Monday, March 17, 2014
Ongoing... Cancer survivors commentary
Each of the stories told a lot about each survivor. the survivors had many hardships to encounter. some of them though they weren't going to make it, and others had all the confidence in the world. They were all very pleasing of their doctors and very thankful . all of them had to undergo chemotherapy. some of them had great accomplishments even thought they had cancer. One lady wished to see her daughters graduate and with the help of her doctor, she did.
cancer Survivor #5
The right treatment for me
My doctors at CTCA recommended that I receive intraoperative radiation therapy (IORT). With this approach, radiation is administered once during surgery.
My mother had a mastectomy in 1964, as did two of my aunts on her side of the family. None of them died from cancer. This family history was a major factor in figuring out the appropriate treatment for me. I also wanted something as minimally invasive as possible so I could get on with my life as soon as possible. The IORT procedure provided me that.
Yet there was still some unknown. Until the surgery was done, no one can say for sure how large the malignancy was. Fortunately, the tumor turned out to be just .47 cm, and I had a minimal number of lymph nodes removed (three).
The night after my surgery, I slept well. Hospitals are often noisy, but at CTCA, the nurse came to ask if I’d like the door closed and the lights out. After a good night’s rest, I was ready to go home the next day.
Cancer Survivor #4
Overview
- Cancer: Stage IIIB breast cancer
- Diagnosed: 2004
- Treatments received:Chemotherapy, TomoTherapy®, hysterectomy, bilateral salpingo-oopherectomy, nutrition therapy,naturopathic medicine, lymphedema management, acupuncture
- Treatment at: CTCA at Midwestern Regional Medical Center
- Care team:
- Milestones:
- Saw both of her daughters graduate from high school
- Watched daughter Larinda get married
- Built a successful business with her husband Michael
- Traveled to Alaska, Ireland and Las Vegas
- Watched Michael and her daughters graduate from the Fire Academy and become firefighters
- Attended Celebrate Life® in 2009 as a five-year survivor
My story
When I found out that I had cancer, I decided that I was going to make cancer the best thing that ever happened to me, not the worst. At 39 years old I was diagnosed with stage IIIB breast cancer and had a double mastectomy. I’d been told the cancer had spread to my lymph nodes and bloodstream, and I had a 49 percent survival rate. I was not about to accept those odds!
My husband, Michael, had lost his dad to colon cancer two years earlier and he was determined it wasn’t going to happen to me. He went online and learned about the integrative care offered at Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA). He spoke with an Oncology Information Specialist about the program at CTCA and within a couple of hours, he had set up an appointment for me and announced that we were flying to Chicago. It was more than 2,000 miles from my home in Vernonia, Oregon, outside of Portland, but the distance didn’t faze me in the least. I wanted to live, and I was going to do what it took to make sure I survived.
My first day at CTCA at Midwestern Regional Medical Center, I knew I was in the right place. They offered me so much more than my local doctors had. I underwent a variety of diagnostic tests to help my care team determine where the cancer was in my body and how we needed to treat it. When I met my oncologist, Dr. Citrin, he told me we were going to attack my cancer from every direction possible. My treatment plan consisted of three different chemotherapy drugs delivered in fractionated doses every three weeks, eight weeks of radiation that included TomoTherapy® radiation (given by another one of my favorites, Dr. Eden), and two final doses of chemo. A complete hysterectomy was recommended and performed by Dr. Williams once these treatments were completed.
Not only was my treatment program designed to kill the cancer, it also nurtured me and prepared me for life after cancer, with things like nutrition support, massage, and acupuncture to fight my disease on all fronts. Sharon Day, my nutritionist, re-educated my family and me about how to eat and what to eat. She even grocery-shopped for us and told us what to look for in our foods. My naturopathic clinician, Lise, recommended supplements to help me cope with the side effects of chemo and radiation, and helped me establish a long-term supplemental regimen to stay healthy.
Being away from my family and friends during treatment was hard at times, but a blessing as well. I missed them and worried about them, but it gave me time to reflect and heal. The time I spent alone really put things into perspective and I addressed some anxiety issues I had struggled with long before my cancer. I felt strongly that my stress and negative thoughts had contributed to my getting sick. I wanted to take responsibility for how I got this sick, and then change course.
I also appreciated the support of my family and friends. My husband Michael was at every chemo round, and we included my daughters and Mom on a visit so they could be reassured that I was in the best hands possible, which was important for them to feel good about the care I was receiving. During my nine-week stay for radiation, my Mom was able to spend a few weeks with me and a very dear friend, Mary, also spent a week with me.
Today, I still travel more than 2,000 miles for my yearly checkups at CTCA. Each visit, I see my entire care team and get the full deal, from a massage, to physical therapy, acupuncture, nutrition, naturopathic medicine, and of course my primary care doctors. During my last visit, it was wonderful to hear Dr. Eden tell me he never needed to see me again! Of course, I will stop by every year to say “hi” but I am happy to no longer be his patien
Cancer Survivor #3
When I found out that I had cancer, I decided that I was going to make cancer the best thing that ever happened to me, not the worst. At 39 years old I was diagnosed with stage IIIB breast cancer and had a double mastectomy. I’d been told the cancer had spread to my lymph nodes and bloodstream, and I had a 49 percent survival rate. I was not about to accept those odds!
My husband, Michael, had lost his dad to colon cancer two years earlier and he was determined it wasn’t going to happen to me. He went online and learned about the integrative care offered at Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA). He spoke with an Oncology Information Specialist about the program at CTCA and within a couple of hours, he had set up an appointment for me and announced that we were flying to Chicago. It was more than 2,000 miles from my home in Vernonia, Oregon, outside of Portland, but the distance didn’t faze me in the least. I wanted to live, and I was going to do what it took to make sure I survived.
My first day at CTCA at Midwestern Regional Medical Center, I knew I was in the right place. They offered me so much more than my local doctors had. I underwent a variety of diagnostic tests to help my care team determine where the cancer was in my body and how we needed to treat it. When I met my oncologist, Dr. Citrin, he told me we were going to attack my cancer from every direction possible. My treatment plan consisted of three different chemotherapy drugs delivered in fractionated doses every three weeks, eight weeks of radiation that included TomoTherapy® radiation (given by another one of my favorites, Dr. Eden), and two final doses of chemo. A complete hysterectomy was recommended and performed by Dr. Williams once these treatments were completed.
Cancer support activities :)
http://www.sheknows.com/sheknows-cares/articles/964635/leukemia-lymphoma-society
Light the Night Walk
Feb 20, 2013 1:17 PM by Caitlin Gilbert
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LEUKEMIA & LYMPHOMA SOCIETY
The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society is always looking for ways to say goodbye to blood cancers forever. Light the Night is a walk to bring hope to people who are battling blood cancer. So it's time to get outside, enjoy the beautiful outdoors and help the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society beat these fatal illnesses.
 What it isThe Leukemia & Lymphoma Society strives to help blood cancer patients live longer, better lives. They are committed to finding a cure for all types of blood cancers, including: leukemia, lymphoma, and myeloma. Thanks to its major fundraising campaigns, Team in Training and Light the Night Walk, LLS has raised more than $750 million in research funding since 1954. This dedication to advancing cancer treatment has led to a five-year survival rate for people with leukemia that has nearly quadrupled since the conception of the organization, and Hodgkin’s lymphoma is now recognized as one of the most curable forms of cancer.Why it was foundedIn 1949, Rudolph and Antoinette de Villiers, parents of a leukemia patient, started the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society five years after their son, Robert, succumbed to leukemia. Frustrated by the lack of treatments for the disease that took their son, the grieving parents started the Robert Roessler de Villiers Foundation to help improve fundraising and education for leukemia with the hope that someday no parent will have to face the tragedy of losing a child to blood cancer.How it is making a differenceThe Leukemia & Lymphoma Society has witnessed immense progress in the fight against blood cancers in the many years since its conception. The society saw the first successful bone marrow transplant in the 1970s and has supported progress in the drugs used to treat leukemia and lymphoma, as well as developing an understanding about what causes these diseases and how to prevent them before they attack the body.Light the NightLight the Night Walk involves communities coming together across the United States and Canada to raise funds for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society to continue its success. Each event is an inspiring, leisurely evening walk in which walkers carry illuminated balloons: white for survivors, red for supporters, and gold in memory of a loved one lost to cancer. These communities of walkers gather together on this special night to bring hope and light to the darkness of cancerLightTheNight.jpg25 KB http://www.thepinkrunway.com/  There are few things better than providing comfort to someone who is troubled.
The Pink Runway has been working on helping to provide that comfort to breast cancer patients for the past three years. This year, we want to touch even more people and need your help to do so. On September 29, 2013 , we will host our Fifth Annual Breast Cancer Reconstruction Fashion Show at the Riverside Auditorium and Events Center showcasing fashions from Macy's on models who are all breast cancer reconstruction patients.
Not every woman is a candidate for reconstruction or is even interested in it, but far too few get the information they deserve today. Our goal is to significantly increase the dismal 17% of breast cancer patients who are ever even offered a consultation about reconstruction after the physical and emotional stress of their cancer treatment. Please join us at The Pink Runway 2013 and help us all fight Breast Cancer!!! |
cancer survivor 2
My story
My cancer journey began in 2000. On the same day that I discovered a lump in my breast, my mother had a heart attack. I immediately flew from my home in New York to Virginia to be with her and my siblings.
When I got back to New York, I went to my doctor’s office for a biopsy. That’s when I received the diagnosis: inflammatory breast cancer. I was in shock. I couldn’t believe it; there was no history of cancer in my family.
I spent the next year undergoing chemotherapy. Then I had a mastectomy. After wearing a breast prosthesis for 18 months, I had reconstructive surgery. For a while, I thought the cancer was gone.
Then one night at the end of 2007, I passed out. I didn’t want to believe it, but the cancer had returned. It was in my neck, lymphatic system, chest and back.
I started treatment in January 2008. In May 2008, while receiving chemotherapy, three plum-sized tumors appeared on my back and spine. I also had a rash on the skin over my left breast. I found out later (when I came to CTCA), that it was secondary breast cancer.
Overview
- Cancer: Breast cancer
- Diagnosed: 2000
- Recurrence: 2007
- Treatments received:
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