Ocean Views

Alumni Profile: Ann Feneis

Ann Feneis ‘93 was not always a runner. Feneis, the Executive Assistant to the Vice President of Finance at OCC, began running after she and husband Kevin returned from a vacation four years ago. It was shortly after the birth of their son, one of the couple’s three children. She initially joined a gym to get in shape, but for the days when she was short on time, she began to jog outside.

While attending Point Pleasant Borough high school, Feneis played tennis and softball, but, as she pointed out, she was “never a runner!”

However, she quickly took to the healthy pursuit, and was soon running multiple miles daily. While on maternity leave, she would begin her day began with a spin class at the gym and a run in the evening.

In 2007, her husband suggested that she participate in a duathlon on Long Beach Island. She trained hard and completed the race, which consisted of a 1.5-mile run, a 13-mile bike ride, and then a 5K run. Throughout the next year, Feneis competed in 5Ks for Breast Cancer Awareness and marathon relays for local fundraisers that she ran with family, friends, and co-workers.

In May of 2008, during a self-examination, Feneis found a lump in her right breast. Following a mammogram, she had the tumor removed for biopsy.

The next week, the doctor confirmed that Feneis had breast cancer – invasive ductile carcinoma, Stage II, an aggressive cancer that required a mastectomy. “I was in shock,” she remembers.

“We decided to get a second opinion,” Feneis added, but the results were the same.

She was diagnosed with HER2 positive breast cancer, which tends to be more aggressive than other types of breast cancer.

Feneis’s husband soon became an expert on his wife’s diagnosis and always asked questions of the medical staff that cared for her as she fought the disease. On the numerous doctor visits, the Feneises relied on each other for support, and, at home, they worked together to communicate the realities of the situation to their two daughters.

“The girls knew about cancer because their step-grandmother passed away from cancer in 2005,” said Feneis. “They were close with her so they were aware of the disease.”

When they told their daughters, “Mommy has cancer,” the girls’ initial reaction was concern, but the couple was determined to help keep their children optimistic, telling them, “We have good doctors,” “I will get better,” and “Mommy will lose her hair…but it will grow back.” The circumstances even led their younger daughter to take on the shared responsibility of cooking with her mother, a bond that continues today.

In addition to spending quality time with her family, Feneis continued to run daily prior to her surgery, as a way to “get lost in my thoughts… It was a time to reflect.”

On July 14, 2008, Feneis had a mastectomy to remove her right breast, and in September, she started her first round of chemotherapy. For two months, she had sessions of chemo every other Monday. The second round of chemo was weekly, for a total of eight sessions.

In tandem with the chemotherapy, Feneis received Herceptin via IV to target the HER2 by killing the cancer cells and decreasing the risk of recurrence. She had the Herceptin weekly for one year, and did not experience any side effects. The chemo, however, caused nausea, body aches, hair loss, and weight gain.

Feneis completed her chemotherapy in December 2008, but in February of the next year she needed to start radiation – five days a week for six weeks – the effects of which included fatigue and burning at the mastectomy site.

In March 2009, Feneis returned to work in the OCC Accounting Department. “I was so ready to come back!” she recalled. Her colleagues organized a “welcome back” party, but Feneis had to call out sick that day and missed the gathering.

She eventually returned again to colleagues who were extremely supportive. “It was nice to come back to everyone,” said Feneis, who expressed how especially grateful she is for her boss, Sara Winchester, OCC Vice President of Finance. “She has been so great.”

Feneis, who has now been with OCC for 12 years, continued to work through the spring and into summer, then took a leave of absence for reconstructive surgery. By August, she was back at work, and she was also given approval to begin exercising.

She soon had a workout goal – completing the Treasure Island Solo Kayak Triathlon, in Point Pleasant – comprised of a 1.5-mile kayak leg, a 10.5-mile bike ride, and a 5K run. Feneis had less than two months to train, but she was determined. She started power walking, and then built up her endurance and began jogging. In a few weeks, she could run a 5K, but still needed to incorporate the kayaking and biking components into her training. Feneis began to wake up at 6:00 a.m. to kayak, and then bike or run, before work, and would train after work as well.

The September race day arrived, accompanied by heavy rain and gusty wind. Despite the weather, Feneis still competed. She finished the event in one hour, 47 minutes, and 37 seconds.

Reflecting on her experience with breast cancer, Feneis said she believes her exercise regimen saved her. First, because she was mentally and physically fit when she began her treatment, and, now that she is cancer free, “It’s a lifestyle that helps me stay focused and gives me energy.”

Ocean Views
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Ocean Views - Winter 2010/2011

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