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Kathy Marchand became a financial counselor at Trinity Health in 1997 and since then, has continued down that same path. However, while her career stayed the same, Kathy’s health changed in October 2023.

It began with emergency surgery, which is when cancer was found. Following the surgery, Kathy went home, where she would start chemotherapy as she prepared for another surgery. This time, in Minneapolis.

After returning home from Minneapolis, Kathy began chemotherapy again. Unfortunately, the side effects from the chemo were very pronounced, causing her to feel sick.

“Once I started chemo again, I lost weight and had fluid building up in my stomach. As a result, I was admitted to Trinity Health Hospital, and they held me there until there was a bed ready in Minneapolis, then Trinity Health flew me to Minneapolis,” said Marchand.

The second surgery in Minneapolis involved Kathy having a drain put in, which eventually created further complications. She got the drain removed, which seemed like it would be a step forward. Just as it appeared that Kathy had made progress with her health, there were heart issues that surfaced, requiring her to have a heart monitor.

Since then, Kathy has felt better. However, there was a weekend recently when she developed a severe infection and was not feeling well. Knowing something needed to be done, Kathy went to the Trinity Health Walk-In Clinic where she met with Halle Hendrickson, FNP-C.

“I did not want to eat, and I could barely get out of bed to do anything. I knew I couldn’t drive to Trinity Health’s Walk-In Clinic, so I called friends for a ride, which is unusual for me. When I got to the clinic, I could not walk into the building, so I had to use a wheelchair, which was also unusual for me,” said Marchand.

As someone who doesn’t believe in coincidences, Kathy believes she made the right call to go to the walk-in clinic on the right day. Kathy’s experience in meeting with Halle led to significant improvements in her condition, thanks to Halle’s proper assessment and professionalism.

“Halle quickly assessed me and took a swab. She then told me, ‘The results won’t come back for two or three days, but based on my assessment, I’m going to give you a prescription for antibiotics.'”

Kathy added, “I found out with my condition that only two antibiotics worked, and Halle picked the right one. I already felt better by the time the results came back two days later. Halle saved me from a hospital visit.”

Despite the obstacles and challenges that came her way, Kathy kept pushing forward and appreciates her family, coworkers and the prayer warriors who have supported her throughout her health journey and beyond.

As someone who had to put a busy social life on hold while going through surgeries and treatments, Kathy feels like she is now at a point where her life feels the same as it previously did.

“I have been able to go back to my craft clubs, buy my own groceries and clean my house. I feel like my quality of life is back to where I was in September 2023.” Now, Kathy has been able to return to work on limited hours and is enjoying every second she gets to spend with her grandchildren.

Earlier this year, Kathy received excellent news that she doesn’t have any new cancer. She will continue with the treatment of a one-hour infusion every three weeks until she meets with Moayed Ibrahim, MD, Hematology and Medical Oncology at Trinity Health, early in 2025. Kathy has been very pleased with the excellent care she has received at Trinity Health’s CancerCare Center.