| Colon Cancer Alliance E-Newsletter
News
from the Colon Cancer Alliance
Dear Colon Cancer Alliance
Member, The Colon Cancer Alliance's (CCA) services are
free to anyone affected by colorectal cancer. Call 1-877-422-2030 or
visit the CCA website.
This edition of the e-newsletter will focus on
caregivers. Read how one woman reflects on life since her
husband was diagnosed with Stage IV colon cancer, learn about
valuable resources for caregiver support and a special thank you to
Voices Coordinators, many of whom are caregivers, for their
dedication in making the first Conversations about Colorectal Cancer
tour a great success!
My Voice Wife Approaches Caregiving with Grace and Devotion
 "I am writing this post while anxiously anticipating yet
another blog
update from my husband of over 7 years. Dell is an incredible man--a
talented pianist, ex-IT manager, avid motorcyclist, my best friend
and a stage IV colon cancer patient of five and a half years.
Nothing in life could prepare me for the role as a caregiver with
the constant fear of losing him, mental anguish of cancer relapses
(he has never gone into remission), surgeries, ablations,
chemoembolizations and unimaginable side effects from the toxicity
of treatments.
I found myself maturing through the role as
Dell's caregiver over the years. I no longer sweat the small stuff
in life. I treasure the moments that we have together. Most
surprisingly, however, I find myself transforming fear into strength
and inspiration. I have learned that the human fighting spirit has
neither boundaries nor limitations. Dell and I believe that we have
been blessed with an opportunity of recognizing that and intend to
live our lives together to the fullest. There is nothing more that I
can offer as a caregiver than to give him my utmost support. And
that includes allowing him to take a 9000-mile motorcycle ride from
Rocklin, CA to the Arctic Circle. Yes, wildlife, dirt roads and all!
It took a ton of meticulous planning and coordination with the
oncologist but there is no stopping us. Life is too precious to not
give it our best shot. The goal of the ride is to raise awareness
that it is possible to live a full life even with cancer and it
fills me with joy and pride that Dell has chosen to demonstrate that
through his lifelong passion for two wheels.
To those who
also wear caregivers' hats as I do, may you always find strength to
deal with the unexpected, grace to see the beauty of life even with
cancer and gratitude for the joyous memories that you'll gather
along the way."
Joan Lim is a native of Singapore where she and Dell met.
Joan and Dell were married in August 1999. Since Dell's diagnosis on
Valentine's Day 2002, Joan has become a buddy in the CCA Buddy
Program and is an active member of the Friends and Family of Cancer
Patients at the Sutter Cancer Center. Joan works as a talent manager
for a software consulting firm in Folsom, California. She and Dell
call Rocklin, California home.
Caregivers Suffer Many of the Same Stresses as Cancer
Survivors Many Support Services Available to Caregivers
A recent study
published online in the Journal of Clinical Oncology (JCO) stated
that caregivers of cancer survivors experience many of the same
emotional stresses of cancer survivors but received less help in
dealing with them. Depression and anxiety were two symptoms seen in
caregivers almost as often as in survivors. Caregivers were far less
likely to receive treatment for these issues. One of the conclusions
of this study is to remind people that cancer occurs in the context
of the family and all members of the family should be should look
for signs of stress and means of support to deal with the stress of
living with cancer.
Dr. Mark B. Pochapin, Director of The Jay Monahan Center for
Gastrointestinal Health and the Keynote Speaker at the CCA
Annual National Conference this fall, says "When an individual
is diagnosed with cancer, that person's entire family is affected by
the disease. The individual and his or her whole family is in need
of support and care and, always, hope." The CCA is committed to
supporting everyone affected by colorectal cancer and has several
programs to support caregivers--family members, friends and anyone
else who is impacted by colorectal cancer.
Colon Cancer
Alliance Support Services
One way to support caregivers
is the CCA
Buddy Program. The Buddy Program matches patients and caregivers
with someone who has been diagnosed or is a caregiver and is a
little bit further down the road in their cancer journey. There
is a great need for caregivers to serve as buddies. As noted in
the study above and from Dr. Pochapin, caregivers need a support
system just like cancer survivors. Caregiver buddies share
information, experiences and most importantly, emotional support as
they assist their loved one.
The CCA
Online Community offers message boards and weekly support chats
to encourage, support and nurture hope for people living with
colorectal cancer. Membership is free and many friendships start in
the chat room or on the message boards. Please join us on Wednesday
night at 9PM EST for our weekly support chat for survivors and
caregivers. If you would be interested in a chat specifically for
caregivers, please send us an email.
Additional
Caregiver Resources
There are a couple additional
caregiver resources we would like to bring to your attention.
- Caregiver
Magazine is devoted to meeting the needs of the caregiver.
- CancerCare
offers counseling, telephone education workshops and other
services to support caregivers. All of CancerCare's services are
free.
Conversations about Colorectal Cancer
Thank You to CCA Voices Coordinators
 The 2006-07 Conversations about Colorectal Cancer: Finding
HOPE in Your Community tour ended in Denver on Saturday, June 23.
The CCA owes a great debt of gratitude to the Voices Coordinators
and their chapter members and volunteers who worked so hard to make
these events successful. Our sincere thanks are extended to:
- Lori Pygeorge and Jeannie Moore, caregivers - Walnut Creek, CA
- Kia Andersson, survivor - Los Angeles, CA
- Andrea Clay, caregiver - Atlanta, GA
- Jocelyn Farramola, caregiver - Tampa, FL
- Jennifer Beckmann, caregiver, New York City, NY
- Jill Pasqualetto, caregiver - Washington, DC
- Betty DeCarlo, survivor - Phoenix, AZ
- Gordon Cole, survivor - Greensboro, NC
- Diana Kullman, caregiver - Denver, CO
Give Back Support the Programs and Services of the Colon Cancer
Alliance
Make a gift to the CCA in honor of the wonderful caregiver in
your life. Gifts will help us offer support and hope to other
families in their times of need.
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