Pre-school Teacher’s Battle with Breast Cancer
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Hey there! I am Morgan, a close friend of Karen Metzger. I first met Karen a few years ago when she taught my son Nicholas, and we quickly became close friends. In January 2024, Karen, at the age of 42 was diagnosed with Invasive Lobular Carcinoma, commonly known as Breast Cancer. The journey since then has been filled with a rollercoaster of emotions, leading up to her upcoming 3rd surgery tomorrow, June 19th. I am reaching out to all of you because Karen, a remarkable mother of 3 to Autumn (18), Nolan (15), and Evan (10), loyal friend, and all around amazing human, needs our help and support during this challenging season in her life. As a part-time city employee without benefits like PTO or disability coverage, she currently has no income. Depending on her chemotherapy treatment (TC or ACT), she will be unable to work until September, when she plans to return to teaching pre-school AM sessions while still undergoing chemotherapy. Your contribution, no matter how small, can make a significant difference in easing the financial burden on Karen. Below is a timeline of her journey and what the next several months bring. From the bottom of my heart, I truly thank you for your kindness and generosity.
January 2024, at the age of 42, Karen received a diagnosis of Invasive Lobular Carcinoma, also known as Breast Cancer. She had felt a lump in her breast a year prior, but it did not show up on her mammogram. A year later, Karen noticed it growing in size and was diagnosed through ultrasound and biopsy.
Over the course of 6 weeks, Karen attended numerous appointments, scans, biopsies, and meetings, almost every weekday.
March 7th, Karen underwent her first surgery, with the goal of removing the cancer while preserving her breast.
March 16th, Karen received the disappointing news that the biopsy did not show clean margins, the tumor was larger than expected, and the cancer had spread to her lymph nodes.
May 17th, Karen underwent a second surgery called a double mastectomy with DIEP reconstruction. This procedure involves using tissue from her abdomen to reconstruct her breasts. The surgery was initially expected to last 7-8 hours but ended up taking a total of 11 hours. (Full explanation of DIEP reconstruction is at the end of this post)
Following the surgery, Karen spent a total of 26 days in the hospital, including time in the ICU and rehabilitation due to complications with the DIEP reconstruction. Unfortunately, one side of the breast was not viable.
June 11th, Karen was finally discharged from rehab, marking a significant step in her recovery journey.
June 19th, Karen’s third surgery to reconstruct the non-viable breast, this time using tissue from her thigh. Throughout this challenging period, Karen has shown immense strength, resilience, and positivity in her fight against breast cancer!
DIEP reconstruction, or DIEP flap, is a type of breast reconstruction surgery that uses tissue from the lower abdomen to rebuild breasts after a mastectomy. DIEP stands for deep inferior epigastric perforator, which is the name of the blood vessels used in the procedure. During the surgery, a surgeon removes skin, fat, and blood vessels from the abdomen and relocates them to the chest. The surgeon then uses a microscope to connect the blood vessels in the flap to vessels in the chest and shapes the flap to create a natural-looking breast.
January 2024, at the age of 42, Karen received a diagnosis of Invasive Lobular Carcinoma, also known as Breast Cancer. She had felt a lump in her breast a year prior, but it did not show up on her mammogram. A year later, Karen noticed it growing in size and was diagnosed through ultrasound and biopsy.
Over the course of 6 weeks, Karen attended numerous appointments, scans, biopsies, and meetings, almost every weekday.
March 7th, Karen underwent her first surgery, with the goal of removing the cancer while preserving her breast.
March 16th, Karen received the disappointing news that the biopsy did not show clean margins, the tumor was larger than expected, and the cancer had spread to her lymph nodes.
May 17th, Karen underwent a second surgery called a double mastectomy with DIEP reconstruction. This procedure involves using tissue from her abdomen to reconstruct her breasts. The surgery was initially expected to last 7-8 hours but ended up taking a total of 11 hours. (Full explanation of DIEP reconstruction is at the end of this post)
Following the surgery, Karen spent a total of 26 days in the hospital, including time in the ICU and rehabilitation due to complications with the DIEP reconstruction. Unfortunately, one side of the breast was not viable.
June 11th, Karen was finally discharged from rehab, marking a significant step in her recovery journey.
June 19th, Karen’s third surgery to reconstruct the non-viable breast, this time using tissue from her thigh. Throughout this challenging period, Karen has shown immense strength, resilience, and positivity in her fight against breast cancer!
DIEP reconstruction, or DIEP flap, is a type of breast reconstruction surgery that uses tissue from the lower abdomen to rebuild breasts after a mastectomy. DIEP stands for deep inferior epigastric perforator, which is the name of the blood vessels used in the procedure. During the surgery, a surgeon removes skin, fat, and blood vessels from the abdomen and relocates them to the chest. The surgeon then uses a microscope to connect the blood vessels in the flap to vessels in the chest and shapes the flap to create a natural-looking breast.
Organizer and beneficiary
Morgan Konkel
Organizer
New Berlin, WI
Karen Metzger
Beneficiary