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BREAST CANCER FAQS Can physical activity reduce the risk of breast cancer? Exercise boosts the immune system and helps you to keep your weight in check. With as little as three hours of exercise per week, or about 30 minutes a day, a woman can begin to lower her risk of breast cancer. This doesn’t require going to a gym either. Power walking is more than sufficient!
Can a healthy diet help to prevent breast cancer? A nutritious, low-fat diet (30 grams or less) with plenty of fruits and green and orange vegetables can help reduce the risk of developing breast cancer. A high-fat diet increases the risk because fat triggers estrogen production that can fuel tumor growth.
Does smoking cause breast cancer? Smoking is a confirmed risk factor for many types of cancer. Recent research has confirmed that smoking is a contributing risk factor for developing breast cancer. Additionally, second hand smoke is also a risk factor for cancer.
Can drinking alcohol increase the risk of breast cancer?
DEVAN STREBING L HENDRICKS COUNTY FLYER
KATIE LINDEMAN, a 34-year-old Avon resident, is a year through breast cancer.
Avon mother powers through breast cancer By Devan Strebing Devan.strebing@flyergroup.com
AVON — Katie Lindeman, a 34-year-old woman of Avon with a 3-year-old daughter, has been fighting breast cancer since September of 2013. After she underwent a double mastectomy, six rounds of chemotherapy, and reconstructive surgery, she is on the tail end of it now. On Sept. 8, 2013, after returning home from a friend’s wedding, as she was getting undressed in the mirror she found what looked like a zit on the side of her breast and felt a bump underneath. The next day she called her doctor and they said a lot of women get lumps in their breast when it’s time for their period and it should go away. The week came and went and it didn’t go away. On Oct. 1, Lindeman called her gynecologist. After finding that it was not an infection, they did an ultrasound on Oct. 2. If it was a cyst, they would get it out, but if it was something else, they would do a biopsy. “The ultrasound lady gets done and asks me if there is anybody in the waiting room with me — I’ll never forget it,” Lindeman said. “As soon as she said that, I knew something was wrong. No one needs to be there if it’s just a cyst. The radiologist
came in and my world stopped; there was no time to breathe or decide what was going on.” The doctor said it was an odd mass but they couldn’t yet tell her for sure if it was cancer. Lindeman was scheduled to leave for Florida that Saturday and the doctor told her to go on the trip. “The following Wednesday they told me when I was on the beach that I have Stage 2 Triple Positive Invasive Ductal Carcinoma,” Lindeman said. “As soon as I got back, I was set up with the breast surgeon, the oncologist and I didn’t test positive for the gene — my grandma had breast cancer 16 years ago but my doctor said that shouldn’t be the reason why I got it. He just said ‘you were one of the unlucky ones.’” She started her six rounds of chemotherapy with Hendricks Regional Health. Her first chemo appointment was on Halloween, her last on Valentine’s Day, 2014. “I go every week for another small chemo called Herceptin until Oct. 30,” she said. “I take a pill daily for the next five years and a shot monthly for the next five years because they need my body to quit making the hormones and the pill isn’t doing it. They don’t want to take my ovaries out because it will put me in early menopause, so they’re shutting them down chemi-
cally for the next five years.” She and her husband had planned on having another child, but it isn’t possible now. “It’s been a journey but it could be so much worse,” she said. “We already have one daughter, and we have great family support.” She encourages ever y woman to listen to themselves. “It’s scary; the doctor said she could have missed the bump because I’m young and my breast tissue is so dense,” she said. “You don’t think about it until it happens.” Doctors said the tumor had been growing for two years with a possibility of it starting with the rise of hormones from her pregnancy. “It was on the side of my breast and I didn’t see it,” she said. “If you ever see something like that call your doctor right away. It’s been a long road but I will be fine.” The one thing she says she would like to see is more support groups with people her age. “Being younger, it’s hard because there aren’t a lot of younger women out there that have it,” she said. Lindeman will be participating in the Susan G. Komen walk in Evansville at the end of the month, and will be walking with friends and family in Making Strides on Oct. 4.
Moderation is key. One drink per day has been shown to slightly increase the risk of breast cancer. Having more than one drink per day has shown to be a more significant risk factor, and the alcohol content doesn’t matter: wine, beer or a mixed drink. Alcohol also increases estrogen in your bloodstream. Although we know that more than one drink per day increases risks, to date there are no studies that demonstrate directly that the more a person drinks, the greater their risk for cancer. And in some cases, drinking one glass of wine a day can offer heart-health benefit. If you drink alcohol, this is an important topic to discuss with your doctor so that you will know what limits are best for you to observe.
Is there a link between oral contraceptives and breast cancer? There is an increased risk of
breast cancer for women who have been using birth control pills for more than five years. However due to the low amount of hormones in birth control pills today, the risk is relatively small. But if a young woman has a significant family history of breast cancer, her gynecologist may recommend taking a break for a year from the pill at the fiveyear time frame then resuming again for another five years. Although evidence-based research data does not offer strong support for this standard of care, it has nevertheless become an increasingly common practice.
Is there a link between hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and breast cancer? Yes, there is. HRT was added to the carcinogenic list by the American Cancer Society in the early 2000s. It is recommended that women with known risks not be placed on HRT to control of menopausal symptoms. They should instead seek other safer alternatives.
How often should I do a breast self exam (BSE)? Give yourself a breast selfexam once a month. Look for any changes in breast tissue, such as changes in size, feeling a palpable lump, dimpling or puckering of the breast, inversion of the nipple, redness or scaliness of the breast skin, redness or scaliness of the nipple/areola area, or discharge of secretions from the nipple. If you discover a persistent lump in your breast or any changes, it is very important that you see a physician immediately. Though eight out of 10 lumps are benign, all require evaluation to confirm that they are not cancerous. Women should perform their breast self exam seven to 10 days after their menstrual period starts which is also when their breasts are the least tender and lumpy. If they are no longer menstruating, then she should select the same day of the month (first of the month for example) and mark it on the calendar to remind herself when to perform this self exam. What to look for is a change from last month’s exam to this month’s exam. It is not unusual to have lumpy
or bumpy breasts. All women should know the geography of their own breasts. If having trouble remembering, draw a diagram of where the lumps, bumps, grooves, and other findings are felt so that this can be used as a reminder from month to month. There is no added value in doing breast self exams more often than monthly. Also the findings may be different as well, in relationship to where a woman is in her menstrual cycle.
Does a family history of breast cancer put someone at a higher risk? Although women who have a family history of breast cancer are in a higher risk group, most women who have breast cancer have no family history. Statistically only 5 to 10 percent of individuals diagnosed with breast cancer have a family history of this disease.
Are mammograms painful? Mammography does compress the breasts and can sometimes cause slight discomfort for a very brief period of time. Patients who are sensitive should schedule their mammograms a week after their menstrual cycle so that the breasts are less tender. Your doctor may say it is fine to take acetaminophen an hour before the x-ray is performed to prevent discomfort too. How does menstrual and reproductive history affect breast cancer risks? Women who began their menstrual cycles before age 12, have no biological children, or had their first child at 30 or older, or began menopause after 55 are at a higher risk. This means that research has proven that the number of menstrual cycles a woman has over time influences risk.
How often should I go to my doctor for a check-up? You should have a physical every year which should include a clinical breast exam and pelvic exam. If any unusual symptoms or changes in your breasts occur before your scheduled visit, do not hesitate to see the doctor immediately.
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Wednesday, October 1, 2014 | 3
Not slowing down a bit Bra art auction to benefit Making Strides ❚ Survivors keep busy schedules By Matt VanTryon Flyer Correspondent
By Devan Strebing devan.strebing@flyergroup.com
The fourth annual Bra Art Auction will be held at the Washington Township Park Pavilion in Avon on Oct. 9. Last year the auction raised $7,000 for the American Cancer Society’s Making Strides Against Breast Cancer event that is held Oct. 4. The light-hearted event is filled with people making art with bras. All of the bras are auctioned off in a live and silent auction. The deadline to enter a bra is Oct. 6. Eva Burgan, a 16-year staff nurse at the Hendricks Regional Health Cancer Center, says the auction is really fun. “It’s the most hilarious thing,” Burgan said. “Last year we had male models; it’s amazing to see the creativity, but most of it’s about fighting breast cancer and creating awareness. It’s amazing seeing the community come out and doing it.” There is a rivalry that’s been started between departments at the hospital to see THIS BRA at last year’s auction was created by who could make the most of Christine Peeps. the money. “It is a lot of fun – we’ve raised almost $7,000,” she said. The Bra Art Auction is open to the public. Registration is at 5:30 p.m., dinner is at 6 p.m. and the live auction is at 7 p.m. Tickets are $25 in advance or $30 at the door. Charbono’s is catering the event and there will be a wine pull to round out the night. For more information, call the Cancer Center at 2723636. RITA FIORETINO created this bra art last year.
Debunking myths about breast cancer and areola. Men carry a Finding a lump in your higher mortality than women breast means you have breast do, primarily because awareness among men is less and cancer. they are less likely to assume a lump is breast cancer, The truth Only a small percentage of which can cause a delay in breast lumps turn out to be seeking treatment. cancer. But if you discover a persistent lump in your breast or notice any changes The myth A mammogram can cause in breast tissue, it should never be ignored. It is very breast cancer to spread. important that you see a physician for a clinical breast The truth A mammogram, or X-ray of exam. He or she may possibly order breast imaging the breast, currently remains studies to determine if this the gold standard for the early detection of breast canlump is of concern or not. Take charge of your health cer. Breast compression by performing routine breast while getting a mammogram self-exams, establishing cannot cause cancer to ongoing communication with spread. According to the your doctor, getting an annu- National Cancer Institute, al clinical breast exam, and “The benefits of mammograscheduling your routine phy, however, nearly always outweigh the potential harm screening mammograms. from the radiation exposure. Mammograms require very small doses of radiation. The The myth Men do not get breast can- risk of harm from this radiation exposure is extremely cer; it affects women only. low.” The truth The standard recommenQuite the contrary, each dation is an annual mammoyear it is estimated that graphic screening for women approximately 2,190 men will beginning at age 40. Base be diagnosed with breast your decision on your physicancer and 410 will die. While cian’s recommendation and this percentage is still small, be sure to discuss any men should also check them- remaining questions or conselves periodically by doing a cerns you may have with breast self-exam while in the your physician. shower and reporting any changes to their physicians. Breast cancer in men is The myth If you have a family history usually detected as a hard lump underneath the nipple of breast cancer, you are like-
The myth
ly to develop breast cancer, too.
The truth While women who have a family history of breast cancer are in a higher risk group, most women who have breast cancer have no family history. Statistically only about 10 percent of individuals diagnosed with breast cancer have a family history of this disease. If you have a first degree relative with breast cancer: If you have a mother, daughter, or sister who developed breast cancer below the age of 50, you should consider some form of regular diagnostic breast imaging starting 10 years before the age of your relative’s diagnosis. If you have a second degree relative with breast cancer: If you have had a grandmother or aunt who was diagnosed with breast cancer, your risk increases slightly, but it is not in the same risk category as those who have a first degree relative with breast cancer. If you have multiple generations diagnosed with breast cancer on the same side of the family, or if there are several individuals who are first degree relatives to one another, or several family members diagnosed under age 50, the probability increases that there is a breast cancer gene contributing to the cause of this familial history.
Sandie Broadstreet has a full schedule for a 73-yearold. She has game night one night, support group one day, goes to the YMCA to work out several days per week, and has a few camps and dinners to prepare for. Consider the fact that Broadstreet is a breast cancer survivor, and her story becomes miraculous. She returned from overseas after visiting her daughter in 2010 to discover a lump. She was diagnosed with cancer soon thereafter. Two weeks after surgery to remove the tumor, she underwent radiation on a daily basis for a month. However, the road was far from over. “You might be through with the radiation, but then you go to doctors,” she said. “First it’s your oncologist, then your radiologist, then your family doctor. Then six months later, or three months later maybe, you go again. That keeps going year after year.” In the midst of her radiation, Broadstreet was given a pillow to lay on to help ease the pain. That sparked an idea for her. Despite being a self-proclaimed introvert prior to her diagnosis, something changed. “I knew I had to do something, and I knew I could make a better pillow,” she said. So, she did. Broadstreet now makes pillows for survivors, free of charge. She recently made 93 pillows, one each for every member of the Bluebird camp, an annual camp for cancer survivors. She also makes bingo hats and neck pillows for survivors as well. Broadstreet’s friend, Vicki Hass, is a fellow survivor and a recipient of one of the pillows. Hass was diagnosed in 2011 and had a difficult road. She was in the midst of preparing to return to school when she received the diagnosis. Her first thought when she heard the news was the crushing realization that her plans would have to be put on hold. “When you first get the news, all you hear is ‘cancer,’” she said. “That’s why it’s important to have a caregiver sitting there with you, because my husband kept hearing everything and I was hearing nothing except, how am I going to finish school.” Not to be deterred, Hass finished school in the midst of treatment through online classes. Yet more importantly, her diagnosis led to lifelong friendships. Hass began attending a
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SANDIE BROADSTREET, a 73-year-old cancer surviver has a keeps a full schedule. cancer support group at Indiana University Health West Hospital, and she is thankful to this day for that decision. “I feel more like a winner than a loser,” she said. “I’ve had a lot of good friends come out of it. I moved here in 2009 and was like a hermit for the first two years. I went to support group and made friends that I’ve never had in my life.” Now, Hass and Broadstreet are the veterans of a support group consisting of 20 to 30 women who meet on a weekly basis. Broadstreet said the group has formed a tightknit community. “We take care of each other. We’re the old ones now,” she said. “When the new ones come in, they’re scared, they’re upset, they’re mad. A lot of these girls are just babies. They might need a mastectomy, they might have lost their female organs and not be able to have children … it is a real blow for them.” She said she has seen changes in the attitudes of those who come consistently. “They come in there and sit in support group and they’re scared,” she said. “They sit there and we tell them what we’ve been through, and they say, ‘Really?’ They start talking, and it’s amazing.” Hass said the group provides more than just social benefits. It provides medi-
cal benefits as well. “You learn things. You can’t learn it from the doctor completely,” she said. “My cancer will be different from other people’s. I was positive through the whole thing, and a lot of them aren’t.” Broadstreet found another lump a month ago and had to go in for a biopsy. When she got out of her car, she found she was not alone. “I go in for my biopsy and I’m scared to death,” she said. “I hear a honk, and I see Kay get out of her car. I hear another honk and there’s Vicki. And another honk, and another person. “If one of us has something come up, everyone else is there for you. Everyone else prays for you. You can’t tell me it doesn’t work.” The lump was declared to be non-cancerous. Broadstreet will go in for another examination in six months. Broadstreet and Hass consider themselves to be living examples of what the combination of a positive attitude combined with support from a community can do for a person. If they can do it, so can anyone else, they say. “Look at us,” Broadstreet said. “I talk to other women who are survivors, and they don’t have what we have. We’re dynamite.” Now, if you’ll excuse them, they have a game of euchre to go play.
HEALTH IN BRIEF Look Good Feel Better This free, national public service program is sponsored by the American Cancer Society, the Personal Care Products Council Foundation, and the Professional Beauty
Association | National Cosmetology Association. Look Good Feel Better programs teach female cancer patients beauty techniques to help restore their appearance and selfimage during cancer treatments. Services include 2-hour group makeover
workshops and one-onone salon consultations. The program also provides educational materials. For more information, call 1-800-395-LOOK (1-800-395-5665) or your local American Cancer Society office.
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Breast cancer disease affects both sexes By Matt VanTryon Flyer Correspondent
While breast cancer is most frequently associated with women, men can fall prey to the disease as well. John Danyluk and Jeff Van Paris can attest to this. One is still still fighting. One is free. Danyluk, an Indianapolis resident, felt a lump on his breast in 2009 and thought nothing of it. That is, until he went to the doctor in 2012 and the lump was still there. “I figured this bump was just a little bump,” he said. “I’ve had cysts removed before, I’ve had moles removed. Surely it couldn’t be anything. It turns out it was.” He had a mammogram and a mastectomy, and underwent six rounds of chemotherapy and 28 days of radiation. He said he wasn’t discouraged throughout the process. “Chemo is a social atmosphere,” Danyluk said. “There’s people around, the nurses are nice, friendly and informative. Radiation you are by yourself, strapped down, you can’t move. This machine is kind of just hovering over you. It weighs 5,000 pounds and you hope it doesn’t fall on you.” He said he was more concerned about those around him than himself. “The first time around didn’t really affect me that bad,” he said. “I lost hair but didn’t really care. Emotionally, I wasn’t really shattered or feeling sorry for myself. I was worried about the people around me that care about me — my wife, my mother.”
After the chemotherapy was completed, he thought that chapter of his life had closed. Six months later he went in for another scan, and the cancer had moved to his bones. “Basically after the mastectomy, the chemo and radiation, I thought, ‘Okay, I’m going to take a pill for five years and this is going to be behind me.’ When we found out on Christmas Eve last year, it was a big let down for (my wife) Kathy and I,” he said. He tried a chemotherapy drug, but it was not effective. He started his first round of chemotherapy a few weeks ago. Still, he remains positive and says it is treatable. “The doctor said it was very treatable,” he said. “After we went through the roller coaster, we thought, ‘It’s like high blood pressure, I should be around for a while. It was disappointing, though.” Danyluk works at home for an insurance company. He says he is fortunate to be able to work from home, but wonders in the back of his mind if he should be doing something else. “It feels like I’m spending too much time working and not enough time with my family,” he said. “I think, ‘Why am I doing this when I should be doing other things, when I should be living?’” Danyluk continues to enjoy his family and his friends. Despite living with uncertainty, he’s not letting his disease control his behavior. He encourages others in his situation to do the same. “One thing I like to tell
JEFF VAN PARIS, a cancer survivor, teaches at Clarks Creek Elementary School in Avon.
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people who have cancer is to not change their behavior,” he said. “Do what you enjoy doing. If you like to ride a bicycle and you’re able to, keep doing those things. Don’t let your mind keep you from doing things you enjoy doing. Keep your behavior as much the same as possible.” Jeff Van Paris, a teacher at Clarks Creek Elementary School in Avon, is also a
cancer survivor. Like Danyluk, he said his diagnosis took him by surprise. Van Paris said he found a lump on his right nipple in 2005. Six months later, his wife convinced him to have it examined. While the doctors scheduled for him to have it removed, he said “they were 90 percent sure it was nothing.”
He underwent surgery in January 2006 and woke up two hours later to discover he had breast cancer. Van Paris determined from the start that he was not going to let the diagnosis define him. “I just didn’t let it take my life over,” he said. “It was just part of my life. I just did everything else with it.” While his family and friends were concerned,
they saw his attitude and followed suit. “People thought it was going to be nothing,” he said. “But I think people reacted based on my reaction. Because I was so positive, people went with that flow.” Van Paris is a father as well. He believes his children saw their dad’s positive attitude and were put at ease. “My kids weren’t concerned because of the way I handled it,” he said. He underwent six rounds of chemotherapy and 28 rounds of radiation and was declared cancer-free. In 2011, he was diagnosed with prostate cancer, which was removed without chemotherapy. “I call myself an equal opportunity survivor,” he said. “I’ve had breast cancer and prostate cancer, and I’ve come through successfully.” Now, he uses his experiences as a platform to encourage others. He has run in the Komen Race for the Cure as well as raised awareness for the disease to those he knows. He said it is important for men to see that they aren’t alone, and that cancer is not an immediate death sentence. “It gives people hope,” Van Paris said. “It was a death sentence in the ‘70s. Nowadays, it’s encouraging for people to know how well I did through it all. “It’s crucial to make people aware and give them that positive hope.” Van Paris is an eight-year cancer survivor who continues to share his ordeal in an effort to help others.
IU Health West breast surgeon educates on the basics By Melissa Gibson Melissa.gibson@flyergroup.com
AVON — Dr. Monet W. Bowling, specializing in breast surgery at Indiana University Health West Hospital, knows all-to-well the questions, fears and concerns of women coming in for a variety of reasons from a r o u t i n e mammogram to a breast cancer diagnosis. Bowling Bowling says the typical, annual exam is called a screening. “That’s what everyone who comes in for a mammogram is going to get,” she said. If a mass or abnormality has been detected, a diagnostic film is taken for additional observation. The annual screening should typically start at age 40, unless other factors call for earlier check-ups. Those factors may include a strong family history of breast cancer, if first degree relatives have had breast cancer or if any questionable signs or symptoms appear. Bowling says a mammogram gives doctors the best look at patients who are 40 or older. Prior to age 40, she said, the breasts are typically dense and abnormalities are more difficult to detect. “There have been studies for years about when women need to start getting mammograms,” Bowling says. Annual exams from age 40 yield the best early detection, she said. Some signs or symptoms to check for during a selfexamination include changes to the skin, inversion of the nipple, discharge from the nipple, peu d’orange (an orange peel to the skin) and excessive itching. Bowling is careful to stress that these signs do not always equal cancer, but it’s always something to be evaluated. There are two main types of breast cancer that make up 85 percent of patients: ductile and lobular. The lobular is only in women and helps in the storage of milk. Ductile occurs in the ducts and effects 1 percent of men, as well as women.
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INDIANA UNIVERSITY HEALTH WEST is a full-service, community hospital in Avon. Once diagnosed, there are a few pieces of information needed to determine the severity of the case. The TNM describes the size of the tumor; less than two centimeters, two to five centimeters or bigger than five centimeters. Lymphnodes also have a coding system of N0 to N4. The term ‘grade’ is in reference to the cancer cells under a microscope, after a biopsy has been performed. “How aggressive or he cells?” Bowl‘angry’ are the d. ing explained. The term ‘stage’ tely is completely an different than the grade,, o and refers to y the severity r. of the cancer. Staging is att a hrough level zero through eing the canfour; four being read to other cer has spread organs. cer has been Once cancer detected, a patient has several options.
Bowling suggests some form of surgery to rid the body of the tumor. Surgeries include partial mastectomy, commonly referred to as a lumpectomy where only a partial area of the breast is removed. Another type of surgery is the mastectomy, or complete removal of one (unilateral) breast or two (bilateral) breasts. “Instead of making a choice from fear, make the choice from strength,” Bowl-
ing suggests. Sometimes, Bowling suggests therapy throughout the process, while the woman
is deciding the best course of action. “Mentally, it is a hard transition to one day wake up and not have your breasts there,” Bowling said. There is some testing recently made available for individuals with a strong genetic disposition to cancer. The BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene will test a patients risk factor based on multiple generations having a form of cancer or if men in the
“Know your family history, do regular self-breast exams, and be acutely aware of your body and its changes.” Dr. Monet W. Bowling Breast surgeon at Indiana University Health West Hospital
family have been victims of cancer. Ovarian, prostate, melanoma and pancreatic cancers also make an individual’s risk higher for future
generations. “Know your family history, do regular self-breast exams, and be acutely aware of your body and its changes,” Bowling said. She added, “From my view, the best tool we have
against breast cancer is early detection.” For more information on Bowling or IU Health West Hospital, visit the website at www.iuhealth.org.
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Wednesday, October 1, 2014 | 5
Avon shop offers much-needed post cancer products By Melissa Gibson melissa.gibson@flyergroup.com
Eight years ago, Deborah Ellis at Euphoria Spa and Wellness Center began fitting cancer patients with their much-needed bras and form inserts. “We did it primarily out of need,” Ellis said. “On three or four different occasions, the problem came up as a need in the community. It sort of found us.” The store is a rarity, especially since several years ago healthcare changes and requirements caused many similar stores to close. In order to sell breast forms, now considered a medical supply, Medicare changed its requirements, only covering accredited facilities since 2009. “I am an accredited medical supplier,” Ellis explains. “[The paperwork] is very tedious, time-consuming and a lot of detail.” All the more reason more stores have closed and discontinued the service. The store offers cancer patients a variety of selections including external breast prosthesis or breast forms, post-surgical bras, camisoles and wigs. They even have a small selection of swimsuits with pockets for form inserts and scarves. The fitting is free through Euphoria. The patient purchases the bra and the forms are covered through most insurance companies. Even the wigs are covered by most insurance companies when sent through an accredited medical supplier. “We have a broad range of synthetic, a broad range of human hair and even some blends,” Ellis said. Above and beyond the products available at Euphoria, customers are met with a spa-like environment and exceptional attention and care. One of the benefits of coming to the store is the personal attention by a certified fitter. For many, it’s an
EUPHORIA: The spa and wellness center looks like a home from the exterior. Ellis has received compliments regarding the non-clinical look and feel of the facility. the cracks,” Ellis said. “I tion is not an option and think local hospitals are weight changes often pose a doing well with including problem. Those issues are our brochures about sup- also easily adjusted with a plies and wigs, but one of different form. Whatever the challenge, the biggest issues is not really knowing what’s avail- Ellis is ready to help customable, what they are entitled ers find what works for their to have under the law and particular situation and give what’s covered by insur- them the ability to feel better in their own skin. ance.” “We try to think outside of Often, women who have the box,” she had a lumpecsaid. “I’m kind tomy or a parof a detailed tial removal of person, and I the breast like to think think that here’s an issue without a full and what will mastectomy, this take.” there’s isn’t She also has much that can the ability to be done. special order a “She doesn’t product for a have to live Deborah Ellis woman, a benwith that,” Ellis said. Euphoria Spa and Wellness efit over working with a cor“She can be Center employee porate facility fitted for needing mansomething that recreates her symme- agement approval. The task is not always try.” And recreating natural easy, but Ellis is determined symmetry is the ultimate to be a positive experience in the emotional whirlwind goal. Many other issues arise that is breast cancer. “If I can’t change this, that those without breast what can I change that will cancer might not consider. For example, when a make it better?” Ellis asks. patient has had a unilateral “There is life after breast mastectomy, or one breast cancer.” Euphoria Spa and Wellremoved, often reconstruction causes uneven results ness Center is at 4905 E. or over time, gravity affects Main St., Avon. For more the natural breast different- information, visit the webly than the reconstructed site at www.euphoriaofavon. com under Women’s Bouone. Sometimes, reconstruc- tique.
“We have a broad range of synthetic, a broad range of human hair and even some blends.”
CERTIFIED FITTER: Deborah Ellis demonstrates how forms fit in the pocket of a bra for breast cancer patients. emotional situation. “You get to regain a certain feeling of femininity that might have been missing for a while,” Ellis suggests. A lot of women struggle with feeling self-conscious. They may feel like other people can tell or that they’re looking at the unevenness.
“The bottom line is, even if it doesn’t bother anyone else, if it bothers her, she is entitled to have help for that,” Ellis said. “I feel like we have the ability to help put them at ease and feel comfortable and assured that they are going to look and feel better when they
leave than when they walked through the door.” Unfortunately, so many women are simply unaware of the help. “Women are so bombarded with so much information at that time, they are overwhelmed and certain pieces of information fall through
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6 | Wednesday, October 1, 2014
Breast cancer survivor uses support network to beat disease By Ryan Palencer Flyer Correspondent
For Leslie Crafton, beating breast cancer has created a whole new mantra for her life. Crafton said from June of 2013 to July of ‘14, she was living on ‘I will survive’ and she kept repeating that through four reconstructive surgeries. However, after the final surgery, when she realized that there were no more scheduled, she changed her tune — literally. When the doctors’ appointments reduced and it came to light that she had survived, she took on the mantra of ‘Don’t count the days, make the days count,’ which she reminds herself every day after one of the more frightening ordeals that anyone can face with breast cancer. “It’s something that can happen to anyone,” Crafton said. “Breast cancer has no boundaries. I know there have been cases of male breast cancer. It’s something that we all have to know can happen and that we need to be aware of.” For Crafton, the best cure was catching it early. “My biggest thing that I can say is to get your mammograms and do your self exam,” Crafton said. “I found mine through my own self exam. If I had not done that, I may not have had the same outcome. Time does make a difference and if you find it soon enough, it really does make a difference.” The best advice that Crafton has for anyone who may be diagnosed is to get as much information as is available and utilize all of the resources available. “From the time that you’re diagnosed, everything kind of sounds like the Charlie Brown teacher,” she said. “They give you all of this information when you’re sitting there in the office. Then you go home and you wonder what happened.” Crafton said she was fortunate enough to have her daughter joining her when she was diagnosed, which aided in retaining some of the information. Another fortunate aspect is that her daughter is a nurse practitioner and she was able to pick up on the medical portion of the information onslaught. “I was just dealing with the emotions of it,” Crafton said. “After I digested it, I realized that these were the cards that I was dealt and I have to play them now. She was able to answer some of my questions, so I would advise everyone to take somebody with you to the appointment.” Crafton said hearing the diagnosis was the hardest
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Annual walk created to fight breast cancer By Brenda L. Holmes brenda.holmes@flyergroup.com
part of the process for her. However, the post-surgery portion was a challenge as well, as she developed a severe infection that resulted in more hospital time. Crafton said she was fortunate and didn’t have to go through chemotherapy or radiation, as her cancer was discovered early enough that a double mastectomy was able to remove the cancer. During the process and shortly thereafter, she said she learned heavily on her support network. Her network happened to include several family members with experience with the disease. “You have to have (a support network),” Crafton said. “My mother is a breast cancer survivor. My older sister is a breast cancer survivor. I knew that I was going to join that list one day. I just had a feeling and I figured that genetic component of it.” That knowledge is what Crafton credits as making her proactive and the discovery of the cancer so early in the stages. In addition, she said she wouldn’t have been able to do it without the support of her co-workers and students at Pine Tree Elementary School in Avon. “My Pine Tree family was really helpful too,” she said. “They were right there with me. They didn’t really talk about it, but they were the shining spot every day and they did everything that I needed.” While she mentioned that she was not fully open with the students about her ailment, due to their age and getting the news just a week before school was out for the summer, she also credited them heavily. While she knew that it may be better to be in bed and recovering, Crafton just felt the urge that
“My mother is a breast cancer survivor. My older sister is a breast cancer survivor. I knew that I was going to join that list one day. I just had a feeling and I figured that genetic component of it.” – Leslie Crafton she had to be at school. “They really could have done without me, but it was my personal thing that I had to be there,” Crafton said. “(The kids) really didn’t know, but just the little things that the students would do helped ... I didn’t know how attached I was until then.” Crafton said there’s not much better news that you can get than hearing that you’re cancer free. “When I woke up from my surgery, the thing that I wanted to know, do I have to do anything else,” Crafton said. “They caught it early enough that I didn’t have to do chemo or radiation. That was the biggest relief when I heard that they got it. They took a few lymph nodes out, but not enough that they needed to do further treatment. That was the biggest relief of all.” Crafton said she has a younger sister who gives chemotherapy treatments and she knows how grueling it is to go through. Knowing what was coming, she said she feels fortunate that they were able to catch it at such an early stage.
AVON — The annual Making Strides Against Breast Cancer (MSABC) fundraiser for the American Cancer Society will return to Hendricks County on Oct. 4. MCABC is the largest network of breast cancer awareness events in the nation, uniting more than 300 communities across the United States. Teams are formed and raise funds prior to a special community event where the group participates in 3- to 5-mile walks. The Hendricks County event, a 5K, was born after several area residents had participated in the Indianapolis Making Strides Against Breast Cancer for several years. Local hospitals put their competitive nature aside to help bring the event to Hendricks County. Pam Riley is a registered nurse who works at the IU Health West Cancer Center in Avon. “I’ve been involved with Strides for 11 years,” Riley said. “Originally, I was involved with the one downtown and I’m part of the founding committee that brought Strides to Hendricks County.” “We work closely with Eva Burgan and Shane Summers from HRH and with the American Cancer Society,” she said. Burgan is a 16-year staff nurse at Hendricks Regional Health Cancer Center in Danville. “I’m the leader, but only because I signed us up,” she said. “We’re a bunch of people that are trying to make a difference; we’re all working together.” The event is now in its fourth year and is hosted at the Hendricks Regional Health YMCA in Avon. The American Cancer Society encourages people of all
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COMING TOGETHER: Individuals from across the county come together to participate in Making Strides Against Breast Cancer at the Hendricks Regional Health YMCA in Avon. ages to participate in this event which honors breast cancer survivors, increases awareness of the disease, and helps to raise funds for cancer research. The society-funded research has led to the discovery of lifesaving breast cancer treatments, including Tamoxifen and Herceptin. In addition, the money raised through Making Strides Against Breast Cancer allows the American Cancer Society to ensure all women to have access to mammograms and treatments – regardless of income – and makes it possible to provide free programs and services that improve the quality of life for cancer patients and their families. According to information from the ACS, in 2013, about 4,540 cases of breast cancer were diagnosed in Indiana alone. One of every two women newly diagnosed with breast cancer turns to the ACS for help and support. The dollars raised at the event fund groundbreaking research to find, prevent, treat, and cure breast can-
cer, ensure access to mammograms for women who need them, and provide free resources and support, including transportation and lodging during treatment. “The progress we’re making because of Making Strides supporters is nothing short of remarkable,” said Nicole Carlisle, cochairperson of the event. Burgan, the other cochair, added, “But now is not the time to rest. We have a lot of work to do to eliminate this disease. Finding a cure for breast cancer begins with those who participate in the walk and raise money for the cause.” Since 1993, eight million walkers have raised more than $460 million through Making Strides Against Breast Cancer. In 2013 alone, more than a million walkers across the country collected more than $60 million. Teams will arrive to register at 9 a.m. and the walk will begin at 10 a.m. For more information, visit the website at www. MakingStridesWalk.org/ HendricksCountyIN.
“Don’t count the days, make the days count.” — Leslie Crafton Facts about Breast Cancer • One in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime. • Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in women.
• Breast cancer is the second leading cause of death among women. • Each year it is estimated that more than 220,000 women in the United States will be diagnosed with breast cancer
and more than 40,000 will die. • Although breast cancer in men is rare, an estimated 2,150 men in the United States will be diagnosed with breast cancer and about 410 will die each year.
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The key to fighting breast cancer is early detection. That’s why getting proper preventative care is so important. Here are the steps all women should have on their radar: BREAST SELF-EXAMS Monthly self-exams help women familiarize themselves with their breasts so they can notice changes more easily. The American Cancer Society recommends all women begin performing regular self-checks at age 20. CLINICAL BREAST EXAMS A clinical breast exam is performed by a doctor or nurse trained to evaluate breast problems. Between ages 20 and 39, women should have a clinical breast exam every three years. After age 40, women should have one annually. MAMMOGRAMS Mammography can detect a breast lump an average of 1.7 years before the same lump can be felt. Women age 40 and older should have yearly mammograms. However, those with personal risk factors of breast cancer should talk with their doctor to determine if they should begin their screening schedule earlier. A doctor’s order is not required. Call (317) 745-3404 or request a mammogram online at HENDRICKS.ORG/MAMMO.
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Wednesday, October 1, 2014 | 7
Danville teacher turns negative into positive By Devan Strebing Devan.strebing@flyergroup.com
Sue Gillock, a middle school art teacher in the Danville Community School Corporation, is a 10-year triple negative breast cancer survivor. This will be her 39th year teaching, with 38 of those years in Danville and one in Greenwood. Her breast cancer journey began in June 2004 when she went in for a mammogram. By September, she received news that the doctors saw a discrepancy with what looked like fingers on her mammogram. “I understood what it was after that,” she said. “My diagnosis was triple negative breast cancer.” She had one surgery in Danville and then another surgery and then she went to the Melvin & Bren Simon Cancer Center. “Dr. Kathy Miller, my gynecologist at the time, didn’t know much or couldn’t tell me about triple negative breast cancer,” Gillock said. “They knew it was estrogen-related but they didn’t know much more than that. They just said that it was aggressive.” The Triple Negative Breast Cancer Foundation began in 2006. Its goal is to increase public awareness and support of this subtype of breast cancer. Gillock started her treatments of chemotherapy and radiation at the medical center. When she went to shave off her head, her daughter Leah and son Nathan went with her. She had fun with the wig, then children helped her handle the situation with humor. “In that situation it’s not a vanity thing, it’s a desire to be normal— to be viewed as normal,” she said. When she went back to school to her four ththrough sixth-graders, she decided to show them breast cancer awareness
“I took the packet and working in the creative environment really helped. I’ve been back on oil painting now and I want to live as long as I can to get all of these different paintings done that I want to do.” – Sue Gillock
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SUE GILLOCK and her daughter Leah Gonzalez (left) participate in the Susan G. Komen race every year. ribbons and had them make some of their own. “We had them all over the hallways,” she said. “We are also doing it again 10 years later this year. In October we’re going to do some things with breast cancer awareness and raising money.” Three years after she was diagnosed she was going in for treatment when an intern came in and said ‘oh that’s right you’re one of the triple negative breast cancer patients.’ “I found out that the foundation still didn’t know anything about triple negative breast cancer,” Gillock said. “It’s aggressive and fast and if you can make it past the first five years, you’re OK.” She now goes every year for a check-up and there has never been a reoccurrence. One time as she was going in for treatment, they were giving away watercol-
Gillock is a 10-year breast cancer survivor. or packages. “Artwork releases endorphins within the brain and they can help for recovery — I took the packet and working in the creative
environment really helped,” she said. “I’ve been back on oil painting now and I want to live as long as I can to get all of these different paintings done that I want to do.”
Gillock has walked in Race for the Cure every year and one year her former principal asked her to speak to the student body for Relay for Life.
“It was emotional because I was trying to explain that there is no easy way to tell your children,” she said. “Cancer is a family disease, not an individual disease; you need that family support.” Gillock says more information needs to be addressed on this type of breast cancer. “I’ve had friends who’ve had breast cancer and passed away, and you look at your life and you think ‘I’m really grateful that I’m here,’” she said. “I want to bring triple negative breast cancer to the forefront. It’s amazing how much they’ve raised money with the foundation and how they’ve helped people. “When I was first diagnosed, it was almost like it wasn’t me; it was like this little girl was sick and I needed to take care of this little girl, and then one day it came to me that that little girl is me. Once I realized that, I realized how hard I had to fight; that I really needed to do all of this and be OK.” For more information about the Triple Negative Breast Cancer Foundation, call the helpline at 1-877880-TNBC (8622).
8 | Wednesday, October 1, 2014
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Cancer survivor gives back through support group By STEVEN PENN Steven.penn@flyergroup.com
In March of 2012, Tina Barrow received news that no one wants to hear — she was diagnosed with cancer at 44 years old. Barrow was now a far too common statistic. She had breast cancer, which according to the American Cancer Society, affects one in eight women. “I was diagnosed March 19, 2012 — you never forget your date of diagnosis,” Barrow said. “That’s just something you don’t forget. I was diagnosed with poorly differentiated invasive ductal carcinoma. I did eight rounds of chemotherapy — four different drugs. I had bi-lateral mastectomies, with reconstruction, and I did 33 rounds of radiation. I’m taking a drug for five years. I just got moved up to six-month follow ups, so that’s really good.” Her long road started with the chemo in April, then she had her mastectomies in September, and started radiation in October, finishing Dec. 7. “That’s something else you don’t forget — radiation is not a fun time,” Barrow said. “After that, I just had to go through my reconstruction.” During her fight with cancer, Barrow realized how important it was to have her husband, son, and four sisters to lean on, as well as Hendricks Regional Health Cancer Navigator Lianna Willhite. “I think I utilized our cancer navigator quite a bit because it was unfamiliar territory for me and she’s also a breast cancer survivor,” Barrow said. “It was easy for me to pick the phone up and say ‘Hey, this is happening. Is this normal? What should I do?’” After completing her round of radiation, Barrow said she began volunteering at the Women’s Center and ultimately ended up getting a job in Radiology
registration. That’s when, she said, the idea to start a breast cancer support group started to materialize. Barrow said she took some classes on starting support groups and is the now the HRH Breast Cancer Peer Support Group facilitator. In fact, the group just celebrated its one year anniversary in August. “It took a while to get there and they say everything happens for a reason so it was the reason I had breast cancer,” she said. “I just thought if I could help somebody else … and that was really what inspired me to start the breast cancer support group.” Barrow realized having someone to talk to who’s experienced the disease is important. “For me, it was helpful to be with other people that had shared those same experiences,” she said. “If you have not had cancer, you don’t know what it feels like to go through chemo, you don’t know how you have these certain aches in your body, and you don’t know what it’s like to lose your hair. You may want to shave your head, but that’s choice. It wasn’t a choice for me to lose my hair. That was probably the hardest
part. “I just think it’s good to be with somebody who’s gone through the same path you’ve been on — to kind of confirm things for you. To know that they’re going through the same things and somebody else can help you through. Just to be able to pick up a phone and call somebody and talk to somebody that’s been through it. Or you might need a little bit more encouragement to take on round three of chemo or whatever it may be.” The group itself, Barrow said, meets from 6 to about 7:30 p.m., the third Thursday of every month in Conference Room 1 (East Entrance) at HRH in Danville. As for what’s covered at the meetings, she said they cover a multitude of topics. “We’ve talked about lymphedema, which is a side effect of having your lymph nodes removed, we’ve had people come in and talk about some physical therapy, we’ve talked about doing yoga, and we’ve talked about getting back into exercising,” Barrow said. “After you go through chemo it wears you out and the best thing is to start exercising. So we had some of the girls from physical therapy to show us how to start slowly back into
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doing that. We had a local author come in. His wife was a breast cancer survivor and he (told the group) how he was affected by it. So kind of the other side of the spectrum — how our spouses and family are affected by it.” She said the group averages about 10 to 12 attend-
ees at each meeting, with about eight regulars. There are also women at various stages of breast cancer. “We may have somebody new and we want to bring them in, let them tell their story and share as much as they want with us and then we can give input to that with them so they understand where we were at,” Barrow said. “We had women diagnosed from rated at zeros with their breast cancer all the way up to having bilateral mastectomies and reconstruction. It’s a variety of women. We have survivors from 10 years ago that attend our support group. It’s not just for recent survivors — it’s for anybody.” The group is also open to people who aren’t HRH patients and there’s no need for reservations. Interested people just need to show up, Barrow said. As a breast cancer survivor, one thing Barrow stresses is the need for mammograms and the importance of self-exams
for younger women.. “I just want to make sure people know they do have to have their mammograms and they’re annual,” she said. “My lump was so large I found it myself. Mine was 5.7 centimeters, so it was pretty big.” Aimee Ketterer, HRH marketing communications specialist, agreed. “(The hospital is) encouraging women to have their mammograms regularly,” she said. “For the younger gals that don’t really qualify for a mammogram, then the self-exams are really important and visiting their doctor at least once a year … having that annual checkup. The recommendation is age 40 to start mammograms. We see a lot of women younger than 40 with breast cancer.” For more information about the support group, visit the website at www.hendricks. org/CREG/ClassDetails. aspx?sid=1&ClassID=25813.
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Wednesday, October 1, 2014 | 9
Not all stories have happy endings
By MELISSA GIBSON Melissa.gibson@flyergroup.com
Nicole Harris, principal at Sycamore Elementary School in Avon, knows the fear and concern of having a family member diagnosed with cancer. “When a loved one is diagnosed with cancer, it changes every aspect of your life,” she said. “It changes you as a person.” Harris’ mother, Virginia, was originally diagnosed with breast cancer in May of 2003 at the age of 62. For the remainder of the year, Virginia underwent surgery, chemotherapy and radiation. Follow ups were negative until 2005 and with another diagnosis of breast cancer, Virginia underwent a full mastectomy, chemotherapy, and radiation. By January of 2006, the cancer cells had metastasized to her brain and she underwent brain radiation following her final diagnosis. Metastatic (advanced) disease means that the breast cancer cells have found their way into the bloodstream and traveled to other parts of the body. According to the website www. breastcancer.org, when breast cancer comes back, it tends to show up in specific areas of the body: the breast or the area where the breast used to be, the chest wall, the lymph nodes, the bones, the lungs or around the lungs, the liver or the brain. “We were shocked and almost in disbelief with the second diag-
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HAPPIER TIMES: Pictured here in June of 2001, Nicole Harris, Kim Fatten, Holly Brucken and Virginia Harris would not discover Virginia’s cancer diagnosis for another two years. nosis,” Harris said. “We learned through this process that cancer is a very tricky disease and often times can go undetected until the cells grow large enough to show up on tests. “All the tests came back cancer free — until it was detected again.” Family and friends want to remember the life she led, rather than the disease that took her life. “My mother was an amazing woman,” Harris said. “She was smart, kind, compassionate, and had a caring spirit.” A dedicated teacher from Clay Community School Corporation in Brazil, Virginia trained children to compete in Special Olympics, loved to shop, travel and cheer on her daughters in numerous marathons.
“She had an absolute passion for educating and helping children and adults. It was her life’s mission. Her belief was that ‘disabilities did not exist, rather a unique ability exists to achieve something special.” Nicole Harris “She had an absolute passion for educating and helping children and adults,” she said. “It was her life’s mission.” Virginia was particularly passionate about working with special needs students. Harris said her mother always felt that children should set a goal — no matter how big or small —
and work to achieve their dream. “Her belief was that ‘disabilities did not exist, rather a unique ability exists to achieve something special,” she said. Her passion for educating and helping others was equaled in her fight against a deadly disease that continued to return. Harris remembers the incredi-
ble strength her mother had throughout the process. “She was so strong, so accepting of her diagnosis, and fought with sheer grace,” Harris said. “I never heard her complain; even when she was very sick. I don’t know if that really surprised me; but rather left me feeling in awe of her.” Virginia’s positive attitude served as an example to her family, friends, and students regarding how she chose to look at life. “She would absolutely say that you have to fight a good fight with a positive attitude and that life is worth living,” Harris said. Virginia Harris lost her life to cancer on Dec. 9, 2006. She was 65.
RELAY FOR LIFE RAISES FUNDS FOR RESEARCH
A GROUP OF THE Danville Community High School cheerleaders sold T-shirts to help raise funds for cancer research.
THE DANVILLE RELAY FOR LIFE fundraiser for the American Cancer Society was held at the Hendricks County 4-H Fairgrounds and Convention Complex. TEAMS SELL ALL KINDS OF ITEMS to raise funds for the American Cancer Here, Carey Hackleman of the Teacher Creatures team gets luminaries ready for Society. These pencils are popular with the Wayne Township Relay for Life a remembrance ceremony. teams.
10 | Wednesday, October 1, 2014
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Guiding the way to better care ❚ Hospital offers cancer care guides
HRH nurse looks to aid cancer patients By RYAN PALENCER Flyer Correspondent
For Lynn Turner, nursing director of the oncology infusion clinic at Hendricks Regional Health, Breast Cancer Awareness Month brings upon bittersweet feelings. “I have mixed emotions about (Breast Cancer Awareness Month),” Turner said. “I see a lot of people from the community and even some of my co-workers from the hospital receiving treatment in our clinic. They can be very sad, but a lot of those patients recover. It’s not a death sentence.” While the patients are going through one of the worst experiences of their lives, the HRH team is there by their side for support. This creates lifelong bonds that cannot be broken. “We have lots and lots of patients that come back to see us at the hospital,” Turner said. “They are here for other treatment or with a family member. They come back and see us and let us know how they’re doing or we keep in touch with them by phone. We have the opportunity to continue those relationships with our patients.” In addition, department nurse Jana Tracy is a breast cancer survivor. This allows patients to see a live survival story. “I think that’s really special because she has that empathy,” Turner said. “When she’s working with those patients, a lot of times she’ll let them know that she had the disease and that she survived. It just gives her a special way to communicate with those patients because she really does know how they feel.” Turner said the toughest moment for the patient is when they first hear the diagnosis. It’s obviously very frightening, she said, as the patient is unsure what the future holds for them. Turner said the most important role of the nurses during this time of uncertainty is to provide both support and information. “(The nurses) also educate the patients,” Turner said. “We also have a fulltime pharmacist who works in the infusion center. She provides additional education to patients and their families. The patients never suffer alone and they have the family members who support them and bring them to their appointments.” The nurses are trained to give the patients the information that they need to obtain right away to put their mind at ease and explain the process, as the first thing that they want is as much information as possible. This information continues at each subsequent appointment. Turner said the best part of the job is seeing the patients improve and ultimately beat the disease. Quite often, she said, patients will celebrate their last visit with a cake or in a similar fashion. She said they joke about this being the last time that they’ll see
each other, despite both sides knowing that the bond is life-long in many situations. The bond is formed a lot of times due to the situation, as well as the amount of time that the patient spends with the nurses. However, this bond is not just limited to the patients. “The patient will be there sometimes for an eight-hour infusion,” Turner said. “The patient may have a chance to catch up on some rest during the infusion. A lot of times, we can have time to spend with the family members to discuss their part in the journey to their loved one’s recovery. Sometimes they really do need support from us too because they get worn out. It can be a very taxing disease and the responsibilities of the support care givers can be just as many as the person fighting the disease if not more.” At the infusion center, the typical treatment is chemotherapy. At the HRH Cancer Center location in Avon, the treatment is predominantly radiation therapy. She said some patients receive one, both, or even surgical intervention, depending on the patient and the situation. While Turner admitted that they do not see all of the patients, she said they do see a lot of them at her location. With the options that Hendricks Regional Health provides, Turner said that it’s truly a team effort to eradicate this terrible disease. “To have a full continuum of care, no matter what kind of treatment, we have that service available for them within our network,” Turner said. “We also have a breast cancer navigator. She is a nurse who connects with the patients in our system and helps them learn how to get other resources or support for themselves or care givers, outside of our system.” These options include finding wigs, connecting with support groups, and similar topics. Within the network, they’re able to refer patients to their own dieticians if they start having issues with nausea or not wanting to eat. They can also help the patient control or gain calories. With October being Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the group also looks to take action to raise funds and awareness for the disease. They have a couple of different teams taking part in the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer event Oct. 4 at the Hendricks Regional Health YMCA in Avon. The group is having a ‘bra art auction’ event for the fourth annual year on Oct. 9. The proceeds from the event will benefit the Making Strides benefit. “That is a really fun event and it’s open to the community,” Turner said. “It’s at the Washington Township Pavilion. We have several people who decorate bras and those are auctioned off as a charity event. Some of the bras are modeled by community celebrities. It’s very amusing.”
They sit just a few feet apart in a small office, on the phone, on the computer working every day to help patients deal with one of life’s most complicated journeys. They hold a hand. They sit at a bedside. They dig for information and nudge for quicker appointments. They translate. They care. They are Indiana University Health West Hospital’s cancer care guides: Cindy Barnard, who specializes in working with breast cancer patients, and Mary Pat Sapp, who works with patients dealing with all other types of cancer. “We tell our patients we know one day their life was normal, and the next day it wasn’t,” Mary Pat explains. “We try to avoid telling them we know how they feel, because we don’t. We tell the patient that they are the captain of our team, and we are a team.” Both RN’s with experience caring for cancer patients, the care guide role was new to Mary Pat and Cindy when they came to IU Health West. In a role that is sometimes referred to as a “navigator,” the goal of the care guide is to be just that: to help patients understand their diagnosis, make informed choices about their treatment plan and then help make acting on those choices as simple as possible. Whether it is setting up appointments or making sure records and results get from one doctor to another, Cindy and Mary Pat join any patient who wants them to, every step of the way. “Over my career I have found the most gratifying work as a nurse is one where you meet in a moment of crisis, then begin walking a journey of hope,” says Cindy. “Nobody wants to be alone, and nobody should be alone especially when walking the journey of cancer.” That theme of assuring patients they are not alone permeates both nurses’ approach to the daily ups and downs of their relationships with patients and their families. Mary Pat observes, “God put more than one person on the face of this earth so we can help each other. He gave us emotions so we can use them. So, laugh often and cry when you need to. Life is short, even if you live to 100. Each day is very special.” Cindy and Mary Pat are introduced to patients very early in their care process.
“We tell our patients we know one day their life was normal, and the next day it wasn’t. We try to avoid telling them we know how they feel, because we don’t. We tell the patient that they are the captain of our team, and we are a team.”
Support groups bring patients together Sometimes, the best medicine is spending time with people who have walked in your shoes. Support groups provide patients that opportunity: to laugh, to cry and to compare notes with someone who has, or is having, an experience similar to your own. The IU Health West Cancer Center team is honored to offer patients and their families a variety of opportunities to come together in support of one another: Cancer Connection IU Health West Hospital’s Cancer Connection support group is a monthly support and education opportunity for cancer patients—whether receiving treatment at IU Health West or not—and their loved ones to gather for information and support. The program consists of two distinct elements: First, guests gather together for a presentation on a universally relevant topic or issue. Then, the group divides into two support clusters—one for patients and one for loved ones and caregivers—which allow the opportunity for frank and open discussion about the challenges each group faces. Michelle Hoy, LCSW, and Mary Pat Sapp, RN, facilitate Cancer Connection meetings. There is no cost to attend this supportive and education opportunity, and patients do not have to be receiving treatment at IU Health West to attend. For upcoming meeting dates, view our events calendar online at iuhealth.org/west. Refreshments are served. Advance registration is requested. To reserve a space at an upcoming Cancer Connection support group meeting, or to learn more about the program, please call 217-3391. Breast Cancer Coffee Club Join IU Health West Hospital for the Breast Cancer Coffee Club, our breast cancer support group. This group meets the second Friday of each month from 9:30 to 11 a.m., as well as the fourth Tuesday evening of the month at 6 p.m. All meetings take place in the Physician’s Dining Room at IU Health West Hospital. The Breast Cancer Coffee Club is open to anyone with breast cancer—whether you are newly diagnosed or completed your treatment years ago. All are welcome to join this welcoming and open support environment. Reservations are not required, and there is no cost to attend. Call 217-3810 for a schedule of upcoming meetings. Advanced Cancer Support IU Health West hosts new weekly support group for patients with advanced cancer. All people living with advanced cancer, as well as their loved ones, are welcome to attend this welcoming and open support environment. Meetings are held every Tuesday from 1 to 2:30 p.m., in the Physician’s Dining Room at IU Health West Hospital. Michelle Hoy, LCSW, OSW-C and Mary Pat Sapp, RN, OCN lead the group. Guests are welcome to bring food or drinks. Reservations are not required, and there is no cost to attend. For more information, call 217-3391. For breast cancer patients, it is often Cindy who, in collaboration with the patient’s doctor, delivers the news. “In the initial conversation, trust is built and walls come down. You find out a lot about your patient,” she says. “Some patients take their diagnosis in stride. Others have had a long family history with cancer and have been ‘waiting for the shoe to drop.’ You most definitely learn what scares them the most. It is my job to be a bit of a detective to learn what that is and what they need to move forward.” Cindy herself has a significant family history with breast cancer, and as the mother of two physically challenged children, she
Mary Pat Sapp
brings a unique empathy to the patient relationship: she understands what it means to expect one thing from your life, and then find yourself in a decidedly different place. “I consider my work a ministry, not a job,” Cindy explains. “None of us knows what a day will bring. I choose hope and I choose to celebrate every blessing. Even on the worst days, there are silver linings.” As a guide for patients dealing with a broad range of cancers, Mary Pat’s relationships can be unpredictable. She remembers vividly a patient who received a lung cancer diagnosis when the disease was already extremely
advanced. She had just a few weeks with the patient before he was hospitalized, and ready to pass away— with his family, chaplain and Mary Pat, at his side. “I felt God’s real presence in that room,” Mary Pat recalls. “This family did not have much time to absorb the diagnosis, much less the quick demise of their loved one. Hearing another human being say ‘I don’t know what we would have done without you’ is extremely humbling, and all the words I need to hear.” Clearly, it takes a special spirit to answer the call to be a cancer care guide. So how do Cindy and Mary Pat keep their own tanks full, so to speak, so that they have so much to give? “I love baseball and will go to any game, any time,” Mary Pat says. “I take care of myself by being dedicated to going to the gym most days after work, and I am a readaholic who can be carried away by a book. I have my husband, children, grandchildren and lifelong friends and fantastic coworkers who are great listeners.” “When I hear bad news or have to have a difficult conversation with a patient, it hurts,” Cindy shares. “I have been known to cry in my car on my way home from work. It is only in surrendering those heavy issues to God that I can do the work I do. You pray. You have patience.” Patience, and a capacity to care for patients that goes far beyond taking vital signs or administering medicine. In a hospital that holds building relationships and creating a healing sanctuary as core values, these two nurses, these two care guides, walk the walk each and every day. Always, with a patient at their side.
RELAY FOR LIFE
HENDRICKS COUNTY FLYER PHOTO
RELAY FOR LIFE, a 24-hour fundraiser for the American Cancer Society, took place around the country in May and early June. These walkers are participating in the Relay for Life in downtown Brownsburg. Teams raise money and participate in various activities to help raise money for cancer research.
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HENDRICKS COUNTY HALF MARATHON
Wednesday, October 1, 2014 | 11
Online support
ACS website
The American Cancer Society offers several online communities to help people with cancer connect to others who are facing the disease. Each offers a different level of privacy and different types of interactions to meet the diverse needs of people with cancer and their caregivers. Learn more about these communities at www.cancer.org/supportcommunities.
The American Cancer Society’s user-friendly website, www.cancer.org, provides in-depth information on every major cancer type. The site provides answers to questions about breast cancer, risk factors, strategies for early detection, new diagnostic techniques, and the latest treatment options. Select content is also available in Spanish. Visit the part of our website dedicated to
breast cancer at www.cancer.org/breastcancer.
Screening reminder The American Cancer Society’s free breast cancer screening reminder allows women to register for a yearly e-mail reminding them to schedule the breast cancer screening tests recommended for their age group. To sign up for a breast cancer screening reminder, visit the website at www.cancer.org/remindme.
EARLY SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS PHOTOS BY MELISSA GIBSON | THE FLYER GROUP
(ABOVE) RUN FOR A CAUSE: More than a dozen runners showed up at the Hendricks County Half Marathon wearing pink tu-tu’s in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. (BELOW TOP) SHOWING SUPPORT: Cravotta stops for a photo with a fellow runner after completing the challenging walk/run marathon. (BELOW BOTTOM ) DETERMINATION: Dave Cravotta ran the Hendricks County Half Marathon through the town of Danville and surrounding countryside. (BELOW RIGHT) SUCCESS: Katlyn Kutzlo accepts her medal of completion immediately after crossing the finish line.
• Swelling and a feeling of warmth in a breast • Tenderness around the nipple • Sore breast • Itchy breasts or nipples • A rash on a nipple or surrounding area • A lump or thickening in or near the breast or in the underarm area (axillary area) • A breast lump which is non-
tender • A remarkable change in the size or shape of the breast • Dimpling or puckering in the skin of the breast • New pain that develops in a spot in a breast • An inward turned nipple • Discharge (fluid) from the nipple, especially bloody discharge • Red and inflamed breast
• Scaly, red, or swollen skin of the breast, nipple, or areola (the dark area of skin around the nipple). The ridged skin may look like the skin of an orange • Unexplained weight loss • Breast ulcer as a later symptom of breast cancer • A lump found in the area above the collarbone (supraclavicular area) which indicates that the cancer has spread to the lymph nodes
Basic Tips For
EARLY DETECTION • Yearly mammograms are recommended starting at age 40 and continuing for as long as a woman is in good health • Clinical breast exam (CBE) about every 3 years for women in their 20s and 30s and every year for women 40 and over • Women should know how their breasts normally look and feel and report any breast change promptly to their health care provider. Breast self-exam (BSE) is an option for women starting in their 20s. Some women – because of their family history, a genetic tendency, or certain other factors – should be screened with MRI in addition to mammograms. (The number of women who fall into this category is small: less than 2% of all the women in the US.) Talk with your doctor about your history and whether you should have additional tests at an earlier age.
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