Everyone's journey with cancer is unique. Sometimes, the paths
that others take can inspire, engage and inform us about our
own situations and lives. With the help of Seattle Cancer Treatment
and Wellness Center, these brave people looked cancer in the
face and defied it with their hearts, minds and bodies. Their
stories are filled with information, encouragement and hope-the
key ingredients in a recipe for a successful fight against cancer.
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Patient in remission from
advanced cancer is thankful for life
Asked how he’s doing, Randy Neatherlin answers
cheerfully, "Incredible!"
He’s not being flip. The Belfair businessman and
community leader is sincerely happy to be alive five
months (and counting) after statistics predicted he
would be dead from stage-four esophageal cancer.
When he was diagnosed last April, he was given three
to four months. It’s been more than eight, and the
cancer that had spread from his esophagus to his
liver is currently in complete remission.
Click
here for the rest of the story.
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Lessons learned from
surviving 'a mystery cancer'
Imagine
being told that you have an advanced, aggressive cancer, but that
doctors don't know what kind or exactly how to treat it.
Click
here for the rest of the story.
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Portland woman goes the distance for
'integrative' cancer care
Nancy Jarigese felt she owed it to herself and her
family to get the kind of cancer care she wanted
even if it meant traveling weekly from Portland to
the Seattle area – six hours roundtrip "if you don’t
hit traffic."
Click
here for the rest of the story.
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Seattle Cancer Treatment
and Wellness Center is proud to support the
Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (PANCAN)
which provides advocacy and support to survivors,
caregivers and loved ones. PANCAN partnered with
pancreatic cancer patients all over the greater
Seattle area, including those at the Seattle Cancer
Treatment and Wellness Center, to tell their stories
for their annual PANCAN fundraiser and Gala, held in
May 2011. You will meet one of our inspiring
patients, Linda, in
this video. |
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Couple finds strength and hope
when cancer strikes twice
Terry Kelly doesn’t know why he’s alive seven years
after doctors discovered a softball-sized tumor in his
lungs. He’s not sure why he survived advanced lung cancer
when so many don’t, but he’s grateful. Because five
years later, his wife, Jodee, was diagnosed with a rare
form of cancer that had spread through her stomach and
colon. She had supported and cared for him during his
battle with the disease. Now it was his turn.
Click here for the rest
of the story. |
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"Fabric Hugs" Bring Comfort
to SCTWC's Patients
Quilters and their loved ones are familiar with the
detail that goes into creating timeless works of art,
and receiving a handmade quilt is like accepting a gift
of love, a "fabric hug." On Saturday, April 25th, 2009,
the patients of Seattle Cancer Treatment and Wellness
Center were the lucky recipients of 33 fabric hugs,
donated generously by International quilting group,
QuiltPocket. The quilters descended upon the Renton-Holiday
Inn for 3 days, armed with fabric swatches, sewing machines
and giddy anticipation. Click
here for the rest of the story. |
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Seattle Cancer Treatment and
Wellness Center patient Ric Landvatter feels
a special connection to professional cyclist and cancer
survivor, Lance Armstrong. Landvatter says he feels
tremendous peace and truly wants to share his joy for
life with others. That's why Landvatter and friends
will follow Lance Armstrong's comeback from retirement
to compete in the Tour de France, July 2009.
Click here to read Ric's
story. |
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Cancer survivor to share her story
as she hikes the Pacific Crest Trail
It wasn't the cancer that scared Sharon Farber. It was
the cure. The former hospice nurse had seen so many
people devastated by chemotherapy that she ignored the
lump in her breast for a year and almost avoided treatment
after she found out it was cancer. Fortunately, the
62-year-old Puyallup woman found Seattle Cancer Treatment
and Wellness Center. Click here to read Sharon's
story. |
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Kathy Lingo gets a handle on
stress
The year leading up to Kathy Lingo's diagnosis
of breast cancer was filled with grief and emotional
pressure. But she learned to reduce stress and help
her body fight her life-threatening disease. Social
worker and Director of Mind-Body Medicine Robin Adler
offers tips to help patients relax and work on healing
during this most stressful of times. Click
here to
read more. |
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Ellen Chung chooses to live
life one day at a time
A positive outlook can make a big difference
in the effect of cancer treatments. While some might
see a cancer diagnosis as the end, Ellen Chung leaped
forward and discovered the joys of gardening, baking
and sewing. Her attitude has kept her sanguine in the
face of lung cancer and allowed her to find new pleasures
in life. Click
here to
read more of Ellen's story. |
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Cate Koler uses varied arsenal
in her cancer battle
On every level, Cate Koler equates fighting
cancer to being a warrior. When she was diagnosed with
ovarian cancer, she thought it imperative to enter the
battle with a diverse arsenal of weapons. She found
that at the Clinic, where she was able to combine oncology
with complementary therapies. The latter helped her
avoid the sometimes debilitating side effects that often
accompany chemotherapy. Click
here to
read more of Cate's story. |
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Kevin Dixey defies a dismal
diagnosis to become a dad
Kevin Dixey refused to accept a dismal cancer
diagnosis that called for the removal of his bladder
and prostate. His determination to find alternatives-and
leave his fertility intact-led him to the Clinic, which
treated him without radical surgery. He is now cancer-free
and a father. Click
here to
read more of Kevin's story. |
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Crystal Sholin finds support
through long-distance cancer treatment
Support from family and friends can make a
huge difference in the success of patients undergoing
cancer treatment, particularly if that treatment is
hundreds of miles away. Crystal Sholin's family made
her long-distance care possible. The comfort of knowing
her children were in good hands enabled Crystal to travel
to Seattle to get the kind of care she couldn't find
at home in Alaska. Click
here
to read more of Crystal's story. |
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