Miles City Woman Celebrates Life as a Cancer Survivor

475x285 HRH MC Cancer Survivor

Miles City, MT - When Stephanie Irish, 64, started experiencing stomach pain last August, she never expected that a visit to her doctor would lead to the discovery of cancer.

“It was a complete shock. With no family history, I just thought, ‘Where in the world did that come from?’” recalled Irish.

On August 28, 2020 Irish was diagnosed with stage 3 ovarian cancer. Just a few days later, she underwent surgery and soon began six rounds of chemotherapy.

“I lost my hair, but luckily I didn’t get sick from the chemo,” explained Irish.

Irish was able to receive her chemotherapy infusions at Holy Rosary Healthcare’s Infusion Center, eliminating the need to travel for care.

“It was absolutely wonderful. Not needing to travel out of town for my treatment each month and being able to see my oncologist both in-person and virtually throughout chemo was such a blessing,” said Irish. “The gals even threw me a party on my last day of chemotherapy and had me ring a bell symbolizing the end of my treatment. The entire team there was just incredible.”

Holy Rosary Infusion Center Nurse Manager, Katie Donnelly, RN, was inspired by Irish’s determination to beat cancer and the positive outlook she maintained throughout her entire treatment process.

“Stephanie really did so amazing during her treatments with us,” said Donnelly. “She was an inspiration for other patients and always showed concern for others even while she was fighting her own battle. She even continued to enjoy working at Vintage and Rustics despite undergoing a tough chemotherapy regimen.”

“Vintage and Rustics were so wonderful and accommodating to me,” added Irish. “I’m so grateful for their support throughout my cancer treatment and am so happy to be working more these days!”

The diagnosis rocked Irish’s world, but she never doubted for a minute that she wouldn’t survive.

“God’s got me. That was my first thought,” said Irish. “And he did. When I look back on all that I’ve endured and overcome the past 10 months, it’s just a miracle. He carried me through it and I’m so thankful for His complete healing.”

Additionally, Irish is filled with gratitude for her husband, family, friends and community for their prayers and for supporting her through some of the most difficult days of her life. Irish is now looking forward to celebrating being cancer-free with her children and grandchildren later this summer.

In recognition of National Cancer Survivors Day on June 6, 2021, Holy Rosary is honored to celebrate all cancer survivors for their strength, determination, grace and grit. From making the first screening appointment, to understanding a cancer diagnosis, to treatment and beyond, Holy Rosary’s team is here to guide patients every step of the way.