The Dexter Leader
A Heritage Newspaper
Weekly Publication
Speakers Bureau helps healing process
Alison
Marable
PUBLISHED: March 6, 2008
In November, my husband and I were invited to attend the kick-off meeting for the American Cancer Society's new Speaker's Bureau, a self-described active group of volunteers dedicated to raising community awareness about cancer, inspiring survivors in treatment and healing those touched by the disease via personal storytelling.
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The meeting started off with malfunctioning equipment that prohibited the guests from watching a specially-prepared DVD. Tami Rummel, the Huron Valley area executive director serving Livingston, Monroe and Washtenaw counties, didn't miss a beat. She simply made us laugh and announced the first guest speaker.
I thought that the incident perfectly illustrated how cancer felt to me. You're going along in life when cancer comes out of nowhere. You don't plan for cancer, but it comes anyway, throwing everything else off track. Rummel's attitude and flexibility in dealing with the broken machine set off an inspirational evening.
I learned so much that night that I feverishly took notes on sign-up forms, agendas and napkins. There were cancers that I had never been aware of before and personal accounts that made me marvel at the human spirit.
Self-awareness is a theme in almost all of the stories. Cancer forces individuals to examine past decisions, their own reactions and possible futures. Each speaker that evening could recall with shocking clarity details about words spoken by medical staff, responses and actions of friends and their own progression of fears.
I've always been someone to look inward, but the whole experience markedly focused my vision. I pondered my parenting skills, my marriage and made a mental list of unfinished business. If I were to die, what would become of my husband and children?
Outdoor activities had always been a tradition in our family, so I spent months after my second surgery working on being able to throw a ball. It required physical therapy at the hospital, at-home exercises and gradual increases of movement.
One afternoon, I was finally able to play Frisbee with my son when he spontaneously said to me, "You sure take the job of being a mother very seriously." Imagine my relief to realize that my having cancer had not permanently damaged my children. In front of me stood a child who is appreciative, perceptive and able to see the positive in a difficult situation -- skills that will benefit him a lifetime.
Jim and Barb Tobias, a husband-and-wife team, spoke about the importance of support systems and one's outlook. I had heard the couple speak once before at a Relay for Life event in Chelsea, but hearing them again offered me a second chance to gain from their experience. Reading a book twice has the same effect, but reading a book at two totally different stages of your life provides even greater insight.
As anyone can tell from listening to Jim, his advice is, "Humor is a very good thing." His wife's motto is, "The cup has to be half full." My own cancer diagnosis accelerated my goal of surrounding myself with family and friends that have loving, uplifting, positive attitudes and losing the individuals who are soul-sucking, selfish and negative.
Susan Snyder, a cancer survivor and speaker at the kick-off event, focused on spiritual treatment. She said that sharing her story helped with her own healing, a fact that is clear to me. Susan also emphasized the importance of get-well cards for cancer patients. I whole-heartedly agree with this.
A card may seem like such a small act or even an antiquated tradition in this day and age, but, in reality, cards carry a lot of weight. Cards are tangible reminders of love, thoughtfulness and support. They arrive spontaneously, like a tiny surprise in a ribbon-tied box. The cards can be displayed on a table or kept in a stack, but either way, it's a connection to the outside world and provides a boost to the patient.
Marsha Kolar's message that evening was one of self-advocacy when dealing with any kind of medical treatment. She said, "I'm passionate about being an advocate for your own healthcare." Her own story of cancer survivorship taught her to question doctors and celebrate life.
As I have described in an earlier column, my first attempts at a mammogram were eschewed. By switching physicians, my cancer was found at an earlier stage than if I had waited four more years. Hats off to Dr. Denise Campbell-Scherer, who authorized the mammogram and who so compassionately talked with me about the results.
The ACS Speaker's Bureau is still in its infancy, but if the kick-off meeting is any indication, the program should be successful in meeting its goals of inspiring, healing and raising awareness. What better way to motivate listeners and share a collective moment than to have candid and sincere individuals share their private accounts of cancer with strangers.
Alison Marable is a breast cancer survivor and has a master's degree in social work from Eastern Michigan University. She can be reached at alimarabelle@yahoo.com. Comment on her column via our November staff blog, Inside the Newsroom," at heritageweststaffblog.blogspot.com.
Upcoming Topics
"Managing Heartache and Disappointment": While there is never any benefit to a person being diagnosed with cancer, there is always a lesson to be learned. We made careful choices when explaining the disease to our children and monitored our own reactions, knowing that it would impact our children's ability to deal with setbacks in adulthood.
Coming March 20
"Views on Cancer from Those Around Me": It's not just about me, the patient. Like any situation in life, it's an undeniable fact that exploring the interpretations of everyone involved will promote a better understanding of the impact that cancer has on so many people.
Coming April 3
"Joining Research Studies": Following my battle with breast cancer, I now can see clearly the benefit of joining and participating in research studies. All too often I have heard that research studies are either inconvenient or that people are being used as guinea pigs. I am now valuable as a subject for breast cancer research. My blood has been donated to help scientists learn about genetic causes, as well as anything else that might help find a cause and a cure related to breast cancer.
Coming April 17
View Video
View video of Alison Marable's pinning ceremony at Eastern Michigan University. The special ceremony was held in late August just for her because she missed the official ceremony so she could have her breast cancer surgery.
Heritage Newspapers encourages readers to share videos and photographs online. Do you have a video that you want to share or photographs from the Relay for Life or other fund-raiser for the American Cancer Society? Is so, please upload them at micentral.mycapture.com or click on the photo sharing button on the newspaper's home page at www.heritage.com.
Your Thoughts
Have you been affected by cancer? Share your thoughts by adding your comments to Editor Michelle Rogers' blog entry of Nov. 13 at heritageweststaffblog.blogspot.com, which can be accessed from the newspaper's Web site in the left-hand corner.
Check the blog, "Inside the Newsroom," regularly to read what your friends and neighbors are sharing. We want to hear about your personal experiences dealing with cancer, the hardships you've endured and overcome, and advice that you have for individuals battling cancer or supporting a loved one who is going through treatment.
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