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Mary's Story
When Mary was diagnosed with cancer she was 23 years old. As soon as she heard the C word she went into panic mode. After 10 years as a cancer survivor in remission, her advice is to stay positive and focused on achieving goals that you set for yourself. Take your treatments and milestones one step at a time.
When we met Mary she was looking for ways to take the institutionalism out the picture. She wanted her life to be as normal as possible. It was very hard to find ways to make life at home as well as at the hospital during treatment sessions normal again.
One of the first things we were able to do for her is offer her a hand crafted hard wood head board and footboard that slid over the metal ones that were connected to her hospital bed at home. We then provided Mary with beautiful linen with bright and colorful patterns that were made to fit the extra long twin size mattress that was on her hospital bed. What a transformation to her room and her attitude toward her illness!
The treatment itself was making eating difficult. With the nausea and the loss of appetite Mary became very weak and lost quite a bit of weight. She still wanted to maintain her dignity and independence while doing basic things like going to the bathroom.
To help her through this difficult period we provided Mary with a beautifully painted cane to help her keep her balance, and we installed some bathroom safety features in her bathroom to keep her safe from falls in and out of the tub and shower and while using the sink.
Mary's treatment has included both radical surgeries and very extensive chemotherapy. Chemotherapy was the thing that Mary was dreading the most. She didn't want to lose her hair and she didn't want to throw up incessantly. She went out and bought a really gorgeous wig so she would be ready if she lost her hair. The doctors helped get her Zofran dosing right and that really helped with the nausea and vomiting. A group of friends all pitched in and threw her a pre chemo party. It was great - the rules were you had to wear a wig or shave your head. And of course bring a covered dish. The look on her face when she saw everyone wearing a wig or with their newly shaved heads was priceless! The party really brightened Mary's spirits. This was really important before starting chemo. As we all know, attitude is everything. At the party, her friends gave her a Chemocozy. It is a fleece jacket that looks like a designer fleece jacket, but has plastic zippers to allow the nurses access to the port, PICC or peripheral line. Mary wore the jacket every time she got her Chemo infusion. It really did help her keep warm, but more importantly it helped her remember she has friends and family who love her.
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