write next door

with columnist Colleen D’Angelo

Strength and Resilience

Dublin cancer survivors improve treatment methods

Recently, I walked into the new OhioHealth Dublin Methodist Hospital: Cancer Center on Perimeter Drive for my annual mammogram (good news, my results were fine and I’m clear for another year!).

The center is light, bright, welcoming and state of the art, but I still had a pit in my stomach thinking of the struggles that cancer patients endure. I lost my father to esophageal cancer 18 years ago and a dear friend to pancreatic cancer two and a half years ago. I remember the exact moments when I learned that they were ill and can’t imagine how mind-blowing it is to hear the words, “You have cancer.”

I have many friends, too many to mention, who have battled breast cancer or are currently going through treatment. This terrible disease has touched all of us, but due to the resiliency of the human spirit, there are many great stories, ideas and foundations that have emerged from the pain.

The center is an amazing collaboration between Columbus Oncology and Hematology Associates and OhioHealth.

“Everything is under one roof,” says Renee Jordan, director of human resources for Columbus Oncology and Hematology Associates.

While touring the facility I recognized the ease of checking in, getting lab work done and meeting with your doctor all in one area. If the oncologist orders tests, you can go upstairs for X-rays, ultrasounds, CT scans and 3-D digital mammography. Downstairs is a cancer-specific infusion center with individual bays.

“They are built with privacy in mind but still open so the nurses can keep their eyes on you,” Jordan says.

The center is staffed with specialists in medical oncology and hematology, breast and cancer surgery, thoracic surgery, surgical and gynecologic oncology. Patients can even access medical tattooing following procedures. This is commonly used in mastectomies in which patients’ nipples are removed. Most impressive were the details that went into patient comfort at the Dublin cancer center. A baby grand piano sits in the upstairs waiting area and is played for music therapy. I met Kristi Kreutzer, a diagnostic nurse navigator, who shares lots of Kleenex and tears as she helps people navigate scary times. “I guide patients through every step of diagnostic testing so they know what to expect and don’t ever feel alone,” says Kreutzer.

Survivorship clinics help patients with diet, exercise and mental health during and after their treatments, offering a holistic approach to treatment.

The Over My Head Cancer Boutique is an on-site store catering to breast cancer patients and helping them return to wellness. After founder Bethany Golden’s mom passed away from breast cancer, she wanted to make a positive impact. So, she opened her business that specializes in wigs and head coverings for Kelly Taggart wearing the cold cap cancer patients. OhioHealth asked Golden to collaborate and together, they opened stores in the Bing and Dublin Cancer Centers. Now they have mastectomy and lumpectomy fitters, synthetic and human hair wigs, cancer safe skin care products, headwear and bathing suits and bras that can be fitted with prostheses.

Over My Head also has trained experts in cold cap therapy, which is a method that can help patients retain some or most of their hair during chemotherapy. The cap is filled with a gel coolant that is chilled to between -15 and -40 degrees Fahrenheit. The caps are fastened to the head and worn for one hour before chemotherapy, during the infusion and for a predetermined amount of time after the infusion. A trained helper is necessary to change the gel packs out every 20-25 minutes.

Renee Jordan, director of human resources for Columbus Oncology and Hematology Associates

Over My Head Cancer Boutique

The system works by constricting the blood vessels beneath the scalp thereby reducing the amount of chemotherapy medicine that reaches the hair follicles.

Claire Houpt is the cold cap therapy manager for Over My Head, and a breast cancer survivor who used the cold cap herself.

“When I was going through chemotherapy in 2019, I was running a nonprofit, had two young children and wanted to function as normally as possible,” Houpt says. “Cold cap therapy is not about vanity: it’s about not feeling like a cancer patient 24 hours a day.”

The cancer journey is long and arduous, and after the treatments and surgeries are over, patients want to move forward with their life. It takes some women years to grow their hair back to pre-cancer condition and for many, their reflection is a reminder of times they’d rather move on from.

Kelly Taggart Hughes started cold capping along with infusions in February 2021 and finished treatment in May. As a nurse, she knew there would be hair loss but she didn’t want to explain her situation to her own patients. The therapy worked beautifully and she retained 80-90 percent of her hair. Taggart Hughes recommends bringing an electric blanket to the infusion procedure and wrapping it around you while your chilly cap is fitted.

Dublin resident Lauren Menning was diagnosed with breast cancer in May 2020.

“I was in shock and it got worse when I was handed a prescription for a wig,” says Menning. “I thought there should be another option.”

She decided to try cold cap therapy and her longtime friend Julie Patton agreed to be her trained assistant. Infusion days were long, starting with one hour of Cold Cap, three hours of infusion and four more hours of wearing the Cold Cap.

“The first 10 minutes are the roughest, and most uncomfortable, kind of like a huge brain freeze. Then you become numb,” explains Menning.

The therapy was extremely successful for Menning and she pledged to find a way to express her gratitude and give back. So, she and Patton started the Carpe Diem Foundation. Cold cap therapy is expensive, ranging from $1,000-$5,000, and not covered by insurance. Menning and Patton’s foundation raises awareness and money to offset the cost for patients.

“Cold cap therapy should be available to everyone, not just people who can afford it,” Menning says. “We want to get the word out that there are options and having some sense of normality when fighting this terrible disease is priceless.”

www.carpediem-foundation.com www.overmyheadboutique.com

Colleen D’Angelo is a freelance writer who lives in Dublin with her husband, three children and several small animals. She enjoys playing tennis, walking the Dublin bike paths and traveling.

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