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Teacher up to challenge of beating cancer
Publication Date:4/10/2010 12:41:00 PM
On March 11, 2009, Kim Zarowsky, a Spring resident and physical education teacher at Kaiser Elementary, found blood in her stool and became concerned.
She made an appointment with Dr. Lisa Chen at the Colon and Rectal Clinic for April 1. Zarowsky had a colonoscopy and the doctor discovered a mass the size of a fifty cent piece.
“It was five days of absolute horror. I had to go through a chest and CT scan to see if it had spread. We were going through a lot of prayers,” Zarowsky said.
After a biopsy, Zarowsky’s mass was diagnosed as stage I, grade C cancer. Surgery removed 8 inches of her colon and 16 lymph nodes on May 5, 2009.
Zarowsky, who has no family history of cancer, had nausea and diarrhea prior to the bleeding, but dismissed them as a possible stomach virus.
“This was a complete shock. This was cancer. God guided me through this process. Every symptom could’ve been explained,” Zarowsky said.
She credits Chen with saving her life.
Chen said colon cancer is the second most common cause of cancer death behind lung cancer and most preventable by having a colonoscopy.
“At 41 years old, Kim was very young for this,” Chen said. “She came in within two weeks of the bleeding. Because we caught it so early there wasn’t any chemotherapy or radiation. She’s 90 percent cured. We’re keeping an eye on her. She’s done really well. Sometimes people ignore the symptoms for a long time.”
A study by the American Cancer Society found 90 percent of colon cancer patients with early detection were included in the five-year survival group compared to less than 50 percent of those whose cancer was found at a later stage.
The American Cancer Society recommends people get their first screening colonoscopy for the disease at age 50, earlier if there are additional risk factors like a family history of colon cancer, polyps, inflammatory bowel disease, obesity, sedentary lifestyle, smoking, heavy alcohol consumption and high-fat diet.
Bruce Zarowsky, professor and chair of the kinesiology department at Lone Star College-Tomball, said his wife was “very determined” to see the cancer gone.
“In Kim’s case, this was a wake up call that life is precious,” Bruce said. “It was just a miracle that things happened the way they did. She’s a fighter and has always been. It’s a very redeeming and wonderful quality. I admire her. I share her story every semester with my students.”
Zarowsky, a Jackson, Miss. native, was raised in Humble, with mother and stepfather, Daisy and Fred Taylor as the oldest of three children.
She received her bachelor’s degree in 1995 from the University of Houston and began her 14-year teaching career in Kingwood at Green Tree Elementary.
In 1999, Zarowsky moved to Kaiser Elementary in Klein ISD and pursued her master’s degree in Educational Leadership at Sam Houston State University.
She began a new phase in her career in 2001 after graduating from Sam Houston State University as assistant principal at Heritage Elementary in Spring ISD.
Zarowsky missed being hands-on with her pupils and returned to Kaiser Elementary to teach physical education in 2006.
“I wanted to have fun with the kids. There are so many good things in my life. I’m very blessed to be here and tell my story. I know my faith has seen me through this,” Zarowsky said.
The most important lesson she learned is following your instincts.
“If something looks bad, you have to go to the doctor,” Zarowsky said. Knowledge is power. You have to take care of yourself because people love you.”
In her free time, Zarowsky enjoys spending time outdoors with husband, Bruce Zarowsky and their daughter, Kyleigh.
by Valerie Sweeten
