Patients bond during treatment
When taking on a formidable foe such as cancer, some turn to fellow patients to boost their morale and courage.
“Anytime you hear the word cancer, it’s tough,” said James Bruner, 67, of Oklahoma City.
He heard that word last year during a checkup. After follow-up exams, it was determined he had prostate cancer. He sought treatment at ProCure Proton Therapy Center.
Right away, Bruner and his wife, Felicia, became close with six other couples also undergoing treatment. One incident convinced Bruner he was in the right place.
“When I arrived, there was a little boy, about 4 or 5, who just finished up his treatment,” he said. “They have a practice there that you get to ring a bell after the treatment. He rang the bell and started shouting, ‘I’m done. I’m healed.’ I knew then I came to the right place.”
Although his treatment was completed last year, he stays in touch with the people who became his friends on the journey.
“These were people from all over,” he said. “During group meetings, you get to pick up someone who may be down that day or they pick you up if you’re down.”
Carol’s story
The story was similar on the other side of town for Carol Merrell.
For five days a week, for many weeks, she had radiation treatment at Integris Southwest Medical Center and its oncology department. In early spring, she found a lump that was later determined to be breast cancer.
Merrell, 77, had a caretaker live with her during that month and a half. They attended the radiation sessions during the week. She became friends with others in the waiting room receiving the same treatment.
“I would go right up and talk with them,” she said. “I got to be friends with them.”
The new friends would take the opportunity to encourage each other. It was also a way for Merrell to show she cared.
“All of them at Integris were friendly and very competent,” she said of the staff.
Now she looks back and notes how special it was to visit with others in the waiting room. She estimates she talked with 30 other women during her treatment.
“I’ve told them that any of the patients who call wanting my number can have it,” she said.
Now she’s feeling better and looking forward to possibly entering the workforce again. She holds a bachelor’s degree in human resources.
Groups offer support
Merrell and Bruner are among a group of people who have benefited from being with others with the same challenge.
“Support groups offer patients the opportunity to find strength in numbers,” said Gail Sams, senior manager of hospital systems for the American Cancer Society.
She recommends such groups for others.
“They are a place where you can draw on strength from others who have walked ahead of your journey, and they find a bond that will help you move forward through one of the most difficult times of your life. At the same time, you might be the one who brings comfort to someone who is newly diagnosed,” Sams said.
To learn more, go to www.cancer.org.