Cherry Sloan-Medrano
Cherry is the founder of the Filipino Cancer
Network of America - Metropolitan Houston.
Approached by the Chairman of the Asian Cancer Council with the American Cancer Socity of Houston to start the only Filipino Cancer Support Group in Houston. She started organizing the Network in collaboration with her nurse colleagues and other health care professionals. Here is Cherry's story in her words.
I have always thought that since Cancer is so prevalent, it won't be a surprise if I get a diagnosis of cancer in my lifetime, just not this soon. Since I go around quite a bit lecturing on Cancer Prevention in the community as an MD Anderson Ambassador and member of the Speakers' Bureau, I knew that there will be a chance for me to get Cancer too since my mother's family has a long history of cancers from Breast, Ovarian, Uterine, Pancreatic and Stomach. Althought in my immediate family, no one has ever been diagnosed with Cancer, I thought that I think God knows that I am a strong person, so He may give me one sooner or later. I was not wishing this on me but I told myself that Cancer is not a death sentence but rather a chronic one which can be dealt with like and illness maybe for a long time.
I've always been proactive with my health and especially with my cancer screening. I go to MD Anderson annually for my Mannograms and skin checks, I refer myself to various specialty physicians annually for other screenings like my thyroid nodules, had my Colonoscopy at 50 and anything suspicious in my body like bumps and lesions, I was there ready for any diagnostic tests and procedures. I was not paranoid but rather practice what I preach in my lectures on Cancer Prevention.
I have been seeing an Endocrinologist for 7 years due to the nodules that my primary physician palpated in my throat in 2001. Every Thyroid lab result was normal and all my Ultrasound tests were "normal" no hot areas which may be suspicious for Thyroid Cancer. My physician reassured me that I probably had goiter because it runs in my mother's family. I did not even need any medication to regulate my thyroid since my Thyroid panel was always normal. Then in September 2008, my Ultrasound showed a lesion on my left neck enlarged slightly. The Oncologist decided that I will need a biopsy to rule out cancer. I went for the test the following week on a Friday afternoon. I was so happy to see my good friend and neighbor Ultrasound Technician who always did my Ultrasounds for me. After she completed the tests, she advised me that the lesion on the left side of the neck is probably benign (she could speak w/me this way because she knows that I am a nurse at MDACC and we are friends) but there was a very small but an unusually vascular nodule on my right side of the neck. She was very concerned that this may be Cancer because it was hot so she advised me to ask the Radiologist to biopsy the two lesions on both sides. I signed the consent for the two biopsies and when the Radiologist came to see me, I requested him to do the 2 biopsies that day even though he insisted that the right side was a tiny nodule of 0.1 mm and never grew in 7 years and that he wanted to biopsy only the left side per my Oncologist recommendation. I insisted that I wanted the right side nodule biopsied too and informed him that I had signed the consent already. He obliged and lo and behold, the diagnosis was a very possible cancer diagnosis as he announced to me after only 30 minutes of the difficult dual biopsy. He asked me to call my Oncologist that following Monday to obtain the definitive diagnosis and to proceed from there. It did not sink in yet after I left the department and just prayed it was not cancer. I went my merry way that weekend not thinking about it because I always think positive.
It was early on Monday when I got a call from my Oncologist advising me that I have Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma and that I needed to schedule my surgery as soon as possible. I scheduled my surgery for the end of October and did jut that. I was reassured somewhat that my preoperative CT scan was negative for nodual metastasis and not worry too much. I was advised that most likely were Stage 1. I was not worried and wanted to just get over the hump. The surgery was uneventful. I stayed in the hospital for one day and my daughter and husband spent the night with me at the hospital. It was not a very pleasant experience but it was not horrible. I had some friends and colleagues visit me there with reassuring words, flowers and just were there for support. After a couple of days, I received the message from my Oncologist that I have one positive node on my neck during surgery and had a neck dissection because the cancer were in my adipose (fat) tissues in my neck also. I am stage 3 and not 1 as he anticipated. He took one lymph node out during surgery and that I would need a radiation treatment w/Radioactive Isotope I 131. I was numbed at first when he told me this but in minutes, I got over it and just proceeded to schedule my diagnostics, office visits and treatment. I started my treatment in January because they used a dye in my CT and hence they have to wait 3 mons. before they can use the isotope in my body for efficancy. I was not happy waiting for treatment but I was realistic and accepted the fact that there was nothing I could do to expedite my treatment. They did not give me too much radiation treatment and was done, I hope for good in January 2009.
All the while, my husband was very supportive of me and reassured me constantly that he would be there for me no matter what, that it would not matter how I would look like because of cancer, and that he would always love me! He was my sturdy post and my main support besides both my loving children Myrna and Geoff and my wonderful Mom, sisters, brother and many, many friends who prayed for me and still do. I stay positive because I kinow that thyroid cancer is not the worst cancer one can have. Even though I am Stage 3, I have faith in my MDACC physicans and I know I am in the #1 Cancer Center in the nation if not the world. My steadfast faith and love of God always keeps me going and make me feel happy to be alive. I appreciate life and my loved ones more after my diagnosis of Cancer even more than I always did!
I go every 3 months for blood work, check ups and biopsy if neccessary but with God's Divine providence, I remain Cancer Free. I visulize myself living for a long, long time and will live a very productive life, living a legacy of hope, love and faith in God and family. I will make my mark on earth through my service and dedication to the community and especially service to my fellow cancer survivors and their families/caregivers.
I know that we will all die one day, but I am blessed that I know that I need to prepare myself dying one day of most likely Cancer. I have already accepted this fact and am okay with this. I feel that Cancer patients are privileged to know their possible destiny and must be loved by God to show them their path to eternal life. Others lives end in a split second at times with no preparations, no inkling that their lives would end that day and sometimes, others die without their loved ones saying their good-byes or even have time to repair any damages to their relationships. I feel that Cancer survivors are special people in many ways and I am one of them!
