(a letter to the LBC community from our beloved Warrior)

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Hello Lick Breast Cancer friends and Family!  My name is Kristen Kalb-Pettit, and I am honored and blessed to be this year’s warrior. As most of you know, my brother Jack Kalb created this benefit to honor my sister Karen Kalb-Thomas, who survived this awful disease back in 2010. 

 

My current diagnosis is not my first issue with breast cancer, unfortunately.  My first scare” came just a few months before my sister’s battle began.  In October of 2009, I had my very first mammogram ever.  The results showed something that needed additional imaging.  And later doctors informed me that I needed to have a lumpectomy to remove the lump, that they thought may be cancer. I had the surgery the Friday after Thanksgiving, and thankfully, it came back Stage 0; it was caught early, no chemotherapy necessary, no radiation needed, I was all clear!  The doctor’s message “Make sure you get your yearly mammograms!”

 

Since then, every mammogram would require additional imaging, typically ultrasounds were needed as well.  There has been the occasional needle biopsy needed on a couple suspicious looking lumps, resulting in having one lump aspirated several years ago. 

 

Flashforward to January 2025, when I got the typical call to have additional imaging with an ultrasound following my mammogram, I didn’t think twice about it. But this one was different right from the start.  I typically get just a couple of additional mammogram images; this time I got several.  Then when I went to the ultrasound room, I could tell after the first 30 minutes that something was very different.  In my experience, it doesn’t last that long, number 1, and number 2, the technician spent so much time in one spot, it became super obvious to me that something was very wrong.

 

Next thing I know, tears started to flow down my cheeks, and the tech asked me if I was ok. I looked to her and said, “you tell me?” Once the doctor came in, we discussed what she had seen and suspected my biggest fear. A million questions spewed out of me. But she was certain that it is breast cancer. She later put me in contact with an Oncologist and a surgeon. I walked out of there in shock and called my sister. The one person I knew would know exactly how I was feeling.  My sister has been my rock, and she has been there for me every single day since the day I called her.

 

My original diagnosis was Stage 2 Breast Cancer.  I had a double mastectomy on 3/20/25.  Following that surgery, I had some severe back pain. I thought it was just a side effect from the nerve blocker they put in my back for the procedure.  A few weeks later, I started chemotherapy treatments.  After my first round, I was suffering the typical side effects, except for when it came to my back pain.  That went from a 3-4 pain level to a 8-9; I could barely walk. The pain would stop me dead in my tracks at times. I decided to contact the cancer center to let them know that something was wrong with my back, like for real.

 

Thankfully, they listened and ordered a CAT scan. Getting those results was extremely difficult for me. The cancer had metastasized my spine, and the reason for my pain was the cancer had caused a fracture in my T5 vertebrae. Additional scans determined cancer did not spread beyond my spine.

 

Next, I was scheduled to have surgery to stabilize the vertebrae, this was done on 6/27/25.  I had been out of work on short term disability while going through my first 4 rounds of chemotherapy treatments. Shortly before my back surgery, my HR manager reached out to me to make sure I was returning to work on 6/30, which was my original plan. However, since my going out on leave, obviously, my situation had taken a turn for the worse, and I hadn’t contacted my place of employment to let them know of my new diagnosis.

 

When I informed her that things had changed. That I was going to be operated on 6/27, and unfortunately, I wouldn’t be returning to work as scheduled. When I asked to extend my LOA, she requested I have my doctor fill out a new ADA (American Disabilities Act) form and get it sent back to them ASAP.  I explained to her that we can do that, however, we wouldn’t be able to give her an exact date to return to work because everything was going to be dependent on the results of the biopsy that was going to be done during the surgery on 6/27.

 

Her exact words to me were to “have the paperwork filled out to the best of our abilities”, so that is what we did. That being said, the return-to-work date was filled out with TBD, which meant exactly what I had described. As soon as we had the results from the biopsy and knew the type of cancer we were dealing with, how to treat it, what our plan of attack was going to be, we could rewrite the paperwork with specific dates. However, that didn’t work for them. The day after they received the new ADA paperwork, I got a call from my employer. They decided to terminate our relationship based on the ADA paperwork stating I needed an indefinite LOA, which they knew wasn’t the case. I tried to reason with them, expressing that I have Stage 4 cancer, that by letting me go, they were taking away my medical benefits and my source of income, that I needed a week to 10 days for them to let me have the surgery to figure out what is going on with my life and we would know when I could come back to work. They didn’t want to discuss anything more, the phone call ended, and I was left with no job and no insurance 4 days before my surgery.

 

Thankfully the surgery was a success, and they were able to stabilize the broken vertebrae. The biopsy results did show that it was in fact my breast cancer that metastasized my spine. My official diagnosis is Estrogen + HER2- Stage 4 Breast Cancer.  I am being treated with Kisquali 600 mg daily, 3 weeks on, 1 week off. As well as an estrogen blocker called Anastrozole 1mg tab daily (HOT FLASH CITY). Hopefully these pills with keep this cancer at bay and extend my life!  That is the plan and that is the goal.  I am working on getting Medicaid and Disability in the meantime!

 

On a more personal note, I gave birth to my beautiful son Derek (34), who has given me 3 beautiful grandchildren, the absolute loves of my life.  Alex will be 15 on 8/16, Scarlett who turned 3 on 8/4, and our little guy Bentley who will be 2 on 11/22. I have 2 beautiful stepdaughters, Denise & Lisa, that I love dearly. They both blessed me with grandchildren I love dearly as well. Denise, my brother-in-law John, Ashlynne & Daniel, live down here in North Carolina near me! Lisa’s kids, Michelle, Zachary, & Stephanie all live up in New York, and I visit them when I come home! 

 

I live in Wake Forest, NC with my son & his girlfriend Allie & my grandchildren.  Allie has a beautiful daughter Deliliah (my bonus granddaughter) we get to have every other week. My brother’s daughters Jordan & Logan also live down here, so I am grateful to have some of my family close by.  But most of my family is back home in and around Endicott, NY.  My parents, Jack and MaryAnn, my brother Jack & sister-in-law, Treena. Their daughters Gabriella & Marina.  My sister, Karen & brother-in-law, Keith, my niece Alexis and nephew Christopher. Not to mention all of my friends from back home from childhood, time-warner, bowling, etc. Last but not least, my dear cousin Marilyn & her husband Randy have been supporting me all the way from Switzerland. I have had so much encouragement and support during this time. I am so grateful for each and everyone of you; I just cannot wait to get up there to see everyone and let everyone know how much I truly appreciate them! I LOVE YOU ALL!

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