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PAGE 5B October 2023
A Care Givers Journey With Cancer Column by Myra W. Pierce | Managing Editor
I seldom write anything that is really personal. This is my exception to my rule. Since 2020, my world has really changed. Not only was the world dealing with COVID-19, but my husband was diagnosed with cancer. In 2020, Bobby’s doctor ordered the first round of chemo, but because of COVID backlogs and staff sickness, it was in 2021 before the treatments really started. This round of chemo only lasted 6 weeks and we hoped the cancer was gone. However, on the next scan, it was still there. Another round of a different kind of chemo was started in late 2021. Complications developed in early 2022 and these treatments had to be stopped before completion. Bobby was transferred to another doctor who is a specialist at UAB in the type of cancer he had. In the meantime, his heart doctor told him he needed a special procedure that was only available at UAB. After hospitalization to get his heart stabilized, we began the journey to treat the cancer once again. In late June 2023, Bobby’s cancer doctor strongly recommended that the next level of cancer treatments be in Birmingham. He said his staff would take care of setting it all up. They would make the arrangements with the different treatment centers, and the offices would be contacting us. A social worker came in the doctor’s office to talk with us and assured us it would all work out. She gave me more paperwork to read on top of what the nurses had already given me that day.
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Tonya Zapata, the Joe Lee Griffin Hope Lodge Assistant Director, took time to congratulate Bobby Pierce during his Bell Ringing Celebration after completing his final cancer treatment earlier this year. Photo by Myra W. Pierce, Alabama Ledger
So, on the drive home, we talked about what all we had to figure out. Neither of us had any experience with how to deal with cancer. It had already been overwhelming just dealing with so much over the past three years. A lot of questions raced in my head. Could Bobby stand the chemo and radiation treatments with all he had wrong with him? Would the chemo make him sick? What about the radiation? Would he lose his hair? (not that it would be a big loss) How much would this cost? Would our insurance pay for most of it? I wanted to stay with him during his treatments, so where would we find a place to stay? The social worker had given me a list of recommended lodging near UAB. She had told me these could be a backup if we could not get in the Hope Lodge. I did not know what the Hope Lodge was at this point. As the weeks rolled on, multiple appointments
were made. The week before Bobby was to start treatments, a call came in that we had a place to stay in the Hope Lodge. I was relieved to know we had somewhere to go, but also apprehensive as I did not know what to expect. Bobby was worried that it would be a sad place and everyone would be sick and down and out. Little did I know that this was going to be one of the most rewarding months of my life. I was designated as Bobby's "Care Giver" while he was at the Lodge. The staff and other guests at the Hope Lodge welcomed us and really made us feel at home. Great friends were made, as we had time to enjoy some meals as a group and just socialize. Bobby was one of the lucky ones, he was not sick from any of the treatments like a lot of folks. He actually thrived in the environment. He especially enjoyed meeting a lot of Bama fans
and talking football while sitting around the dinner table. We had a lot in common with most of the other guests. Several of these Hope Lodge guests were from North Alabama and Tennessee. We met folks from Albertville, Southside, Chattanooga, Hartselle, and Smith Lake to name a few. We even met a couple from Saraland in South Alabama. She was a retired nurse and he was a school teacher. Everything seemed to fall into place and it was a great experience. Currently, we are home and Bobby is doing great. The Doctors have told him that the tumor is gone (Praise God) and he does not go back to UAB until next year for a checkup. I would like to thank all the staff of the Hope Lodge and the American Cancer Society. The Hope Lodge staff members work hard every day to make this a place of healing, caring and connection for patients and families.
Photo by Myra W. Pierce, Alabama Ledger
The Hope Lodge's outside patio is a great place for patients to relax and socialize.
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I’m There M. Chris Kuykendall Business: 256-845-4984 ⚫ Fax: 256-845-7509 1827 Gault Ave. North ⚫ Fort Payne, AL 35967
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