Survivor: Gabriel Haafke

Being treated for cancer can be a frightening experience, but the June E. Nylen Cancer Center makes it a lot less scary, a three-year cancer survivor said.Gabriel (Gabe) Haafke of Bronson, Iowa said it was his fear of doctors that kept him from being diagnosed sooner for Hodgkin's Lymphoma disease, a cancer of the lymphatic tissue.In October 2002, Haafke, 27, noticed that the lymph node on the right side of his neck was enlarged and dismissed it as the mumps."It didn't go away. I got a cough, and I was tired and fatigued in general. My left side went numb in places and the cough got worse. It got to the point that I had such a drain of energy that I could barely walk up the stairs, and the nasty coughing when I was going to sleep left me gasping for air two nights in a row. I thought it was bronchitis."Realizing his symptoms weren't going away, he went to the Siouxland Community Health Center in May 2003. The staff there referred him to a Sioux City hospital where they drained fluid from his lungs and diagnosed him with cancer. He had just turned 23.After receiving initial care in the hospital, Haafke began his journey of treatment at the Nylen Cancer Center that same month."As I began chemotherapy at the Cancer Center, there wasn't a single face that wasn't friendly, supportive or helpful," he said. "Each knew how to relax you in a situation you wouldn't naturally choose to be placed in. I get faint at the sight of my own blood, and they would just talk to me to take my mind off of things while it was being drawn. I would spend a few hours getting the chemotherapy, but I was perfectly comfortable. Sometimes it would be within a private side room, and other times these recliners made it possible to relax and just sleep the entire period. They even offered nutritious frozen treats."Haafke enjoyed the bedside manner of his medical oncologist."He was always professional, yet he had humorous qualities I believe are important in any good medical professional,” said Haafke. “He answered any questions that came up and made sure I was doing well. I'd like to thank him for quite frankly being an awesome doctor."Haafke was equally appreciative of the staff members who gave him his radiation treatments."I was nervous about the process of radiation. But they made it quick, relaxing and comfortable as well. It was everything I had come to expect based on the treatment I'd gotten from the other side of the building. I also met my dietitian, Cindy McClary, who helped me eat healthy enough to undergo radiation therapy. She is very personable and helpful."During my radiation treatment at the cancer center, I was fortunate to have a radiation oncologist who shared an interest in history. It is my college major, and I hope to become a history teacher someday. While he would do his examination, he would share an interesting story that, at least for me, was better than any lollipop you would get from a dentist."When Haafke was diagnosed with Hodgkin's disease, he was supposed to start taking college classes at Western Iowa Tech, but he postponed them until that fall."I was taking chemo at the same time as fall classes," he said. "I was getting chemo every two weeks for six months and after that I had radiation for six weeks.”He said the treatments resulted in a lot of fatigue. With his illness and treatment he was unable to work at his job as a board operator for KG95 KMNS for a year. When his strength returned the station welcomed him back.Haafke’s treatments ended by Christmas 2003, when blood work confirmed that he was in remission. Since then, he has been cancer free and has finished his general coursework at WITCC. He hopes to continue his education at a four-year college."The doctors said my recovery was better than 95 percent of the people who had my type of cancer,” said Haafke. “My recovery was quite quick."While his relationship with the Nylen Cancer Center could have ended upon completion of his treatment, Haafke has chosen to continue it because of the care and compassion he experienced there and because of the way they changed his outlook toward cancer treatment. He discovered that cancer treatment wasn't so scary after all."Even to this day as I finish paying off the very last of my bill, I actually look forward to stopping by each month. They know your name and greet you with a smile,” Haafke said. “I'm glad that Sioux City is lucky enough to have such a facility that allows fellow cancer patients a chance to travel just a few minutes rather than hours. “It really made the process for me much more bearable. Without it, I couldn't have attended my college classes when I had treatments."In addition to visiting the center to pay his bill, Haafke has volunteered to clean out the center’s gardens, help with replanting and do some office filing."They gave me a lot," he said. "Why not give something back?"Next || Previous || Share your story