positive attitude and let others help you. Faith, friends and family are what got me through," Houk said.

Houk recommends others to undergo the BRCA test to check if cancer is hereditary. She noted that four women in her family have had breast cancer and one male had prostate cancer.

During Relay for Life Friday, Houk hopes 325 cancer survivors will participate during the Survivor Lap at 6:10 p.m.

"Once you go, you go again. It is wonderful with all the people you meet and the other people you learn about that are survivors. You kind of hang together," Houk said.

Local on 05/29/2016

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