{"id":19447,"date":"2018-11-12T10:00:30","date_gmt":"2018-11-12T17:00:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/?p=19447"},"modified":"2021-09-07T17:20:08","modified_gmt":"2021-09-07T23:20:08","slug":"hockey-mom-fights-aggressive-opponent-in-cancer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/hockey-mom-fights-aggressive-opponent-in-cancer\/","title":{"rendered":"Hockey mom fights aggressive opponent in cancer"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>
\"old
The Pekara family shows off their \u0093old time hockey\u0094 shirts in this old Christmas photo. Photo courtesy of the Pekara family.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Mary Pekara\u2019s love for hockey started at age 6. She\u2019d sit next to her father in their suburban Chicago kitchen after dinner, or in his car, listening to Blackhawks\u2019 radio broadcasts.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe games were televised at that time but not often, so we listened to them on the radio,\u201d Mary recalled. \u201cIt was our time together.\u201d<\/p>\n

But it wasn\u2019t until she was 21 \u2014 with a new man by her side \u2014 that Mary got to see the hockey stars she had only heard of play. Her employer, who knew how much she loved the game, gave her all of their Sunday home-game season tickets.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy husband, Bryan, who was my fiance at the time, attended all the games with me at the old Chicago Stadium,\u201d Mary said. \u201cI finally had the opportunity to see many hockey legends play, including Stan Mikita, Bobby Hull, Tony Esposito and Keith Magnuson. It was an awesome experience, especially cheering on the Blackhawks with the old stadium\u2019s iconic pipe organ.\u201d<\/p>\n

The couple married in 1981 and moved to Fort Collins. Their love for hockey continued.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe attended several Colorado Rockies hockey games at McNichols Arena,\u201d she said. \u201cThat year was the first time we saw Wayne Gretzky play \u2014 what a memorable experience.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Colorado Rockies were a NHL team in Denver from 1976 to 1982.<\/p>\n

\"family
Pekara family stands beside the Stanley Cup in Feb. 2001 when it was in Denver for the NHL All-Star game.\u00a0Photo courtesy of the Pekara family.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Mary said the players\u2019 motivation and teamwork always inspired her. And it was those values that she instilled in her sons as they began to play hockey \u2013 guidance that served them through their childhood, both on and off the ice. Now, years later, as she battles her second diagnosis of cancer, she pulls from those same ideals.<\/p>\n

Hockey heaven<\/strong><\/h3>\n

In 1995, the Pekara family was thrilled when the Nordiques moved from Canada to become the Colorado Avalanche. The following year, Mary\u2019s boys \u2014 then 5 and 7 \u2014 had just started competitive hockey when the Avalanche defeated the Florida Panthers in a four-game sweep to win their first Stanley Cup.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll never forget staying up and watching the game four marathon \u2014 three overtime periods \u2014 to win the first cup,\u201d Mary exclaimed. \u201cThat was an exciting yet nail-biting game.\u201d<\/p>\n

She treasures the memories she and Bryan have shared — watching the 1980s USA Olympic Hockey team win the gold \u2013 and attending all of those NHL games. But the best memories, Mary said, are those of watching her sons play.<\/p>\n

The hockey mom<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Bryan, now 29, is a forward, and Joe, 27, a goalie. As kids, the two practiced in the driveway nearly every day for hours, making each other better and more competitive, Mary said.<\/p>\n

\"Bryan
Bryan Jr. played hockey for Colorado State University and became an all-star senior.\u00a0Photo courtesy of the Pekara family.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Mary spent more than 10 years managing their youth teams. She served on committees, helped with fundraisers and organized details.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat I really appreciate now, which I probably didn\u2019t back then, is the amount of time she put in,\u201d Joe said. \u201cShe didn\u2019t just drop us off and leave. She stuck around and got to know the people I played with and their moms. We built a lot of friendships through hockey.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bryan Sr. volunteered, too, as the scorekeeper or fulfilling penalty box duties. The family traveled to Denver for the Avalanche Freeze Play Clinics at McNichols and attended two state championships \u2014 Bryan Jr.\u2019s team won both \u2014 in peewee and midget leagues.<\/p>\n

\"Golly
Mary\u0092s youngest son, Joe, playing hockey. Joe was 2009 Northern Colorado Youth Hockey player of the year.\u00a0Photo courtesy of the Pekara family.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Joe said hockey helped him come out of his shell, but Mary contests that it did that and much more.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe boys learned so many life skills through hockey, such as leadership; accountability; respect; balancing home, school and sports; teamwork; ethics; friendships; success; disappointments and hard work,\u201d she said. \u201cAs a hockey mom, I enjoyed watching my sons play and develop their talent and skills while supporting their passion.\u201d<\/p>\n

Breast cancer diagnosis<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\"Mary
Mary Pekara.\u00a0Photo courtesy of the Pekara family.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

At the start of her sons\u2019 teenage years, Mary was diagnosed with breast cancer. She underwent a lumpectomy and radiation treatment, and was able to spend her kids\u2019 prime hockey years in remission.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe had some great road trips, and it was enjoyable to be with them and their teammates,\u201d Mary said.<\/p>\n

They traveled all over the United States, from Washington, D.C., to California, as well as into Canada. \u00a0In 2009, Joe was named Northern Colorado Youth Hockey Player of the Year. Bryan Jr. went on to play for Colorado State University and became an all-star senior.<\/p>\n

Then, \u00a0in 2016, cancer returned.<\/p>\n

A \u2018poorly written soap opera\u2019<\/strong><\/h3>\n

In August of that year, Mary had a mastectomy to address her returning breast cancer. The cancer had not spread, but three weeks after her surgery, doctors found a mass on her lung. Despite having never been a smoker, Mary also had stage 4 lung cancer.<\/p>\n

Cancer is prevalent in Mary\u2019s family, as many direct relatives have been touched by cancer at some point in their lifetimes.<\/p>\n

The same week Mary had her mastectomy, her brother was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer. He was a smoker, Mary said, and three weeks later he had a stroke and developed blood clots.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere wasn\u2019t anything the doctors could do, so he went home to hospice care, and the next day, I found out I had a lung mass,\u201d she said. \u201cThree weeks later I started chemotherapy, and the week after that he passed away. I never told him I also had lung cancer.\u201d<\/p>\n

The opponent<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\"Mary
Mary Pekara at the UCHealth Cancer Center – Harmony Campus in Fort Collins.\u00a0Photo courtesy of the Pekara family.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Mary\u2019s cancer is aggressive. It has spread throughout her body, including her brain, liver and bones. She\u2019s had several rounds of radiation, which have been successful, and she\u2019s also had three brain stereotactic radiotherapy surgeries to remove 35 \u00a0tumors.<\/p>\n

\u201cMary has had five lines of treatment, but unfortunately, her disease has been relentlessly progressing,\u201d said Dr. Diana Medgyesy<\/a>, Mary\u2019s UCHealth oncologist in northern Colorado. \u201cBut Mary is a fighter, and she always comes to the office with a smile on her face despite the multiple side effects from the treatment.\u201d<\/p>\n

It is Mary\u2019s positive attitude and lack of fear that have gotten her so far, Medgyesy continued, as well as her trust in her medical team and compliance with their prescribed treatment.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe really are like a hockey team,\u201d Medgyesy said. \u201cElectronic records are a powerful tool that keeps us all connected and makes communication among Mary\u2019s specialists very easy. We can message each other in minutes and communicate with the patient. Everyone on her team knows and understands the plan, what are the next steps, and can communicate their thoughts so that she gets the most streamlined care possible.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mary has recently started targeted therapy \u2014 medication that shuts down a cancer-cell pathway that drives the growth of the cancer cell.<\/p>\n

\"family
A past year\u0092s Christmas letter photo. Mary, Bryan Jr., Joe and Bryan Pekara are all hockey fans.\u00a0Photo courtesy of the Pekara family.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Hockey fights cancer<\/strong><\/h3>\n

There are similarities between hockey and battling cancer, Mary said. It\u2019s a daily battle in which one must keep a positive attitude, maintain the motivation to keep fighting and work as a team member.<\/p>\n

\u201cBecause no one can fight alone,\u201d she said. \u201cI don\u2019t dwell on why I have stage 4 cancer. Instead, I focus on what is next \u2014 what can we do now?\u201d<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not unlike how hockey players, win or lose, move on to the next game, Mary added.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m grateful for every moment and the tremendous support of my family, friends, coworkers and even complete strangers. I call them my guardian angel network,\u201d she said. \u201cNo one fights cancer alone, and I am thankful every day for my team of supporters.\u201d<\/p>\n

Her son, Joe, says that his mother is the \u201cstrongest woman I know.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n

\u201cHe gave me a flower card with that saying on it after surgery, and I keep it in my purse always,\u201d Mary said. \u201cHe always reminds how strong I am and to keep fighting.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hockey Fights Cancer is a national initiative to raise awareness of cancer. Mary will be among those recognized with special ceremonies prior to puck drop and throughout the 7 p.m. Nov. 16th Colorado Avalanche vs. Washington Capitals game at the Pepsi Center. <\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Mary Pekara\u2019s love for hockey started at age 6. She\u2019d sit next to her father in their suburban Chicago kitchen after dinner, or in his car, listening to Blackhawks\u2019 radio broadcasts. \u201cThe games were televised at that time but not often, so we listened to them on the radio,\u201d Mary recalled. \u201cIt was our time […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2164,"featured_media":19449,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[28,773],"class_list":["post-19447","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-stories","tag-cancer-care-oncology","tag-colorado-avalanche"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nHockey mom fights aggressive opponent in cancer - UCHealth Today<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"There are similarities between hockey and battling cancer. 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