Ms. Pat Dunlay teaches despite cancer

Last December, English teacher Pat Dunlay woke up with a severe pain in her back and immediately went to the doctor. Dunlay was initially diagnosed with lung cancer, but upon closer inspection doctors discovered the fluid build up in her lungs was caused by breast cancer, which is more easily treated. Although the news of the changed diagnosis was promising, eight days later Dunlay discovered the blood fluid had filled up again and received surgery the next day. Dunlay’s life changed in about a week going from a healthy woman to living with breast cancer.

“This has been a tough year,” Dunlay said. “I am more tired than ever and it’s not just the pain I have to endure.”

Dunlay continues to teach and now has the cancer under control. Although the surgery was unsuccessful in removing the cancer, Dunlay considers herself lucky because she does not have to receive chemotherapy. Dunlay takes medication once a day in hopes that the cancerous tumor will “shrink” until it is so small that it is insignificant. Along with the side effects of the medicine, Dunlay still suffers from pain from the first surgery.

“[The doctors] told me it was a terrible surgery, but what would I know?” Dunlay said. “I had never really had surgery like that before.”

Dunlay currently has positron emission tomography, or PET, scans every three months to monitor the cancer and according to Dunlay, every one that comes back clean is something to celebrate.

Dunlay continues teaching, making this her 21st year at STA. Dunlay currently teaches various English and literature courses including AP literature/college composition and world literature as well as junior and senior English electives British literature and contemporary literature.

“I mostly love the fact that I can be teaching something I love,” Dunlay said. “I love literature, I love language, and I love the fact that I empower young women. I can [empower young women], I think I can, and I feel like I do.”

Senior Laura Yeradi, who took Dunlay’s World Literature class sophomore year and is currently taking British Literature, said Dunlay is known for her advanced teaching style preparing students for college level classes. Yeradi has noticed the cancer affecting Dunlay physically but has seen little changes in her personality. Ã‚Â Yeradi says Dunlay has stayed the same loud and vibrant woman that she has always been.

“[Dunlay] really has a passion for what she teaches, and doesn’t let the cancer get to her,” Yeradi said.

According to junior Katie Pautler who was previously in Dunlay’s advisory, the girls in the advisory were shocked when they found out the news of her cancer.

“I found out [about Dunlay’s cancer] Christmas break and didn’t believe it at first,” Pautler said. “It was really scary, the first thing people in the advisory had to do was reassure me that she would be okay.”

Because of the daily struggles she endures, Dunlay and previous principal of academic affairs Nancy Hand mutually decided that Dunlay should no longer have the commitment of an advisory to make things easier for her. For the 2009-2010 school year, Dunlay’s advisory made changes including Ms. Jeanella Clark as a new advisor and moving from the M&A Building to Donnelly Hall.

“Clark is a new advisor so she isn’t quite as comfortable,” Pautler said. “It’s a little bit harder because she doesn’t know us as well as Ms. Dunlay. [Dunlay] would give us advice because she knew us so well, but we’re all making the best of it.”

Dunlay is not yet ready to give up teaching, even if that means making changes such as loosing her advisory.

“They’re having to get used to the idea [of changing advisories], but they will,” Dunlay said. “They’re all happy I am getting a bit of a rest.”

According to Dunlay, she puts almost all of her energy into being a teacher here at STA.

“I am kind of living one day at a time,” Dunlay said. “I would like to remain teaching as long as I can but I would just like to feel back to my normal self.”