Nurse practitioner advocates for caregivers and patients during cancer fight

Nikki Timms knows the importance of self-care, not just as an Intermountain Health provider, but also as a patient. ?She was diagnosed with cancer three years ago and made sure she prioritized herself to avoid burnout. ?Nikki realized if she wasn't good to herself, she couldn't be good to her patients. ?Since then, Nikki has made it her mission to fight for her health and for others in need of support to promote resiliency.

Nikki is a nurse practitioner who works at both Summerlin Hospital and Mountain View Hospital in Las Vegas, where she rounds with Intermountain patients. In October 2020, she felt more fatigued than normal.? As a healthy young woman, she attributed this to her workload and raising three children, including a newborn. “I thought eventually [I] would start getting better, and it never [did],” she said. “I started to have symptoms, like throat swelling. I couldn't swallow as well. That's when I knew something was not right.”

Tests revealed a mass on her pelvis.? Additional biopsies led to her being diagnosed with stage four follicular lymphoma, a chronic, incurable form of Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma (NHL). Despite this news, Nikki was reassured. “I knew I had some form of cancer,” she said. “I knew something wasn't right based off my symptoms. I didn't want to speculate, but deep down inside, I knew. It's kind of a relief to know this is what's wrong.”

Through coordination with her clinic team and Intermountain specialists, Nikki began chemotherapy and immunotherapy in February 2021, balancing her treatments with working full-time as much as possible. She cited her Intermountain leadership and colleagues for supporting her.

“Life will throw you curveballs. What you do with them is on you. You can still make choices that can make you have a good life.”

It was important to stay active, keep her mind sharp, and set a positive example for her children. “I wanted to keep my kids’ lives as normal as possible,” she said. “It also helps focusing on other people and helping them. If I sit at home all day long, what is that going to do to me mentally? I need to fight.” It was this mindset that drove her to tell her oldest son about her condition. “I want him to know life will throw you curveballs. What you do with them is on you,” she said. “You can still make choices that can make you have a good life. I want [my kids] to see that you get dealt a hand, do something with it.”

This lesson was reinforced by Nikki’s father, who was diagnosed a year before her with lung cancer. As they went through chemotherapy together, he related his experience with Nikki to motivate her to stay strong.?

“It helped because I had somebody who would enlighten me," she said.? "He [said], ‘You have you have two choices: Either you fight, or you let yourself succumb to it.’ You have to make a decision, and some people can't handle that much of a blanket statement. But having him do that and be there has given me more strength to focus.”

Nikki acknowledged she had to get over feeling embarrassed that, as a provider, she’s supposed to give help but now was the one who needed it. “When I [became] comfortable sharing my story with patients or other people going through the same struggle, [I] could see [myself] connect with them on a different level,” she said. "It was helping them come to terms with what was going on.”?

She said health professionals must avoid the stigma and burnout of self-care. “You can be a great provider and also be a patient and get help with things you need,” Nikki said. “I have my physicians and my team because that's what I need, and it's OK to need those things. It doesn't affect me as being competent at my job.”

“You can be a great provider and also be a patient and get help with things you need. ?

In 2023, Nikki was named the 2023 Honored Hero by the Las Vegas Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. She began working with the organization for community outreach, sharing what she's learned, and reminding other patients they are not alone in their fight. Specifically, Nikki wants to focus on assisting patients not only with physical care but the mental component. “This disease is exhausting,” she said. “Mental health needs to be normalized in cancer patients; that's number one. I feel the hardest part of your journey is your mental health. I can endure anything physically. Mental fights [are] the hardest.” Another advantage of sharing her story publicly is bringing more attention to patient resources, like medical care, finances, or insurance.?

After six rounds of therapy, Nikki was officially in remission in July 2021.? As of 2023, she continues her maintenance therapy, started her last cycle of immunotherapy, and works full-time. She credited both her personal and work families for helping her on this journey. She also thanked the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society for giving her an opportunity to amplify her voice. “I love groups like LLS because it's [about] getting those messages out there,” Nikki said. “When I [was] diagnosed, I looked for other people's stories. Getting your story out there empowers others.”

Nikki encouraged other similarly afflicted patients to seek out the resources that best fit their needs, especially for mental health. “Reach out and talk to somebody," she said. "You have to prioritize yourself.”?

She knows the first step can be the hardest, but she’s willing to help guide someone through the process, no matter if it’s in the clinic or through community outreach. “I love taking care of people. I love trying to help them be their best versions of themselves,” she said.

On November 4, Nikki attended Light the Night, an annual walk that both recognizes those impacted by blood cancer and helps raises money for cancer research. Looking ahead, Nikki wants to keep focusing on her recovery and her family. She also hopes to further her education and career, saying, “I’m going to continue to live.”