00:00:11:14 - 00:00:34:02 Unknown I'm Catherine Nangle, and welcome to women Over 70 Aging Reimagined, our award winning weekly podcast. Visit Women over 70. I come to learn about how you may become involved and join Aging Reimagined Circle, and enjoy free participation in our monthly online programs. And thank you for listening. 00:00:34:02 - 00:00:41:11 Unknown Today we're very happy to be talking with Kathleen Kathy Haney, age 76, who grew up in a family. 00:00:41:11 - 00:01:27:06 Unknown She's described as extremely challenging and starts and stops. Kathy pursued college to earn a bachelor's degree in occupational education and a master's degree in vocational administration. Education. And her career in education and accreditation includes includes teaching, dental assisting, and dental hygiene, and coordinated dental programs at the college level, she was accreditation Site surveyor for the American Dental Association, which led to the Illinois State Medical Society as Assistant Director of Medical Education, and then during her last ten years of employment, Kathy served as Academic Coordinator of Pediatrics at Rush University Medical Center. 00:01:27:08 - 00:01:28:04 Unknown So, moving 00:01:28:04 - 00:01:28:23 Unknown to the present, 00:01:28:23 - 00:01:51:21 Unknown Kathy is a cancer survivor and trained mentor for the Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance, which is a national entity. She's also a trained mentor for the Northwestern Woman to Woman program, which supports women with gynecological cancer, and as a 33 year member of the Oak Park River Forest Infant Welfare Society, she served on the board. 00:01:51:23 - 00:02:03:11 Unknown She's been a long time director of the circle, and she's developed, even developed the pet therapy program. And she is a new member now of the Rush Oak Park Community Engagement Council. 00:02:03:11 - 00:02:05:24 Unknown Welcome, Kathy, to women over 70. 00:02:05:24 - 00:02:13:05 Unknown thank you. You know, so this introduction sounds like your education and career follow this nice linear path. 00:02:13:07 - 00:02:26:14 Unknown But like most of us, that is was not the case for you. And I know you've given a lot of thought to what happened when and what influenced what and why did you take this path and that path and 00:02:26:14 - 00:02:27:03 Unknown your 00:02:27:03 - 00:02:29:12 Unknown trajectory is more complex than what I just 00:02:29:12 - 00:02:30:15 Unknown recounted. 00:02:30:15 - 00:02:34:08 Unknown if I, if it's okay, I'm going to quote for you sent me an email this morning. 00:02:34:08 - 00:02:42:11 Unknown You said in the process this has brought to light the extraordinary opportunities that have forever changed your life. 00:02:42:11 - 00:02:45:04 Unknown And I think that's just a really wonderful way to think about 00:02:45:04 - 00:02:48:05 Unknown how our lives unfold, any of our lives unfold, 00:02:48:05 - 00:02:50:03 Unknown and to hit pause and take 00:02:50:03 - 00:02:51:05 Unknown stock of 00:02:51:05 - 00:02:55:08 Unknown of that. So could you, give us some highlights of your journey 00:02:55:08 - 00:02:56:01 Unknown up to 00:02:56:01 - 00:02:56:17 Unknown retirement 00:02:56:17 - 00:02:57:07 Unknown phase, 00:02:57:07 - 00:02:58:05 Unknown show at the. 00:02:58:05 - 00:03:00:05 Unknown Yeah, I'm the oldest in six children. 00:03:00:05 - 00:03:05:10 Unknown My father was a a laborer or a mechanic on his own, business. 00:03:05:10 - 00:03:13:23 Unknown We had a lot of dysfunction in our family, especially with my father. He was, extremely challenging in many, many ways. 00:03:13:23 - 00:03:20:13 Unknown I, there was a particular incident, dealing with addiction and that, 00:03:20:13 - 00:03:22:07 Unknown my mom brought me in on. 00:03:22:07 - 00:03:31:14 Unknown It was, a suicide attempt, and I was very, difficult. It 16 years of age. I just turned 16 to experience that. 00:03:31:14 - 00:03:51:21 Unknown From that point, you know, I was a year away from graduation from high school. I was working for a dentist, our local dentist on Saturdays. And, of course, my parents was the logical thing, which for me to go into dental fishing and, and, and dental hygiene when really I really wanted to be a nurse. 00:03:51:21 - 00:04:14:08 Unknown But, that wasn't even a consideration. The fact I had already had experience, and therefore that's what I should go into. So long story short, I, than I did the dental hygiene program at Siu Carbondale. I was there for three weeks, and then I could not get my mind off of what was going on at home. 00:04:14:10 - 00:04:40:20 Unknown I just kept imagining what things my siblings didn't even know happened. It was a secret between my mom and my dad and me, and I just could not get over, the concern. So with that, I pack it my bags, told my parents I was coming home, and my dad was thoroughly irritated with the fact that he had driven so many miles, for that effort to be lost. 00:04:40:22 - 00:05:02:09 Unknown He got me into the dental assisting program there at Rock Valley College in Rockford, and I went on and completed that. And then I got a job as a dental assistant, in oral surgery. And then three years later, in general dentistry. And from there I was offered the opportunity, by the people at Rock Valley where I went to school. 00:05:02:14 - 00:05:33:00 Unknown The faculty asked me if I would consider being on their faculty, and, which was a distinct honor. And I did do that. I joined them and, practice for three years as a not practice, but I experienced three years of education, and of working with my students. And they were a delight because they, I had their energy, their profound desire to learn and to activate what they learned into something constructive. 00:05:33:02 - 00:06:06:07 Unknown And then at the same time, I also came upon, director of counseling at the junior college. And he said, Cathy, you know, you really can do more with your life. If you want to, you can further your education. Here is a program at SEIU Carbondale that will allow you credit for work experience, will allow you the opportunity to proficiency your student teaching and, allow you the opportunity to go to school during the summer, work your job during the school year and up in Rockford, and do what you need to do to succeed. 00:06:06:09 - 00:06:27:22 Unknown So in total, it took me nine years to get my undergraduate degree. Kind of meant, you know, I I'm proud of it, but I'm also realize it was a heck of a lot of work, and, I knew I had to do it on my own. My father, I asked him if he would consider paying for my education, and he said, no, you had your chance. 00:06:27:24 - 00:06:47:19 Unknown So that took care of that. So thanks to my inner energy and frustration and anger and I say whatever promoting factors to get me to do what I needed to do to take care of myself if I wanted this bad enough. And I did. So I got scholarships for the essay. You, 00:06:47:19 - 00:06:57:24 Unknown I worked student work. I worked at the Ramada Inn, I took in babysitting, I did ironing, I did whatever I could to earn extra money so that I could 00:06:57:24 - 00:06:59:08 Unknown pay for my education. 00:06:59:08 - 00:07:02:05 Unknown And then, I learned again from 00:07:02:05 - 00:07:06:08 Unknown the occupational Education department about this wonderful opportunity through 00:07:06:08 - 00:07:20:11 Unknown the U.S. government Department of Health, Education and welfare. And it was the Education Professions Development Act, which allowed students to continue there and finish their occupational education degree 00:07:20:11 - 00:07:22:20 Unknown and or to go on to graduate work. 00:07:22:20 - 00:07:32:22 Unknown So as you I was able to secure that award, a true gift, to earn the rest of my bachelor's degree. 00:07:32:24 - 00:08:01:23 Unknown And I applied it, I guess about I had a sabbatical at my, at Rock Valley College. They gave me a year off to earn that, and I applied again for the FDA fellowship for graduate work. And I got that. And gratefully, they gave me that time. So I left with, I entered a program with a certificate, and I left the program with a master's in 15, which that was that was my goal. 00:08:01:23 - 00:08:03:07 Unknown And I met it. 00:08:03:07 - 00:08:07:12 Unknown my dad and I had a rocky experience. Rocky. Rocky, go. 00:08:07:12 - 00:08:20:00 Unknown you know, he came to my bachelor's degree graduation. He would not come to my master's degree education award, but but that's okay, because I knew that I had done it. I did it by myself. 00:08:20:02 - 00:08:49:12 Unknown And I had no, no debt. And that was a tremendous really tremendously. I came back to back my college for a year and taught because they had been kind enough to award me to two years off. And, yeah, wonderful, wonderful compliments from them and the encouragement to to keep keep going, keep challenging it. I did apply for the, my doctorate, awarded by the EPA. 00:08:49:18 - 00:09:12:13 Unknown I did earn that. But I thought, well, you know, that's that's kind of asking a lot. So I did go back, for the one year, and I did not go back for the, the year for my doctorate because I felt I had accomplished a great deal. I didn't want to have too much for fear I would him, not get a job and knew I had a job to go back to and that I sprained for Janine. 00:09:12:15 - 00:09:38:16 Unknown So I moved out of the house, of course, and started to live my own life in Rockford. And then I started to applying for other, other work. After a while, I decide, you know, I can I could do more. And then I went on to, apply for a position down in Saint Louis. I was a director of the dental hygiene program and a dental assisting program, and and junior junior college. 00:09:38:16 - 00:10:02:20 Unknown And then I went on and did additional work as adjunct faculty for at Saint Louis University. And then after that, I was there for five years. After that, I ultimately moved from Saint Louis. And when I to, to university or to Indiana University at Gary to run their dental hygiene and dental assistant program, which was, you know, rewarding. 00:10:02:20 - 00:10:22:19 Unknown But, for various reasons, I think it was it was I didn't feel there was a lot of equity in the diversity. It was out here. And so we needed to I needed to do something for my for my heart, for my soul to recognize that we are all one and we have the option, should have the opportunity to get what we can possibly achieve. 00:10:22:19 - 00:10:45:16 Unknown You know, it just strikes me that earlier on in your career, others saw things in you that you didn't yet recognize. And at some point it's like, oh, I can do this. I can chart my own path here, and I'm going to do it no matter what. Being that I so it, it kind of what was that turning point or was it a very gradual kind of thing? 00:10:45:18 - 00:11:08:09 Unknown I think it was gradual because I think it was it was after Harry palm at Rock Valley, who suggested that I further my education, that I could do something more. It was a fact that I was able to ace on, like all my work, that I could, you know, write my, my research paper and had a committee that was very supportive. 00:11:08:11 - 00:11:27:05 Unknown And just, you know, people that that could encourage me, that believed in me more than I believed in myself, which started me on a new trajectory. It was it was great and it was enlightening and it was helpful and it gave me confidence in have and also made me realize that I did not have to protect anyone. 00:11:27:07 - 00:11:50:20 Unknown It was not my responsibility. But it took a year's counseling before I took that retreat. And that's that's critical. So diversity and equity have been really important to you for a very long time. Can you talk about that? And when did those interests or concerns surface and 00:11:50:20 - 00:11:51:03 Unknown know. 00:11:51:03 - 00:12:17:10 Unknown That's when I went to Indiana. I think, you know, it was a very diverse population. And we had to have, a patient population that was diverse because in dental hygiene you need different classes of oral hygiene. And so this would occur people of all ethnicities, different levels of intelligence. And so it was it was humbling. It was interesting. 00:12:17:10 - 00:12:40:19 Unknown And I felt like there was an underserved group here and there wasn't. And, and there was underserved, offered budget to make things happen that I needed to have happen for this program to pass accreditation to the American Dental Association, American Dental Hygiene Association. I was a surveyor. I know how to do that. I knew what the expected. 00:12:40:21 - 00:13:13:21 Unknown So I from there I, I, I moved on I mean I it was an experience. I'm glad I had it. I learned a lot. Then I went on to work for the, all my state medical society. And there I learned, a different realm of medicine and dentistry. And, how do you help physicians avoid litigation, how to help physicians, or narrow requirements for your continued medical education to, renew their licenses. 00:13:13:23 - 00:13:40:11 Unknown And it was just so many different facets tourism, community, education, business, education, continuing medical education, surveying. There's continuing medical education programs in there, hospitals, which led back to what I did and edge, a site survey for accreditation and dental hygiene. And then after that, little did I know, I made that accreditation experience. Just carry me from one thing to the other, to the other, to the other. 00:13:40:11 - 00:14:03:00 Unknown And then I got to work, for ten years and credit reporting to the chairman of pediatrics at rush. And my first responsibility was to write the accreditation document because he was a new a new chairman, and every time you get a new chairman and you needed to revamp those materials. And so it carried me through. I you just never know where life's going to carry with what experience you've had. 00:14:03:02 - 00:14:33:20 Unknown I would never have estimated that that could have taken you would have been my link. But it carried me through several different exposure experiences. So that and from that and then the equity and diversity I the my involvement with the this infant welfare society of Park River forest, they run their own children's clinic. We take care of the children now they're working poor children meeting their medical, dental and behavioral health needs. 00:14:33:22 - 00:15:00:16 Unknown And it's a phenomenal organization. Yes, we we depend on Medicaid and we're all concerned about that right now. At this time, I'd know, but we also, you know, through donations, we we function and, we're about 100 members from the local area and beyond. Mostly women. Doesn't mean we wouldn't accept men. But it's it's geared to help. 00:15:00:16 - 00:15:23:16 Unknown We can teach children. Reba and I have a giving library. Every child at the same takes a book home with them or more to share. And we have the pet therapy program, which gives children tremendous amount of comfort before they go into their appointment. It also helps the staff of Burt Reynolds. Three years is a long time to be with one organization in a volunteer capacity. 00:15:23:18 - 00:15:51:22 Unknown So what keeps you invested? What keeps you going? It's the mission. It's the mission. The clientele, the fact that everyone and I did some volunteer work there as a hygienist and then as as assistant when they were started out. Every patient is treated with respect. Every single patient in the children's clinic, it's a new clinic. We were able to pay it off. 00:15:51:24 - 00:16:18:12 Unknown We were 100 and or 100 and almost 110 year old organization. But it's just it's just amazing the people we see, the way they are treated, the way they appreciate being treated, it's it's so rewarding. It's so rewarding. And, and we, we do coat drives and we do other things to help them, you know, to to feel good about themselves. 00:16:18:12 - 00:16:47:19 Unknown We do Christmas drive gift drives. And it's a way of giving back to those who are nice, fortunate am I. And along the way, Kathy, you have become a mentor to a lot of people. Yeah, I my cancer journey is specifically, you know, I had, uterine cancer. In 2013. It returned in 2018. Wasn't supposed to. 00:16:47:20 - 00:17:14:18 Unknown And a hysterectomy was just a real fluke that it came back. But from that, I was one of my the nurse practitioner and my uncle just said, Kathy, you know, we there's a program that you might be interested in and it's called Women to Women. This is at Northwestern University Medical Center in Chicago. And it was like, you know, maybe I could, but I mean, it was entitled the Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance. 00:17:14:20 - 00:17:47:13 Unknown It was kind of the umbrella over so many of these, gynecologic cancers and studies, you know. So but I was trained as a mentor. I work with women who were in the northwestern system as patients, now with gynecologic cancer. It was it was humbling. It made me so grateful. And, was eye opening. It was. It was sad, but it was also full of hope, you know? 00:17:47:13 - 00:18:09:12 Unknown And I learned so much from these women and their families, their families in the the whatever points you get involved in their the process of their cancer journey. As I'm there in the very beginning, I mean, they couldn't great. But in the very beginning of their journey, they could have been midway through. They could be at the end, of their journey. 00:18:09:14 - 00:18:37:10 Unknown That being a success, the successful treatments, clinical trials or whatever, or could be where they, you know, good lord, call them home, you know, but it's it was an amazing my, my time with the okra. It's it's really a worldwide. I mean, I had one person movement in my neck and Republic. I had people from different states. 00:18:37:12 - 00:19:04:11 Unknown You may have a short experience with them because they're there. They only need 1 or 2 meetings with you. And there are others who like weekly meetings. And then there are others who just would fall off. You wouldn't really know what was going on. What what happened to them. But Irish was to be present at the moment and not to take anything personally, but to offer the best you could of me. 00:19:04:13 - 00:19:24:15 Unknown As a listener. I feel that you can learn so much by listening and then enter your comments where you feel appropriate and necessary, but it is their story to tell and shame my time to listen and be a help 00:19:24:15 - 00:19:29:22 Unknown to do you have you are currently dealing with some unexpected health issues of your own. 00:19:29:22 - 00:19:31:23 Unknown what are you able to share with us about that 00:19:31:23 - 00:19:48:20 Unknown in the year 2000, I, due to azurite, right? I had to have a hip replacement. And then about five years later, the other hip went out and that another hip replacement. So this 20 year old hip replacement. 00:19:48:22 - 00:19:55:09 Unknown But I went back to 25, the 20 year old replacement, the titanium fractured 00:19:55:09 - 00:20:22:24 Unknown of the joint replacement, and I, I knew I was in pain. I just, I knew it wasn't going to last forever, but I never imagined that it would because of fractured titanium, because it, from that, that the, the pieces of titanium rib rub together recognition card metal osis and then that created a staph infection. 00:20:23:01 - 00:20:45:15 Unknown And the second issue was nothing Staphylococcus aureus that is, you know, could be deadly. But this is, a staff dermatitis, which is still a little puzzling to me. I need to get more information on that because, you know, it wasn't like my skin was touching the the apparatus. So it was different. I am this happened in February. 00:20:45:21 - 00:20:49:00 Unknown I was in the hospital for a month. I was moved to a specialty hospital, 00:20:49:00 - 00:20:53:22 Unknown as a fresh rash. I mean, I had my surgery at Rush Midwest Orthopedics and then I moved. Was there, 00:20:53:22 - 00:21:03:12 Unknown a week before they decided what they were going to do because I knew it was serious and there were three different cancellations. And I had surgery in one week. 00:21:03:16 - 00:21:10:12 Unknown And then I finally had the surgery, stayed another few days and move to the specialty hospital. I was there for three weeks. 00:21:10:12 - 00:21:24:21 Unknown And I learned to I am learning to walk all over again. I'm learning to, appreciate what I've got. Realize, you know, I've been through bumps in the road before. I'm going to knock this one out, too. 00:21:24:23 - 00:21:51:12 Unknown I have to, I have to I can't live in the past. I've got to work for the future and know that this is a temporary thing. It's probably been the hardest thing I've ever experienced. Because it has taken so long. I'm in physical therapy three times a week. I was at, pick line for three weeks with, like an IV that you the nurse, they come to your home and, cleanse it and change. 00:21:51:14 - 00:22:13:16 Unknown Change the line. And it's it's pretty intricate. And then, I said I got rid of that. Then I started going outpatient. So I'm slowly. I'm on a walker, but I'm moving to a cane. That's good. I have a limp. I'm really trying hard to get rid of it because it wasn't there before. I don't want it. 00:22:13:16 - 00:22:43:00 Unknown I don't want it there now, am I? Six months of antibiotics? Because of the infection and this tool cache. And I had a great husband and great friends. Knows about that great husband. How long you been married? And, Tom and I have been married for almost 38 years. In October. And we have one great son who lives in California. 00:22:43:02 - 00:23:05:20 Unknown And, you know, we hear from them. We're we're we're just grateful to have him in our lives. So we're going to see him in June. Looking forward to it. And by my husband, I mean he he really took those vows seriously. I mean, in sickness and in health. And he has been my right hand for so many things for me. 00:23:05:22 - 00:23:34:23 Unknown You know, my cancer walks, my orthopedic issues. He's been my work. And I'm so grateful to. It's a wonderful connection. If I if you hear this, I mean, he's going to get a big hat and I'm going to have to live with that. You know, I get this. The other dentist he deserves it is rewarded. So you mentioned friends, I know you you are a you are a friend to everyone. 00:23:35:00 - 00:23:45:12 Unknown That is just. That's your nature. You can't help yourself, I think. And, but what about receiving support and asking for support? How's that going for you? 00:23:45:12 - 00:24:01:22 Unknown Well, I have some great friends, through the welfare society, through my cancer experience. They, you know, meal trains and things like that which have been wonderful or, you know, flowers and notes and cards and that. 00:24:01:22 - 00:24:21:18 Unknown But there's, you know, when you're kind of confined in there for a while as, as I, as I had them at my home in the new I love our home. It's, they make you do a lot of thinking. It can be kind of depressing. And it just gives me impetus to want to get out there and get get back, get better. 00:24:21:19 - 00:24:39:09 Unknown To be myself, be myself, you know, get in the car and drive by myself where I want to go, when I want to go. Gosh, I can't wait for that. I'm going to pick up another friend who has ovarian cancer. And and we're going to we're in the same boat in that regard. And so I said, I'm going to pick you up with now we're going to get out of here. 00:24:39:09 - 00:24:43:24 Unknown We're going to go for a ride. You're going to go shop or whatever we want to do, and we're going to 00:24:43:24 - 00:24:51:01 Unknown And I think giving giving back is greater to me than receiving. Even though I'm learn to 00:24:51:01 - 00:24:51:12 Unknown take 00:24:51:12 - 00:25:00:05 Unknown people's offers and their goodness because they want to give it, even though I don't expect it in that, this kind of hard thing for me to learn. 00:25:00:05 - 00:25:23:03 Unknown I? One thing I have, and northwestern has a cancer survivors walk, and I won't be able to do it this year because of the deep reach that can be in the park. I can't I can't do that. But I do have a team car team. Grateful. And that's exciting because it gives people the opportunity to contribute. 00:25:23:05 - 00:25:54:09 Unknown To help cancer survivors and to to rid of all cancers. It's not just about ovarian, it's all cancers. So when does that work happen? That is the June 1st, June 1st of this year in Grant Park. Yeah, it is exciting. So so yeah, this whole experience in preparing for this and talking with you just makes me, more and more grateful for what I have in my life. 00:25:54:11 - 00:26:04:02 Unknown And I really am so grateful for the experience I had early on. It made me determined to do something worthwhile 00:26:04:02 - 00:26:21:10 Unknown Even when you have some challenges thrown down in the way that you know, you. I just remember you're saying to me that you want to grow more mature with dignity, mature and older, with dignity and self-respect. 00:26:21:12 - 00:26:43:02 Unknown And, money and live. He also said, I'm going to live my life with purpose, as you obviously do, and help others do the same. That pretty much sum up your it. So once you have life and living, it does, you know, and it's like, I never really planned it that way. Just kind of fell into place in its own timing. 00:26:43:04 - 00:26:49:08 Unknown And and fortunate I had was open minded enough to, to hear it. 00:26:49:08 - 00:27:24:14 Unknown Certainly with all you've been through, you could have gone the other way and closed up and and not given as much as you've given. But it it's your nature and you, that's who you are. And so and so it's really beautiful to see to here. Thank you. Thank you. Well, I think that, you know, Aging Reimagined is going to be a great a great group to join because I think it's going to help me with that. 00:27:24:14 - 00:27:40:00 Unknown You know, I've been to the the conference in October was wonderful. I can't wait for Dag to have one this year. It's just it's just, it's enlightening and it gives you purpose and it gives you hope because I'm, I don't really I don't I want to get a hold. I know it's just kind of part of life. 00:27:40:00 - 00:28:00:06 Unknown That boy, I. I'm not looking forward to it. And, and, but I look at my scans sometimes I look at my Rango that look at my neck, I think, oh, my God. But you know what? It's not really all about appearance is about what's inside. And so I just got to say, the beauty comes from within. And your strength over. 00:28:00:08 - 00:28:27:11 Unknown Yeah. Now you're kind. Thank you, thank you. Kathy, thank you so much. We could talk with you much longer, but we are. We need to close. So again, appreciate you so much. I meant just the thought and care that you put into preparing for the conversation with us. And sharing your philosophy of life and your challenges and effective ways to cope. 00:28:27:11 - 00:28:52:22 Unknown And just go ahead and do it. You crash, you bad. Thank you. Thank you so much for this opportunity and I, I have to thank God, too, for his influence in my life and my friends and and those in my family who then show support and are very welcome. You. Yes. And listeners, we'd like to see more of you at our monthly online programs. 00:28:52:24 - 00:29:25:21 Unknown Make Your Voice Heard is together we change the conversation about women aging. Visit Aging Reimagined Circle at women over 78.com. And if you enjoy and women over 70. We have another podcast to recommend to you. And that is Boomer Banter. Real talk about aging well with Wendy Green. Wendy takes you on a journey to explore how to live vibrantly and healthfully with strong relationships and purpose as we age. 00:29:25:23 - 00:29:35:20 Unknown Wendy covers topics around financial literacy, mental and physical health, relationships, and purpose. And thank you again for listening.