A Survivor's Story of Strength, Rural Resilience, and Community

A year and a half ago, everything changed. I landed in the emergency room at Livingston HealthCare, hemorrhaging badly. I didn’t realize it then, but it was ovarian cancer. My blood count was terrifyingly low—2.9, when it should have been between 13 and 15. I needed seven blood transfusions and five iron infusions to stabilize.

I spent one night in the ICU and five days in the hospital. The care I received was excellent; the nurses listened, and the doctors acted quickly. Then came the diagnosis: stage 4 cancer. That moment hits you like a wall. Nobody wants to hear it. But I decided—right then—I was going to be positive. I wasn’t going to look back. I was going to fight.

Dr. Stone, outreach Billings Clinic Oncology, helped get things moving quickly—my first PET scan, the initial treatment plan. Then Dr. Fleming came on board and has been incredible. The whole Livingston HealthCare infusion team is dialed in. And the nurses here? They’re my people. Sunny—“Funny Sunny”—Mel, Val, Mary. We’re on a first-name basis. They make me feel like I’m not just a patient, but part of a family.

I refused to go to Billings for treatment. Why would I travel two hours—cross a mountain pass in the winter—when I can get world-class care 10 minutes from home? That’s not being hard-headed, that’s being smart. That’s understanding what it means to live in rural Montana.

I've changed how I live. No pop in over a year and a half. I watch my sugar. I walk with my Bernese Mountain Dog—my "service dog." I ride my stationary bike regularly. I’ve learned so much through this process—I joke that I could almost be a doctor now.

Dr. Pihl keeps tabs on my thyroid and blood pressure—she's helped me feel better than I have in years, even while on chemo. Before, I couldn’t walk to the car without losing my breath. Now, I walk daily. I feel stronger.

It wasn’t always like this. I used to be afraid—terrified to go to the doctor. I avoided care out of fear of what I might find. But when I started bleeding so badly, I had no choice. My family said, “You’re going.” And thank God they did. Now, I’m not afraid anymore.

Cancer is scary, but it doesn’t define me. I took control. I stayed positive. And that mindset—along with an incredible care team and a lot of love—got me through.

Stacy Sunvision, Livingston HealthCare Grateful Patient