Oct., 2007 Vol
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page 2 ...................... Opinion page 12.............SRDA Menu page page 4 & 20..................Weird News Coming Up 13......................Senior Safety page 5..................Health Breast Cancer Stories page 15...............Travel page 8............Light for the Journey October Is Breast Cancer page 22.....Fremont/Custer Menu page 11...............Finances Awareness Month page 24...............Social Security & You SeniorIF YOU ARE 50 OR OLDER YOUBeacon SHOULD READ IT!! SB Oct., 2007 Vol. 26: No. 3 Established Aug., 1982 303 Consecutive Months! FOUR WOMEN TELL OF THEIR BATTLES “We Fought Back Against Breast Cancer!” by Sandra Gordon cancer fund-raisers. “Rachel recently A breast cancer diagnosis can be spearheaded an event for the Susan G. terrifying, bringing with it an endless list Komen Cancer Foundation that raised of unanswerable questions and fears. But $32,000,” Sandi says proudly. important lessons often come from fac- “We faced our fears.” ing harrowing experiences. In this breast Growing up, Diane Greene and cancer report, six inspiring women share her three sisters, Laura McGowan, Car- the stories of how their battles made them ol Wolkiewicz, and Linda Phaneuf, first stronger and wiser. learned about breast cancer when they “I was determined to treat my were teens. Their mother and her brother cancer my way.” and sister were diagnosed with the dis- Lynette Bisconti, 43, was over- ease—all three died between the ages joyed late in 1997 when she learned she of 50 and 60. “We hoped the cause was was pregnant. But a month later that hap- environmental, not genetic,” says Diane, piness turned to heartache. After having 47, the mom of two teenage boys. But surgery to remove what was presumed to in 1998, at the age of 38, Diane found a be a benign cyst on her left breast, she Diane Greene and her 3 sisters. In the photo, they are left to right: Laura lump that turned out to be malignant. Af- was told she had cancer. “The doctors McGowan, Carol Wolkiewicz, Linda Phaneuf, and Diane Greene. ter a mastectomy with reconstruction and said the hormones my body was produc- 1998. “When I held Frankie for the first dle daughter, Rachel, a senior in college, six months of chemotherapy, Diane ing would likely fuel the cancer, and that time, I just thought, We did it!” Frankie spends her free time working on breast SEE ‘BREAST CANCER’ PAGE 2. I had to terminate the pregnancy imme- continues to thrive and Lynette has been diately to save my own life,” she says. in remission for eight years now. Lynette spent the next few days wrestling “I realized I couldn’t do it St. Mary-Corwin To Provide with the dilemma of what to do and at the alone.” same time began to experience bleeding When Sandi Saltzman, 51, a self- that made her think she might be mis- described “tremendous multitasker,” was Flu/Pneumonia Shot Clinics Pueblo, CO --- Two community carrying. When she went in for an ultra- diagnosed with invasive ductal carcinoma healthy people between 5-49 years of flu shot clinics will be held this fall at sound, the obstetrician told her, “This lit- in 2000 (a type of breast cancer that starts age for $30. The cost for flu St. Mary-Corwin Medical Center, 1008 tle guy is hanging on.” in the milk ducts) she told her daughters shots is $26, and pneumonia shots will Minnequa Avenue. Both clinics will be Lynette’s mind was made up who were then 14, 16 and 18, that breast cost $40. Cash and checks will be ac- held in the West Tower main lobby lo- in that moment. “My heart leapt,” says cancer wasn’t a big deal. “I didn’t want to cepted, no credit cards. cated at the corner of Minnequa Avenue Lynette. “I knew that no matter what, worry them,” says the elementary school There may be no charge for and Lake Avenue. no matter how bad it got, my baby and I reading specialist. But the tactic backfired people with Medicare Part B (no HMO), The clinics will be held on would get through this together.” on her. While Sandi was recovering from Secure Horizons HMO, and Rocky Wednesday, October 17, from 9 am to 1 Biggest hurdle: Finding physi- her lumpectomy and then undergoing six Mountain Health Plan. Participants pm; and on Wednesday, November 14, cians who respected her decision. Three months of debilitating chemotherapy, her must show insurance card. from 3 to 6 pm. Flu shots will be avail- weeks after her diagnosis Lynette had a daughters didn’t understand why their For more information call (719) 557- able to those 6 months and older. mastectomy. “The lab report was bad. I mother wasn’t up to taking them to the HELP (4357). FluMist will be available to had an aggressive cancer that had spread mall, or doing the usual carpool or cook- to several lymph nodes. I was told that if ing dinner. “One even said, ‘What did WARNING OF FRAUDULENT PHONE CALLS I went ahead with chemotherapy, which you do all day?’ w hen she found me sit- was the next step, my baby might die or ting on the couch, just as I had been when Calls Impersonating Health Dept. Staff be brain damaged.” Six other physicians she left for school that morning,” says Pueblo, CO – Earlier this week the Pueblo City-County Health Department she consulted said the same thing: She Sandi. “At the time I felt that my daugh- received complaints about a person representing themselves as a Health Department had to terminate her pregnancy and get ters were being insensitive, but I realize employee making phone calls to people in the community asking for donations and into chemotherapy immediately. “I left now that I set them up. I think they were personal information. every visit crying,” she says. also scared of losing me, and thought that “The Health Department does not call households and ask for money,” stated After a truly agonizing first tri- if they didn’t treat me with kid gloves, Dr. Christine Nevin-Woods, executive director of the Pueblo City-County Health De- mester, Lynette got a referral from a everything would be normal.” partment. She explained, “When receiving an official phone call from the Pueblo family friend that led her to the Cancer Biggest hurdle: Asking for a lit- City-County Health Department, a staff member will always introduce themselves tle help. “It was tough for me to request Treatment Centers of America (CTCA), giving their name, and title, stating they work for at the Health Department.” She in Zion Illinois. “At the CTCA I met doc- assistance, even from my friends who continued, “Employees will already know certain facts that relate to the reason for tors and medical personnel who treated called constantly. I had always been so me with respect and compassion.” self-sufficient. But toward the end of my the phone call. A person can also call the main Health Department number: 583-4300 ADVICE TO OTHERS: If chemo, when I couldn’t fake it anymore, during normal business hours (8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.) and ask to speak with a particu- you’re not getting the answers you want, I realized that it’s okay to feel vulnerable lar staff member to verify if the phone call is legitimate.” keep searching. and that people really want to do things Nevin-Woods added, “If you receive a phone call from someone at an odd While going to see more than for you,” says Sandi. hour of the night, identifying themselves as working for the Health Department and/ six doctors may seem crazy, it might be ADVICE TO OTHERS: Per- or asking for personal information, question the validity of the phone call by asking necessary, says Lynette. She was not sat- form self-exams regularly. Sandi found for their name, title, work number, and division they work for at the Health Depart- isfied until she found a place that would the abnormal lump in her breast soon af- ment.” treat her the way she wanted to be treated. ter her annual mammogram came back Report these impersonation phone calls to the local law enforcement agency. She decided to go with fractionated-dose clean. Her mother also had breast can- It is recommended to provide local law enforcement with any information leading chemotherapy (smaller doses of chemo cer that was detected by a self-exam. “I information, such as a phone number that appears on caller I.D. over a greater length of time), which was hound my daughters to check themselves Sarah R. Bruestle, M.P.A. considered gentler for both her and her monthly. I also urge them to see their Public Information Officer unborn baby. “They also allowed me to gynecologists every six months. If caught Pueblo City-County Health Department refuse antinausea medication and ster- early, your chances of surviving cancer 151 Central Main Street oids, to avoid exposing my baby to those are so much better.” Pueblo, CO 81003 drugs,” she says. LIFE GOES ON: Sandi, who [email protected] LIFE GOES ON: Lynette gave is still cancer free after six years, is back www.pueblohealthdept.org birth to a healthy baby boy on August 31, to your multitasking ways. And her mid- (719) 583-4526 phone * (719) 583-3217 pager * (719) 549-1234 fax Page 2 - Senior Beacon - Oct., 2007 Visit Us at http:// www.seniorbeacon.info Just One Guy’s Opinion by James R. Grasso, Chief Cook & Bottle Washer of “Your” Senior Beacon! The reason for this piece is to thank the 127 players who came and played Same Old Same Old and donated there time and resources to such a noble cause.