Lanae Flugaur, a family and consumer ed teacher at Amherst High School, is back at school and working after beating breast cancer with the support of staff and students.
Flugaur endured much, but students and staff are happy to see her back on her feet. Looking back at the ordeal, she is overwhelmed with all of the support, and very happy to be back at school. “I cried anytime someone would reach out, and check in on me. With all the gifts I had received, the countless support, I did not expect it all so it was very surprising. I honestly just never expected so much attention to be put on me.”
Staff and students worked on raising money to help Flugaur with medical expenses and could not be happier to see her back at school this year. Flugaur says she was speechless, and overwhelmed with the amount of support she received from a very caring community. “I was in tears from it all because it was a very heartfelt and overwhelming thing. I knew of the shirts, but not the fundraising events,” said Flugaur.
Battling cancer led her to a number of self-discoveries. “One more thing I can overcome,” she said. “I didn’t know the extent of it, but I knew I could overcome it in a ‘to-do’ mode.”
Flugaur struggled at first with the unknown and waiting for results. “Having to wait for my next surgery was always very hard and scary, and it was always difficult trying to piece everything together, and work things out.
“I constantly wondered if I was making the right decision, if I should go through with the surgery, and if it was as bad as I really thought it was.”
Flugaur, along with her family, was as scared as anyone might expect, but she stated her son was doing very well for his age. She also said that after surgery, she realized how many things she took for granted, including the small details. Putting a shirt on, for example, was hard for her, and she felt it was more difficult to do old activities.
She especially appreciated how staff would constantly reach out to her to make sure she was well; colleagues Andrea Davis and Shelley Swanson were a tremendous help and support.
“I worked with her for 15 years, so knowing that someone myself and the staff cared about was very hard for us all,” Swanson said.
Art educator Kaycie Peck mentioned that seeing her friend in this condition was very saddening for her as well. “Flugaur is a very optimistic person, so it really hit me when I heard the news. To show my support however, I coordinated the support blanket we had made, and had students help piece it together,” Peck said.
The chemo plan Flugaur was on was also hard on both physically and emotionally, as it was a new change, and it took her a while to get used to it.
“I had to wait three weeks for my next surgery where they put a port in. I went in early, and afterwards, started my chemotherapy. It was a tiring eight hours per day.” Flugaur said she continued to do chemo every week for 12 weeks, had lots of lab work done, and if the numbers were good, she would go on to do her treatment. She finished up June 22, and continues to go to targeted therapy every three weeks for the next year.
Despite everything that Flugaur has gone through, she conquered it all, and the students and staff are happy to welcome her back with open arms.