Fox Valley woman triumphs over breast cancer at Ascension St. Elizabeth Hospital

In June of 2019, Jennifer Gerrits, a 46-year-old mother of two, had just started her summer with a refreshing weekend in Northern Wisconsin. But as the weekend came to a close, she found herself trying to shake off a bout of nausea, brushing it off as just the flu. She called in sick to work on Monday, but by Tuesday, something felt off. “I noticed that I was having a hard time breathing— I shouldn’t be winded from just conducting a staff meeting,” she recalled. 

Jennifer visited the employee health center for an EKG, only to be reassured that all was fine. Yet, the unease persisted. Her husband, a firefighter paramedic, urged her to stop by his station for a second opinion. What followed was a whirlwind of shocking revelations: a blood pressure reading so high it warranted immediate action, a frantic ride in an ambulance (her first) and an emergency room visit that would change everything. “Everything was so bizarre,” Jennifer reflected, “I kept asking myself ‘what is going on?’” 

The doctors ordered a CT scan to rule out blood clots, but instead delivered the life-altering news: a large tumor in Jennifer’s lung and another spot in her breast. “I remember thinking, I’m 46 years old, there’s nothing wrong with me, I exercise every morning, this shouldn’t be happening to me,” she said.

A devastating breast cancer diagnosis

The following day, Jennifer and her family made a visit to Ascension St. Elizabeth Cancer Center. There, they met Ascension Wisconsin oncologist Dr. Bradley Heraly, who quickly set in motion a series of scans and biopsies to discern whether she had breast cancer or potentially two separate diagnoses. When the tests came back, Dr. Heraly diagnosed her with stage four triple-negative breast cancer, with the spots around her lung originating from the breast. The likely outcome was heartbreaking: six months to two years to live. “My husband, my parents—everyone was devastated,” Jennifer recalled with tears in her eyes. 

Jennifer remembers locking eyes with Dr. Heraly and responding to the diagnosis, “I hear what you’re saying, but there’s nothing in my body that is telling me that I’m going to die from cancer.”

Personalized breast cancer care with chemotherapy, radiation and surgery

After receiving her diagnosis, Jennifer embarked on an aggressive treatment journey consisting of 18 rounds of chemotherapy at Ascension St. Elizabeth Hospital. “I was so scared,” she admitted, recalling her first treatment. 

Yet, she found a way to cope, nicknaming the concoction of medications her ‘chemo cocktail’ and bringing a pink cocktail umbrella to each appointment as a lighthearted tradition. As she adjusted to her new normal, the impact on her family weighed heavily on her heart; her son was starting high school and her daughter was entering seventh grade. Determined to shield her children from the harsh realities of cancer, Jennifer made it a priority to show up for them every day. “My goal every morning was to get up, make the kids their lunches, and see them off to school,” she recalled. “I was not going to allow cancer to take over my life.”

The goal of her chemotherapy treatment was to shrink the tumors enough to qualify for a lumpectomy, surgery to remove the tumors in the breast, a crucial step in her treatment. ‘We got really excited when the cancer responded to the treatment and the tumors began to shrink,’ she shared. 

After successfully undergoing the lumpectomy, the next phase involved radiation therapy. Meanwhile, the lung tumor was also shrinking, presenting more treatment options. At one point, doctors suggested the possibility of lung removal, but after consulting with radiology, Jennifer decided to treat her lungs with stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) to avoid invasive surgery. SBRT is a non-invasive cancer treatment that uses high doses of radiation to target and shrink tumors.

After completing her chemotherapy, the lumpectomy and four rounds of SBRT radiation for her lung, Jennifer began radiation on her breast. Though the treatments succeeded in reducing the tumors, cancer cells lingered in her body, making it necessary for her to complete maintenance chemotherapy to keep the disease at bay.

With renewed strength, Jennifer returned to work and began to reclaim normalcy in her life. Just as she was returning to life before cancer, six months later, a new spot appeared in her lung, halting her hard-fought progress. Her cancer care team suggested she have six rounds of intensive chemotherapy treatments. Once again, she responded well to treatment, and since then, her scans have remarkably shown no evidence of disease. Through it all, Jennifer has remained resilient and determined in the face of adversity.

Defying the odds of stage four breast cancer

There’s no denying that Jennifer defied the odds in her battle against breast cancer, a triumph she attributes in part to her oncologist, Dr. Heraly, and her nurse navigator, Darcy, whose support guided her every step of the way. Now, every three weeks, she returns to Ascension St. Elizabeth Hospital for maintenance chemotherapy, with her pink cocktail umbrella in hand. “I call it my tune-up,” she added, likening it to getting an oil change. 

Yet beneath Jennifer’s humor lies a profound truth: during her treatment, she grappled with the fear of missing precious moments in her children’s lives. With tears in her eyes, she recounted the joy of watching her son graduate high school this past year, a milestone she once feared she might not witness. “I didn’t think I’d get to see that,” she admitted. 

The five-year survival rate for stage 4 triple-negative breast cancer is only 12% according to the National Breast Cancer Center; and Jennifer is going strong five years after her diagnosis. Today, she reflects on her life with renewed gratitude: “I feel the best I’ve ever felt. I just love living life, and I look at life a little differently now.” 

Learn more about the breast cancer program at Ascension Wisconsin by visiting Ascension.org.