Mother and daughter battle cancer together

In September 2012, Suzanne Storbeck underwent an ultrasound for a closer look at what doctors thought was a pinched nerve in her arm. Its findings were unexpected, and grim: The mammogram she'd received the month before had missed what would be diagnosed as Stage IV breast cancer.

Storbeck, 49, of Maple Grove, a teacher at Holy Name School in Medina, was forced to give up her 24-year career to undergo intensive treatment.

It was a devastating shock. "I've always been very healthy with a healthy lifestyle," she said.

Then, in July of this year, Storbeck was dealt another blow.

Her mother, Charlotte Thompson, 78, of Orono, was diagnosed with Stage I breast cancer. Thompson's situation resembled her daughter's — her regular mammogram had failed to detect a lump.

"I was just in shock," Storbeck said. "I was disappointed. I was angry. I really thought I would be the only one. I was hoping it would end with me."

Their situation is not unusual. A woman's risk of breast cancer doubles if a close family member has it, according to the Susan G. Komen Foundation. And if a woman has more than one afflicted family member, her risk is three to four times higher than someone with no family history.

"We're both very healthy people," Thompson said. "I never knew anything was amiss."

Because she'd helped her daughter fight breast cancer, Thompson knew what to expect. She'd moved in with her daughter in 2012 to help take care of Storbeck's son Christopher, 14, and daughter Kaylie, 12, and to keep house as Storbeck underwent intensive chemotherapy.

Now Storbeck, who is still fighting breast cancer, is returning the favor, accompanying her mother to her radiation treatments.

"I wanted to be there for her," said Storbeck, who knows how helpful it is to have that steady support.

"It's easier with someone to go the route with you," Thompson said.

She hopes the blood work will show there is not a genetic link for the cancer, but if there is, her children may undergo further tests.

The results of the tests could provide a caution for the future and help determine preventive care.

"I wish I would have had some form of a warning," Storbeck said. Once such a history is known, it's important to make sure your doctors are aware of it and put the knowledge "to good use," she stressed.

Motivated by their own experiences, Storbeck and Thompson now encourage all women (and men with a family history of breast cancer) to see their doctors regularly.

Mammograms are a start, Storbeck said, but it's also important to know your body. "Check for lumps or bumps that shouldn't normally be there," she said.

Both hope their difficult situations will inspire others to monitor their health, and chose October, National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, to speak out especially often.

"Cancer can hit you at all ages," Storbeck said. "You don't think twice about it until it's you."

Many organizations exist to fight cancer, and hopefully, find a cure, Storbeck said. In the meantime, she urges those who want to help breast cancer patients to donate time or resources to organizations such as Hope Chest or Open Arms.

Open Arms provides one meal per day to cancer patients who need healthful meals but are not able to prepare them on their own. That's a godsend for those who, like her, were so debilitated that grocery shopping and meal preparation proved exhausting, she said.

Because she's not working, Storbeck instead volunteers with cancer organizations, seeking to pay it forward.

Storbeck recently received the welcome news that her tumors have shrunk. She'll still undergo testing every three to four months.

She hopes to return to teaching, but is continuing to focus chiefly on her health and her mother.

"Luckily, we're having more good days than bad days," she said, noting that fatigue is still something they both must deal with.

If anything good can come of their mutual battle, Storbeck said, it's that she and her mother have developed a stronger relationship.

Thompson agreed. Whether going for walks together to build up their endurance or simply enjoying each other's company, they have learned to enjoy the small things in life, she said.