08/12/2025
❗️Our 2025 Benefit Tractor Pull Recipient is Keasha Bockenstedt & family of New Vienna! ❗️
Hey there! My husband Nick and I live just outside of New Vienna, we manage a cattle and crop farm while raising our three kids—Keaton (5), Tinley (4), and Cade (2). Nick works for Top Grade Excavating and I work from home as a Virtual Assistant; although I have had to scale back to part-time due to my cancer diagnosis, I assist businesses across the nation.
In August 2024, at just 34 years old, our lives were turned upside down. I discovered a small area of thickened tissue in my breast. After undergoing a mammogram and ultrasound, a surgeon was rushed in for an emergency biopsy. That day, I was immediately told “my left side is covered, and there are lymph nodes affected.” The following week, I received a diagnosis of Stage 3 Triple Positive Invasive Ductal Carcinoma Breast Cancer, with tumors and cancer detected in five lymph nodes. I was young. I was healthy. I was in complete shock.
My treatment plan was aggressive from the very beginning:
✓ 6 rounds of intense TCHP chemotherapy
✓ A double mastectomy
✓ Proton radiation at Mayo Clinic
✓ A full year of TDM-1 chemotherapy through November 2025
✓ A decade of targeted therapy ahead
The chemotherapy reduced my tumor from 10 cm to 1 cm before my surgery on December 30, 2024. Although the surgery successfully removed all tumors with clear margins, some living cancer cells remained, indicating that my journey was far from over. I enrolled in a clinical trial at Mayo Clinic—one that could enhance outcomes for women like me. Every three weeks, I travel to Rochester for chemotherapy. Choosing to be a part of the trial is a risk, but I'm willing to take any chance to give myself the best shot at remaining cancer-free.
Because a suspicious, darkened lymph node was located beneath my sternum—close to my heart and lungs—Mayo Clinic strongly recommended Proton Radiation, a highly targeted treatment that could reach areas surgery couldn’t, while protecting vital organs. In March, I completed 16 rounds and celebrated by ringing the bell with our children by my side. But as many know, cancer’s path is rarely smooth. 5 months after radiation, I developed an infection that led to a long hospitalization and emergency surgery to remove one of my tissue expanders, temporarily pausing my chemotherapy. Thankfully, treatment has resumed, and I’m now working toward completing all 14 rounds of TDM-1 by Christmas.
Because my cancer was fueled by hormones, I’ll be on long-term medications for 10 years to help keep it from coming back. These treatments work by blocking the hormones that could trigger cancer to grow again. It’s completely unfair—and definitely not the easiest part of the journey—but it’s a necessary step to protect my health and give me the best chance at staying cancer-free.
I never imagined being in this position—but cancer doesn’t wait for the right time. What felt like “just thick tissue” turned out to be so much more.
This journey has tested me in every way, but I’m still standing—thanks to faith, family, friends, and the support of our small-town community. Your love and encouragement mean more than words can say. Thank you for standing with us. 💕
Keep an eye out for a signup link and for information on donations coming this week.
