Paula Quinn: I’m very interested in horses; always have been from a little kid. As I started working myself, that was one of the first things I did was to buy a horse and just love it as my passion. We’ve done breeding, we’ve done racing, showjumping, a little bit of everything. That’s been a constant in my life. I think that most people have something in their life that gives them a sense of peace and a sense of connection, and I think that’s what I feel with the horses. The lymphoma came out of the blue, so it was very shocking, and I was very afraid when we got that diagnosis so wanted to make sure I was getting the absolute best treatment. I had a particular type of lymphoma that was aggressive. The consequences of not having the treatment is that you will die.
James M. Foran, M.D., Consultant, Hematology, Mayo Clinic in Florida: She had a very large mass in the center of her chest compressing her heart, so this was a difficult situation. We had a clinical trial we had just opened. She was eligible for that study, and we went on to give her six cycles of intensive chemotherapy over about four months.
Paula: The decision to participate in the clinical trial was made easier by our discussions with Dr. Foran. We also felt that perhaps not only would it be beneficial to me but it would be beneficial to others, and we knew going in that any treatment could cause heart failure, and we even discussed that with Dr. Foran, and he said if it happens, which it’s rare, we’ll have to deal with that. The lymphoma treatment was successful, but the treatment damaged my heart, and so that started a journey of heart failure, and as my heart failure got worse, I couldn’t ride anymore.
Parag C. Patel, M.D., Division Chair, Heart Failure and Transplant, Mayo Clinic in Florida: Iniitially I thought maybe we could help her with medical therapy. We were going to try to avoid a transplant, but it became very evident within the course of around six months that Paula was going up and down. She’d have good days and bad days, and towards the latter part of her heart failure course, you could see that she was getting weaker, and it was at that point we said okay, time to come in the hospital and let’s take good care of you and let’s try to get a heart transplant even sooner.
Paula: When I actually got my heart, by that time I knew within a matter of days if I didn’t get a heart that I wouldn’t be around. My whole life, I have been very grateful. I read someplace where a grateful heart is a magnet for miracles, and I believe that. In the hospital waiting for my heart, I was thankful every day. I was thankful for all of it, even though it was very, very difficult. Now I’m thankful that I can see the sunshine, I can go out and be a part of taking care of the horses and being around my friends. We are loving life and are grateful for every day.
Jim Quinn, Paula’s husband: Everything that we get to do and share together is really precious because I understand how close we came to Paula not surviving, and when you come out on the other side of it, what you have left is often a lot more precious than what you had when you went in.
Paula: Jim and I have often said that we are so glad that we’re part of the Mayo system. It’s important that someone in a health crisis feels that support and knows that there’s technological advances and treatments that are being developed that can offer them hope.
Dr. Foran: The goal of therapy is, first of all, you want to cure the cancer, obviously, but you really want to accomplish that goal the person wants. In her case, she had a lifelong passion for horses, for being out in the country, being on the land. She’s a hands-on person. And really, that expression of “you’ve got to get back on the horse again,” she personifies that expression.
Paula: When I first put my foot in the stirrup and swung my leg over and it felt comfortable to be in the saddle again, it was almost like feeling reborn, because it felt very natural and like I felt when I was younger, but it was all new again. It was different and good, but it was like being reborn.
