After surgery to remove a growth on her right arm early this year, the Alter High School sophomore made up for lost time. Despite losing more than eight weeks on the court, Boeckman was back as the Knights’ No. 1 singles player this season and qualified for the state tournament, which gets under way Friday, Oct. 23, at Ohio State’s Stickney Tennis Center.
“I’m just ecstatic,” Boeckman said. “I’ve had so much support from my family, friends and coaches to get where I am today. I’m ready for whatever happens next.”
Boeckman isn’t one to shy away from challenges on or off the court. Her biggest challenge of late had nothing to do with tennis. It began when she noticed a small lump, about the size of a pencil eraser, on her scalp in the fall of 2007.
“We had it tested, fully expecting the dermatologist to tell us that the tests were all negative,” Paul Boeckman said. “The real concern started when we heard the message on the machine telling us to call the doctor’s office immediately. That sent a chill down my spine.”
Four dermatologists and four oncologists later, melanoma could still not be ruled out. Katie had undergone an MRI and CT scan and had the lump and several lymph nodes removed. Still there was no definitive diagnosis.
“We wanted to go the extra mile to know for sure,” Paul said.
That took the Boeckmans to the John Wayne Cancer Institute in California in January 2008.
“That’s when it finally hit me that it could be something really bad, that it really was something to be worried about,” Katie said.
But the next doctor’s message brought a sigh of relief. It was not melanoma but Spitz nevus, a generally benign growth that can be difficult to distinguish from melanoma.
Katie, who spends as many as three hours a day on the court, had to make some major lifestyle adjustments, however.
“Sun is the culprit so my doctors really stressed not getting too much sun and, especially, not getting burned,” Katie said.
Despite some initial resistance, the sophomore now doesn’t set foot on the court without her hat.
“I told my mom that there was no way I was going to wear a hat,” she said. “Now, I don’t feel complete without my white Nike hat.”
She slathers on the sunscreen and her family brings a tent to her matches for her and her teammates to protect them from the sun.
Boeckman has had other growths removed from her scalp and arm and there are still ultrasounds and doctor visits that will continue for years.
“I try not to show it or say anything, but I go in to those appointments with butterflies in my stomach thinking, ‘please don’t find anything,’ ” she said. “But I have learned so much from this experience. Most importantly, I realized I can’t take anything for granted.
“And dealing with something like this is a lot like tennis because so much of it is the luck of the draw.”
About the Author