Sandy Roberts Interviews our Guest Marianne D.
I felt as if spring came in person this year when I met Marianne! I had such a delightful conversation with her where I found out what an amazing, cheerful, and outgoing lady she is!
Marianne and I met at Kin when we were both attending a cooking and nutrition class, and again at a chair yoga class. We had some time to chat and found ourselves talking about local get-aways. I introduced her to the Black Bass Hotel and restaurant and their amazing Sweet Lorraine Suite with a fabulous bathtub and view of the Delaware River! With that she made reservations for dinner and an overnight stay with her husband, John. This is an adventurous woman who loves trying new things!
I asked Marianne to tell me a about herself: With her bright smile she responded by telling me she grew up in Tacony, in Philadelphia, then earned her undergraduate degree at LaSalle College followed by earning her MBA in economics from the University of Pennsylvania. Following her time in school she got a job at the Department of Defense as a supply chain manager where she met her wonderful husband, John. After being with the Department of Defense for 42 years, Marianne decided it was time to retire. In 2002 she and John moved to Southampton.
She and John love traveling together! In fact, they have been to 47 states, 22 of the Caribbean Islands, and 16 countries! WOW! Can you imagine what they have seen and experienced? Cruising on the high seas is a pleasurable activity she and John share. Marianne enjoys going antiquing and mentioned how it would be hard to downsize her home because of all the wonderful antiques she has collected. After her first experience with cancer, Marianne said she had a “Bucket List” of stuff to do in her lifetime. I have come to realize that Marianne is an effervescent lady who loves life and wants to experience all that that life has to offer.
Marianne’s Cancer Journey: Like so many, when Marianne received her first diagnosis, 20 years ago, not having any cancer in her family and having her regular mammograms, she was rather shocked. When one gets the stunning news, you find your life on auto pilot and just go from doctor to doctor and test to test, being led by professionals, and trying to understand all you have heard. This was the case for Marianne. She was diagnosed with intraductal carcinoma. After more tests her path led her to have a lumpectomy, chemotherapy, and radiation. All during her treatments Marianne did not take time off from work. She even had her surgery during the Christmas week so she didn’t have to miss work. After becoming a breast cancer survivor Marianne felt that in a way, her breast cancer was a blessing because it helped her realize that every day of life is so precious. Marianne had a sense that all would be OK and that carried her through all her treatments, along with the never-ending support of her husband and friends along the way. She had such great quality of life for 20 years…
Then in August in 2021, Marianne received her second cancer diagnosis of metastatic breast cancer, stage 3, with spots in her lung and affected nodes in her chest. She found herself on auto pilot again, with her specialists at Fox Chase, on a 6-month journey with mammograms, pet scans and radiation specialists. Again, her family and friends were amazing! Marianne had to make a decision between major surgery or immunotherapy. She decided that immunotherapy infusion would be best for her. Each week for over a month, her husband would drive her for her 8-hour treatment. John would stay by her side the entire day then drive her home to further care for her. Now Marianne is an active member of Kin!
Her relationship with Kin: One of her amazing doctors, Dr. Shelly Hayes at Buckingham Fox Chase told her about Kin. Marianne went to see the space before it was even finished and described it as a blank canvas! After “stalking” Keith Fenimore on LinkedIn and social media Marianne knew this is a place where she needed to be! She was so excited to see Kin morph into the amazing place it is today.
Marianne feels that the various programs at Kin will help build up her pulmonary function and stamina in case she needs the surgery at some time in the future. She wants to try EVERYTHING Kin has to offer- and Marianne is well on her way to accomplishing this goal. She says she sees Kin helping to improve her health and quality of living. “All the practitioners truly share their hearts down to their hands with volunteering their vocation and services. It is such an inviting and welcoming environment.” She adds it is such a serene place, like it was made for her! I loved that she says, “Kin may not add years to my life, but they sure are adding life to my years!”
Above all, when I talked with Marianne, I truly felt blessed and filled with joy as even her eyes were smiling. She is so friendly and has such a positive outlook on all she does and all she speaks about; she would make anyone feel good. It is just fun being around her; her bliss and delight radiate all around her. Our chat felt like spring had sprung! So, indeed, perhaps Kin was made for Marianne!