3 minute read
Preserving life through routine care
By Anthony Matt
After more than three decades in the workforce, then-66year-old Cindy Macaulay, of Carlton, couldn’t wait for retirement.
“I like to garden and read and take care of the grandkids,” she said. “I was really looking forward to those things.”
With eight grandchildren, there’s plenty to keep Macaulay busy in retirement, especially considering her myriad volunteer commitments: at Essentia Health as a wayfinder, helping patients navigate the expansive downtown Duluth campus; at her church; and as a gardener at the Lake Superior Zoo. You might say Macaulay has a passion for giving following 30-plus years working for the Veterans Administration as a mental health practitioner with combat veterans.
“I’m a people person; I love to see people,” she said. “I get to see a lot of people I know through volunteering, and I just love doing it.”
The proud mom, grandma and great-grandma has received medical care at Essentia for the last 37 years. Macaulay said the relationships forged over those nearly four decades, all at one place, might be what saved her life.
After retiring in May 2016, roles reversed the following October. Macaulay was the one who needed help. During a routine checkup, her primary care provider at Essentia, Dr. Anne Skadberg, suggested Macaulay get a Pap smear after she had some irregular ones previously. That proved to be the moment Macaulay’s retirement plans were put on hold.
More testing revealed abnormalities. Macaulay then was referred to an OB-GYN, who performed a dilation and curettage (D&C) procedure, which is used to remove tissue from inside the uterus. That’s when they found the source of Skadberg’s concern.
“A quarter-size growth,” Macaulay said. “It was uterine cancer.”
Macaulay said she had no obvious signs or symptoms. She felt normal and never would have known anything was wrong if it hadn’t been for Skadberg.
“In my career, the patients who have had uterine cancer have often shown very subtle signs, so you learn you need to pay attention to the things that are just not quite right,” Skadberg said, explaining why she pursued Macaulay’s treatment the way she did.
Fortunately, it was stage 1 cancer and operable. Skadberg suggested surgery. About a month after the discovery and diagnosis, Macaulay had a hysterectomy and all of the cancer was removed.
“I could have floated when I got that call,” Macaulay said. “Dr. Skadberg’s care was wonderful, and I will never be able to say how thankful I am for her. She’s capable, compassionate and smart. I’m on-my-knees grateful for her care.”
Macaulay did not require any chemotherapy or radiation and the cancer never spread. After some routine checkups over the first few years, Macaulay is happy to report she’s cancer-free and one more routine visit away from closing this chapter of her life.
“I’m so lucky, grateful and blessed,” she said. “I’m alive and so thankful they caught it before I needed serious medical treatment.”
Now, Macaulay is using her experience to spread the importance of annual physicals and routine checkups with primary care providers.
“I would have never known anything was wrong if it wasn’t for Dr. Skadberg’s hunch, and that hunch saved my life,” Macaulay said.
Macaulay attributes Skadberg’s hunch to their longtime relationship as primary care provider and patient.
“It’s so important to get care,” Macaulay said. “Let the doctors take care of you. They care about you and they want to help you.
Establishing a relationship with them is so important, but you can only do that if you see them regularly.”
For those who have been putting off a visit with their doctor, Macaulay’s advice is to just make the phone call.
“Stay on top of things,” she said. “Sometimes it seems easier to put your head in the sand and ignore what your body is telling you. Go get the care you need and get that peace of mind that makes life much easier.”
Skadberg agreed.
“Getting to know patients over time is one of the greatest joys in medicine and is often one of the best tools we have to care for them,” she said. “It allows us to recognize when something has changed in their condition. The trust developed over time makes guiding the decision-making process easier and I hope provides comfort and peace of mind as patients navigate their health journey.”
Now, about five years later, the 71-year-old Macaulay is happily and healthily enjoying retirement. She and her husband of about 20 years are anxiously awaiting another grandchild in October.
“I’m so blessed to still be alive, and I’m so thankful for the providers at Essentia that were able to help me enjoy this chapter of my life,” Macaulay said.
