Breast Cancer Awareness Month pays tribute to victims, survivors

Oct. 04--You've just been told by your doctor the tests revealed cancer.

Your mind is reeling. Where do you turn? What do you do first? Is there anyone who can help guide you through the maze that will get you to complete recovery?

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. In honor of all those who have been diagnosed with breast cancer, whether fighting it now, or have fought it in the past, we present a look the landscape of cancer services in Navarro County.

--Navarro Cancer Support Group

Navarro County now has a monthly support group that meets at the Corsicana Cancer Center each first Tuesday of the month from 6 to 7 p.m. The next meeting is Oct. 7 at 6 p.m. It is located at 306 Hospital Drive, behind the hospital. Crystal Shepherd, survivor of brain cancer, is the facilitator.

"Everyone is welcome," Shepherd said. "The newly-diagnosed, survivors of cancer, and caregivers. We welcome the caregivers. They go through so much that many times people don't realize how much."

--American Cancer Society

American Cancer Society has a vast array of resources. Locally, there is an ACS board that meets monthly on the third Thursday of the month at First United Methodist Church Martin Hall at noon. If you are interested, please come to a meeting to learn more. Tom Miles is president of this board, Billie Carroll is secretary. Linda Richey is the senior representative community engagement for Navarro County, based at ACS in Tyler. She may be reached at 903-597-1383.

--Road to Recovery

Cathe Miles, a member of the local ACS board is the Road to Recovery coordinator in this county. Richey explained that volunteers take patients to and from treatment.

"It is coordinated through the patient services center. Call 1-800-227-2345, say you need transportation to and from treatment, then they will get the patient connected."

Since this is not an "on demand" service, allow several days for the facilitator to coordinate your transportation. It's not like a taxi, where you can call at 9 a.m. when you need to be in Dallas by 1 p.m. for treatment.

--Reach to Recovery

Sharon Ballard is the local coordinator. It is located just to the immediate right inside the main front door of the old Medical Arts Clinic building. This room offers wigs, scarves and hats for women going through treatments. There is also sharing and support, especially for the breast cancer patients.

"There have been some changes in the Reach program as of Dec. 31, 2013," Richey said. "Reach is not able to provide bras and protheses anymore, thanks to some government bureaucracy. It breaks our hearts. But we can still provide inserts that go in the bra, the fluff and the pillows, but not the bras or the prostheses. If there is someone who needs one, we can find one for them and mail it to them. We will still try to find a resource for them at no cost."

--Patient Services Center

A resource for patients and caregivers.

"These are specialists at getting patients connected to resources," Richey said. "Whether it's help with a utility bill, or finding transportation to treatments, it can be trying to find prescription assistance. We have a huge data base, we can provide direction or help them through it, based on their own circumstances. There are other agencies that provide funding for specific things, such as leukemia and lymphoma, who have funding for certain things."

For 24 hour/7 day a week assistance, call 1-800-227-2345, and ask for patient service center. (The direct number during business hours is 1-877-227-6333.) This number has translators for nearly any language. It can give information on your specific cancer, get you connected to the patient service center, or even give cancer statistics in Navarro County.

"I called the 800 number and said, 'I have brain cancer. What's available to me in my area?'" said Shepherd. "There are mentorships, such as with breast cancer survivors, to help walk newly-diagnosed patients through the process."

--www.cancer.org

A wealth of information on particular cancers, events, research; is very user friendly.

--Cancer Survivor Network

Accessed through the secure website www.cancer.org, you may register then connect with patients or caregivers throughout the United States. "That is a place where, if you do not wish to attend an actual support group, you can join a 'virtual' support group," Richey said. "We find our young people are connecting this way.

"You can go on, thinking you may have something really rare, or there's no one else in your community that has this type of cancer, you can go on there and find others who share your particular type of cancer."

--The Guest Room Program

This program provides temporary lodging for cancer patients who must travel for treatments and checkups, as well as their caregivers. Just call 1-800-227-2345.

Fundraising in Navarro County:

--American Cancer Society Wine and Cheese reception is typically held in October, but this year has been bumped to January. It is organized by Lynda Housley and Barbara Watkins, and will be held this year at the home of Lowell Dunn.

--American Cancer Society Relay for Life

This event is held each May, and is currently being held in Mildred at Asby Field. It will be May 2, 2015. Teams form, then raise funds, competing to see who can raise the most money. The event itself has people walking laps, music, games, food, and booths with various fun ways to raise money. In the 19 years it has been held in Navarro County, it has raised in excess of $1 million.

"I don't want to see this money go to waste," Shepherd said. "It all goes directly to people in Navarro County. We raise a lot of money, and not that many people know about our services."

"We are focusing on getting our services used in Navarro County," said Becky Long, event coordinator.

--American Cancer Society Bark for Life

A pet parade/fun day of sorts, typically held in March at Bunert Park but will be moved to October beginning 2015. The past four years of Bark for Life have also had a car show and CASI chili cookoff held in conjunction, so there is plenty going on.

"We need volunteers," Long said. "We are a volunteer-driven organization. We do have our drivers for Road to Recovery, we have Sharon for Reach to Recovery, but we have a Look Good, Feel Good position open, as well as a Communications and Education position open. If you are interested, please come to one of our American Cancer Society meetings to learn more about it."

Treatment options:

--Texas Oncology has an office at 301 Hospital Drive, 903-872-3293. Dr. Phillip Solanki is a specialist in hematology and medical oncology. Texas Oncology offers chemotherapy here at the Corsicana location, and offers radiation at a location in Duncanville.

--Corsicana Cancer Center is located at 306 Hospital Drive, 903-602-7057, is the "new kid on the block." This stand-alone facility was built specifically to house a linear accelerator, to administer radiation therapy. These treatments take 4 to 10 minutes, and must be done daily. Each treatment plan is designed uniquely for the individual; sometimes there is chemotherapy, sometimes radiation therapy, sometimes both. Dr. Michael O'Neil is a medical physicist trained at Johns Hopkins and University of Texas.

"Before Corsicana Cancer Center was opened, patients who needed radiation would have to drive an hour every day -- one way -- to get their 4 to 10 minutes of treatment," said Natalie O'Neil, co-owner. "There was nowhere any closer than Dallas, Waco, Athens or Palestine to get radiation. Patient had to do that every single day.

"When you have insurance, it pays for your treatment, but it won't pay for your gasoline, it won't pay for your time off work, plus you must find someone to drive you if you don't feel well. That's why we put one in Corsicana. We did a lot of research and found it was needed here. Now you can come on your lunch break, get your few minutes of treatment, and go back to work if you feel like it."

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Deanna Kirk may be reached by email at [email protected].

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