About four years ago, Michelle Reitan was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia.
She underwent a bone marrow transplant in Minneapolis and has since been undergoing treatment at the Sanford Roger Maris Cancer Center in her hometown of Fargo.
Reitan has spoken about her story before, and now, as Roger Maris All-Star Week rolls around in 2024, she’s cancer-free.
“My experience at Roger Maris was special and different,” Reitan said. “I think they have the ability to treat patients as people and not just numbers, and that means a lot to me.”
Continuing medical care
Reitan spent most of his life serving his country.
She served in the National Guard for nearly 25 years, including a tour of duty in Oman after 9/11, and later worked at the Fargo VA serving fellow veterans.
“They’re a heterogeneous age group that oftentimes is slow to ask for help, and when they need health care, they often have to be nudged by their fellow veterans,” Reitan said.
Reitan no longer needs to be prompted by anyone to treat him.
She is approaching the five-year mark since her transplant, a milestone at which the chances of the cancer returning are significantly lower, so she continues to see Dr. Seth Mariske every month.
“Her transplant journey has been marked by two main things: first, she is in complete remission, meaning her cancer has shown no signs of recurrence,” said Dr. Mariske, a hematologist and bone marrow transplant specialist.
“But she is one of those people who, despite having a fantastic outcome given her condition, unfortunately suffers from the long-term effects of chronic graft-versus-host disease.”
Graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) is a common problem in bone marrow transplant patients, in which the newly transplanted cells attack healthy cells as well as cancer cells.
“The symptoms were dry eyes, dry mouth, but I also had a lot of body aches. So we tried a few different medications and now I’m on a special one specifically for graft-versus-host disease, and it’s working, so I’m feeling a lot better,” Reitan said.
Mental health is health care
Physically, Reitan can now enjoy things he wasn’t able to do for a long time, such as his hobby of gardening.
While her leukemia and subsequent treatments were physically demanding, the cancer survivorship journey can be emotionally exhausting as well, which is why Leitan sees Dr. Cherry Hisjulien, a psycho-oncologist at Roger Maris Cancer Center.
“She worked really hard with me to build those skills and I was able to support her,” says Dr. Hisjulien. “Getting a diagnosis is very stressful. It’s disruptive to your life, and some diagnoses are even more disruptive than others. Stress, fear, anxiety and depression are common, but if you can address those to optimize your recovery, it will help.”
“Whenever I feel anxiety building up and my methods aren’t working, I make an appointment,” Reitan says. “We can meet via telehealth or we can go in person, and that helps me refocus and get back on track.”
The Roger Maris Cancer Center has been supporting Michelle Laytan’s treatment in her hometown of Fargo for about four years and plans to continue doing so in the future.
Find out more information about Roger Maris All-Star Week 2024.
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Featured in Cancer, Cancer Treatment, Fargo, Veterans