GAINSBOROUGH — Maria Howden has had her share of rough times over her lifetime. First, let’s introduce her.
She lives with her husband, George, of almost 40 years on a farm southwest of Gainsborough. They have two adult children and are ranchers, raising cattle. She was born in Pembroke, Ont., and grew up as an ‘army brat.’ Her family moved to Winnipeg before settling down in Shilo, Man.
Her first ‘rough time’ came as a two-year-old. She was playing with a toy on a second-floor balcony and it went over the edge. Howden, in trying to retrieve it, followed it. She actually died but was resuscitated. She sustained serious injuries, including a swollen head, broken vocal cords, and right-side paralysis. Her parents were told by doctors that she would never walk or talk again and would be unable to have children.
The doctors were wrong.
As time passed, she faced another terrible moment. As a young mother, she was working in the kitchen with a pot of hot oil. The pot slipped over the edge of her counter and spilled oil all over her son. Fortunately, some quick thinking prevented the burns from being as serious as they could have been, although her son was hospitalized for over a week.
The trip with her son to the hospital resulted in another difficult time. The ambulance was involved in an accident and rolled, resulting in injuries to all the occupants. Howden suffered a minor fracture of her neck, which went undiagnosed at the time.
One other misfortune occurred in 2017. While cutting the grass, her foot came a little too close to the lawnmower and the blade amputated two of her toes.
But perhaps her most challenging moment came in 2018.
Howden had a history of cancer in her family. Her dad passed away at the age of 56 from colon cancer. Her mom, who is still living, survived ovarian cancer. One grandmother overcame breast cancer, while her other grandmother was diagnosed with stomach cancer. Her paternal grandfather had colon cancer, and an aunt overcame breast cancer.
With so much cancer in her family, Howden kept a very close eye on her own health, performing self-examinations and visiting the mobile breast screening bus annually when it came to Carnduff.
Things were going well until 2018, when a mammogram revealed terrible news. A small dime-sized lump on her breast had been discovered. It turned out to be malignant.
When Dr. Hyman of Oxbow gave her the report, she was dumbfounded and scared. The cancer was no longer limited to her ancestry—it had hit home. It had entered her generation.
Her husband was working in Oxbow at the time, so she went directly from the doctor’s office to tell him what she had learned. Then she visited her son, who also worked in Oxbow, to let him know. George’s boss told him to go home to be with his wife, and upon arriving at home, they broke the news to their daughter.
Two months later, Howden met with Dr. Meiers, an oncologist practising in Regina. Howden was terrified, expecting the worst.
Within three weeks, radiation treatments began. A total of 16 were given—daily, excluding weekends. She lost some of her hair and continues to lose hair to this day. But she lost something else: the cancer. At first, she went for check-ups every three months, then every six months, and now yearly.
And every test has given her good news. She continues to be cancer-free.
As good as that news is, the anxiety of the cancer returning weighs heavily upon her. She is diligent with the self-examination but dreads whenever she feels something she doesn’t remember being there before. She also keeps a meticulous journal, not just of her past journey, but also of her ongoing exams.
Howden’s frightening experience with cancer has resulted in these words of wisdom: “Take your mammograms yearly. Never assume that everything is OK. Don’t take any chances. Talk with your parents about whether cancer is part of the family history. And don’t put it off. The sooner cancer is caught, the better the chance that it can be treated successfully.”
Howden has had her tough moments. Thankfully, most, including her cancer story, have ended on a positive note.
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, a time to highlight the impact of breast cancer, recognize the progress made in combating the disease, and show support for those affected. In Canada, breast cancer is the most common cancer among women, affecting about one in eight, according to Women’s College Hospital.
