The goal isn’t just to find breast cancer. The goal is to find it earlier.
Melinda Dunn, MD Fellowship-trained Mammographer Terryl Times, MD Surgeon
Wendi Johnson, RN, BSN, OCN, CBCN Patient Navigator
68.7% Diagnosed at stage 0/1
66.8% Diagnosed at stage 0/1
58.0% Diagnosed at stage 0/1
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Sentara Williamsburg Comprehensive Breast Center
National Cancer Database
Early-stage breast cancer diagnosis: higher percentages are better. Among all cases of cancer that are diagnosed at our Peninsula centers, at least two-thirds are found in the earliest stages, exceeding the nationally reported percentage.*
If there’s a cancer, our experts excel at finding it early – when the outcome can be the best. ational studies prove that when breast cancer is found in the earliest stages, it’s far more treatable and survivable. Both Sentara Comprehensive Breast Centers on the Peninsula excel at detecting breast cancer early – a truly life-saving distinction.
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As part of the Sentara Cancer Network, Sentara Comprehensive Breast Centers combine state-of-the-art technology, highly specialized physicians who are among the best in their fields, and a uniquely collaborative model of care. We also provide a calm, patient-centered environment
– along with a patient navigator to answer your questions and serve as a resource through diagnosis and treatment. Request your screening mammogram online or call today to make your annual appointment. Text PINK to 269411 for screening guidelines.
Sentara Williamsburg Comprehensive Breast Center | (757) 345-4024 Women’s Imaging Pavilion, Sentara Williamsburg Regional Medical Center, Williamsburg
Dorothy G. Hoefer Comprehensive Breast Center | (757) 594-1899 Sentara Port Warwick, Newport News | Sentara CarePlex Hospital (satellite location), Hampton *Data provided is the most current data available from the National Cancer Database (2008), and the Sentara Cancer Network cancer registries (2006-2009).
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2 | Breast Cancer Awareness | October 2011
Your community, not-for-profit health partner
By Katelin Hill
F
rom humble beginnings making flyers at dining room tables to being featured in Better Homes and Gardens earlier this year, the co-founders of Beyond Boobs have come a long way since meeting at a breast cancer retreat in 2006. Mary Beth Gibson, having just finished chemo and awaiting a bilateral mastectomy, and René Bowditch saw a need for a support system for young women who had been diagnosed with breast cancer. Many of the women they met had been told they were too young for breast cancer, and therefore had delayed diagnoses. But their mission evolved from not only breast cancer support, but to breast health in general. “That’s a huge distinction,” Gibson said. Gibson, Bowditch and a small group of women began circuiting local doctor’s offices with “these tacky lime green flyers.” Gibson said that women have become immune to the pink ribbon, so they wanted to take a different approach, including humor to combat fear. One support group, composed of six programs and located in Williamsburg has grown to four, with chapters in Richmond, Virginia Beach and Yorktown. Support is just one mission of Beyond Boobs. The second mission is education. In addition to speaking engagements, the organization puts out a yearly breast health manual “disguised as a calendar.” It contains information about the organization, breast cancer basics, self-exams and more. Bowditch said they consider it a humongous privilege to be able to work with these young women. “We do this out of passion,” she said. “I’m a full time volunteer. We don’t just provide information and a help system. I think one of the things that we enable to happen is the word ‘hope.’ These young women see other young women going through it and it gives them hope.” While Gibson feels frustrated by the lack of progress in breast cancer research and how many women they lose, she knows they have made a difference. “I draw a lot strength from knowing even the women we lose have had happier days than they would have had if we hadn’t been in their lives,” she said. “And I think to some degree we are allowing women to live longer because we are having a positive impact on their spirit, so its very gratifying and humbling and frustrating.” Gibson admits they hadn’t intended for this all to happen. “At the beginning if someone had said this is what it takes to start and run a non-profit, I would have looked at you and said, ‘I don’t think I can do this.’ But our heart is really in this and knowing what I know now I wouldn’t change anything.” She describes it as “building the plane while flying it.” Yet Gibson and Bowditch have big plans for the future. “We don’t want any young women in this country to feel alone,” Gibson said. “Our goal is to spread our support system nationwide. I don’t know how long that will take. Eventually I would like there to be a cure so we’re not needed at all. René can probably retire. I’ll let her retire at that point and then I’ll turn my energy into some other really significant cause.” Their national dreams even led Gibson and a friend to California to audition for The Amazing Race. While they did make it all the way to the producers, they didn’t make the final cut. They are still working with local businessmen and consultants to expand nationally. “We just keep being overwhelmed by the generosity of the communities
Beyond Boobs co-founders Mary Beth Gibson and René Bowditch that we work in and the people that come on board to help us,” Bowditch said. “People contribute not just money but time and talent and help us do all these things we’re doing. We live in a very giving community.” They have also developed a collaborative relationship with the hospitals. “It’s not about what can you give us,” Gibson said. “It’s about how we can help each other.” Gibson said many women who have survived breast cancer live with a fear of it coming back, but she tries to remain hopeful. “I told myself I am not dying from breast cancer,” she said. “If it’s going to come back, which it’s not, I’m going skydiving, I’m going white water rafting. I’m not dying from breast cancer and that keeps me going. But at the end of the day, we may be tired, and we put in some really long hours, because there is more work than we can possibly get done, but we laugh so much. And René has become a sister to me. The lesson I’ve taken away from cancer is there are no guarantees, so you may as well live your life fully and happily.”
CONTRIBUTE You may submit donations to Beyond Boobs by sending a check to:
Beyond Boobs 1311 Jamestown Road, Suite 202 Williamsburg VA 23185 Donations may also be made online at:
www.beyondboobsinc.org October 2011 | Breast Cancer Awareness | 3
Survivor SPOTLIGHT
Ami Dodson
By Katelin Hill
A
mi Dodson beat cancer when she was twenty years old. And again when she was 37.
Diagnosed with Hodgkins lymphoma in 1995, the standard treatment at the time was aggressive radiation therapy. She was told to start getting yearly mammograms at 35, because she was at an increased risk for cancer from the radiation. It was at that exam in early 2010 when the doctor saw something that concerned him. It was either stage 2a or 2b – Dodson can’t remember. Her first thought – “I can’t believe this is happening to me again.” Her husband was with her. He had made the appointment for her. She wanted to put it off another year. She remembers asking the doctor, am I going to die? “Absolutely,” he said. “But not from this.” Dodson finds it odd that her first cancer’s cure gave her the second cancer. But she is also BRCA positive, a gene found in many Eastern-European women, making them extremely susceptible to cancer. Dodson is at exponentially increased risk for ovarian cancer, and plans on having her ovaries removed. She jokes that she always thought it was just bad luck, but now she knows it’s just bad genes. She also had a complete thyroidectomy when doctors suspected a lump. “That turned out to be benign,” Dodson said. “Which is the first time my pathology report has ever been benign for me. It was quite refreshing.”
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Dodson is now cancer free. While this time last year Dodson was undergoing round after round of chemo, a double mastectomy and reconstruction surgeries, this year she is planning a trip to Disney with her son, who is 6. But the journey back to normal was not an easy one for Dodson. The first summer she was undergoing chemotherapy, she said the pain was astounding, and it was hard to feel like she missed a whole summer with her kids. Dodson’s mastectomy was harder than she was prepared for, she said. But chemo – that was the worst thing she had ever experienced in her life. “There were lots of days where I just spend the whole day on pain meds from start to finish,” Dodson said. “And you just sort of wake up and wait for the day to end because you’re not going to be able to do anything or go anywhere and that’s very hard, particularly for someone like me, since I have a very active lifestyle.” Dodson remembers her daughter’s 3rd birthday last year. The party was ten days after her mastectomy. “I still had the drains in and was all bandaged up so they just kind of propped me up in a chair,” she said. “But I wanted to be there and I wanted to be part of the celebration.” Dodson says it was hard to explain to her children what was happening. They knew something was wrong, she said, but they didn’t understand the gravity of the situation. There was constantly family around to take them out of the house or distract them. Dodson named dozens of people who helped her during her difficult time. Her co-workers at the William and Mary School of Law, where Dodson is the Assistant Director of Communications, bought her a couch for her office so she could rest instead of driving back and forth form home to work. When reflecting on how she coped, Dodson had two words: Beyond Boobs. “Mary Beth and René were amazing,” Dodson said, referring to Mary Beth Gibson and René Bowditch, the organization’s founders. “When my hair started to fall out I called Mary Beth. And there was one chemo session where my husband was out of town and I thought, ‘oh its fine, I’ll just go by myself,’ and I got there and I thought ‘I cant handle it.’ So I called Mary Beth and René and they came and sat with me for hours. There were lots of people who did really amazing things for my family.” Dodson became an active member of the organization, including posing for their yearly calendar, “A Calendar to Live By.” She is Miss June. Dodson admits she has a lot more fear after her experience with breast cancer, but still finds the silver lining. “I’m afraid of the next medical disaster,” she said. “It’s hard to let go of that. I have two kids and I want to see them grow up. But it certainly makes you wind up really taking a hard look at your priorities and your values. And I think when I got sick the first time I kind of did that but I think I was so young. I was 20 and I felt like I was invincible. And now I’m 37 and I’m not quite as invincible as I thought. But, I beat this one too, and I have every reason to think that ill get another 50 good years.” Dodson’s take-home message cannot be repeated enough. “Go get a mammogram. Just do it. I don’t care what your doctor says. They’re telling women to wait now until they’re 40 or 50 just go get one. And do the monthly self exams. We all think that we’re too young to get breast cancer.” She says it’s amazing how many 26 and 27 year old women get told by their doctors that they’re too young, that it’s impossible. “Its not impossible, and we’ve lost several of our group way too young. Early detection saves lives.” October 2011 | Breast Cancer Awareness | 5
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breast cancer diagnosis divides your life into before and after. Wendi Johnson specializes in walking alongside patients who are coping with that change. “One of the first things we talk about is allowing yourself to grieve that loss of normalcy when you’ve been diagnosed—letting that out,” said Johnson, patient navigator for breast cancer at the Women’s Imaging Pavilion Comprehensive Breast Center at Sentara Williamsburg Regional Medical Center. “Even if you’re on the better end of the spectrum, you’re still going to be sad. That’s normal. You need to grieve that loss so you can make room for getting strong and moving forward.” Johnson urges patients to acknowledge what’s happened and acknowledge the feelings that it brings Wendi Johnson out. The next key step is to surround yourself with positive, supportive people, she said. Talking to a breast cancer survivor can help….or hurt….depending on that person’s perspective. “If you try to connect with someone who has had breast cancer before and they’re just bringing their baggage to your doorstep and leaving it—you don’t want that,” Johnson said. “If you find someone who has come through breast cancer with a realistic but positive perspective. You can laugh with that person, help each other get better. That’s someone you want to be with.” Which brings us to two key components in recovery that have nothing to do with the medical profession—laughter and faith. “People who have a strong sense of humor and people who have a strong sense of faith seem to cope well in dealing with breast cancer,” Johnson said. Facing breast cancer may also bring up other issues, Johnson has found. “Being diagnosed brings to the forefront things in your life that may have already been concerns and really illuminates them,” she said. “Not only do we have to deal with the new issue that’s come into our life, but we also have to deal with the old thing that we’ve maybe shoved under the carpet.” This is not the time to soldier on alone. Accepting help is important as is taking care of yourself, Johnson said. “It’s a good lesson but it’s a hard way to learn it,” she said. Decide how you want to deal with the information about your diagnosis, Johnson said. Even before test results are available, some people want to know every possible outcome and how the medical team will approach that outcome. Other people want to cross one bridge at a time. Either approach could be the right one for you. “Some people will read everything they possibly can,” she said. “Other people get overwhelmed with too much information and say, ‘Tell me what we know today.’”
Survivor SPOTLIGHT
Shirley Daniels
By K.H. Queen
E
very year, Shirley Daniels, 78, gets a mammogram on or near her birthday. Just a routine item to check off a to-do Shirley Daniels list. But two years ago, the technician told her there was a shadow and they needed to take another scan. “After that everything moved along really fast,” Daniels said. Daniels, a retired teacher, was scheduled for a biopsy. Then came the call that no one wants—the cancer was malignant. “When they called and told me the biopsy showed cancer, I went straight to the kitchen and had a big bowl of chocolate ice cream because I knew I’d never have a better excuse,” she said. She was scheduled for a lumpectomy at Mary Immaculate Hospital. During surgery, her surgeon saw the cancer was more involved than shown by the biopsy. She needed a mastectomy. “They didn’t find the whole thing until they
started the surgery,” Daniels recalled. “They got me church and my family, someone went with me for awake enough to give my permission and then they every single treatment,” she said. “You’re talking to someone who got along really well.” contacted my children to give permission.” Daniels’ church, First United Methodist Church Daniels praised the excellent care she received, in Newport News, had a parish nurse while she was first at Mary Immaculate and then at the Peninsula recovering. “She made regular calls on me at my Cancer Institute, which is affiliated with the Riverhome and when she found a little infection, I was side Health System. After her surgery in August able to get an antibiotic even though it was on the 2009, Daniels had both chemotherapy and radiaweekend—I didn’t have to wait until Monday.” tion. Two years later, Daniels is continuing her active “I told them up front I wanted something for volunteer work, raising funds for libraries through nausea and I never had nausea—not one minute,” the Orphan Helpers charity and then going to Censhe said. tral America to set up those For two years, she will see Dr. Kimberly libraries. So far in five trips, Schlesinger of the Peninsula Cancer Institute every Daniels has helped set up three months to make sure the cancer hasn’t reseven libraries. curred. A positive attitude, supportive friends and Daniels’ advice to others family, faith and a sense of humor have helped facing breast cancer: “It’s not throughout the process, Daniels said. the end of the world. Don’t “I had wonderful doctors,” Daniels said. “I live let it overwhelm you. Don’t close the Riverside Cancer Center, so it was never fret about it. Be cooperative. any big deal to get treatment. The people at the Lean on your faith and have a center do their best to spoil you—they are so kind.” sense of humor.” Throughout her diagnosis and treatment, caring people walked alongside Daniels. “Between my Dr. Kimberly Schlesinger
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She helps women cope with hair loss By Ann Efimetz
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uzi Williamson would gladly go out of business. “That would be good,” she said in a recent interview. That’s because Williamson has been running the “Hat Trader” for some 12 years for women who have lost their hair due to chemotherapy or other cancer treatment. She awaits the day that there are advances allowing people undergoing chemo to keep their hair. One such method may be cold cap therapy, which uses special caps that can be worn during treatment to minimize hair loss. They are not widely available and are undergoing clinical trials. Williamson, who herself is a cancer survivor, said it was traumatic when she lost her hair from breast cancer treatment. “It is why I began Hat Trader,” she said. “There weren’t a lot of resources around here, and I know that some people felt really selfconscious going into a department store with a bald head to try on hats.” Women can contact Williamson and she gladly helps them pick out wigs, hats, scarves, turbans and other items that can help during the chemo process.
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There’s no limit on the amount of time they keep the items, and thanks to the generosity of the community and those who have used the service, there are hundreds of items to choose from. “Very often the patients will bring the bag back with everything they got here and anything that they have bought or was given to them,” she said. “And the community has been so generous with the Hat Trader. I have hundreds and hundreds of hats and wigs, mostly donated. I couldn’t do this without them.” Williamson said she has seen a steady rise in the number of women seeking her help. When she first began the service, she was seeing about four people a month. Now it’s four a week. “It’s disturbing that there are so many more. And I have been seeing more repeats, more people coming back for a second time,” she said. “They can come back for a second time, but I hate to see that. I like to see the people return the things they borrow and be good to go.” She said the three most common cancers she sees in women are breast, ovarian and lung. When asked about new technology, including cooling caps, which may help patients keep their hair during chemotherapy, she is enthusiastic. “Anything that can help, bring it on,” she said. Need help? — Contact Williamson at 258-5628.
Keeping it cool Cold cap therapy involves the use of special caps, frozen to a very cold temperature, and worn for a period of time before, during and after each chemotherapy treatment. The cooling of the hair follicles prevents chemotherapy toxins from reaching them, preserving the follicles and therefore preserving the patient’s hair. This process has been in use in Europe for 15 years. Individual patients in the United States have learned of and successfully used cold cap therapy in the last few years. For more information visit www.rapunzelproject.org
Survivor SPOTLIGHT J
uanita Lee, a teacher’s assistant at Rawls Byrd Elementary School, had her second graders choose Juanita Lee her photo for the yearbook in October 2007. She had taken two – one with her wig, and one without. She had just come back from work after undergoing treatment for breast cancer. “The student that I was working with said ‘Mrs. Lee, we don’t like that wig.’ I said ‘you don’t?’ and they said ‘no, it doesn’t look like you.’ So I took a picture with my wig and one without. And my second grade students were the one who chose which picture went in the yearbook. It was the one without my hair.” Lee didn’t wear her wig after that. In January of 2006, she began bleeding from her right breast, made an appointment with her doctor, had a biopsy, and was diagnosed with ductal carcinoma. Lee experienced memory loss during chemo, and had to consult her husband, Gary, on what had happened during and after her treatment. Memory loss is a common side effect for women undergoing chemo. She had a mastectomy following chemo,
Juanita Lee
By Katelin Hill then had her lymph nodes removed. “It was a lot of traumatic things happening all at once,” she said. “At the time I felt like I was the only one going through it.” Lee would undergo chemo on Tuesdays, she said, and by Wednesday she would be very sick, very tired, and would sleep for two or three days. Lee said Beyond Boobs helped her cope. She didn’t approach them until several months after her treatment, she said, because she was in denial. “It took me maybe six months after I had finished chemo and had gone back to work that I had enough courage to even contact them because I was really ashamed,” Lee said. “Talking to those ladies really put a different perspective on it for me. I felt as if I wasn’t alone. I felt as if I had some hope. Those ladies have been very instrumental in helping me in my recovery, in my survival.” Lee has been in remission for five years, though she still takes a hormone inhibitor, Tamoxifen, to reduce her risk of getting breast cancer again. Lee still suffers with anxiety. The smell of rubbing alcohol still bothers her. “It’s little things that turn my whole world upside down,” she said. “I’ve reached a conclusion with
God and my faith that if he’s ready for me I’m ready to go. A lot of fears that I had I don’t have anymore. My biggest fears were making sure that my daughters are secure with who they are and making sure they take care of themselves.” Lee wants people to know they need to listen to their bodies. “That right there is very important,” she said. “Because your body will tell you when something is wrong. I’m a big believer in listening to your instincts. You just have to be very proactive when it comes to your health.” That includes self-exams. Lee said she didn’t realize how much her breasts influenced her feeling of being a women. “I felt very inadequate as a woman, because I felt that without my right breast I wasn’t attractive to my husband anymore,” she said. But Lee remembers looking at her yearbook photo – the one without the wig – and thinking ‘Wow – I am really beautiful.’” “I didn’t realize how beautiful I was,” she said. “Hair and all the other things are just a small part of who you are. But when you become totally naked, with no hair and everything, you get to see the person who is inside.”
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e t a r b e l ce In memory of Helen Piggott Williamsburg, Virginia In honor of breast cancer survivors, Cara Wyndham and JoAnn Talbot.
In honor of
Gloria Morgan. The doctors say that you are their miracle. 18 Year Breast Cancer Survivor.
In memory of my sister, Donna Cashin. She showed strength, courage and left us in awe! Throughout her journey, she had the most contagious laughter and we recall daily her somewhat outrageous tactics for living the best she could while surviving any new trial that was available. Such a lady, missed by so many!
We love you, Karen, Laura, Brenda and your 7 grandchildren.
– Grace Cucurullo In honor of breast cancer survivors, Mary Jane Robertson and
Jean Ann West
In honor of
Jennifer Broady. She’s currently fighting breast cancer, with the support of her little girl, Samantha.
In honor of my mother,
Candy Hux. Love, Holly, Keith, Savannah, Bobby, Courtney, Brayden, Lindsey, Randy, Preston, Pepper, Keith, Olivia, Tyler and Joe
– Trish Otto
In honor of my two daughters, Ann Mullins and Andi Arabak and myself Jan Merritt all survivors of breast cancer.
In memory of my two grandmothers, Lillie Holtham and Ellen Whitcomb. –Jan Merritt
10 | Breast Cancer Awareness | October 2011
In honor of breast cancer survivor Frances Arnette, diagnosed at age 47 – Trish Otto
r e b m e m e r h o n or
In honor of my beautiful wife, Karen Faith. Thanks to God, Karen is cancer free after having mastectomy surgery in January 2009 and chemo treatments ending in June 2009.
I would like to honor the friends and family in my life that supported me during the months after my diagnosis and surgery for breast cancer. As of October 4, 2011 I am a one-year survivor.
–David Faith
–Anne Grossman
In loving memory of
Nila M. McNeely. She passed away on Feb. 8, 2011. – Michelle McNeely
In honor of
Mrs. Ginette Stewart.
In honor of
Nancylee Leighton 18-year breast cancer survivor
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Just the facts, ma’am
A breast-cancer primer from the National Breast Cancer Foundation, Inc.
What is breast cancer?
Risk factors
Signs & symptoms
Breast cancer is a disease in which malignant (cancer) cells form in the tissues of the breast. It is considered a heterogeneous disease—differing by individual, age group, and even the kinds of cells within the tumors themselves. Obviously no woman wants to receive this diagnosis, but hearing the words “breast cancer” doesn’t always mean an end. It can be the beginning of learning how to fight, getting the facts, and finding hope. Women in the United States get breast cancer more than any other type of cancer except for skin cancer. It is second only to lung cancer as a cause of cancer death in women. Each year it is estimated that nearly 200,000 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer and more than 40,000 will die. Approximately 1,700 men will also be diagnosed with breast cancer and 450 will die each year. The evaluation of men with breast masses is similar to that in women, including mammography.
While no one knows the exact causes of breast cancer, research has shown that women with certain risk factors are more likely than others to develop the disease. AGE Half of all women diagnosed are over age 65. WEIGHT Being obese or overweight. DIET & LIFESTYLE Lack of physical activity, a diet high in saturated fat, and alcoholic intake of more than two drinks per day. MENSTRUAL & REPRODUCTIVE HISTORY Early menstruation or late menopause, having your first child at an older age or not having given birth, or taking birth control pills for more than ten years if you are under 35. FAMILY & PERSONAL HISTORY A family history of breast cancer—particularly a mother, sister. or a personal history of breast cancer of benign (non-cancer) breast disease. MEDICAL & OTHER FACTORS Dense breast tissue (often identified by a mammogram), past radiation therapy to the breast or chest area. A history of hormone treatments—such as estrogen and progesterone, or gene changes— including BRCA1, BRCA2, and others.
Generally, early breast cancer does not cause pain. Even so, a woman should see her health care provider about breast pain or any other breast cancer symptoms that do not go away. • A change in how the breast or nipple feels • You may experience nipple tenderness or notice a lump or thickening in or near the breast or in the underarm area. • A change in how the breast or nipple looks This could mean a change in the size or shape of the breast or a nipple that is turned slightly inward. In addition, the skin of the breast, areola or nipple may appear scaly, red or swollen or may have ridges or pitting that resembles the skin of an orange. • Nipple discharge
12 | Breast Cancer Awareness | October 2011
Early detection plan You can take control of your healthcare by developing an early detection plan and encouraging others to do the same. Remember—early detection saves lives! BEGINNING AT AGE 20 • Performing breast self-exams and looking for any signs of change. AGE 20 TO 39 • Scheduling clinical breast exams every three years. BY THE AGE OF 40 • Having a baseline mammogram and annual clinical breast exams. AGES 40 TO 49 • Having a mammogram every one to two years depending on previous findings. AGES 50 AND OLDER • Having a mammogram every year. ALL AGES • Recording personal exams, mammograms and doctors’ appointments on a calendar or in a detailed file. • Maintaining a healthy weight, following a low-fat diet, getting regular exercise, quitting smoking, and reducing alcohol consumption.
Just squeeze me
Mammography still a woman’s best friend in detecting breast cancer By K.H. Queen
I
t’s not fun—getting the girls squeezed tight for an X-ray. But getting a mammogram can save your life. Thanks mostly to mammography screenings, the mortality rate from breast cancer has decreased nearly one-third since 1990, said Dr. Melinda “Lindy” Dunn, radiologist and director of the Women’s Imaging Pavilion Comprehensive Breast Center at Sentara Williamsburg Regional Medical Center. Researchers compared mortality rates between groups of women who had not been screened (the research did not involve denying mammography to women) and those who got regular screenings, Dunn said. The mortality rate from breast cancer was 30 percent lower in the group that got regular screenings. By 2015, researchers predict a 50 percent decrease in mortality rates for women who continue to get regular screenings, she said. If those facts don’t have you ready to make an appointment for an overdue mammogram, keep reading. Improved screening and diagnostic tools make detection even easier. The most exciting advance is digital mammography, Dunn said. When digital screenings were introduced, many radiologists instinctively felt the new technology represented an improvement, Dunn said. Finally, a radiologist at UNC Chapel Hill conducted a trial involving 40,000 women at multiple centers. That study found that compared to the old analog technology, digital screenings were 17 percent more sensitive in detecting breast cancer in dense breasts, Dunn said. Locally, the center found that two-thirds of the women screened had dense breasts. The new technology costs three to five times as much as the analog technology it replaced, but the improved results made the investment worth it, she said. “Across the country, more than 75 percent of mammography facilities are digital and that’s increasing,” Dunn said. “We’re really lucky in our area— women have wide access to digital mammography.” Diagnostic options extend even beyond digital mammography. Teens and very young women often get an ultrasound (instead of a mammogram) if there is an area of concern, Dunn said. That’s because young breast tissue is more sensitive to radiation, she said.
Ultrasound also can be used to help further evaluate lumps or masses found in a mammogram to determine if they are cysts or requires a biopsy, Dunn said. Finally, an MRI can be very helpful for women who have a higher than average risk (determined as a lifetime risk greater than 20 percent) of breast cancer based on several factors including family history and/or genetic abnormalities, Dunn said. An MRI offers sensitivity to breast cancer greater than 95 percent, she said. “It’s unlikely for MRI to miss an invasive breast cancer that is bigger than five millimeters,” she said. Additionally, three to four percent of the time MRI finds an unsuspected cancer in the other breast, she said. “MRI adds one more layer of imaging to help find areas of cancer that were not seen with mammography or ultrasound,” she said. Many of us know women who are live today because a mammogram caught breast cancer early. For that woman and for yourself, make the call. “The one message I want to get out is: every woman, regardless of risk, needs to have an annual mammogram beginning at age 40 and if possible, it needs to be digital,” Dunn said. Dr. Melinda Dunn
October 2011 | Breast Cancer Awareness | 13
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TURNS 14 By Ann Efimetz
The name you’ve come to trust in home furnishings – has expanded!
New Furniture •
Consignments
SHEILA’S FINE THINGS
7437 Richmond Road • Norge (next to Williamsburg Doll Factory)
Call 757.221.0101
•
HOURS WED – SAT • 10 – 6
Accent Items
HAIR FEATHERS! $10 per feather
$2 from each feather donated to Beyond Boobs.
GREENLEAF BUILDING 4345 New Town Avenue, Suite 106 Williamsburg, 757-345-6095 Mon.-Thurs., 10:30-5:30; Fri., 10:30-7:30; Sat., 10:30-3:30; Now Open Sunday, 1-5 208486X
www.trumancurtisshoes.com
Local In-Season Fresh Fares Produce, Dairy, Grass-Fed Meats, Subscriptions & More!
757-879-2242
208775X
14 | Breast Cancer Awareness | October 2011
www.OffTheVineMarket.com
S
he turns 14 years old this month, just in time for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The Good Health Fairy, who is the alter-ego of local resident René Bowditch, has been working to help people facing cancer and other serious illnesses feel better by donning a bright pink dress, wings and tiara to bring a message of hope. “Scatter joy, that is my quote,” Bowditch said in a recent interview. “I try to make people think about hope. I try to make them think, ‘I can get through this.’” Bowditch and Mary Beth Gibson founded the nonprofit organization Beyond Boobs to help young women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer and to educate all women about breast health. The Good Health Fairy has become one of the hallmarks of the organization, appearing at various health fairs and public speaking engagements. People who see Bowditch remember her, and for good reason. It’s not only the message of health, it is Bowditch’s effervescent personality and upbeat humor that makes a lasting impression. Even when Bowditch was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2002, she didn’t stop reaching out to others who were on the same journey. “I kept going,” she said. “There was no hiatus.” She even recalled wearing the costume to a radiation appointment to help cheer a friend who was undergoing treatment at the same time.
Bowditch makes it a point to visit Beyond Boobs members on the first day of their chemotherapy. “To have the fairy walk into the room changes everything,” Bowditch said. “The first day of chemo can be frightening.”
Humor, optimism is her mantra
Bowditch said the fairy has steadily gained popularity by word of mouth. People who have seen her at various events and functions have called upon her to help buoy spirits of young and old. The fairy is so popular, she’s trademarked. “People would call me and say, ‘My sister is in the hospital, can you visit her? Or we are a health fair, can you come?’” she recalled. “There was a time when my kids would see me come out of the bedroom dressed up like the fairy and they would say, ‘Who is sick?’” 208050X
Bowditch still regularly wanders the halls of Sentara Williamsburg Regional Medical Center and is a frequent visitor at area oncology offices.
New Inventory, Just Arrived! Very Discounted Prices. Exceptional Customer Service. Complimentary Interior Design.
“It is amazing the effect she still has on people,” Bowditch said. “The nurses light up, the patients light up because it is ridiculous to see me dressed up like this.”
Think Pink!
She realizes the importance that humor and optimism play in combating and surviving the challenges of life, whether physical or emotional. “Humor is absolutely healing,” she said. “It is proven that laughter gets your endorphins going and it strengthens your immune system. Stress is awful for our physical wellbeing. It compromises our immune system and keeps our bodies from doing what they are supposed to be doing.” Bowditch is convinced that her work as the Good Health Fairy has divine roots. Although she went to law school and later taught law, she feels God had other plans for her talents. “It is what I call a ‘God thing,’” she said. “He gave me this to do, this is the plan for my life. My purpose is to be the Good Health Fairy. That wasn’t my original plan, but that’s okay. Life is unspeakably hard. The only thing we are here for is to help each other get through it. And that is what that fairy does.”
• WEEKLY FALL SPECIALS • MONDAY
THURSDAY
Islanadys Thursd
All You Can Eat Wings $10
Island Night!
TUESDAY
FRIDAY
Wine Night!
After Work Party
WEDNESDAY
SATURDAY PM
All You Can Eat Crablegs $20
Live Music
– oceans & ale –
Join us for NFL SUNDAY TICKET for all the football action! Oceans & Ale • 5601-1 Richmond Road • www.oceansandale.com
757•253•2ALE October 2011 | Breast Cancer Awareness | 15
Now taking appointments to fit all women! In addition to being the fastest growing mastectomy boutique in the area, we have added a selection of bras for all women. Bra sizes 32AA to 50II Insurance covers new products yearly for mastectomy patients & we file claims for you.
Call to schedule an appointment with a certified fitter & enjoy our boutique atmosphere
Post surgical skin care products: Lindi skin & Crystalux now available. Hats, scarves & headwear for hair loss. We now carry wigs.
12715-V Warwick Blvd., Newport News,VA 23606
Unique Gifts
757-930-0139
Current Cruise Swimwear in sizes 6 to 26 Fashion gifts including jewelry, totes, wallets, scarves, hats, caps & cancer awareness merchandise
Located on Warwick Blvd. in the Commonwealth Shopping Center Visit our website at www.silhouettemb.com
By Katelin Hill
PRESENT THIS AD FOR A 25% DISCOUNT ON GIFT ITEMS THRU DEC 31, 2011.
Come & Join us for the
5th Annual Bunko Tournament for Breast Health Awareness Saturday, Feb. 4, 2012 McAuley Auditorium Walsingham Academy in Williamsburg Bunko Games • Raffles • Silent Auction Keynote Remarks on Breast Health
Ticket information: https://sites.google.com/site/bunkotourneywmbg/home KMBunko@yahoo.com
Lunch & Dinner Daily Brunch on Sundays beginning at 10 am Featuring New Town Monthly Specials Live Music every Tues., Wed. & Fri. Nights
5101 Center Street in New Town • 220-4600
208473X
Come Hungry, Leave Satisfied!
See our website www.centerstreetgrill.com
Complete Cake, Cookie & Candy Supply Center
We specialize in: • Cake decorating, cookie & candy making supplies • Cake decorating and specialty classes available - Call for schedule.
25% OFF Any one item. Present for discount.
Open Mon.-Fri., 10-6; Sat., 10-5
Stoneybrook Shopping Center 15439-D Warwick Blvd., Newport News 16 | Breast Cancer Awareness | October 2011
“Our goal was to have a store that was a lingerie shop, and another medical experience,” Kelley said. “We work closely with the physicians in the area and the nurse navigators and they send the patients to us prior to surgery. Because then they have all the products that they’re going to need when they get home from the hospital.” What many people don’t know, Kelley said, is that many major insurance providers such as Blue Cross and Medicare allow up to six bras per year, usually with only a 20 percent copay. “And a lot of people just don’t realize that whether they had surgery last week or 30 years ago, or even if they had reconstruction that didn’t quite turn out the way they wanted, that insurance allows for products for them,” Kelley said. The boutique also offers items for drain management and comfortable bras for radiation, as well as camisoles, hats, scarves, wigs and more.
Sponsored by the Kingsmill Bunko Ladies and Friends
Serving
886-9600 •
Three years ago, the opportunity came to open Silhouette Mastectomy Boutique, the store Kelley manages, located in Newport News.
Prize donors & sponsors welcomed.
Like us on Facebook (search Bunko)
208797X
T
eresa Kelly had been working in the medical field since she was a teenager when she noticed a niche in the market for a lingerie store.
Not just your typical Victoria’s-secret type lingerie store-- but a store for women with breast cancer. Women who have prosthetic breasts. Women who can’t find what they need at their local boutique.
SAVE THE DATE!
Last year we raised over $9,000 for Beyond Boobs and Susan G. Komen. Join us for a fantastic and fun evening with the gals! No Bunko experience needed.
Local businesses support patients of breast cancer
Exp. 12/23/11. One coupon per visit.
Ask about our edible picture images!
Kelley has a family history of breast cancer, and so her work is more than just a job to her. She frequently speaks at church groups, medical groups, women’s groups – anything to spread the word about how they can help. Silhouette Mastectomy Boutique works with Beyond Boobs to raise awareness, and the business has been successful in reaching women.
“It’s a double-edged sword,” Kelley said. “We stay real busy and that’s the sad part. That’s why we work with Beyond Boobs as well to help educate and bring awareness to it so that it can be caught early, because that’s the main objective.” Like Kelley, Nancy Lewis, owner of Victorious Imaging, was also inspired to open her business because of her background in the medical field. Lewis opened her shop, which also fits breast prosthesis, a year ago because Williamsburg had no where for women to go without having to travel to Newport News or Richmond. The shop also carries Nancy Lewis pre-surgery camisoles, mastectomy bathing suits, cancer awareness items and skin care products. “I’m not here just for the sales,” Lewis said. “I want people to feel free to come in. When you’re dealing with cancer, whether it’s breast cancer or not, you’re dealing with a lot of pressure or emotions and sometimes just a change of scenery will help. I want people to know I have three or four seating areas in here. They can come in, have a seat, bring a book if they want, have a cup of coffee or whatever – just to have a little break.” Lewis wants her customers to leave feeling a little better than when they came in. “Some will come in feeling fine,” she said. “But then you’ve got the lady that will come in with slumped shoulders or upset, and to see them
walk out the door with a smile on their faces is really cool.” A cancer survivor herself, Diane Webb noticed eleven years ago that there was nowhere in Williamsburg to buy wigs or wraps. When she opened her Merle Norman franchise, she made sure to include those products in her store. “As a Merle Norman owner we are able to customize our store a little bit and add into the store what we want to add,” Webb said. “At the time, and there pretty much still is, no place in Williamsburg for ladies to go and get wigs or Diane Webb even the hair wraps and the turbans and those things they might need. I thought it would be a nice service to have, and it would certainly be more convenient than having to travel to Newport News or Richmond or Norfolk or out of the area.” Webb said that many of the comments she gets from customers is that it’s nice to shop locally, but also to be able to shop and deal with somebody who has been through it. “It’s a little bit more personal,” Webb said. Michelle Brumfield’s business, Bedcrafters by Michelle, doesn’t immediately lend itself to breast cancer patients, but she finds ways she can help. After meeting Mary Beth Gibson, owner of Beyond Boobs at a continued next page
Beautiful Kitchens and Baths
WALT ZAREMBA
Paid Political Announcement
York Supervisor, District 1 Republican
PROFESSIONAL DESIGN TEAM Personalized assistance in the selection of: • cabinetry style & finish • countertops • hardware • tile • flooring • lighting • fixtures • appliances
EXPERIENCED • local craftsmen • electricians • plumbers • painters
DESIGNED, CUSTOM BUILT & INSTALLED by your neighbors here in Eastern Virginia
Whitt Corporation KITCHEN & BATH REMODELING SPECIALISTS
Visit our showroom at 4854-11 Longhill Road Olde Towne Square MON – FRI • 9AM – 5PM
757.564.0231 www.whittcorporation.com
Supporting a worthy cause to help breast cancer patients and their families.
VOTE NOVEMBER 8 Authorized by Committee to Re-Elect Walt Zaremba October 2011 | Breast Cancer Awareness | 17
10%
continued from previous page
of your purchase will be donated to the
networking event, she became actively involved in the organization, donating either her time, products, or a percentage of her sales regularly.
charity
Natural and Organic Clothing
of your choice
“Anything they need I’m there to help them. There’s no one that I ever met that hasn’t been touched by it or knows someone thats been touched by it and I just feel like they’re a very special group Michelle Brumfield of ladies and just wanted to be a part of it. I won the pink scooter last year at the gala. This year I redonated that back to them so they can use it again this year.”
Your One Stop Shop for Natural Luxury Quarterpath Shopping Center 1490 Quarterpath Road • Williamsburg 757.220.0008 • www.kyriedesigns.com
One year they went into a sick member’s home while she was ill and out of town and redecorated two rooms for her, including a new mattress. It’s these ways that Brumfield is able to give back.
A Most Unique Boutique!
“The community needs to become more aware of this group of ladies and what they do for the community, and more so what their intentions are, and how much that they want to help people, and how much they give of themselves,” she said.
Merle Norman at Monticello Marketplace Offering wigs, hair wraps, turbans in a caring and professional environment. No appt. necessary
208629X
New! Facials by Ingrid
Skin Care • Cosmetics • Ear Piercing Whimsical Gifts • Consignment Handbags
Diane Webb
C O S M E T I C
S T U D I O S
4680 Monticello Ave., Williamsburg (757) 220-0053 • merlenorman.com CELEBRATING 11 YEARS!
Williamsburg
Bridal & Formal Williamsburg’s Premier Full-Service Bridal Salon
We pride ourselves on exceptional customer service & attention to detail.
229-5004 3709 C-1 Strawberry Plains Road behind the Backfin Restaurant
www.williamsburgbridalandformal.com
30% OFF w/purchase of $500 or more. In House Brand 2” Faux Wood Blinds. Lifetime Warranty. Discount does not apply to blind repairs. Exp. 10/30/2011.
FREE Measuring & Installation
1490-5F Quarterpath Crossing (near Harris Teeter)
757-564-8117 www.blindsgaloreva.com 208631X
18 | Breast Cancer Awareness | October 2011
Teresa Kelley said the job is incredibly emotional, but feels like it is a blessing to be able to help anyone they can. “What we try to do is help the ladies find their new normal. Because the lives that they knew before has greatly changed. We just try to help them find what their new normal is going to be, whether it’s with a new prosthetic bra, or with a wig, or some of our new clothing items. We’re helping them put the puzzle together.”
October 2011 | Breast Cancer Awareness | 19