Healing Hands for Heather

Heather Greyno is one of our co-workers here at Vidant Emergency Department who has been through many unfortunate times in the past couple years. She is an awesome nurse who formerly worked in the ICU but has been with us  for the past several years in the Emergency Department and we are so glad to have her. She is an awesome person to know and work with and always has a smile to offer everyone. She is one of the toughest people I know. In the past few years there has been a fire at her neighbors home that caused significant damage to her home, a car accident, a fall from scaffolding while trying to repair some of the fire damage, a back surgery, and now the worst thing that has happened to her is her breast cancer diagnosis just a few short months ago. I am hoping to raise money to help Heather with her copays and other ongoing medical expenses not covered by insurance. I also hope it will help supplement her income as she has not been able to work and does not have any PTO left. Please give what you can, even if it is just your encouragement, prayers for healing and kind words.  All will be appreciated. I think Heather tells her story best so I will let her tell it in her own words.......


     One thing I must say is that no matter how bad things get and when life seems so bleak, getting a simple "I'm thinking about you" message means so much. I've gotten so many wonderful messages from old friends I haven't spoken to in decades, friends, work family and family. It brings me to tears to know that people care. There is nothing better than knowing that you matter and people care about you.
     I would have to say that the past two years have been some of the most trying times in my life. Just when you think you can't take it any more,  a little more adversity is put on your plate and either you lie down and succumb to it or pull up your boot straps and trudge forward. I have wanted to lie down at times. I have said I can't take it anymore. I have sobbed in my bed thinking to myself "this is it, I'm done, I'm just going to let the cancer take me." The thoughts of everything on my shoulders seems too much to bear and I have wanted to give up. A few days before my surgery I was going to cancel it. I didn't want to get cut up, be disfigured. I knew I would never be the same again. Vanity had nothing to do with it. I was losing a part of me, a feeling part, so much of what makes me a woman. Everyday closer to my surgery date felt like a countdown to my death. I had a feeling of impending doom. There were days I thought to myself I was going to die. I wasn't prepared. I wasn't ready. I had so much unfinished business. I ran around the day before getting my will, HCPOA, living will ,POA written up and given to my lawyer. I didn't want to leave my kids and family in a mess. As they were getting ready to roll me into the OR my son was the last person in the room with me. I held him so tight and told him how proud I was of him , to keep doing good and never forget all of our times together. I tried not to cry but I couldn't hold back the tears. I wanted him to know I loved him. It took a whole box of those cheap hospital tissues to clear my airway :) When I think I can't go on anymore I may lie down for a bit, but then I get back up. I want to be around for my kids. I want to be in a place where I can feel free to live my life without feeling buried alive by problems and illness. When the doctor called me September 25th and told me I had invasive ductal cell carcinoma and it was very aggressive I hung up the phone, laughed out loud and said, "Are you serious?" I thought.
     First, the house fire dec 14, 2013 that caused over $300,000 dollars worth of damage to my house. Then January 2014 I was rear ended, started having trouble with my leg going numb and giving out. Then in May 2014 I fell off some scaffolding while working on my house when my leg gave out. In June I had an MRI that showed multiple herniated discs and was unable to come back to work. I had back surgery Nov 17th 2014 came back to work January 29th 2015. I had very little PTO and no disability insurance so I was out of work that whole time without pay. Since having my back surgery I've had 5 epidurals, have had repeat MRI's showing worsening bulging  discs and then the cancer diagnosis.
     I had a ultrasound the first week in February after feeling several small pea sized lumps in my left breast. The result was reported as multiple "tiny" benign calcified cysts with no recommendation for follow up with MD or biopsy. The lumps grew in size over the months so I went to my gyn. She felt they were suspicious and ordered a mammogram and repeat ultrasound which lead to the biopsy. I had previously been completely misdiagnosed and the cancer was rapidly growing inside of me. At my first visit with the surgeon that did the biopsy on September 24th, I also did a test for the BRCA gene. When my biopsy results came back she said it would take at least 3 weeks to get the results back for the BRCA test. I started chemo right away, my first treatment was October 8th. I had it every 3weeks for 4 treatments. When my BRCA results came back positive for BRCA2 it was definite that I would have to have a bilateral mastectomy and eventually an oophorectomy. I didn't want to lose my hair so I did cold cap therapy. They were called Penguin caps. Insurance didn't cover them so I paid $600 a month to rent the caps, the dry ice was another $120 for each treatment and I wore these caps (that were -31 degrees Celsius) for 9 hours each treatment. It was torture but I still have 90% of a full head of hair. So many people didn't even know I had cancer and was getting chemo. I even thought that maybe I was being withheld certain tests by my oncologist was because I didn't look sick. When you lose your hair you look sick, I was the only one there getting chemo that had hair, that wasn't wearing a scarf on their head. I continued to work full time and work on finishing my house. It's still not done...ughhh!!! Needs a little more painting, deep clean( dry wall dust gets everywhere) and curtain rods, curtains , pictures etc still need to be done. That will all have to wait a while. It's frustrating not to be able to even vacuum . So after all of that I'm laying in bed thinking I have to change my dressings but I'm afraid to. I have peeked, the silvadene cream has been on for 12 hours now. I saw some skin coming loose. What's left of my reconstructed breasts are turning black. I'm trying not to panic, but I know it will get worse before it gets better. I've done a lot of wound care in my 24+ years of nursing but it's different when it's your body! It's scary! I just have to believe it will be ok. I will see the plastic surgeon on Monday. Tuesday I will see the surgeon that did the mastectomy and get my pathology report. The following Monday I'll see the oncologist, get blood work and get started on tamoxifen. I know I'll be seeing the plastic surgeon at least twice a week until this hot mess makes a turn around.
     As a side note, the 3 days I was in the hospital I realized just how much I was at the mercy of others. I saw the doctors for all of a few minutes. It was the nurses that did everything. I had one awesome nurse. She was so good to me. Two pretty good nurses,and one ok nurse. A nurse can make or break your experience, your outcome. This is not my first time on the other side. I don't like being at the mercy of others. We are the ones that have the most interaction with the patient. We are the ones that they look to for answers. After this is all over and I can come back to work, I hope to be a better nurse and not forget how it feels to be on the other side.


Heather in her "Penguin cap."

Tatoo Heather's son Nick got in honor of her and her fight with breast cancer after her diagnosis.


Heather and her daughter Brooke.





Pictures of Heather working to fix extensive damage to her house from fire next door.