HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1999-11-17, Page 6PAGE 6. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 1999.
Breast cancer survivor delivers message of hope
By Helen Hewitt
Lislowe! Banner
When they visited Listowel
recently. Dr. Kent SorsdahJ. a
surgeon at Stratford General
Hospital, and his wife. Jane, a
breast-cancer survivor, brought a
message ol hope and encouraged
women to do breast self
examination
I am indeed a survivor, and I am
here to tell you how I got beyond
survivorship.” said Jane Sorsdahl
as she spoke to a large crowd at a
breast-cancer-awareness evening
on Oct. 26.
"It's being alive." Mrs. Sorsdahl
explained, “it s about how I can
choose to make alive choices, and
it came out of having to face my
ow n mortality.”
Seven years ago. w'hen she was
27 years old and breast-feeding her
son. she saw a lump in her breast;
she mentioned it at the baby’s next
check-up and saw her doctor’s
concern when the breast was
examined.
“I knew fear, and I wondered if it
could be cancer," she said as she
urged everyone in the audience.
“Let your fear inform you and not
stop you."
After many tests, her surgeon
performed a biopsy and discovered
cancer. She knew her life had
changed forever, she said. She
wondered how she would cope
with chemotherapy and how she
could let people take care of her;
she wondered what would happen
to her and her family. The early
detection, however, made a
difference to her treatment and to
her survival.
Every Month
She urged every woman to do
regular, monthly breast self
examinations. for although more
than 80 per cent of breast lumps are
benign, early detection makes the
difference between life and death.
Mrs. Sorsdahl has used her
experience to help other women,
through the Reach for Recovery
group, the Stratford breast-cancer
support group, fund-raising efforts,
speaking engagements such as this
one in Listowel and through
personal help, such as phoning to
ask a friend or family member it
she has remembered her breast self
exam, or sticking a waterproof
reminder and instruction card for
self-examination in a friend’s
shower.
“Check in and show you love
them,” she advised; “and love
yourself — check your breasts
every month.”
Her husband, Kent, a surgeon at
Stratford General Hospital, agreed
the message of the evening was
simply this; “Practise monthly
breast self-examination."
He said screening mammography
is wonderful and has improved
survival rates, but alone it is not
enough: “Breast self-examination is
the single most important thing for
detection and survival. Every
menstruating woman should do it.
For women over 50 and anyone in
Continued on page 7
Letter
THE EDITOR,
The Blyth Business Association
put a survey in the Nov. 3 Citizen.
The input has not been enough to
take action. Please look up the
survey, drop in to the clerk’s office
or pick up a copy. Fill it out, mail it
to P.O. Box 369 or drop it in to the
clerk's office by Nov. 26.
To keep our village alive and
well, we need your input
Bev Elliott, Chairperson.
Timely and co-ordinated care
Celebrating the official opening of the Breast Health Centre at
Listowel Memorial Hospital, from left, are Brenda Hamilton,
Barb Gray, Vanessa Vines, Lauren Cleland, Valerie Gallaher,
Dawn Cleland, Dr. Paul Rutherford, Tyson Vines, Donna
Vines, Peggy Johson, Sue Weyers and Helga Fended.
Addressing the guests at the opening were Bonnie Adamson,
president and CEO of Huron Perth Hospitals Partnership;
radiologist, Dr. Doug Mowbray; David Hicks, chair of the LMH
Board of Trustees; Dr. Verna Mai, director of screening
program at Cancer Care Ontario; Lynn Ellis, chair of the
Steering Committee Breast Assessment Initiative at Cancer
Care Ontario Regional - Southwest Region; MLA Bert
Johnson; North Perth Mayor Vince Judge and Margret
Comack, vice-president of LMH. (Listowel Banner Photo)
In Search of the Past
The Citizen is searching for old photos of our
communities for a special Millennium Issue to be
published December 29, 1999.
If you have pictures that
would help us tell the story
of our towns from the turn
of the century until now, and
are interested in sharing
them for this collector’s
issue, please drop in to the
*Blyth office and we will
scan them while you wait, or call 523-4792 or 887-9114.