Wisconsin

Ozaukee County woman finds care for stage 3B cervical cancer

January 23, 2025
A middle aged woman takes a selfie in the woods during a fall hike.

This military wife celebrates 14 years in remission after receiving personalized care for stage 3B cervical cancer at Ascension Columbia St. Mary’s Hospital - Ozaukee Campus

In 2010, 30-year-old Linda Bartels of Ozaukee County, Wisconsin, was eagerly anticipating her husband's return from a year-long deployment in Afghanistan. While he was away, Linda had been carrying the weight of managing their home, juggling a full-time job, helping friends and trying to maintain a sense of normalcy. The fatigue she was feeling seemed like the natural toll of her responsibilities, and she didn't think much of it. However, when her husband finally came home, she started to experience unexpected bleeding, a red flag she couldn’t ignore. 

Her husband, a surgical technician, urged her to seek medical help because she continued to bleed for a few days. Since her long-time Ascension primary care doctor retired, Linda saw his physician’s assistant, hoping to get clarity on her troubling bleeding.While at the appointment she passed a large blood clot that signified that something serious was happening to her. She was rushed to the emergency room, where tests and biopsies soon confirmed life-altering news: stage 3B cervical cancer. 

The reality of the diagnosis hit hard, and Linda's world, once filled with the anticipation of a new chapter with her husband, was suddenly upended by an uncertain future. “We were thinking that in a year or two we were going to have kids,” she recalled, “and the doctors told us that we didn’t even have time to harvest my eggs before starting treatment.” 

Personalized cervical cancer treatment 

While in the emergency room, Linda was informed that the mass around her cervix was large and would continue to grow if she didn’t start treatment right away. She was connected to an expert cancer care team at Ascension Columbia St. Mary’s - Ozaukee Campus’ Van Dyke Cancer Canter which included oncologist Ranveer Nand, MD and radiation oncologist Craig Schulz, MD .

Just a few days after receiving her diagnosis, Linda began her first round of chemotherapy under the care of Dr. Nand. Linda’s treatment not only involved chemotherapy, but both internal and external radiation. Internal radiation for cervical cancer, also known as brachytherapy, involves placing a small radioactive source directly inside or near the cervix’s cancerous tissue. This allows a high dose of radiation to target the tumor more precisely while minimizing harm to the surrounding healthy tissue. “Dr. Nand was such a comforting person and very easy to talk to. He told me that the best thing you can do is laugh every day. Find the joy in [life]. Find some humor. Hands down, best advice,” she said.

Finding humor during cancer treatment

Little things like naming her chemo port Earl helped Linda create humor to her long days of treatment, just as Dr. Nand had suggested. “[My husband and I] named him Earl, and we would draw faces on him when we'd go to appointments. We even put googly eyes on him for a friend’s wedding.” 

Toward the end of her treatment, her doctors were amazed by how much the tumor had shrunk. Linda remembers, “Everyone was so stunned, the doctors had to physically verify that the scans were of the same person.” 

Two months later, Linda had finally completed her treatment. Of her care team, she remarked, “they really went above and beyond. They’ve done such a great job at Ascension Columbia St. Mary’s Ozaukee curating their teams. They really listened to me and I trusted them.”

Reflecting on a life-changing journey with cervical cancer

Now, 14 years in remission, Linda enjoys her time as an aunt, godmother, wife and hobbyist. She loves building with Legos, collecting rocks at the beach and spending time with loved ones. “[Having cancer] really drove home how much I value things that you can't put a price tag on. I love going to stuff like the second grade band concerts and my goddaughter’s Halloween parties at school.” 

By sharing her experience, Linda hopes to encourage open conversations about women' s health and remove the stigma surrounding cancer treatment and its challenges. “Take care of yourself. Put yourself first, and go to your doctor’s appointments.” 

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


Last updated: January 23, 2025