INSPIRE OCTOBER 2021
Empowering Natural Living
It Was Something She Had Never Felt Before BREAST CANCER PREVENTION
ChaBYnged CANCER
FINDING
StreI NngSthT R I D E
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feature IT WAS SOMETHING LIKE SHE HAD
Never Felt Before
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By Loyd Ford-The Lake News
t was early on a Wednesday morning during breakfast at Calvert City Elementary School when the email came through. Lori Riley Harmon was getting her kindergarten class seated in the cafeteria when her phone let her know she had a new email from My Chart. The date May 12, 2021 is etched into her memory, it was the day she found out she had breast cancer via an automated medical email service. She found a lump in her breast in April, the mammogram she had in January didn’t detect anything. Of course, that was before she knew anything about dense breast tissue that mammograms and scans have difficulty seeing through. Lori had dense breast tissue. Lori said, “I've gotten a mammogram every year since I was 25 years old, because of Mom.” Lori’s mom died of breast cancer when Lori was 19 years old. She said sometimes I would get called back for another look but the results were always clear. In April, Lori found a lump. She said, “This was like something I had never felt before.” She told her best friend and neighbor Bridgette Thompson about the lump one day when they took a walk. She said it felt like a golf ball. Bridgette insisted she go to a doctor right away. Lori’s oncologist Dr. Mae Fischer, a Paducah oncologist, asked her to get a mammogram right away. “They called me back three times, I was nearly in
tears.” Lori explained. It was the same test they did in January only this time they took a biopsy of the tissue and 10 days later she got the results no one ever wants; it was breast cancer. There were additional tests, gene studies and consultations. Three additional spots of tissue were also found. The original lump turned out to be larger than first thought. Lori weighed her options, a double-mastectomy is major surgery with the potential for additional complications, but there was also the possibility that a lump could form in her other breast. Lori made the difficult decision to have a double-mastectomy. On July 15 of this year Lori had a double-mastectomy barely over twomonths after finding out she had breast cancer. The surgery, thankfully went well. Lori said, “There were no negative effects. I had exercises to do at the fitness center and a pill to take daily. No chemo only the pill.” Lori barely started her exercise therapy at the fitness center when her family had to be quarantined due to exposure to COVID-19. She did the remainder of her exercise therapy at home. Lori is thankful there was no chemo treatment for her. She said, “That was a dark time in my life, when my mom went in for chemo.” She was in high school when her mother got sick and had to drop out of college as her illness progressed. Before it was over her mother’s breast cancer found its’ way
into other parts of her body and overcame her. Lori fought it with her, at her side, so she has memories that she still carries with her. Lori has a daughter, Claire, who is a college student; a young woman whose mother and grandmother had breast cancer. Lori thinks about that. October 13, the date Lori is supposed to get her breast implants, is approaching. One of the stretching implants in her now that is stretching her tissue to allow for the breast implant is leaking. She said it isn’t supposed to be a concern. But it is leaking. Lori said her advice to people is, “Don’t let your guard down.” Three years before getting her cancer diagnosis Lori went on a self-described health kick. She lost 40-pounds, ate foods that are touted to have cancer fighting properties, and got up early every morning to run on her treadmill. Even today she easily meets the 10,000step daily exercise goal in her kindergarten classroom. She said, “You know I don’t sit behind my desk.” “They had a hard time seeing my lump with the mammogram, but it was easy for me to feel,” she explained. “The dense breast tissue can mask cancer and I had the type of cancer that is difficult to see. I wish they had done MRIs instead of mammograms,” she said. Lori also wishes she had been more diligent about doing monthly breast cancer self-exams. Something she now tells others to do. With good test results now, Lori doesn’t have to do chemo and that is a huge relief. There are no other signs of cancer and that is a blessing for Lori and her family. Lori has a positive outlook and has plans for her future, a cancer free future.
Calvert City Elementary School kindergarten teacher Lori Riley Harmon, photo above, has been battling breast cancer since April. She has good test results, a positive outlook and plans for the future.
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contents October | 2021
t s a e r B yst C
THE COMMON LUMP
9 FINDING
Strength
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IN STRIDE
3 FEATURE
It Was Something She Had Never Felt Before
7 FEATURE
Cancer Diagnosis Triggers 16-Year Involvement With Fund Raising for Cancer Research
12 DISCOVER
Breast Cancer Prevention
13 FEATURE
Changed By Cancer
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feature
Cancer Diagnosis Triggers 16-Year Involvement with Fund Raising For Cancer Research
Cancer fighting activist,Vicki Dyer Johns, photo above, says she chose to be uplifting in her very first speech at Marshall County Relay for Life. She also chose to become a cancer fighter and still actively works to raise funds for cancer research.
By Loyd Ford-The Lake News
S
ixteen years ago, and 12 weeks into treatment for her breast cancer Vicki Dyer Johns was riding home from a visit with her oncologist with her husband Tommy. Information broadcast on their car radio about Marshall County Relay for Life, an American Cancer Society fund raiser, caught her attention. Johns said, “I told Tommy we ought to go and check that out.” They did. The Relay for Life was the very next weekend at Marshall County High School’s Carroll Traylor Stadium. Vicki and Tommy were watching people walking around the track when a Calvert City Elementary School co-worker of Vicki’s, Dawn Lampley, encouraged her to come down and walk with her around the track. She did. Not only did Lampley talk her into walking but she had her announce that she was a 13-week cancer survivor in the ceremony just prior to the survivor’s walk.
Those small acts triggered a 16-year involvement with raising funds for cancer research that continues until today. Vicki was encouraged to become involved with a group organized by Jeff Story called Friends and Kin. Vicki said Friends and Kin had now become like a family group for her and Tommy. She explained Story put the group together with Friends and Kin to cook and sell bar-b-que to raise money for cancer research. People in the group have had a variety of cancers, not just breast cancer, but they still share a common bond of fighting cancer together. Friends and Kin has made its mark. The organization has raised over $300,000 in 16 years. In a normal year they raise about $15,000 at the BBQ on the River in Paducah. In a really good year when they are also able to smoke and sell bar-b-que at other events they have raised as much as $35,000. Vicki said, “Jeff Story has been a really great leader for us.”
Vicki recounted that 10 years ago Carol Capps, a long-time fund raiser for the Calvert City Pink Ribbon Walk, asked her to be the Relay for Life survivor speaker. Vicki explained, “I chose to be uplifting.” Both Vicki and Tommy served for years on the Relay for Life committee. Getting involved in the “Relay” had a lot of informational benefits for them. Vicki said she toured cancer research labs in Nashville and learned about the importance of cancer society grants for research. Remembering back to one of her earliest visits to her oncologist,Vicki said, “He told me my hair would fall out.” She continued, “I folded my arms and looked at him and I said I am not doing that. Then he sat back in his chair and folded his arms and said that is the only way I do it.” So, she did it. Vicki’s journey has been a long one since 2005 when she had that first lumpectomy. Gene research, new at the time, showed she was at risk for breast cancer recurrence. A double-mastectomy came after that and she had to go through surgery again after three tiny spots were found. Vicki’s road has been long. She has changed a bit; her hot pink hair gives an immediate indication of where her priorities lie. She says, “I always tell people I don’t Relay for me, I Relay for you”. Since her mother is a breast cancer survivor, and one of her two daughters has the same gene she has that is linked to cancer,Vicki has a mission. She tells people they need to get their mammogram, do monthly self-exams and start those self-exams at a young age much younger than is recommended. INSPIRE HEALTH
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cover story
FINDING
StreI NngSthT R I D E E
ach time her foot struck the pavement,Vanessa Reiser drew one step closer to the finish line. But unlike the traditional marathons and ultramarathons she’s run her whole life, this one was different. This time the finish line was more significant, and couldn’t be quantified by distance alone. Her dedication carried her across nine New York counties spanning 12 days of running. 285 miles in total. Through green fields dotted with baby goats and bustling city streets, she persevered. Her modified wedding dress flowing behind her as a symbolic testament, she ran over 20 miles each day. There was determination in her stride and with each calculated breath, her resolve strengthened.
As for the wedding? She dodged that bullet over a year ago. Reiser, a 47-year-old clinical therapist and proud mother, is a narcissistic domestic abuse (NDA) survivor. Her story is a familiar tale for victims and those who may be struggling to find defining words for their difficult situation. The decision to run in her wedding dress represented solidarity with other survivors by calling out the manipulative behavior of narcissistic abusers. “The dress represents something that the narcissist exploits. They recognize this as a vulnerability or as something in our society that is coveted. They tend to dangle these carrots—whether its finances, having a baby, or a wedding. Things of this nature. So, I felt it was symbolic that I run in the dress.”
After ending her engagement with her abuser, she underwent a tumultuous experience including “love-bomb” withdrawals, confusion, eliminating toxic friends and ultimately rebirth. For Reiser, the run signified more than simply mileage. It represented a resurrection and a return to her strength. “I thought what better way to practice my own healing and inspire others to get empowered than to start this journey, which was transformative,” the New York native said. “The most empowering thing for me during the run, was physically enduring it and mentally enjoying it—feeling free. I felt so healed. I was in my own head, listening to music, just loving myself. It was my own meditation in a way. It was me connecting with myself.” While the run acted as a healing mechanism for Reiser, she knew there was more profound purpose behind the feat. By raising awareness around the insidious nature of NDA, Reiser wants to not only inform victims, but also shine a light on the clinical aspect and help her peers better understand NDA. “I began to realize how important it was going to be to bring awareness, considering myself, who has this high education, had no idea that it existed,” Reiser said. This provided a first-person lens for her to draw from, and utilizing her master’s degree in social work from USC, she started a non-profit organization. “Tell a Therapist is built to provide referrals to people in different states for a narc savvy clinician. We’re noticing a deficit of clinicians who aren’t as understanding since they haven’t gone through it, like I have. So, we want to bring awareness into the clinical space around this as much as to the victims.” “You want to get around people that believe you. Which is important because the biggest piece of awareness is that we don’t consider abuse to be anything unless we can see it. I had to shed a lot of toxic friends. Because generally a narcissist is very charming and loved in the community by looking a certain way in the public, and then behind the scenes acting very abusive,” INSPIRE HEALTH
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Reiser said. “I had to get rid of a lot of non-believers, that was really a compounding trauma. I needed to surround myself with people that were believing me.” Reiser is creating opportunity from the ashes of her relationship by sharing insight into some narcissistic red flags, and how victims can position themselves to be prepared and survive. “Things like love-bombing, future faking, circular conversations, gaslighting. It’s the cycle of abuse. So, they may idolize you one minute, then devalue you, become passive aggressive and give you the silent treatment the next. That’s actually the cycle of abuse and creates a trauma bond.” “Narcissists tend to be addicts. They’re manipulative, insecure and controlling. If you start to identify those behaviors, then you may want to hide your belongings, or get a safety bag and leave it at a friend’s house. Just prepare to potentially get away from them, because there’s not a lot of data that says they can MSN, APRN, FNP-BC change, unfortunately.” MSN, APRN, FNP-BC LHHS Family Nurse Practitioner “[As therapists] we’re LHHS Family Nurse Practitioner Matthew is accepting new patients and provides I am always talking about empow“ honored a full range of medical services and care for erment and finding things that Matthew is accepting new patients and provides I am to be“ serving patients of all ages. Services include: a full range of medical services and care for myhonored hometown you’re passionate about to to be serving patients of all ages. Services include: neighbors and • Comprehensive General Healthcare MSN, APRN, FNP-BC lean into. The narc tends to myfriends hometown to •• Diagnosis and Treatment of Acute/Chronic Conditions neighbors Comprehensive General Healthcare create and prey on the vulnerable, so if LHHS Family Nurse Practitioner afriends to •• Women’s Health Visits, Sports Physcials healthier Diagnosis and Treatment of Acute/Chronic Conditions create you come into your power, •• Wound Care community. Women’s Health Visits,new Sportspatients Physcials and provides Matthew is accepting I ”am a healthier •• Wellness Visits honored you’ll notice rather quickly that community. a fullWound rangeCare of medical services and care for ” they disappear. They’re kind •• Yearly Wellness Medicare Visits include: to be serving Wellness Visits patients of all ages. Services my hometown •To Yearly Wellness Medicare Visits schedule an appointment of allergic to this. So, it checks neighbors and • Comprehensive Healthcare with MatthewGeneral Fletcher , friends to a lot of boxes when you’re To schedule an appointment • Diagnosis and Treatment of Acute/Chronic Conditions call Grand Lakes Clinic, create fluffing out your feathers, takwith Matthew Fletcher , • Women’s Health Visits, Sports Physcials 270-362-8246 . a healthier call Grand Lakes Clinic, • Wound Care Medicare, community. ing care of yourself and paying All private insurances, 270-362-8246 . Medicaid, and private pay are accepted. • Wellness Visits less attention to their childlike All private insurances, Medicare, Medicaid, andGrand private pay are accepted. Rivers • 1860 • Yearly Wellness Medicare Visits J.H. O’Bryan Ave. • Grand Rivers, KY behavior. It’s almost like an M O N D AY- F R I D AY: 8 A M - 4 P M antidote,” Reiser said. GrandanRivers • 1860 J.H. O’Bryan Ave. • Grand Rivers, KY To schedule appointment “I am Mhonored serving my O N D AY- F R I Dto AY: be 8 AM -4 PM with Matthew Fletcher , Reiser continues to call Grand Lakeshometown Clinic, neighbors and friends expand her outreach and de270-362-8246. velop the narrative surroundto create a healthier community.” All private insurances, Medicare, Medicaid, ing NDA. While narcissism is and private pay are accepted.
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recognized in the clinical field as a severe diagnosis, there’s a lot of ambiguity around how it operates in tandem with abuse, and the fallout that comes afterwards. “We definitely think this is a new movement. Not that narcissism hasn’t been around, but I don’t know that we’ve been calling it that clinically, and really identifying it. We have a lot to do in terms of the vernacular we use, because narcissism isn’t limited to just vanity. We need to understand this is a level of psychopathy.” “It’s important for people to feel believed and heard. The abuser is the abuser, but we want people to believe their friend, neighbors, sisters. We need to do a better job of believing people when they tell you there’s a toxic person, or if they feel that way. We want to hold space for that. You don’t feel that society does enough to believe you. Sometimes I feel like when I’m telling my story I might as well have been saying I saw a UFO,” Reiser said. “We want people to say things like, ‘I’m here for you. I believe you. What can I do for you?’” Currently, Reiser is writing a book on NDA and helping plan more runs in the future for herself, and other survivors who are joining the movement. She knows it’s only the beginning to a lifetime dedicated to educating and empowering victims so they too can reclaim their strength. This is a marathon without a finish line and Reiser is here for the challenge, stronger than ever. Visit www.TellATherapist. org to receive help finding a narc-savvy clinician in your area and donate to the movement.
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discover
BREAST CANCER
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ontrary to common belief, genetics does not play as significant a role in breast cancer risk factors as does one’s lifestyle; indeed, according to the non-profit, According to BreastCancer. org, a non-profit helping educate women, only 5 to 10 percent of reported cases are inherited. In the general population, 12 to 13 percent of women will develop breast cancer, which comes out to one in eight. With these odds, it’s a good idea to assess your diet and lifestyle to determine your likelihood of developing the disease. The first proactive approach to preventing breast cancer is to perform a monthly self-exam. Stand in front of a mirror that gives you an adequate visual of your upper body. With your breasts uncovered, put your hands behind your neck. Note any abnormalities or differences in the shape of your breasts, as well as any changes in the areas around the nipples. This also includes the skin, be it around the nipples or the breasts in general, such as reddened or scaly patches. Then put your hands on your hips and flex your pectoral muscles, those that support the breasts. Do this standing upright then bend over to discern any changes.
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PREVENTION By Mary Ann Podwall
The risk of breast cancer increases with your weight.
Go into the shower, turn on the tap then feel your breasts by working the fingers on the opposite hand into the opposing topmost part of the breast (right hand on left breast and vice-versa). You are checking for any nodules or lumps as you work your way down to the nipple. Perform this same method along the outer sides of each breast then underneath, always ending at the nipple. The water gives you increased sensitivity when it comes to noting any underlying changes in the tissue. If you are pre-menopausal, wait until a few days after your last period before performing this exam and report any abnormalities to your doctor.
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A study by Johns Hopkins University in 2006 linked increased body fat with elevated estrogen levels in post-menopausal women. As far back as 1997, it was noted that older women with higher estrogen levels had a 15 percent greater likelihood of developing breast cancer than those with typical estrogen levels. As international obesity has become a symptom of our increasingly sedentary lives epidemiologists predict that breast cancer rates will increase as well. For example, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention estimate that 40 percent of American women are obese, which translates to 18 million of them possibly developing breast cancer. In South Africa, the obesity levels are an alarming one in two for women, as reported by the BBC in 2004, which makes proper diet and exercise of paramount importance in the region.
As international obesity has become a symptom of our increasingly sedentary lives epidemiologists predict that breast cancer rates will increase as well.
feature
Changed By Cancer By Loyd Ford-The Lake News
Cancer, says Carol Capps changed who she was. Carol and her friends organized the annual October Pink Ribbon Walk in Calvert City for 10 years. During that time, they raised an estimated $70,000 for cancer research.
T
he spot on her breast, on the front where she could see it, was about the size of a nickel. Carol Capps said she felt a burning sensation there. They had been visiting a friend that had cancer. On the way back she asked her husband Ben if it were possible to have sympathy cancer. Carol worked at Regional Medical at the time, 1999, and she asked a friend if she could take a “peek” at it. They didn’t have time for the peek until the following Friday. Her friend forwarded the test to the radiologist. Soon after that Carol learned she didn’t have sympathy cancer. It was real. It had only been 11 months since Carol’s last mammogram, but the test results she had showed a three-anda-half-centimeter mass in her breast. She first visited a Paducah surgeon and when he discussed surgery, she decided to get a second opinion and that led to her going to the breast cancer clinic in Nashville. During that initial trip to Nashville Carol said, “I had a nice long talk with God.” She said she originally thought she would have a mastectomy and remove the unaffected breast for good measure. That was before she understood about lymph node mapping technology that used nuclear dye to mark the
affected lymph nodes. Carol’s doctor did not recommend a mastectomy and chose instead to do a lumpectomy. After the surgeries, an initial procedure and a follow up to make sure there was a clear margin between the tissues where the cancer had been and the unaffected areas, Carol progressed from surgery to post-operative treatment. Chemo came next, two different rounds of four sessions each. Carol said, “You have got to stay positive. I got the first one down. I didn’t think about the next.” “Cancer”, Carol said, “is not just a patient’s cancer it is a family ordeal.” She said she believes that cancer made her a much more compassionate person. “It made me a more outgoing person,” she continued, “God put me in the path of other people and put a lot of people in my path.” Carol shared her experiences. She said she prayed with people in large stores, restaurants and public places, something she would have never done before her cancer diagnosis. In 2009 Carol observed her 10th anniversary as a cancer survivor. She was working with Avon, a cosmetic firm that is also one of the largest corporate sponsors of breast cancer awareness and contributor to cancer research. She had seen how a group of people in Benton had hosted a
paint the town pink fund raiser for breast cancer so she decided to enlist the aid of her Avon friends to host an Avon “Pink Ribbon Walk” in Calvert City Over 300 people showed up to walk and donate money for cancer research. Carol and her friend Donna Cullen worked every year for 10 years to organize and host the Pink Ribbon Walk in Calvert City. They raised an estimated $70,000 over the 10 years they worked to host the event and raised $19,000 in 2019. Calvert City’s Pink Ribbon Walk is now hosted by the Calvert Area Development Association and is set for Saturday, October 16, 2021. Carol said it was a very satisfying, even pleasing to organize and produce the pink ribbon walk, but it got harder to get it done each year. She said she got excellent help from businesses and people in the community for the walk. She also said her husband Ben was a big help, “I couldn’t have done it without his help,” she said. Carol said she wanted to remind people to get their annual mammogram. She said, “It is well worth a minute of pain.” She also said, “I was glad to do the Pink Ribbon Walk. The people came and gave.” The day of the walk was always a good day.
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feature
t s a e Bryst C THE COMMON LUMP
A
s women, we are in a constant state of self-care. We take our skin routines and upkeep in order, but what about cancer prevention? Lumps and bumps can make their appearance in a common cancerous area, our breast. So how do we know what to look for, and when is it time to worry? These are common questions many women search the internet to find the answers to. Breast cysts are fluid-filled sacs that appear on the inside of the breast. These types of lumps are usually benign or noncancerous. Breast cysts are found in women under age 50. These bumps are movable, smooth and can vary in size. You might experience discharge and your breast may even feel tender.
By Amber Arevalos
They often change size either before or after your menstrual cycle. The Mayo Clinic states that treatment for these cysts need minimal intervention. If you choose to visit your physician you can expect to take a thorough history and physical exam that may include imaging testing. It may be a mammogram or breast ultrasound that they prescribe. These imaging tests are designed to view the inside of the breast. Physicians are unable to diagnose without these images. Most breast cysts will disappear on their own, and if they are bothersome, seek medical attention to find relief. The most common procedures are aspirations to drain the fluid-filled sack. In some rare cases, a doctor may recommend surgical intervention. Sur-
If you experience a lump that does not feel like a cyst, it is time to contact your physician.
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gery is recommended only when the cyst is a frequent re-occurrence. These lumps are usually noncancerous and do not increase your risk of breast cancer. If the cysts form excessively, it may be difficult to detect if any bumps may feel or look different. If you experience a lump that does not feel like a cyst, it is time to contact your physician. Lumps to worry about are those growing in size, that never shrink or dissipate and may be painful. Feeling a lump anywhere on your body can be scary, especially as a woman and not knowing what it is. Take the time to learn how to give a self-test and be aware of the options you have. Your physician can educate you and provide information on how to prevent and relieve these breast cysts. Not all lumps and bumps are created equal. Learn what to feel for to know how to make the right treatment decisions.
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