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We LIVE Here.We RACE Here. We SAVE LIVES Here.
Your DoLLArS At Work
Last year, Susan G. Komen San Antonio awarded $750,000 to eight local nonprofits providing breast cancer screening, treatment/ survivorship and education services to thousands in Bexar County. Additionally, the Affiliate contributed more than $250,000 to breast cancer research through the Susan G. Komen Grants Program for scientific initiatives endeavoring to find the cures.
the monies awarded were raised primarily through the Susan g. komen San Antonio race for the Cure event. With your help, last year’s grants specifically addressed: n n n
n
Breast cancer screening including clinical breast exams, mammograms and biopsies. treatment such as surgery, chemotherapy and radiation.
treatment support and survivorship including counseling services, lymphatic drainage, wigs, bras/prosthetics, transportation, diet and nutrition classes. Breast health education and outreach to underserved areas of the community.
Breast Cancer Funding Breakdown: n 46% Screening n 19% Treatment
19%
16%
19%
46%
n 19% Treatment Support/Survivorship n 16% Breast Health Education
the funded breast cancer programs were selected by an independent grants review panel through a competitive application and consideration process, and serve vulnerable populations in Bexar County.
2013-2014 komen SAn Antonio SuPPorteD AgenCieS: n
n n n n n n n
American Cancer Society: Transportation to treatment appointments. Centromed: Education, screening, diagnostics and case management services. CommuniCare Health Centers: Education, screening and diagnostics. martinez Street Women’s Center: Educational outreach and support services. SLeW Wellness Center: Emotional and physical support for survivors recovering from treatment including lymphatic drainage, counseling, wigs and more. thriveWell Cancer Foundation: Nutrition and exercise sessions specifically for cancer patients and survivors. university Health System: Screening and diagnostics. WingS: Treatment and patient navigation.
BreASt CAnCer CAre PACkAge ProgrAm For newly Diagnosed Patients
Dealing with a cancer diagnosis is overwhelming. many times a patient must make quick decisions related to treatment, financing, work and personal arrangements. Care packages contain helpful information in one place, including comfort items and encouragement to ease anxiety and pain during treatment.
My care package couldn’t have come at a better time.The thought of knowing someone else is thinking about me as I go through my radiation treatment is encouraging.
Deborah C., Survivor
to request a care package for a breast cancer survivor/patient, please email info@sakomen.net or call 210-222-9009. Are you interested in sponsoring the care package program, or would you like to provide cards of encouragement? if so, please email elyse@sakomen.net or call 210-222-9009.
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WHo We Are:
BFF was developed through collaboration between Susan g. komen San Antonio and redes en Accion : the national Latino research network at the institute for Health Promotion research, the university of texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. Building positive relationships with survivors who share similar experiences encourages women that life during and after breast cancer does not have to limit quality of life!
Younger breast cancer patients and survivors: consider joining BFF, a sisterhood of young women supporting each other in the fight against cancer and WINNING!
miSSion:
to provide support to young breast cancer patients and survivors by empowering women to take charge of their overall well-being during and after cancer treatment.
What to expect from BFF:
topics and activities driven BY young survivors For young survivors:
n meetings every month n meeting topics that include a mixture of educational
sessions about cancer and fun activities
FUN ACTIVITIES • Healthy cooking demonstration • Group exercise (Yoga, Zumba, etc.) • Meditation • Massages • Beauty Nights (“Look Good, Feel Better”) • Biking through the Missions
n Breast cancer diagnosis is increasing by 2 percent per year in women ages 20 to 39.
FrienDLY FACtS:
the komen San Antonio BFF (Breast Friends Forever) Young Survivors Support group provides an opportunity for young cancer patients / survivors to face breast cancer together. the group takes on issues specifically affecting young women with cancer through emotional support, community outreach, healthy lifestyles and vital breast health information.
LECTURE SERIES • Medical lectures • Psychologists, relationships and breast cancer, body image issues • Fertility experts • Genetic counselors • Lymphedema specialists • Nutritionists • Career coaches/motivational speakers
For meeting Date and more information:
210-222-9009 | info@sakomen.net | www.komensanantonio.org |
n Breast cancer in younger women is often n more aggressive and accompanied with lower survival rates.
n Breast cancer impacts quality of life in n younger women, including depression, psychosocial issues, vitality, personal relationships, body image, fertility, workplace issues and fatigue.
n It is estimated that 13,110 women under age n 40 will get breast cancer in the U.S. and 1,160 will pass away annually. n Today there are about 250,000 breast cann cer survivors living in the U.S. who were diagnosed at age 40 or younger.
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A Special Supplement to SAn Antonio WomAn
BrAVe Young &
by Victoria reyna
Everyone remembers their teenage years — that awkward time filled with crushes, bad hair days, and embarrassing yearbook portraits. It’s the age of a girl’s first break-up, subjection to humiliation by her parents and trying to keep up with the latest trends. Fortunately for many, that is the extent of the hardship they face at that age. For DeAndreia Joseph the story is different. At 17 years old, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. From the time DeAndreia was 11 or 12, her mother, who works in the health care industry, taught her to perform her own breast self-exams to check for anything out of the ordinary. She was only 15 when she first realized something wasn’t right. She noticed an abnormal discharge and after a couple of days, decided she should confide in her mother.
“When she first told me, I told her she just hadn’t completely dried off after her shower. I said it was nothing,” said Michele, DeAndreia's mother. It wasn’t until a second examination showed traces of blood in the leakage that they took the trip to the doctor’s office.
“All the doctors said it was normal,”
remembers DeAndreia.
“They said it was just hormones.” A second opinion found that she actually had two papillomas, benign tumors that they were able to remove. She and her family believed the worst was behind them. A year later, another self-exam brought two pea-sized lumps to DeAndreia’s attention. Worried that her daughter’s discovery would be overlooked by doctors due to her young age, Michele took her to the emergency room. They set up an appointment with a general
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surgeon who immediately knew something was wrong. Further testing confirmed their fears. “We already knew something was up,” said DeAndreia, recalling the moment she received her official diagnosis. “He [the doctor] was kind of down. I knew he was going to deliver bad news.” One of the lumps was benign as the two before had been, but the other was malignant. That was the moment she learned she had breast cancer. With so many not believing that a breast cancer diagnosis at such a young age is even possible, it was a shock to her and her family. “It was like the wind was taken out of my body,” said DeAndreia. “My mom just broke down in tears. I didn’t want to break down too.” Looking back on that day, her father Karl can still remember thinking, “How are we going to get through this?” Over the next series of tests and appointments, the Joseph family leaned on each other and relied on their faith to help them get by. Their extended family called daily, prayed for them and put in prayer requests for them at their churches. Karl credits their strength to his mother, all of their extended family and their “belief in the higher up.” Scared, but with unwavering courage and faith in God, DeAndreia told herself that this was “not an automatic death sentence.” She took charge, did her research, and made the decision to have a double mastectomy. Her parents, although supportive, were hesitant of her decision considering her young age and the finality of such a procedure. Her doctor, believing that a lumpectomy — a procedure that only removes the cancerous part of the breast — would be more than enough to ensure her health, also did not encourage it. With utter conviction, she held her ground and underwent the surgery that ultimately saved her life. What doctors found after her procedure was that she suffered from hyperplasia, an abnormal multiplication of cells. Because of her condition, had she opted not to undergo the mastectomy, the cancer was almost sure to reappear later and be a severe threat to her life. “She was the strength,” said Michele of her daughter, who helped them all to remain positive during such a trying time. “She was the lead. If it wasn’t for her, I don’t think I could have been strong.”
Today, DeAndreia is using her experiences as a young cancer patient to help other young women her age realize that they can be at risk as well. She is currently a student at the University of Texas at San Antonio, where she is pursuing a degree in public health. She speaks at campus events at UTSA, the University of Incarnate Word and Texas State that are dedicated to raising awareness. Last October, with the help of a fellow student and breast cancer survivor, she organized her own campus awareness event at UTSA through a Komen program called Breast Friends Forever. In the time spent orchestrating these events and reaching out to help others, she believes she may have found a new passion through public speaking. DeAndreia strongly believes in the importance of educating the younger community about the risk they face of possibly developing breast cancer. She is passionate about saving lives by inspiring people through her own story. For those who are struggling with the news of a recent diagnosis, she hopes that they will follow some of the advice she had to offer.
“Keep your faith,” she said. “Stay positive. Don’t put yourself around negativity. It’s okay to grieve but don’t stay stuck there.” She is a strong believer in the power of a positive attitude in helping one recover. DeAndreia’s parents and solid suppor t system were there through it all. They were by her side for every appointment, every test and every procedure. While the hardship they faced is not something they would like to repeat, there were lessons they learned that as parents they apply to everyday life.
“Be humble,” said Karl. “Cherish every minute. Love your kids. Make sure you tell them you love them.”
For them, every moment with their daughter DeAndreia, is one that is not taken for granted.
We LIVE Here.We RACE Here. We SAVE LIVES Here.
LoVe
A motHer’S by Victoria reyna
There are many legacies, traditions, and traits that mothers hope to one day pass on to their own daughters. Smiles just like their own, recipes passed down from generation to generation, and unique bedtime lullabies that they will one day sing to their own children. For some, the wish is different—that their daughters will not have to suffer from a disease that has touched each generation before them.
“It’s scary thinking of how prevalent it is in your family,” said Allison Woodie, 42, a breast cancer survivor who lost her grandmother and mother to breast cancer, as well. Allison’s grandmother lost her battle with breast cancer twelve years ago and her mother, six years later. She received the diagnosis herself shortly after. Because of the time she spent watching her mother try to fight an invasive type of the cancer, she knew immediate action had to be taken to protect herself and her daughters.
Allison’s love for her daughters motivates her to race. She hopes that with all of the support and research relentlessly dedicated to Susan G. Komen’s cause, there will one day be a cure for the cancer that claimed the two women she held most dear before it has a chance to affect her children. Her hope for women who are struggling to cope with a new diagnosis is that they face it head on, utilizing the help they can before it spreads and becomes more difficult to treat.
“She was in denial,” Allison remembered of her mother, who prolonged seeking treatment, causing the cancer to spread and worsen. “It was a nightmare living through that with her. After that, it was a matter of watching her suffer.”
While hearing the diagnosis is not easy, Allison's advice for others who have been diagnosed is simple and straightforward.
Upon her own diagnosis, not only does she remember being afraid for herself, but for her two daughters, as well. They decided together that they would all take active roles in their health and in seeking immediate treatment should a breast cancer diagnosis ever come their way. That’s exactly what Allison did. “It was caught at the early stages,” she said. “I’m doing very well.” Allison and her team, Pink Pistols, are strong supporters of Susan G. Komen for the Cure. All of the funds that are raised from Race for the Cure are invested locally, providing breast cancer screening, treatment, education and research. “That’s one reason we support Komen so much,” she said. “The reason our team and others I know participate in Race is because the funds are used to save lives in San Antonio.”
“Don’t be afraid to lean on people. use the resources that are out there. Don’t be ashamed or scared. Dealing with people who have actually been through it and can offer that perspective helps,” says Allison Woode. Through this trying time for Allison and her family, she has ensured that the greatest legacy she will one day leave behind for her daughters is one of courage, perseverance and a fighting spirit that refused to be stifled. She continues to be a shining example of strength, and like so many that support Race for the Cure, she will race until that cure is found.
A Special Supplement to SAn Antonio WomAn
Breast
Self-Awareness 1.Know your risk
• talk to your family to learn about your family’s health history
• talk to your doctor about your personal risk of breast cancer
Register Today!
2. Get screened
• Ask your doctor which screening tests are right for you and if you are at a higher risk
• Have a mammogram every year starting at age 40, if you are at average risk
• Have a clinical breast exam at least every 3 years starting at 20, and every year starting at 40
3.Know what is normal for you
See your health care provider right away if you notice any of these breast changes: • Lump, hard knot or thickening inside the breast or underarm area
• Swelling, warmth, redness or darkening of breast • Change in the size or shape of the breast • Dimpling or puckering of the skin
• itchy, scaly sore or rash on the nipple
• Pulling in of nipple or other parts
• nipple discharge that starts suddenly
• new pain in one spot that does not go away
4.Make healthy lifestyle choices • • • • •
maintain a healthy weight Add exercise into your routine Limit alcohol intake Limit menopausal hormone use Breastfeed, if you can
Join us on Saturday, April 5, 2014, at SeaWorld San Antonio for the 17th Annual Susan G. Komen San Antonio Race for the Cure®
Help us fulfill our promise to save lives and end breast cancer forever by empowering people, ensuring quality care for all and energizing science to find the cures! Visit www.komensanantonio.org to sign-up online today Thank you to our local title sponsor:
For more information, visit www.komen.org or www.komensanantonio.org
Presented by:
Call 1-877 GO KOMEN (1-877-465-6636) or 210-222-9009 Endorsed by: A Special Supplement to SAn Antonio WomAn