Becky Marshall, cancer survivor, a registered nurse at OSF St. Mary Medical Center, has seen cancer from both sides – as a caregiver on the hospital’s Acute Care floor, and as a patient.
Becky, who has seven children and seven grandchildren, was diagnosed with uterine cancer in 2012, at the age of 39.
“I was terrified,” said Becky, a Galesburg native who has worked at OSF St. Mary for eight years. “I had seen how challenging cancer treatment can be for a person, and I also knew what could happen if I didn’t get treatment.”
She underwent three surgeries and nine chemotherapy treatments and is now cancer free. Because of the aggressive nature of her cancer, she continues to have CT scans every 6 months to make sure it has not returned.
Having battled cancer herself, Becky feels a special bond with patients who receive the frightening and life-changing diagnosis. They’re often feeling at their worst, and preparing to fight with everything they’ve got. Becky urges her patients to come back and see her when they complete their final chemotherapy treatment. She’s received hugs and shared in their moments of triumph.
“The last day of my chemotherapy was the day my seventh granddaughter was born. She’s 3 now, and the day she was born was a glimpse of the future with my whole family that I wanted to be part of,” she said. “Patients don’t feel their greatest at that time, but they get to say, ‘I made it.’ Getting to see that is just amazing, and a great reminder of why I come to work every day.”
Although cancer is a path we hope no one has to take, the providers at OSF St. Mary Medical Center can help patients through their entire journey. Our specialists at the Illinois Cancer Center offer options for both radiation and therapy. Early detection is the first step toward fighting many types of cancer, and OSF St. Mary Medical Center offers an array of imaging tests designed by locate and pinpoint any problem areas.
For more information, call (309) 344-3161.
Last Updated: January 13, 2022