I can’t say I’m a breast cancer survivor yet - but I can
say that I’m surviving happily and able to look at each day as
a new beginning. Although the cancer keeps progressing
and my doctor has diagnosed it as “incurable”, I’m still
optimistic that we’ll manage to get the cancer completely
under control or we’ll find a cure somehow. There’s
wonderful research being done and new cancer cures being
discovered every day. It’s what keeps me hopeful.
In brief - I was diagnosed with Inflammatory Breast
Cancer (IBC) 3-1/2 years ago. IBC is the most aggressive
form of breast cancer and the prognosis was really not good
several years ago. It still isn’t wonderful, but there have been
tremendous developments in the past 10 years or so. I feel
quite impassioned about helping raise awareness about IBC
and have given many public talks. Early diagnosis is crucial.
The symptoms are a slight rash on the breast, or a wrinkling
of the skin, like an orange peel. Very often IBC is
misdiagnosed by a woman’s family doctor and she’s given
an ineffective treatment for several months. The delay can
be deadly - IBC is so aggressive that every day counts.
When I was first diagnosed, my husband and I read
information and statistics about it on the Internet and were
terrified. Survival beyond 5 years was almost unheard of.
Must admit I cried that night. Since then there have been
wonderful advances with the disease and I’ve spoken to
others who have been IBC survivors for 12 years now – and
still counting.
Fortunately for me, the medical care I’ve received has
been amazing. I have 3 wonderful, supportive and caring
doctors who work as a team to help me. Days after my
surgeon saw me and told me I had IBC, I started on chemo. I
then had a mastectomy on my left breast and then radiation.
At that point (10 months later) it looked like I was cancer
free. The cancer came back in October, shortly after I had
agreed to be the spokesperson for Ottawa’s Run for the
Cure. I stood in front of everyone on Parliament Hill that year
and promised to come back as a “survivor”, not just
someone surviving cancer.
Since then I’ve had at least 8 other rounds of chemo.
The cancer has spread to my skin, the chest wall and around
my lung - and this year I found another primary IBC on my
other breast. Last February I had another mastectomy. The
chemo sometimes stops the cancer growing, but then the
cancer cells learn to adapt to the chemo drug and it
becomes ineffective. I’m currently paying about $1,600 every
month for my chemo drugs. There’s a drug on the market
called Avastin that has had wonderful results in the U.S. with
IBC patients. Unfortunately, it isn’t covered for IBC patients
in Ontario and is very expensive.
But I’m still optimistic. I’ve tried every natural therapy I
can think of to support my treatment, including a macrobiotic
diet. Perhaps the natural treatments are having an effect and
working to prevent the cancer from progressing more, I’m
not really sure.
Throughout all the treatment and chemo, I’ve managed
to work full-time. I love my job and the people at the office
have been wonderfully supportive - some even joining my
team, “Dona’s Divas” for the Run for the Cure this year. I still
do everything I used to do, just a tiny bit slower (and I have
to get to bed early and get lots of sleep). Other than that, I
have absolutely nothing to complain about and a ton to be
grateful for. I can’t believe how wonderfully supportive family
and friends have been - I feel surrounded by love. People
talk about the lessons they learn from having something like
cancer. I feel it has taught me a lot of life’s lessons and I’m a
calmer, happier and more balanced person now than I ever
was before. I’m grateful for every day.
And I know I will join the ranks of the “survivors” one of
these days.
Saturday, October 2, 2010
Jacquelin Holzman, co-author of Death Can Wait
Ductal carcinoma in situ
The call from my doctor finally comes. “Jackie,” he
says, “I have bad news and I have good news. The bad
news? You have breast cancer. The good news? It’s the
best kind: DCIS ductal carcinoma in situ. I’ve referred you to
the Women’s Breast Health Centre at The Ottawa Hospital.”
In those few seconds, I’m on the road to becoming a
cancer statistic!
Actually, the first step began during a regular
mammogram a week earlier when the technician did extra
filming. Always expecting the worst, I was suspicious.
Knowing that my doctor had holidays scheduled, I asked his
office to notify me by phone as soon as he got the results.
However, I can’t say I was surprised by the diagnosis. I
knew the risk factors, i.e. I was a woman, of “certain age”
and, most important, my Mother had lost her fight with breast
cancer in 1985.
But being intellectually aware of breast cancer and the
resources available, hearing the words and my name in the
same sentence, my stomach felt like it was in a vice, my
tongue seemed to have doubled in size, my head started to
spin and my breathing seemed to stop.
What should I do? How and what should I tell my
family? And how will they react? Will they be as frightened
as me?
Where is the instruction book? Who would give me the
rules of the cancer world that I had just entered?
Since it was March, 1998, only four months since the
end of my political career, having served for 15 years on
Ottawa Council, the last six as Mayor, I believed that I still
had a role to play in making a difference in people’s lives.
Using my situation as a means of raising awareness for
the need for early cancer detection, and encouraging women
to get themselves checked, I put my face on breast cancer
and decided to make a public announcement. It was not my
style to hide my journey along the road as a cancer statistic.
My husband and family agreed and promised their support.
In a month or so, the Ottawa Race Weekend would
take place and, with the encouragement and assistance of
the Ottawa Citizen, MDS Nordion and The Ottawa Hospital,
my cancer was announced and a fund raising campaign was
launched for the Women’ Breast Health Centre as part of the
Race Weekend. My daughter, Ellyn, accepted a challenge to
run the 10 K and together we would raise money for the
Centre.
If one wanted to raise awareness, where better than
with a larger than life picture of my face on the front page of
the Citizen above the fold!!!!
My personal journey along the road to my successful
treatment and recovery was joined by hundreds of family,
friends, professionals and organizations such as Breast
Cancer Action. I learned that no one need travel it alone.
Well, as they say, the rest is history. Not only have my
daughter and I raised over $200,000 for cancer care and
research at The Ottawa Hospital and the Ottawa Health
Research Institute in the 10 years since the first Race
Weekend, but hundreds of women brushed aside their fears
and jammed the phone lines rushing to have their
mammograms. Some even went as a group and had lunch
afterwards!!
Each person will have a different experience when the
word ‘cancer’ is linked with his or her name. Our reactions
will not be the same. However, it should be reassuring for
those who will become cancer statistics to know that more
people are living after cancer treatment than dying.
Greater awareness on the importance of living a
healthy lifestyle combined with the increased emphasis on
developing new and quicker diagnostic techniques and more
effective less invasive treatment offers hope for a future
without cancer.
Cancer WILL be beaten!!!
The call from my doctor finally comes. “Jackie,” he
says, “I have bad news and I have good news. The bad
news? You have breast cancer. The good news? It’s the
best kind: DCIS ductal carcinoma in situ. I’ve referred you to
the Women’s Breast Health Centre at The Ottawa Hospital.”
In those few seconds, I’m on the road to becoming a
cancer statistic!
Actually, the first step began during a regular
mammogram a week earlier when the technician did extra
filming. Always expecting the worst, I was suspicious.
Knowing that my doctor had holidays scheduled, I asked his
office to notify me by phone as soon as he got the results.
However, I can’t say I was surprised by the diagnosis. I
knew the risk factors, i.e. I was a woman, of “certain age”
and, most important, my Mother had lost her fight with breast
cancer in 1985.
But being intellectually aware of breast cancer and the
resources available, hearing the words and my name in the
same sentence, my stomach felt like it was in a vice, my
tongue seemed to have doubled in size, my head started to
spin and my breathing seemed to stop.
What should I do? How and what should I tell my
family? And how will they react? Will they be as frightened
as me?
Where is the instruction book? Who would give me the
rules of the cancer world that I had just entered?
Since it was March, 1998, only four months since the
end of my political career, having served for 15 years on
Ottawa Council, the last six as Mayor, I believed that I still
had a role to play in making a difference in people’s lives.
Using my situation as a means of raising awareness for
the need for early cancer detection, and encouraging women
to get themselves checked, I put my face on breast cancer
and decided to make a public announcement. It was not my
style to hide my journey along the road as a cancer statistic.
My husband and family agreed and promised their support.
In a month or so, the Ottawa Race Weekend would
take place and, with the encouragement and assistance of
the Ottawa Citizen, MDS Nordion and The Ottawa Hospital,
my cancer was announced and a fund raising campaign was
launched for the Women’ Breast Health Centre as part of the
Race Weekend. My daughter, Ellyn, accepted a challenge to
run the 10 K and together we would raise money for the
Centre.
If one wanted to raise awareness, where better than
with a larger than life picture of my face on the front page of
the Citizen above the fold!!!!
My personal journey along the road to my successful
treatment and recovery was joined by hundreds of family,
friends, professionals and organizations such as Breast
Cancer Action. I learned that no one need travel it alone.
Well, as they say, the rest is history. Not only have my
daughter and I raised over $200,000 for cancer care and
research at The Ottawa Hospital and the Ottawa Health
Research Institute in the 10 years since the first Race
Weekend, but hundreds of women brushed aside their fears
and jammed the phone lines rushing to have their
mammograms. Some even went as a group and had lunch
afterwards!!
Each person will have a different experience when the
word ‘cancer’ is linked with his or her name. Our reactions
will not be the same. However, it should be reassuring for
those who will become cancer statistics to know that more
people are living after cancer treatment than dying.
Greater awareness on the importance of living a
healthy lifestyle combined with the increased emphasis on
developing new and quicker diagnostic techniques and more
effective less invasive treatment offers hope for a future
without cancer.
Cancer WILL be beaten!!!
WHAT CANCER CANNOT DO
It cannot cripple love
It cannot shatter hope
It cannot corrode faith
It cannot destroy peace
It cannot kill friendship
It cannot suppress memories
It cannot silence courage
It cannot invade the soul
It cannot steal eternal life
It cannot conquer the Spirit
It cannot shatter hope
It cannot corrode faith
It cannot destroy peace
It cannot kill friendship
It cannot suppress memories
It cannot silence courage
It cannot invade the soul
It cannot steal eternal life
It cannot conquer the Spirit
Call to Service
Canada’s new Governor General’s vision is music to Kiwanis ears
On October 1st Canada’s 28th Governor General, David Johnston was installed; he challenged Canadians through a “Call to Service” under three pillars: to support families and children; to reinforce learning and innovation; and to encourage philanthropy and volunteerism. He noted that “families, no matter where they live or what their background is, will have more in common than not. Each family brings new patterns to the varied Canadian tapestry and enriches it by their presence”. On learning and innovation he commented that “We want to be the Smart and Caring Nation; a society that innovates, embraces its talent and uses the knowledge of each of its citizens to improve the human condition for all”. His remarks on volunteerism were that “Canadians have a long history of coming together and helping one another. The importance of community can be seen across the country”. Examples on this topic highlighted the dedication of Rick Hansen and Terry Fox and their desire to help those who are battling diseases similar to theirs. Concerning his role he stated: “I see my role as a bridge in bringing people of all backgrounds and ages together to create a smart and caring nation, a nation that will inspire not just Canadians but the entire world."
As a 38 year-member and Past District Governor of Kiwanis International, this was music to my ears. In Kiwanis we hold dear to our heart family values and children. As a global organization, we are dedicated to changing the world, one child and one community at a time. One of our long range programs is Young Children Priority One (YCPO) that addresses the needs of children up to 5 years old. All Kiwanis clubs are encouraged to carry out at least two YCPO projects per calendar year, though many clubs are able to do more—serving children, families, and communities. Young Children Priority One focuses on four key areas: maternal and child health; child care and development; parent education and support; and safety and pediatric trauma. This year, Kiwanis International and UNICEF have joined forces to save the lives of babies and their mothers by eliminating maternal/neonatal tetanus (MNT), a disease that kills an estimated 60,000 newborns and 30,000 mothers each year.
Service is at the heart of Kiwanis Clubs. Current membership is over 240,000 serving in 7,700 clubs located in 80 nations. The Members stage about 150,000 service projects and raise approximately US$107 million every year for communities, families and projects. In addition, many clubs sponsor a Kiwanis family club—K-Kids for primary school children; Builders Clubs for adolescents; Key Clubs for teens; CKI clubs for university students and Aktion Clubs for adults living with disabilities. Kiwanis serve children and youth through two approaches: one is focused on improving the quality of life directly through activities promoting health and education; and the other one is by providing a forum for youth to experience leadership and service. In pursuit of the latter goal, Kiwanis sponsors about 7,000 youth service clubs with nearly 320,000 youth members.
While recognizing that there are a large number of avenues available for getting involved, the service club infrastructure provides an opportunity to deliver service work in an atmosphere of fun, learning and fellowship. If you are interested in exploring this opportunity of getting involved, visit one or two Kiwanis clubs in your area and see if this is the right fit for you. You can locate a club through Internet, e.g., on Google type Kiwanis Club followed by the name of your town. Alternatively, send an e-mail to me at fhegyi1636@rogers.com and I would be happy to help you find a club in any of the 80 countries Kiwanis is currently active.
On October 1st Canada’s 28th Governor General, David Johnston was installed; he challenged Canadians through a “Call to Service” under three pillars: to support families and children; to reinforce learning and innovation; and to encourage philanthropy and volunteerism. He noted that “families, no matter where they live or what their background is, will have more in common than not. Each family brings new patterns to the varied Canadian tapestry and enriches it by their presence”. On learning and innovation he commented that “We want to be the Smart and Caring Nation; a society that innovates, embraces its talent and uses the knowledge of each of its citizens to improve the human condition for all”. His remarks on volunteerism were that “Canadians have a long history of coming together and helping one another. The importance of community can be seen across the country”. Examples on this topic highlighted the dedication of Rick Hansen and Terry Fox and their desire to help those who are battling diseases similar to theirs. Concerning his role he stated: “I see my role as a bridge in bringing people of all backgrounds and ages together to create a smart and caring nation, a nation that will inspire not just Canadians but the entire world."
As a 38 year-member and Past District Governor of Kiwanis International, this was music to my ears. In Kiwanis we hold dear to our heart family values and children. As a global organization, we are dedicated to changing the world, one child and one community at a time. One of our long range programs is Young Children Priority One (YCPO) that addresses the needs of children up to 5 years old. All Kiwanis clubs are encouraged to carry out at least two YCPO projects per calendar year, though many clubs are able to do more—serving children, families, and communities. Young Children Priority One focuses on four key areas: maternal and child health; child care and development; parent education and support; and safety and pediatric trauma. This year, Kiwanis International and UNICEF have joined forces to save the lives of babies and their mothers by eliminating maternal/neonatal tetanus (MNT), a disease that kills an estimated 60,000 newborns and 30,000 mothers each year.
Service is at the heart of Kiwanis Clubs. Current membership is over 240,000 serving in 7,700 clubs located in 80 nations. The Members stage about 150,000 service projects and raise approximately US$107 million every year for communities, families and projects. In addition, many clubs sponsor a Kiwanis family club—K-Kids for primary school children; Builders Clubs for adolescents; Key Clubs for teens; CKI clubs for university students and Aktion Clubs for adults living with disabilities. Kiwanis serve children and youth through two approaches: one is focused on improving the quality of life directly through activities promoting health and education; and the other one is by providing a forum for youth to experience leadership and service. In pursuit of the latter goal, Kiwanis sponsors about 7,000 youth service clubs with nearly 320,000 youth members.
While recognizing that there are a large number of avenues available for getting involved, the service club infrastructure provides an opportunity to deliver service work in an atmosphere of fun, learning and fellowship. If you are interested in exploring this opportunity of getting involved, visit one or two Kiwanis clubs in your area and see if this is the right fit for you. You can locate a club through Internet, e.g., on Google type Kiwanis Club followed by the name of your town. Alternatively, send an e-mail to me at fhegyi1636@rogers.com and I would be happy to help you find a club in any of the 80 countries Kiwanis is currently active.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)