Page 2B • The Leader • October 4, 2012 • @heightsleader
Survivors count on friends, family and The Rose
In Memory of Melva Lusk
by Karen Campbell For The Leader Janie Botello and husband Israel Guitron are ‘loving each other through’ cancer and other setbacks but are maintaining their humor and hope. Janie is one of the more than 30,000 patients who come to The Rose annually for breast cancer screening and diagnostic services.
“When you’re weak, I’ll be strong / When you let go, I’ll hold on / When you need to cry, I swear that I’ll be there to dry your eyes / When you feel lost and scared to death, like you can’t take one more breath / Just take my hand, together we can do this / I’m gonna love you through it” Janie Botello lovesmusic.Nearing 60 years of age, she laughingly admits that she’s into rap,hip hop,and country.The grandmother to fi ve mournsH ouston’slack of a Tejano station and taps into San Antonio’s station by satellite radio.So it’sno wonder that M artina McBride’s“I’m G onna LoveYou Through It” captured her heart when she heard it recently asG ood M orning America said a temporary goodbye to breast cancer survivor and host Robin Robertswho wasfacing another battle with the disease. Janieís a survivor as well. D iagnosed with Stage 2 breast cancer in February at The Rose G alleria, Janie is now undergoing chemotherapy. She’s lost some strength and her hair, but not her fi ghting spirit. “When I fi rst found out I had cancer,I told my child and my husband,‘This is a trial – a trial for me from G od – and I’m going to pull through this with fl ying colors. By this time next year I’m going to be doing all the things Iíve ever done before,”Janie shared in a recent interview. A native of Refugio, Janie moved with her family in the late 1960sto northwest H ouston when she was a teen. She spent her last two years of high school at Reagan. N ow living in the C ambridge neighborhood, she spent much of her working life in the import/export business.H er son has provided her with fi ve grandchildren who keep her busy and laughing. Janie’s story is a familiar one to the staff of The Rose.In a tough economy,she waslaid off
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2020 N. Loop West, #220 Houston, TX 77018 and had no insurance.Then she found a lump in her breast.When she mentioned to a friend that she needed a mammogram but had no money for the screening, the friend told her about The Rose. For 26 years,The Rose hasbeen the provider of screeningsand diagnostic servicesfor both insured and uninsured women.But the care doesn’t stop with the news of another year of good health or the unfortunate diagnosis of breast cancer.O nce a woman like Janie hears the news,she isnavigated through the medical maze –including discovering if she qualifi es for several options of assistance – to the treatment plan that works best for her. Janiewasconnected to M D Anderson where she now receives the chemotherapy that has taken her hair and made her weak but not too weak to be both protective and assertive. W hen her husband of 2 1/2 years, Israel G uitron, was recently diagnosed with Bell’s Palsy,she quickly told him,they would make it through but he had get better. “I got on Facebook and asked for prayer
because he’s stressing out.H e’s my caregiver and worried,but he’ll be better in a couple of months.I’m going to take a little longer,”she said. The care Janie hasreceived from The Rose, her navigator Sally Reyes,the doctors at M D Anderson and “even the guy who draws blood”have netted her praise and her gratitude.Whether it iscallsfrom friendschecking in on her,Sally confi rming that she hastransportation to her next appointment,or her son offering to shave her hair when it fi rst started coming out,Janie is convinced that there is a support system that – like the song says – is loving her through it. When asked what she’slooking forward to after the treatment is complete, Janie has a ready reply,“The fi rst thing I’m going to get is a great haircut,”she proclaims with a giggle. “I always wanted short hair but was always afraid to cut it. N ow when it comes back, I’m going to spike it up and have some fun.” For more information on The Rose and its services, visit www. TheRose.org.
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Breast Cancer Facts The American Cancer Society provides this snapshot of breast cancer the world over in 2012.
Risk Factors • Breast cancer is a random and deadly disease. • Being female and advancing in age significantly increases risk factors. • With respect to age, race, religion and socioeconomic status, breast cancer knows no boundaries. • Breast cancer typically strikes women during their most productive years, both professionally and personally.
Breast Cancer in the United States For women in the U.S., breast cancer death rates are higher than those for any other cancer, besides lung cancer. • In 2011, there were more than 2.6 million breast cancer survivors in the US. • In 2011, 22,660 women 65 and older died of breast cancer. • In 2012 there will be 226,870 women diagnosed with new cases of invasive breast cancer. • 63,300 women with new cases of in situ breast cancer (includes ductal carci-
noma in situ (DCIS) and lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS). • 39,510 women die of breast cancer. • 2,190 men diagnosed with breast cancer. • 410 men who die of breast cancer. • In Texas alone 114 of every 100,000 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer. • About 5-10 percent of breast cancers can be linked to gene mutations (abnormal changes) inherited from one’s mother or father. Mutations of the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes are the most common. • About 85 percent of breast cancers occur in women who have no family history of breast cancer. • About 1 in 8 U.S. women (just under 12 percent ) will develop invasive breast cancer over the course of her lifetime.
Early detectio n is key
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Take control of your health with our advanced breast care. At Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital, our Breast Care Center proudly offers a comprehensive approach. From prevention to detection to treatment, our dedicated staff provides the highest level of care. And we use the latest in breast care innovation, including digital mammography and advanced radiology treatments. Remember, proper breast care begins with you, so take an active role and schedule a screening with us today. The Breast Care Center is recognized by the American College of Radiology as a Breast Imaging Center of Excellence. To schedule a mammogram, call 713.867.3336.