When Katie Polkow noticed a spot on her right ankle in 2018, she never expected it would lead to a melanoma diagnosis. Exactly five years later, the young wife and mother of three was diagnosed with stage 3 metastasized melanoma after finding a lump in her groin.

In September 2023, Katie underwent surgery with Ashley N. Hardy, MD, a surgical oncologist at Northwestern Medicine, to remove as much of the cancer as possible. Following surgery, Katie began immunotherapy treatments with John D. Ayers, MD, a medical oncologist and hematologist at Northwestern Medicine, to get rid of any remaining cancer cells in her body.

Finding Hope and Strength

During one of her treatments, Katie met Erin Bloodworth, ACSM-EP, wellness coordinator at Northwestern Medicine Living Well Cancer Resources.

Erin primarily teaches group exercise classes for those impacted by cancer and recently started offering individualized exercise programs and consultations. Katie quickly became a regular in Erin's group classes and was one of the first to set up an individualized program.

"Katie's story is unique because of her age, her diagnosis, having young kids, navigating a career — but also because of how she's chosen to handle everything with such a positive outlook," says Erin. "She has this superpower to take what many would see as such a negative experience and find the good in it."

For Katie, Living Well has become a cornerstone of her support system. "It's the most unique experience. Just walking into Living Well is refreshing. Everyone always has a smile on their face when you are there. There's nothing scary there," says Katie. "It has given me a community of friends who share similar struggles all while working toward the same goal of living our best lives with the hand we've been dealt."

A Journey of Growth and Family Support

Katie's cancer journey has become a powerful teaching moment for her children. She's been able to show them that even though life can be full of hard things, you have the power to turn it around. Every Thursday, Katie's treatment day, she knew she could expect a homemade sign from her family to keep encouraging her.

"This whole journey has truly taught me what cancer has done for me, not what cancer has done to me," says Katie. "If I could say anything to those who donate to make Living Well possible, it would be that 'thank you' doesn't feel like enough. I wish I could personally thank everyone and express my attitude of gratitude to each one. They helped make Living Well possible and the support I have found there is priceless."

Supporting Cancer Survivors

Living Well is dedicated to delivering programs and services that encourage, empower, support and offer hope to thousands of patients with cancer and their families every year. All programs and services are provided at no cost thanks to generous community donations. Services include:

• Counseling
• Support groups
• Nutrition education
• Medical presentations
• Yoga and fitness classes
• Art instruction
• Massage therapy
• Wig fittings in a wig boutique

For Erin, working at an organization like Living Well has opened a whole new world of learning. As a clinical exercise physiologist, she feels that exercise is a form of medicine and loves that Living Well allows people to experience that with no barriers, like costs or insurance coverage, to worry about.

"It all goes back to the founders of Living Well and how much time, research and care they put into building this center. These were all people who had been diagnosed with cancer themselves, were caregivers or had someone close to them diagnosed with cancer," says Erin. "Together, they were able take their experiences, develop programs and curate services that support anyone who is facing cancer in their lives."

Living Well is open to anyone impacted by cancer, regardless of where they are being treated or their ability to pay.