Tag: Support

Be Watchful and Informed about Cancer

By Don Eisenberg

My wife of 30 years had always been pretty healthy. She didn’t engage in risky behavior, except to marry me, her brothers used to joke.

Jan was 50 when she felt a lump on her chest and went for her first mammogram. Later testing and biopsy confirmed that it was breast cancer, stage III, including some lymph nodes. Treatment would involve 56 days of radiation, followed by surgery and chemotherapy.

This diagnosis seemed very surreal to both of us. We had faced many challenges during our three decades of marriage, and, with the Lord’s help, we committed to fight this new enemy together, too. Being people of faith, we prayed and engaged our church, family and friends to join us.

The doctors recommended a mastectomy. After considering the known facts at that time, Jan opted for a lumpectomy. She had weekly chemo treatments involving seven different drugs in different doses and combinations, and we reorganized our lives to adjust to the many side effects of treatment. Later, when she needed transfusions of red blood cells and platelets, we set up a system of donors to assure that she would have more than she needed at all times.

About 18 months into treatment, we discovered her cancer had metastasized to her lung lining and bones. Chemo continued, but we lost her in 2007.

The impact of her loss to me, our kids and other family members and friends was incredible. Thankfully, we had amazing support from our church and family, co-workers and friends, plus a loving God—though we didn’t understand the outcome.

I’m sharing her story in honor of National Cancer Survivors Day, and in hopes of encouraging you to be vigilant with your own health. More and more people are surviving cancer. The better informed you are, the more likely you are to be able to avoid it or beat it.

Earlier detection and an awareness of family history might well have changed our outcome. Following my wife’s diagnosis, it turned out that both her mother and grandmother had had brushes with cancer.

All along the way, we tried to learn as much as we could about her disease and treatment options. My advice to anyone facing a similar diagnosis is to keep digging. Insist on information and options, second opinions and treatment facility alternatives.

Congratulations to the survivors and their families! Rejoice in every day you are given. For others, be watchful, be informed, be proactive—see your doctor regularly and never delay annual screenings.

Life is precious. Protect it and cherish each moment and each person.

Don Eisenberg HeadshotDon Eisenberg  Contact
UT Foundation, Inc.

Don is director of development for the UT Knoxville College of Arts and Sciences. He enjoys helping UT alumni and friends find their passion to support at UT, whether that be students, faculty or other opportunities. Born in Nashville, and having lived in England, Africa and several states, he is delighted to finally live on the “peaceful side of the Smokies” in Townsend, Tennessee, with his cat, Lucy, and to share the grandeur of God’s creation with visiting family and friends.

Disclaimer
Posts represent the views, expertise and recommendations of their authors and do not necessarily reflect an endorsement by the University of Tennessee. Furthermore, the content of the blog is for informational purposes only. The content of the blog is not, and is not intended to be used as, a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

Still My Hero

By Susan Robertson

As it is with most little girls, my dad was my first hero. I am the third of four children, and I always tell people I was my dad’s son before my brother was born. He taught me to throw a baseball, punt a football and even taught me to sew a dress for my Barbie doll.

My dad passed away in September 2012, but because of his diagnosis with Alzheimer’s disease in 2001, we gradually said goodbye to him over the course of 11 years. I lived out of state during that time but visited my parents at least monthly. And watching my father succumb to this horrible disease was one of the most difficult things I’ve experienced.

Most often Alzheimer’s is associated with the loss of memory. I never think it is funny when someone forgets something and then jokes, “I must have Alzheimer’s.” There is nothing funny about that disease. It truly robs sufferers of everything—from memory to the ability to speak to dignity. My father’s Alzheimer’s started with paranoia—thinking people were coming into the house and changing the times on the clocks or moving things from one location to the next. That was followed by the loss of his ability to process information and although he still remembered us, he often talked about going to see his mom and dad (who had both passed years earlier).

As with most Alzheimer’s patients, my dad started to wander. He would pace endlessly around the house all day and much of the night. One night he even climbed out his bedroom window and walked more than a mile to a nearby recreation area. Thankfully, some neighbors who had gone to the area to walk the next morning spotted him and brought him home. It was after that incident that my mother had all of the windows nailed closed from the inside. She also added alarms to each entry door so dad couldn’t go outside without her knowing it; and added baby locks on the cabinets after dad ate a dishwashing tablet thinking it was candy.

Alzheimer’s caused my dad to become very childlike. He liked playing with and holding toy cars. On one visit, I was in the backyard walking around with him when he picked up an acorn and threw it at me. When I turned around, he just grinned impishly. I was crying inside, but I just had to smile because that is something my dad would have done before the disease. While dad was very different and needed around-the-clock care, he was still very much my dad.

The disease also took a toll on my mother who was dad’s caregiver. Not only was it emotional to deal with the fact that your husband of 50-plus years was no longer the same, it wore on her to have to make sure she knew where he was 24/7. One of the things I say to anybody who is a caregiver is you have to take care of yourself! Stress plays havoc with our overall health. Mom finally agreed to have a home health worker visit three days a week, and one of my sisters moved in with my parents to help care for dad. My other siblings and I gave my mom and sister breaks on the weekend so they could be away from the house while we would watch dad. It only made sense that the weekends I was visiting, I would toss the ball with dad. It was just like old times—sort of.

I wish that no one would have to deal with this disease—no individual and no family. But the truth is that today, 5 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s; the disease is now the sixth-leading cause of death in the U.S.; and every 66 seconds someone in the U.S. is diagnosed with the disease, all according to the Alzheimer’s Association.

My paternal grandfather and my father both had Alzheimer’s, so I’ve read a lot of research about how to prevent the disease. Unfortunately, no one can pinpoint the exact cause. Researchers have identified many things such as environment, diet, etc., but currently there is no cure.

It was about 10 months before my dad passed, Christmas of 2011, when I realized for the first time he didn’t know who I was. That was extremely tough to accept, but it was not about me. My dad was very different from the man I knew as my first hero, but in my heart he was still my dad.

Susan RoberstonSusan Robertson  Contact
UT Institute for Public Service

Susan handles communications for the UT Institute for Public Service. She enjoys spending time outdoors—hiking and documenting the natural beauty of East Tennessee through photography. Susan loves watching all sports, reading, cooking and fulfilling the needs of her demanding miniature dachshund, Wrigley.

Disclaimer
Posts represent the views, expertise and recommendations of their authors and do not necessarily reflect an endorsement by the University of Tennessee. Furthermore, the content of the blog is for informational purposes only. The content of the blog is not, and is not intended to be used as, a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

What I Learned from My Grandmother’s Battle with Cancer

By Renata Gillispie

Cancer. When I heard the word a few years ago and when I hear it now, it makes me uneasy.

I used to equate cancer with immediate death, but I now know that having cancer doesn’t always mean you will die or will die quickly.

My grandmother was diagnosed with breast cancer in November 2009. We were devastated when we received the news. The cancer had metastasized to other parts of her body, and her doctors believed she had only months to live. They were ready to give up on her.

Evelyn V. Matthews
My grandmother, Evelyn V. Matthews

There were experimental treatments and drugs to try, but her prognosis wasn’t good.

We opted to try whatever treatments the doctors could do to prolong her life, and my grandmother agreed. She wanted to live.

As my family came to grips with this new reality, my grandmother remained calm.

It was difficult for us to see the drastic physical change in her and watch her lose her ability to do many things for herself. But she always had a smile for everybody. She was always concerned about her family and didn’t want us to worry.

I learned a great deal from my grandmother over the years, but I think I learned the most as she went through her battle with cancer.

We lost her in June 2015, but the amount of time that she lived after her diagnosis was a miracle.

Even throughout her treatments, the doctors were surprised at how quickly she would bounce back each time. She fought through the ups and downs of cancer for almost six years. She was the strongest and most resilient woman I’ve known. She made a huge impact on my life and the lives of many others in her 81 years.

Some of the very important life lessons I learned from my grandmother include:

  1. Always maintain a positive attitude. I don’t think my grandmother would have survived as long as she did after her diagnosis if she had not had the correct mindset. Starting the day off with positive thinking sets the tone for the whole day.
  1. Surround yourself with the things and people you love. My grandmother wanted to be around her family as much as she could, and she enjoyed our company greatly. She hated to see us go. She didn’t like to say goodbye—she preferred to say, “See you later.” She also enjoyed watching soap operas, movies on Lifetime TV, praying and reading her Bible. These were just a few of her favorite things.
  1. Live life to the fullest every single day. Enjoy the simple things, such as nature. When you’re healthy and busy, you don’t take time to stop and smell the roses. When faced with a major health issue, you will see life from a different perspective. Things that used to matter will no longer be a priority. My grandmother enjoyed sitting on her front porch in the early mornings and attending church when she was able.
  1. Help others in the areas where you need help. For example, my grandmother reached out to others who were ill or who just needed some encouragement. She would make a phone call or send food. Not only was she helping others, but she was also helping herself. The reward and satisfaction you get from helping others in need makes you forget about your own struggles.

Renata Gillispie Renata Gillispie Contact
UT Health Science Center

Renata is a coordinator in the College of Graduate Health Sciences at the UT Health Science Center. She enjoys attending church, family, traveling, reading and writing. She earned both her bachelor’s degree in English and creative writing and her master’s degree in leadership from the University of Memphis.

Disclaimer
Posts represent the views, expertise and recommendations of their authors and do not necessarily reflect an endorsement by the University of Tennessee. Furthermore, the content of the blog is for informational purposes only. The content of the blog is not, and is not intended to be used as, a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.