It Began With a Hat

He stopped at the Cancer Resource Center with a simple request but got so much more.

Mark Easterday was heading into an appointment at the Bliss Cancer Center when he passed a sign for the Cancer Resource Center at Mary Greeley.

It was a chilly time of the year, and he thought maybe he should see if he could get a hat for his chemo-balding head.

On what was to be the first of many visits to the Cancer Resource Center, Easterday got a head scarf. And like so many cancer patients, Easterday has received more than that. He’s gotten a significant level of support from the center and its range of services. (He later traded that head covering for a stylish fedora from center staff.)

Easterday has stage 4 lung cancer; he’s part of an unwelcome and growing statistic in Iowa. Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in the state. According to the American Lung Association, the rate of new lung cancer cases in Iowa is 61.2 per 100,000, higher than the national average of 53.6. Tobacco use is the leading cause, followed by radon exposure. Iowa’s high overall cancer rate makes the services of the Bliss Cancer Center and the Cancer Resource Center more needed than ever.

Easterday has had a rough and tumble life. To make ends meet, he’s worked in factories, motels, casinos, and a meatpacking plant. (He lost his left eye at the meatpacking plant when a cow’s kick connected with his hand, which was holding a knife.) 

Easterday also has diabetes and a heart condition. He sees a lot of people at Mary Greeley and is thankful that they’ve been able to coordinate all his appointments for the same day.

“This hospital is the best hospital I’ve been in, and I had open heart surgery in Arizona,” he says.

At the center, Easterday has received cancer navigation service, nutrition counseling, and transportation and housing assistance. 

“We work closely with the Bliss Cancer Center and see people from all walks of life,” says Dana Kline, a cancer navigator who has worked with Easterday since he came in that day looking for a hat. “Each individual has specific needs, and, in most cases, we are able to help them.”

“Dana has been wonderful,” Easterday says. “That day I walked into the Cancer Resource Center, she told me everything they could do for me and to just let them know what I needed. It kind of blew me away. She’s done a lot behind the scenes that I don’t even know about. I’m thankful to have her.”

For Easterday, the discovery of a swollen lymph node last fall led to a CT scan that showed half-dollar sized mass in the bottom portion of his left lung. A follow up biopsy verified a cancer diagnosis.

Dr. Joseph Merchant, a McFarland Clinic oncologist, delivered the news. It was hard to hear, says Easterday, but not a total surprise to the life-long smoker.

“Dr. Merchant, and all the doctors I deal with, are fantastic,” he says. “Life throws everybody challenges. I’m going to try let things go and try not being so worried about the world anymore.”

Easterday is feeling pretty good these days, but he knows his time is limited–“hoping for two years, five years max.” His resources are limited, too, so he has a narrowly focused bucket list.

“I can’t go on a cruise, or rent an RV and go on an adventure,” he said. “But I can eat, so I’m going to try and visit as many restaurants around the area as I can.”