Oklahoma Woman Battles Cancer During Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic

While we're all dealing with COVID-19, there are some who are having to battle breast cancer at the same time, and it can be a lonely journey.

Misty Karo is a wife, mother and, currently, a breast cancer patient. Back on Halloween, she was diagnosed triple negative--an aggressive form of cancer that took her mom's life just 2 years ago.

Misty has been undergoing chemotherapy for the last 16 weeks.

"Once COVID was in full force, it really changed the way that doctor's appointments went. I couldn't take my husband with me anymore to any of my appointments." Misty said. "Anytime I went to get a treatment at the Cancer Center, I had to do that by myself, but the nurses there have been wonderful. They've really stepped up and been there for us emotionally because they know we're doing this on our own now."

While Misty finished her chemo and got to ring the bell, for some patients their treatments have been put on hold due to COVID-19.

Breast Surgeon Dr. John Frame said “Many places in the country are delaying the earlier stage, earlier grade breast cancers to be done later on. The real challenge there is that conversation with women who are diagnosed with breast cancer doesn't go very well. They're not comfortable with waiting."

Once COVID-19 restrictions are lifted, Dr. Frame expects to be seeing patients full-time.

"But there's going to be a big backlog of people who are overdue their mammograms, overdue their breast exams, overdue [for] their surgery--overdue their diagnosis. The offices are going to fill up fairly rapidly" added Dr. Frame.

As for Misty, she's scheduled for a double mastectomy next week.

Even if the upcoming order on elective surgeries hadn't been lifted, Dr. Frame said he had some flexibility when it came to breast cancer surgeries like Misty's.