Karon Sackney avoids paralysis thanks to new equipment
On November 7, Karon Sackney (L) and Paul Albrechtsen (R) met for the first time. Sackney was one of the first patients treated with the Varian Edge equipment funded by Paul Albrechtsen.
A decade ago, Karon Sackney’s feet felt wet, even though they weren’t. Not too long after that, she started to lose the feeling in her legs. It was the start of a medical journey that saw her become one of the first patients treated with the Varian Edge, funded by Paul Albrechtsen (see story above).
Sackney came to Emergency at Health Sciences Centre Winnipeg and was told that a tumour was pressing against her spinal column. Within days, she had surgery. Part of the tumour was left behind because it was too close to the spinal cord. Fortunately, it was benign.
“My life near Teulon returned to normal,” says Sackney. “I tended to our horses, I rode my motorcycle, life was good.”
But within two years, she was symptomatic again. The tumour had grown. She was treated with radiation and was fine again – for a few years.
“The tumour grew back yet again, but it had become more complicated,” says Sackney. “It had twisted around my spinal column like a corkscrew.”
Surgeons removed as much of the tumour as they could, and inserted a pocket for the tumour to grow into if it were to return. They also inserted eight rods to stabilize her spine.
Karon Sackney came to Emergency at Health Sciences Centre Winnipeg and was told that a tumour was pressing against her spinal column. Within days, she had surgery.
“They told me that they would not be able to do more surgeries if the tumour grew again,” Sackney says. “I had to start living with the reality that I might one day be paralyzed from the waist down. This was three years ago.”
Not unexpected, the tumour started to grow again. With the Varian Edge on the way and the tumour’s growth slower than it had been before, Sackney was encouraged to wait before undergoing conventional radiation treatment.
“So, fast forward to November 2016. The Edge is installed, and I am one of the first patients. Five treatments in one week. No discomfort. No side effects,” she says. “And even though the tumour was in a delicate spot, the doctors are confident that it is under control.”
Karon Sackney feels strong, still tends to her horses, and walks three miles a day. “I am one of the most grateful people you will ever meet,” says Sackney. “I am so thankful for my doctors, the hospital, the Foundation, and Mr. Albrechtsen who funded the equipment.”
