Laura Herrod resides in Chesterton today, yet she grew up on the South Side of Chicago. She is a middle school counselor working in the Region. Twice she has battled cancer and survived it. Her stories now serve as testaments of endurance to women experiencing similar struggles to the ones through which she herself went.
The first time Herrod was diagnosed with breast cancer, she was 35 years old. The diagnosis was a shock to her initially because of her family’s lack of history with the condition, so she had never expected to receive it. At the time, all she did was go in for a routine gynecological checkup. Her gynecologist had written up a referral for her, which she stuffed away in a drawer until she realized she might lose the slip if she didn’t follow up.
After another visit and a mammogram, Herrod was referred to a surgeon. Eventually, she was officially diagnosed with breast cancer, the scariest factor of it all being that it was discovered in a lymph node. She went on to have surgery and underwent both chemotherapy and radiation therapy. The hardest factor of it all, however, was the effect it’d have on her children, all of whom were younger.
“My kids were little when I was diagnosed, so getting the diagnosis was hard. I didn’t want them imagining bad things at such young ages. I felt that they were such wonderful distractions for me as I went through the journey,” she said. “They didn't realize it, but they helped me through everything.”
Herrod’s children weren’t solely the ones who helped her endure through her harrowing journey. The presence of her husband and parents encouraged her to beat on, too. Not only were all these members of her family useful distractions for her, they were also reminders—reminders that she had to do anything possible to fight.
“It wasn’t always dire because my family helped me laugh. I had wonderful neighbors and college friends who were also all extremely helpful, so I was lucky,” she said.
Good friends and a strong family aren’t the only things that contributed to Herrod’s successful yet challenging navigation of breast cancer. Four years ago, they were there to support her again when she was diagnosed a second time, yet by and by she began to desire the voice and guidance of a survivor. A friend of a friend who was going through a second diagnosis soon reached out to her, and the two were present to listen to each other because they were wearing the same shoes and sharing the same fears. Their choices may have been limited, but that’s exactly when choices are easiest to make.
“All you can do is pull through and be positive because what’s the other choice? It’s absolutely devastating to hear a diagnosis once, and hearing it twice is even harder. I remember saying, ‘I’m not Ruth Bader Ginsburg’ many times,” she said. “When I had it the first time, I felt I didn’t have any other choice but to be positive, hopeful, and willing to look ahead, not just sit around crying. I had to be confident, which my doctors were, and that’s what made all the difference, too.”
Since her second diagnosis occurred in September of 2020, Herrod was able to undergo treatment for herself while working remotely as a counselor. Working served as another distraction for her. She’s always kept herself occupied through hard times, but she’s never neglected or forgotten in the slightest her trials. Once she retires, she’s looking to assist and empower women through the difficulties perpetuated by cancer that she once had to face, and she seeks to do so through volunteering with the Reach To Recovery program.
Asking questions is something Herrod became comfortable with throughout her complications with breast cancer. She would spend a lot of time reading, and along with her doctor's information, began to inquire about what she was researching on her own time. Doing so brought her ease and solace, so it’s become this practice she recommends any patient take up.
“I would encourage every cancer patient to really ask their doctors questions. Patients should not hesitate to ask anything at all because that’s why their doctors are there. They’re there to listen to you, and they’re there to hear your questions. There aren’t any silly questions whatsoever,” she said.
Nowadays, Herrod passes her time by recognizing the beauty of the little things in life, like watching birds flutter playfully along the sides of the roads. Moreover, on a day-to-day basis at work, she works with ambitious children. To her, their dreams are special and meaningful.
When she uses her leisure time to relax and unwind, Herrod goes on walks with her dog, watches movies, visits with her nearby neighbors, and exercises through workouts and bike rides. According to her to-do list, there’s constantly more reading and traveling to be done. All in all, living life to the fullest takes precedence.
“I don’t want to ever get away from cherishing the small things; I don't want to slip back into my old ways. I regularly remind myself to stop and smell the roses—to enjoy the time that we have, because nobody really knows what will happen tomorrow,” she said.
