PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — A ceremony was held recently at The Aroostook Medical Center dedicating an entire wall to a year-long collaborative effort between four Aroostook County newspapers and the hospital to recognize area cancer survivors.
With a brush stroke of pink paint, leaders of TAMC and representatives for the weekly newspapers helped create a permanent place to honor those who fight cancer in the region official.
The County Cancer Hall of Courage, a joint project of TAMC, The Star-Herald, Aroostook Republican, Houlton Pioneer Times and Fiddlehead Focus is located at the A.R. Gould Memorial Hospital in Presque Isle in the long corridor that leads to TAMC’s Aroostook Cancer Care. In the coming year, stories and photos of cancer survivors from throughout Aroostook will be gathered by TAMC and the four papers and featured at the facility and in print and online by the media entities.
Lynn Lombard, chair of TAMC’s board of trustees, provided the opening remarks.
“Imagine hearing the words ‘you have cancer.’ Too many have heard them. They hit close to home here at the cancer center. We wanted to create a space that would inspire hope to help patients muster the strength and courage to fight the battle of their lives,” said Lombard.
“All of us here at TAMC are keenly aware of how cancer touches most everyone in The County. We all know someone who’s had cancer or has been a caregiver. I’ve seen how communities come together to support people in those fights, pooling resources and providing support,” said Sylvia Getman, TAMC president and CEO.
“As the most comprehensive cancer care provider in northern Maine, we see it each and every day. We also hear regularly through our media partners about cancer’s impact on the lives of County people and how others rally to support them through benefit fundraisers and in other ways. We envision the County Cancer Hall of Courage serving as both an inspiration and encouragement for those who fight cancer and for those who serve as their support network,” continued Getman.
Getman credited the hospital’s four newspaper partners that have “come together to share stories, highlight courage and give inspiration.”
“They’ll be gathering stories and photos, sharing them online, in the newspapers and here in our hall,” said Getman, who also acknowledge hospital staff for coming together every day to “provide hope, strength and encouragement to patients and their loved ones.”
Plans are to honor 12 County cancer survivors — one each month — over the coming year, beginning with a breast cancer survivor in October. (See ‘Rosa’s Story’ below.)
Survivors of various types of cancer will be featured, once monthly, in print and online in the three Northeast Publishing papers and the Fiddlehead Focus. Large prints of the survivor stories and their photos will be hung monthly in the County Cancer Hall of Courage, with the frame holding designated for holding the photos painted the color recognized as representative of the form of cancer the survivor beat.
Also on hand was Brenda Baker, Aroostook Cancer Care manager, who said it was an honor to be able to recognize those she and her staff work with every day.
“This hall will be a great inspiration. There’s no question cancer touches all our lives,” said Baker, noting some of the latest statistics.
Baker said the County cancer numbers are “quite startling.”
According to the State Cancer Profiles Incident Rates Report, Aroostook County averaged more than 470 new incidents of cancer annually between 2005 and 2009. In 2011, the number of new cancer patients seen by TAMC’s Aroostook Cancer Care numbered 223. Of that number, 47 were diagnosed with breast cancer, 45 with lung cancer and 24 with colon cancer, said Baker.
In addition to recognizing survivors, TAMC officials plan to add a section to the County Cancer Hall of Courage dedicated to honoring those who succumbed to the disease. A section in memoriam of County residents who passed away from cancer is expected to be introduced at a celebration honoring the 12 survivors after they have been featured during the year.
“We all want to see a cure for this horrible disease that has claimed far too many lives,” said Baker. “In this fitting place, by the entrance of where our medical professionals work hand in hand, day in, day out, with those fighting to beat cancer, we will establish a fitting place to pay tribute to our County friends and neighbors who have courageously battled cancer.”
Lombard said the corridor that leads into Aroostook Cancer Care is part of the building known as the East Wing Annex. The lengthy hallway, which connects that building to the main part of TAMC’s A.R. Gould Memorial Hospital, formerly extended to link the hospital to the Presque Isle Nursing Home. It has ample natural daylight from large windows that overlook the hospital’s main entrance on one side and an outdoor courtyard on the other.
Participants gathered around the frame, taking turns painting the frame pink which will display the first survivor. The color represents Breast Cancer Awareness Month, which falls in October, when the first photo and story will be posted.
“Pink is also such a mood enhancer. How can you not feel positive energy when you see pink?” asked Getman.
“So many people have been touched by cancer. It’s great to be able to share their stories and acknowledge their courage, in hopes of inspiring others to not give up,” Getman said.
A form to assist area residents in submitting cancer survivor stories is available on the TAMC website, tamc.org, as well as on the websites of each of the four partner papers. Printed forms or more information on the County Cancer Hall of Courage can also be obtained by calling TAMC’s Aroostook Cancer Care at 768-4151. To reach the Fiddlehead Focus, call 316-2243. To submit information to The Star-Herald, Aroostook Republican or Houlton Pioneer Times, call 768-5431.
Help available to quit smoking and improve odds against cancer
How hard is it to give up cigarettes for good? Ask someone who is trying to quit, and you are likely to be told that kicking the habit it is one of the most difficult things a smoker will ever do.
Tobacco products are so addictive because of nicotine, a powerful drug that is found in cigarettes, cigars, and smokeless tobacco. Nicotine packs a powerful punch: it is both physically and emotionally addictive, and some people can be hooked after being exposed to even a small amount of the drug.
In addition to nicotine, tobacco contains hundreds of dangerous chemical compounds that can impact a smoker’s health. According to the American Lung Association, cigarettes include about 600 ingredients, including more than 50 chemicals that cause cancer.
Tobacco use continues to decline across the country, state, and region, but it remains an important public health issue, especially in Aroostook County. According to a recent community health assessment, 27 percent of adults living in Aroostook County smoke, which is significantly higher than the state average of 22 percent. Aroostook County has high incidence rates of asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and lung cancer, diseases that can be caused or made worse by smoking.
Fortunately, help is available for those who want to quit. The Aroostook Medical Center (TAMC) offers assistance to patients and community members who want to beat tobacco addiction. TAMC provides smokers who are in the hospital for an overnight stay appropriate smoking cessation information and medication. In TAMC’s health centers, healthcare providers routinely ask about patients’ smoking status and provide guidance and resources to those who want to kick the habit forever.
If you smoke, it’s never too late to quit. When you are ready to give it a try, consider these tips:
• Start with your primary care provider. Your family doctor can help you develop a customized plan that will get you started on the path to being tobacco-free. TAMC’s primary care practices in Presque Isle, Caribou, Fort Fairfield, Mars Hill, and Ashland provide smoking cessation support, and all are currently accepting new patients.
• Call the Maine Tobacco HelpLine. The representatives on the HelpLine offer free, confidential support whenever you need it. Smokers who use the HelpLine are two to three times more likely to quit. The HelpLine can be reached at 1-800-207-1230.
• Set goals. Your ultimate goal is to give up tobacco for good, but you may find success by starting with smaller goals at first. Goals help you stay focused on what you are trying to achieve, and they allow you to clearly understand and measure your success.
• Reward success. Celebrate milestones by doing something you enjoy. Once you have stopped using tobacco for a week, prepare a special dinner. Six months of a smoke-free lifestyle could be rewarded with a weekend getaway.
• Ask your friends and family to support you. Your nonsmoking loved ones will want to support your efforts to give up tobacco. Don’t be afraid to ask for their encouragement along the way. Going at it alone can be tough, but with friends and family on your side, anything is possible.
• Don’t become discouraged. It takes most smokers several tries to quit for good. If you slip up, calmly recommit to your goal and start over again. It may take many attempts, but you will eventually be smoke free.
Rosa’s story
Pink-Rosa-dcx-40 “You have breast cancer.” That’s what Rosa Michaud, of Presque Isle, was told in the spring of 1991.
A routine mammogram had found a mass so Dr. Bruce Alexander referred Rosa to Dr. Ronald Rohe at Aroostook Cancer Care.
“When they told me I had breast cancer, I thought: ok, this is it. The end,” said Rosa. “I started giving away a lot of stuff. I tried to prepare.”
“I remember Mom was told what to expect and she had a little meeting with the family,” said Vi Belanger, Rosa’s youngest daughter. “Mom told us, straight-faced, ‘I have cancer. It’s going to be alright, we’re going to do what we need to do.’ We were stunned. We all thought we needed to be tough around Mom, but she was the one who was our rock.”
Rosa began her fight with cancer by having a mastectomy, followed by nine months of chemotherapy.
“My lymph nodes showed nothing – we had caught the cancer early enough that it had not spread,” said Rosa. “That’s the first time I really cried in this whole ordeal; when they told me it was all gone. Everything you’ve been feeling, you’ve been holding to yourself, you let go.”
Rosa was horribly sick for the first two days after every chemo session. She was constantly nauseated and weak. She had a hard time with large groups of people which was especially difficult because she came from a large family who were very supportive.
“It was hard to stay away,” said Vi. “Even though Dad was the best nurse, you want to help.”
“Food was terrible; everything tasted like metal,” said Rosa. “But water – I couldn’t get enough water, especially from my daughter Vi’s house.”
The slightest smell would cause Rosa to gag. Her family and friends had to avoid using perfumes, cooking certain things, and making sure anything they had with them had no scent.
It was difficult to be near large groups of people, but Rosa’s grandchildren would stay with her and visit one-on-one. The emotional support they offered gave her the strength to keep fighting. She would watch cartoons quietly with the grandchildren or her children would just sit with her and talk. The family became even closer during those difficult months.
“You feel down – you are depressed when you go through chemo,” said Rosa. “It’s to be expected. When you feel that way, it’s so wonderful to have any kind of support. Friends and family would write me supportive notes and letters. It was beautiful and so reassuring.”
At follow-up appointments after her mastectomy she consulted with Dr. Rohe regarding her family history and her cancer journey. Rosa opted to have a mastectomy on her remaining breast in order to reduce her risk of a reoccurrence. While she had the option to go through a rebuild after the two mastectomies, Rosa decided not to.
“It does worry you; once you’ve had one removed, you constantly worry about the possibility of cancer in the other,” said Rosa.
Once Rosa was cancer-free, she began her campaign amongst her own family to be vigilant about their health. Among Rosa’s parents, her 11 siblings and many nieces and nephews there were nine cases of breast cancer, three cases of colon cancer, one case of prostate cancer, one case of cervical cancer, one case of brain cancer, one case of throat cancer, and one case of skin cancer.
“Cancer is so prevalent in our family,” said Vi. “It is always the elephant in the room.”
Rosa is now the advocate for her family. She checks up on all of them and encourages routine screens. She refuses to allow cancer to continue to be the elephant in the room. She has helped her children in creating a medical history of her family and participated in genetic mapping
“I will always believe that life is a gift,” said Rosa. “Every day is a miracle and I feel as though I can enjoy life even more, knowing that others can learn something from my experience.”
Maine motorcyclists urged to Go Pink
PORTLAND — In an effort to encourage Maine motorcyclists to think pink and order a Maine Breast Cancer specialty license plate before they winterize and put their bikes away for the season, changes have been made to the original design of the plates.
Maine State Representative and breast cancer survivor and advocate Meredith Strang Burgess, who is the driving force behind the creation of the plates — the first motorcycle specialty plate in Maine — said since the idea of the plates was first mooted earlier this year, it has become clear motorcyclists wanted a license plate similar in design to the breast cancer specialty plate for automobiles.
The original design of the motorcycle specialty plate showed the pink cancer ribbon formed from an old-fashioned motorcycle chain, which although historically linked to motorbikes does not really apply to modern motorcycles. The new design features an actual pink ribbon.
Strang Burgess, an advertising executive from Cumberland, is also the creator of the Maine breast cancer specialty plate for automobiles. There are over 15,000 of the plates on the road since their introduction in 2008 with their sales having raised over $400,000 for breast cancer research and services.
She said that in order for the motorcycle plates to become an actual reality, 500 paid reservations needed to be in hand before the State would issue the plates.
“Our goal is to collect 500 reservations over the coming weeks and months. Then the new plate could come out next spring just in time for the prime motorcycle season in Maine,” she adde.
Registrations for the Maine Breast Cancer specialty license plate for motorcycles can be made online at www.mainecancer.org/motorcycle.
All the proceeds from the effort will stay 100 percent in Maine, and will be split equally between three organizations: Maine Cancer Foundation’s Women’s Cancer Fund; Maine Breast Cancer Coalition’s Support Service Fund; and Maine Breast and Cervical Health Program’s mammogram fund .
A specialty plate costs $25 in addition to the regular motor vehicle registration fee.
Can breast cancer be prevented?
Oftentimes, individuals diagnosed with some form of cancer ask themselves and their physicians, “Could I have done something to prevent this?”
Women who are concerned about breast cancer also may wonder if they can prevent this potentially deadly disease, wondering if there is a pill, a vitamin or another method to keeping the cancer at bay. Unfortunately, there is no guaranteed way to prevent breast cancer. However, there are many different steps to take that may help reduce the risk for cancer or increase the odds that if breast cancer is present, it can be found at a more treatable stage.
There is no exact cause of breast cancer, but many experts agree that certain lifestyle choices as well as genetics can increase an individual’s risk.
A woman’s risk also increases as she ages. When a woman is in her 30s, her risk of developing breast cancer is roughly 4 out of 1,000. By the time she reaches her 60s, that risk has increased to 37 out of 1,000. Though women can’t reverse the aging process, they can gain a greater understanding of additional risk factors for breast cancer and follow medical guidelines concerning breast cancer screenings.
• Family history: Having a sister, mother, daughter or two or more close relatives with a history of breast cancer increases a woman’s risk, particularly if these diagnoses were made when the relatives were under the age of 50. Such women should begin testing for breast cancer at an early age.
• Personal history: If you’ve already experienced cancer in one breast or another part of your body, you are at an increased risk of getting cancer again. Breast cancer can turn up in the other breast or even in the same breast as before.
• Inheritance of genetic mutations: Individuals with mutations in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes are much more likely to get breast cancer, says the National Cancer Institute. The risk also increases for colon or ovarian cancer. In normal cells, BRCA1 and BRCA2 help ensure the stability of the cell’s genetic material and help prevent uncontrolled cell growth. Mutation of these genes has been linked to the development of hereditary breast and ovarian cancer. A simple blood test and a genetic work-up can point out mutations in these important genes.
• Race: Although Caucasian women are more likely to get breast cancer than black, Hispanic or Asian women, black women typically are more susceptible to an aggressive type of breast cancer called basal-like tumor. Limited access to healthcare can also increase the risk of cancer fatality regardless of race.
• Childbearing age: Women who first gave birth after age 30 have a greater chance of developing breast cancer than women who had children before reaching 30 years of age. Women who have never had children are also at a higher risk. Women who breast feed lower their risk for breast cancer.
• Hormones: Women with a longer span of “high-estrogen years” are more at risk for breast cancer. This includes women who had their first menstrual cycle prior to age 12 and women who still were experiencing menopause after age 55. Anyone undergoing hormone-replacement therapy or participating in estrogen-raising therapies also has a higher risk of developing breast cancer.
While many of these factors are out of your control, there are other risk factors that you can control.
• Alcohol consumption: Avoiding or limiting alcohol consumption can lower your risk for breast cancer. Drinking alcohol has been traced to higher estrogen levels in the body.
• Obesity: Being overweight can also increase risk of developing breast cancer.
• Inactivity: Failure to exercise can increase your risk. That’s because regular exercise and a healthy diet contribute to the body’s defense system, ensuring it is more capable of fending off disease.
• Tobacco products: Use of cigarettes, cigars or chewing tobacco increases your risk for many different cancers.
• Infrequent doctor visits: Routine physical check-ups by a general doctor or one who specializes in women’s health can make the difference between an early breast cancer diagnosis, for which treatment is highly successful, or late-stage diagnosis, which is not as easily treated. Those who do not go for screenings put themselves at an elevated risk.
Breast cancer cannot be prevented, but there are many methods to reducing risk factors associated with the disease.
