Oak Harbor survivor Jackie Slosnerick tells her story

As many know, October was Breast Cancer Awareness Month – a very important time to remember those who are battling or have been lost to the disease. 

It’s also a time to remind everyone of the importance of regular screenings. Early detection can save lives – just as it did for the Civilian Marksmanship Program’s very own Jackie Slosnerick, who is from Oak Harbor.

“I do have to say that compared to others, I got off easy,” Jackie confessed.

Those who know Jackie know that she is prepared for anything. Everywhere she goes, she carries what she considers a bag of “essentials” – basically covering any possible thing someone might need – like, ever. Super glue, a thumb drive, a sewing kit, a soldering iron, a barrel of monkeys (no, seriously…) – if you need it, Jackie probably has it. 

For her, it’s better to stay ahead of the problem, no matter what may come her way. She follows that same philosophy when it comes to her health, remaining vigilant to a genetic trend that she knew would one day find her.

“Due to my family history, my attitude has been not a matter of ‘if’ I would get cancer, but ‘when,’” she said.

Out of the five siblings in her family, including Jackie’s fraternal twin sister, three have had breast cancer. Two have even had multiple bouts with the disease, while an older sister passed from another form of cancer. For decades, Jackie has known the stats are against her.

“I have been very aware of making sure to get checked regularly, since I was about 27,” she went on.

Thrown off by COVID

During her annual exam in 2020, she was asked if she had her routine mammogram (an x-ray of the breast) yet that year. She said no, since COVID had thrown off her typical schedule. Luckily enough, she was able to go down the hall and get it done that same day in a matter of minutes. 

Soon after, Jackie found out her “when” had arrived. She was diagnosed with breast cancer.

But, just as she is for everything else, Jackie was prepared.

“My first thoughts were, ‘Okay, now how do we go forward?’” she said. “I didn’t feel like this was a death sentence. I knew I had done everything right.”

“Knowing what my sisters had gone through, I know how fortune I am and was,” she continued.

Her treatment began with a biopsy and lumpectomy. The tumor was 2mm, about the size of an air rifle pellet – so small that the biopsy and lumpectomy were able to serve the same purpose. She was able to progress without chemotherapy but did experience a few months of radiation, 20 minutes per day.

“It really did take longer to get undressed than it did for the treatment,” she teased.

The treatments included marks on her skin to indicate where the radiation would get “sighted in” – for Jackie, a series of blue dot tattoos that almost appeared as freckles. The dots were used to line everything up for subsequent radiation visits. 

For Jackie, the experience was fairly painless, though some scar tissue has been bothersome. She admitted that dealing with the burnt skin left after radiation was probably the worst part. For that, Jackie added two new pieces to her goodie bag: ice packs in Crown Royal bags and Sun Burnt advanced Sun Recovery After Sun Gel (chilled, of course). 

“They don’t really tell you the burnt skin doesn’t really show up until after you are done with radiation, so ice is really your friend,” she suggested.

She also added a neck travel pillow to her supply stash for comfort – undergoing several treatments from late May to early September 2020, when she successfully completed her therapy.

“I was very fortunate to have caught my cancer early,” she said. “I had a great group of people that took care of me.” 

Jackie’s grateful for the support of several individuals who guided her along the way, including her husband, the surgeon, nurses, radiation techs and even her CMP coworkers who kept her spirits up throughout her cancer journey. One CMP staff member, Amy Cantu, would even send a picture of her tiny dachshund puppy, Wynnston, before Jackie went into each radiation treatment to take her mind off of the procedure.

“I couldn’t help but smile when I went into my treatments,” Jackie said about seeing Wynnston. “I made a point of telling everyone I work with, to tell each one of them face-to-face that I was diagnosed with breast cancer. It was important to me because I didn’t want anyone to be in the dark, and it wouldn’t be the elephant in the room.”

After her final treatment, Jackie was met in-person and in-puppy by Amy and Wynnston, along with CMP’s Shannon Hand and a handful of balloons – offering a compassionate congratulations to their coworker and friend.

“It was so nice,” Jackie said with a smile, thinking back on the day.