It covers all sorts of information about cancer diagnosis, treatment, research and education. In the issue I received, they discussed the connection between estrogen and breast cancer, the Adolescent and Young Adult grouping for diagnoses and how we need to study these survivors (diagnosed between 15 and 39) regarding the long-term effects of their treatments, and the debate over proton therapy.
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I also had the pleasure of interviewing Debbie Brown, the coordinator of the Tri-County and Attleboro area Reach to Recovery programs. She has been part of the Reach to Recovery task force for 7 years, and she is a 10-year cancer survivor. She has also participated in the Abington Relay For Life for the past 10 years. Debbie was featured in the Patriot Ledger earlier this month as one of their "Pink Warriors". She cited Reach to Recovery as a her way of "making something positive out of a difficult situation" which was a statement she echoed during our interview.
Reach to Recovery is a support program for people with breast cancer. Patients call the hotline and, after an initial informational call, are matched with a volunteer to talk about anything, even if they'd prefer not to discuss their diagnosis. Volunteers are only able to give support and let patients know they aren't alone. They are not allowed to dispense medical advice.
Volunteers are matched to patients on many different levels. As a coordinator, Debbie takes the initial phone call and asks about the patient's diagnosis, treatment, age, and preference for their match. Sometimes, to make a match, she goes outside her area to the other coordinators.
When Debbie was diagnosed, she didn't take advantage of Reach to Recovery, as her sister-in-law, Juli, was her support system. Juli had been diagnosed with breast cancer a few years before Debbie, so she was a huge help with the "did this happen to you" and "what happens next" questions. Unfortunately, Juli was re-diagnosed about a year after Debbie, and she died in 2006.
Debbie originally joined Reach to Recovery in late 2003, as you are required to wait until one year after your treatment has completed, and you need a note from your doctor giving the okay. At that point, she went through training, but she didn't receive many phone calls. At a re-training session a couple of years later, she met Peg, the owner of local clothing company Spirited Sisters. She asked Debbie about being in a fashion show for the clothing, and Debbie agreed. This led to her joining the Reach to Recovery task force, which puts on programs like the fashion show, pajama parties, tea parties, and informational programs like the Mother Daughter Breast Cancer Program at Good Samaritan. They also use this platform to communicate other American Cancer Society programs like Look Good, Feel Better.
Debbie said she's found that the Reach to Recovery calls have slowed down recently, which may be due to other organizations picking up the idea and the extra programs and continuing them on. Jordan Hospital, for example, has continued the monthly Pink Teas, which combine Reach to Recover and the Look Good, Feel Better programs, and the annual Pink Pajama Parties, which is an overnight for survivors and patients at a hotel. Many other hospitals have also put in their own Reach to Recovery program, which helps more patients get the support they need, though it does take participation away from the American Cancer Society program.
For our last question, I asked Debbie what the best part was about being involved in the program and what her biggest takeaway is. She actually said they are one in the same. She doesn't look at the time involved or being a good person for volunteering for the program. She feels fulfilled after talking to a patient and alleviating some of their anxiety, and she feels like she's making something positive out of a pretty negative situation. She even said "maybe this is why this happened to me, and this is why I survived". Her involvement helps to answer the "why me" question in a positive way.
I'd like to send a huge thank you to Debbie for allowing me to interview her last night. I enjoyed our conversation and came away with a TON of information.
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