Rose Wells

"I always intended to have a long and healthy life, and that's what I have." - Rose with her husband, Chuck.

Every weekday at 2:30 p.m., Rose Wells ends her work at an Arizona accounting firm and heads home to what she firmly believes is her most important job: taking care of her family, including her husband, Chuck, and daughters Sara (13) and Cassie (11). "It's very important to me to be home when my daughters come home from school," Rose says. "It's a tough time they're coming into — middle school and high school — and I want to be there for them."

This responsibility is so important to Rose that by August of 2002, she asked her employers to let her work fewer hours. They agreed to give it a try. "However, by August of 2003, it was apparent that the shorter schedule was not adequate for the company," she says. "That saddened me, because I really loved working there. But my employers graciously extended my employment through October 31 to give me security while I looked for another job."

In early October, however, Rose found a lump in her right breast. "I had missed a mammogram the year before," she recalls, "so I thought I'd better get it checked out right away." The medical imaging team performed a sonogram, and then ordered a biopsy. Rose had breast cancer.

"Do what you need to do in order to get well," her employers said. "We'll get you through this."

A 'Typical Patient?'

At Mayo Clinic in Arizona, Rose's treatment team included Dr. Richard Gray, the surgeon who would remove the tumor, Dr. William Wong, the radiation oncologist who would administer radiation therapy to kill any remaining cancer cells, and Dr. Donald Northfelt, the medical oncologist who would administer chemotherapy treatments and oversee her ongoing care.

"I'm not sure if I'm what you would call a 'typical patient,'" Rose says. "I didn't read the statistics or anything else. I didn't want my mind preset on how I would respond to the treatments. Instead, my husband, Chuck, was there to support me and to take in all the information the doctors provided."

Rose decided to administer several weeks of homeopathic care before Dr. Gray performed a lumpectomy on her right breast in December 2003. Fortunately, the tumor was small and the margins were clean.

Meanwhile, Rose and Chuck were determined that life would go on as normal. Rose set her chemotherapy appointments for Fridays after work, so she could have the weekend to rest and recover if necessary before resuming her normal schedule Monday morning.

"I went through my first chemotherapy treatment, and my husband and I went out that night. It didn't stop me for a beat," she recalls. "The second set of drugs was a little tougher. I experienced tingling in my feet and some aching in my bones, but that diminished greatly when Dr. Northfelt made some adjustments to my treatment regimen. I didn't stop chemotherapy, and I didn't miss a day of work. And much of that is because I would just tell myself, 'Stop feeling sick.' I had faith that God would give me the strength I needed."

A Positive Focus

It's very important to me to be there for them." — Rose Wells, with husband Chuck, and daughters Sara (left) and Cassie (right).

More than anything, Rose was determined there would be no negative thoughts in her life, only positive. And she relied on her spiritual faith, in addition to her family and friends, to provide the strength she needed.

"I love my family more than anything," she says, "but I didn't want my husband Chuck, or my daughters, to come with me to my chemotherapy appointments, simply because they would have just been sitting there, waiting and worrying. A couple of friends did hang out with me at a few treatments, which was pretty fun ... we even celebrated a birthday!

"My preference, however, was to read my Bible and my book on healing verses, and listen to my Christian music, because that's where I wanted my focus to be. I just focused on those verses and banned any negative thoughts from my head."

Physicians at Mayo Clinic work hard to recognize the psychological, emotional, and spiritual needs of their patients. "My doctors were very respectful of my faith," Rose recalls. "The first time Chuck and I met Dr. Northfelt, he told us all the things he had to tell us about the cancer and about the treatments. And I just thought, 'Okay.' I wasn't disregarding his abilities in any way because he's an excellent doctor. But my focus was on my faith in God, and the positive belief that I would be well.

"When I got up to leave from that first appointment," Rose continues, "Dr. Northfelt came over and gave me a big hug and said, "You're going to do awesome — you'll do just great.'

"I said, 'Thank you — I will.' And he said, 'I know you will.' That sort of positive focus was exactly what I needed."

A Healthy Life

Rose finished chemotherapy in May 2004, and shortly thereafter began six weeks of radiation therapy, Monday through Friday, for 30 treatments. By the end of September 2004, Rose was cancer-free.

Although Rose's normal life never really stopped, "the cancer diagnosis has deepened my faith in God and in others," she says. "Because of my employers, I was able to go to Mayo Clinic for treatment. I know it was difficult for them, and they knew I could have switched to my husband's insurance, but they said, 'No — we want you to go to Mayo.' I was very blessed to be where I was.

"Even though I was very private about my treatment," Rose continues, "I relied a lot on my husband, daughters, friends, and relatives. Many were a great support both spiritually and physically. They helped care for our daughters. They would bring food and baskets, write notes, and send cards. They brought so much love and support to my family.

"Sometimes, when people find out I had cancer, they ask me, 'What are the statistics? What are the survival rate predictions?' And I can't go there for people. My survival rate is long.

"I always intended to have a long and healthy life, and that's what I have."