CARSTAIRS - Jackie Haack is a breast cancer survivor who never let the fears of the disease consume her or stop her from living life on her own terms.
Haack was diagnosed in June 2007 during a regular checkup where she had a mammogram.
“It was immediate when I had the mammogram, I didn’t have to leave and come back or anything like that,” Haack said. “They said they were sure that I had it and they sent me for a biopsy.”
There was only a week between the initial mammogram and the biopsy and her battle began.
“You just have to follow through with whatever they say and they scheduled me for surgery in August,” she said.
Her husband Frank Haack recalled being worried upon first hearing the news.
“You’re worried, that’s all I can say, you’re worried, you just take it as it comes and hope for the best,” said Frank Haack.
In early October of the same year Jackie began radiation treatments.
Following her treatment, she was asked to go into a program where they monitored her for 10 years at the Tom Baker Cancer Centre. She completed the program this past fall.
“Now you’re in the system and they’re watching everything about you, which is good,” she said.
Despite her illness, Haack didn’t allow it to dictate what she can and can’t do.
“I was in a singing group in Calgary and we had booked an international competition in Hawaii prior to my diagnosis," she said. “A couple of doctors said they didn’t want me to go because I’d be exposed to the sun and I just had radiation (treatment)."
A few nurses gave Haack some advice that she took to heart.
“I can’t just give up on my life just because I have cancer. I have to keep going and continue on, so I went (to Hawaii), was careful and had a really nice time,” she said.
Despite the doctors' reservations about her trip, Haack has nothing but praise for the team at the Tom Baker Cancer Centre.
“Once you’re into a diagnosis of cancer and dealing with all the oncologists at the Tom Baker, they’re just so professional and so good with you and so caring,” she said.
Her family was nothing but supportive for her during this difficult time.
Her son Jeff and his family live in Vancouver. They weren’t able to come out to visit very easily but still made the effort to do so when they could.
Her daughter Leslie was able to come out to some of the preliminary meetings with the surgeon and reassured her mother that everything would work out for the best.
“Everybody was supportive and of course Frank, my husband, was with me every step of the way through my appointments," she said. “That kind of support is a very nice thing to have. Some people don’t have that so I was lucky."
For her husband it was important to have been able to provide the support for her.
“For me it means that I’m supportive and there for her no matter the outcome,” he said.
One year into her cancer journey, Jackie's daughter helped run a relay for life fundraiser in Saskatchewan and it was in an area where Jackie knew a lot of the people and went to school with them.
“They had a banquet for the survivors,” she said. “I was completely shocked to realize that I know so many of these people who’ve had cancer and were survivors.
“I thought, well my goodness there’s a lot of survivors and there’s more and more every year."
Pay attention is the advice Haack has for people who are in the early stages of their own cancer battle or for anyone who could potentially be diagnosed with the disease.
“It’s all there once you’re in a program. It’s just up to you to participate. It’s pretty advantageous to follow their (doctors') advice," she said.
