The Truth About Cancer • Fighting the Battle Together

Patty Bruns has been a cancer survivor for 20 years. She was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer, Endometrial Stromal Sarcoma, on her 21st birthday. While still in college she had a hysterectomy and radiation. This did not stop her from graduating and starting her career in management.

In 2000 she was married for 5 years, had a good job, was cruising along with her life and unexpectedly found a lump. She had another surgery to remove the tumors.

In 2007 she found another lump. Surgery removed the cancer but has left her with the knowledge that this cancer will return again. Her doctors have always given her hope that it can be removed.

From the age of 21 to the age of 41, cancer has been a lifestyle for her. Cancer may have slowed her down a few times, but she refuses to let it stop her.

Patty, along with her husband, has volunteered with the American Cancer Society since 1998. She does this so she can show that you can live a great life, even if you have cancer.

Mark met Patty in 1990. Patti was already a cancer survivor at that time. Mark knew very little about cancer and never really knew anyone that had cancer.

In 1995, Mark and Patti were married and at that time cancer was not something he thought about. Patti’s doctors had pretty much thought that she was ‘cured’ because she had gone 13 years cancer free. However, in 2000, Patty had a reoccurrence and cancer became a more significant part of Mark’s life. From that point on, Mark considered himself a caregiver.

In addition to the support he has given Patti over the years, Mark offers his support to one of his favorite charitable organizations, The American Cancer Society. Since 1998, Mark and Patti have been volunteering together with the American Cancer Society. Mark is currently the Erie American Cancer Society board president and a past Relay for Life chair person.

Pam Leins, a baby boomer from Chicago, Il, moved to Erie in the 60’s with her family. She attended Penn State-Behrend campus Pam is married to Michael (28 years), who is also a cancer survivor, having undergone major surgery May 2007 at Roswell Park Cancer Institute. Pam is Stepmom to Michael’s two daughters: Karen and Pamela. The youngest, Pamela (Leins-Kopp), is a 34 year cancer survivor.

Pam loves life. She and her husband enjoy the outdoors, camping, gardening, cooking, travel, and singing. She has been involved with American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life since 1999.

Pam woke August 23rd, 2007 with a swollen neck (lymph nodes) but only on one side of her neck. Thanks to the prompt attention of her PCP, Dr Brian Stark, and ENT Dr Rick Fornelli, tests were scheduled and on August 29 (only 7 days from first sign of symptoms) she underwent surgery to harvest lymph nodes for determining the form of lymphoma. Diagnosis / FOLLICULAR LYMPHOMA (non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma –NHL). After additional testing, Pam began chemo treatment in September, has completed 6 months of chemo, is now in remission and will begin a maintenance chemo program at Regional Cancer Center in June for the next two years.

Pam is a very positive individual with a strong Christian foundation. She received and continues to receive love and support from her husband and family, her Christian family, and her work place family. Pam attributes her success of “kicking the butt of cancer” to every member of her family: church, personal and work. Pam feels that she was so blessed as she experienced little side effects from her chemo treatments which permitted her to continue working as a compensation specialist full time at Loyal Christian Benefit Association.

HOPE is everything to Pam. You will always see a bracelet with the word HOPE on Pam’s wrist. Her screen saver at work shouts the word HOPE and she loves to hand out copies of the following parable to friends, clergy, doctors, and hospitals. The following words along with her daily Bible and devotionals readings give Pam the strength, the courage, and the HOPE that we will beat this disease.

Cherokee Legend adapted by Cancer Survivor, Mary Stellick

A Wise Woman was counseling a younger woman who was beginning a difficult journey. “I see two wolves who will accompany you,” the Wise Woman said. They will be fighting each other along the way to determine which one will guide you through the challenges of your journey. One wolf is life-denying: its name is FEAR. The other wolf is life-affirming: its name is HOPE.” The younger woman thought about this and then asked, “But which wolf will win?” The Wise Woman simply replied, “The one you feed.”

Robert M. Fine, MD is a board certified radiation oncologist at The Regional Cancer Center. He has 27 years clinical practice experience. Prior to joining the Center in 2001 Dr. Fine was attending senior staff physician in the Department of Radiation Oncology at The Cleveland Clinic Foundation where he had been practicing since 1990.

Dr. Fine is a graduate of George Washington University where he also received his MD degree. He did a straight surgical internship at Latter-Day Saints Hospital in Salt Lake City, Utah, and then returned to George Washington University for a surgical residency. He served part of his residency in the US Air Force as a general surgeon, and then moved on to be a Senior Surgical Resident at Emanuel Hospital in Portland, Oregon. After two years in private practice as a general surgeon in Oregon Dr. Fine went on to pursue radiation oncology, completing a residency at the University of Oregon Health Care Sciences.

Susan B. MacDonald, RN, CHPN, Hospice Coordinator for the Visiting Nurse Association of Erie County, has been a Hospice nurse at the VNA since 1995, and has served as Hospice Coordinator since 1996. In her present position, Susie is responsible for the supervision of direct patient care services and for the interdisciplinary team of the VNA Hospice and Palliative Care programs. She plans, coordinates and supervises the delivery of care to Hospice and Palliative Care patients and families. She was previously a medical and radiation oncology nurse clinician The Northwest Medical Center for Cancer Care in Franklin, PA.

Susie received her nursing degree from Clarion University. She has received sub-specialty certifications in hospice and oncology nursing. She is a member of Purdue-Frederick Company Speakers Bureau, The American Cancer Society Community Outreach and Education Committee; Reach for Recovery and Making Strides for Breast Cancer, Bridging the Gaps program with LECOM, and a continuing education speaker for the VNA Hospice and Palliative Care programs. She has participated in numerous workshops on Death and dying, Grief work, Spirituality, Hospice in the Nursing Home, Volunteer and Caregiver Hospice education, and Pain and Symptom Management.

Susie is past president of the Pennsylvania Hospice Network. She has served previously as vice-president and is a current board member of the organization that works diligently to promote quality end-of-life care for patients throughout Pennsylvania.

Susie is a 3 year Breast Cancer survivor. She had presurgical chemotherapy and bilateral mastectomies, post surgical chemo and radiation therapy. She has always maintained that great faith, a sense of humor, and tons of support which comes in all forms gets a person through. Cancer has actually been a gift to her. There are many things that cancer can NOT do and many MORE things that cancer can DO to/for us.

Kimberly Fabrizio is the education director of WQLN Public Broadcasting, blogger, writing coach, college instructor and host of The Truth About Cancer…Fighting the Battle Together. A life-long resident of Northwestern Pennsylvania, Kim has spent nearly two decades as a media professional, educator, community activist, and volunteer. Knowledge conquers fear – that is Kim’s mantra along with her belief that any major life or health crisis is manageable with a positive attitude.

Just three days before her wedding in 1997, Kim heard those ultimate words, “I’m sorry, but you have cancer.” At a time when she should have been celebrating life as a newlywed, she instead spent the first year of her marriage fighting cervical cancer with various treatments and procedures. And now, ten years later, Kim remains cancer free. Kim credits a positive attitude for her successful battle against the disease (and a little bit of luck and good medical care) and also believes that same positive attitude will help her through her latest health challenge – a diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis in 2007.

Kim also credits her husband Tom and step-children Joe, Kim, and Kerri along with her parents, in-laws and extended family members for her strength to endure a long and prosperous life with yet another non-curable disease. When she isn’t working either her full-time or part-time positions, or working on her doctorate, you’ll likely find Kim volunteering for either the American Cancer Society or the National M.S. Society, or writing her highly popular blog about her health journey: Sunshine and Moonlight. Of course you may also find her enjoying the freedom of a good ride on the back of her motorcycle, or out in her country yard enjoying precious time with her “other” child, her black Lab, Oboe.

The Truth About Cancer is a Carousel Film LLC Production for WGBH Boston. Funding for The Truth About Cancer is provided by the John Wayne Cancer Foundation and Susan G. Komen for the Cure. Additional funding provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and public television viewers.
Fighting the Battle Together is an original production of WQLN-TV in Erie, Pennsylvania. © 2007 WQLN Productions