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HomeMy WebLinkAboutClinton News-Record, 1983-03-30, Page 25V Y MARGARET ARBUCKLE The cancer clinic volun- teers at the Wingham and Distract Hospital give of their time, energy and selves twice each month to make the motto, "Cancer Can Be Beaten" become a reality. The dedicated network of volunteer nurses, hostesses, record keepers and drivers often have a vested interest in giving their services. Many of these people are former cancer patients themselves or have had a member of their family wha has had cancer and are determined to be an example of hope to others with the disease. Because of high operating costs, a clinic's funds would be drained if the Cancer Society had to pay for help, thus volunteers are critical to its operation. And cancer can be beaten. Dr. T.A. Watson, the retiring doctor at the clinic, said over 50 per cent of all cancer patients today are being cured. That is something many people don't realize, he said, because we hear only of the dire cases, not of those who are still leading normal lives 10 and 15 years after their cancers were discovered. Ethel Montgomery of Wingham is one of those "cancer survivors". Her cancer was detected 13 years ago, after she became in- volved at the clinic. The clinic does not treat patients, she said, but offers follow-up examinations to people who have already had treatments elsewhere, usually in Lon- don. People from many parts of the area, like Kincare, Hanover, Listowel and Goderich, attend the Wingham clinic. The closest other two cancer clinics of this sort are located in Stratford and Owen Sound. Running the clinic twice a month is only a part of the duties of a volunteer. Sometimes, at-home visits to patients must be arranged as well as rides to the city for treatment. That's how Mrs. Mon- tgomery's husband Lloyd got involved. He started driving cancer patients to London for chemotherapy or radiation treatments. The Cancer Society pays its drivers, but because of high overhead, it cannot offer tremendously high mileage rates. Driving for the society is not a money -making proposition, said Mr. Montgomery, but it is one way to help out. Sometimes in the pi, Mr. Montgomery said, he has taken three or four patients at a time for treatments and occasionally went to London five ',. ys a week. Lately he has not been driving so often, but does go if someone needs a ride. Male Co-ordination Another volunteer who has had personal experience with cancer is Doris Michie of Belgrave, the co-ornator of the Wingham clinic. Mrs. Michie, who started at the clinic in 1975, scovered she had cancer after she already had worked there for two years. It has been five years since she had a breast removed and now she too has regular check-ups at the clinic. Some people are un- derstandably upset the first time they attend the clinic. r Or -'4 ��� � "�°�` k it �o Win Winghaxn Cancer Chic volunteers give their tine and energy t :.ce a month to assist in any way at the clinic. Some people keep records, sone book appointments, while others, like Margaret Mundell and Irene Bosman of Wingham, serve refreshments and offer a smile to make the patients more at home. Q Wingham Advance -Times Photo) she said. They don't know what to expect or what the examination will entail, so it is the job of the people working at the clinic to make things as light and cheerful as possible. "The first time is hard," Mrs. Michie said, which is why it is nice to have a friendly face or someone to just talk to for reassurance. Mary McLaughlin, Wingham, a Cancer Society nurse, is someone who is there when people want to talk. Mr$. McLaughlin does "mastectomy visiting" to women who have had a breast, or even both breasts, removed because of cancer. reast cancer is something she is familiar with because she had a breast removed 10 years ago. Most women go into a state of semi -shock when they learn they have a malignant (cancerous) lump in the said helping people at the breast. But everything clinic gives her a feeling of happened so quickly for Mrs. satisfaction, plus she has McLaughlin, she had very renewed some old little time to react. The acquaintances and even cancer was detected one day made some new friends. and the next she was sent to "A lot of people who come London for surgery. into the clinic are in good However, throughout all of spirits and feel not too bad," her treatments and follow-up she said, but added it does examinations, she said she bother her when a par - remained optimistic and she ticularly young person tries to impart that optimism comes in, although no to the women she visits. children attend the Wingham "If they see I had it (breast clinic. cancer) and am still going An average of 30 people strong, maybe they'll decide attend each clinic and that they can too," she declared. number is pretty evenly distributed between men and women patients. Most people are in the middle to late - middle age range. Breast cancer is the predominant form of cancer among the women, whereas most men are bothered by Hp, tongue and throat can- cers, said Dr. Haydn ]Bush, Rewardi,�._. Experience A former Wingham school teacher, Margaret Mundell, has been a volunteer at the clinic since 1973 and she enjoys it very much. Like all of the other volunteers, Mrs. Mundell reat ent woul e festive if pe quicker to rec We know the meanings of most signs because we know they are meant to protect us. When it comes to cancer, there are important warning signs you should know. Because the quicker you can recognize them, the sooner you can take action. This year, at least half of all Canadians diagnosed with cancer for the first time will be alive and well five years after treatment. This number could be increased greatly if more people knew and reacted quickly to warn- ing signs that could mean cancer. But do you know the signs of cancer? Most off the signs off cancer are also signs off other medical problems — they in- dicate that somet g is not right with your s to of health, and they may in- dicate a type of cancer at an e more le were nize signs early stage, when it can be treated most successfully. In trying to be aware of the early signs of cancer, there is a general rule: the minute you become aware of anything tl.:.t does not look or feel right, check it out with your doctor. If you have a mole t becomes abnormally large or changes in any other way, report this to your doctor right away. Any persistent change in bowel bits could signal cancer of the colon or rec- tum. Prolonged diarrhea, persistent constipation or alternating ;' tweet' the two should be checked with your doctor. ;: Rood in the st II can be an important sign off bowel cancer. Rectal bleeding should always be investigated immediately, even in people who are known to have hemorrhoids. Pain in the upper ab- domen, persistent lloss of a -- petite, vomiting of big , .1 and unexplained weight loss are all signs of stomach cancer. Any of these should be rep :ur t• ai to your doctor. Sore throat, loss of voice, hoarseness that will not go away — any of these may be a si, r, of cancer of the larynx. Any .irregularity in the menstrual cycle or any kind of bleeding after the menopause should be reported to a physician pro- mptly. A persistent cough or him' in the sputum or phlegm could in.''cate lung cancer. Check these signs out with your doctor. These signs don't necessarily mean cancer, but they are all changes from normal health which should be checked with your physician. linr� the new doctor at the Wingham clinic. Dr. is>ush also is the director of the cancer clinic at Victoria Hospital, London. Great strides have been made even in the 16 years that Dr. Bush has been ilk- volved wvolved with cancer research. A five-year breast screening project started at Princess Margaret Hospital inn Toronto in in will screen approximately 4,::I;u women from various backgrounds and parts of the province. It is hoped the screening will give researchers more data on early breast cancer detection and even prevention. Early detection is the biggest step toward curing cancer, he said. The most common cancer for men treated at the Wingham clinic is skin cancer which is relatively easy to detect and has an over 90 per cent cure rate. The high incidence of skin cancer at the Wingham clinic, is directly re ted to sun exposure in a predominantly farming area, comment +: Dr. ush_ There are two things that everyone could do which would dramatic.: i "y reduce cancer deaths in this country, according to the doctor. The first thing to do is quit smoking, something which cannot be stressed enough. "I'cn sure cancer r:<:tes could be unproved overall by 30 per cent if people quit smoking." In addition to lung cancer, smoking has been linked to cancers in other body or.::ns as well. Secondly, Dr. Bush stressed regular check -u which would include breast and complete gynecological examinations for women. He also urged people to be as aware of any changes in their bodies as they would be of changes in their cars and report 'those changes' to a doctor immediately. This information is broug t to you with the kind co-operation of the following: BRUCE MACHAN Plumbing & Heating Phone 357-2370 13 Alfred St. E., Wingham, Ontario. ROYAL HOMES LTD. Quality Built Homes Phone 357-2606 Box 370, Wingham. NOG 2W0 NORTH HURON CREDIT SON 8 Alfred St. E., Wingham, Ontario. Phone 357-2311 BROOKHAVEN i ' SING ME Accredited Phone 357-3430 ome Winghanan BANK TORONTO DOMINION ihr hank when: r ' make the J,flcrenc Wingham, Ont. ;.' NOG 2W0 Tel: (519) 357-277;1? 1 W. E. Walden Transp srt Ltd. R.R. 2 Wirgham Phone 357-2050