Bosom Buddy Network one year later - Regional West Medical Center

B B
NETWORK
Bosom
Buddy Network
Fall 2006
“No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.”
~Aesop~
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on the web
www.rwmc.net
Click on ‘major hospital
programs and units’ then click
on ‘Cancer Treatment Center’
this issue
One year later
A husband’s perspective
Living life to the
fullest
As a 24-year survivor
The 2006 Festival
of Hope
Honoring memories and
celebrating victories
What’s new in cancer
treatment?
With Dr. Vince Bjorling
Reflections of a sister
survivor ...
and not choosing breast
reconstruction
The pink rose
Honoring a special volunteer
Board members: Katy Hawkins,
Becky Kreman, Cathie McRoberts,
Ellen Ramig, Marletta Warner
and Rae Whitney
Editor: Teresa Clark
Regional West Marketing & Public Relations
The Bosom Buddy Network newsletter is
written by cancer survivors - this is your
newsletter. We value your input and appreciate
feedback and articles relating to your
breast cancer experience. To submit ideas
and articles, please call Teresa Clark,
Regional West Marketing and Public
Relations Department, (308) 630-1687 or
e-mail ttclark@charter.net.
one year later
June 26th, 2005 is a day that
will not soon be forgotten
by my wife or me. Kelsey,
my wife, was diagnosed
with breast cancer. As most
of you reading this article
have experienced at some
point, it is a jolt to
your psyche like
no other.
I was at work
when someone
from her work
called and said I
needed to come
right away and
seeing as how
she had just
had what was
supposedly a
fibroid adenoma removed
the day before, I knew it
could only be one thing. As
we tried to come to terms
with the news we had just
been given, I was torn as to
how I should approach it.
Did my wife want the
comforting arms of her
husband or did she want
the straightforward, ‘here
is what we need to do’
mentality of a radiation
therapist?
I tried as hard as possible
to be very matter of fact
initially, tried to give all the
right answers and reassure
her that it would be ok,
which for quite a while was
a hard thing for both of us
to believe. Things had been
moving so quickly up until
the night before her surgery
that we really had not had
time to just be
The Kriewald family
together and let the situation
actually set in. A lot
of tears were shed that
night and a lot of 'what ifs'
were pondered, but looking
back I think it was the night
that started the healing
process for us. We knew
that the fight ahead of us
would be long and tough,
but that together we would
get through it.
Kelsey was the strength
behind me being able to
deal with everything and be
supportive; her determination
to get through surgery
and chemotherapy was
unwavering. She continues
to remind me that I took
off two weeks with a hernia
surgery and she only took
five days off after her
mastectomy and on top of
that she did eight cycles
of chemotherapy
at two-week intervals.
I believe
her comment to me
was to go get some
“estrogen.”
We have two
beautiful girls who
also helped tremendously
with making
it through this whole
process; our oldest,
Kennedy, was just sure
that Mom would have green
hair after it came back following
chemotherapy. They
knew that Mommy was sick,
but continued to go on with
life knowing she would be
better soon. It is now 14
months since her diagnosis
and things are going good.
She is even more beautiful
inside and out than before,
which I didn't think was
possible. In looking back on
the last year, I find that
when one of us was down
(continued to page 6)

24twenty four years of survival
It always seems strange how things
that happen, not necessarily in a split
second, but in a short period of time,
can make such a profound impact on
us. For me that happened 24 years
ago.
It started with a routine check-up
with my gynecologist, Dr. Keller;
when he asked if had felt any lumps
in either breast, I said I only felt a
place where it seemed “different." He
thought since I was 47, I should have
a baseline mammogram so I did. I
guess my first clue came when the
technician called in a radiologist. He
looked at the film said that I should
see a surgeon about a biopsy. That
was my one and only mammogram.
At that time I was, among other
things, Director of Adult Basic
Education at Nebraska Western
College, the previous name of
Western Nebraska Community
College. I was responsible for the
payroll of about 30 part-time
employees at the middle and the
end of each month. The biopsy
was scheduled for the 1st of July;
on June 30th, I did the payroll and I
told my staff that I would be gone
the next morning but probably would
be back after lunch.
The next morning after the biopsy
was finished, the surgeon said he
would send the tissue to the lab;
but he knew by looking at it that
it was malignant. He scheduled a
mastectomy and biopsy of the other
breast for the next morning, I was
admitted at that point, less than 24
hours after I left my office. After
the surgery, the news came that the
second biopsy was also malignant
and a second surgery was scheduled
on the 6th of July.
During the hospital stay, which was
12 days, I first met Dr. Wil Packard.
He came in on a Sunday morning
and stayed a long time; we talked
about lots of things, just getting
acquainted. He told me first that my
chances for a recovery were not very
good. I remember thinking that if
the chance of living five years was
only five percent, I'd have to figure
out how to be in that five percent.
But after a few more tests, with more
positive results, he said things looked
better and time has proven that he
was right.
After recovering from the surgery,
the chemotherapy began the end of
July with Ronda Kinsey administering.
I really had a wonderful team on
“Each week was harder and
by the last couple of weeks, it
was all I could do to get to the
hospital, have the treatment,
and get back home to bed.”
—Jane Hunter
my side! I was ready to go back to
work after being gone six weeks
when my father died of cancer, and I
spent a week in Omaha. So after
seven weeks, I certainly hadn't made
it back “after lunch."
Chemotherapy went pretty well for
me. I was never sick to the point of
vomiting, didn't lose all my hair, and
never missed a day of work; but
most of the time I felt like I had just
eaten a bad oyster!
The chemotherapy was scheduled for
six months; after that period, Dr.
Packard asked if it was OK with me
to go for another three. Certainly, if
that's what he thought, that's what I
did. Then after a few weeks off, I
started radiation for five weeks, five
days a week. I don't know if it was
the preceding chemotherapy or just
my reaction, but I did less well with
radiation. Each week was harder and
by the last couple of weeks, it was all
I could do to get to the hospital,
have the treatment, and get back
home to bed. I had a big stack of
Rona Jaffe novels that month and
made the best of it.
During that year, I was blessed with a
very supportive husband. He often
cooked dinner, did the grocery shopping,
and even changed bandages
though he had been known to faint
at the sight of blood! In recent years,
he has had several bouts with bladder
cancer.
Early in my years as a cancer survivor,
I was a volunteer for Reach
for Recovery. I made many hospital
visits under that program until the
increased travel schedule in my job
made that difficult. I still see women
I visited here and there and it makes
me feel good about both of us.
So how did it change my life?
Certainly there were lots of ways. In
that opening chat with Dr. Packard
he found out I had a dream of traveling
to various places in the world;
he even recommended that we take a
trip, if we could, after the year was
over. So we did. It also happened to
be the summer of our 25th wedding
anniversary so we celebrated that by
taking a cruise in the Caribbean with
a week in Barbados. Of course, I
loved the whole thing and decided
that as soon as both of our boys
were finished with college, we would
do some more major travel.
In May of 1986, our younger son
graduated from the University of
Nebraska as his brother had done the
year before. So almost literally at that
moment, I said to myself—Now it's
my turn!
(continued to page 4)
2 ~ Fall 2006 BBN

festival
the 2006
OF HOPE
Wishes, plans, faith and dreams.
For cancer patients and their families,
these are more than just words.
With the annual Scottsbluff-area
Festival of Hope and Sidney's
Night of Hope, they also represent
hope and optimism in the future.
Honoring memories and celebrating victories
area cancer patients and their
families with daily living expenses
that often mount during the treatment
process. Funds can be used to
pay for essential medication, travel
expenses and insurance premiums
as well as rent, car, home and other
monthly payments.
Now in its fifth year, the Night of
Hope cancer walk has become a
much-anticipated annual event in
Sidney. Teams of walkers pitch their
tents on the high school football
field-making the night a community
event while raising money and
awareness for cancer. Since its
beginning, Night of Hope events
have raised over $60,000.
“We want to help people out in a
crunch so they are able to receive
treatment while still meeting their
daily living expenses," said Festival
of Hope advisory board member
and Regional West Medical Center
cancer specialist Vince Bjorling,
MD.
Organizers work with civic
organizations, local pastors and
Regional West's Cancer Treatment
Center to spread the word that
money is available to those in need.
According to Dr. Bjorling, the
festival's future is encouraging. “I'm
amazed every year by the festival's
success," he said. “The committees,
the chair people, the advisory board
members and all of the volunteers
have done an incredible job to make
something that is not only for a
good cause, but is also fun and
meaningful for the community. It
fosters hope."
Regional West Medical Center and
Dorwart Cancer Care Center have
participated as active event sponsors
since the fundraisers began.
Organized in 2003, The Festival
of Hope raised over $100,000 in
its third year alone. Money raised
during the festival goes to help
To learn more about the Festival
of Hope, contact Carol
Diffendaffer at (308) 630-1535 or
Regional West's Cancer Treatment
Center at (308) 630-1348. For more
information about the Night of
Hope, contact Leslie Biggs at the
Dorwart Cancer Care Center at
(308) 254-9192.
Photos from top to bottom: CTC Assistant Director Jeff Kriewald counts down the butterfly release while Sarah and Danielle Pinet
look on; A crowd of over 200 people watch on as the butterflies are released; Cancer survivor Norma Busch distributes balloons to the
crowd.
Fall 2006 BBN ~ 3

eflections reflections
of a sister survivor
It's exciting to find the latest
“Bosom Buddy Network” issue in
my mailbox...and I eagerly unfold it
to read the deep-heart thoughts and
reflections of my “sisters in survival”
and be grateful once again for the
loving concern lavished upon me
by my dear family, friends and the
medical community in my time of
facing the terrors of breast cancer:
the known of what treatments I was
prescribed and the unknown of how
I would cope emotionally and
physically to them.
Lest I ever tuck those days of detection
and ensuing chemotherapy and
radiation treatments away in my trunk
of forgetfulness, I am impressed to
reach out to newly diagnosed “sisters”
who have entered into the realm of
the unknown. Otherwise, what
purpose has it served?
While undergoing treatment, we
continued in our bed & breakfast
endeavor. At times I felt so “icky”
that I simply couldn't greet our guests
with the enthusiasm I needed, so my
husband filled the gaps and I retired
to our bedroom, only to come out
to prepare breakfast and do behindthe-scenes
chores. It's good to
continue the routine of your life
while in treatment in
twenty four years of survival
(continued from page 2)
Europe has been our destination
many times but we have also gone
to South America; Australia; New
Zealand; South East Asia including
Hong Kong, Thailand, Indonesia,
Malaysia, the Philippines, Viet Nam;
Japan; China; Korea; and Russia.
Our only time in Africa has been
a cruise stop in Morocco.
Another thing that Dr. Packard talked
about that Sunday morning was opera.
At that point, I had never been to an
4 ~ Fall 2006 BBN
the best way your body allows, but
I contend and advise that it is vitally
important to listen to your body and
be nice to it when it needs to rest, “no
matter what!”
It's been six plus years since Dr.
Johnson patted me on the knee as
I lay on the table of that dark room
and said he needed to look a little
closer at the abnormality. I could see
it on the screen and I was horrified.
Now the only real reminder of those
early days is when I am dressing each
day and if I look into the mirror and
contemplate what I looked like with
breasts, I really don't feel any remorse
or sorrow. The only ones who ever
see me “in the buff ” are my beloved
husband and yellow lab, and they
both love me anyway! I strap my
“Big Bertha” (as I call it) bra on (I
chose the size!) and finish dressing
and away I go!!! I admit when I work
in the yard on a hot day, I don't take
Bertha along - but the rest of the
time I wear her in confidence and
am grateful to have a prosthesis that
I feel comfortable in. My close friends
who have survived mastectomies have
had reconstruction and I admire
their tenacity in restructuring their
anatomies. The choice is so very
personal. Considering my age at
diagnosis (64) and the fact that I
opera but loved classical music and
musical theatre so I thought I might
like opera too. That has been another
of my later life joys; going to live concerts
and operas now, not waiting
until later.
Certainly it seems foolish to say that
cancer was one of the best things that
ever happened to me but in so many
ways that's true. In the beginning
years, I was very conscientious of
how important each day was and even
after 24 years, I still believe that. I
think the cancer experience has also
made me a more positive person. Life
avoid pain at all costs, my husband
and I chose to leave the scars as they
were.
And...oh, yes, to have hair again!!!
Your breasts won't grow back, but
your hair does...Praise God for that!
Each day is a blessing. Having lost
dear friends to the disease of cancer,
I am indeed thankful to be allowed a
measure of “borrowed time” here on
earth. I pray that God will allow me
continued opportunities to be an
encourager of others who have
entered into the frightening zone
of being called a “survivor.” I admit
that a pain anywhere gives me a “knee
jerk” reaction of “now it's back!!" but
a quick prayer of trust in whatever
God allows in my life and I can
continue functioning without fear.
The surviving is a process - one we
wouldn't wish on ourselves or anyone,
yet in retrospect, have our lives not
been enhanced in the journey? The
sincere caring of the medical community,
dear friends and family and other
survivors and the deeper dependence
on the Father are treasures I wouldn't
trade.
—Jane Snell
Scottsbluff, Nebraska
is too short to waste on being unhappy
and bad-tempered. I find that I
smile more often. On the other hand,
I really treasure quiet times. I love to
read a good book, look out a train
window at the Alps, or sit on the deck
of a cruise ship and watch the water
go by.
I have been very fortunate to be able
to do those things. I have been fortunate
to have a husband who wants to
go with me. We have not put off
much until tomorrow. We know what
can happen to tomorrow.
—M. Jane Hunter
Scottsbluff, Nebraska

What’s
new
in breast cancer diagnosis
and treatment?
There will be over 210,000 new breast
cancers diagnosed in the U.S. in 2006.
There will also be approximately
60,000 new cases of ductal carcinoma
in situ diagnosed as well. These cases
carry a very good prognosis since their
chance of metastasis is very low.
Overall, the prognosis and survival for
breast cancer patients continues to
improve due to the continuance and
institution of newer technologies and
treatments.
With respect to diagnostics,
wider usage of computer over-reading
on mammograms can
help radiologists pick
up suspicious areas
and point their attention
to these areas. In
addition, there is
wider utilization of
MRI for selected
cases. This is used to
look for multiple sites
of disease prior to
surgery when there is
significant suspicion
that that possibility exists.
From the surgical
standpoint,
there is greater usage of sentinel node
biopsies around the country. This helps
the pathologist concentrate on the most
important lymph nodes and examine
them more closely. More importantly,
sentinel node examination has dramatically
decreased the incidence of complete
axillary dissections, which has in
turn decreased the incidence of lymphedema
(arm swelling) in women.
There continues to be advances in
radiation therapy.
It is believed that sometime
in the future, the standard of
FACT:
There will be over
210,000 new breast
cancers diagnosed in
the U.S. in 2006.
care will allow women,
who meet selected criteria,
to have partial breast
irradiation as a part of their
therapy. This will decrease
the amount of time they
spend receiving radiation. This
can be a benefit to those
women who travel farther
distances for radiation therapy.
The biggest changes in
chemotherapy have been seen
in the adjuvant side. This is
when we're treating women
because they have
an increased risk of
breast cancer cells in
their body but we
don't know that for
sure. One of the
drugs to receive the
greatest attention over
the last year has been
Herceptin.
This drug is an antibody
(a protein)
that attacks a specific site on some
breast cancer cells. The specific site is
an antigen (a protein on the surface of
the cancer cell) called HER-2. HER-2 is
present in approximately 30 percent of
breast cancers and its presence suggests
a poorer diagnosis. The good news is
that women whose cancers have the
presence of HER-2 seem to have
a much improved survival when
Herceptin is added to the chemotherapy
regimen. There is also a newer
version of this drug which should
be FDA approved in the near future.
This drug is called TYK-erb and appears
to be more effective than Herceptin
The other big change in adjuvant
therapy has been on the
hormonal side.
Aromatase inhibitors (Arimidex,
Femara and Aromasin) are being
used more frequently in the hormonal
manipulation of women with breast
cancer. These drugs can only be used
in postmenopausal women. They
work by shutting down the estrogen
production from sites other than the
ovaries (adrenal glands and fatty tissue).
Compared to Tamoxifen (an estrogen
receptor blocker), the aromatase
inhibitors are a little more effective
than Tamoxifen and are safer, with
a decreased risk of blood clots and
uterine cancer. The bad news is that
the Aromatase inhibitors are harder
on the bones (promote osteoporosis)
and are very expensive-approximately
five to six times the cost of Tamoxifen.
These drugs are going to play a significant
role in the treatment of breast
cancer for years to come.
I hope this has been helpful in
explaining some of the new and
positive things that are associated
with the treatment of breast cancer.
—Vince Bjorling, MD
Medical Oncologist
Regional West Medical Center
Scottsbluff, Nebraska
Fall 2006 BBN ~ 5

the pink rose
As each rose is unique and each petal's fragrance spreads hope,
joy, courage and beauty to those around it, so it is with the special
people who come into our lives.
The Pink Rose is a new BBN tradition and one that we hope will grow and flourish
through the years. A Pink Rose is presented each issue to someone unique in
herself/himself and who spreads their fragrance by helping others connected with
breast cancer and/or survivorship.
This fall the BBN board is thrilled to present
a Pink Rose to Nancy Ravert. A breast cancer
survivor and retired cosmetologist, she
volunteers her time and energy in the Cancer
Treatment Center's Care and Share Salon and
is also a Look Good…Feel Better volunteer.
Thank you, Nancy, for all that you do!
If you would like to nominate someone for a
Pink Rose, please contact Teresa Clark at
clarkt@rwmc.net or (308) 630-1687.
Nancy Ravert styling a wig in
the CTC Care & Share Salon.
one year later (continued from cover)
the other was up and we kept after the
other one until we were both on the
same page.
I had hoped to provide some great
piece of wisdom to all the spouses
who read this article, but what I have
to share you probably already know by
now and that is women are amazingly
strong people full of endless resolve.
To get through the tough times you
will definitely need each other, so
ladies, allow yourself to be helped
and guys, know when to help and
when to leave well enough alone. It
has been a pleasure to share our story
and I wish everyone reading this article
many more years of happiness; you
are all amazing people.
—Jeff Kriewald, BS, RT (R) (T)
Assistant director, Cancer Treatment
Center and Dorwart Cancer Care Center
Regional West Medical Center
Scottsbluff, Nebraska
Although this newsletter does not endorse specific products, we strive to provide informational material which pertains to our readers. If you have information
about clothing, wigs, prosthetics, or other tips that worked for you and you would like to share, please call Teresa Clark at (308) 630-1687.