There are three words a woman never hopes to hear - "you have cancer".
In the summer of 2014, I was enjoying the warmth of the afternoon sun, the smell of fresh cut grass and the fresh, clean air as I drove with my windows down to my appointment. I was on my way to go over the results of my annual mammogram and subsequent biopsy. Of course, I was hoping for the best outcome as anyone would.
I had my 14 year old daughter with me, for a couple of reasons. The first was to show her the importance of preventive health measures that she would learn later in life as she became a woman, and the second was rather selfish on my part. I needed her as my support person in case the outcome wasn't good. My daughter is my world, my rock and she means everything to me. I just needed her with me.
When we went into the office to discuss my results, I felt more and more tense not knowing what lay ahead of me. Looking around I noticed so many articles and pictures and products - all dealing with breast cancer or just cancer in general. Somehow I felt like all those things, although overwhelming, were just informational and would never apply to me.
Soon afterwards a few people walked in and began to introduce themselves. I honestly don't remember who all was there, but the first person I met was Laurie Edwards and she said that she was a Patient Navigator with St. Charles. My heart fell to the floor when she explained that the results of my biopsy tested positive for breast cancer. I recall looking at my daughter and just welling up with tears, fearing the worst - I was going to die. My grandmother had breast cancer. My mother had breast cancer. My Aunt had breast cancer. All these maternal influences in my life had suffered from breast cancer and all had died as a result of some form of cancer taking over their lives.
Immediately Laurie began to explain how breast cancer treatment has changed significantly over the course of years and decades, and that it was hopeful for me to have a positive experience and even live a long healthy life in the future. There was just something about her demeanor that erased the fears I was having. She made me feel assured that I could beat cancer like so many others have! I recall asking her thru my tears if there was some kind of support group or anything that could be of service for my daughter as I feared she would need someone, other than me, to talk to or lean on for emotional support herself. It was then that we came to learn that Laurie and her family live fairly close to us and that her daughter and my daughter play sports for the same school. Laurie also advised of another local family that had gone through a similar situation as us. They too had children who went to school with my daughter. Little by little, without realizing it at the time, she was changing my fears into hope.
Throughout the course of my surgery, chemotherapy and radiation treatments, I would often see Laurie, not just at the hospital but also at sporting events for our school. She would purposely stop and say hi and ask how we were doing. She didn't just ask about me, but she asked about my daughter too. She was genuinely caring about everything that was going on. Because of her, I was able to focus on the positive aspects of cancer treatment and I feel that her guidance and encouragement helped me tremendously.
Recently my sister in Tennessee was diagnosed with breast cancer. She too was devastated when she heard the news. As we were discussing her situation, she came to realize that unfortunately there isn't a facility that coordinates all her care the way that Mercy St. Charles did for me, and in fact, none of the providers or facilities in her major city have a Patient Navigator to coordinate and support a cancer patient. Because of this there have been some major communication issues amongst her providers causing unnecessary procedures and care. She has been left to navigate her own care, which is quite daunting, since she wasn't quite sure what she should expect and what she would need.
I shared my sister's story with Laurie. Much to our amazement, Laurie offered to help answer any questions for my sister and give her as much guidance as she could. Laurie even went above and beyond her duties by meeting with my sister over the holidays when my sister was in town to visit. I must say, Laurie put my sister's fears to rest as best she could, just as she did mine, and provided insight into some treatment options that my sister had researched and was considering. My sister felt much better about her future too when she left to go back home to Tennessee and very grateful for meeting and talking with Laurie.
Its little things like this that are extraordinary and deserve to be recognized. I know I've personally thanked Laurie numerous times for all her guidance, love and support for myself and my family. I feel that she is truly an amazing, compassionate nurse who loves what she does by helping others.
My experience at the Mercy St. Charles Cancer Center was wonderful and life-saving.