GREENFIELD — The old adage “someone always has it harder than you” — meant to put life in perspective — is easy enough to say. It must be harder to embrace when faced with daily bouts of nausea, fatigue and an ongoing series of medical treatments and scans designed to determine your fate.
Yet some people facing personal adversity are able to channel that sentiment in the most extreme circumstances.
Karla Whisenand is one such person.
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As executive director of Love INC, she spends her days helping hundreds of Hancock County families obtain their basic needs like food, clothing and shelter, all while having faced relentless rounds of chemo, countless blood draws and a perpetual cycle of checkups, not knowing what the next scan will bring.
“When you can get your mind on other people’s problems and they have a need to fill, it helps you take the focus off of you,” said Whisenand, who lives in Greenfield.
At times tethered to a colostomy bag, at times with her head covered by a silk scarf or hat, she has continued to find strength serving others while battling the chronic disease.
Since first joining Love INC as a volunteer in 2015, Whisenand, 56, has found comfort in putting her own troubles aside to focus on meeting the needs of others, even while undergoing chemotherapy last year to fight Stage 3 ovarian cancer.
It was her third go-around with the dreaded “C” word. The first was back in 1989. Another was in 2011.
She’s been happily in the clear from her third bout of cancer since August.
Knowing that with each recurrence the chance of yet another recurrence statistically grows stronger, Whisenand has opted to “live life large” and not take a minute for granted.
A new life outlook
The eight years between her second and third cancer battles were about rebuilding her strength and learning to live life to the fullest, said Whisenand, who smiles when talking about personal goals she achieved — like finishing a half marathon, hiking 26 miles in the Colombian rain forest and climbing Machu Picchu in Peru.
Her days spent working at Love INC are perhaps less adventurous but just as rewarding, she said.
“Being here at Love INC is very positive and encouraging. It’s a very prayerful place to be,” said Whisenand, who upgraded her volunteer status to that of executive director when the previous director, Jim Peters, stepped down in 2017.
The following summer she helped the nonprofit — otherwise known as Love In the Name of Christ of Greater Hancock County — start a new chapter by moving into its new digs at at 630 N. State St.
The cheery, two-story historic home with bright green walls serves as a clearinghouse, where a staff of three join volunteers in pairing those in need with what they need, thanks to a network of local churches and service agencies.
The spiritual nature of Love INC, along with the chance to serve others, is what drew Whisenand to the organization. “Being of faith is what has helped me be positive and hopeful in dealing with cancer again,” said Whisenand, a member of Calvary Baptist Church in Greenfield.
Throughout her latest bout of illness, her church family and other friends have sustained her with meals, prayers and occasional house cleaning.
“They did whatever they could to help out so I’d have more energy to focus on what’s most important, which is getting better,” said Whisenand, who gained 15 pounds during chemo last year thanks to an influx of home-cooked meals.
A deep well of faith
Her friends and colleagues marvel at her positivity.
“It’s been amazing to watch her resolve to not let it get her down,” said Love INC board member Larry Hof. “It’s been incredible to see that through it all, she’s actually been apologizing to the board because she feels like she hasn’t been able to accomplish as much as we expect of her, which shows what an amazing servant’s heart she has.”
While Whisenand’s optimism is impressive, Hof said it’s not all that surprising coming from such a woman of faith.
“She has a great faith in the Lord and a good relationship with Him as well, so it’s no surprise to see God work the way He does,” said Hof, the pastor at Faith Baptist Church in Greenfield.
Whisenand was living in Louisville in 1989 when doctors discovered she had a rare form of uterine cancer resulting from an abnormal pregnancy.
At 26, Whisenand faced not only losing a pregnancy but not knowing if she would ever have children, let alone survive the cancer.
Thankfully, she was considered cured after six rounds of chemotherapy. Doctors were able to save her uterus and she went on to have two healthy baby boys — Christian, now 28; and Rex, 24 — with her first husband.
Life chugged along as Whisenand raised her sons, but then doctors in 2011 discovered a baseball-sized tumor in her left ovary. This time, it was stage 3 ovarian cancer.
Her diagnosis was complicated by the fact she was also suffering from ulcerative colitis, which shares many of the same symptoms as ovarian cancer, such as bloating and frequent trips to the bathroom. Whisenand underwent a 16-day hospital stay being treated for the colon condition before the cancer was discovered.
She felt blindsided.
“Sometimes they call ovarian cancer a whisper disease because signs can be faint,” she said. “I would encourage women to know a pap smear can’t reliably detect it. Because it’s hard to detect, most diagnoses are Stage 3 or later.”
Now with two teenage sons, Whisenand underwent surgery to remove the tumor and endured another six rounds of chemotherapy. However, the treatments made her too worn down to return to her job as an elementary school teacher.
Whisenand once again beat the disease, but her 26-year-long marriage began to unravel.
She eventually divorced in 2014, moving back to Indiana to be closer to family in her hometown of Zionsville.
A fateful reunion
The following year, a sad event brought an unexpected blessing when Whisenand was reunited with her high school sweetheart, Jon Whisenand, after her father passed away.
“Jon talked to me about buying my dad’s boat. I ended up showing him the boat, but he didn’t buy it,” she said with a smile.
Thrilled to find sparks were once again flying between them, Whisenand was open with him about her cancer journey from the beginning. “I said let me know if you’re not up for this, it’s not pretty,” said Whisenand, who admits that cancer and chemo can make a person moody, forgetful and cranky. “You’re throwing up, then you want chicken noodle soup, then it’s ‘No I don’t want chicken soup I want Sprite, go to the store,’” said Whisenand, chuckling at the memory of how demanding she could be when sick, then smiling at the thought of what a patient caregiver her future husband turned out to be.
The couple married in 2017, and Whisenand added a stepson, Connor, to the family.
Life was good. “I was just so happy living life and crazy in love,” recalled Whisenand.
Then, last March, cancer came calling once again.
A routine scan showed ovarian cancer cells in the lymph nodes of her pelvic region. “Even though the ovaries were gone, it’s still considered ovarian cancer when the cancer returns,” said Whisenand, who sounds all too familiar with the ins and outs of her illness.
“Ovarian cancer is considered a chronic type of cancer. Once you have it, there’s a 70% chance of recurrence,” she said. “My husband said, ‘I don’t see why you can’t be among the 30 percent who survive it,’ even though it had already come back two times.”
Rejoining a battle
After eight years in the clear, Whisenand found herself facing more chemotherapy. More nausea and fatigue. More of the fear and uncertainty, not knowing what news the next scan will bring.
“I had to start the battle again,” she said. “It’s tough to get back in the fight.”
Whisenand again underwent six rounds of chemo — once every three weeks — to beat back the disease.
“It would knock me out for several days,” said Whisenand, who worked from home when she could. Her co-workers and board of directors at Love INC were supportive, she said.
“I’d feel crummy three to five days after treatment, then get back at it again,” said Whisenand.
This time, she sought treatment at the Sue Ann Wortman Cancer Center in Greenfield.
Whisenand heaps praise on nurses and doctors at the center, which opened in 2014.
“They’re all really funny and really good at getting your mind off the chemo. They have art therapy and activities to do even when you’re not in treatment,” she said. The center also offers support groups, which Whisenand calls “essential.”
Her husband and sons were with her at every appointment. “I was surrounded with love and encouragement,” said Whisenand.
Although she felt hesitant, she shared details of her latest cancer battle with the network of churches and agencies she works with through Love INC.
The power of prayer
Whisenand believes the resulting wide-reaching circle of prayer played a huge role in her being declared cancer free once again in August. “I feel like I’m healed again. I’m considered what you call NED, No Evidence of Disease,” she said.
In November, Whisenand was scheduled to have surgery to remove a problematic lymph node in her pelvic region that had shown signs of ovarian cancer cells. When she went to have her pre-surgery scan done by an IU Health specialist, “the doctor came leaping into the room saying I didn’t have to have surgery, that the scan showed the area was shrinking. I was so relieved,” she said.
Now Whisenand faces the unending process of getting re-scanned every three months to see if the cancer returns.
She spends the time in between those appointments embracing life, embracing her faith, and holding out hope.
“I’ve been living my life large and just madly in love,” said Whisenand, whose signature long blond locks have been replaced with short, curly wisps of gray.
“I think she looks more beautiful than ever before,” said her co-worker, Sauni Box.
Whisenand smiles as she recalls her husband’s reaction to her going bald after her latest round of chemo. “He says I’m the most beautiful bald woman he’s ever seen.”
Whisenand has started exercising again, surrounds herself with positive people and music, and thinks about how good God has been to help her beat cancer three times.
Working to help others
“People would say, ‘How can you feel blessed in this situation?’ I don’t want to call it a blessing, because believe me I wish I never had it, but each time I go through this I see the goodness of other people,” she said. “People at church I didn’t even know by name will send me cards and ask how I’m doing, and that means so much.”
She hopes her experiences can in some way benefit others.
After her second cancer fight in 2011, while living in Louisville, Whisenand joined a Survivors Team Study and shared her journey with nursing and medical students at University of Louisville and University of Kentucky, to provide a patient’s perspective.
She also joined a Livestrong support group for cancer patients and got especially close with three other women. “One has died and the other two have been battling in treatment for eight years. I don’t know how long it’s going to go this time for me, but I’m going to keep fighting,” she said.
Family, friends and her work at Love INC continue to sustain her. “I get tired easily, but I wake up every day ready to go,” Whisenand said.
If the cancer does come back, she doubts she’ll undergo chemotherapy again. “There’s only so much of it your body can take,” said Whisenand, who struggles with neuropathy in her hands and feet. “They feel like they’re asleep all the time.”
Yet she’s thankful for every day, and tries to put the negative side effects into perspective.
In treatment alongside other cancer patients, it’s easy to see which patients have a positive attitude and which don’t, she said.
“People who have joy, you can tell immediately. When you face adversity in life and you have your faith in God, it’s harder to steal your joy,” Whisenand said. “Life goes on, so you have to go on. We all have different things we battle with on our journey. How we handle it is key.”
With tears welling up in her eyes, she recites her favorite bible verse, Isaiah 40:31: “But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”
“I don’t want to feel sorry for myself,” she said. “I just want to soar again.”
