Survivors

Sybil Redmon


In October 2011, there were a number of changes on the horizon for my husband Max and I. I'd gotten a big promotion at work and our daughter was getting married. We were enjoying teaching Sunday school and were planning on taking some awesome vacations. Life was very good.

Overall, I’d been a healthy person. I saw my doctor once a year for my annual physical and rarely had a cold. But as I was helping my daughter plan her wedding, I was experiencing some health issues. I had pain between my shoulder blades and the pain seemed to progress to a burning in my abdomen. I thought it might be acid reflux. I couldn't keep anything down. I went on a total liquid diet for weeks and dropped a significant amount of weight. Doctors at my local hospital determined something was wrong with my gallbladder, so they removed it. But following the surgery, I had complications that led to jaundice. Another doctor performed surgery to insert a stent to relieve the jaundice. But when he went to put in the stent, he discovered a mass in my pancreas. The doctor biopsied the mass and when I came out of the fog of the anesthesia, I received the news I had pancreatic cancer.

Because of my deep faith, I wasn't terribly afraid. I don't look at it as brave. It's just that cancer can hit anybody. Cancer doesn't discriminate. My only real fear was for my husband. I was afraid he would fall away from his faith, and I didn't want that to happen. That spurred me to do whatever I need do to overcome the cancer.

I received chemotherapy for months at a hospital near our home in Montgomery, Alabama, but I felt I wasn’t getting the treatment I deserved. That’s when friends from church recommended we look into the new Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA) hospital in Newnan, Georgia, near Atlanta.

Clint Willis


In 2006, when I was 59 years old, I had a colonoscopy at a local clinic near my home in Evansville, Indiana. A nephew of mine had been diagnosed with cancer at age 31, and it was recommended to his family members that we all get tested for cancer. His clinicians were fairly certain that his disease stemmed from an inherited genetic mutation. We all got tested, but I was the only one who turned out to have cancer.

The results revealed colon cancer of the ileocecal valve, which separates the ileum from the colon. The doctor I was seeing at the time had discussed surgery with me, but before that could happen, I needed to have a CT scan. However, it would be 10 days before I could get the scan, and the results would take another week. At first I was doing okay with the wait, but the more I thought about it, the more unsettled I became.

I was working with a friend whose wife had been diagnosed with cancer. I called him to ask about his wife’s experience with treatment, and he said he could not recommend a better hospital than Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA). They were both elated about the care she’d received. So, I called.

The Oncology Information Specialist I spoke with told me there was an opening the following week for me to come for the initial three-day consultation. All I needed to do was let them know I wanted to come. I wanted to think about it, but by the time I called back it was after 5 p.m. and it was too late to book the trip and I thought I’d be waiting all over again. But on Monday, the representative called me back and told me there’s been a cancellation for Wednesday. This time, I didn’t hesitate.


















Kimalea Conrad


After noticing a lump during a breast self-exam in 2010 I had a biopsy in my home state of Colorado.  I received the dreaded results - - it was cancer. A lumpectomy and sentinel node biopsy revealed tumors in several lymph nodes that were larger than the one in my breast. I was diagnosed as having Stage II breast cancer and I would require another surgery to get a clean margin as well as chemotherapy and radiation therapy.

I was devastated. I was still grieving the loss of my husband, Gary, from a heart attack. I felt overwhelmed by fear. This disease was so dreaded and frightening. I thought it would change my life forever and I was discouraged. I felt my body had somehow betrayed me. I exercise and eat well, I am healthy. It seemed so unfair. I felt it was beyond my ability to cope.

Gradually my thoughts shifted: I realized as unreal and unfair as it seemed, I did have cancer and I wanted to fight. I was ready to fight the fear and fight the invasion of cancer cells in my body.




Chuck Glenn

I began 2001 going about my usual active lifestyle in Norman, Oklahoma. I was a "young" 52 years of age. I worked long hours at Tinker Air Force Base in an Industrial Engineering position as a planner, volunteered and taught in the elementary ministry area of Norman's Trinity Baptist Church, fished, rode my motorcycle and played competitive sports.

In early 2001, I was the only "old man" on a 4x4 basketball team of twentysomethings. My team, Glenn's Gunners, was the league champ, with a 20–0 record. However, I didn't feel totally well. I had chronic acid reflux, but a checkup showed I had perfect blood pressure and low cholesterol. My lab results were excellent.

Medication eliminated my acid reflux, and I felt better until one day when some popcorn got stuck in my lower esophagus and caused me great pain. My family physician ordered further tests, which led to an endoscopy and a stunning diagnosis—a stage III adenocarcinoma mass measuring over 7 centimeters by 3 centimeters in my lower esophagus, extending into my stomach with several enlarged lymph nodes.

It was determined that surgery was not an option and I was advised to find a clinical trial (experimental medicine). My wife of 28 years, Ann, immediately started to search for the "best" place for treatment.

Just as we were heading to one of the country's premier cancer hospitals, the staff there halted my admission until further tests could be done. However, the first gastroenterologist who diagnosed me, as well as experts at a leading medical center, deemed these tests unnecessary. They even said the tests could lead to potential complications that could delay or compromise my treatment. In fact, we were told any delay in starting treatment could be fatal.

We had never heard of Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA) until Ann saw one of its television ads. She searched the Internet for more information about CTCA, and after intense prayer and a miraculous sequence of events (that’s another story), it was very clear I was supposed to get treatment at CTCA.

Jackie Tavener


In August 2005, when I was 53 years old, I was still grieving the loss of my father, who had died of heart disease the prior November. I suppose I was tuned into more physical matters of the heart at that time too. One day, while I was washing my hands in the bathroom, the light was hitting my neck in just the right way and I noticed a bump. My first thought was there was something wrong with my arteries. I showed the bump to my husband and he took me to the emergency room at a hospital near our home in Shawnee, Kansas.

At the hospital, X-rays were taken and the doctor told me to return the next morning for a CT scan. There was a small mass visible in the X-ray, but the doctors weren’t sure what it was; a CT scan would provide a clearer view. When I returned the next morning, one person after another told me I needed two different scans because the radiologist had noticed a spot on my lung when he looked at my X-ray the previous night.

After the CT scans were completed, the doctor informed me I had cancer. He had already talked to my family doctor, who had said for me to go straight to him from the hospital. My family doctor then sent me immediately to a lung specialist. I ended up seeing three doctors about my diagnosis before I even saw my family.

The lung specialist sent me to a surgeon for a biopsy. After that, I went to a local oncologist, who told me the results of the biopsy. There was cancer in my left lung that had spread to lymph nodes and the center of my chest and neck. The spread of cancer to my lymph nodes was what I had spotted on my neck. The doctor told me I had stage IV non-small cell lung cancer.


Commentary

All of the patients were diagnosed with a cancer unexpectedly. At first they were highly upset and depressed. But they were determined to overcome that major obstacle in their life. They went to a doctor the first chance that they got. Now they are all alive and living their lives with a smile on their faces.

Cancer Treatment

Few interventions target the unique psychosocial needs of adolescents and young adults with cancer. Joan E. Haase, PhD, RN, FAAN, and Sheri L. Robb, PhD, MT-BC, led a team that tested a music therapy intervention designed to improve resilience in such patients undergoing stem cell transplant treatments for cancer. Resilience is the process of positively adjusting to stressors, including those associated with a cancer diagnosis and treatment.
The researchers' Therapeutic Music Video intervention was designed to help adolescents and young adults explore and express thoughts and emotions about their disease and treatment that might otherwise go unspoken. Through the creative process of writing song lyrics and producing videos, a board-certified music therapist offers structure and support to help patients reflect on their experiences and identify what is important to them, such as their spirituality, family, and relationships with peers and healthcare providers. As they move through phases of the intervention -- including sound recordings, collecting video images, and storyboarding -- patients have opportunities to involve family, friends, and healthcare providers in their project, maintaining those important connections during treatment and encouraging communication. Once complete, videos can be shared through video premieres, which allow others an opportunity to gain a better understanding about the patients' perspectives on their cancer, their treatments, and their desires for the future.
For the study, 113 patients aged 11 to 24 years who were undergoing stem cell transplant treatments for cancer were randomized to be part of a Therapeutic Music Video intervention group or to be part of a control group that received audiobooks. Participants completed six sessions over three weeks.
After the intervention, the Therapeutic Music Video group reported significantly better courageous coping. One hundred days after stem cell transplant treatments, the Therapeutic Music Video group reported significantly better social integration and family environment. The investigators found that several protective factors helped adolescents and young adults to be resilient in the face of cancer treatments. These factors included spiritual beliefs and practices; having a strong family environment characterized by adaptability, cohesion, and positive communication; and feeling socially connected and supported by friends and healthcare providers. "These protective factors influence the ways adolescents and young adults cope, gain hope, and find meaning in the midst of their cancer journey," said Dr. Haase. "Adolescents and young adults who are resilient have the ability to rise above their illness, gain a sense of mastery and confidence in how they have dealt with their cancer, and demonstrate a desire to reach out and help others," she added.
When the investigators interviewed the patients' parents, they found that the videos gave parents insights into their children's cancer experiences; however, parents needed help to initiate and sustain important conversations about messages shared through their children's videos. To address this need, the study team has received funding from the National Institutes of Health and the Children's Oncology Group to examine the potential benefits of adding a parent communication component to their intervention.
The study's findings provide evidence supporting the use of a music-based intervention delivered by a music therapist to help adolescents and young adults positively cope with high-risk, high-intensity cancer treatments. "The availability of music therapy services from a board-certified music therapist in the United States has become more widespread, and through studies like this one, we hope to see increased availability and access to this important allied health service," said Dr. Robb. "One of the challenges in healthcare today is making sure that research findings from studies such as ours are used to inform healthcare practices and service delivery. One of our team's next steps is to disseminate findings, train professional music therapists on this intervention, and then conduct an implementation study to examine how the intervention may change as it moves into the standard care setting and whether, in the presence of these changes, patient benefits are maintained."

Commentary

A new study has found that adolescents and young adults experiencing cancer treatment gain coping skills. There have resilience-related outcomes when they participate in a therapeutic music process that includes writing song lyrics and producing videos. The findings indicate that such music therapy interventions can provide essential psychosocial support to help young patients positively adjust to cancer. When the patients were interviewed, they found that the videos gave isight to there experiences.

Tulane Baseball Team to Raise Money for Pediatric Cancer

Tulane Baseball Team To Raise Money for Pediatric Cancer
By: Tammy Nunez

For the second straight season, the Tulane baseball program will team up with the Vs. Cancer Foundation to help fight pediatric cancer by raising funds and awareness for the 160,000 children diagnosed with cancer each year.

On Sunday, March 23 after the Green Wave play Middle Tennessee at Greer Field at Turchin Stadium, the entire Tulane team will shave their heads near their dugout alongside other Tulane student-athletes. Fans are encouraged to make a donation, as well as shave their heads with the Green Wave student-athletes.

Fans can donate inside of Greer Field at Turchin Stadium's gates up to the third inning for all home starting March 11 against Louisiana-Lafayette. After the final game of the Middle Tennessee series, Tulane student-athletes will shave their heads in support of pediatric cancer patients.

The Vs. Cancer Foundation was founded by Chase Jones, the nephew of Tulane baseball head coach Rick Jones, in December 2012. Chase Jones was diagnosed with cancer when he was 18-years-old. After beating the disease that threatened his life, Jones continued his baseball career by playing for the North Carolina Tar Heels, and he even joined his uncle as the bullpen catcher for the US Collegiate National Team in 2009.

"New Orleans is basically Chase's second home, as he grew up around our program," stated Rick Jones. "As his dad, who is my brother, worked every one of our camps during six weeks in the summer and at the Christmas holidays, Chase as early as six-years-old spent that time alongside he and I here. He is extremely close to me. He dealt with stage-four brain cancer in college, and he went on to beat that. To go on and become a part of the North Carolina program and to join me on Team USA is special, but what he has done with the Vs. Cancer Foundation to assist young cancer patients like himself, it's just something that is very special to me, as well as the kids in our program and all the programs that participate all across the country."

Chase Jones travels the country, working with high school, collegiate and professional sports teams and athletes to raise money for cancer treatment through his organization. All of the money raised for the Vs. Cancer Foundation is split in half, with half of the proceeds going to national childhood cancer research, while the other half is donated to local childhood cancer hospitals and other efforts.

"I think the success of the Vs. Cancer Foundation is just a testament to the baseball family," said Chase Jones. "Once the idea of actually being able to help kids with cancer has been communicated, everyone just rallies behind it. It's great to see other programs say 'well, Tulane did this, so I want my program to do it as well.' This happens all over the country, and it's special. Tulane has done this with us every year. We went from 40 schools to 60 schools, and this year we'll have 120 schools. It's cool that Tulane has been the beacon of leading this effort from day one."

This year, the Tulane Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) has worked hard to raise awareness for the event, thanks in part to the two active baseball members in sophomore outfielder Richard Carthon and senior student assistant Briggs Barrios.

"We've done this during the past few years, and we are really excited about it," stated Barrios. "Last year, the money (that was raised) went to Ochsner. They made a room for kids to play in that are going through their treatments (for pediatric cancer). It's a very exciting opportunity for us."

Chase Jones believes that the room built for the pediatric cancer patients at Ochsner – where half of the money raised this year will go, once again - allows the children there to take their minds off the treatment they are receiving. However, studies show that it can mean so much more.

"We found a study that showed that if you lower the stress levels in kids with cancer, their tumors shrink," mentioned Chase Jones. "From that mindset, the fact that we are able to provide a room at Ochsner allows us to tangibly impact kids in their treatments. What we are doing has an actual measureable effect in helping kids in New Orleans beat cancer."

Tulane participated in the event last year after an extra-inning victory over High Point, which coincidentally is another team that participated in shaving their heads during a home game in 2013.

With Chase Jones' personal experiences in collegiate baseball - as well as his connections with former teammates, coaches and his uncle - many of the teams he works with are college baseball teams. However, any sports team can participate, as evidenced by his work with collegiate lacrosse teams, as well as the men's crew team at North Carolina and the soccer team at Wake Forest.

The mission statement of the Vs. Cancer Foundation is to save kids' lives by empowering athletes and communities to fund lifesaving childhood cancer efforts