NatNews

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, helping to bring the impact of breast cancer to the forefront of the national conversation and raise money to contribute to research for this disease that affects approximately 240,000 women and 2,100 men each year.

Dallas resident Alli Parkey was diagnosed with breast cancer in October 2011. At the time, she was 35 years old; had been married to her husband, Ben, for three years; and had a 1-year-old daughter, Stella. Parkey noticed a pea-sized lump on her left side that hadn’t been there before, so she called her OB/GYN and was able to get in for an appointment the following day.

“Once I was there, she said it was ‘suspicious,’ but most of the time, these turn out to be benign,” Parkey said. “But she sent me for my first mammogram—which would turn out to also be my last. They referred me to get a biopsy, and it came back malignant. I will never forget the surgeon calling me to say ‘you have cancer. It is very aggressive, and you need to cancel all of your plans and come into my office with your husband this afternoon to discuss next steps.’”

Not knowing much about cancer types or the treatments she would need, Parkey said she was scared as she began such an unfamiliar journey.

“I felt relieved when I learned it was Stage 1, but it was growing fast, and I had to make decisions quickly,” she said. “With a 1-year-old at home, I knew I wanted to be as aggressive as I could with treatment so that I could be around for her. I opted for a double-mastectomy with reconstruction and chemo, which required 16 treatments and me losing my appetite, my days, and my hair. But it was worth it—I am now almost 12 years cancer-free!”

Parkey said she had a strong support system with family and friends who helped with childcare, meals, cards, and so much more when she was going through treatment. Most of all, though, it was Ben and Stella who had the biggest impact throughout her journey.

“My husband was by my side every step of the way, which I was so grateful for,” she said. “I was also grateful that our daughter was young enough not to be scared by what I was going through. Although, she did learn some new words from the process—bald, hat, and wig!”

After her diagnosis, Parkey learned that she has a mutation in her BRCA2 gene—meaning that her body is not able to stop tumors from growing as easily as someone who doesn’t have the mutation. For individuals who are unsure if they have the gene, they can consult their doctors to conduct testing and screenings to determine whether or not they have it, which is something Parkey recommends.

“Get tested to see if you have any gene mutations, as there are many of them,” she said. “If you have one, there are preventative steps you can take. If you’re positive, you can also make sure family members get tested. I found out I inherited this gene from my dad—it can come from either side.”

Though her journey through diagnosis and treatment changed many of her plans, Parkey said she and Ben know how much of a blessing Stella is in their lives.

“Before cancer, my husband and I thought we would have two or even three children,” she said. “However, with my BRCA 2 diagnosis, we decided that Stella needed her mom around more than she needed a sibling, so I took the preventative steps of getting a hysterectomy (with ovaries, too), because BRCA2 means you are more likely to get cancer there. We are so grateful that we were able to have one healthy, beautiful daughter, though.”

For anyone who has recently been diagnosed with breast cancer, Parkey said it helps to talk to people who have been through it.

“You will see there is hope, and you can get through this journey, as difficult as it may be,” she said.

And as a survivor, she has a tremendous amount of hope, gratitude, and appreciation for everything she is able to experience now.

“I thought I was a grateful person before, but now I understand how precious life is,” she said, “and I feel that I am even more grateful for every day I get to live on this earth.”

Niagara Falls has the ability to produce more than 4 million kilowatts of electricity, which is shared by the United States and Canada.

With Halloween a little more than two weeks away, it’s spooky season—a time when haunted houses thrive. While some individuals in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex enjoy a scare or two, others would prefer to avoid creeping through dark rooms in anticipation of zombie-looking figures suddenly appearing at any given second.

Dallas resident Juliette Vielhauer said she tries to avoid going to haunted houses but easily succumbs to peer pressure, so she tends to find herself in such a situation once every few years. For her, there’s one aspect of a haunted house that frightens her more than anything else.

“I really don’t like masks and not being able to see people’s faces,” she said. “The blood and gore of haunted houses are fine with me, but if someone comes at me with a mask, any mask—it doesn’t even need to be scary—I’m toast.”

Vielhauer also gets a bit freaked out when a haunted house is filled with actual people and not machines or merely visual special effects.

“It’s scariest when haunted houses have live actors,” she said. “I do think it is really cool, and the production of it all is very impressive to me, but the unpredictability of having live actors makes it so much scarier!”

Dallas resident Elizabeth Cruz said she rarely goes to haunted houses for a variety of reasons, not only because she is terrified of the chainsaw sounds that are typically present.

“There are too many people, and the lines are long,” she said. “And people (guests) can be very dramatic.”

For Dallas-area resident Arinda Cale, haunted houses are fun and exciting, and she tries to go at least once each Halloween season.

“I love the adrenaline rush and not knowing where people are hidden,” she said.

Dallas-area resident Josh Odegard, on the other hand, said he does not particularly enjoy haunted houses too much himself, but he likes going with friends who do.

“I have a group of friends who like to go to a haunted house once a year, so I usually join them,” he said. “I don’t think I’ve ever actually been scared in a haunted house, but I usually end up sneaking ahead so I can scare my own friends a few times.”

The lack of ability of haunted houses being able to frighten Odegard stems from the fact that, to him, almost all haunted houses seem pretty much the same.

“You have a dude with a chainsaw (with the chain removed) who attempts to scare you with loud noise and proximity, and the rest is basically just people jumping out to surprise-scare you,” he said. “Oh, and clowns. Some people really just hate clowns.”

There is one place, though, in which Odegard said he will never set foot.

“The only haunted house I know of that is any different is McKamey Manor, but that’s really just for masochists,” he said. “You couldn’t pay me enough to go there.”

A few popular local haunted houses include Cutting Edge in Fort Worth, Dark Hour in Plano, and Screams in Waxahachie. Moms in Plano have also compiled a more extensive list that can help you in your quest for terror.

WEEKLY PHOTO OP

Welcome to the world, Dillon Finke, NatNews’ newest future dear reader

Monday, October 16: National Boss’ Day
Tuesday, October 17: Free Rooftop Movie — Scream at Sundown at Granada
Wednesday, October 18: National Chocolate Cupcake Day
Thursday, October 19: October Speed Dating Event at White Rock Brewing Co.
Friday, October 20: Drew Holcomb and the Neighbors at Tannahill’s Tavern and Music Hall
Saturday, October 21: WRRC Saturday run from Taco Joint; Addison After Dark — Harvest Hayday at Addison Circle Park; PUPkin Patch Trick-O-Treat at Dot’s Hop House