pineandlakes.com ECHO JOURNAL | Wednesday, October 2, 2024
| BREAST CANCER AWARENESS | B1
FIND GRIT & GRACE IN YOUR CANCER JOURNEY Lakes area support group caters to women fighting cancer
BY NANCY VOGT Echo Journal
N
o one truly knows what it’s like to battle breast cancer — or any type of cancer — besides those going through it. Two area women not only developed a deep friendship during their breast cancer treatment journeys, they’ve reached out to help other women. Autumn Loge, 29, of Pine River, and Melissa Dooley, 39, of Nisswa, coordinate Lakes Area Grit & Grace, which is explained on the group’s Facebook page as “a nontraditional support group geared toward women battling any type of cancer at any stage while navigating life’s busy schedules.” The “&” sign in Grit & Grace is a cancer ribbon symbol. The goal is to connect with other women and families who are experiencing similar trials. Grit & Grace has met three times — July 31 at The Outpost in Pequot Lakes for an ice cream social, Aug. 21 at Main Street Ale House in Nisswa, and Sept. 26 at Timberwood Church in Nisswa for a potluck social. “I’m just excited to bring women together,” Dooley said. “When you come together, you’re not alone. “Everyone’s story is different, but we still have the same daily
Robyn Schaefer is surrounded by family at an anniversary celebration.
Everyone’s story is different, but we still have the same daily struggles and the same fear. MELISSA DOOLEY
struggles and the same fear,” she said. Loge wants to provide hope to women. “I know I find hope when I see survivors living normal life again. So if I can provide that hope for somebody who’s newly diagnosed — that there are better days ahead. It might look different, but life will feel good again, and there are things to look forward to,” she said. “I found hope in my conversations with other women who are farther ahead in their journey than me,” she said. Loge explained how she came up with the idea to create Lakes Area Grit & Grace. “Here I am today on the other side of things in the world of survivorship and navigating what that looks like,” she said. “My family and friends put together a really awesome benefit. My community came together, and local businesses, and raised a large amount of funds for me. I knew that I wanted to do something more with that to help others and pay it forward. “So I took a portion of
that and decided to put Grit & Grace into place. I took that leap of faith,” she said. Regarding the name Grit & Grace, Loge said: “Cancer’s ugly, and there are really hard days, and we really had to find that inner strength and that grit each and every day to carry on and push through. “But also, at the same time, there has been a lot of grace in this journey Nancy Vogt / Echo Journal — grace from other peoAutumn Loge, left, of Pine River, and Melissa Dooley, of Nisswa, host a Lakes Area ple, spiritually. I found Grit & Grace potluck Sept. 26, 2024, at Timberwood Church in Nisswa for women Melissa through this.” battling and recovering from cancer. Dooley said: “We want knows the daily struggles also brought Autumn “Although cancer is ugly, other people to find and can connect over the into my life at just the it can bring out the most ‘their person.’” daily fight.” right time. It has been beautiful friendships. A Dooley reached out to That’s where their amazing to have somebattle is never fought Loge after reading Loge’s friendship blossomed. one walk with me and be alone, it is only fought breast cancer story pub“I didn’t really realize I able to relate with me together, and we want to lished last year by the needed that until I met about everything we feel, fight alongside every sinEcho Journal. her,” Loge said. “That face and fear. gle one of you.” Both were diagnosed “She has been a light in Loge’s cancer journey and received cancer treat- was an area that was lacking in our communithis dark tunnel we have started nearly two years ments at the same time, ty, was having a resource been forced to travel ago when she discovered and both have two young of younger women and through. She has become a lump in the breast daughters. just women in general ‘my person’ and I am so area. Eventually diag“We just connected,” connecting and supportgrateful to have her,” nosed with stage three Loge said. “And it was in ing each other. That’s Dooley wrote. breast cancer, she that moment that it was what led me to put Grit & “I pray that through endured hormone so refreshing to have Grace together.” Grit and Grace, others replacement therapy, somebody who’s going battling and surviving In her story on the chemotherapy, double through it. It was unfortunate that we had to con- Lakes Area Grit & Grace cancer can find ‘their per- mastectomy surgery, son’ to support each other Facebook page, Dooley nect over cancer, but (it through it,” she wrote. says of Loge: “He (God) GRIT & Grace on B3 was) somebody who
♥ Robyn
Advocate!
Be Your Own
When I was told that I had an abnormal mammogram, I was terrified.
I had planned on leaving the next morning for Florida for four months, and the lady on the phone said I should have it checked when I returned. That’s when I learned my first lesson: Be Your Own Advocate. I canceled my travel plans and scheduled another mammogram. After two mammograms, two ultrasounds and seven biopsies the findings were conflicting. I supposedly had three lesions, one at 3 o’clock, 6 o’clock and 9 o’clock. It didn’t make sense to me. The surgeon was ready to do a lumpectomy on one breast, but I said “No, take them both.” After the surgery the doctor said that was the smartest decision I could have made; one breast was full of cancer. It is a terrifying situation. Ask questions and research the possibilities. The doctors and nurses do the best they can, but each situation is different. I am very fortunate, we caught it early before it spread to my lymph nodes. I had 30 sessions of radiation and no chemo.
I am cancer free and thankful for the medical attention I received!