Cassandra Holdeman was four years into remission for a breast cancer diagnosis when she moved to Salem in 2020 to be closer to family.

At this time, she was experiencing shortness of breath, and thought it was COVID-19. After working with an oncologist in Salem in 2021, Holdeman learned the cancer was now metastatic and in her lungs.

Living with cancer

“I dealt with that for the first year, kind of having the existential slap of mortality,” she said. “But as my health improved, I began to relax and start living with cancer.”

Holdeman now comes to Salem Hospital for CT scans every six months, and she also receives shots to manage estrogen.

The 72-year-old said the support of her medical team is helping her to move forward.

“Everybody I’ve come into contact with is supportive and loving,” she said.

Eventually Holdeman’s cancer will progress, and she’ll move to a new level of treatment. Until then, she’s looking at other ways Salem Health can keep her feeling strong.

Ongoing care at Salem Health

That includes taking rehabilitation classes through the Cancer Center to start building muscle tone.

“Now I’m going into the next phase of taking care of myself,” she said.

Holdeman said she’s looking at what brings her joy again, instead of just focusing on survival.

“I began to think about what kind of attitude I want to have as I approach the end of my life,” she said. “Consider what’s important in life.”

Before her diagnosis, Holdeman taught writing, first for middle school students, then later at the community college, all while raising her family.

“I hadn’t really had time to think about, ‘What do I want?’ It isn’t true that cancer is a gift, but it has opportunities,” she said.

Staying in the moment

The former educator said her diagnosis gave her the ability to live in the moment. 

“Now that the kids are grown, my husband is good — how do I want my life to be? It was a new kind of dawning,” she said.

Holdeman currently enjoys watercolors, writing poetry, long walks with her son and spending time with her energetic grandson.

"That fills me up, to hear somebody else remind me of what it’s like to have that in your heart and your mind,” she said. “New stuff.”

Support on your journey

Let Salem Health support you on your cancer journey. From nurse navigators to rehabilitation classes — click here to learn more about the services we provide.