December Patient Perspective
Peggy Titus-Hall I’m a career coach and consultant. I love gardening, photography, and recently I started quilting. I am preparing for my scuba diving certification at 62! I am also a breast cancer survivor. I had negative breast biopsies in the past, but during my last biopsy I had a feeling things were different. After multiple biopsies and clinical tests I received a stage 2 cancer diagnosis. I consulted a close friend who is also a breast surgeon, and opted for a bilateral mastectomy with expanders for reconstruction. After surgery the discomfort seemed intolerable. A colleague as well as friends recommended TurningPoint. My left arm was virtually immobile from the lymph node removal. Being left handed, I was terrified that I would continue to have limited use of my arm. Upon arrival at TurningPoint I was greeted with warmth and kindness. The TurningPoint therapists helped me gain range of motion and strength. The therapy went far beyond the physical. Everyone at TurningPoint provided emotional support. All the clinicians who worked with me had been through their own journeys with breast cancer, or journeys with family members or close friends, so they were well aware of all the “stuff” that comes with the diagnosis, surgery, and recovery. During chemotherapy I wasn’t sure about the best things to eat. The side effects were tough and I couldn’t taste anything, I was at a loss. I met with the Dietitian at TurningPoint and she was a great help. On Facebook, I saw this quote: “You learn two things when you receive a diagnosis of cancer. The first is how much you are loved, and the second is how strong you are.” My advice to anyone who is diagnosed with breast cancer is to fully accept the love and support that everyone offers. I also urge you to talk about your journey to those who will listen—and many will. Cancer changes your life. Talking about your experience is a great form of therapy. So when people ask, let them know how you feel. When you’re ready for physical therapy and support, go to TurningPoint. Don’t wait for your physicians to recommend it. Tell them you want and need physical therapy and get the referral. My doctors were wonderful and among the best around, but it was the women who went through the TurningPoint experience that urged me to be a serious participant in my recovery. TurningPoint was and continues to be a huge part of that. TurningPoint is a warm and wonderful place. It is like an oasis in a huge desert of doctors, surgeries, needles and tests. The work they do is ground-breaking, and it will have a significant impact on your recovery.
Exercise for Breast Cancer Survivors: How much is enough?
Early detection and improved treatments for breast cancer have resulted in better prognosis for patients. A recent review of research related to physical activity and breast cancer confirmed that exercise decreases risk of recurrence, increases quality of life, bone mineral density and strength and decreases fatigue and pain in breast cancer survivors. The study concluded that based on scientific data, breast cancer patients should be recommended to participate in rehabilitation programs including aerobic and strength training.(1) Many breast cancer survivors, however, are not sure how and when to proceed and ‘how much is enough’ exercise. The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) has exercise guidelines for cancer survivors.(2) The ACSM concluded that exercise training is safe during and after cancer treatments and results in many benefits for the patient. The amount of exercise recommended is 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week and 2 to 3 weekly strength training sessions of the major muscle groups. During the development of a physical activity program, it is important to consider pre-diagnosis fitness level, an understanding of the limitations that may be present due to surgical interventions and treatment of the cancer, and other medical conditions. A program should be tailored to a survivor’s needs, abilities, medical condition and interests. At TurningPoint, the physical therapists will evaluate each patient and their condition and create a program specifically to meet her needs. This can be monitored during treatment at TurningPoint and progressed as the patient regains more strength and flexibility. After discharge, appointments can be made for exercise consultation to review and advance the program as needed. TurningPoint also offers group fitness classes including Yoga and Pilates to help encourage flexibility and strengthening within a safe environment. Evigor S, Kanvilmaz S. Exercise in patients coping with breast cancer: An overview. World J Clin Oncol. August 2014, 10;5(3):406-11. Schmitz, Kathryn H. et al. American College of Sports Medicine Roundtable on Exercise Guidelines for Cancer Survivors. Med Sci Sports Exer. July 2010, 42;7:1409-1426
November Patient Perspective
Ashley Franks Every pain and suffering in this life has a purpose. I truly believe that you can find hope and peace in any situation through not only family and friends, but God. I was diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer at the age of 32 in December of 2013. My husband Matt and I had only been living in the Atlanta area for less than two years. At the time, we had a son Roman (4yr), a daughter Carmen (2yr), and a son Hudson (7 month). If I hadn’t been nursing Hudson, I probably wouldn’t have noticed the tumor as soon as I did. I was all too familiar with cancer. My mother survived ovarian cancer during my high school years and then I lost my father to prostate cancer in 2003. Little did I know, I too would be diagnosed exactly ten years later. My mammogram didn’t even reveal the tumor, but the MRI reflected a scare that Matt and I would never forget. We were led to believe that the cancer had metastasized to my bones. A moment that I will always remember was when my husband took the call with the results of the bone scan revealing that my bones were in fact clean. Matt’s hair was sticking straight up from his hands running through it. His eyes were so teary eyed, and he was shaking, yelling, “It’s clean! Your bones are clean!” I felt a glimpse of hope from that point on. I went through six rounds of chemotherapy throughout the winter of 2014. I went to every single session with a different close friend. I felt hope through holding their hands while the yucky chemo would drip through my veins. Hope was given through the volunteer nurse praying over me each week and cheering me on when I didn’t feel like fighting anymore. My husband not only took on the role as the main caregiver, but he served as a nurse and single parent many days and nights. I remember lying in bed feeling drugged up, half awake, but hearing the screaming cries from my baby, toddler, and preschooler trying to take their evening baths. I simply couldn’t muster the energy to help at times. Things in the home were so crazy to say the least, but God carried us through slowly day by day. Friends brought us food for nine months straight. They prayed for us, watched our children, and loved on us continuously. Hope came through feeling the amount of love poured out by friends and family. We had never experienced so much love and generosity. Testing revealed that my cancer is in fact genetic. I am BRCA2 positive and now live with the burden that there is a 50% chance each of my children will carry the gene as well. The doctors recommended that I have a double mastectomy and also a prophylactic hysterectomy. After the double mastectomy, I was not able to hold my children or even move my arms above shoulder height. I remembered hearing of TurningPoint from the volunteer nurse at my chemotherapy treatments. Within the first physical therapy session, I was able to lift my arms above my head. One moment I will never forget was when the therapist told me that I could start to slowly hold Hudson. I sat in that office just crying tears of joy. I obviously hurried home and picked him up, spinning him around! Sleep is an important part of our lives. Through good sleep we gain energy and are able to function the next day properly. Unfortunately nowdays people lack sleep due to the fast life cycle. Some cant sleep because of stressful day, the others face some problems and this doesn’t let them sleep and have proper rest. All kind of situations influence on our nerve stamens and bother the sleep sleep regime accordingly. Ambien (Zolpidem) at https://holisticdental.org/ambien-treat-insomnia/ is a good means to have a good sleep and feel no negative effects. In February of 2014, around the halfway point of my chemotherapy treatment, a friend came to me saying that God had spoken to her. He said, “I have removed them. I’m serious. Don’t miss that”. I was astonished, but believed in faith that these words were true. I truly believed that I had been healed. Every single ultrasound and scan from that point on showed no cancer. After my double mastectomy in May of 2014, the pathology report reflected a pure 100% pathological response. They could not find one single cancer cell! Matt and I were absolutely amazed and changed by this miracle. God doesn’t promise to heal us forever on earth, but he does promise eternal healing if we put our faith in him. After experiencing something as terrible and scary as cancer, I try to live life to its fullest and be grateful for every single moment I have with my family. We currently live in Cumming, Georgia where I enjoy exercising, cooking homemade organic cancer fighting meals, interior design, and playing with our three children. I believe my cancer was for a purpose and I focus on being a walking light for God.
WGST 640’s Vickie Locke Interviews Jill Binkley
