Sailing through the air, the line leaves soft ripples in the water as Lorinda Wilks fly casts. A lifelong passion, fly fishing has been central to Lorinda’s life for decades.
“They say ‘it’s the tug that’s the drug’ – fly fishing draws you in,” says Lorinda. “It’s not conventional, and I like the challenge.”
Fly fishing wouldn’t be the only challenge Lorinda and her husband, Bruce, faced. After feeling like something wasn’t right, she visited her gynecologist in August 2019, where a biopsy of her uterus was taken. For a closer look and official diagnosis, she was immediately referred to Helen Dinkelspiel Eshed, M.D., a gynecologic oncologist at Texas Oncology–Austin Central and South Austin.
Facing an Unexpected Challenge
Dr. Eshed diagnosed Lorinda with stage IVB endometrial cancer, also known as uterine cancer. “Her cancer was extensive. She was, understandably, mentally and emotionally devastated,” said Dr. Eshed.
Following Lorinda’s diagnosis, Dr. Eshed conducted an exploratory surgery and recommended three rounds of chemotherapy treatment to shrink Lorinda’s tumors. In December, Dr. Eshed performed major abdominal surgery to remove the tumors and visible cancer and simultaneously conducted a hysterectomy. An additional three rounds of chemotherapy treatment followed.
Focused on Physical and Mental Strength
But in May 2020, something felt off. Lorinda started experiencing pain and nausea and lost her appetite. A scan found that her cancer had returned and continued to spread.
“I broke down, falling to my knees. Pat Balzac, one of the nurses at Texas Oncology, knelt with me and said, “you’re going to be OK,’” recalled Lorinda.
Dr. Eshed recommended immunotherapy, a treatment that boosts the body’s immune system to attack cancer cells to stop or slow their growth or limit the cancer’s ability to spread.
Initially, there were days where all Lorinda wanted was to lay in bed. But she was determined to get stronger – physically and mentally.
She would walk a little further each day. Exercise on the elliptical a little longer each day. She turned to her faith, began meditating, and discovered a cancer support group.
Finding a Fresh Perspective
“Before cancer, I took life for granted and thought, ‘it can never happen to me,’” said Lorinda. “Now, I know I’m here for a reason. I’m grateful and I want to help people, care for them, and offer that emotional support.”
Today, Lorinda is cancer free and in remission. She receives immunotherapy every three weeks and returned to work full time in July 2020, selling fly fishing gear and teaching lessons.
“There are so many hurdles to overcome with cancer, and you need support for both the physical and mental aspects,” said Lorinda. “Dr. Eshed and the Texas Oncology team are like family. They saved my life and helped me fight to find the strength that I had inside.”
Now, Lorinda is even more thankful for the life and opportunity she’s been given. “I want to live each day like I’m going fishing.”
Among Texas women, more than 4,000 new cases of endometrial cancer are expected to be diagnosed in 2021. For more information about endometrial cancer and other types of gynecologic cancer, visit TexasOncology.com.