Butler fighting cancer with optimism
By Eric Clark
News Editor
It was a surprise that even a school teacher of 36 years wasn't ready for.
"It was a shock," Eileen Butler said. "One minute you think you're healthy, and then you get the bad news like I did."
The "bad news" was that the third-grade teacher had breast cancer.
"I was getting my annual mammogram, and after the initial visit, (the doctor) asked me to come back," Butler said. "A tumor had showed up on the scan. They couldn't feel it (during the mammogram procedure). They removed it, and they found out it was cancerous."
Since the August diagnosis, Butler has been undergoing chemotherapy at the Cancer Center of Kansas in Wichita and will continue to do so for the next six months.
After her round of chemotherapy, she is scheduled for radiation treatments and additional medications.
"The medical staff (in Wichita) has been very supportive and very caring," Butler said.
Despite the grim news of her diagnosis and the harsh effects of the chemotherapy, Butler remains optimistic.
"I'm going to be OK," Butler said. "I just have that feeling. I actually feel OK right now, but I get tired. I really have to watch my immune system. You can tell that (the cancer) is there, but it hasn't stopped me from coming to school."
Not only has the cancer not stopped Butler from teaching, it also hasn't stopped her from using the experience to help students learn and understand the effects of cancer.
Butler, who lost her hair after the chemotherapy, has been wearing hats and scarves on her head.
In an attempt to help Butler adapt to teaching while dealing with cancer, Hillsboro Elementary School is allowing students to wear hats in the school.
"(Allowing the kids to wear hats,) doesn't draw a lot of attention to me," Butler said. "The kids have been concerned for me and have made cards for me. They've known about cancer because some of their grandparents have had cancer, and they have had some counseling about it. The kids have been extremely inspirational and supportive. They're having fun with the hat thing. They wear them backward, and they get into it. They've gone right along with me on this thing."
It's estimated that one in eight women will develop breast cancer during their lifetimes. Through her experience, Butler said she now understands the true benefit of annual mammograms.
"I can't stress it enough," Butler said. "Women need check-ups annually."
Mammograms can detect cancer up to two years before a lump can be felt. More than 97 percent of women whose breast cancer is found and treated early with no spreading beyond the breast
will survive.
In Butler's case, the cancer was also detected in the lymph nodes. After the detection, the lymph nodes were removed and two of the 13 were found to be cancerous.
But the will and prayer of many may prove to be the ultimate factor according to Butler.
"There are a lot of people who are praying for me," Butler said. "You ask yourself, 'Is it going to come back, and you think do I have my ducks in a row?' You have to take one day at a time. Things kind of fall into a pattern. You have to have that goal out there. You have to keep a positive attitude. I want to make it through the school year."
