After 35 years supporting patients, an AdventHealth Waterman leader becomes one

For 35 years, Karen Ivison has helped others through uncertain moments.

As manager of volunteer services at AdventHealth Waterman, she leads more than 200 volunteers who assist patients and families each day, offering directions, comfort and a steady presence inside the hospital.

Last year, she found herself in the role she had long supported: as a patient facing her own diagnosis.

It started with a routine mammogram.

In the weeks leading up to it, Ivison had already been thinking about how quickly life can shift.

During a summer trip to Hawaii to celebrate her 10th wedding anniversary, a tsunami warning forced her and her husband to evacuate their hotel.

“We were trying to get to the 19th floor, just praying,” Ivison said. “You don’t expect something like that. It comes out of nowhere.”

Not long after returning home, she faced another moment she hadn’t expected.

After her screening mammogram, Dr. Patricia Geraghty, a diagnostic radiologist at AdventHealth Waterman, recommended further evaluation.

“When we see something that isn’t clearly normal, it’s important to follow it through,” Geraghty said. “That extra imaging can help us catch cancer before it has a chance to grow or spread.”

The follow-up led to a diagnosis: ductal carcinoma in situ, or DCIS, also known as stage 0 breast cancer. This meant her cancer was caught very early, before the abnormal cells had spread beyond the milk duct.

For Ivison, the hardest part came in the days between tests and answers.

“The waiting game was just so difficult,” she said. “You are anxious and nervous. You try to stay strong for everyone else, but inside, you’re asking yourself questions you don’t have answers to.”

Once she had her diagnosis, things moved quickly.

General surgeon Dr. Christopher Keeler, performed her lumpectomy, and Dr. Shivam Kharod, her radiation oncologist, prepared her for 30 rounds of radiation treatment with clarity and care.

In just a few months, she went from routine screening to completing treatment; a timeline made possible by early detection.

Geraghty said that’s exactly why screening matters.

“Staying up to date on mammograms is one of the most important steps women can take for their health,” she said. “When we find cancer early, it’s often highly treatable and outcomes are much better.”

Throughout her treatment, Ivison was surrounded not only by her care team, but also by the community she has long served.

Karen formed a team, “KK Strong,” to take part in the AdventHealth Waterman Foundation’s Shades of Hope 5K, an annual event that brings together patients, families and caregivers to support one another and raise funds for local cancer programs. Last year, 450 participants came together and raised $48,000 to support cancer care in the community. 

Now, she is preparing to walk again with her team at this year’s 5K on Sunday, Sept. 20 at Lake Yale Baptist Conference Center, continuing to stand alongside others and offer hope through shared experience. 

Today, Ivison is back at AdventHealth Waterman, continuing the work she has done for decades with a deeper understanding of those she serves.

“I used to help people through moments like this,” Ivison said. “Now I know what it feels like to be on the other side of that care.”