For many, going to the doctor’s office or the hospital can be frightening.
That’s why it’s important to have staff members who really care about their patients. To many, that’s what oncology nurse Etoile Hening is.
Hening has overseen many patients receiving chemotherapy through her work at Mercy Hospital, but also served as a school nurse at Animas High School during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Now, she’s facing her own battle against Vestibular Schwannoma, a benign, usually slow-growing tumor that develops from the balance and hearing nerves supplying the inner ear.
The tumor is pressing on her brain stem and other cranial nerves, where it is leaking proteins causing an inflammatory process in the entire body. She is experiencing hearing loss in her left ear, intense fatigue and weakness in her entire body, the family said on its GoFundMe Page.
In an interview Monday, Hening said hearing loss is common with these types of tumors, and she was hopeful she’d retain hearing after her surgery on Dec. 12.
“It's not guaranteed. There's a chance I may lose it in the surgery. But one of the reasons I chose this team is they do have a high success rate with hearing preservation,” she said about the doctors who will be operating on her at University of California San Diego.
She said she’s fortunate to still able to hear out of her left ear because there are many people who suffer complete hearing loss with Vestibular Schwannoma.
For the oncology nurse, it’s been humbling to see the community support she has received.
“It's hard to even put into words, I've just been amazed at the outpouring of support from so many people and honestly, it makes me feel more brave going into it,” Hening said.
She said her background as an oncology nurse gives her a unique perspective on her situation, adding it’s made her realize it could be worse.
“I do expect a full recovery, which not everybody has that expectation. I feel just working in pediatric oncology, specifically, the last six years has just been amazing with my patients and their families,” Hening said.
Hening has played an important role in many people’s lives, especially that of competitive freestyle skier Amara Kirk, who was diagnosed with leukemia at just 12 years old.
Now at 16, she is cancer free and received an invitation to compete at the U.S. Ski Freestyle Mogul selections Dec. 13.
Her mother, Fort Lewis College Biology Professor Julie Korb, credits much of her recovery to the work done by Hening and pediatric oncologist Dr. Jesse Hutt.
Korb said Hening always made sure that Kirk was comfortable, something that can be extremely difficult when administering chemotherapy to children.
“The last place you want to be, is having to go to an oncology office, especially for these kids, because they don't have a pediatric oncology office in Durango,” Korb said.
Those who have pediatric cancer must receive treatment in the same room as adults and elderly patients, which can be intimidating for young children.
Both Korb and Catherine Gustavson, whose son, Stanton, received treatment for leukemia, said Hening’s experience and understanding of oncology made everyone more comfortable, especially when it came to finding the port in the patients chest.
When patients are receiving chemotherapy, medicine is administered through the chest in order to inject it into the bloodstream.
“It has to be accessed by a needle every time they get chemo. And so when they go in, usually, they put a numbing cream on so they don't have to feel the actual needle go in. But the anxiety and the stress starts before you even leave the house,” Catherine Gustavson said.
She said Hening did it the right way every time with compassion for her son.
“When you have a nurse that may or may not be able to access that port with precision every time. There is a lot more anxiety that builds and Etoile was excellent at it. She always got it. Not all nurses are able to do that,” Catherine Gustavson said.
For Stanton Gustavson, the experience of receiving treatment for leukemia was a rough experience to say the least.
“It just kind of made you feel sick 24/7. I never felt like I had the energy to even get out of bed. I had to stay indoors all the time. I couldn't go out in public and do stuff because I was immunocompromised,” he said. “She was probably the best caregiver that took care of me.”
Because Durango is small, Korb said it doesn’t have an oncology office specifically for pediatric care.
But Hening, who’s spent the last six years working in pediatric care, was determined to make the experience as stress-free as possible for the children.
“She had a specific room that was set up, and I’m pretty sure she made it personally. It was filled with like toys and things that kids like. She brought in snacks and all the creature comforts to make it as comforting and desirable as it could be,” Catherine Gustavson said.
Korb said Hening is “such a bright light during such a dark period for families” whose child was diagnosed with cancer.
“Etoile epitomizes the definition of a contributing community member, which makes Durango such a wonderful place to live,” she said. “Durango is fortunate to have her as part of our community, and now we can support her during her own medical journey so she can focus on getting her health back.”
Hening’s family has started a GoFundMe campaign for her procedure. Proceeds will go toward current and future medical bills, loss of income and accommodations during surgery and recovery, as well as added travel costs to and from California for Hening’s family.
To donate, visit that gofundme.com page, titled “Help Fund my Mom's Brain Surgery.”
tbrown@durangoherald.com
