Beth Moksu

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Watch Beth's Video Testimonial

Dressed as Lizzi the Clown and twisting balloons to make others smile, you would never guess that Beth Moksu had been given a terminal diagnosis. Nor would you believe that she faced three different types of cancer in this same time period.

In retrospect, Beth believes that her problems began when she was only one week old and doctors gave her radiation to reduce the size of her thymus. The long lasting effects of radiation were unknown in 1946.

The first health problems she connects to this early radiation treatment did not appear until 1999, when she had a kidney stone the size of a golf ball. After she was treated for this unusually large stone, Beth had difficulty eating for nearly nine months. Baby food was the only thing she could keep down. She went from doctor to doctor to find out what was wrong.

Finally, in January 2000, a surgeon in Massachusetts found a connection between the large kidney stone and thyroid cancer. Her diagnosis was thyroid cancer with extensive lymph node involvement. At that time she was given less than five years to live. The doctors removed two parathyroid glands and gave her two high-dose radioactive iodine treatments.

The treatments seemed to work, but the side effects were devastating. The radiation dried up her saliva so that she wasn’t able to speak but four or five words before she needed a drink of water. Her job as a travel agent talking on the phone to clients was severely hindered with this condition.

In 2001, after her thyroid cancer treatments ended, she scheduled her yearly mammogram and received another shock. She had stage II breast cancer in her left breast and needed a lumpectomy, followed by six weeks of external beam radiation. She had the surgery, but was not happy with the outcome due to extreme immobility in her arm. Beth felt like things were moving too quickly, so she told her doctor that she wanted a second opinion on the rest of the treatment options for her breast cancer.

A friend gave her Dr. Susan Love’s book on breast cancer, where she learned about brachytherapy (a type of internal radiation delivered directly to the source of the tumor). When Beth told her radiologist that she wanted brachytherapy rather than external beam radiation, he told her that was "barbaric." So Beth fired him and called Dr. Douglas Kelly at Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA) at Southwestern Regional Medical Center. Within a few weeks, she was in Tulsa, Oklahoma undergoing five days of brachytherapy.

Beth was very pleased with the results of brachytherapy. In addition, the CTCA physicians were able to improve her lack of saliva problem after only a few treatments. She headed back home to Hollis, New Hampshire, and organized a thyroid cancer support group where she could offer encouragement and hope to other patients facing the same diagnosis. She also joined a clown organization with a friend and learned to make people smile.

Unfortunately, Beth wasn’t finished receiving a new cancer diagnosis. While on one of her follow-up visits to CTCA in 2003, she had her annual mammogram test. Bad news followed. The films revealed a small tumor on her other breast. Rather than delay, she immediately scheduled a lumpectomy with Dr. Greeff and brachytherapy with Dr. Kelly at CTCA.

One important difference in Beth's surgical experience at CTCA was she found out if she had clear margins while she was still on the operating table. After her first breast surgery, she had to wait five days to see if she had clear margins. She was able to take a cruise to Greece with no problems a few weeks after her treatments at CTCA.

In June 2004, Beth had a CT scan at a large hospital near her home. She was told she had lung cancer and needed to schedule surgery immediately. Beth had learned the value of getting a second opinion, so she sent her films to Dr. Brunk at CTCA to review. He disagreed with the diagnosis and said no treatment was needed.

Today, Beth’s thyroid cancer is undetectable, her breast cancer is in remission, she has no sign of lung cancer, and she feels better than ever! She gives credit to her CTCA integrated medical team of Dr. Brunk (medical oncologist), Dr. Kelly (radiation oncologist) and Dr. Greeff (surgical oncologist). Now Lizzi the Clown is busier than ever.

April 3, 2008

Since I was first interviewed about my cancer journey in August 2004, I have been able to travel to Egypt to see the Giza pyramids. For my 60th birthday, my husband and I visited Chile on a two-week cruise through the Chilean fjords. We enjoyed the scenery and saw lots of penguins.

When we returned, I played Mrs. Claus at a local book store and read stories about penguins. I even made penguin balloons for the children.

I enjoy working with balloons and was able to go to the Twist and Shout Convention 2008. I have also tried my hand at knitting.

I am feeling fine and am grateful to Cancer Treatment Centers of America for their wonderful care. Without this care, I would not be able to have all the wonderful experiences I have enjoyed, nor the energy.

Breast Cancer