15 minute read
KEYS WEEKLY HONORS SURVIVORS & CARETAKERS
Local woman shares her battle Martha Robinson: Bald, bold, beautiful
MELINDA VAN FLEET
www.keysweekly.com
Shayne Messina is a 20-year Marathon resident, local business owner of Sunmasters Elite Travel Inc., Upper Keys BPW member and a six-year breast cancer survivor and activist. She recently sat down to share her powerful story and information about the upcoming Making Strides in America Cancer Walk this coming Saturday, Oct. 23.
It was six years this past
August since my breast cancer was detected in my yearly mammogram, which is why I am an advocate for early detection. I got the postcard in the mail that it was time for my mammogram, and I had gone up as soon as I got the postcard. So, the appointment was actually a month earlier than a typical annual mammogram.
When they see something
suspicious in your image, they call you into a big room. I had a biopsy within two days; two days later, I had the diagnosis; and two days later, I had my surgery. Six weeks later, I was in radiation. The doctors responded to my cancer very quickly.
There are many types of breast cancer. And once they diagnose you, you meet with a whole team of doctors — surgeons, oncologists, radiologists and even a geneticist. They are all giving you their opinion on what you should do. My breast cancer was caught early enough that it was able to be treated with surgery and radiation. After year five, I was able to go back to once-a-year visits instead of every six months.
If you know someone who
has been diagnosed or has been going through breast cancer, it’s best to be a good listener. If you are going through the process, find a good doctor you like and trust. My doctor is Dr. Joseph Collette in Boca Raton, and I trusted what he prescribed 100%.
The process is very overwhelming; try to take someone with you if you can. The doctors are quickly sharing information with you, and you have to revert to what they shared. My husband came with me, and it was essential
Shayne Messina, left, with Suzi Youngberg, Upper Keys BPW president. CONTRIBUTED
to have support. Cancer information, in general, is a lot, and often, you are in a state of shock. So, take notes and, at the very least, put your phone on record.
My best advice is to start your annual mammograms at age 40. However, as you are doing your self-exams and feel something sooner, get it checked. One in eight women is diagnosed with breast cancer.
This Saturday, Oct. 23, is the Making Strides in American Cancer Walk. You can walk individually or as a team. Last year, because of COVID-19, we did it as a parade. This year, since we are still not comfortable being in a large crowd, we came up with a series of neighborhood walks.
Some of the organized walks include Crane Point, and if you show up Saturday morning at 8 a.m. in pink to walk, they will waive the $14.99 park entry fee. Julie Johnson is organizing a group at Duck Key at 8 a.m. There are also walks at Sombrero Beach at 7 a.m. and Coco Plum Beach at 7:30 a.m.
The funds raised go to research and also local programs that help Monroe County residents. Two such programs are The Hope Lodge and Road to Recovery. These programs are critical; the Road to Recovery Program has volunteers who help patients get to and from appointments, especially since many need to go to Miami for treatment.
I want to end by saying… “Nobody walks this walk alone.” They really don’t. When I went to get my surgery that was one of the most important things a nurse said to me. I said, “You don’t have to walk with me to the surgical center. I’m fine; I’m not even scared.” And she said, “Oh no, I’ll walk with you; no one walks this path alone.”
‘I’M STILL THE LUCKIEST PERSON IN THE WORLD’
MANDY MILES
mandy@keysweekly.com
Bald heads won’t sweat under a knit cotton hat. Scrambled eggs and bacon are a perfectly acceptable dinner. Underwire bras are a thing of the past.
“It’s so bizarre the things you learn while going through this, but I’m the luckiest person you’ll ever meet,” said Key West Realtor Martha Robinson, whose doctor in April “saw a tiny, tiny shadow” on her annual mammogram.
“So I had another mammogram,” she said. “Then I had a biopsy, which wasn’t fun. And then I knew.”
Robinson had breast cancer. It was stage 1, but an aggressive type that would require surgery to remove the lump, then four chemotherapy infusions given four weeks apart, and finally 20 days of radiation therapy, which she’ll start Nov. 9.
“So I’m still bald, but in a strange way, I like it,” she said. “I never wanted to wear a wig, so my hairdresser shaved my head for me. My amazing friend Kellee Bartley showed up with adorable hats for me. Another friend knit me cotton hats that reduce the perspiration. I have tons of hats now. One of my best friends sent me pajamas. Brenda Donnelly dropped off some of the best lip balm and skin cream since the chemo dries everything out. I’m surrounded by amazing people. And my boyfriend, Roy Bishop, is an absolute godsend. He cooked me scrambled eggs and bacon for dinner when it was the only thing that sounded remotely appetizing after my first week of chemo. I don’t know what I would have done without him and everyone else. I truly am the most fortunate woman in the world.”
Robinson counts the GenesisCare Oncology Center in Key West among her local miracles. The center provides chemotherapy infusions and radiation treatments on North Roosevelt.
“The treatment I received there was the exact same formula recommended by the most-revered Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa,” Robinson said. “They offered me a second opinion via Zoom, which was incredible. And to know I could
Key West Realtor Martha Robinson was diagnosed in April, had surgery, chemotherapy and begins radiation next month. MANDY MILES/Keys Weekly
get the exact same treatment protocol here in my hometown among people I know and love was a saving grace. Not to mention the Women’s Imaging Center on 12th Street that’s run by Lower Keys Medical Center. That place is incredible and so supportive. I can’t say enough about everyone.”
For some reason, Robinson had always assumed she’d get breast cancer someday. “So I really wasn’t afraid,” she said. “But I am very glad that it happened now, when I’m 69, instead of when I was younger.”
She’d even been a board member of the Cancer Foundation of the Keys for more than 20 years. “Mercy Hiller from the oncology center founded that group to help local cancer patients pay rent, mortgages, utility and grocery bills while they were undergoing treatment, and I was always involved.
“I’d been getting annual mammograms since my 40s,” she said. “I’m 69 now, and I don’t care if you print my age, because I want people to know everything so they’ll get checked regularly, so women will get their mammograms, so men will get a prostate screening and everyone will get skin cancer and colon cancer screenings. They’re so important, because even if the news is bad, it’s manageable when you catch it in time.”
charlotte@keysweekly.com
SILENT HEROES
THE CARETAKERS WHO ‘CARRY THE STRESS’ NEED SUPPORT TOO
Shayne and Armand Messina, “co-survivors” of breast cancer, enjoy a pre-pandemic cruise after she was declared cancer-free. CONTRIBUTED
Marathon's Armand Messina has been married to his wife, Shayne Messina, for 17 years. When the couple got the phone call in 2016 that she had been diagnosed with breast cancer, “It was the worst day of my life. And I’m sure it was the worst day of hers,” he told Keys Weekly. “When that phone call comes, your world just stops.”
Thus began a blur of doctor appointments and juggling of work schedules to accommodate Shayne’s treatment plan, which included a lumpectomy, radiation and recuperation. Happily, Shayne has now been cancer-free for six years. But Armand still remembers vividly the fear and helplessness he felt during that time, when his wife was so sick that she couldn’t get out of bed.
“Time stops. You get tunnel vision. I had my businesses and six employees,” said Armand, who owns an electrical contracting business and a hurricane shutter manufacturing business. “I would drive with her to doctors’ appointments in hospitals for surgeries. Spending time with them is important. It’s a very difficult situation, because you don’t know what to say to your spouse. You sure as sh*t don’t want to lose them. From my experience, it was just being there. You just hold their hand. That’s all you can do, but it seems to do the trick.”
Armand is one of the silent heroes: the loved ones — family and friends — who take care of the women and men with breast cancer. They are most often referred to as caretakers, but the Susan B. Komen organization has another name for them: “co-survivors.” Of necessity, the patient living with breast cancer is the center of all the attention. But the silent heroes play an important role.
“If I didn’t have Wilada, my life would have been so much more difficult,” said Islamorada resident and artist Maxine Trainer. She was cared for by her best friend Wilada Bailey when she was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2019. She is currently cancer-free after a mastectomy, chemo and radiation. “We’d be lost without the carers. They’re doing everything, the feeding, the driving, the carrying the burden. They carry the stress that we can’t.”
And carrying the stress can have an emotional cost on the caretakers.
“Emotionally, it's very difficult for men,” said Armand. “You feel helpless. There's no rulebook. There was nobody for me to turn to.”
When asked whom he reached out to for support, Armand said, “No, I did not reach out for support. I’m not that kind of guy. Most guys aren’t. Would it help most people? Probably would. You're the first person that ever asked about that.”
But Armand did seek advice from family. “My nephew is a doctor, which was helpful. If I had questions I’d go to him.”
Bailey said her support from the First Baptist Church of Islamorada and also from her friends was crucial. She would talk and pray with them, especially during such times as when Maxine lost all her hair.
“When she was having chemo, we were driving from Miami and her hair flew out of her scalp out the car window,” recalled Bailey. “By the time we got to the Keys from Miami, she was bald. That was really shocking. They say you’re going to lose hair, and until you lose yours, you think you won’t. But it happened.”
Bailey also credits her faith for getting her through this time.
“I did a lot of praying, and I had a lot of faith in God that he was gonna heal her,” she said. “I feel it was a miracle that she was able to still get up and do her artwork (during her chemo).”
Mercy Hiller of Key West is an administrator at 21st Century Oncology and co-founder of the Cancer Foundation of the Florida Keys. Her mother, Marta A. Gonzalez, lost her battle with breast cancer in 1991. The building that houses 21st Century Oncology is named after Gonzalez, and Hiller was inspired to be Key West’s first radiation therapist due to the lack of the treatment on the island when her mother was battling the disease.
Hiller described tending to her mother’s infected wound from the mastectomy and hearing her mother cry in the shower because she didn’t want to break down in front of Hiller or her father.
“I didn’t reach out for support,” remembered Hiller. “One of the things I did do was I prayed the rosary every day, even when she was in ICU. That’s really what got me through the whole thing. And friends and family were rallying around us.”
Hiller recommends that co-survivors who are currently caring for loved ones with cancer be sure to take time for self-care.
“Take time for yourself. And do not feel guilty about that. Even if it's just a walk, going to lunch with a friend or spending an hour in meditation. You can't take care of anyone else if you’re not taking care of yourself.”
But Bailey points out a silver lining.
“I’m grateful that I was able to survive it and be there for Maxine,” she said. “That makes me happy. Don’t be afraid to be a caretaker. It’s very rewarding.”
Caretakers for a loved one with cancer can call Hiller’s non-profit, the Cancer Foundation of the Florida Keys, for direction: 305-294-7300. The Susan B. Komen organization also has a helpline: 877-465-6636.
The building that houses 21st Century Oncology is named after Mercy Hiller’s mother, Marta A. Gonzalez, who lost her battle with breast cancer in 1991. CONTRIBUTED
Artist Maxine Trainer, right, is grateful to her best friend Wilada Bailey for taking care of her during breast cancer treatments. CHARLOTTE TWINE/Keys Weekly
FLIP THE PAGE
PHOTOGRAPHER TOM FLIP RELEASES SEXY PHOTO BOOK
Key West photographer and podcaster Tom Flip celebrates the release of his artfully nude photography book, ‘Flip 2’ at 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 29 at Effusion Gallery, 701 Duval St. TOM FLIP/Contributed
MANDY MILES
mandy@keysweekly.com
It was 17 years in the making, but photographer Tom Flip finally collected dozens of his photos into a book.
“Flip 2” is a tasteful and artful collection of nude and semi-nude Key West women, all posing in Lower Keys backyards.
“There are moms, bartenders, teachers; everyone is represented,” said Flip, whose full name is Thomas Filipkowski.
A book release party will take place at 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 29 at Effusion Gallery, 701 Duval St. The same night, the gallery will celebrate the opening of a photography exhibit by Flip featuring all manner of Key West photos.
“Tom Flip is a central figure in Key West’s underground creative scene,” said gallery owner Brandie Sager. “It’s a scene that moves separately from the tourist industry we're so dependent on, while also quietly feeding it the fresh supply of magic it needs to thrive. Tom is endlessly fascinated by people, loves collaborating and is always ready to push the envelope. He's punk as hell and knows not to apologize for it.
“This body of work reflects all of that. There is no pretense, no tacky veneer begging to be liked by the masses. It's an unedited, honest and raw expression of what this creative icon gets up to when no one is looking. And he's brought his weird and wonderful friends along for the ride.
This show is a glimpse behind the curtain and an invitation into that world.”
“Flip 2” is available for $40 at Effusion Gallery.
HAT TRICK ON PET PEEVES
My last two articles have been on smoking cessation and potluck, so why not go for the hat trick and talk about another of my pet peeves (pun completely intended)…dog poop.
As you may know from other articles, Mindy and I have two decent-sized dogs, Bella the poodle, who thinks she is a person, and Copper the rescue Chesapeake Bay mutt, who pretty much thinks he is a brown dog. They get morning and evening walks, as well as outside trips about every two hours. They consistently do their business about twice a day, occasionally less; some days they are unstoppable.
Our neighborhood has a mix of full timers, snowbirds and rentals, like most down here, and while the majority are responsible dog owners, we do have the occasional rotten egg who thinks their dog’s **** doesn’t stink. Meanwhile, our and other neighborhood dogs do what dogs do, and try to get as close to that stranger poo for a good sniff, and this is the point of today’s article.
Spoiler Alert! Dog poop has disease-causing organisms in it and is also a major contributor to water contamination. Mind-blowing scientific facts are about to be presented, hold onto your leashes.
Dogs have a tendency to get parasites, including worms (round, hook and whipworms to be specific) and also can carry other parasites like giardia or cryptosporidia. No big deal you say, around here, between the heat and the rain, dog poo breaks down quickly and disappears. Did you know the eggs from these parasites can exist in the soil for years? Nothing like walking barefoot through the roundworm egg farm, or having your toddler not wash their hands well after playing outside. For most dogs, and humans, the parasites cause GI-type symptoms – vomiting, diarrhea, weight loss (not
DR. JOHN a recommended
WOLTZ diet), poor coat, anemia, etc. … is a preventative health physician with Baptist Health Primary Interestingly, as humans aren’t normal hosts, Care in Marathon. the worms sometimes get confused and migrate into other tissues. Just for fun, search ‘ocular parasites’ on your favorite browser and then select images, it’s a hoot.
Dog poo, just like people poo, also contains lots of bacteria, and many of these infect humans as well. E. Coli, campylobacter and salmonella are just some of the bad actors that can be shared between dogs and humans.
Seriously though, how much poo can dogs make? Supposedly, the 70 million dogs in the U.S. produce over 10 million tons of poo annually (that’s 50+ times the amount of gold ever mined). The poo that is allowed to “dissolve” quickly enters the water table and contributes nutrients that support harmful algae, leading to fish/wildlife kills.
How do we fix this? It’s pretty easy. Make sure your pet sees the vet once a year and takes a preventive anti-parasitic; secondly, go to your local pet store, buy some biodegradable bags, and pick up your dog’s poop! Have a great week, and be healthier today than you were yesterday!
For more information, click on the following site: www.petbutler. com.
