Christ Centered and Cancer Free
Kim Moore Lives Her Warrior Life With Faith Over Fear
Deidra Bowling-Meade
The Ashland Beacon
“Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.” - Deuteronomy 31:6
Fear is a common emotion that can easily take over your body and influence your mindset. It’s difficult to overcome fear, especially when you are faced with life-changing events. Kim Moore was a single mother, working a full-time job in addition to supporting her son through college and being a caregiver for her mother when she received a breast cancer diagnosis in 2017. Moore could have easily given up and let fear overcome her life; however, she chose to face her diagnosis believing that her faith would calm her fears. Through God’s guidance and grace, Moore shared her cancer journey.
Moore recalled, “I was 58 when I was diagnosed in August of 2017. My mom had just passed away in January of 2017. My only child, Evan, was at Morehead State University. When I lost my mom, I thought of my own health. I didn't have a family doctor at the time, so I found a doctor who was taking new patients, Dr. Lauren Miller. We did the blood work and talked; she said everything came back in range, and I was doing great. As she was walking out of the door, she turned around and asked me when was the last time I had a mammogram. I told her it had been five years ago. I had been busy taking care of my mom and let it slip. She said, ‘I will make you an appointment to go by the end of the week.’”
Moore went and had the mammogram, which led to a biopsy. Moore learned she had Stage 1, Her2 Positive Right Breast Cancer. There was no previous history on both sides of Moore’s family for breast cancer. She also took a BRCA test for mutations, and there was nothing. Having breast cancer was shocking, but a hurdle Moore was willing to face.
Moore described her initial reaction, “When I first got the diagnosis, I thought this is Stage One, let's get this over with and move on. Dr. Konala sat me down and explained everything to me. The first thing he told me was do not Google, and don't compare myself to others. We all have different DNA and respond to treatment differently from others. I did listen to him, and he was right. Your doctor will give you the best treatment for you, which may not be for everyone.”
Moore found out that Her2 Positive is aggressive and has a higher risk of recurrence. Moore had a discussion with her doctor about treatment. Moore asked, “If there is a high risk of occurrence, why couldn’t I go ahead and have a mastectomy? The doctor told me it wouldn’t make a difference because if the cancer came back, it would be in the chest wall.” From that discussion, Moore decided to have a lumpectomy.
Prior to having surgery, Moore met with a hospitalnavigator. The navigator gave Moore reading material, answered questions, found contacts to help pay expenses and even provided services if she ever needed a ride to treatment. Moore was grateful for the experience. Moore said, “She even stayed after hours just to talk. We lost track of time. She was very understanding.”
Dr. Mary Lagenza from Cabell Hospital did Moore’s surgery. Moore explained, “The doctor removed five lymph nodes. The cancer had not spread, so I was able to do the lumpectomy one week after the breast surgery.”
Moore had two more surgeries including the removal of her uterus and ovaries. Moore explained, “There can be a link between ovarian cancer and breast cancer. I had some testing done, and they found some benign tumors. It was recommended to have a hysterectomy. I had an enlarged uterus, so we removed it first after the breast surgery, and after the radiation did the ovaries.”
Moore completed 12 weeks of chemotherapy every Friday at Precision Cancer Center with Dr. Konala, who is an oncologist. Moore still went to work every day except for Fridays to support her family. After three treatments, Moore started losing her hair in clumps. She ended up having to shave her head and wear a wig. Moore also had a bacterial infection in her pic line. Moore recalled, “Before I knew what it was, I had uncontrollable chilling and shaking. I piled on the clothes and blankets but could not get warm. My rescue dog, Sadie, could sense something was wrong. She laid on top of me for warmth and comfort. I settled down and fell asleep; she rescued me.”
Despite the cancer diagnosis, surgery and treatment, Moore saw a silver lining, “I never got sick during treatment; that was a blessing. It may sound odd to some, but I actually looked forward to Fridays. Everyone would talk about everything while we were there. We mostly talked about food, recipes and our hobbies. We became a little family just going through some medical issues. Out of that group, two have passed on. It was like losing a family member. I'll never forget them. I went through a lot of emotions during this time.”
Following chemotherapy, Moore went through several weeks of radiation. For the past five years, Moore has been taking Anastrozole- Arimidex. Since she has Her2 Positive, it reduces the amount of estrogen made in the body. The doctor monitors her lab work every three months. Moore has decided to keep taking the medication for five more years.
Moore’s cancer journey still isn’t over. Moore explained, “When you finish with treatment and radiation, you ring a bell. You think ‘It's Over!’ The hard part is,it's not over. It's a continuous work in progress.When you finish the treatments and radiation, you know what others have been through and will go through. Your eyes have been opened, and you are able to have sympathy, empathy for anyone going through the same. I went to a support group, and that was a huge help. I met some ladies who are the true picture of a warrior. I heard their stories and experiences, and we could support each other. We were all different yet the same.”
Moore’s strength and courage also earn her the title of warrior. Her son, Evan Yongue, shared, “The adjective warrior comes to mind when watching my mother battle breast cancer; I cannot put into words how she takes adversity head-on, but you would never know that she was diagnosed with breast cancer because she always, always fills the room with pure joy regardless of the situation.
Watching my mother battle breast cancer was extremely difficult for me – we have a bond that is special and the thought of her going through the process of battling is something I would never want to endure again. My mother is one of a kind and truly the most genuine and selfless individual I have met, and I am blessed to call her my mother. She does not wear her emotions on her sleeve in times of duress and turmoil; she keeps her head down and trusts that God will guide her, and she allows God to work through her for others. She does not panic, complain, or admit defeat; she is solution-driven and is the rock of our small family – even when she is the one going through a challenging time. She allows the trials to make her stronger, which helped me cope with the process.”
Moore expressed her gratitude for those in her life who have helped her through this time, “I did not get through this on my own. I had family,,namly my Aunt Faye Gamble. She sat with me during my first treatment. With her support, I felt my mom was sitting right there with me. I had friends too numerous to mention who supported me emotionally. I had my church family who supported me spiritually. It has been five years now, and God has been with me every day. In my story, I was never alone. None of this was accidental..My Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, placed each person in my path at the exact time they were needed. He was in control, and He is still in control.”
God continued to show His faithfulness and his perfect timing and plan when He blessed Moore by putting a special person back in her life. Moore shared, “I was divorced for over two decades and was very independent. I came to the realization in my 60s this was how it was going to be. One Sunday afternoon at Central Park, I saw someone in the corner of my eye. When I saw who it was, he looked very familiar to me. I yelled out,’ Donny Moore is that you?’ He came over to where I was sitting and we talked… We had gone from grade school to graduating high school together but had different friends. It had been over 40 years since we had seen each other. Fast forward a year and a half, and we got married.We have been married almost two years now.”
Don Moore, Kim’s husband, lovingly stated, “Kim has an infectious smile; it’s a million-dollar smile because it comes from a heart of gold! She’s awesome, always caring and worried about others. You would never know she’s been through anything herself. Her positivity toward life is one thing that I admire and probably what attracted me to her. No matter the situation, the first words out of her mouth are, ‘It’ll be okay!’ followed with, ‘God’s got this!’”
Yongue agreed, “She has shown me how grace is applied in everyday life as well as loyalty. She is the epitome of a warrior and takes adversity head-on without an ounce of negativity. Her trust in God is impeccable and she walks with him every day, not just on Sundays – every single morning she texts me words of encouragement and prays for me. The love that I have for her can never be replicated, and I am thankful for the amazing mother who raised me. She is my biggest fan, and I want her to know that I am her biggest fan.”
Moore’s life has changed on many levels, and she is living each day to the fullest. She and Don are taking adventures and experiencing new things she never would have had the opportunity to do. Currently, Moore spends some of her free time serving as a member of the University of Kentucky’s Committee 101 and also being an active member of a group of women called Faith and Fitness, which meets three times a week. One of the things Moore is most looking forward to is watching her son, Evan, and his fiancé, Cassie, get married in October 2024.
Above all, Moore continues to witness to others with her faith and praises God for his goodness. God was and is always with her. Moore proclaimed, “This story isn't just about breast cancer awareness,but also awareness to my Lord with all praise, honor and glory for His guidance, grace, mercy, healing and perfect timing. He is all of this and more. I don't know what the future holds, but I do know who holds me. It's faith over fear!”
