This past Sunday, I attended the National Cancer Survivor's Day Luncheon at St Anthony's Hospital in OKC, OK. This is the first year that I have attended, and it was very moving. It was so good to see other survivors ~ some of whom are back in treatment again - but survivors none the less. We were welcomed to the event by Dr Timothy Eldridge, a caring surgeon. The guest speaker was Louie Lepak, a six year survivor of pancreatic cancer. He gave a very emotional speech. He quoted from a book by Hamilton Jordan, who has written a memoir about his battles with three different types of cancer. One point he made, which was somewhat foreign to me, was that the diagnosis and treatment of cancer can at times be harder on the loved ones, than on the cancer patient him or herself. Someone asked me the other day if being a physician made my own battle with breast cancer easier than it might have been otherwise. My thoughts are that I did not have a very difficult time with my cancer diagnosis, surgical procedures and chemotherapy, but I think that was due not so much to my experience as a physician, but to my faith and the fact that My Comforter was with me every step of the way.
I'm posting a picture of Louie Lepak at the podium. The second picture is of John, a wonderful cancer survivor that I have become friends with at support group meetings, his friend Lynn, his granddaughter A.... and me.
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