October 16, 2022

Some things you may know about Marsha Holtz: she is a wife, she has two bonus children, and she supports Washington University Orthopedics in an invaluable way as a systems integration coordinator. Something you may not know: she is a breast cancer survivor of six years.

News No One Wants 

On July 11 of 2016, Marsha and her husband, Joe, were prepared to celebrate their 13^th wedding anniversary. Although this year looked different as a result of her husband’s back surgery recovery, they had no idea what the year ahead of them would hold. It was on this day that Marsha was diagnosed with Stage 1 breast cancer. “Cancer doesn’t discriminate and it doesn’t necessarily pick a good time,” Marsha explained. Through this incredibly challenging time, she remembers having the best support network at home and at work. “You really need a big support system, and I had that. They dropped everything they had going on to help me. They stepped up when we needed them most.” 

Her Treatment 

After Marsha’s diagnosis, life got busy, but she kept the news pretty quiet. She began treatment, entailing surgery and a fast series of radiation. For five days, she received radiation twice a day; once in the morning and once in the afternoon. Because of the quickness of Marsha’s diagnosis and treatment, as well as caring for her husband’s recovery, she didn’t have time for the fact-of-the-matter to set in, nor the peace of a grieving and healing process. It wasn’t until later that Marsha had the epiphany that she had beat breast cancer! 

Marsha Beat Breast Cancer

She was welcomed back to work by really supportive people who shared in her gratitude that the breast cancer had been caught at an early and treatable stage. Her emotions were complex; she was grateful for her positive outcome, but she had survivors’ guilt as people around her struggled with breast cancer at various stages. “As a breast cancer survivor, every day is a worry for me – a worry that my breast cancer will return or one of my loved ones will be diagnosed. I do my best to live each day to its fullest and not let those worries control my life. There is a quote that I often see among breast cancer patients with a really powerful message that holds true for me to this day – ‘We don’t know how strong we are until being strong is the only choice we have.’ My note to everyone in the fight, always remember you are BRAVER than you think." 

Life After Breast Cancer 

When asked about the great things that came her way after beating breast cancer, Marsha refers to things that so many take for granted. “Waking up every day is a great thing! Having clear mammograms is a great thing!” Since the restored health of both Marsha and her husband, they have enjoyed a trip to Saint Martin, done remodels in their home and she even talked him in to buying a camper! Marsha and Joe became grandparents in March, 2022. The pair has their sights set on upcoming trips to Florida and Cabo San Lucas!  

Thank you for sharing your story, Marsha!