Breast cancer by Jacob Brower

50¢

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2010

The

Daily Citizen www.thedailycitizen.com

Serving Searcy and White County, Ark., since 1854

LOCAL FOOTBALL TEAMS KICK OFF WEEK 5 BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH The six White County high school football teams play week five of the 2010 season tonight. — PAGE 1B

HIGHWAY REPAIR

Where: Highway 124 east of Pangburn, from Hwy. 16 to Hwy. 157 Cost: $1.4 million Source: State’s share of severance tax Low bidder: Delta Asphalt of Arkansas Time frame: To be announced

Through heightened awareness, people have a better chance of breast cancer survival than ever. — PAGE 4A

SURVIVOR: BREAST CANCER NOT A DEATH SENTENCE

Funds slated for road repair

Fayetteville Shale Play revenue applied specifically By Warren Watkins warren@thedailycitizen.com The state is planning on using $1.4 million of the state’s share of severance tax revenue to fix a White County highway damaged in the development of the Fayetteville Shale Play. “We opened bidsThursday on a project to resurface nine miles of Highway 124 east of Pangburn, from Hwy. 16 to Hwy. 157,” said David Nilles, spokesman for the Arkansas CONTINUED ON PAGE 3A

HEALTH CARNIVAL

What: Children’s health carnival When: 10 a.m. until noon Saturday Where: The Center for Pediatric Health, 403 S. Poplar Offered: Health screenings and information, food, games Cost: Free

Healthy children is focus of free event

Health Carnival set for Saturday

By Warren Watkins warren@thedailycitizen.com A free children’s health carnival will be held 10 a.m.noon Saturday at the Center for Pediatric Health, 403 S. Poplar next to Hank’s Fine Furniture. This year’s indoor/outdoor carnival includes 12 area agencies and health professionals presenting games and activities in addition to over 13 businesses providing door prizes and various contributions. “We want to tell children that being healthy can be fun,” said Dr. Marty Thomas, director of the center. “At the carnival people can see what resources we have for children in the community and take advantage of them.” CONTINUED ON PAGE 3A

Karren Patrick was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2005 and has been cancer free for five years. She contributes her survival to early detection and awareness. Patrick serves as the Clinical Director of the operating room at White County Medical Center. Annette Whitehead/

Doctor: Awareness aids survival

awhitehead@thedailycitizen.com

By Annette Whitehead awhitehead@thedailycitizen.com arren Patrick's battle with cancer began long before her diagnosis. At just three years old, her father died of prostate cancer, and then in 1991, her sister died of breast cancer. She has also had two nieces who have dealt with their own breast cancer diagnoses. So, it wasn't entirely a shock when she was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2005. “I was almost expecting it at some point in my life,” Karren said. “I was not surprised. I was determined that I was going to catch it before it caught me.” And that she did. Karren was getting her regular annual mammogram and it showed a small lesion in her right breast. “With my family history being what it is, they wanted to biopsy it,” Karren explained. “When they did, it was malignant, but it was very, very small. They caught it early.” Karren said she's had a heightened awareness of cancer and has taken a proactive stance.

Name: Karren Patrick When: Diagnosed in 2005, cancer free for five years Treatment: Six weeks of radiation Follow-up: Every six months

“I've really had my finger on the pulse when it comes to cancer for most of my adult life,” she said. Karren is the clinical director of the operating room at White County Medical Center, and has been since 2002. She has been a registered nurse working in surgery for 31 years, and worked with cancer and hematology patients during her first year as a nurse. With her medical experience and her family background, she was all too aware of the realities of her disease. “The more you know the more scared you can get because you know all of the possibilities,” Karren said. Karren's husband, Donald, who is a heart surgeon at Searcy Medical Clinic, trained at the Mayo clinic in Rochester, Minn.

“My advice to everyone is pay attention to your body. It gives you signs and it gives you signals.” KARREN PATRICK

Breast Cancer survivor

They had the slides and tissue sent there for a second opinion and it confirmed what the doctors here had planned as a course of action. “That really set me at ease,” she said. “I think our hospital and our doctors here in town are quality. We have quality nursing care and doctors.” Karren's options for treatment were between having a mastectomy or having a lumpectomy and radiation. After some studying and consulting with Rochester doctors, she opted for the latter. “My husband and I, we really got going and we got the surgery done,” she said. “Then I had six weeks of radiation. Dr. [Cheryl] Payne here in town … She was just awesome. She's an awesome doctor and an awesome person. She made sure she got my treat-

ment done. I did, and getting past all that was just wonderful.” “She's already a very optimistic person,” her husband said. “She's had enough tragedies. We were satisfied that the right decision was made, and we didn't expect any difficulties. I knew what was going on in the operating room, so I wasn't worried.” Treatments depend on how aggressive the cancer cells are. “Mine probably would have been very aggressive other than it was just too tiny to be very mean,” Karren said with laughter. She's now been cancer free for five years. “She's able to deal with things much worse than having a one centimeter breast cancer,” Donald said. “She's a very optimistic, positive type of person.” CONTINUED ON PAGE 3A

Bunko Bash event to benefit White County single parents

Money will go toward college scholarships

By Luke Jones ljones@thedailycitizen.com A special event is being held to raise funds for single parents trying to finish college educations. Bunko Bash is an annual gettogether where groups compete in the popular dice game and are able to win a number of door prizes. “When I started this job I had no idea what bunko was,” said Dan Newsom, executive director for the White County Single Parent Scholarship Fund and MC for the event. “I came to find out that the ladies of this area are very enthusiastic about it, to say the least.” Newsom said the event, last year, garnered 40 participants and raised

WEATHER

SURVIVOR

BUNKO BASH

What: Fundraiser for White County Single Parent Scholarship Fund Where: Park Avenue Baptist Church When: 2 p.m. Saturday Cost: $25

between $11 and $12,000. “This year’s goal is $15,000,” Newsom said. He hopes to see at least 50 participants when the games start at 2 p.m. Saturday in the Park Avenue Baptist Church. “We will have room for up to 100,” he said. “I think we’re going to have much more than 50. We’ve sold several tickets already.” Tickets cost $25 and can be purchased at the door. Bunko is a dice game played at

a table with four players at each station. Players roll the dice attempting to get particular numbers depending on the round. When the numbers total 21, that player wins. “It’s a very fast pace,” Newsom said. “The faster you go, the more opportunities you’ll have to get 21.” After four rounds, which takes about two hours, Newsom said, the winner will receive a trophy entitled “Bunko Babe.” Other players will also receive awards. Several door prizes donated by local businesses will also be awarded, including an oil painting by a local artist, two tickets to an Oct. 10 Nickelback concert and a Coach purse. All proceeds will go towards the White County Single Parents

INDEX NATION & STATE, 2A OPINIONS, 4A LIFESTYLES, 5A CALENDAR/OBITUARIES, 6A SPORTS, 1B CLASSIFIEDS, 5B

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Scholarship Fund. The fund began in Bald Knob in 1999 as an offshoot of the Arkansas Single Parent Scholarship Fund. The fund’s goal is to provide scholarships to single parents household heads with children over age 18. “They can get a better job, then provide a better life for their family, which encourages their children to go to college, which helps the community,” Newsom said. In 2010, 48 scholarships have been awarded, valued at $27,300. To date, the fund has awarded 301 scholarships valued at over $141,852. For more information about Saturday’s Bunko Bash, persons may contact Dan Newsom at (501) 230-2414.

Time is shortening. But every day that I challenge this cancer and survive is a victory for me. INGRID BERGMAN

Swedish actress, 1915-1982

”

The Daily Citizen

LOCAL

Children: Free event to focus on kids

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1A

Outside exhibits will include: ■ Searcy Fire Department bringing their new Hazard House demonstrating the importance of family fire planning. ■SearcyPoliceDepartment – fingerprints for ID kits in the event of emergencies. Children’s fingerprints change as their hands grow so this should be updated regularly. ■ Doublebee’s Food Tent – free hot dogs, popcorn, and bottled water for all ■ Northstar EMS – children will have an opportunity to explore an ambulance reducing fears in emergency settings. ■ Roaming BalloonArtists – everyone loves balloon animals ■ Pumpkin Patch - once children have visited all the carnival exhibits, they can bring their “passport” to the pumpkin patch to receive and decorate their very own pumpkin. Inside exhibits include the following: ■ Puzzle Making – little artists will decorate puzzle pieces to become a mural that will hang in the Center ■ Face Painting – a carnival favorite for most ■ Fishing for Goodness presented by Rivendell Behavioral Health Services of Arkansas. Kids will fish for a prize behind the curtain while parents have an opportunity to receive information about services. ■ Bean Bag Toss, presented by White County Medical Center’s New Life Center. Parents will be informed about classes offered to expectant parents. ■ MyPyramid Trail Mix – kids will build their own trail mix based on the food pyramid understanding the importance of nutrition. ■ Halloween Safety Duck Pond – just in time for

Fall flowers for sale

Dr. Marty Thomas, right, and Chellee Burson, assistant marketing director, prepare the MyPyramid Trail Mix table for the children’s health carnival Saturday at The Center for Pediatric Health. In the activity, kids will build their own trail mix based on the food pyramid understanding the importance of nutrition. Warren Watkins/warren@thedailycitizen.com

Halloween, kids will learn safety tips for safe trick or treating and receive a reflector band. ■ Inflatable Bowling presented by White County Children’s Safety Center. Kids play while parents are provided information about the center. ■ Vision Screenings provided by Searcy Family Eyecare. Children will receive free vision screening. ■ Bandage Tent presented by Sherwood Urgent Care. After applying temporary wound tattoos kids will bandage their wounds while learning basics of first aid. ■WhiteCountyInvestedin Substance Abuse Eradication (WISE) Coalition will be providing helium balloons in addition to educational handouts. ■ Learn the importance of proper hand washing with a fun interactive game and finally get to play in the bathroom sink.

■ Dental Education providedbyScarbroughDentistry. Dental hygiene is presented in with an oversized mouth and kids will receive a new toothbrush. ■ White County Regional LibrarySystemwillbepresenting the Wheel of Characters game which will bring home the importance of reading and literacy to all ages. Door prizes will be provided by The Center for Pediatric Health, White County Medical Center, Stanley Pharmacy, Hibbett Sports, Union Drilling Incorporated, Reaper Physical Therapy, Inc., Quality Office, Inc. and Hays Kids. All door prizes will be drawn at 11:45 am on Saturday and you do not have to be present to win. “We have planned for 150200 kids in regards to exhibit prizes, pumpkins, food and goodies so plan to come early,” Thomas said. The carnival will be opened by the center’s official ribboncutting ceremony.

Rhonda Huber displays a pot of chrysanthemums at the 700 block of East Race Avenue Thursday. Huber has been selling the flowers, along with an arsenal of Autumn items like pumpkins, gourds and even scarecrows, with her father, known as the “Mum Man,” for 15 years. Luke Jones/ljones@thedailycitizen.com

Repair: Funds slated for road repair

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1A

Highway Transportation Department. “The apparent low bidder was Delta Asphalt of Arkansas in Paragould with bid of $1.4 million.” Severance tax is collected when minerals — in this case natural gas — is taken out of or “severed” from the earth. “The money the department is receiving from the severance tax is being applied to fix those roadways,” — good or bad,” he said. Nilles said. “We’re seeing “They should be prepared. that money being reinvested If you have a one-centimeter breast cancer, be prepared to live. If you have it spread all over the place, be prepared to die. It's not very comforting, but it's reality. The most important thing is to encourage the screening test to be done.” Karren knows first-hand how important early detection is. “My advice to everyone is pay attention to your body,” she said. “It gives you signs and it gives you signals. Also, get your diagnostic test done. Don't put it off. That is the kiss of death.”

Doctor: Awareness is key to survival

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1A

“I'm very excited about all of the new techniques taking place in my lifetime to detect breast cancer,” Karren said. “I'm excited that we now have all the technology we have because I think that has saved my life and has saved my nieces lives as well. It's not a bad subject for me anymore. It's not a death sentence.” Karren is thankful that, since she caught it early, she didn't have to go through chemotherapy, which would have been in addition to the surgery and radiation. Even with her anticipation and catching it early, Karren still felt the fear so familiar to cancer patients. “I was scared that I would have to have the radical surgery. It would have been a disfiguring surgery. I've seen that many times through the years. There were a few times I really got scared thinking of all the possibilities … what could happen. There were times when I'd have to remind myself that I was getting the best medical care available and at least I'd be alive.”

Friday, October 1, 2010 • Page 3A

Karren now gets a mammogram every six months. Early last year, her left breast — the opposite of the previous cancer — showed a lesion. It turned out to be benign, to the relief of Karren. Karren had a large support system through her ordeal and tries to help with others around her. “With people I know, I really encourage them to get their diagnostic test and to keep their finger on the pulse,” she said. “Don't take things for granted.” Donald advises people to face the issues realistically. “I think facing the facts is the most important thing

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is about one-third mile and their trucks must get into that facility on a regular basis. It wasn’t economically sound for their trucks to go into the facility with less than a full load due to the weight restriction in the area so they offered to help pay for improvements to the roadway if we would raise the weight limit right there. As a result, their trucks could enter the water facility with a full load.”

right back into those roadways where that activity is taking place.” A section of Highway 124 in Van Buren County will be fixed by a gas company, Nilles said, because that situation is different than the White County situation. “SEECO has some type of water facility at the location in question,” Nilles said of the Van Buren County fix. “That is why they made the offer to fix it. The stretch

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