2019 Day of Hope

Day of Hope the sixth Annual

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A B E N E F I T F O R M A R I A N C A N C E R C A R E PAT I E N T S AT M I S S I O N H O P E C A N C E R C E N T E R

Wednesday, April 10, 2019 | santamariatimes.com

PETER KLEIN, CONTRIBUTOR‌

Susan Rodriquez practices yoga at Pismo Beach. In seeking her own improved health, Rodriguez opted to take a yoga instructors’ course. Now, in addition to owning and running her own insurance agency in SLO, she volunteers teaching yoga classes and offering Reiki at Mission Hope Cancer Center. She is also the author of a book, “Behind the Smiling Face,” a retelling of her cancer journey. All proceeds from sale of the book go to Mission Hope Cancer Center.

POSITIVITY

FIGHTING WITH

Susan Rodriguez finds the blessing in breast cancer diagnosis JENNIFER BEST

‌I

Contributing Writer‌

n seeking her own improved health, Susan Rodriguez discovered the path to improving others. Today, in addition to owning and operating her own insurance agency in San Luis Obispo, the Pismo Beach grandmother of seven volunteers as a yoga instructor at Mission Hope Cancer

Center, offers reiki at its infusion center, and is the author of “Behind the Smiling Face: My Journey with Breast Cancer,” a retelling of her own cancer journey and fundraiser for Mission Hope. “I believe, looking back, what really helped me the most in getting through, was my attitude,” Rodriguez said. Shortly after being diagnosed with an aggressive form of breast cancer in March 2016, Rodriguez realized she would not be able to hide the results of her mastectomy nor the hair loss she knew her treatments would bring. Instead, she faced it all head on.

“When I told friends and family my diagnosis, they all asked, ‘Why you?’ Or they said, ‘It’s so unfair.’ That kind of stuff, but then I thought, why not me?’ One in eight people get breast cancer. Why shouldn’t it be me? I’m strong. I’m healthy. I have an amazing support network of friends and family, great health insurance, a business where I was able to hire extra people to help keep it running. I had so much that made it possible to do this journey without it killing me,” Rodriguez said. It was her sister who pushed Rodriguez to visit the doctor to

check out a discoloration on her lip that spring. “I had not been going to the doctor or going for mammograms for over five years,” Rodriguez said. A nurse found the lump in her breast. “From there, things just went like a whirlwind,” Rodriguez said. First one biopsy, then another for confirmation, led to a diagnosis: HER2-positive breast cancer, a more aggressive form of breast cancer which has a higher likelihood of recurring than its HER2-negative counterpoint. Rodriguez started chemotherapy and additional medications

immediately, had a full mastectomy, maintenance therapy, radiation, reconstruction surgeries and participated in a year-long clinical drug trial. “I wasn’t always smiling. It’s definitely a hard journey,” Rodriguez said. Instead of trying to hide the fact that she had cancer, she opted to post updates on social media. “In the pictures I posted, I was always careful to have a smiling face because I wanted people to believe I would be OK. And I am OK,” she said. Please see RODRIGUEZ, Page 4

Two-time breast cancer survivor ‘The whole package, says giving up was never an option plus a bag of chips!’ Edith Olea is urging other women to get checkups

Jimmy Jay Powell says Mission Hope’s care is the real deal

IVETTE PERALTA

JENNIFER BEST

Contributing Writer‌

‌ dith Olea, a strong advocate E for early breast cancer exams among her family and friends, never thought she would have to face cancer herself, not once, but two times. In March of 2010 she was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer, causing her to be bedridden for about a year. “My life changed so much in LEN WOOD STAFF‌ a matter of weeks after the diagnosis, but I knew I had to be Santa Maria resident Edith Olea’s battle with breast cancer with the help of the Mission Hope Cancer Center has led to a recent finding of Please see OLEA, Page 4 no residual disease.

‌To say Jimmy Jay Powell has a magnetic personality would be like saying the sun is warm. Even as the eloquent, 76-year-old Santa Maria man wends his way through rounds of radiation and chemotherapy, he offers grace, love and inspirational words for his neighbors, friends and fellow patients. “Wherever I find myself, I go to help somebody, and end up helping myself,” Jimmy Jay said. And through it all, he holds tightly to his teammate, his con-

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fidante, his wife: Hannah Powell. “Everything we do, we do as a team,” Jimmy Jay said. “We’re about judging beyond appearances, and obtaining the positive view of what we see. Nothing is as it appears to be.” Born and raised in Boyle Heights just east of downtown Los Angeles, Jimmy Jay always had difficulty keeping his feet planted in one place. “I’m from the metaphysical school of thought. My life has been full of experiences that are very spiritual and mystical. Since I was a kid, I’ve always had difficulty keeping my feet planted, so seeking to make things better has taken me halfway around the world,” Jimmy Jay said.

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Please see POWELL, Page 4

2 | DAY OF HOPE | Wednesday, April 10, 2019

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Day of Hope the sixth Annual

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A B E N E F I T F O R M A R I A N C A N C E R C A R E PAT I E N T S AT M I S S I O N H O P E C A N C E

After cancer,

dog grooming, a family and a new lease on life FRANK COWAN, CONTRIBUTOR‌

Tammy Hinden, of Orcutt, pauses for a moment while hiking along a trail at Orcutt Community Park.

Avid hiker back on the trail after run with lymphoma Tammy Hinden credits Mission Hope, support team for overcoming odds JENNIFER BEST

Contributing Writer‌

‌As an avid hiker, Tammy Hinden knew her body’s limits, so when she started coming up short of breath on her regular climbs, she knew something was up. One year out from lymphoma treatment, she’s back out on the trail and climbing without a second thought. “We’re hiking White Mountains, Mammoth, Yosemite. We’re headed to Colorado near Rocky Mountain National Park. I was able to do a 16-mile hike in September and I didn’t suffer any repercussions, so I feel like I’m back to normal,” Hinden said. Her journey through cancer diagnosis, treatment and recovery all started with a suspicious cough. “I had this weird cough, and I’d get super out of breath. My friend is a nurse practitioner. She knows me. She knew this wasn’t normal, and she got me going with a chest X-ray,” Hinden said. That was July 2017, and the X-ray showed fluid under her lungs and suspected cancer. By the end of the week, Hinden was under the care of Dr. Todd Erickson at Mission Hope Cancer Center, and the following week she had her diagnosis. “I really attribute their quick response to the success of my treatment and recovery. Other doctors might have just said, ‘It’ll go away.’ But she knew me, and this out-ofbreath thing didn’t make sense,” Hinden said. No other member of Hinden’s family had gone through cancer. Her fiancé, Rick Emard, whose previous wife died from cancer, was beside himself with disbelief, but continued to stand by her. “He would bring me chicken soup because that was all that tasted good. He brought me gifts and words of encouragement, just love and support and encouragement,” Hinden recalled. That love and support team extended to include her four children — Dan Hinden of Santa Maria, Matthew Hinden of Grover Beach, Joey Hinden of San Diego, and Christy Villa of San Diego — and her fellow parishioners at First Christian Church, which formed a prayer team for her.

“I had eight friends on a prayer group text, so they were constantly praying and sending words of encouragement,” Hinden recalled warmly. Then there was Mission Hope. “They are just a wonderful place. Everyone is so caring and compassionate. It really made my journey so much easier. I had lots of support from them. If I had any questions, they were there to answer them. They made an unpleasant situation very pleasant for me with their upbeat encouragement,” Hinden said. Local community members who contributed to her care anonymously were also greatly appreciated. “One day, during treatment, a local Girl Scout Troop brought in puzzles, groceries, things they had gone out and purchased for cancer patients with money they had raised. The gifts came with a little note. That really touched my heart,” Hinden said. She wrapped up her treatment in December 2017. “It was the best Christmas present ever,” she said. But she wasn’t finished with Mission Hope. During Day of Hope 2018, she and her co-workers in Santa Maria Bonita School District’s business department donated the proceeds from their interoffice lunch fundraisers to the cancer center. “I felt like God was with me every step of the way,” Hinden said. Now that she’s on the other side of it, she continues taking part in Mission Hope offerings, including nutrition classes, personal training, rehabilitation exercise classes and the Look Good, Feel Good Program. “It’s just opened my eyes. There are so many people affected by cancer. You hear all of these stories now. I’m more aware of it now, and I’m all about preventative measures. I obviously don’t want to get this again. I also want to help people understand how to prevent going through it themselves,” Hinden said. And, more than ever, she embraces her experiences on the trails. “I appreciate life. I’m thankful every day,” Hinden said.

Jenny Loyd didn’t give up at age 33 JENNIFER BEST

Contributing Writer‌

‌Jenny Loyd doesn’t wait for life to come to her. She runs toward her goals headlong, leaves no time to waste, no chips on the table, and no energy for tomorrow if she can maximize it today. “You have to enjoy every minute. You have to jump into it, not wait for things to happen. Life’s short. You don’t have time to waste it,” Lloyd said. These are the lessons life has taught her, particularly since 2014, the year in which she was diagnosed with cancer at age 33, lost her mother to a long-term illness, and discovered her longtime relationship was actually a ruse. It all began to go down Feb. 11, 2014 when Loyd was diagnosed with invasive ductal carcinoma: high-grade cancer of her milk ducts. Two weeks later, she began what became 15 rounds of chemotherapy at Mission Hope Cancer Center. “There I was, no hair, poopin’ and barfin’ all the time, trying to stay positive because if you don’t, you’re going to hit the bottom and you’re not going to make it,” Loyd said. Mid-way through her personal health battle, Loyd lost her mother. “Mom had been ill for many years. She had rheumatoid arthritis and autoimmune disease, and she was diabetic. It all took a toll on her body,” Loyd said. And, she believes, the stress of worrying about her mother’s well being over years led to the loss of her own. “I swear to God this cancer was caused by stress. No one in my family has had cancer. That was really tough, but I knew mom didn’t want me to quit fighting. I really pushed myself to fight for her,” Rasch said. She took her fight to the mattress, leaving the man she’d been with for 13 years after discovering that, even while she was undergoing treatment, he had been cheating on her. “I was in a relationship that wasn’t healthy. He was there for me, but he was never there for me. He would leave a lot in the night. I knew something was going on, but you’re just trying to survive,” Loyd said. After the chemo came surgery for a double mastectomy, six weeks of radiation therapy, then the reconstruction surgery, she stood up to him and took hold of her life.

PETER KLEIN, CONTRIBUTOR‌

Jenny Loyd, shown near Bob Jones Trail in Avila Beach with her finance Billy Wallace, was a cancer patient at 33, and thought she wouldn’t be able to have children after her aggressive treatment. Then, their son River was born.

“I fought for me and my family. My mom fought for a long time. She wouldn’t want to not see me fight. I wasn’t going to sit there and let someone take me down after all I’ve gone through.” Jenny Loyd, cancer survivor, “I fought for me and my family. My mom fought for a long time. She wouldn’t want to not see me fight. I wasn’t going to sit there and let someone take me down after all I’ve gone through,” Rasch said. Eventually, she fell for longtime friend Billy Wallace. They got engaged, started talking about creating a family of their own, but long-term planning, particularly where children might be concerned, was daunting. “When I met Billy I was 36, so I knew time was short for me to even have kids. Because of everything I went through, I didn’t know if I could have kids. It was all so quick I didn’t have time to save eggs,” Loyd said. Doctors told Loyd that her reproductive tract had aged about 10 years, but “there were still a couple eggs in there. They didn’t all die from chemo. That there’s a chance, if you’re young and

your body’s strong, that you could still have kids.” In fertility counseling, doctors told Loyd and Wallace to give themselves some time. Six weeks later, Loyd suspected she was pregnant. She took an at-home pregnancy test, texted images of the test to her sister to confirm the results, and rushed down to the local medical clinic for a professional opinion. “I’d never heard of someone having kids after chemo. I swear that’s my mom helping,” Loyd said. Once confirmed, she took the test results home, wrapped them up, and presented them to Wallace when he arrived home from work. “He just said, ‘Oh my God! I’m going to be a dad.’ He said it over and over again. We started crying. We were so excited,” Loyd said. River Clark Wallace, their son, was born in early December 2017. Now five years cancer free, Loyd is back to her dog grooming business, Muddy Paws, River is happy and healthy, and the family enjoys regular walks along their favorite path, the Bob Jones Trail. “This is what life’s about. This is what I fought for. This is why I’m here today. I had reasons to be here still. I have such an amazing life ahead of me. I can’t wait to see what’s next. I have this amazing son. It’s unreal,” Loyd said.

No time for cancer: Karen Rasch just keeps dancing JENNIFER BEST

Contributing Writer‌

‌No one was more surprised than Karen Rasch when she threw a blood clot. She was an active dancer, physically fit with no medical history that would have led her to believe firefighters would ever have to break into her house to save her. Then came the cancer diagnosis. “I still refuse to acknowledge I have anything,” Rasch said. Instead, she focuses on getting back on her toes and performing with her beloved Central Coast Follies. Rasch, a member of an Emmy-award winning sound editing team, retired to the Central Coast in 2015. She grew up an “Air Force brat,” she said, but managed to find performing arts wherever her family lived. She earned her degree in theatre arts

from UCLA and her career in the film industry took her all over Europe and Asia. But she found her home in Santa Maria. “I’ve met so many nice people. Everyone I’ve found here has been just really nice and very helpful. I never thought, after having lived in Washington, D.C. and Rome and Taiwan and all over Europe, that I’d be happy in a town this small, but it has so much to offer. Here, people look you in the eye and deal with you,” Rasch said. Not the least of which was the emergency service response and medical care she received after the clot took her down. “I was upstairs in bed. I couldn’t breathe. Every time I’d try to breathe, it was like two fists punching my lungs,” Rasch said. By the time firefighters had broken into her home and emer-

gency service responders were carting her out, a neighbor was at her front door. “She came to the hospital with me. It was incredible,” Rasch said. During her five-day hospital stay, a battery of tests showed “symptoms of possible lowgrade cancer,” Rasch said. She underwent surgery to address the cancer, and said she’s had no symptoms since. Her follow-up has included use of Mission Hope Cancer Center’s meditation center, nutritionists, and physical fitness programs. “I was very impressed with Marian Hospital and everything I’ve had to do with all the scans. It’s a wonderful group,” Rasch said. PETER KLEIN, CONTRIBUTOR‌ Once her treatment was wrapped up, there was no time Karen Rasch dances in front of the company of Central Coast Follies. to waste. Rasch had tap classes to take at Hancock College, re- lined up with Jerry Cuello. things keeps your brain from athearsal time scheduled with the “It’s great to keep the body rophying. I just like doing,” Rasch 00 1 Follies, piano and guitar lessons moving. They say learning new said.

Wednesday, April 10, 2019 | DAY OF HOPE | 3

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of Hope

Annual

A Benefit for Marian Cancer Care at Mission Hope Cancer Center

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A N C A N C E R C A R E PAT I E N T S AT M I S S I O N H O P E C A N C E R C E N T E R

Cancer leads to loss,

LEN WOOD, STAFF‌

LOVE AND BETTER HEALTH JENNIFER BEST

for Deborah Bedlion

Contributing Writer‌

‌Through her first cancer journey, Deborah Bedlion lost love. Through her second, she found it again: for herself and from another. “The cancers have been markers in my life in that they showed the true colors of my husband in the first. The second made me want to love myself. It’s been a blessing, even though cancer isn’t something anyone would say was a good thing in your life, but it has been for me,” she said. Bedlion first faced uterine cancer a dozen years ago while living in Las Vegas and 30 years into her first marriage. After her diagnosis, her husband left town, she said, leaving her largely to take care of herself, their two children and the disease. She moved to Santa Maria half a dozen years ago to be closer to her sisters and to care for their mother, Rose Shirley Nelson. In 2017, the tables turned a bit as Bedlion was diagnosed with breast cancer. Through seven rounds of chemotherapy and surgery, challenges with medications and their side effects, the pair became each other’s care-giving team. The support from her sisters, Annette Brink and Kathy Vedeer, as well as her sister-in-law, Carolyn Nelson, have made it a family affair. “It’s been a sisterhood throughout the cancer. I was afraid that it would be too much for my mother. She’s a worrier. She said, ‘No. You’re my daughter.’ She wanted me here, and she’s done really well through it all. That was a blessing, too. She took care of me as much as I took care of her,” Bedlion said. She had already lost 60 pounds and appeared to be in good health

LEN WOOD, STAFF‌

Deborah Bedlion, of Santa Maria, an artist whose drawings and paintings have been on show and sale for most of the past half decade at Art in the Park in Shell Beach and Morro Bay, credits the Mission Hope Cancer Center’s support with her improved health. when she received her breast cancer diagnosis. “I was already making myself a healthier person, but the cancer was, like, really? I’ve lost 116 pounds total, I’ve dealt with old emotional issues,” she said. She took advantage of an array of Mission Hope Cancer Center

programs including the caregiver support group, genetic counseling, and emotional support. “I’d never talked to a psychologist about all that stuff from my first marriage, from my first cancer, from dealing with all that myself. The psychologist here helped me deal with all that old

stuff, helped me with the idea of looking for love again,” Bedlion said. She credits her improved health and outlook to the medical teams who provided early diagnosis and treatment, and the counseling and additional services provided by Mission Hope Cancer Center. She’s had surgery to remove any signs of the progressive, Her2-positive breast cancer, and wrapped up targeted treatment late this past winter. She made friends in the infusion room, and she discovered a staple Mission Hope support program that finally helped her turn the page. “After I found the Feel Good, Look Good Program where they provide a wig and teach you how to do your makeup, I started getting compliments which was huge because I hadn’t heard that in years. My first surgery, I had to pay for my wig and they didn’t have support programs. It was amazing to see the changes with Mission Hope programs. Physical therapy has helped me with strength, so I’m losing pounds and inches which is helping my emotional status,” she said. Food was no longer her replacement for love. “Working with a Mission Hope dietitian, I got food into its proper perspective, and caring for my mother helped me learn my proportions were out of control,” Bedlion said. And she met another cancer survivor who enjoys her company on long walks and a shared interest in music from the ’40s, ’50s, and ’60s. “I’m looking forward to my daughter’s wedding this spring and, who knows, maybe another wedding in my future,” Bedlion said.

Rosalba Vieyra is thankful for help, even with fixing the family car IVETTE PERALTA

Contributing Writer‌

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Among the many patients ‌ treated every year at Mission Hope Cancer Center is Rosalba Vieyra, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2002. “Mission hope is the place to be when you are battling against cancer,” Vieyra said. “It’s full of angels from heaven walking on earth.” Vieyra said during treatment at Marian Regional Medical Center and her transition to Mission Hope, staff has been very kind to her and her family. “I had just given birth to a baby boy three months before I was diagnosed. Finding out I had cancer was like hearing a death sentence, but the care, support, and hope each of them infused in me every time I went there gave me the spiritual strength to confront the disease,” she said. “The doctors and nurses worked so hard to meet my individual needs every step of the way. I have no words to explain how thankful I am with the center’s humble and compassionate staff,” said Vieyra, who also has type 2 diabetes and Fibromyalgia, a condition that causes pain all over the body, sleep problems, fatigue, and often emotional and mental distress. Her breast cancer reoccurred in 2017, and while undergoing surgery, aggressive radiation, and chemotherapy treatment, her family faced other obstacles. Her husband, Andres Vieyra, struggled to find a stable job because he was dedicated to being a fulltime caregiver to his wife. Soon, the bills started to pile up, and the

financial burden began to grow. “Also, during the treatment, our family vehicle became non-operational, so it was even harder for my husband to go to job interviews, to take me to my frequent appointments or to simply go to the grocery store,” Rosalba said. “From day one, I told her we were in this battle together, and that we only had one option … to keep fighting beside the vicissitudes,” said Andres Vieyra. One windy and rainy day, Hector Rodriguez, a health promoter specializing in oncology at Mission Hope saw Rosalba Vieyra struggling to get off a bus near the center’s main entrance. When he approached her to assist her, he told her about the financial support grants available for Mission Hope patients. “I couldn’t believe him! They already do so much for us. I thought paying to fix my car was just unbelievable,” she said. Eventually, Vieyra received a grant of over $5,000 to be used for a new car engine, so that she and her husband could improve their self-sufficiency. “If it wasn’t for Mission Hope’s support, I don’t know where we would be,” said Andres Vieyra. “I had always been shy to seek help, but I learned how important it is to be informed not only about our medical condition but also about all the resources available to us,” said Rosalba. “Knowing and understanding where you stand against cancer is critical. I know many women who don’t fully understand their condition.” Her advice for them is not to be afraid to ask questions of their

LEN WOOD, STAFF‌

Rosalba Vieyra, shown with her husband and their family car at home in Santa Maria, underwent cancer treatment successfully. When the family car broke, Mission Hope was able to help fix it so the family could work and get to medical appointments. doctors, to research and to read motivational stories as part of their assimilation process. Some of those can be found through Mission Hope, which features educational articles about various types of cancer, causes, treatments and rehabilitation advice on their website. It also has information about support groups, classes, programs, free lectures, and other events beneficial to patients and their families. “Nowadays, information is the palm of our hands. I’m a firm believer that knowledge is power. When you are a caregiver for a loved one, you quickly realized that one of your biggest responsibilities is to stay strong, and education gives you confidence,” said Andres.

Rosalba hopes to give back to Mission Hope by sharing her story with other patients and advocating for the importance of educating themselves with information from reliable sources. “Mission Hope is always there for patients, now is our turn to give back,” she said. “My wife has always had a positive attitude towards life, and I think her optimism can inspire others,” said Andres Vieyra. Rosalba said that as a former cosmetologist, looking good helps her feel good. “People always asked me ‘how do you do it? You don’t even look sick,’” she said, noting that she enjoys waking up early and putting makeup on. “It’s like I’m putting my shield on; If I look good I feel good.”

Bardo Zepeda was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer and received many chemotherapy treatments at Mission Hope. Zepeda is now active in groups and volunteers to translate for community events and outreach programs.

Help is out there Bardo Zepeda raising awareness after fight with colon cancer IVETTE PERALTA

Contributing Writer

Seeing life through a different lens helped cancer survivor Bardo Zepeda fight his battle, and win. Hours after being diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer in 2015, Bardo Zepeda received what he described as the most reassuring message from his then 23-year-old son Bardo Nisael Zepeda. “Although he was crying and devastated by the news, he told me with a great deal of courage: ‘Dad not everyone dies from cancer. Think of it as a cold. Our family is stronger than that. We will fight this battle together’,” Zepeda said. “At first it sounded irrational.” After reflecting and assimilating the news, that simple, yet powerful analogy became Zepeda’s new life motto, helping him to remain strong through his battle. After diagnosis, the cancer started to spread quickly throughout other parts of his body. “The doctors told me I only had five months to live,” Zepeda said. “However, I was determined to beat the odds.” “Of course it was hard to assimilate the diagnosis, but my strong desire to always be there for my son, my daughters, and my wife motivated me not to give up and lose faith in God, doctors, and nurses.” Over the course of his treatment, Zepeda received many chemotherapy and radiation sessions at Mission Hope. He also underwent a critical 13-hour surgery at UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, a Mission Hope affiliate. “Mission Hope has been a blessing in my life. Every single soul that works there are truly dedicated to saving lives —- always smiling and caring for you like family”. Battling cancer has been a “beautiful odyssey,” he said. “It sounds ironic, but the immense support I received from local professionals was very comforting.” Zepeda said he wasn’t aware of all the support and resources available for cancer patients on the Central Coast and regrets ignoring the symptoms he had for almost a year before being diagnosed. “I had only had one colonoscopy, and that was when I was 41,” said the now 54-year-old Mexico native and former construction worker. “Honestly, I was too scared to go to the doctor and find out something was wrong, so I avoided going, like I know many Hispanic men do.” He doesn’t want anyone else to learn the hard way how essential it is to have a proactive approach towards one’s health. Zepeda advocates for early colorectal cancer screening. “Don’t wait until it’s too late, and don’t be afraid to pay a visit to the oncologist for regular checkups,” he said. Zepeda said he is very grateful for getting a second chance at life. “Now, I value every organ of my body much more; the birds’ melodies I get to hear and every sunset I get to see. I’m also very grateful for Mission Hope, my family, and friends for their emotional and financial support.” He is active in groups and volunteers to translate for community events and Mission Hope’s support groups and outreach programs for male cancer patients. By sharing his experience with others, Zepeda hopes to encourage them to have faith. “After people find out they have cancer it’s common to see them fall into a deep depression, but we can’t forget that even in the darkest moments of our lives, God is with us,” he said.

4 | DAY OF HOPE | Wednesday, April 10, 2019

Olea From 1

strong for my son who was only 10 years old back then,” Olea said. Olea had seven miscarriages before giving birth to Diego Gordillo. “So him and my husband, my rock, have been my everyday motivation,” she said. Most recently, in March of 2018, doctors at Mission Hope Cancer Center detected a lump again, but this time in her right breast. Olea’s BRCA genetic test results came back positive this time too. The BRCA gene test is a blood test that uses DNA analysis to identify harmful mutations in either one of the two breast cancer susceptibility genes. After receiving 13 chemotherapy treatments and undergoing a major surgery to have her left breast removed, Olea suffered from various side effects. “I had nausea. I had severe bone and nerve pain. I didn’t feel my legs; I was too weak to even walk,” she said. She said that during her treatment, she was practically living at the cancer center, and is appreciative of the care and support she received from Dr. Robert Dichmann, a medical oncologist at Mission Hope and all of the nurses who cared for her. “I always would tell myself ‘If you defeated cancer once, you can do it again!’ I didn’t want to give up. I just never thought I would ever hear from them (medical team) that I was cancer free. I had assimilated the idea of being under some sort of treatment for the rest of my life,” she said with emotion. Besides the world-class treatment Olea said she has received in Mission Hope at absolutely no cost, she said she is also thankful for the positive staff attitude that applies to every patient they see. “Their smiles are contagious,”

Rodriguez From 1

But she was also taking notes about the reality of daily life with cancer, its treatments, its drawbacks, and inspiration she found along the way. That journal

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“I always would tell myself ‘If you defeated cancer once, you can do it again!’ I didn’t want to give up.”

Powell From 1

Edith Olea, cancer survivor she said. “They go above and beyond. I mean …the doctors came to my house to check-up on me many times during my chemotherapy recovery process.” Her husband had to stop working to be by her side every step of the way. Although they experienced financial stress, they quickly realized they weren’t alone, Olea said. Many of her family members and close friends became pillars of support as well. “Especially my brother and my friend Francisca Flores, who is like my sister, and has always been there for me. I feel like I couldn’t have done it without them. Their constant words of encouragement meant the world to me at my weakest moments,” Olea said. Now Olea is committed to do the same for other cancer patients who are following similar paths. She currently visits three local breast cancer patients two or three times per week. “I know how they feel. I know that when you are laying down on your bed, feeling alone, fragile, vulnerable you are hoping for someone to come talk to you and motivate you to keep going,” she said. Olea is looking forward to completing the healing process and regaining enough strength to go back to work as a strawberry field crop-quality supervisor. “I love working on the fields, and I can’t wait to go back and empower women of all ages to stay on top of their self-check breast examinations and mammograms, because early detection can save their lives,” Olea said.

“snowballed” into a book, now available on amazon.com with all proceeds benefiting Mission Hope Cancer Center. “It’s a way to get right out there, tell my story, but also to encourage women to get your darn mammograms,” Rodriguez said. Today, she continues her per-

As an actor, minister and writer, his home range expanded to include Rome, and France, and his life experience to include work with Sammy Davis, Jr., Bill Cosby and William Shatner. Under the name Jay Scorpio Powell, he appeared on television series including The Mod Squad, The Bill Cosby Show, E.R., Monk, Lincoln Heights, and Ghost Whisperer, and the 2001 film “Mr. Dungbeetle.” Jimmy Jay was first diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2010. Four years later, after moving to Santa Maria, he was diagnosed with an advanced form of the disease that included metastases. By February 2015, he had begun a journey at Mission Hope that would include radiation, chemotherapy, counseling, men’s cancer group participation and nutrition coaching. There isn’t a soul working at Mission Hope for whom the Powells aren’t grateful. “Doctors, assistants, receptionists, technicians, radiologists, business folks, nurses, navigators (What a thought!), phlebotomists, volunteers, social workers, injection and infusion specialists, transportation, administrators, counselors, nutritionists, everyone in the men’s cancer group. They have each and all made a huge difference to me,” he wrote in a thank-you letter to the hospital. Mission Hope, Jimmy Jay said, was true to its name. “To me, HOPE is the powerful spirit of wellness and dignity. It is the spirit of the superhero that wards off despair. Dignity arises out of being treated with respect and honesty, as well as with an emphasis on wellness as opposed to illness, and that is what I have always experienced at Mission Hope,” he wrote. They were those experiences, provided by staff, which helped keep Powell on an even keel.

“A cancer diagnosis and the maze of treatments can cast a pall over your life and will tumble you into mental and emotional chaos without a dedicated, professional, and knowledgeable team. And one of the aspects that has made our Mission Hope experience so bearable is the great big loving hearts of everyone on our team,” Jimmy Jay wrote. “Helping us cope with insecurity was the fact that at every turn my wife and I have received the information we need to proceed with knowledge and confidence rather than fear. The range of services offered at Mission Hope, as well as the referrals for outside assistance have been invaluable. Every time we stumbled someone was there (to) help us find our footing,” he continued. Today, Jimmy Jay is focusing on healing, woodcarving, and

continuing his writing, which includes “Showers of Diamonds, Harvest of Pearls,” and a new title just around the bend. The Powells say there seems to be no adequate way to thank “the heroes of the healing and caring professions,” but he tried to put it to paper: “You are the brightest lights in the room. We see you. You are felt. Your words, your touch, the sounds of your voices are not lost. Your spirits are deeply felt, though much of the work you do is unseen and unspoken,” he wrote in his thank-you letter. “The caregiver must see beyond the appearances before him or her and each of you is an active participant in promoting life, health, hope, and healing. The sight of caring extends much further than the human eye can see. I cannot stop applauding you, and we are so grateful to have you on our team. “The loving care and the dignity that you promote help make it bearable and more worthwhile for every soul-traveler on the journey we are making. May you continue to help us shine in this world and the next. “You are the whole package. Plus a bag of chips!”

sonal yoga practice and is more than two years cancer free. “And I drown myself in essential oils and whatever new tools I can find to keep myself centered and at peace,” Rodriguez said. That peace is also found in time spent with her husband, Stan Rodriguez, their five children and

seven grandchildren. “I spent time during my recovery gardening, developing my creative side, painting, crafts, flipping furniture, but my grandchildren are my favorite hobby,” she said. “One thing that’s weird about having cancer: still, when I meet people who I didn’t know when I

was going through treatment, or who didn’t see me then, they get a ‘poor-you’ pitying attitude, but I really look at it as a blessing in a weird way. I’ve grown so much spiritually and maturity-wise, and I’ve met such amazing people, that it was a blessing,” Rodriguez said.

LEN WOOD, STAFF‌

Jimmy Jay Powell gets a hug from his wife Hannah in the Meditation Garden at Mission Hope in Santa Maria. He is a writer, former actor, and minister, and is a positive, spiritual man who moves forward with grace as he undergoes prostate cancer treatment.

“To me, HOPE is the powerful spirit of wellness and dignity. It is the spirit of the superhero that wards off despair.” Jimmy Jay Powell, cancer patient

dayofHope the sixth Annual

A Benefit for Marian Cancer Care Patients at Mission Hope Cancer Center

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present InG medIa sponsor s

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Case Ketting, MD • Jeffrey Wu, MD Patrick Williams, MD

www.missionhopecancercenter.com

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excellen ce sponsor s Central Coast Inpatient Consultants, Inc. Caring for the hospitalized patient

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Day of Hope the sixth Annual

prouDly presenteD by

A B E N E F I T F O R M A R I A N C A N C E R C A R E PAT I E N T S AT M I S S I O N H O P E C A N C E R C E N T E R

Wednesday, April 10, 2019 | lompocrecord.com | An edition of the Santa Maria Times

PETER KLEIN, CONTRIBUTOR‌

Susan Rodriquez practices yoga at Pismo Beach. In seeking her own improved health, Rodriguez opted to take a yoga instructors’ course. Now, in addition to owning and running her own insurance agency in SLO, she volunteers teaching yoga classes and offering Reiki at Mission Hope Cancer Center. She is also the author of a book, “Behind the Smiling Face,” a retelling of her cancer journey. All proceeds from sale of the book go to Mission Hope Cancer Center.

POSITIVITY

FIGHTING WITH

Susan Rodriguez finds the blessing in breast cancer diagnosis JENNIFER BEST

‌I

Contributing Writer‌

n seeking her own improved health, Susan Rodriguez discovered the path to improving others. Today, in addition to owning and operating her own insurance agency in San Luis Obispo, the Pismo Beach grandmother of seven volunteers as a yoga instructor at Mission Hope Cancer

Center, offers reiki at its infusion center, and is the author of “Behind the Smiling Face: My Journey with Breast Cancer,” a retelling of her own cancer journey and fundraiser for Mission Hope. “I believe, looking back, what really helped me the most in getting through, was my attitude,” Rodriguez said. Shortly after being diagnosed with an aggressive form of breast cancer in March 2016, Rodriguez realized she would not be able to hide the results of her mastectomy nor the hair loss she knew her treatments would bring. Instead, she faced it all head on.

“When I told friends and family my diagnosis, they all asked, ‘Why you?’ Or they said, ‘It’s so unfair.’ That kind of stuff, but then I thought, why not me?’ One in eight people get breast cancer. Why shouldn’t it be me? I’m strong. I’m healthy. I have an amazing support network of friends and family, great health insurance, a business where I was able to hire extra people to help keep it running. I had so much that made it possible to do this journey without it killing me,” Rodriguez said. It was her sister who pushed Rodriguez to visit the doctor to

check out a discoloration on her lip that spring. “I had not been going to the doctor or going for mammograms for over five years,” Rodriguez said. A nurse found the lump in her breast. “From there, things just went like a whirlwind,” Rodriguez said. First one biopsy, then another for confirmation, led to a diagnosis: HER2-positive breast cancer, a more aggressive form of breast cancer which has a higher likelihood of recurring than its HER2-negative counterpoint. Rodriguez started chemotherapy and additional medications

immediately, had a full mastectomy, maintenance therapy, radiation, reconstruction surgeries and participated in a year-long clinical drug trial. “I wasn’t always smiling. It’s definitely a hard journey,” Rodriguez said. Instead of trying to hide the fact that she had cancer, she opted to post updates on social media. “In the pictures I posted, I was always careful to have a smiling face because I wanted people to believe I would be OK. And I am OK,” she said. Please see RODRIGUEZ, Page 4

Two-time breast cancer survivor ‘The whole package, says giving up was never an option plus a bag of chips!’ Edith Olea is urging other women to get checkups

Jimmy Jay Powell says Mission Hope’s care is the real deal

IVETTE PERALTA

JENNIFER BEST

Contributing Writer‌

‌Edith Olea, a strong advocate for early breast cancer exams among her family and friends, never thought she would have to face cancer herself, not once, but two times. In March of 2010 she was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer, causing her to be bedridden for about a year. “My life changed so much in LEN WOOD STAFF‌ a matter of weeks after the diagnosis, but I knew I had to be Santa Maria resident Edith Olea’s battle with breast cancer with the help of the Mission Hope Cancer Center has led to a recent finding of Please see OLEA, Page 4 no residual disease.

‌To say Jimmy Jay Powell has a magnetic personality would be like saying the sun is warm. Even as the eloquent, 76-year-old Santa Maria man wends his way through rounds of radiation and chemotherapy, he offers grace, love and inspirational words for his neighbors, friends and fellow patients. “Wherever I find myself, I go to help somebody, and end up helping myself,” Jimmy Jay said. And through it all, he holds tightly to his teammate, his con-

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fidante, his wife: Hannah Powell. “Everything we do, we do as a team,” Jimmy Jay said. “We’re about judging beyond appearances, and obtaining the positive view of what we see. Nothing is as it appears to be.” Born and raised in Boyle Heights just east of downtown Los Angeles, Jimmy Jay always had difficulty keeping his feet planted in one place. “I’m from the metaphysical school of thought. My life has been full of experiences that are very spiritual and mystical. Since I was a kid, I’ve always had difficulty keeping my feet planted, so seeking to make things better has taken me halfway around the world,” Jimmy Jay said.

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