Spirit of the High Plains - Fall 2020

Spirit of the High Plains - Fall 2020

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Husker spirit runs deep 3 Husker characters 4

11

Husker fanatic

Breast cancer awareness 16 History off the beaten path 21 Hauntings 25 Tastes of

the season 26

Milkweed: Good for butterflies and business 28 Mid-Plains Community College

Photo credit: Omaha World-Herald 31

Spirit Fall 2020 Edition 3

HUSKER SPIRIT RUNS DEEP

every opportunity we get to watch the Huskers play,” he said. As for the lack of fans and the cardboard cutouts that will be all over Memorial Stadium, Dodson said everything is going to be fine. He’s just happy he can watch some Husker football on Saturdays again. “What I’ve watched up to this point in college football, for us, the joy of the game of football,” Dodson said, “you’re going to be attuned to what’s going on and you’re going to watch some good football.” Every now and then, Dodson will try to find an opportunity to take a trip to Lincoln to go to a game. He said when that happens, it’s always fun to see the Huskers play. Saturdays for Dodson are for Nebraska, even when he was growing up. He said he has fond memories of listening to the Huskers play on the radio. When they were on TV, it was a special day for his family. “Right now, what an opportunity we can watch every game on TV on a Saturday,” Dodson said. “That time, whenever the Huskers play, you might as well just black out the calendar because we won’t be getting a whole lot done at home but watching Husker football.”

He may only go to a handful of games, but Goddard said he loves to tailgate for a Nebraska game. His brother does big tailgates, so he’ll join him when he makes the trip from Maxwell to Lincoln. Goddard tries to make it to a game or two every year, but due to COVID-19, that won’t happen. Even if the Huskers were allowing fans to attend their games, Goddard said, he would have watched from his couch. St. Pat’s football coach Kevin Dodson offered his take on the return of Nebraska football after his team’s 55-14 win over Gordon-Rushville Oct. 9. While the Goddards believe the season will be different with no fans allowed at games, Dodson and others are just happy Husker football is back. “I do like watching the Huskers play,” Dodson said. “I’m a fan; I went to UNL. We’re excited to see what they can put out on the field this year.” When it was announced the Big Ten would have a season this year, Dodson said, he approached the news the same way he approached this season with the Irish football team.

BY JAKE DREILINGER [email protected]

When Nebraska football fans tune into the Huskers’ game against Ohio State on Oct. 24, the first thing they might notice is the lack of people watching live. If they didn’t feel the full impact of the Big Ten’s no-fan policy in week one, they’ll definitely notice it the following week when the Huskers host Wisconsin. Fans won’t be there to cheer on their team in person, but if they decide to purchase a “seat,” a cardboard cutout will be in their place instead. For lifelong Husker fan Don Goddard and his wife, Suzy, there’s only one word to describe the situation this year: Weird. It will be weird, he said, not seeing that usual crowd cheering on his team. That won’t stop him from watching the games from the comfort of his couch with a cold beer in his hand. It’s a tradition he and many Husker fans will indulge this year to keep the football spirit alive. Goddard has been a Nebraska fan for as long as he can remember. “(I’ve been a Nebraska fan) all my life,” said Goddard, a Maxwell native. “Born and raised in Nebraska. I eat and breathe it.” Up until about four years ago, his brother, who lives in Omaha, had never missed a home game dating back to the 1970 season. “He had grandkids get into sports,” Suzy Goddard joked. When Nebraska was in the Big Eight, Goddard said, he used to like to go to the Oklahoma game. Suzy was an Oklahoma fan before they got married, and Goddard took her to an Oklahoma- Nebraska game. “I took her to a game and it was 2 below and the wind-chill index was 10 below,” Goddard said. “And then Nebraska smoked Oklahoma, so now she’s a Nebraska fan.”

“We’re going to embrace that and enjoy

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FROM OSBORNE TO THE HOT DOG GUY, THESE HUSKER CHARACTERS CAPTURED THE HEARTS OF NEBRASKA FANS

Whether it’s making an unforgettable play that leads to free drinks for life in Lincoln or exhibiting characteristics that appeal to Nebraskans, Husker football has no shortage of adored characters. Some are obvious. Some are not. They all share something in common: At some point, they have stolen the hearts of Husker fans.

By CLARK GRELL Lincoln Journal Star

So here they are, the most beloved Huskers (not necessarily the greatest or most talented):

Illustrations by Clark Grell / Lincoln Journal Star

Husker characters We Love

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I.M. Hipp Nebraska fans have a deep affection for walk-ons, and Hipp is at the top. Considered Nebraska’s most famous walk-on, the Chapin, South Carolina, native left the program as NU’s all-time leading rusher (2,940 yards). Tom Osborne Who in the Nebraska household is more beloved than Dr. Tom? Osborne led the program for 25 years, a stretch that included one of the most dominating runs in college football history. The Huskers won national titles in 1994, 1995 and 1997 (sending Osborne out a winner). Nebraska fans gravitated to the soft- spoken Osborne at every turn during and after his role as coach. Bob Devaney He made his way from Wyoming, and what followed was the start of something special. The rise of Husker football started with Devaney, who led the Huskers to national championships in 1970 and ’71. He was smart, savvy and a fighter — traits adored by Big Red players and fans.

Johnny Rodgers A beloved Husker and quite possibly the most electric player in school history, “The Jet” broke a bunch of records and won the 1972 Heisman Trophy. And when you are part of one of the most memorable plays in Husker lore — his punt return at Oklahoma in the 1971 Game of the Century — you belong on this list. Brook Berringer Nebraska fans loved Berringer’s work ethic and his maturity. Now in an age where college quarterbacks transfer to another school in a flash, you appreciate more Berringer’s willingness to stick it out at Nebraska. His life ended way too soon, but his legacy remains strong. Alex Henery Husker fans don’t like losing to Colorado. So when Alex Henery booted the longest field goal in school history, a 57-yarder in 2008, Memorial Stadium erupted, Henery never had to buy a meal in Lincoln again (OK, maybe not completely true), and he found a spot in the hearts of Husker Nation. From left to right: Johnny Rodgers, Brook Berringer and Alex Henery

From left to right: I.M. Hipp, Tom Osborne and Bob Devaney

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Kenny Walker Walker was one of the best stories in college football for many years. He became deaf at the age of 2, but that didn’t stop the defensive tackle from becoming an All-American at Nebraska. When Walker stepped onto the field on Senior Day in 1990, the fans paid tribute with a pregame “deaf clap,” raising their arms in the air and turning their hands back and forth — the sign- language signal for applause. Ndamukong Suh Suh has a controversial reputation in the NFL, but that hasn’t changed his place on this list. To this day, Nebraskans in rural cafes sip their coffee and talk about the 2009 Big 12 Championship Game. You know, when Texas quarterback Colt McCoy was

From left to right: Brandon Rigoni, Grant Wistrom, Barron Miles Brandon Rigoni The Lincoln Southeast graduate wasn’t a blue-chip recruit or a rising star. He was a 5-foot-6 walk-on who became a fan favorite because of his effort and tenacity on special teams. In 2006, he was named Nebraska Lifter of the Year. Grant Wistrom The Webb City, Missouri, native had such a high motor. He brought it on every play, and Husker fans appreciated that. Wistrom won the Lombardi Award in 1997 and was part of three national championship teams. He’s one of the greatest Blackshirts to ever tie on the cleats. Barron Miles The 5-8 cornerback wasn’t the biggest player on the field, but he played large every time. He was a lunch-pail guy, and in addition to being a physical corner, he was NU’s top special teams player, served as a backup punter for road games, and even practiced at quarterback with Tommie Frazier and Brook Berringer slowed by injuries.

running for his life. Tommie Frazier

How pretty a sight it was to watch Touchdown Tommie run the option attack. No Husker did it better, and when you quarterback two national championship teams, you’re as beloved as they come.

From left to right: Kenny Walker, Ndamukong Suh and Tommie Frazier

Husker characters We Love

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Tom Rathman He just looked like a bulldozer out there with the neck roll and large shoulder pads. Oh, and he could carry the offensive load, too. The Grand Island native rushed for a fullback school-record 881 yards in 1985, which ranked fifth in the Big Eight that season. Jeff Kinney How hard did the McCook native play the game? Just look at his tattered tear-away jerseys. The state of Nebraska fist-pumped at once in 1971 when Kinney dove into the end zone for the go- ahead touchdown against the Sooners in the Game of the Century. Turner Gill He was 28-2 as a starter, including 22-0 in Big Eight games. Uh, yeah, that will get you some love from the Big Red faithful. Gill was a great passing quarterback before passing at Nebraska became cool. The engineer of the Scoring Explosion offense, he threw only 11 interceptions in 428 attempts as a senior.

From left to right: Carlos Polk, Dave Rimington, Cory Schlesinger Carlos Polk He probably doesn’t quite get the credit he deserves. A former All-American, Polk was a tackle machine in 1999 and 2000 and a vocal leader. Husker fans loved guys who could hit, and Polk was a heavy hitter. Dave Rimington Nebraska fans love tough guys, and how tough was the greatest center in program history? He played his entire Husker career with a torn knee ligament. He won the Outland Trophy twice (1981 and ’82) and the Lombardi once (1982). Now the guy has a big-time college football award named after him. Cory Schlesinger Nebraska fans looooooove their fullbacks, and the pride of Duncan is at or near the top for most of them. It was his two fourth-quarter touchdowns that helped lift Nebraska to the 1994 national championship, shaking the monkey off the back of Tom Osborne.

From left to right: Tom Rathman, Jeff Kinney and Turner Gill.

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Charlie McBride Nebraska’s defenses were staunch, physical and nasty. At Tom Osborne’s side was McBride, the man at the controls for some of the greatest Blackshirt units in program history. To this day, Husker defenses try to play to the standard set by McBride. Brendan Holbein A 5-9 split end from Cozad, Holbein captured the hearts of fans with his tenacious blocking on the perimeter. He was a pretty good receiver, too, catching 47 career passes for 592 yards. Milt Tenopir The architect of the “Pipeline,” Tenopir coached the best offensive lines in school history. His O-lines were a reflection of the state’s toughness and hard-working mentality. Fans loved Milt. Players loved him even more. “There wasn’t anybody who didn’t like Milt,” Charlie McBride told the Journal Star after Tenopir died in 2017.

From left to right: Charlie McBride, Brendan Holbein and Milt Tenopir

Husker characters We Love

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Greg Sharpe A welcomed voice in a tractor cab during fall harvest or in a car on I-80, Sharpe has been calling Husker games on the radio for more than a decade. He’ll be entering his 13th season and will be serving a more prominent role for fans who won’t be able to attend the games in person. Clarence Thomas One of the more famous Husker fans sits on the U.S. Supreme Court. Justice Thomas has been known to attend games and address Husker teams and coaches. P. Stephen Potter Before the “Viener Schlinger,” there was Potter, the original Memorial Stadium hot dog slinger. Satisfying the hunger of fans every Saturday for 36 years, Potter could throw a foil-wrapped hot dog behind his back with either hand. The Gothenburg native and prominent lawyer died in 2019. Jeff Schmahl The father of HuskerVision, Schmahl brought fans closer to behind the scenes with his brainchild — the Tunnel Walk. At the time, Schmahl’s idea was considered groundbreaking for college or professional football games. Schmahl passed away in 2015, but the Tunnel Walk remains the most anticipated staple of game day in Lincoln. Herbie Husker You’ve got to put the mascot on this list, right? Herbie became NU’s official mascot in the mid-1970s. He has been through multiple revisions, though nothing beats the overall-wearing, corn-husk-bearing Herbie. Kent Titze Speaking of old-school Herbie Husker, Titze is a real-life walking Herbie. When people would tell Titze he looked like the old Herbie, he started dressing like the mascot. Easy to spot at games, Titze gives Husker fans a shot of nostalgia.

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Photo credit: Omaha World-Herald

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WHY YOU — THE HUSKER FANATIC — LOVE THE BIG RED

Lincoln and the rest of the state as nearly anything else. Parents name their children after players. High school teams copy what the Huskers do on offense and defense. Vacations and weddings are planned around each fall's schedule. Any number of lower-level professional sports teams have come and gone in this state. But the Huskers have endured. And they likely always will. The sellout streak In all kinds of weather, Nebraska fans have shown up. Whether the opponent was Pacific or Oklahoma, Louisiana-Lafayette or Colorado, the Huskers have played in front of a full house for every home game since Nov. 3, 1962, against Missouri. OK, so sometimes it hasn't exactly been a full house. The leanest times of the past 20 or so years have seen pockets of gray bleachers mixed in with the thousands of red-clad fans. But every ticket for every single one of the past 375 home games has been sold, whether the buyer actually showed up or not. While it may elicit chuckles from other corners of the college football world, the streak remains a point of pride among a large portion of the NU fan base. And while there can be some sleepy Saturdays from time to time, Memorial Stadium can rock with the best of them with the right combination of circumstances. The Miami and Oregon home games of the past few seasons are proof of that. If NU is in a big game, at home, the old girl will be rocking.

By CHRIS BASNETT Lincoln Journal Star

Whenever it ends — if it ever ends — Nebraska's streak will almost certainly stand untouched for as long as college football is played. Only Notre Dame, which saw its sellout streak end at 273 games in November 2019, could even come within shouting distance of the Huskers. There are too many other ways to watch a game, too many conveniences coming into homes, and now, real, live health concerns every person thinking of entering Memorial Stadium will have to deal with. It's too hard and getting harder to keep streaks like Nebraska's going. Which makes it, in the end, impressive that it still exists at all. The uniforms We don't need to talk about the gusset era. The fact that we can mention the gusset era, and pretty much everyone knows what we're talking about, says plenty about the iconic threads Nebraska dons every weekend. Most every list of best college football uniforms will include the scarlet and cream. There have been changes here and there over the years, but the overall look has pretty much stayed the same: red jerseys with white pants, or white jerseys with red pants, topped by one of the most recognizable helmets in the game. The simple red N on the side of the helmet might stand for "Nowledge," according to a few opposing fan bases, but it's also instantly recognizable. The lid has remained mostly unchanged since 1970, with the move from a gray to red facemask in 1980 the only major difference.

How is Husker football unique? Let us count the ways.

Every program in the country likes to talk about what sets it apart, but Nebraska is in rare air when it comes to defining features. From location to nickname to fan loyalty, few can match NU when it comes to defining features. Chris Basnett kicks us off with 10 traits, most of which race to the top of the minds of Husker fans when beckoned to explain their love for Nebraska football. It's the only show in town At the end of the day, this is the only one that matters, right? Everything about Nebraska football — every idiosyncrasy, every great story, every fun fact — starts and ends with the Huskers being the all-encompassing, all-consuming monolith that dominates that state from the Missouri River to the far reaches of the Sandhills. In the fall, there is nothing else. For the rest of the year, there are only a couple of other things. With the closest Major League Baseball team and National Football League team 200 miles away and the closest NBA and NHL teams more than 400 miles from Lincoln, the Huskers have control of their sports market like few teams, college or professional. We all know the statistic. When Memorial Stadium fills up, it becomes the third- largest "city" in Nebraska. The football team, as has become painfully clear over the past few weeks and months, is as important to driving the economy in

Continued on page 12

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LOVE THE BIG RED continued from page 11

point loss at Texas), and that's a pretty good run to end the decade. We'll also include NU's 52-7 stomping of Colorado on Halloween in 1992 in this; perhaps no Memorial Stadium crowd has wanted blood more than the 76,287 in the stands that day. It was a momentous run of seasons for Nebraska — a defining stretch for a program that was already among the game's elite. Five national titles Few can match Nebraska's success when the stakes are highest over the past 50 years (even if the past 20 or so have been, uh, void of great success). Since winning its first in 1970, Nebraska is one of only three schools to win five national titles. All five came in a 26-year span, between 1970 and 1995.

Nebraska has two of the best to ever do it. Over 36 consecutive seasons, Bob Devaney and Tom Osborne combined to win 356 times in 430 games, a nearly 83% clip. Devaney won two national titles, Osborne three. Devaney won eight conference titles, Osborne 13. When each man retired, he was the winningest active coach in the sport. Devaney went into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1981. Osborne followed in 1999. Both served as Nebraska's athletic director, to varying degrees of success. On the field, though, there was no arguing the results. In the 130-year history of Nebraska football, only two coaches rank ahead of Devaney and Osborne in winning percentage: E.O. Stiem went 35-2-3 (.913) from 1911-15 and W.C. Booth went 46-8-1 (.845) from 1900-05. On a national level, of men who coached at least 10 years of college football, Osborne ranks fifth all-time in winning percentage and Devaney ranks 15th. After running the offense for Devaney as a full-time assistant from 1967-72, Osborne took over and won 255 games, reaching 200 wins and 250 wins faster than any coach in college football history. Of the top 25 coaches in career wins, Osborne's winning percentage is the highest and the only one over .800. He is the only coach in the top 20 in winning percentage with more than 250 wins. And it all started with the hire of a relative unknown (Devaney) out of Wyoming. Sustained success Remember the shock? The absolute disbelief? Of course you do. And that was near the end of an 11-2 season, when out of nowhere, Colorado shellacked Nebraska 62-36 to start NU's slow descent into college football purgatory. That didn't happen to Nebraska, at least not like that. The Huskers were always good. Always competitive. Almost always the favorite no matter who they lined up across from.

Whether you prefer stripes on the pants or not, or stripes on the shoulders or not, it's not hard to figure out which team is the one you're rooting for when you're scanning the channels looking for the Huskers. In recent years, alternate uniforms have made their way into the fold. The 2009 team wore throwback jerseys to commemorate the 300th consecutive sellout of Memorial Stadium, and in 2012 the Huskers began wearing an alternate jersey for one game every season. There have been some good (last year's homage to the Blackshirts) and some not so good (the 2012 all reds with the giant black "N"), but they've always stirred debate for fans of a look that is among the most recognizable in the sport. Dominant run in 1990s You want unique? How about going 60-3 over a five-year span — that unique enough for you? Nebraska's stretch from 1993 through 1997 is considered among the gold standards when it comes to college football dominance. The 1995 team is on the short list of greatest teams the sport has ever seen. Nebraska was never rated lower than ninth in the Associated Press poll during those five seasons, and that ranking came in the first two weeks of the 1993 season. The Huskers were in the top five for 32 consecutive polls at one point in the run, and 50 of a possible 63 polls overall. NU was No. 1 or No. 2 33 times in those 63 polls. Even the "bad" year, 1996, saw NU go 11-2, win nine straight games and roll No. 10 Virginia Tech 41-21 in the Orange Bowl on the way to a No. 6 final ranking. And the other non-championship year was a 12-1 campaign that ended in heartbreak against Florida State. Throw in 1998, when NU went 9-4 in Frank Solich's first season (remember when four losses in a year was a disaster?), and 1999 (12-1 with a Big 12 title and a four-

Alabama has nine in that time, while Miami joins NU with five.

Three of the games have been blowouts: 42- 17 over Tennessee for the 1997 title; 62-24 over Florida for the 1995 championship; and 38-6 over Alabama for the 1971 crown. And of course the 1971 and 1995 title teams are considered two of the best to ever play the game. The other two wins, 24-17 over Miami for the 1994 championship and 17-12 over LSU for the 1970 title, produced iconic moments up there with the most memorable Husker highlights. There was Cory Schlesinger tumbling into the end zone for the winning touchdown with 2:46 left against Miami; and Jerry Tagge stretching the ball over the goal line in the fourth quarter against LSU. Forgotten somewhat in both of those wins? Nebraska's defense then held firm to deliver the championships. NU has also played in a bowl game for a national championship on four other occasions. Two iconic head coaches Most schools would take one really good coach in their program's football history.

Ph

It was so unthinkable because for the

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NU in the running for something big.

State College also has one.

better part of four decades, it hardly ever happened. For so long, a child could be born, grow into an adult and have children of her own without ever seeing Nebraska football fall out of the national discussion. From 1969 to 2001, NU had 33 consecutive seasons of at least nine wins. The Huskers won 10 games eight times in that stretch. They won 11 games five times. They won 12 games four times and 13 games three times. There were 22 conference titles and five national titles. Nebraska never lost more than three games in a season for 29 consecutive seasons. The further away that statistic gets, the more remarkable it becomes.

Nebraska played in a bowl game for 35 consecutive seasons, the longest streak in college football history. The Huskers were ranked in the final Associated Press top 25 poll 33 straight years, and in 23 years, finished in the top 10. It was a sustained, consistent level of success that perhaps more than anything else allowed Nebraska to be unique among its peers. Memorial Stadium/Atmosphere Every school has a place it calls home. A lot of those schools even call their home Memorial Stadium. Heck, the University of Nebraska doesn't even have the only Memorial Stadium in its state —Wayne

There are few Memorial Stadiums, though, that can match the one in Lincoln. It's not the biggest, or the loudest (though it might be close in that regard). But when the moment is right, when the Huskers need it most, there isn't a better home-field advantage in the sport. Those moments have been rare since the program's glory days. But at times in recent years — Miami in 2014 or Oregon in 2016, for example — the old girl still rises to the occasion.

Continued on page 14

That success, naturally, almost always had

Photo credit: Omaha World Herald

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small-town players who took advantage of their shot to others who turned football into a career after college. Nearly every town in the state has at least one boy who stood out in high school and decided to head east and try his luck with the Big Red. And NU, especially in its glory days, turned some of those boys into professionals. Of the hundreds and hundreds of walk-ons to come to Lincoln, 36 have made it to the NFL. A whopping 28 of those stayed in the league for multiple seasons, and five hung around for 10 or more years. But even those who didn't reach the highest of highs played a huge role in lifting their program to new heights. Former NU players and coaches have for years credited Nebraska's crop of walk-ons for toiling in anonymity and pushing their higher-profile teammates with their intensity on the practice field and love for the program. Still, some of Nebraska's best went the walk-on route. Derrie Nelson, Jarvis Redwine, Jimmy Williams, Jared Tomich, Kyle Larson and Alex Henery were all first-team All-Americans. John Parella was a second-team All-American, as were I.M. Hipp and Clete Pillen. Under Scott Frost, Nebraska has seen its walk-on program revived. There will likely be future stars who come to Lincoln with little more than a dream. And Nebraska's fans will be ready to embrace them.

Sometimes, they'll even have the majority of the fans in the stands. That was the case last September, when the Big Red caravan rode into Boulder, Colorado, and took over Folsom Field for an afternoon. The crowd was perhaps 60-40 in favor of Nebraska fans, who had plenty to cheer about until Colorado dominated the game's final 20 minutes. Nebraska didn't have the majority in a 2000 game at Notre Dame; it just felt that way. In the all-time Husker takeover, about 25,000 NU fans were inside venerable Notre Dame Stadium for the Huskers' 27-24 overtime win. Another 5,000 or so traveled to South Bend just to be there. After the university was allotted 4,000 tickets for the game, 28,000 requests hit Nebraska's ticket office. Nebraska fans will buy opposing season tickets just for one game. They'll call the opposing school's faculty members in search of ducats. They also fill local bars and restaurants, which is just fine with local business owners. The walk-on program There is perhaps no more perfect encapsulation of Nebraska fans' love for their team than the Huskers' vaunted walk- on program. It has produced some of the most loved players in the program's history, from

Nearly everything involving any aspect of Nebraska athletics starts at One Memorial Stadium Drive. It is the location of most of the biggest events in the department, whether those events happen on the field or within the stadium's walls. Scott Frost's introductory news conference was there. So was Fred Hoiberg's. (So was Bob Diaco's, but we won't talk about that one.) Nebraska's high school teams hope to end their seasons there, playing for state championships. Every person who lives in the state almost certainly has been inside the complex or knows someone who has. Traveling to road games If there's one thing Nebraska fans love just as much as traveling to Lincoln to watch the Huskers, it's traveling to other places to watch the Huskers. Nebraska's fans have taken over stadiums for decades. Part of that is NU's nationwide fan base. Part of it is a home-state-based contingent unafraid to spend the time and the money to see the Huskers play away from home. Some college teams travel. Nebraska fans Travel, with a capital T. Good, bad or otherwise, no matter where NU plays, the Huskers know they will have a vocal contingent behind them.

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16 Spirit Fall 2020 Edition SUPPORT FOR THE JOURNEY GPH OFFERS RESOURCES FOR BREAST CANCER PATIENTS BY SUSAN SZUCH [email protected]

years ago with a similar stage ... if they’ve been doing well all along, that gives the patient the confidence to skip chemo. On why screening matters So when someone gets diagnosed with breast cancer, or any other cancer for that matter, for some it may feel like the world is coming to an end. Each case is different. That’s why we put so much emphasis on screening measures, so we can catch something early.

more patients are involved in those support groups than others. That would be the best way to start, because you can meet friends and make friends, share your experiences. So (survivors) don’t feel they’re alone in this battle. On how support groups can help patients If they meet someone who has gone through all this before, then they know what to expect: what their treatments might be, what the side effects can be, what the recovery from the surgery is like, what problems they encountered post-operatively, those kind of things. We do educate about all those, but coming from someone who has gone through all of this, that puts a whole lot of different perspective on it for the patient. They come to terms better, having someone to talk to who has gone through that. That makes much more of a difference than just us physicians telling them. For example, if they’re early- stage breast cancer (and) we tell them they probably don’t need extensive chemo, then it might not give them the confidence initially. Some people are afraid of getting chemo, but the majority of patients are actually afraid of skipping chemo because they worry the cancer might come back. ... For low risk or intermediate risk, we’ve been skipping chemo lately, and when we do that, patients do tend to get concerned, like “why are we skipping chemo for this stage?” But then when they talk to someone who was probably diagnosed like five

Screening is very important. If they have someone in their family with breast cancer, prostate cancer or pancreatic cancer, they do need to see a genetic counselor to see what their risk is. They will need screening at an earlier age compared to others. On treatments available at GPH

In 2018, breast cancer accounted for 19% of cancer diagnoses at Great Plains Health, according to the Callahan Cancer Center’s annual report for 2019. Dr. Avinash Pasam, a medical oncologist with GPH’s cancer center, spoke with The North Platte Telegraph about breast cancer. Responses have been edited or abridged for clarity.

We use chemotherapy, radiation therapy and hormonal therapy.

Support services available through GPH

In addition to physicians, GPH has other staff members who can help patients through their cancer journeys: • A social worker can help patients with emotional and financial issues and provide access to community resources and care facilities. • A nutritionist can help patients ensure dietary needs are met, help them with menu planning and offer tips on food preparation. • Rehabilitation specialists can help patients regain mobility and integrate back into life. There are also tools that patients can utilize: • Patients who have hair loss from treatment can get a wig or turban from the wig bank at the Callahan Cancer Center. • The Callahan Cancer Center Library offers books, pamphlets and audiovisual media that cover diagnosis, treatment and coping skills as well as humor, relaxation and music therapy. • The Callahan Cancer Center also offers educational programming.

Dr. Avinash Pasam

On resources available for patients

As far as our hospital is concerned, we do have a good nurse navigator and support groups and staff that can provide more information for each individual person, just to them, instead of just broad information, which may or may not apply to everyone. Our nurse navigator is very good. She has been doing this for several years, and she usually hands out a booklet with all the information and highlights resources for that particular person. Breast cancer has a more robust support group just because of the volume that we see, and

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blood and may cause a problem down the line. Radiation just targets whatever cancer could be left in the breast after the surgery, so it’s just focused there. Most of the breast cancers are hormone-sensitive, meaning they feed on female hormones estrogen and progesterone. Premenopausal ovaries are the main glands producing the hormones, but once someone goes through menopause, there are adrenal glands that sit on top of the kidneys that produce estrogen and progesterone, and there is conversion of other hormones in the fat tissue. Even when someone goes through menopause, they still have estrogen and progesterone in their system. So to target all that, we use hormone blocking pills. On how treatments are changing Previously we were doing mastectomies, removing the entire breast, but we’ve gotten to know more about that. There’s more scarring, more limitations as to how much someone can do after the surgery. So what we’ve been doing now is a lumpectomy, which is removal of the cancer itself and some surrounding tissue. Lumpectomy always has to be followed by radiation therapy. If we do mastectomy — some patients still elect to do that because they don’t want to worry about it coming back — then they can skip radiation, provided there’s no cancer in the lymph nodes. On clinical trials at GPH We do clinical trials mostly in

collaboration with the University of Nebraska Medical Center or Creighton University, like the Nebraska Cancer Consortium. There are some other trials we’re doing with the pharmaceutical companies, too. So we do have some clinical trial options. It’s mainly to take a tested and proven approach and add something on top of it to see if someone has a better outcome or not. There are certain criteria test participants have to meet, so whenever we see a new patient or have to change treatment, we’ll see if someone will qualify for a clinical trial. Clinical trials are the reason we know what we know now, so we encourage everyone to participate. Using all these treatment approaches is one thing, but there are things the patient can do to minimize the risk of the cancer coming back in the future. One of these is alcohol moderation; studies have shown that someone who is consuming more alcohol has a higher risk of breast cancer. Regular exercise has also been shown to decrease the risk of breast cancer coming back. Weight reduction, especially if On how patients can reduce their risk of cancer returning someone is obese or overweight, if they can get into a healthy weight range, that has been shown to decrease the risk of breast cancer. For much younger age groups, breastfeeding has been shown to help reduce breast cancer risk.

The idea is to attack the cancer with all the modalities that are available. With surgery, the surgeon can take out whatever cancer they can see with their eye, but there might be some cancer left behind, which may or may not be visible in mammograms or scan. Chemotherapy’s purpose is to attack those cancer cells that might be floating around in the Telegraph file photo Mammogram machines such as this one are used to help screen women for breast cancer.

Spirit Fall 2020 Edition 19

1 IN 10 W MEN

diagnosed with breast cancer is under the age of 45.

Being proactive about your health may help you take steps to lower your risk for getting breast cancer, or nd it at an early stage. To schedule a mammogram, call your physician today. TAKE ACTION TO LOWER YOUR CANCER RISK.

601 West Leota Street | North Platte, Neb. | 308.568.8000 | gphealth.org

18 Spirit Fall 2020 Edition

CLEARING UP CONFUSION OVER BREAST CANCER SCREENING RECOMMENDATIONS MAYO CLINIC Society, which recommends that women start yearly

NEWS NETWORK What are the current recommendations for breast cancer screening? It sounds like it should be a simple question with a simple answer. However, the answers to that question can vary, says Dr. Katie Hunt, a Mayo Clinic radiologist. To make it simple, Dr. Hunt shares the breast cancer screening recommendations that she gives to her patients, friends and family. “Women should start screening mammograms at the age of 40 and get them yearly,” Hunt says. “Women at a high risk of breast cancer, such as those who have a strong family history or those who have a genetic mutation that might increase their risk of developing breast cancer, may need earlier screening and/or screening with a breast MRI,” Hunt says. She says those women should talk to their doctors about what's the most appropriate screening test. “The reality is that by not getting annual mammograms starting at the age of 40, the risk of dying of breast cancer is higher, and there's an increased likelihood that you'll need more extensive treatment for cancer if it's found,” Hunt says. Dr. Hunt's recommendation for breast cancer screening aligns with the American College of Radiology, the Society of Breast Imaging and the American Society of Breast Surgeons. However, Hunt says, there may be other recommendations women may hear about online or in the news. “One commonly cited set of recommendations is from the American Cancer

mammograms no later than age 45. However, they state that women should have the option to start at age 40 and get them yearly. There is a shift in the recommended screening interval at age 55, where they say that women can switch to mammograms every other year or continue yearly screening,” Hunt says. “Another controversial set of recommendations comes from the U.S. Preventative Services Task Force. They do not recommend yearly mammograms for women ages 40 to 49 but rather recommend every-other-year mammograms for women who are between the ages of 50 and 74. They state that the decision to screen women in their 40s should be individualized, and those who place a higher value on the benefit than the harms of screening may choose every- other-year screening between the ages of 40 and 49. This recommendation has been criticized by essentially every organization that is involved in breast cancer care, and so I do not recommend women follow this. Studies that have analyzed this screening regimen have shown that if women followed this schedule, we would miss up to a third of breast cancers and have up to 6,500 additional deaths per year from breast cancer.” Again, Hunt recommends that women start yearly mammograms at age 40. “That's been the regimen that we have the strongest >Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32

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