This story first appeared HER Stories - Fall 2024, a biannual special section that features Eastern Iowa women who have experienced powerful paths of achievement for themselves, their families and their communities.

The news came as a shock to Erica Bergfeld-Reed as she sat with her doctor, looking at an ultrasound in April 2022. She was told that those bright-colored masses on the screen were most likely cancerous areas in her breast.

Bergfeld-Reed was 38: the same age her mom Becky was when she lost her battle with cancer.

But after her doctor's appointment that morning, Bergfeld-Reed was expected to work at United Fire Group (UFG) in Cedar Rapids, where she is a corporate strategy manager. She returned to work for the usual busy day of meetings and reports. And throughout her months-long treatment for cancer, she continued to work.

"I worked the entire time," Bergfeld-Reed says. "It was my choice. Work was something I could control at a time when there were things in my life I could not control."

Going to work, holding meetings with the various business units across the company, and finding ways to support them as they execute their plans was a way Bergfeld-Reed wanted to stay connected and continue doing what she does best. It gave her a sense of control and agency during a time when so much was out of her control.

It wasn't easy.

"I had chemo every Wednesday," Bergfeld-Reed remembers. "I also had big 90-minute virtual meetings to lead every Wednesday afternoon. Sometimes I'd be signing in to the meeting 15 minutes after getting home from chemo."

"There were days when I was popping mints and candy the whole time because of nausea," she says. When the call was over, she'd have to lie down.

Overall, UFG was "very flexible" as Bergfeld-Reed underwent treatment, especially later in her treatment when she was on a clinical trial. She found herself having to cancel meetings or take extra days off, but the company continued to be supportive.

"Sometimes it was my coworkers telling me when I needed to stop," she admits.

One of those supportive coworkers is Kelly Dybvig, assistant vice president for organizational development and human resources at UFG, and Bergfeld-Reed's supervisor. Hearing that her coworker had been diagnosed with cancer was completely unexpected.

" It was a wakeup call," Dybvig says. "Erica is one of those people you never think it will happen to. We were all in a bit of shock."

Immediately, Dybvig and other coworkers figured out ways to support their friend and coworker. A Meal Train was organized. People signed up to drive Bergfeld-Reed to chemo appointments and sit with her there. Others visited her -- often just at the door -- because COVID was still a concern.

The UFG running group was a huge source of encouragement and support. "When I was half-way through my chemo treatments, a big group of them ran over to the treatment center with big signs," remembers Bergfeld-Reed. "They stood outside and cheered and sang 'Whoa-oa, we're halfway there!'"

The support meant a lot to Bergfeld-Reed. She and her husband don't have family in town, so at first, they wondered about how they'd get through this time alone. But it turns out they weren't alone at all.

And although Bergfeld-Reed was determined to continue to work throughout her fight with cancer, sometimes coworkers would remind her that it was OK to slow down.

"We reminded her that it was OK to attend meetings virtually, and turn off her camera," Dybvig says. When Bergfeld-Reed confided during a one-on-one meeting that her new wig was itchy, Dybvig encouraged her to skip wearing it.

"I told her 'I don't really care if you take your wig off!'" Dybvig says. "And she just took it off right there." For the rest of her treatment, Bergfeld-Reed skipped the uncomfortable wig and embraced who she was during chemo.

The whole experience -- from diagnosis through treatment, complications, surgery and ongoing recovery -- had a huge impact on the way Bergfeld-Reed views life. Always energetic, positive and driven, she now wants to share her insights about relying on others and the importance of rest with others who face a "curveball in life" like a cancer diagnosis:

Understand what you can and cannot control. Bergfeld-Reed soon found that she wouldn't be able to control how well she felt on any one day. Normally optimistic, she often felt moments of despair. But she discovered that she could control the amount of time she spent in "those sad spots." She found she could also give herself grace on days when she just could not perform at her highest level.

Keep some normalcy. "Find one thing that feels normal -- something you can keep doing. For me, it was staying active," Bergfeld-Reed says. She loved her cross-fit class and decided to find a way to keep going. Over the weeks of energy-draining cancer treatment, she had to "change what 'active' looked like." Sometimes, it just meant showing up to class, even when she knew she wouldn't be able to do all the activities. But she kept going to class and benefitted from the chance to move and be with her classmates.

Ask for help, and let that help come to you. "I was going to drive myself to my first chemo appointment," Bergfeld-Reed says, "but a friend said 'No!' She created a sign-up for all the weeks I needed to go, and it was filled in an hour." It might be hard for strong women, especially ones who are used to giving help, to accept help. But it's essential.

"I accept help not because I am weak, but because the power of love can get you farther than you'd get by yourself," Bergfeld-Reed says.

The last bit of advice is something Bergfeld-Reed never tires of telling her women friends:

"Do your breast self-exams!" she says. "Early detection saved my life. Do this for yourself."