Bringing calm and comfort to cancer care

Carolyn Madvig is an Illinois native who has made Bloomington her home for the last 30 years. Together, she and her husband own a local art studio, The Sleeping Dogs Studio, named after their 100-pound Great Pyrenees who tends to nap on the job.

In 2023, Carolyn received a triple negative breast cancer diagnosis and was referred to IU Health Morgan where she quickly saw a medical oncologist, radiation oncologist and received a treatment plan.

“I remember the first day I was there for an infusion,” says Carolyn. “I was very nervous because I was getting a chemotherapy that could have a lot of side effects, and when I got there the infusion nurse just hugged me. I thought to myself, ‘these people are just fantastic.’ They always knew my name. They were very, very good and not just at administering the infusion but making sure I was comfortable, staying to talk with me and checking in on me.”

By the time Carolyn completed her year of chemotherapy and radiation, she and her husband knew many of the team members by name. They knew about their kids and grandkids, what sports they played and where they were going to college.

“If we are ever asked by someone in the same situation, ‘What would you do?’ I always recommend Morgan to them,” says Carolyn. “It’s the only thing I know but it’s so positive.”

Her initial reaction to her diagnosis was a combination of shock and panic, amplified by the fact that she had one of the most aggressive forms of breast cancer. But to her surprise, after a few infusions, the shock and nervousness turned into confidence that she was doing what needed to be done to take care of the problem.

“I don’t want to downplay it, but I actually looked forward to going to [Morgan],” says Carolyn. “I looked forward to it because I knew I was taking care of the problem. The team was so comforting and calming and when I was there, I knew that it was the next step in the process and that we were getting it taken care of.”

A year later, Carolyn has had no recurrences. She continues to be diligent, get her mammograms and goes to the doctor when she’s supposed to.

“The kind of people that they hire at Morgan are people who are genuinely concerned about the patients, and it came through,” says Carolyn. “It’s just the way they are.”