Facing Stage Four Lung Cancer TOGETHER
In September 2021, Don Shiffermiller and his wife, Katie, were looking forward to retirement.
They even had a trip planned for the upcoming spring. “We love to golf and planned to head to Palm Springs in the spring after I retired,” remembers Katie.
However, Don had a lingering cough that persisted for months after recovering from COVID-19 in late 2020.
“Don continued to have this funny cough. I told him you can’t get on an airplane coughing like that; you’ve got to go see the doctor,” remembers Katie.
Don made an appointment and underwent a chest x-ray.
The x-ray revealed a mass in Don’s chest. “We were from a medical family, so we knew right away it wasn’t good,” said Katie. The tumor was approximately the size of Don’s fist.
“The first thing I thought, like anybody when they face something like this, is I felt like that’s probably it. The diagnosis was not very good,” remembers Don. But Don knew he and his family still had a lot of memories to make. He was not going out without a fight. He was immediately encouraged as he began appointments with Nebraska Cancer Specialists days later.
At Don’s first appointment with NCS Medical
Oncologist Dr. Timothy Huyck, Don remembers him saying, “Some people just say, hey, I’m not going to do the treatments. I’m just going to live whatever life I have left,’” says Don. “But you know what? That’s not how Katie and I looked at it. We still wanted to golf three times a week, play pickleball, and go on weekend trips to Kansas City. We wanted to do that. We wanted to make more memories together. And we told Dr. Huyck, that’s what we want.”
Don continued, “And Dr. Huyck responded, ‘That’s what I want to hear.’ And he hugged us and just said, ‘We’re gonna take care of this; it’s not going to be easy, but I’ll do whatever I can to help you.’”
Don’s treatment plan involved surgery and chemotherapy. Throughout the months of these treatments, the NCS staff was with the Shiffermillers every step of the way. “Dr. Huyck was our rock,” say Don and Katie, “He never let us feel alone and explained every step of the treatment.”
Don spent a lot of time in the infusion suite receiving his treatments. “The chemo lab nurses and the volunteers were extremely compassionate, caring, and friendly,” says Don. “We got to know them personally, and they felt like family each time I had to go in,” remembers Don. The NCS community that Don and Katie were surrounded with helped them feel like they were facing cancer as a team, not just as a couple.
However, after several different types of chemotherapy and treatments, Don’s cancer was still not responding. Don and Katie were devastated but still determined.
“I said, ‘Dr. Huyck, I don’t want to hear this. What can we do? We needed a second opinion because we’re not giving up,’” says Katie. “And Dr. Huyck said, ‘Katie, I’ll give you anything you need to get a second opinion.’”
The Shiffermillers decided to make an appointment with the Mayo Clinic. NCS worked to get all the necessary paperwork mailed to Mayo to prepare for their appointment. The Mayo Clinic had a committee examine Don’s medical records.
Don and Katie received a call from Mayo about ten days after the records were sent. “Mayo said they had a whole review board look at Don’s files to see if it’s worth our time to come up there,” remembers Katie. “And they said, ‘Mrs. Shiffermiller, everything that has been done at Nebraska Cancer Specialists is everything we would be doing. Your next thing should be a clinical trial.’”
When the Shiffermillers returned to Nebraska Cancer Specialists, Dr. Huyck was already working on a clinical trial.
“Dr. Huyck said their research department found a trial,” remembers Don. “Working with the NCS research department has been such a blessing.”
In June 2023, Don enrolled in a clinical trial and began taking a targeted medication. The trial medication reduced the tumor by 40% and halted its growth. To this day, Don’s cancer remains stable.
“Our clinical trials program at NCS aims to help develop new and better cancer therapies for patients like Don. His participation has benefited him clinically, and he’s also contributing valuable data that will hopefully help future patients have better treatment options,” said Ashley Servais, Director of Clinical Research at NCS.
While the trial offered hope, Don and Katie lived in six-week intervals, anxiously awaiting each scan to monitor the cancer’s progression. “So it’s scary because you’re taking this medication, and then every six weeks you have the scans, and you just hope the scans show that there hasn’t been any further growth or it hasn’t metastasized. So we live from six weeks to six weeks, but we’re positive about it,” said Don.
“Don has been a pleasure to work with. He was the first patient to enroll in this specific clinical trial at our site. Clinical trials can seem intimidating for patients, but Don and Katie were always prepared with appropriate questions and a positive mindset. Don has done wonderful things so far, and I appreciate him letting me tag along on his journey. I am forever rooting for him,” says Crystal Granados, Clinical Research Coordinator.
“She is our teammate! Crystal was with us every step of the way. Everything went smoothly when she met us at our appointments,” shared Don and Katie.
The Shiffermillers remain positive and very active. They stay busy with rounds of golf and pickleball dates. The memories they looked forward to making after their retirement? They are busy making them.
Don and Katie found solace in Nebraska Cancer Specialists’ warm and supportive environment throughout their journey.
Don and Katie look back at that first appointment at NCS. “The first day we went in there, it was the most warm, gathering feeling – completely from the time you check in to the time you have your blood work done,” says Don and Katie. They continue to feel like family at NCS and know they are receiving the best possible care.
Don’s journey teaches the power of perseverance and the importance of cherishing each moment. With the help of NCS, Don and Katie navigate this arduous path, making memories to cherish and carry into the future. They are not alone – they are fighting cancer together with all of the NCS team rooting for them.
