Creating cancer survivors
A diagnosis of cancer doesn’t have to mean devastation. Thanks to medical advances that allow for early detection, sophisticated treatment methods and teams of dedicated professionals at the Samaritan Cancer Program, hundreds of our neighbors are living their lives cancer free.
When Lisa Nielsen was told she had cancer at age 43, it seemed like an unbelievable diagnosis.
“I had slowly developed an abscess on my chin. When a second growth on my jaw line emerged over just two days, I went to my doctor who sent me to be tested for an infection.”
The culture came back negative but the swelling persisted and Lisa went to the emergency room for a biopsy.
Three days later Lisa got the phone call that she had cancer in the swollen lymph nodes on her neck. Her cancer turned out to be squamous cell carcinoma, the most common type of head and neck cancer.
Lisa underwent surgery at Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center, had her lymph nodes removed and then six weeks of radiation therapy at Samaritan Regional Cancer Center.
Four years after her diagnosis, Lisa still sees a medical oncologist, otolaryngologist (ear, nose and throat specialist) and physical therapist regularly.
The unique challenges she faced and the lack of someone to talk to about the experience led Lisa to start a head and neck cancer support group, which she facilitates every month at the cancer center in Corvallis.
Despite the ongoing doctor’s appointments that remind her of the ordeal, Lisa’s life has pretty much returned to normal. “I’m back to living my life,” she says.
Christina Jacob was breastfeeding her 18-month-old daughter when she discovered a lump. At 30 years old and with no history of breast cancer in her family, Christina wasn’t immediately concerned. But at her next doctor’s appointment she brought up the lump and had it removed. That's when they discovered it was cancer.
What followed was a visit to Peter Kenyon, MD, at Samaritan Hematology & Oncology Consultants, a bilateral mastectomy, chemotherapy and six weeks of radiation at Samaritan Regional Cancer Center.
In addition to her 18-month-old, Delayne, Christina also has a son Austyn, 11 at the time, and a daughter Madysen who was 6 at the time.
“Telling my kids was the hardest thing I’ve ever done,” said Christina. “We sat them down after school and I said ‘I have something really important to tell you: Mommy’s sick.’ I’ll never forget the worried looks on their faces.”
Austyn, who had just lost his paternal grandmother to breast cancer, asked, “Are you gonna die?”
“When Austyn asked me that question I told him ‘I can’t promise anything. But I can promise you I’m going to fight like heck to get better.’”
Now, Christina has been cancer free for more than a year. She leads a young adult cancer support group at the Samaritan Cancer Resource Center in Albany and volunteers with Relay for Life.
“It’s really important to me to connect with others who have been affected,” says Christina of her involvement in cancer services in the area. “Cancer doesn’t just happen in older folks. I want to help spread that message.”
We want to hear from you! Submit your survivor story.