October 30, 2010
Navigating Cancer: Survivor guides others in their journeys
Dee Ryan grabbed the cord and rang the bell in the hallway of Augusta Health's Cancer Center on Thursday.
Ryan, 63, a Verona great-grandmother, just completed treatment for her second bout with breast cancer.
"Today was my last day ... of radiation. I'm done with everything," Ryan said. "I'm glad it's over and done with. I'm just gonna look forward to getting better and going on with my life."
The bell is an important symbol of victory for patients.
"It's a bell that patients can ring when they are finished with treatment," said Meg Shrader, 50, a registered nurse and cancer survivor. "They can celebrate feeling really good."
Shrader's official title at the hospital is "Breast Navigator." Her job is to meet patients recently diagnosed with breast cancer to offer guidance and support during treatment.
Ryan's second bout with breast cancer brought her first experience with chemotherapy. She was scared, but Shrader, whom she calls a "sweetheart," kept in constant touch with her, and told her what to expect, including hair loss and other side effects of treatment.
"She went out of her way to be nice to be and tell me what to expect and be prepared for it," Ryan said.
The Battle
When Shrader herself was diagnosed with breast cancer on April Fools' Day in 2005, she said she was as terrified as anyone.
"As I was going through this, I knew just enough to make myself crazy," Shrader said.
"The hardest part, I think, for people that are going through it ... there's kind of a gathering of information. There's pieces of the puzzle that we don't have until the surgery."
For Shrader, treatment meant a mastectomy — a full removal of her breast — then a summer of chemotherapy, followed by a second mastectomy.
In the time between her mastectomies and breast reconstruction surgeries, she said she saw her body differently. She felt it had betrayed her.
"Once I had my prosthetic in, no one knew, but it's very hard when you look in the mirror and you really haven't seen your ribs in a really long time. It's really weird."
Moving On
Shrader has considered herself cancer-free since her first mastectomy in 2005. She eats right and works out — both can help reduce the risk of cancer coming back.
"I'm surviving and thriving. I'm in better shape physically than I have been in a really long time," she said. "Things that used to make you crazy before breast cancer, you don't worry about anymore."
She said women should be vigilant about the health of their breasts. If they notice lumps in their breasts or suspect a tumor, they should visit their general practitioner who can refer them to specialists.
Shrader is active in the Blue Ridge chapter of the Virginia Breast Cancer Foundation, a group that promotes breast cancer awareness and lobbies for issues affecting women in Virginia.
The group sets up information tables at public events and hosts fundraisers, most recently by moving a giant pink ribbon display around the front yards of donors. Much of the proceeds go to benefit the Every Woman's Life Program, which provides free mammograms, clinical breast exams, Pap tests and pelvic exams to women with limited or no insurance.
"We're not letting cancer define us," Shrader said. "It's a part of who I am. It's a big chapter in my life, but I'm moving on."
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