Coping with Cancer
Portraits of Krista Colvin April 8, 2010 at her home in Camas, Washington.
Coping with cancer
The Columbian follows Camas woman through diagnosis, treatment
Cancer sets survivor on career path
Dream of being nurse gains focus after diagnosis, loss of leg
Christina Jensen admits to being stubborn.
Recycling? Think pink
New bins aim to raise money, awareness for breast cancer survivors
Most people have seen the ubiquitous pink ribbons. The pink hats. Pink shirts or bracelets.
Camas woman strives for normalcy following mastectomy
Yet again, Krista Colvin lies in a hospital bed awaiting surgery. A year ago, the surgery was to remove her breasts. This time, the surgery will reconstruct them.
Pink Power flexes its muscles
Breast care center fundraiser brings in nearly enough to purchase new 3D mammography equipment
Pink ruled Sunday evening at a fundraiser for the Kearney Breast Care Center at PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center. The fourth annual Pink Power event included an evening of private shopping, food and drink, and prizes. And by the end of the evening, almost enough money had been raised to purchase an important new piece of mammography equipment.
Focusing on a good life beyond cancer
After a double mastectomy but still facing more treatment, Krista Colvin of Camas hits high points of her family’s holiday traditions and looks at a calendar full of activity
Krista Colvin slowly wakes from surgery. She slips in and out of consciousness. In this dreamy state, she thinks more about when she’ll get to see her family than about the fact that she no longer has breasts. She had time to work through the impending physical loss in the months leading to her mastectomy. Krista, 43, was diagnosed in March with cancer. Now surgeons have removed her right breast, which had two tumors, as well as cancerous lymph nodes. Because Krista carries a gene mutation that increases the chance of cancer recurring, her healthy breast was removed, too.
Cancer patient Krista Colvin has mastectomy, prepares for reconstruction
The evening before Krista Colvin undergoes surgery to remove her breasts, her children say goodbye. Both Annie, 8, and Wes, 10, are heading to friends’ houses for the night because Krista has to report to the hospital first thing in the morning. Annie smiles big, trying to stay strong and upbeat, but her eyes shine with tears as she lays her hand on her mother’s breast. Wes closes his eyes and snuggles into his mother’s bosom. This is the children’s way of bidding farewell to a part of her body that had nurtured and comforted them throughout their lives.
Combating cancer is a family affair
This is the summer when Krista Colvin’s kids fix their own cereal in the morning. This the summer when they watch a little too much TV, play a few too many video games. Krista figures she has a pass.
Putting best face forward in cancer battle
Krista Colvin strives to stay active, attractive
Krista Colvin struggles to mask the roiling chaos inside her body. Some days are better than others.
Cancer patient's network of support
Krista Colvin’s friends see her through tough time
Krista Colvin taps away on her netbook as drugs drip into her body through a port in her chest. An organizer by profession, Colvin doesn’t let breast cancer keep her from using her time well. She takes charge of the four hours she spends each week in chemotherapy.
Confronting chemo
Camas woman begins treatment in breast cancer fight
To prepare for her TV appearance on KATU’s AM Northwest, Krista Colvin sprays and styles her hair to make it look full. It’s not full. It’s falling out.
Lines drawn in cancer battle
After the shock of discovering a lump in her breast and diagnosis of the dreaded disease, Camas woman prepares herself, her family for chemotherapy, surgery
Krista Colvin’s children barge in as she emerges from a soak in the bathtub. As she covers herself with a towel, she feels something in her right breast. After she shoos her kids out, she probes the spot with her fingers. A lump. Part of it feels hard, like the tip of a baby carrot. Pushing on it makes her stomach queasy because she knows something’s wrong.
