- Cancer Care, Women's Health, Patient StoriesGeneral Page Tier 3BlogLast August, doctors found a large tumor in Jeannette Mitchell’s abdomen and diagnosed her with stage 3 cervical cancer. For two years, she had experienced pain and bleeding with sexual intercourse. A year later, after chemo and radiation therapy for her cancer, sex was impossible. But a specialized pelvic floor physical therapy at Anne Arundel Medical Center is helping her through the emotional and physical trauma, and Jeannette is looking forward to a day when she and her husband can be intimate again. The cancer and the treatment have affected me a lot sexually and it’s put a burden on both of us. Before diagnosis, the tumor was blocking us from having intercourse. Every time we tried I would bleed and bleed. I thought maybe part of it was menopause, but I’d actually already been through menopause, so I didn’t know what was going on until the doctors told me it was cancer. It was pretty bad, the tumor had blocked both of my tubes which go from your kidneys to the bladder, so the left kidney was shut down, and the right kidney was on its way out too. The doctors had to do surgery and put tubes in my back that went into each kidney and bypassed my bladder so the kidneys could drain. After they got me stable, I had the chemo and radiation everyday for five months. The radiation has changed everything in my private area. I no longer have hair on my vagina and the canal is very small and has a lot of scar tissue. Every time my husband comes near me it hurts. We haven’t had sex in three years. But he’s supported me so much through everything. We’ve talked about it, and he’d rather have me healthy than worry about the sex part of it. I’m going to physical therapy twice a week and it’s helped me a lot. There are exercises to do, and my therapist has really talked us both through a lot of stuff in the past months. She’s asked him to try to get a little intimate with me, but not to the point where it hurts. He’s willing to do anything it takes to help me get back to where we can be intimate with each other again.
- Community, Uncategorized, Patient StoriesGeneral Page Tier 3BlogWhen Lisa Stiffler’s mother fell critically ill her biggest concern was being by her mother’s side. Although she was hundreds of miles from her home, Lisa was able to focus on what mattered because of the convenience and hospitality of the Hackerman-Patz House for AAMC patient family members. I live in Maine and when I my mom was admitted Anne Arundel Medical Center, we were in crisis and the Hackerman-Patz House was the best thing that ever happened to me. When I got an emergency phone call that my mom was in the intensive care unit, I hopped on the next flight out. It was such an emotional time as I sat with my mom. So all day, I was never thinking, ‘where am I going to stay?’ It was getting late and I asked the nurse about hotels, and she said, “We’ve got plenty of hotels around, but have you ever heard of the Hackerman-Patz House?” It was like a godsend. I was there for 18 days and because it was so reasonable I saved some money on what was a very expensive trip. But it was also just a very comforting place to be. The greeting of the staff and the volunteers were wonderful. After feeling stressed and overwhelmed all day, I felt like the director and staff bent over backwards for me. At the end of the day, I looked forward to going there. It was nice. There were always fresh flowers sitting on the counter. One night I walked in and I didn’t feel like going to bed yet, so I turned on the TV and made a cup of tea. I just relaxed on the comfy couch. There were snacks. Someone had bought fresh fruit. It was just nice that I could sit there and have something healthy. I’d spend the entire day with my mom, then I’d go back to the Hackerman-Patz house to have a cup of coffee or sleep—just go back and forth. And I was able to do laundry. I packed so quickly, I basically had the outfit I came in and a couple days of clothing. Thank God, my mother recovered and after a couple of months in rehab was well enough to go home. But while she was in the hospital, the Hackerman-Patz House just made it so easy for me to be there for her.
- Community, Women's Health, Wellness, Patient StoriesGeneral Page Tier 3BlogLike many of us, AAMC employees Peggy Rabuck and Joyce Kroneberger were no strangers to dieting. So when they saw a new “diet” advertised at AAMC from the reputable Mayo Clinic, they decided to give it a try. “It was unlike any other program I’ve done,” says Kroneberger. “This was a real change in lifestyle. I learned to rethink my relationship with food.” The Mayo Clinic Diet is a weight management program that focuses on adopting healthy habits and breaking unhealthy ones. Led by a registered dietitian and cardiac rehab specialist, the weekly classes provide a supportive, no-guilt group atmosphere and education that builds the foundation for fad-free nutrition and exercise. “It’s not radical or hokey, it just makes sense,” says Rabuck. “For example, they encourage you to eat whole, natural foods instead of processed.” Since taking the class, both women have enjoyed positive results. “I lost over 20 pounds,” says Rabuck. “I’m no longer pre-diabetic and I don’t need to take one of my blood pressure medications anymore. I also recently met my goal of completing a 5-K run.” Kroneberger lost 40 pounds and says, “I have more energy. It’s the best thing I ever did for myself.”
- Men's Health, Women's Health, Wellness, Patient StoriesGeneral Page Tier 3BlogMargie Chase usually had success with weight loss when she put her mind to it. But then, something stressful would happen in her life, and the pounds would add up again. It wasn’t until the 53-year-old Davidsonville resident learned to understand nutrition and the underlying reasons for weight gain that she was able to make the lasting changes required for permanent weight loss. I struggle with emotional eating. When I have a lot of stress in my life; I don’t smoke, I don’t drink, I eat. The death of my mom in 2005 put me into a downward spiral and I just never seemed to get out of it. Then a friend suggested I go to the Mayo Clinic Workshop. I followed the workbook and I read the chapters in the book and I realized I can do this. I can do all of this. The difference is that I learned a lot about nutrition that I didn’t know the other times. Things like reading the labels and how products are labeled to make you think they’re healthier than they are. Now I really understand the nutritional value of the food I eat. However a few weeks into the program my sister passed away. It was a tragic event and I didn’t know if I could keep going with the program. I was afraid I would start eating junk again. The biggest thing that kept me in it was talking it over with Ann and Carole, (the nutritionists who run the program.) They were so supportive, and even though I was eating, I was making healthy choices. And I still make healthier choices. For instance, today, I’m going out to Garrett County and I made sure I had plenty of water, fruits, and nutritional bars in the car to help me on this long drive. It’s all healthy. I never would have done that before. I would have just gone for the fast food junk. When I started in February I was at 223, and I’m now down to 180. I’ve hit a plateau, but that’s OK. I’ve learned with the program that you’ll hit these places where you get stuck. I’ve hit a couple before and I just keep going. Then all of a sudden it breaks loose and the scale starts to move again. Your body needs to adjust. Staying steady is better than focusing on the scale. I’ve never been much of an exerciser, but I always knew I felt better when I had the weight off. So now, I make sure I do the exercise. I even joined a boot camp after the Mayo Clinic workshop was over. With the things I’ve learned I’m still able to treat myself. Someone recently made me a blackberry pie, and that’s my favorite. So I didn’t deprive myself. I made a different choice. I took a small slice instead of what before would have been a quarter of a pie, and I told myself that I would exercise for an additional 20 minutes or so to make up for it. I don’t feel like I’m missing out on anything. I eat everything I want but in small portions and keep doing my exercises. None of this has been easy. It’s been a long, challenging journey, but it’s gotten me 43 pounds closer to my goal weight. It’s not over for me because I still have my goal in sight, but I’m hoping the changes I’m making will allow me to live longer and have more energy to enjoy my two small nephews.This is a life style change and it feels so good.
- Cancer Care, Men's Health, Patient StoriesGeneral Page Tier 3BlogAs someone who spent an entire career explaining sensitive and sometimes complicated information to the American public, clear communication has always been important to Marlin Fitzwater. The 69-year-old Deale resident spent a decade as the White House press secretary under Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush. It is not surprising, then, that when talking about his cancer treatment, he said, “next to a smiling face, a good explanation is crucial to overcoming the fear.” Last year, Marlin learned that the cancer for which he had undergone a radical prostatectomy in 1997 had returned. He was afraid, and unsure of his options. But, he sought out the most advanced medical treatment in an environment that made him feel comfortable and eased his fears. “I have at least three hospitals that are within 35 to 40 miles of my home,” he said, adding that he had hoped to find what he was looking for at AAMC. “I wanted a hospital that was local, that was mine, that I could get to regularly, and where I knew the area and knew the people,” he said. After visiting a variety of hospitals, Marlin was pleased to learn about the DeCesaris Cancer Institute and that it could offer him a state-of-the-art, non-invasive procedure to treat his prostate cancer. “They helped me overcome my fears right off the bat,” he said, “They took time to explain things in ways I could understand.” Marlin recalls asking his doctor how the radiation treatment worked. He said his doctor took out a pen and began to draw an illustration showing him where the cancer was and how Novallis TX radiosurgery would deliver highly precise radiation treatments, targeting only the cancer cells and leaving the surrounding healthy tissue intact. “I walked away and I thought, this is really terrific, they explained to me exactly how this stuff works.” According to Marlin, how it worked was simple from a patient perspective. His daily treatments lasted a mere 15 minutes or so. There was no pain, and the open nature of the equipment alleviated his concerns about claustrophobia. He said the best part, of course, was learning that the cancer was gone. Within a few months of his treatment, Marlin was heading out for his annual winter trip to Florida and making plans for the publication of his latest book, a collection of short stories. “You are always telling yourself, this works, and I hope it works, but seeing that it works, is a great kind of relief.”
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