Mother and daughter: A shared cancer diagnosis

As a nurse at the Cross Cancer Institute in Edmonton, Karmen Schmidt was no stranger to cancer. So, when her mother was diagnosed with thyroid cancer, Karmen was prepared to be a strong supporter and advocate for her throughout.

But even with all her experience working in cancer care and supporting a sick parent, Karmen wasn’t prepared to learn that she might be living with the same cancer as her mother. Her worries started when she noticed a lump above her collarbone.

“Since my mom had just gone through it, I asked myself: ‘could this be thyroid cancer as well?’” Karmen remembers.

After seeing her doctor, Karmen was scheduled for an ultrasound and a biopsy. Unfortunately, her test results couldn’t give her a clear answer.

“My original biopsy came back non-diagnostic, so we decided to watch and wait to see if things would change,” Karmen says. “I repeated the ultrasound a few months later, followed by a second biopsy and surgery to remove the lump.”

Karmen wasn’t very worried about the results of her second biopsy. She went to the appointment alone, expecting to hear that the lump would be benign.

To her surprise, Karmen was told that she had been living with thyroid cancer.

Although she struggled with the shock of her diagnosis, Karmen was able to find comfort in her mother’s survival. 

It was reassuring to know that my mom had just gone through this.

“I was able to work through those initial emotions and get some good perspective on the diagnosis itself,” Karmen shares.

After her diagnosis, she went through several rounds of treatment and is now cancer-free like her mother.

While recovering, Karmen felt anxious about returning to work as a nurse in a cancer care centre. Having gone through a cancer experience herself, she was worried that it would be too difficult to interact with others impacted by cancer. However, she realized that her firsthand experience would make her a better nurse.

“I connect with patients because I sit in the same chair as them, waiting for my test results. I understand the anxiety that comes with that," Karmen says.

In 2021, Karmen found community in Hockey Fights Cancer, an event organized through the Canadian Cancer Society in partnership with the National Hockey League (NHL) to raise awareness and funds for cancer research and support services.

“It was so exciting to be part of a night where everyone's in it together and there to recognize that we need to support one another in order to make strides in cancer care,” Karmen shares.

We are all affected by cancer, whether it's our family, friends or ourselves. It affects so many people.