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Set your own course to thrive after 55
COMMUNICATOR Vol. 25, No. 1
January/February 2017
The ABCs of ‘The Big C’ Delaware County offers much in the way of prevention, treatment, and support for those dealing with cancer Jeff Robinson, Editor, My Communicator
WHAT’S INSIDE: • Cancer prevention • Dealing with a diagnosis • Local resources and support
If the numbers are true, then virtually all of us have been or know someone who has been touched by cancer. The disease is the second-leading cause of death among people over age 65, with 413,885 deaths in 2014, according to the Centers for Disease Control. And 78 percent of all cancers are diagnosed in people age 55 and older, according to the American Cancer Society. But there’s one person that cancer’s been after for more than 40 years. Edwina Berkman isn’t having any of it. “I can tell you that I’m not afraid of the cancer. I’m feeling pretty good,” the Delaware resident said. Berkman’s positive attitude comes from a combination of things—her faith, her sense of humor, and that fact that her latest battle with cancer is far from her first. She survived three cancer surgeries, two of which were for colon cancer, dating back to the mid-1970s, so she’s taking this latest bout in stride. “This one is on my liver. But it’s not inside, it’s just a couple points you can see on top, and they’ve never spread,” Berkman said. “I get chemotherapy shots once a month.” Berkman can’t say enough about Stacy Oyster, her care consultant from SourcePoint who makes sure she gets to her chemo appointments each month. “As long as SourcePoint is taking care of me, I feel at ease,” she said. “And it’s all because of Stacy.” Berkman knows that many cancer patients don’t fare as well as she does. She often feels bad that she doesn’t feel worse. CONTINUED ON PAGE 20...
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