Carol Lacey was diagnosed with metastatic cervical cancer, and survived, but in order to do so, she had to undergo a total pelvic exenteration.  This procedure resulted in the loss of several organs.  She needs to wear a colostomy bag, but maintains a sunny disposition. 

In 2011, Carol Lacey, of Boulder Creek, California, was 46 when she began experiencing pre-menopausal symptoms.  There was discomfort during sexual intercourse, the onset of pre-menopause.  She was seen by a gynecologist and subsequent tests revealed a mass.  The gynecologist immediately called for a biopsy.  About four days later, Carol received a call confirming the mass was indeed cervical cancer.  The doctor set up an appointment with an oncologist.

Crying, Carol called her fiancé at the time, told him she had cancer, and asked him to meet at the oncologist’s office.  Over the next three months, Carol had some pre-surgery chemotherapy, a radical hysterectomy, then post-surgery chemotherapy because alymph node was found that was cancerous. 

Carol Lacey’s diagnosis of metastatic cervical cancer was preceded in 2009 when a pap test came up positive for human papilloma virus.  Carol didn’t know a lot about HPV, but was told it was a common virus that often is vanquished by one’s immune system.  However, in Carol’s case, the virus was persistent, and that’s what caused her cervical cancer diagnosis.

After her post-surgery chemotherapy regimen, Carol avoided painful internal radiation, but was put on external radiation.  About ten months after surgery, Carol had a reoccurrence.  It was then that she was told her treatment option was a total pelvic exenteration.  Carol had no idea what this entailed, so she Googled it and learned that it calls for the removal of many organs within a woman’s pelvic cavity.  That meant her bladder, colon, anus and vagina. 

She went through the procedure and now wears both a colostomy and an ostomy bag, which each carry her waste.

The total pelvic exenteration was tough enough, but Carol also went through chemotherapy.  She could live with the hair loss, but even now she is battling tinnitus, a byproduct of her taking the medication, cisplatin, after her first surgery.  The cisplatin caused a hearing loss, which necessitates a hearing aid. 

Carol Lacey went through a tremendous challenge learning how to maintain her colostomy and ostomy bags; but with help from her partner and help from an outstanding ostomy nurse, she manages them as best she can.

Nonetheless, Carol says can swim, hike and hit the hottub the same way she could prior to her diagnosis. 

By way of advice, Carol says anyone diagnosed with cervical cancer should realize thet are not alone.  She says there are many support resources, including the one on which has relied and continues to rely.  It is Cervivor, and its address is https://www.cervivor.org.  Carol’s top of mind message for anyone diagnosed with cancer is that they are nor alone.

Additional Resources:

Support Group: Cervivor  https://www.cervivor.org

Carol Lacey went through an arduous journey, but survived cervical cancer. In addition to undergoing radiation treatment and chemotherapy, she had six organs removed. Despite having not one but two ostomy bags, Carol continues her work in the tech industry and leads an active life. She also works with a support group, Cervivor, which seeks to help those diagnosed with cervical cancer.

Steve Jacobsen survived oropharyngeal cancer, a rare form of head and neck cancer.  He achieved survivorship through a regimen of chemotherapy and radiation treatment.  However, the journey took a tremendous emotional toll, both on Steve and his wife, who was his primary caregiver.

An avid athlete from Ventura, California, Steve’s journey began when he discovered a lump on the right side of his neck.  He thought it might be a swollen lymph node, and in fact, it was.  His general practitioner sent Steve to an ear, nose and throat specialist, who ran some tests and determined the lymph node indeed had some necrotic tissue, a sign that there could be some dead tissue there as a result of cancer. 

Not long after that, Steve Jacobsen was diagnosed with oropharyngeal cancer.  Specifically, that mean cancer was found on the back of his tongue, where the tongue extends to the Adam’s Apple.  Steve felt no pain, not even a sore throat.  The only indication of cancer was that swollen lymph node. 

As part of his treatment, Steve was put on a feeding tube.  What doctors never told him is the tube was there because he would have a difficult time swallowing.  Steve couldn’t even swallow his own saliva.  He had the feeding tube for a grueling six months.  During that time, Steve wondered if he would ever be able to ever again eat food in a normal fashion.  His daughter is a speech therapist, and she started Steve on a series of swallowing exercises, which he followed religiously.  Even so, as he took a little plastic spoon of warmed apple juice and beet broth, again he wondered if he would ever eat normally.

Because his inability to eat normally was so stressful, Steve Jacobsen diverted his focus on the challenges of radiation treatment and chemotherapy.  To deal with the stress from the feeding tube, Steve took advice from a friend who had had her own cancer journey, and he sought to keep moving.  He would go on walks of a mile or a mile and a half, and he would seek to use the stairs as often as possible. 

Eventually, Steve Jacobsen got the feeding tube removed.  Not long after that, he underwent a PET scan, then another PET scan, and both PET scans revealed there was no more cancer. 

He still goes in periodically to his ear, nose and throat specialist.  He puts a tube down Steve’s nose, a tube that goes into his throat, the tube include a camera, which takes a picture and shows no evidence of cancer.

After the feeding tube was removed, Steve could not immediately return to eating normally.  He started drinking a liquid drink in a normal way.  Then he would have to have foods that were first pureed.  His wife helped out by making smoothies, in an attempt to fatten him up, as during the treatment he had lost 35 pounds. 

Then one day Steve Jacobsen went to his ear, nose and throat doctor, who said he didn’t know why Steve couldn’t start eating solid foods.  Steve was elated and started with pea soup, meat loaf, vegetables and fruit.  

Looking back, Steve Jacobsen says even through the darkest of times, he remained optimistic, as did wife Dorothy.  While Steve likes to shy away from including the word “advice,” he says for anyone on a cancer journey, help is out there and to be sure to seek the help.

Steve Jacobsen survived oropharyngeal cancer, a rare form of head and neck cancer.  He achieved survivorship through a regimen of chemotherapy and radiation treatment.  However, the journey took a tremendous emotional toll, both on Steve and his wife, who was his primary caregiver.

An avid athlete from Ventura, California, Steve’s journey began when he discovered a lump on the right side of his neck.  He thought it might be a swollen lymph node, and in fact, it was.  His general practitioner sent Steve to an ear, nose and throat specialist, who ran some tests and determined the lymph node indeed had some necrotic tissue, a sign that there could be some dead tissue there as a result of cancer. 

Not long after that, Steve Jacobsen was diagnosed with oropharyngeal cancer.  Specifically, that mean cancer was found on the back of his tongue, where the tongue extends to the Adam’s Apple.  Steve felt no pain, not even a sore throat.  The only indication of cancer was that swollen lymph node. 

As part of his treatment, Steve was put on a feeding tube.  What doctors never told him is the tube was there because he would have a difficult time swallowing.  Steve couldn’t even swallow his own saliva.  He had the feeding tube for a grueling six months.  During that time, Steve wondered if he would ever be able to ever again eat food in a normal fashion.  His daughter is a speech therapist, and she started Steve on a series of swallowing exercises, which he followed religiously.  Even so, as he took a little plastic spoon of warmed apple juice and beet broth, again he wondered if he would ever eat normally.

Because his inability to eat normally was so stressful, Steve Jacobsen diverted his focus on the challenges of radiation treatment and chemotherapy.  To deal with the stress from the feeding tube, Steve took advice from a friend who had had her own cancer journey, and he sought to keep moving.  He would go on walks of a mile or a mile and a half, and he would seek to use the stairs as often as possible. 

Eventually, Steve Jacobsen got the feeding tube removed.  Not long after that, he underwent a PET scan, then another PET scan, and both PET scans revealed there was no more cancer. 

He still goes in periodically to his ear, nose and throat specialist.  He puts a tube down Steve’s nose, a tube that goes into his throat, the tube include a camera, which takes a picture and shows no evidence of cancer.

After the feeding tube was removed, Steve could not immediately return to eating normally.  He started drinking a liquid drink in a normal way.  Then he would have to have foods that were first pureed.  His wife helped out by making smoothies, in an attempt to fatten him up, as during the treatment he had lost 35 pounds. 

Then one day Steve Jacobsen went to his ear, nose and throat doctor, who said he didn’t know why Steve couldn’t start eating solid foods.  Steve was elated and started with pea soup, meat loaf, vegetables and fruit.  

Looking back, Steve Jacobsen says even through the darkest of times, he remained optimistic, as did wife Dorothy.  While Steve likes to shy away from including the word “advice,” he says for anyone on a cancer journey, help is out there and to be sure to seek the help.

On this episode of the @CancerInterviews podcast, Pete Solomon tells host Bruce Morton how he a chemotherapy regimen helped him survive Stage IV colorectal cancer.  A colonoscopy led to his diagnosis.  Treatment included his having to wear and maintain a colostomy bag. 

Pete Solomon of Winthrop, Massachusetts, was in good health, swimming laps each day before going to his job with a library.  Then suddenly in September 2013, he found himself overwhelmed with fatigue.  When he saw his doctor, a number of tests were run, but none indicated anything unusual.  The doctor next called for a colonoscopy, and the polyps they removed were cancerous.  The colonoscopy was performed on a Monday, and Pete received a call with the bad news the following Friday. 

Two days later, Pete Solomon began radiation treatment.  Within the year he had two cycles of chemotherapy and two surgeries.  Things went well initially, but then the cancer invaded his lymph system.  After about a year, the cancer was gone, but so were five lymph nodes and part of his colon.

Pete says without question the toughest part of his treatment was his wearing a colostomy bag, which he had to do for approximately a year.  He says he kept working as he did prior to his diagnosis, people couldn’t see the bag, there was no odor and he doesn’t a great deal of pain associated with the bag.  Nonetheless, there was always a level of concern that something bad couldn’t happen anytime he went to a public place.

Exclusive of the bag, Pete Solomon said during his treatment, he experienced acute fatigue.  At times it got so bad he couldn’t “lift a pencil.”  He also suffered cognitive lapses because of the chemotherapy, and even though that regimen is in his past, he thinks to this day, his forgetfulness is tied to the chemo.

These days Pete says his health was very close to what it was, pre-diagnosis.  Where he now lives doesn’t have a pool, but it does have a gym.  He walks a mile or two on the treadmill and does some light weightlifting, emphasizing it is important to not try workouts that are on beyond one’s capability.  Pete says when your body tells you to sit down, you should sit down.

By way of advice, Pete Solomon says to trust your care team, as it makes its living battling cancer.  He suggests to trust yourself.  Set realistic goals in terms of what you want to do to get through the day.  Sometimes, he says, you will fail to meet those goals, but other days, there will be the excitement of exceeding those goals.

Additional Resources:

Support Group:

Colon Cancer Prevention Project: https://www.coloncancerpreventionproject.org

Pete Solomon was diagnosed with Stage Four colorectal cancer, but thanks to an outstanding care team at Massachusetts General Hospital, his following its regimen and a positive attitude, he achieved a positive outcome.

#colorectalcancer #cancersurvivor #massgeneral

There isn’t a great deal Santana Campobasso can tell you about her cancer, except that she has survived.  That’s because she was four years old when diagnosed with nasal polyps that resulted in the discovery of a brain tumor and a diagnosis of brain cancer.  Doctors also found meningitis.  Santana underwent an eight-hour surgical procedure and was told half of her head had to be shaved before the surgery.

After treatment, life was not easy. The surgeon said her chances of survival were low. She was also told it would be difficult to walk and difficult to speak, and on both fronts she had to start from scratch. Initially confined to a wheelchair, in school, she failed to pass first grade and was taunted by her classmates.

In retrospect, Santana says overcoming numerous physical hurdles and her often-mean classmates was a blessing as it has provided her with a level of toughness that went on to serve her well.

These days, in every way, Santana is flourishing.  Not only can she talk, but in addition to English, she has learned how to speak Afrikaans.  Not only can she walk, but in addition to being a successful hairdresser, Santana is a belly dancer!

By way of advice, Santana Campobasso says if you are diagnosed with cancer to keep fighting, that a cancer diagnosis isn’t a death sentence, it is just a new chapter.

Additional Resources:

Support Group:

Cancer Association of South Africa (CANSA)   https//www.cansa.org.za

Dave Dravecky has survived three types of cancer, but at a high cost, specifically the amputation of his left arm and shoulder.  A pitcher in major league baseball who threw with his left arm, it was devastating news when a tumor was discovered in that arm.  Doctors feared he would never pitch again, but through a procedure called cryosurgery, Dave made a miraculous comeback.  However, not long after he returned to the big leagues, while making a pitch, his arm broke.  Dave’s faith has played a major role in his life once he had to retire from baseball.  He has engaged in skiing, golf and fishing, and serves as a motivational speaker.

Dave Dravecky’s cancer journey began in the winter of 1987 when he noticed a pea-sized lump halfway between his left shoulder and his elbow.  Doctors said an MRI did not reveal anything of concern, but by the end of the 1988 baseball season, the lump had grown to half the size of a golf ball.  Another MRI showed Dave had cancer.

Doctors said they would have to remove half of his deltoid muscle, and that outside of a miracle, Dave would never pitch again.  After ten-plus hours of surgery to remove the mass, doctors performed cryosurgery, which froze and killed all the cancer cells in his left arm’s humerus bone.  For Dave, it was a very difficult time physically, mentally and emotionally.  However, after healing, he returned to the big leagues on August 10, 1989 to pitch.  He went eight innings and was the winning pitcher as his San Francisco Giants beat the Cincinnati Reds.

However, five days later when the Giants were playing in Montreal, as Dave released a pitch, his left arm snapped in half.  In acute pain, Dave was rushed to a hospital to get x-rays.  He was diagnosed with a spiral oblique, in which the bone was spiraling and rotating and breaking at the same time.  Dave was forced to retire.  He went through radiation treatment, which resulted in a staph infection that threatened his life.  That plus two more diagnoses of cancer forced him to have his left should and arm removed on June 18, 1991. 

Physically, a determined Dave Dravecky chose to physically make the most of his life.  Although arthritis forced him to stop, for a time he played golf with his good arm.  He has also participated in fishing and skiing. 

Dave spreads the inspirational side of his story as an author and motivational speaker.  He has also established a ministry, https://www.endurance.org, which seeks to be of support to others.

Additional Resources:

Website: https://www.davedravecky.org

Ministry: https://www.endurance.org

Michelle Stravitz shares her story of survivorship after being diagnosed with Stage II triple negative breast cancer.  Her journey began with a lump being discovered a self-exam of her breasts in May 2015.  That led to a mammogram, a biopsy and her diagnosis.  Hers was a very aggressive form of breast cancer and immediately Michelle went on a very aggressive chemotherapy regimen.  She had to deal with hair loss, ‘chemo brain,’ and cancer-related fatigue, among other side effects.  Upon completion of her chemotherapy regimen, she went on radiation therapy, but has bounced back with a vigorous yoga routine and the establishment of her own fitness-driven breast cancer support group.

When Michelle Stravitz of Fairfax, Virginia discovered a lump on one of her breasts, she immediately sought medical attention.  Her doctor felt the affected breast said it was probably just a benign cyst and to return in six weeks.  When she returned, the lump was still there, her doctor said it had grown and called for an immediate mammogram.  That same day, she underwent the mammogram and a subsequent series of tests, which necessitated a biopsy.  In early June 2015, she was diagnosed.

Because of the aggressiveness of Stage II triple negative breast cancer, Michelle underwent more tests, then was immediately placed on an aggressive chemotherapy regimen, doing 20 weeks of 16 infusions.  That was followed by surgery and “a lot of radiation.”

Michelle said the hardest part of her chemo experience was being isolated from the friends and family that wanted to support her.  She also had the inevitable cognitive issues, commonly known as chemo brain, which resulted in her lacking her normal executive function.  Michelle also experienced temporary hair loss, and for a time had her head shaved, but when her hair came back, it was curlier than it was prior to her diagnosis.  Also a common part of the chemotherapy experience was cancer-related fatigue, but she tried to be as active as she could, going on short walks and engaging in yoga. 

Upon the completion of her treatment, Michelle Stravitz achieved survivorship, but it too years before she was comfortable with associating herself with the word ‘survivor.’  She has gone on to establish the support group, 2Unstoppable.org, which incorporates a fitness routine into the post-treatment lives of breast cancer survivors. 

Additional Resources:

Support Group:

https://www.2Unstoppable.org

Tom Aronson became a caregiver when his father’s annual eye exam revealed his father had diabetes.  About a year later, a number of additional symptoms materialized, and Tom received a call from his dad, saying his dad had pancreatic cancer.  Nine months after the diagnosis, Tom’s father passed away.  Tom later learned that studies are underway seeking to determine if there is a connection between diabetes and pancreatic cancer.  Going forward, through the Early Detection Initiative, people diagnosed with a diabetes, will be screened to see if they have any type of cancer.

Tom Aronson of Santa Monica, California, long thought his father, Bob, was the picture of health.  He was 6’5” and in great shape.  Then at age 54, Bob went in for an annual eye exam, which led to a diagnosis of diabetes.  This came as a surprise to Bob and his family because the Aranson family had no history of diabetes.  Within a year, for Bob Aronson, things went from bad to worse.

Bob Aronson began to feel pain in his chest and abdomen.  After a few visits to doctors and specialists, he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.  Nine months later, he passed away.  Tom and his family were left to wonder how diabetes could have led to pancreatic cancer.

Tom did some research, which led him to the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, or PanCAN.  That research resulted in his quest to learn how pancreatic cancer can be detected at an early stage.  Due to the lack of pancreatic cancer screening, most of those diagnosed with pancreatic cancer are diagnosed Stage IV, in which the five-year survival rate is less than five percent.  However, in the rare instances in which pancreatic cancer is found at an earlier stage, the five-year survival rate is above 80 percent.

Thanks to fundraising started by Tom, a $200,000 grant from PanCAN, research aimed at increased early detection of pancreatic cancer was spearheaded by Dr. Anirban Maitra at MD Anderson in Texas.  That research grew into an initiative announced by PanCAN, called the Early Detection Initiative, which is about further testing of people diagnosed with diabetes later in life, to see if the diagnosis is accompanied by cancer symptoms. 

Tom Aronson says it is becoming common knowledge that is a connection between diabetes and pancreatic cancer.  In contrast, when Bob Aronson was diagnosed with diabetes, the eye doctor had no inclination that Bob could have had pancreatic cancer.  Tom wants to believe if his dad had been diagnosed with diabetes years later, the pancreatic cancer would have been detected at an earlier stage, giving him an increased chance for survivorship.

While Tom Aronson is pleased to see the results of the Early Detection Initiative, he admits these days it is still difficult for one to get a pancreatic cancer screening.  He hopes with the passage of time, improvements will be made in this area as well.

Additional Resources:

The Pancreatic Cancer Action Network

https://www.pancan.org

Dr. Anirban Maitra, MD Anderson

Bio: https://www.mdanderson.org/cancermoonshots/about/our-physicians-researchers/a-maitra.html