It’s no secret…women are different.
Throughout your journey as a woman, you have special health needs. Lakeland is committed to offering exemplary care in each stage of life. Whether you are preparing for a birth, managing menopause symptoms, or diagnosing any number of disorders we are ready for you.
As a wife, partner, daughter, friend, mother, you make decisions every day about the care and well-being of those around you. By choosing women’s health at Spectrum Health Lakeland, you can be confident that you’ve made the right decision for you, so you can be at your best—for yourself and those who depend on you.
It’s your journey. And we’ll be right beside you with the skills and expertise you need to ensure you get the most advanced and thorough care possible.
We help with a variety of services and can provide care for:
Breast Care
Cancer
Depression
Gynecology
Heart and vascular care
Incontinence, bladder, and pelvic health
Miscarriage support
Osteoporosis
Pregnancy care
Routine well-woman exams, PAP smear and cervical cancer screenings
Weight management
We all have a story to share.
We provide personalized health care to ensure you have the best possible experience while in our care. Each individual treatment and care plan at Lakeland is just as unique as your are. We are your partners in your health care journey.
Women throughout Southwest Michigan and beyond share their health care experiences at Spectrum Health Lakeland in the stories below.
Do you have a story to share? Click on the "What's Your Story" button and complete the form.
What's Your Story?
Sep 8, 2017 Reporting from Niles, MI
Catching Cancer Early - Kellie Tyler
https://www.spectrumhealthlakeland.org/medical-services/womens-health-services/Detail/Catching-Cancer-Early/502369ad-c230-6723-add8-ff0100ca780f/
Sep 8, 2017
Sep 8, 2017
SpectrumHealth Lakeland
Cancer didn’t run in her family and for the last 17 years her mammograms came back clear. So at age 57, when a 1.3 centimeter mass appeared in her right breast, Baroda resident, Kellie Tyler, was shocked. “When the biopsy came back as can
Catching Cancer Early - Kellie Tyler
SpectrumHealth Lakeland
https://www.spectrumhealthlakeland.org/ResourcePackages/SpectrumHealth/assets/img/sh_white_logo.png
Catching Cancer Early - Kellie Tyler
Sep, 2017
Physicians: Benjamin Gielda, MD
Cancer didn’t run in her family and for the last 17 years her mammograms came back clear. So at age 57, when a 1.3 centimeter mass appeared in her right breast, Baroda resident, Kellie Tyler, was shocked.
“When the biopsy came back as cancerous, I immediately started crying–I was very scared,” said Kellie. “My primary care provider was very encouraging and let me know that the cancer was only at Stage 1 which was the best-case scenario. She immediately got the ball rolling and referred me to the [Corewell Health] Marie Yeager Cancer Center.”
Kellie’s fears continued to lessen after meeting with nurse navigator, Shelley Wilkinson, RN, CBCN, who answered many questions. Shelley also informed Kellie that, because her breast cancer was at Stage 1, she was a candidate for a newer treatment, intraoperative radiation therapy (IORT). IORT delivers radiation at the time of surgery, following tumor removal. For many patients this eliminates the need for an additional six weeks of radiation.
“My care team remained so positive throughout the entire experience,” said Kellie. “They were extremely confident in the technology available here and that made me feel very safe.”
A few weeks following her initial diagnosis a general surgeon performed lumpectomy surgery to remove the cancerous cells. While still under anesthesia, radiation oncologist, Benjamin Gielda, MD, delivered a dose of radiation directly to the tumor bed.
“Of course, I was a little sore after the surgery but overall, everything healed really well,” said Kellie. “I’m so thankful I could be treated close to home and didn’t have to drive a long distance back and forth to appointments every day.”
Although the surgery had removed the cancerous cells and Kellie was now “cancer free,” a follow up blood test confirmed that her specific type of breast cancer was estrogen-fed. This put her at a higher likelihood for the cancer to return. As a precaution her oncologist recommended Kellie undergo four additional chemotherapy treatments.
“No one wants to go through chemo and I was very hesitant at first,” said Kellie. “But I trusted my care team and knew they had my best interests in mind. During my chemo treatments the staff at the Marie Yeager Cancer Center were amazing. They got me everything I needed right away and tried to make me as comfortable as possible.”
As she neared her last chemotherapy treatment, Kellie reflected back on the importance of early detection.
“Getting a regular mammogram is so important–it truly does save lives,” she said. “My cancer was so small that I likely would have never known it was there without a mammogram and the tumor would have just continued to grow.”
Kellie is also proud to say that, since her diagnosis, both her sisters and two women she works with have scheduled their mammogram appointments.