A product of the Herald & Review Sunday, October 21, 2012
INSIDE:
Strengthened
by faith
Patients, survivors and caregivers
say belief in a higher power brings inner peace
a
By ANNIE GETSINGER H&R Staff Writer
few days before Susan Bishop was scheduled to undergo a bilateral mastectomy to greatly reduce her chances of breast cancer recurrence, she said despite the trauma and fear cancer has introduced into her life, the journey also has allowed her to experience her faith in a meaningful way and deepen some of her relationships with those around her. Bishop, 46, was diagnosed with an aggressive form of breast cancer in May of 2009. “Thankfully, my lumpectomy, even though (the cancer) was invasive, it showed it had not spread to the lymph nodes,” she said. Bishop had 16 chemotherapy treatments over six months and six and a half weeks of daily radiation. At the end of treatment, she was tested for BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene mutations. The analysis found that she had a mutation on the BRCA2 gene. “In essence, I don’t have the genetic makeup to stop the cancer,” she said. Because of this, Bishop’s chance of developing ovarian cancer or a experiencing a recurrence of her breast cancer was much greater. She and her doctors started discussing ways of monitoring for recurrence. For a while, Bishop opted to have yearly MRIs and mammograms. Earlier this month, Bishop opted for the double mastectomy. “I am choosing to have a double mastectomy and reconstruction … and hopefully reduce my odds of a recurrence drastically,” she said. The procedure would take her chances of recurrence from 65 to 85 percent down to less than 10 percent, she said. “It’s really taken me two and a half years to come to this place where I’m ready to do that emotionally and physically, but I feel peaceful about that decision,” she said, adding that her Christian faith has been a touchstone and a source of support in her journey with the disease. A year ago, Bishop’s sister had a prophylactic mastectomy and reconstruction. In the pathology report, it was revealed that several precancerous areas had been found. “So she felt really validated and relieved that she had taken that step,” Bishop said. Both Bishop and her sister also underwent prophylactic hysterectomies. “I just now have a real peace that this is the decision I need to make now,” Bishop said of her mastectomy. “I think that the potential for me to regret not having the surgery is much higher than the potential for me to regret that I did have the surgery. Nobody who has been in treatment wants to go back into treatment.” Bishop’s Christian faith was important to her before she got cancer, but it helped give her a sense of peace throughout her journey with the disease. “I think it really brings close to home the understanding that this body is temporary, this place is temporary,” she said. Her faith also helped her find hope in a dark time. “Regardless of my circumstances, regardless of whatever is trying to shake my ground here, I have something very solid in Jesus that I hold onto,” she said. “His truth is not altered by my physical situation.” Some of that assurance came from within, from a lifelong faith in God, and some of it came through
There are options, both surgical and nonsurgical, to help women battling or recovering from breast cancer feel better about themselves while aiding the healing process. Page 2
Herald & Review photos/Jim Bowling
Sister Anna Phiri encourages patient Tracey Anderson at the St. Mary’s Cancer Care Center.
From left, Chemo therapy nurse Lorie Laskowski administers a treatment to patient Shelli Staley of Boody as Sister Anna Phiri jokes with patient Jamie Isaacs of Sullivan at the St. Mary’s Cancer Care Center.
‘Regardless of my circumstances, regardless of whatever is trying to shake my ground here, I have something very solid in Jesus that I hold onto. His truth is not altered by my physical situation.’ — Susan Bishop the love and care of people in Bishop’s cancer journey — family, friends and professionals who provided physical, emotional and spiritual healing. Bishop was coming out of a year of cancer treatments when she became fast friends with another woman from her church, Tricia Haley, who was beginning her own breast cancer treatments. The two women walked through Haley’s journey together. The two women, along with Bishop’s sister, Andrea Sheffer, started C - H.O.P.E. — help, outreach, prayer and encouragement — a ministry at the Life Foursquare Church. Together, the women and others involved with the ministry have walked others through their journeys with cancer, providing cards, letters, support and celebrating some of the milestones of treatment.
“No one should go through it alone,” Bishop said. The Bible scripture that guides the ministry’s work is 2 Timothy 4:7 — “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have kept the faith,” Bishop said. Those involved with the ministry go to treatments with people, take meals and offer support in many different ways. During her own chemotherapy, Bishop received 16 bracelets made by a childhood friend — one to commemorate each appointment. After each treatment, she took one off and gave it away to someone who’d made a difference in her journey. The ministry has replicated this gift for others going through chemo. Bishop gave her last bracelet to her chemo nurse, Kelly Bandelow, whom she would call, “my Kelly” because of the gentle care and posi-
tive attitude she brought to her treatments. “She was such a ray of hope and sunshine every time I came in for my treatments,” she said. The ministry has now gone through the diagnosis-throughtreatment process with three women and continues to be a source of support for them and others who are being diagnosed. “I think I get so much more out of it than I’m giving because it just continues to add to the good things that came from such a difficult time,” said Bishop. Some of the hardest times come after the treatments are all over, she said. Participating in the ministry has reinforced her belief that God can work all things for good — even something as awful as a cancer diagnosis. “I would love to see this be a part of any church family,” she added. Those involved in the local health care and faith communities said they’ve seen patients’ strong faith make an important difference in their journeys with cancer and other serious illnesses. Spiritual, physical, mental and social wellbeing are intertwined, said Carol Smith, who coordinates the parish nursing program at Decatur Memorial Hospital. “If you’re not physically well, you’re struggling, and if you’re not mentally well, you’re struggling, and if you’re not spiritually well, you are,” she said. Having a special relationship with a higher power — whatever shape that power takes in one’s life and faith — can be an important part of dealing with serious illness, she said. Regardless of the outcome, faith can bring peace to one’s journey. “One of the things we teach the parish nurses is that you may not get a cure from your medical disease or your medical problem, but if you have a relationship with your god, you can be at peace,” she said. Smith said that people of faith can also offer to pray and show their support for friends and loved ones who are going through serious illness. Faith can help people function and find the joy in their lives even
SPIRITUAL/PAGE 4
Decatur Memorial and St. Mary's hospitals lead the charge in the fight against breast cancer with a variety of campaigns throughout the area. Page 3 Great strides have been made in the awareness, detection and treatment of the disease, but there is still much important research and work left to do. Page 4
With the support of sponsors and supporters, Come Together Let’s Walk picks up the pace spreading awareness about breast, ovarian and cervical cancer. Page 5
2 THINK PINK
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 21 , 2012
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DECATUR, ILLINOIS
Discovering a ‘new’ normal Surgical, nonsurgical options have the same goal — to aid healing
Celebrate Survivors!
By ANNIE GETSINGER H&R Staff Writer
DECATUR — Through the numerous difficult aspects of a cancer diagnosis, many women find hope in procedures and processes for restoring their bodies and appearances to the way they feel most confident and comfortable. Decatur plastic surgeon Dr. Jordan Youngerman explained how he talks women through their options for reconstruction after a mastectomy. When a patient sees him after a breast cancer diagnosis, and she faces reconstruction and is trying to decide her options, “it’s not necessarily a happy day,” Youngerman said. “The key is to try and get them back to their normal life, and it’s a process,” he said. The process of reconstruction helps get women on a path to their “new normal,” Youngerman said. Many want to know what the process will entail and when it can begin. “Every woman is different,” Youngerman said of women’s roles and decisions in the process. “Certainly breasts are associated with femininity and that sort of thing, and after a mastectomy, it’s a devastating blow to your body image.” Some women opt not to have reconstruction. Others choose between different reconstruction options based on their own preferences and which types of surgery are feasible for them. Options for reconstruction are immediate or delayed, and there are two basic types, Youngerman said. Tissue expansion consists of multiple stages and requires the placement of an expander, a special type of implant that is empty and placed behind chest wall muscles and skin at the time of the mastectomy. The expander is gradually filled to the desired size over a period of weeks, during which the patient makes visits to the office. Once fully expanded, it is left at the desired size for several weeks, and then a permanent implant is put in its place. An autologous reconstruction uses a flap of the patient’s own tissue to fashion the new breast. This can generally be done at the time the breast is removed. There are a dozen or so different procedures that are done in this way. A common one, the TRAM flap procedure, uses skin and muscle from the lower abdomen — the transverse rectus abdominis myocutaneous flap — to fashion a breast. The surgery is a more involved operation and leaves additional scarring at the site from which the flap is taken. In both types of surgeries, the nipple and areola can be created later. There are other procedures for specialized cases. “There are a lot of options, and luckily, there are more options than there ever have been,” said Youngerman. A woman must understand the process and her options to make the right decisions. People also need to know that insurance companies must cover reconstruction and symmetry procedures for breast cancer patients. People don’t choose to have breast cancer, and they might not always have a lot of control over the treatments they’re going through, Youngerman said. Reconstruction is a time to understand and choose the options that best fit the individual. He said people often ask him what he would say to them if they were his relatives. “You have to decide,” he said. Women have to understand the options, what’s involved, and make the best decision for them and their lives. Many women under Youngerman’s care do become like a part of the office family. As they go through the tissue expansion process, women visit the office on a weekly basis. “You go through the process together,” he said. Youngerman said he is seeing more and more young women with breast cancer and still more young women opting for prophylactic mastectomies of a strong family history or a genetic link to breast cancer. Breast cancer treatments
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Herald & Review photos/Jim Bowling
Cancer Care Specialists of Central Illinois patient services coordinator Leigh Ann Hale helps distribute wigs and head scarves to patients needing them at the Cancer Care Center of Decatur.
A Look Good … Feel Better makeup kit, distributed by the American Cancer Society, is used during the classes to help chemotherapy patients learn how to cover the outward physical effects of treatment.
I F YO U G O WHAT: Look Good … Feel Better workshop WHEN: 6 to 8 p.m. Monday, Nov. 12 WHERE: Cancer Care Center of Decatur. TO REGISTER: Call patient services coordinator Leigh Ann Hale, 329-3255. and treatments for other types of cancer can cause other changes in a woman’s appearance. For some, changes to skin, hair, nails and other features during treatment can be a reminder of the difficult journey and a blow to one’s own self confidence and image. Look Good … Feel Better is a national program that provides instruction in beauty techniques for people battling cancer to help them manage some of the changes to their appearances during treatment. More than 700,000 women in the United States have participated in the program, which offers workshops in more than 3,000 locations. The Cancer Care Center of Decatur is one of those locations, and Cancer Care Specialists of Central Illinois patient services coordinator Leigh Ann Hale helps organize the workshops, which feature local aesthetician Lea Kapper. Each participant gets a makeup kit, said Hale, and “(Kapper) shows them how to put on makeup to hide some of the flaws that may have arisen
Lana Smith 3 Yr Survivor
Bev Gharst 8 Yr Survivor
from the chemotherapy.” Patients learn how to cover the outward physical effects of treatment, such as loss of eyebrows and eyelashes, blemishes and skin changes. The women can bring a friend with them, and what is designed to be an educational time can also bring another kind of healing. “It is also a chance for them to talk to someone who may be going through the same kinds of things they are,” Hale said. Each woman is different, but special friendships develop through the program. It’s a very laid-back environment, said Hale. “Come prepared to laugh.” Sue’s Hair Designers in Mount Zion, and some other local salons participated in a fundraiser to raise money for the Look Good … Feel Better program. Salon owner Becky Yoder said the event, called “Hope” and put on in conjunction with the Sexy Hair styling products company, was a nationwide “cut-a-thon” during which salons donated a portion of their proceeds from $14 haircuts to the organization. Yoder took a day out of her business week to support the cause. “I’ve had clients that have had breast cancer,” she said, adding that there are many people who are dealing with the disease, and she thinks it’s important for small businesses to support causes and help out if they can. Often, stylists are involved
Celebrating Those Who have Fought and Won Their Battle & Supporting Those Who have Just Begun the Fight.
Imogene Fitzgerald Current Fighter
Debbie Ford Current Fighter
in their clients’ journeys with cancer as they help them figure out how to navigate the world of wigs, scarves and other accessories they might not have used before. “We try to help them out, we let them know how to take care of themselves as they’re going through this process,” said Yoder. Losing one’s hair and dealing with that trauma can be a significant milestone in a person’s cancer journey. “It is very visible,” Hale said. “People see that right away, and you can almost bet that they’re going through cancer.” Some women opt to wear wigs, and others prefer hats, scarves or other expressions of their individuality. Hale maintains a wig bank supplied by the American Cancer Society in her office. In the privacy of the office, women can try on wigs, or they can take them home and try them out. The wigs are free of charge, and there is no need to return them, Hale said. “It puts a whole different thought process to the day,” Hale said of efforts to help women battling cancer look and feel the best they can despite the difficult times they’re facing. “When you look good, when you feel good about that, it gives you an inner glow, an inner power so to speak.”
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Richland Community College Supports
Breast Cancer Awareness Month
Bev Whipple 22 Yr Survivor
Charlene Smith 12 Yr Survivor
BRINKOETTER & ASSOCIATES Supports Breast Cancer Awareness. In Loving Memory of Connie Brinkoetter Ewing September 12, 1955 - December 15, 2009 We love you & miss you Your Family & Friends
Proud Supporter of Breast Cancer Awareness!
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SUNDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2012
DECATUR, ILLINOIS
THINK PINK 3
Painting the town pink Breast cancer awareness campaigns pick up speed By ANNIE GETSINGER H&R Staff Writer
DECATUR — During October, the shelves of stores nationwide display a proliferation of pink products. People don their favorite rosy-hued clothing and accessories, and the whole world seems to take on a flowery hue in recognition of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Local hospitals are no exception to the visible display of solidarity. In recent years, both Decatur hospitals have started some special traditions to recognize the strength of local breast cancer survivors, honor those who have lost their battles with the disease and encourage women and men to increase their awareness of the cancer, its detection and treatment. Before October even begins, flamingos can be spotted in yards throughout the region. The bright birds are part of a Decatur Memorial Hospital campaign that began several years ago — Breast Cancer is for the Birds. This year, the pink flock made its way to Macon Speedway for an evening of awareness Saturday, Sept. 15. The hospital sponsored a breast cancer awareness night at the speedway and gave away T-shirts, flamingos and literature, said co-owner Bob Sargent. Periodically throughout the night, announcers gave important messages to the crowd of several thousand, and the drivers even got in on the fun. “The majority of them wore their shirts,” Sargent said, and some of them had their flamingos in their cars. Cancer touches so many people, Sargent said. “We just wanted it to be helpful in the community … You could tell that there were a lot of people it had affected and were interested, and it was very well received.” Many speedway fans seemed very touched by the show of support for the cause. “It kind of overwhelmed us at the response we got out of it,” Sargent said. The hospital also held an event called Early Detection Connection on Friday, Oct. 5. During the event, women drove through three Decatur locations to get a ribbonshaped bagel breakfast from Panera Bread and information about the early detection of breast cancer. St. Mary’s Hospital marked another year of its Real Men Wear Pink campaign. The effort encourages men in the community to wear pink on Fridays in October as a reminder of the importance of screening and a show of support for women battling breast cancer. In the past few years, local high school football teams have been involved in the campaign, too. Schools throughout the area are hosting awareness and pinkthemed games, said Valerie Jordan, director of oncology services at the hospital’s cancer care center. “We have the offensive line and defensive line all wearing pink socks this year,” she said, adding that the campaign also supplied some hats and T-shirts. Money raised at various events and through the sale of certain items goes into a special fund for breast cancer patients. Awareness is an important part of the fight against cancer, Jordan said. “(It) leads to early detection, leads to treatment, leads to higher cure rate, to prevention.” The campaign reaches out to people of all walks of life, including youngsters. “In my opinion, awareness is where it all starts,” Jordan said. Victory Pharmacy owner Wole Adeoye is one of the 11 faces of the campaign this year — local men of influence who have chosen to stand up for the cause and lend their images to the campaign’s visual materials. They also have pledged to add at least a few splashes of pink to their wardrobes this month. Adeoye, a pharmacist, said his career has given him a responsibility to speak out about health topics. “One of our major concerns is to promote awareness and to help people take control of their own health,” he said.
Herald & Review photos/Jim Bowling
DMH radiation therapist Kendra Hartman hands out breast cancer awareness information during the Early Detection Connection event in the Cancer Care Center of Decatur parking lot.
Decatur Memorial Hospital radiation oncology director Kim Wolpert, left, distributes gift bags to Cancer Care Center volunteer Terry Mason, middle, and breast cancer survivor Dorothy Porter.
DMH radiation oncology receptionist Jill Williams, left, hands bags to DMH radiation therapist Kendra Hartman for distribution. For a long time, Adeoye displayed a big poster in his window outlining the different recommendations for different types of cancer screenings, which can help save
In Memory of
GAIL & KATHY
lives by detecting the diseases in their early stages, he said. “Early detection is key.” Most people know someone who has battled cancer, Adeoye said. Many of his customers have gone through it or are fighting the disease even now. “It’s something that needs to be discussed and to bring people’s attention to it,” he said. Being a part of the campaign has reminded Adeoye to talk about breast cancer to the women he meets, asking them if they are staying current with their yearly mammograms, clinical breast cancer screenings and self-examinations. Adeoye said there has been a big push in breast cancer awareness that has generated a lot of progress, but that same message of screening and knowledge needs to be taken to other types of cancer.
SUPPORTING NATIONAL BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH
TRIBUTE MESSAGES To My Beautiful Loving Wife of 26 years DONNIA
To My Children
If I ever stop breathing, the flowers will inhale for me. If I ever stop writing, the grass will dot my I’s. If I ever stop listening, the shells on the beach will hear you. If I ever stop talking, the rain will sing my song If I ever stop loving, the sky will embrace you. But if I ever stop living… then you must live on for me.
Submitted photo
Last month, Macon Speedway was the site for an evening of breast cancer awareness. Decatur Memorial Hospital sponsored the event giving away T-shirts, pink flamingos and a variety of literature.
In Memory of
JAN PODGORSKI 2-4-62 5-25-11
JUDY CHAMBLISS Cancer Survivor For 15 years
JOYCE MAZZOTTI 5 year Survivor
LARRY MAZZOTTI Keep Fighting, we’re with you.
LOVE YOU BOTH! THE KING GIRLS Wendy, Jordan, Shelby & Celina
CONGRATS 4 years Survivor! Love your Hubby! Kevin
LOVE YOU, Mom, Jeffrey, Vickie, Mark, Carley, Carson
From Your Shiloh Family WE LOVE YOU VERY MUCH
4 THINK PINK
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 21 , 2012
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DECATUR, ILLINOIS
Shedding light on the ‘blind spots’ Technology gives boost to detection and treatment By ANNIE GETSINGER H&R Staff Writer
DECATUR — For many years, October has been recognized as National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Gov. Pat Quinn recently issued a proclamation celebrating the importance of awareness in Illinois, where the State Cancer Registry projects more than 9,000 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year. “Prevention and early detection of breast cancer gives us the best chance to fight this disease that has devastated the lives of so many women and their families,” Quinn said. “Breast Cancer Awareness Month is a perfect time to encourage the women in our lives to pay attention to their health and receive life-saving screenings.” In recent years, great strides have been made in the awareness, detection and treatment of the disease, and there is still much important research and work left to do. Dr. James L. Wade, a medical oncologist and founder of Cancer Care Specialists of Central Illinois, discussed some of the latest work in detecting and treating breast cancer. “What we’ve learned over the last several years is that although mammography still is our best tool, it has some blind spots,” Wade said. Particularly in younger women, it can be harder for a mammogram to identify abnormal areas in denser breast tissue, Wade said. Ultrasound has proven a useful tool in these cases, as it can identify spots that may have been invisible to traditional mammography. “When we see that a woman has increased breast density on a mammogram, we’re now routinely adding ultrasound, which looks at the
SPIRITUAL Continued from Page 1
in times of great uncertainty, she said. “It just means so much … I think our spirituality is really vital to our whole lives.” Sister Anna Phiri, of the Hospital Sisters of St. Francis, spends every Thursday at The Cancer Care Center at St. Mary’s Hospital. “I can see the people coming for chemo and radiation,” Phiri said. She stays most of the day to offer words of encouragement, prayers and a kind presence, splitting her time between the waiting area and the room where chemotherapy is being administered. “This can be hard, especially for those that are coming for the first time,” she said after wishing a good morning to a patient who had just walked in. Phiri says it is important to her to be a source of support and let people know there is someone praying for them. “Spirituality plays a — Jamie role when Isaacs, 69 they start speaking about their belief in God, saying, ‘I know I’ll get through this because God is with me,’” she said. “ … God is always present with us.” She said she tries to pray for patients by name, carrying them with her throughout the week. “There are times when I go home feeling the pain of what I’ve experienced these people going through,” she said. “So that is a time when I really have to offer the prayers and say, ‘If I feel that way, how about them? It must be very difficult.’ ” Phiri made her way to the chemotherapy area, where Jamie Isaacs, 69, was receiving her treatment on a recent Thursday. “They found the lump at the end of April, so this is my 15th week of chemo,” Isaacs said. Her breast cancer was discovered through a screening mammogram.
‘I think that attitude is a lot to the cure, hopefully.’
breast tissue a completely different way and is less blinded by denser tissue,” he said. Wade said the American Cancer Society and other large organizations that have recommendations for screening mammography have maintained their screening recommendations despite the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force’s 2009 recommendation that women begin screening mammography at age 50. Wade said he personally recommends annual mammograms for women beginning at age 40, and earlier in some cases. Some women should start getting screened even earlier than 40, he said. Those with known mutations of the BRCA1 ad BRCA2 genes should start getting screened about 10 years younger than any other close Wade relatives who developed breast cancer. Women who’ve had radiation to their chests because of treatment for another disease such as Hodgkin’s lymphoma should start getting screened in their 20s each year. Women who have a strong family history of breast cancer at a young age or who have other diseases or syndromes that have been found to come with additional breast cancer risk also should talk to their doctors about early screening, Wade said. For women with BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene mutations, screenings should include the use of MRI, the most sensitive technique available, he said. Early detection of the disease can lead to better treatment and outcomes, he said. Once breast cancer has been discovered, techniques have become quite good in using mammography or an MRI to do a needle biopsy before surgery, Wade said. And treatment options have come a long way, too. In the past five to 10 years,
doctors have become better at evaluating if the cancer has spread to the axillary lymph nodes, Wade said. By checking specific nodes, doctors are able to spare more lymph nodes in the armpits and help women avoid significant sideeffects such as pain, lymphedema and swelling that can come from the removal of lymph nodes. Research has revealed that taking a large number of nodes doesn’t necessarily reduce the chance of the cancer coming back in the way that doctors previously thought, Wade said. “That’s new information that helps us assist a woman in her decision-making,” Wade said. Breast cancer is not just one disease, he said, but three or four different diseases that respond differently to different drugs and treatments. New advancements and more specific treatments “help (doctors) successfully treat a woman with breast cancer and reduce the impact on quality of life as she becomes a long-term survivor,” Wade said. What doctors are able to do more and more is tailor patients’ treatments to specific aspects of their cancers’ aggressiveness at the geneexpression level, Wade said. They can better advise women as to what they will need to do for treatments. And the research community is always on the verge of new discoveries and drugs, he said. Last fall, doctors learned about the effectiveness of treating some women with a hormone pill coupled with a medicine for kidney cancer called everolimus. These types of developments open the door for more advancement in treatments that will help improve the outlook for people with cancer, Wade said. All of these approaches have improved women’s quality of life after breast cancer diagnosis, he said. Questions also have come to light about whether women
“It was really deep, and I couldn’t have felt it,” she said. Isaacs is looking ahead to three more weeks of chemotherapy, radiation and then more chemo, she said. People have had a lot to do with keeping her spirits up. Her husband, Dick Isaacs, and the people at the cancer center have been some of the bright parts of her journey. “I think that attitude is a lot to the cure, hopefully,” she said. Isaacs said she has watched Phiri crochet baby outfits and has talked to her a little bit. “I like coming here. It’s a very enjoyable venue,” she said. “The people are friendly and outgoing.” Isaacs said she is a spiritual person, and faith has helped carry her through her
journey thus far. “I suppose that’s true of anything — the assumption that it will work out,” she said. Being connected to one’s faith and being in a state of prayer doesn’t always involve consciously saying the words out loud, Phiri said. “We can be prayers ourselves. It’s not a matter of saying prayers,” she said. “ … You know, even right here as we are sitting, we can be prayerful, praying within ourselves, being present to what is around us. And when you go in to have your chemo, as you are sitting in that chair, you can be a prayerful person knowing that you are not alone. The God that is within you is praying within you and helping you as you get your treatment.” agetsinger@herald-review.com|421-6968
are being diagnosed “too much,” Wade said, explaining that some epidemiology experts suggest that, in older women, some breast cancers might not present a problem if they hadn’t been diagnosed. But doctors have no way to tell if a woman has a potentially “safe” breast cancer or not, Wade said. “We’re still not good enough to be able to tell a woman with the certainty that she needs that it would be safe to not treat a breast cancer and just let it sit there.” Cancer Care Specialists has a long history of participating in research, and one aspect of that is looking into the possibility of cancer prevention, Wade said. Now there is a research study open for young women facing a high risk of breast cancer to determine if vitamin D might play a role in prevention of the disease, he said.
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SUNDAY, OCTOBER 21 , 2012
DECATUR, ILLINOIS
THINK PINK 5
Tracy L. Crawford
Come Together picks up the pace
2-22-10
“Memories carry us through as the angels have carried you!”
Event gains ground as it raises money and awareness By DONNETTE BECKETT
We Love and Miss You Everyday, Mark, Matthew, Josh, Calli, Hannah, Charlie & Dallas.
H&R Staff Writer
DECATUR — Everyone has a story. They may not want to talk about it, but many will walk with it. Family members and survivors of women’s cancers have that opportunity in the upcoming Come Together Let’s Walk in June. The event raises funds for breast, ovarian and cervical cancer awareness and research. Kendra Lee is a Come Together board member and ovarian cancer survivor. Lee was pregnant with her son in 2007 when she was diagnosed. She has since become involved with the organization. The first year of the event, she walked as a survivor with family and church members. “It was eye-opening to see all the survivors,” Lee said. Lee said it was “surreal” to see “people you knew, but you didn’t know had cancer.” She learned then that “for some, it is a private thing.” Her enthusiasm has grown since then. Last year, Lee became involved in organizing the volunteer groups. In 2013, she will supervise volunteers. Come Together Let’s Walk was formed to help women educate themselves on these deadly diseases and to provide funds for nonprofit organizations and gynecological cancer programs. Come Together replaced the defunct Decatur Komen Race for the Cure. Cindy Deadrick-Wolfer, Come Together event coordinator, admits she had some worries. “Some people were concerned we wouldn’t be able to keep the sponsors,” she said. But the number of sponsors and volunteers continues to grow each year. Millikin University is one of those sponsors. The university has contributed to the organization with sporting events and fundraisers. A future event is the women’s basketball Pink Zone game to be held Feb. 2. Players will be dressed in pink and proceeds will go to Come Together Let’s Walk. During the game, fans will be able to purchase raffle tickets, pink
Herald & Review photos/Lisa Morrison
Come Together Let’s Walk brings together families and friends to celebrate survivors and support cancer research.
I F YO U G O WHAT: Come Together Let’s Walk WHEN: 7 a.m. Saturday, June 29; race begins at 8:15 a.m. WHERE: Fairview Park, Decatur DETAILS: Participants can opt for a self-timed three-mile run or one- and three-mile walks. CONTACT: 876-2140; ctletswalk@att.net merchandise and concessions for the organization. Survivors will be presented with flowers during a recognition ceremony. The university also contributed to Come Together with a similar event during a volleyball tournament in September. Many competing teams joined in the pink atmosphere with pink Tshirts, socks and hair. Other fundraisers are held throughout the year, such as the recent Oakwood Street Festival and “Let’s Give Cancer the Boot” in October. Other events, such as an online shoe-themed auction, “In Her Shoes,” also have been held. Individuals who are planning to participate in the upcoming walk can prepare with a Let’s Get Fit weekly walking and running group that meets in Fairview Park on Mondays in May and June. Each week, different health screenings and activities,
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Survivors Julie Rotz and Mimi Walter celebrate their success at the beginning of ceremonies for Come Together Let’s Walk in June. such as massages, are available before practice begins. All events supporting Come Together Let’s Walk emphasize early detection and education for women’s cancers. At 32, Lee understands this too well. “It can affect younger people, too.” Because Lee’s cancer was found early, she was able to avoid chemotherapy. She had surgery with no harm to her child. “You have to be aware of your body,” she advises. Her checkups are yearly now, compared to her earlier three-month then six-month checkups. Although she survived a deadly disease, Lee initially felt guilty about not going through chemotherapy. She has now learned better, with
DMH offers on-the-go care Can’t make it for a screening? Let them come to you By ANNIE GETSINGER H&R Staff Writer
DECATUR — Time, distance and other factors shouldn’t stop women from getting potentially lifesaving screenings, said Karen Oesch. Mammograms are so important, she’ll bring them to you. Oesch is the mammography coordinator at the Decatur Memorial Hospital Breast Center, and one of two employees who go out with the hospital’s mobile mammography unit. “The people we’re trying to reach with the mobile are probably the people that wouldn’t come if we didn’t come to them,” she said, adding that the unit, which is a little wider than a household stove and weighs more than 1,000 pounds, is transported in a van using a “super-duper” wheelchair lift. It takes a built-in motor just to move the machine down the hallway and into the van before it’s ready to go. The machine differs from other mobile mammography units in that it is completely portable and able to be taken into the building where the screening will be taking place, Oesch said. Other mobile units are usually contained inside RVs. The DMH mobile unit makes the rounds throughout the region as needed, scheduling stops at the hospital’s clinics in Arthur and Moweaqua and area workplaces such as Millikin University and the Clinton Power Station. The screenings also go to Illinois Department of Corrections facilities in Decatur and Lincoln, screening inmates on-site. “We’re trying to reach
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those kinds of people that wouldn’t (or couldn’t) do it otherwise,” said Oesch, citing Amish patients in Arthur, people with transportation difficulties and those whose work schedules might not always leave them with a lot of extra time to make appointments. “A lot of us working ladies have that excuse,” Oesch said. “They can leave their desk for 15 minutes, go get their mammogram and go back to work.” At the correctional facilities, the mobile mammogram unit is taken directly to the inmates, so the women don’t need to be transported to and from the hospital. The technology certainly makes for patient convenience, Oesch said. The mobile unit, which uses film, is only for screening mammograms, she explained, and can’t be used if a patient has a lump or other symp-
toms. Women experiencing symptoms or who have found a lump should make an appointment to be screened at a hospital or clinic. Oesch stressed that those who want to be screened at one of the mobile mammography clinic times don’t need to be a patient of the doctor where the unit will be. If it’s convenient for them, and they want to be screened and there’s an appointment available, the women can get their mammograms taken care of. “We can take care of you, even if that’s not your doctor,” she said. For more information, call the DMH Women’s Health & Breast Center at 876-4374. For a listing of the mobile mammography unit’s schedule, visit the DMH calendar online at www.dmhcares.org/events/ eventscalendar.aspx. agetsinger@herald-review.com|421-6968
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help from the organization. “Regardless of your story, you are still a survivor,” she said. dbeckett@herald-review.com|421-6983
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2012 PROGRAM VEHICLES 12 CHEVY IMPALA LS 12 CHEVY MALIBU LS 21
6
33 MPG, CD, Power Windows/Locks, Auto, 4 Cyl.
V-6, 30 MPG, Alloy, Power Seat, CD
12 DODGE AVENGER
12 CHRYSLER 200 LX
Auto, Air, CD, 18 31MPG, Power Windows/Locks, 4 Cyl.
7
Auto, Air, PW, PL, CD 31 MPG
$13,990 $13,990 $13,990 $13,990 12 CHRYSLER 200
12 FORD FOCUS SEL 12 CHEVY IMPALA LT
12 CHEVY CRUZE LT
11
5
Alloy, CD, Auto, 34 MPG, 4 Cyl.
Sync, Alloy, Dual Climate Control, CD, 35 MPG
21 Remote Start, Alloy, Power Seat, OnStar, CD, Dual Air
Alloy, Auto, Power Seat, 31 MPG
4
$14,990 $14,990 $14,990 $14,990 12 HYUNDAI SONATA GLS 12 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA 12 NISSAN ALTIMA 12 FORD FUSION SE 12 HONDA CIVIC LX 12 CHEVY IMPALA LTZ 9
5
4
Bluetooth, Auto, 4 Cyl., 35 MPG 5 Cyl, Auto, CD, 31 MPG, PW/PL Push Button Start, Auto, 31MPG
10
11
3
4 Cyl, Alloy, CD, 32MPG
4 Cyl, CD, 33MPG, Auto, All Pwr Remote Start, Pwr Roof, Leather, Htd Seats
$15,990 $15,990 $15,990 $16,990 $16,990 $17,990 12 CHEVY CAPTIVA 12 JEEP LIBERTY 4X4 12 DODGE CHARGER SE 12 DODGE JOURNEY AWD 12 DODGE RAM QUADCAB 4X4
12 VW PASSAT
9
3
4
Auto, Air, Alloy Wheels
Auto, Air, PW, DL, 31 MPG
V6, Alloy, Auto, CD
6
8
4
V-6, Auto, Pwr Seat, Alloy
Keyless Start, Alloy, V-6
V-8, CD, Auto, Alloy
$17,990 $18,990 $18,990 $19,990 $21,990 $22,990 12 CHEVY TRAVERSE AWD 12 CHEVY SILVERADO EXCAB 4X4 12 CHRYSLER TOWN & COUNTRY 12 TOYOTA SIENNA LE 12 CHRYSLER 300 LTD 12 F150 CREW CAB 4X4 7
10
5
V-6, Pwr Seat, Alloy, 3rd Seat
V-8, Alloy, CD, Auto, 4x4
Leather, CD, Back-Up Camera, All Pwr
5
3
3
V-6, Alloy, CD, 8 Passenger
Chrome Wheels, V-6, CD, Sat Radio
5.0 V8, Full Pwr, Tow Pkg
$23,990 $23,990 $24,990 $25,990 $25,990 $29,990 07 PONTIAC G6 #120590A, Power Roof, Heated Seats.....................
04 HONDA ACCORD EX #120625A, Leather, Pwr Roof, Htd Seats............
10 DODGE CALIBER SXT #13EG11A, Full Pwr, Alum Wheels, CD.. ............
11 CHEVY HHR #120873, Auto, Air, PW, PL, Cruise.. ..................
05 MAZDA MIATA CONV. #12FT105AA, Leather, 56K Mi., Local Trade.. .....
08 FORD FUSION SEL #12FN65A, 3.0 V6, Leather, Htd Seats...............
$ $ $ $ $
$
9,990
10,990 11,990 11,990 11,990 11,990
06 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX GXP $ #111427A, V8, Leather, Pwr Roof, Chrome Whls.. 12,990 11 DODGE CALIBER SXT #120399, Pwr Seat, Alum Wheels, Keyless Entry..
10 CHRYSLER SEBRING LTD #120766, Leather, Htd Seats, Alum Wheels........
10 CHRSYLER 300 TOURING #120804A, Full Pwr, Alum Whls, Keyless Entry....
09 A4 QUATTRO #111049A, Leather, Pwr Roof, Climate Cont, Nice Car..
$ $ $ $
10 HYUNDAI ELANTRA
13,990 13,990 14,990 14,990
$ #120591A, Pwr Roof, Htd Seats, 21K Mi, Economy..
10 CHRYSLER 300 TOURING #120339, Leather, 3.5V6, Must See!.. ................
11 MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE #110828, Auto, Full Pwr, 20K Mi., Economy........
$
#120666A, Pwr Roof, Htd Seats, Must See!.......
11 TOYOTA PRIUS HYBRID #120596, Economy, Economy, Economy..............
10 LINCOLN MKZ #120726, Pwr Roof, Chrome Whls, 16K Mi. .......
Jeff Phillips Monticello
Troy Moore Decatur
17,990
99 FORD RANGER S/C 4X4 #120443A, V6, Full Pwr, Bedliner. ............................
5,990
06 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN #111180A, V6, Pwr Seat, Dual Air... ........................
$
6,990
06 FORD EXPLORER E.B. #120592A, Leather, 3rd Row, Local Trade...........
$
11,990
$
13,990
03 CHEVY SILVERADO EXCAB 4X4 $ #120367A, 5.3V8, Tow Pkg, One Owner.................. 9,990
04 CHRYSLER TOWN & COUNTRY $ #120381A, Quads, Dual Air, Pwr Seat...................... 7,990
06 JEEP COMMANDER 4X4
05 CHEVY SILVERADO LS CREWCAB $ #12FT29D, 5.3V8, Full Power, 72K Mi.. .............. 12,990
06 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN
08 CHEVY TRAILBLAZER LT 4X4 $ #120616A, 4.2V6 Full Pwr, 66K Mi, Local Trade... 14,990
#120868, Auto, Air, PW, PL, DVD............................
$
8,990
#120523A, Leather, Pwr Roof, Htd Seats, 3rd Row.. ..
$
06 CHRYSLER TOWN & COUNTRY $ #12EG7A, 3.8V6, DVD, Pwr Doors, Pwr Liftgate..... 9,990
11 JEEP PATRIOT 4X4 11 FORD ESCAPE XLT 4X4
$
08 CHRYSLER TOWN & COUNTRY $ #13EX19AA, Leather, DVD, Rear Camera........... 15,990
06 DODGE DAKOTA QUADCAB 4X4 $
10 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN SXT $ #120294A, 3.8 V6, Pwr Drs, 46K Mi................... 16,990
10 NISSAN XTERRA SE 4X4
11 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN
$
11 FORD EDGE SE
11 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN CREW $
11 TOYOTA VENZA
11 FORD TRANSIT CONNECT XLT CARGO $ #12FT85A, Auto, Air, Cruise, Local Trade............ 19,990
11 CHEVY EQUINOX LS
11 CHRYSLER TOWN & COUNTRY $ #120453, Quads, Pwr Liftgate, Pwr Doors, Rear Camera... 19,990
08 GMC ACADIA
11 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN CREW $ #120515, Pwr Drs, Pwr Liftgate, Reverse Camera, DVD.... 20,990
10 HONDA ELEMENT 4X4
12 CHRYSLER TOWN & COUNTRY $
07 LINCOLN NAVIGATOR
11 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN
12 CHEVY CAPTIVA LT
10 TOYOTA TACOMA #120033B, Air, Bedliner, CD.. .............................
03 GMC SIERRA EXCAB 4X4 #120440AA, Leather, 5.3V8, Tow Pkg, 86K Mi... #120986A, V8, Full Pwr, Chrome Whls, 51K Mi..
13,990 13,990 15,990
07 DODGE DAKOTA QUADCAB $ #13EX19A, V6, Full Pwr, 39K Mi... ...................... 16,990 08 TOYOTA TUNDRA CREWCAB 4X4 $ #12FT8A, V8, Full Pwr, Alum Wheels. ................. 22,990 12 CHEVY COLORADO LT CREWCAB 4X4 $ #120714, V6, Full Pwr, Bedliner, Tow Pkg... ........
23,990
12 CHEVY SILVERADO LT EX CAB 4X4 $ #120675, V8, Chrome Whls, Keyless Entry, 22K Mi... ..
10 FORD F150 XLT S/C 4X4 #120576, 5.4V8, Tow Pkg, Reverse Sensing.. ....
23,990
$
25,990
11 CHEVY SILVERADO LT CREWCAB 4X4 $ #120577A, 5.3V8, Bluetooth, Must See!.. .......... 28,990
#120832, Quads, Dual Air, Pwr Liftgate, Pwr Drs......
18,990 19,990
#120608, Pwr Drs, Pwr Liftgate, Reverse Camera... ..
21,990
#120229, Pwr Liftgate, Pwr Doors, Reverse Camera...
#120355, Full Pwr, DVD, Alum Wheels... ............
$
21,990
#120397, Auto, Air, PW, PL, CD, MP3................ #111431, Pwr Seat, Alum Whls, Keyless Entry, 18K Mi.... #12FT37A, Leather, Full Pwr, Compass Mirror, One Owner..... #120925, 3.5V6, Full Pwr, Alum Whls, Keyless Entry.... #120637, Auto, Air, PW, PL, CD, Versatility... ..... #120621, Pwr Seat, OnStar, Alum Whls, 18K Mi.. #120719A, DVD, Leather, Htd Seats, Pwr Liftgate.... #12FT105A, Full Pwr, Alum Whls, 20K Mi, Local Trade.... #120994A, Quads, Leather, Pwr Roof, 78K Mi.... #120557, V6, Full Pwr, Alum Whls, 17K Mi.. .......
$
17,990
$
18,990
$
19,990
$
20,990
$
20,990
$
20,990
$
21,990
$
21,990
$
21,990
$
22,990
17,990
18,990
12 FORD F150 XLT CREWCAB 4X4 $ #120683, 5.0V8, Auto, Air, PW, PL, Cruise......... 29,990
11 TOYOTA SIENNA LE
22,990
10 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER 4X4 $ #11FL4A, V6, Pwr Seat, Tow Pkg, 16K Mi.... ...... 25,990
12 FORD F150 XLT CREWCAB 4X4 $ #120916, 3.5V6, Ecoboost, Tow Pkg, 15K Mi..... 32,990
10 CHRYSLER TOWN & COUNTRY LTD $ #120851, 4.0V6, Leather, DVD, Pwr Roof & More... .. 22,990
12 DODGE DURANGO CREW AWD $ #120911, Dual Pwr Seats, Pwr Liftgate, Rear Camera.. 27,990
12 FORD F150 LARIAT SUPERCREW 4X4 $
12 CHRYSLER TOWN & COUNTRY $ #120988, DVD, Pwr Liftgate, Rear Camera........ 25,990
10 FORD EXPEDITION XLT 4X4 $ #12EXPD8, Pwr Roof, DVD 37K Mi., One Owner.. .. 28,990
$
20,990
$
22,990
Tony Wesselman Champaign
#120981, Leather, Full Pwr, Htd Seats, 12K Mi....
Steve Rice Urbana
SALE HOURS: All pre-owned. All units
plus tax, license, title fees! No previous SERVICE HOURS: sales offers apply! Offer expires MON-FRI 7am-5:30pm SATURDAY 8am-Noon Sat., Oct. 20, 2012 MON-FRI 8am-8pm SATURDAY 8am-5pm
$
SUVS
11 FORD F150 XLT CREWCAB 4X4 $ #120485, 5.0 V8, Full Pwr, Keyless Entry. ........... 28,990
$
09 MINI COOPER S JOHN WORKS $
14,990
VANS
Chris Mataya Tolono
35,990
Larry Steiling Monticello
12 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN CREW $
11 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE 4X4 $ #120350, Full Pwr, Fog Lamps, Traction Control.. 24,990
21,990
#120417, Auto, Air, PW, PL, Pwr Doors.............. #120641, 3.5V6, Pwr Doors, Rear Camera, Alum Whls...
Don Brunner Monticello
John Prater MansямБeld
$
Scott Getzelman Clinton
RICK RIDINGS
Dave Hopkins Arthur
Steve York Monticello
Rodney Thompson Monticello
VIEW 24/7 ONLINE
www.rickridings.com
Jim Keller Decatur
A, X, Z, D PLANS WELCOME!
1149825
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