Updates, Reminders and Just Good Stuff

Update...
It was a busy weekend with a good number of the Hope Cancer Resources staff working in different volunteer capacities at Cancer Challenge events. We are grateful for everyone who signed up to participate in the events. It was a hot, muggy weekend, but the money raised is so vital to the local cancer support programs that benefit from the events as grantees. Thank you!

Reminder...

We have a casual little event coming up in August that we want you to be sure to put on your calendar. Fish City Grill in Rogers generously hosts non-profit organizations on the first Tuesday of each month and passes along a portion of that day's sales to the group. August 3 will be our day. Please make a note on your calendar to visit them for lunch or dinner and support us. It will be a win-win since they have a fabulous menu! (p.s. there's a gluten-free version too!)

Good Stuff!
A number of our staff and board members have been working on a strategic planning project with the help of the Soderquist Center for Leadership & Ethics at John Brown University. Our entire staff recently gathered to hear an update from them. We are grateful to be working in such a wonderful part of our country, and to have staff and board members who are dedicated to our mission and vision. Thank you for helping us do what we are passionate about - as we've said before... we can't do it without you.

Mission:

We Provide compassionate, professional cancer support and education in the Northwest Arkansas region today and tomorrow.

Vision: 

To be recognized as the premier source for comprehensive cancer support services while enhancing quality of life.

Information Worth Repeating

A couple of weeks ago a co-worker shared this article, based on research published by the American Cancer Society's professional journal, Cancer (find the more techincal report here). While the entire MSNBC article is valuable reading and affirms why we do what we do in Northwest Arkansas, the final paragraph was what really made us pump our fists in the air and do a touchdown dance. It says:
"The new study suggests that far more than the uninsured are struggling with medical bills. Those with insurance may still have trouble paying for co-pays, deductibles and care not covered by their plan, experts said."

We have been saying this for years!!! 

In fact, it's one of the reasons that we exist at all. It became clear to Hope Cancer Resources' founders that all the medical personnel and cutting-edge oncology treatments  in the world doesn't do any good if a patient can't afford to get to their appointments or pay for the treatments they need to fight and recover from the disease. Too often, people will choose to do the practical and affordable thing, even if it means not fighting their cancer.

One way we are fighting this trend in Northwest Arkansas is by providing free colon, prostate and skin cancer screenings every year and offering our Save-A-Life program for those who need expensive diagnostic or preventative procedures done but can't afford them. For example, even with a doctor's recommendation, most private-pay insurance companies will not cover a colonoscopy for a person under the age of 50. With the number of people dying from colon cancer each year topping 56,000, we are doing what we can to make sure people who need some testing don't put it off because of their financial situations.

Another service offered by Hope Cancer Resources is our Prescription Assistance Program. Even with private medical insurance, some medications routinely prescribed to fight cancer can require a co-pay of $600 - $1,000 a month. For a 30-day supply. We have heard too many stories of patients who have discontinued their use of certain drugs because they think the cost is too much... they can't afford to pay their electric bill and pay for their meds. Or they are working fewer hours because of their treatments, and they need to use that money to buy groceries to feed their families. These are decisions no one should have to make. Cancer is an equal-opportunity disease, striking people of every color and gender and socio-economic level. Recovery from cancer should also be equal-opportunity, and we're working hard to make that happen in Northwest Arkansas.

This knowledge has been bubbling around in the medical community for years, but is very exciting to see research studies confirming what we've experienced firsthand. It's not just those who are uninsured or on federal or state support who are having a hard time making ends meet and receiving the treatments they need to fight cancer - it might be your neighbor, or your child's teacher, or your co-worker. It could be you.

If you'd like to join us in our efforts to give cancer patients in NWA the chance at recovery they deserve, please visit our website and look into our volunteer efforts or donate. We can't do it without you.

"Hello? Yeah, um... I can't make my appointment, I can't afford to put gas in my car..."

Here's how it goes... your doctor finds something "suspicious" and sends you for an MRI or CT scan... or perhaps he does a biopsy in his office and sends it off to the lab. Then, a week or so later, you get a call to come in to your doctor's office. They tell you what you've been dreading: it's cancer. And the fight begins.

You hear from the scheduling nurse at Highland's Oncology Group and meet with their doctors and a plan is created to address the kind of cancer you have and you are assured that if you can make it through the next ________ weeks and get to your treatments, things will be okay. There is hope.

But then, a few weeks into your visits - whether they be daily radiation appointments or chemo every other week - your car breaks down. Or your child needs a band instrument or cheerleading uniform. Or you just have to pay the electric bill and buy groceries. Whether your vehicle isn't running or you just can't afford to put gas in it, you aren't going to make your next appointment. Maybe a few appointments. Hope starts to slip a little.

But there was that nice social worker that met with you at your first appointment at the oncology clinic... they said something about help with transportation. Here's their card...

Just when a patient thinks that they will have to miss their treatments, a potential threat to their successful journey to recovery, there is Hope Cancer Resources.

We have three vehicles and four drivers in our transportation program, ready and waiting to pick up patients at their homes and deliver them to their cancer-related appointments and back home again. This includes  chemotherapy and radiation appointments as well as other medical visits that are related to their diagnosis. Our drivers work every weekday to provide the support necessary to make sure that treatment plans are carried out as prescribed. In addition to financial challenges, some patients may need a ride because they are unable to drive due to their diagnosis, or their usual caregiver is unable to take another day off work... whatever the reason, there is hope.

In the first four months of 2010, our drivers put over 44,800 miles on our vehicles and made 774 trips. At times, a trip is only a few miles, but other times a driver could be gone all day picking up and taking home to towns in eastern Oklahoma or western Carroll county. In 2009, the total miles logged was over 155,600. That's a lot of time behind a wheel, and a lot of doctor's visits that weren't missed. That's a lot of hope given.

If you or someone you know would benefit from transportation assistance, or if you'd like to make a donation to support the program, please contact us.

Here Comes the Sun!

We've harped about this a bit lately, but we really can't say it enough...

Wear sunscreen!!! 

If you don't believe us, check out this article from the Food and Drug Administration. It covers subjects like the cancer risk associated with tanning (and other risks), tanning for children and teens, and presents a brief story of one woman who was a sun worshiper and now - 25 scars later - regrets it.

Most disturbing is the review of 19 studies done over the course of 25 years that found evidence of:

• an association between indoor tanning and two types of skin cancer: squamous cell carcinoma and melanoma
• an association between UV-emitting tanning devices and cancer of the eye (ocular melanoma)
• both UV-A and UV-B rays causing DNA damage, which can lead to skin cancer in laboratory animals and humans
• the risk of melanoma of the skin increasing by 75 percent when tanning bed use started before age 35

According to the article, "Of the more than 68,000 people in the United States who will learn they have melanoma this year, one out of eight will die from it, according to National Cancer Institute estimates. In addition, the American Academy of Dermatology reports that melanoma is the second most common cancer in women 20 to 29 years old."

Some other things to think about...
Sunburns and sun damage (i.e. tanning) can occur when it's overcast outside, in fall and winter, and even through some clothing. The best way to protect yourself is to wear a broad spectrum sunscreen every time you are outside or in a vehicle - car windows don't have SPF ratings! - or to avoid the sun's rays completely by finding shade if you have to be outside.

Many kinds of lotion and make-up brands are adding sunscreen to their products, and a wide-brimmed hat (with or without a bow) will protect your face if you have sensitive skin.

Be sure to ask your child's daycare provider if they apply sunscreen when they take the kids outside. If they don't do it as a rule, be sure to let them know that your child needs it! Send a little bottle with his/her name on it if you have to. For some great info on sun safety for kids (and their parents!), check out this site.

It's easy to do, but you have to get into the habit. We watch what we eat, and try to get enough exercise, but our bodies can be healthy and still develop skin cancer. Care for your skin as seriously as you care for your other organs - you'll be glad you did.

What it's all about...

 Until you or a loved one have faced the diagnosis, it's very difficult to imagine how you would handle hearing the words "It's cancer." No matter your insurance or employment status, or the number of people in your close circle of friends and family, finding out you have a disease that kills over 560,000 people each year is still a shocking, and often terrifying, experience.

Optimism can fade as you do some research about your diagnosis, and friends and family may not know how to help or what to say, and opt to say or do nothing. Suddenly, you're in a very scary place.

In addition, the cost of treatments and medications required to fight your disease can be high enough to cause financial strain on a household of any socio-economic class. In the face of these realities, the fear and uncertainty a cancer patient feels about the future can become emotionally overwhelming.

In Northwest Arkansas, we have access to some of the best surgeons and oncologists in the state, and they will set up the best treatment plan available to help cancer patients beat their disease - but if the patient can't afford their medications, or put gas in the car often enough to make all of their appointments, successful recovery will be compromised.

These are just some examples of why Hope Cancer Resources exists. We are working hard to make more survivors by providing financial assistance, transportation, Spanish interpretation services, counseling, and prescription assistance, and free cancer screenings... all at no cost to the people who need them. You can see the full list of programs and services available on our website.

This coming Sunday - June 6th - is National Cancer Survivor's Day. It's difficult to find anyone who doesn't have a story to share of a loved-one who has fought cancer... and we encourage those of you who do to let those people know that you are glad they're here. And if you know someone who is currently dealing with cancer, take some time to do something to help them get through the treatment and into the recovery phase. If you're in Northwest Arkansas, tell them about us - we are here to help!

Join us to help our neighbors get through the battle to the other side so that they can call themselves Survivors.