More Can Tho

We only spent 2 days in Can Tho, but by the time we left we felt as though we too were now a part of the family here.  In that short time we were given complete access to the hospital, staff and patients.  We had a team of 3 young doctors at our sides constantly.  Dr. Trung, Dr. Van and Dr. Kim were our interpreters, guides, teachers, motor bikes chauffeurs, and chop stick instructors.  They are only 24 years old, but wise beyond their years.  They are Dr. Thang’s young protoges, he treats them (and the patients) as if they were his own children.  He is their teacher, mentor, guide and friend.  It was great to get a glimpse into the training of these young doctors.  I am sure they will become wonderful physicians and will have a great impact on the face of cancer in Vietnam.

Dr. Van, Dr. Kim and Dr. Trung

One evening one of the surgeons, Dr. Luar invited us, our “guides” and some of the other staff to the home of one of his patients Mrs. Tran Thi Su for a family dinner.  Mrs Tran is a survivor of breast cancer.  She was diagnosed on September 11, 2001.  She was terrified, afraid to treat it, but she believed in Dr. Luar and underwent a mastectomy, 6 rounds of chemo and hormone replacement.  She is quite well today.  Her advice is to get treatment early, trust your doctors and listen to the advice of other patients.  Don’t be afraid of death, you can be cured and survive.  Having dinner in her home was a great glimpse into the doctor-patient relationships that are established at the hospital in Can Tho.  Dr. Luar was truly a part of the Tran family.  This is the norm in Can Tho, they treat their patients as if they were their own flesh and blood.  It is a beautiful thing to see and an experience I will always treasure.

Tran Thi Su

Dr. Luar

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Can Tho, Vietnam

From the street looking through the nondescript gates, one would never know that the Can Tho Oncology Hospital is a very special place.  The building looks like all the others on the street except for the constant flow of people around the entrance.  Once inside the gates, indoors and out merge into one space buzzing with activity.  Doctor’s and nurses rushing about trying to accommodate the throngs of patients waiting to be cared for.  This small oncology hospital serves about 20 million people in the Mekong delta region.  There are 120 beds, one cobalt radiation machine (donated by India), one ultrasound machine (again donated), one microscope for pathology (yep, donated) and at any given time 200-300 patients in house.  This means at times there are 2-3 patients sharing 1 bed. Make shift beds of lawn furniture are set up outside to accommodate the overflow.  Not to mention the 300 or so patients that are seen daily on an out patient basis by the 45 doctors and nurses on staff. It is this incredibly dedicated, talented and compassionate staff that make the Can Tho Oncology Hospital such a truly inspiring place.

Waiting area

The hospital is open 7 days a week, from 7:00am to 5:00pm to see patients, but it is humming around the clock to try to handle their ever increasing patient load.  The radio therapy unit treats over 50 patients a day, one of the doctors Dr. Trung told us that by 9:45am he had already seen 48 patients.  You would think that it would be total chaos, but it isn’t. The patients define the word patience, they are calm, polite, helpful to each other and grateful for the quality care that they are receiving.  The doctors and staff are immensely capable and caring.  Their level of commitment and dedication to their patients and the hospital are a direct reflection of Dr. Thang Quyet Huynh, the director of the hospital.  Dr. Thang is a rare and special person.  He is a pioneer in the field of oncology in Vietnam.  He is both and MD and a PhD.  He and 4 other doctors started the oncology department in Can Tho in 1999 as part of the general hospital.  In 2007 a new general hospital was built and the oncology division remained on that site to become it’s own facility.  It is also a teaching hospital, training new doctors.  Dr. Thang has established an English language club so the doctors can have better access to new techniques, procedures and technologies to give the highest quality care they can to their patients and in order to publish their own articles.  The hospital evaluates and implements new procedures for the country.  They are working on a cancer prevention campaign to educate the population and other doctor’s.  All of this on a shoe string budget, with very limited equipment and supplies, in cramped, overcrowded conditions.

Patient Overflow

Pathology

To me what makes this hospital so special is that under these  taxing conditions, the patients are receiving wonderful care in every aspect from the family of doctors led by Dr. Thang.  And they truly are like a family, they are kind and respectful to each other and the patients, they are nurturing yet stern with the young doctors and students.  There is a great feeling of love and compassion here that is unique and palpable.  Even though in Vietnam 70-80% of cancer patients are diagnosed in late stages, 3 or 4, everyone at the hospital remains positive, they look to the bright spots, the successes, and provide quality care and dignity for each patient.  It is no wonder that Dr. Thang was just named president of the Vietnam Cancer Society.

I am in awe and completely humbled by our experience in Can Tho and I am deeply grateful to Dr. Thang and his staff for their generosity, kindness and openness.  My next post will will go into more details about our very full 2 days spent there.

Dr. Thang

Emergency Room

Ultrasound Room

Radiology

Patient Ward

The Lab

Post Op 1

Post Op 1

Patient Room

Post Op 2

Posted in Breast Cancer, Can Tho Oncology Hospital, Cancer, Carolyn Taylor, Dr. Thang, Misc., vietnam | 1 Comment

A few more photos from the Hanoi Breast Cancer Club meeting

Patients and survivors

Dr Linh

Mr and Mrs Pham Quang M, she is a breast cancer survivor

more of the group

Breast cancer survivor

Me and a new friend

A lovely singing performance

Posted in Misc. | 2 Comments

Hanoi, Vietnam

It is 9:00 am on very gray Saturday morning in Hanoi.  Chris and I are trying to locate the room where we are meeting Dr. Dieu Linh Nguyen and Mrs. Huong Phung Thi and their Breast Cancer Club.  Smiling faces gently point us up the grand old staircase in the K cancer hospital to the second floor auditorium.  I am thinking there are quite a lot of people here for a Saturday morning.

Hanoi National Cancer-K-Hospital

Inside the NCH Hanoi

Dr. Linh and Mrs Huong are two inspirational women. Mrs. Huong was diagnosed with stage 2 breast cancer in 2007.  She had a mastectomy, chemotherapy and radiation.  Dr Linh was her oncologist and thankfully she has made a complete and total recovery.  Dr. Linh had won a grant to study at the University of Wisconsin Cancer Center.  She was impressed by the survivor support groups she saw there and felt there was a real need for this in Vietnam.  Upon her return to Hanoi she recruited Mrs. Huong to start a support group.  They have no assistance from the government, they are completely self funded.  The 2 hour meeting/lecture that we sat in on had about 100 men and women in attendance.  They were cancer patients, survivors and care givers there.  Dr. Linh and Mrs. Huong hold these meetings the last Saturday of every month.  They are open to anyone who wishes to attend.  Each month they give a lecture and focus on different topics including general health, cancer awareness and prevention.  They also provide an open forum for patients and care givers as well as the general public to ask questions and share their feelings and thoughts about their own situations.  Every 3 months they take a field trip to the ward to visit with patients.  They organize festivals and performances for children with cancer, especially those from the rural areas who have never had the opportunity to see these things.  They also try to raise money for cancer patients with lesser means.   What these two women are doing is simply amazing.  They are providing the sole support service for all cancer patients in the Hanoi area, on their own, in their spare time (which isn’t much as Dr. Linh is a surgical oncologist, Mrs. Huong works as a deputy manager for the Vietnam Environment Protection Fund),  and out of their own pockets. We were really in awe of what they have accomplished.  Their enthusiasm, commitment and dedication are truly inspirational.

Mrs. Huong and Dr. Linh

As we traveled around Vietnam over the next few weeks we realized that they would be the ONLY cancer support group that we would see in the entire country.  It seems to be a very new concept here, but I really feel that support groups would be an invaluable resource for both the patients and the incredibly overtaxed health care system here.  I will try to do my best to help connect Dr. Linh and Mrs. Huong  with other support groups and associations that I have met and try to draw some attention to their cause so they themselves can have some support in the work they are doing.

Posted in Cancer, cancer support group, hanoi, Misc., vietnam | 1 Comment

Heart to Heart, Bangkok

Heart to Heart Foundation

On our second day in Bangkok we were invited by Mrs. Orajitt Bumrungskulswat to attend the final afternoon of a two day workshop attended by 6o cancer patients, survivors and health care officers representing the Heart to Heart Foundation of Thailand.  The chairman, Dr. Vichai Chokevivatt met with us and explained how the foundation was the dream of Dr. Sanguan Nittayarumphong, the past Secretary-General of the National Health Security Office, to bring together patients with chronic diseases such as cancer, heart disease, kidney disease and HIV/Aids to help each other, to assist health care workers and to in essence humanize health care.  In 2006, 17 Friendship Centers were established in every region of Thailand (there are now 35 centers).  They are a wonderful organization of incredibly enthusiastic and dedicated volunteers.  It is a kind of grass roots support system that helps both the patients and eases the burden on the health care system.  It is funded solely by donation and grants.  They provide a great model for how a program with a relatively small budget can have a major impact on the health care system.

Chris joining in a traditional dance!

I was asked to give a brief speech about myself and the project.  Dr. Chokevivatt then honored me by presenting me with a Heart to Heart Foundation pin.  While the conference continued I interviewed 8 lovely women that Orajitt had arranged for me to interview and photograph.

Churairat Chareonpong is a 20 year breast cancer survivor.  She became pregnant at 45 years and gave birth at 46, but the baby wouldn’t nurse.  She felt something odd in her breast.  She didn’t tell anyone because the baby was very young and cancer was still very much a stigma in Thailand at that time.  Finally 2 years later she had a mamogram.  She went into surgery at 7:00am and told her doctor if it is cancer just take it off.  She woke up at 7:00pm to find her breast removed.  It was very hard for her because she had never known anyone with cancer.  She had no idea what to expect and she had a very young child.  6 months later, her other breast was removed and she then had chemo and radiation.  Luckily she made a full recovery. Churairat has become a vegetarian, practices meditation and is a volunteer and patient advocate.  She concentrates her time on helping those less fortunate than herself.

Churairat Chareonpong

Lily had two separate occurrences of breast cancer, the first at age 46, the second at 51.  She has had two mastectomies and chemotherapy, she is now 60.  She feels that having survived cancer has given her a spiritual rebirth.  She knows herself better, she has more value for life.  She was a counselor and now she counsels patients, especially those less privileged.  She has learned how to use a computer and has written a book about cancer care.  A sort of primer to help others going through what she also experienced.  She is an incredible advocate for others.

Lily

Chaliya Wamaloon is the director of nursing at a cancer hospital, Jirung-Koon Nuttharunt was her patient and also is an oncology nurse at the hospital.  Jirung is also an 8 year survivor of breast cancer.  She also feels that the intensity and stress in her life and work had a great impact on her developing cancer.  She has readjusted her life and behavior to be less stressful and is more relaxed in her attitude.  She feels that her work a as a nurse really benefits patients since she a cancer survivor herself.  She has greater empathy and compassion for them since she has been through the process already. Both Chaliya and Jirung work to improve the treatment and quality of life for their patients.  They work with psycho social, spiritual, physical, integrated,  and holistic therapies based on the lifestyle and background of each patient to help them recover and live a happy, healthy life.

Chaliya Wamaloon and Jirungkoon Nuttharunt

Mrs Suweeluck Sawangkawat is a 9 year survivor of breast cancer and also a survivor of gastric cancer.  Cancer has totally changed her life.  She tries to be a happier person and keep stress out of her life.  She advocates meditation,  exercise and taking care of oneself.  She also is an avid volunteer for the Heart to Heart Foundation.

Suweeluck Sawangkawat

Orawan is a 16 year survivor.  She works for the Cancer Institute of Thailand and volunteers her time to help patients battling cancer.

Orawan Ovararint

Saichol Sarradatta was diagnosed with stage 3 ovarian cancer 3 years ago.  She used alternative treatment for the first year and a half, then had surgery, chemotherapy and radiation.   Just recently she was having an issue breathing and a small spot was found on her lung, they are keeping a close check on it.  She wants to help other patients overcome their fears, especially those diagnosed in later stages.

Saichol Sarradatta

Whanjai Somwang is a 13 year survivor of breast cancer.  She works in a sub district in Bangkok helping to raise awareness for cancer prevention and self screening.  She advocates a healthy life style  and is a national aerobic dancing champion who led us all in a group dance!

Whanjai Somwang

Nattichar Chathong is a breast cancer survivor.  She does as much as she can to help others.  She makes prostheses, wigs and caps for chemo patients and volunteers her time to talk about prevention and awareness.

Mrs. Sambhao Nabheerong is also a survivor.  She interviewed me for a radio show that she hosts every week talking about all aspects of cancer.

Sambhao Nabheerong

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Khun Nongyao

Khun Nonyao

It is impossible for me to fully comprehend the life of Khun Nongyao.  She is a true survivor in every sense.  She lives in abject poverty in a slum in Bangkok.  For 4 months and 14 days she nursed her 33 year old daughter through her final battle with cervical cancer.  They did not have the money for her to go to the hospital, so she remained at home.  They barely had enough money for pain medication.  The drugs would wear off and her daughter would be racked with pain while waiting for the next dose to come.  She was constantly hemorrhaging.  It was torture to see her daughter like this.  When she felt that her daughter couldn’t take the pain anymore, Khun Nongyao held her face in her two hands and told her daughter it is enough, go.  That was one year ago, and since then her son-in-law has also died from asbestos poisoning.  Now, she is trying to provide for her 3 grandchildren on her own.  She earns about 200 baht a day (6 US dollars) taking care of neighborhood children.  That money is for the 4 of them to live on.   All of their expenses must be met on under $2,000/year, food, clothing, rent, medical expenses, everything.

This woman’s life was unbearably hard to begin with.  Living in extreme poverty, just trying to exist is difficult enough without the heartbreak and devastation that cancer has caused to her family.  Towards the end of our interview Khun Nongyao surprisingly told us that she is herself a survivor of uterine cancer.

The story of Khun Nongyao is unfortunately all too common to Finola Chatamra who introduced me to Khun Nongyao and acted as my interpreter.  It is stories like this that she hears and sees everyday through the slum outreach project she runs for the Queen Sirikit Centre for Breast Cancer .  All of us in the room were in tears throughout this interview.  The pain and suffering that this woman has endured because of cancer is heartbreaking.

Khun Nongyao and Finola Chatamra

Khun Nongyao is truly the face of cancer.  She has been a patient, a caregiver and ultimately a survivor.  Her life continues to be one of struggle and pain because of cancer.

This is the reality of cancer in most of the world.  70-80%  of patients are diagnosed in late stages of disease.  Most people don’t have access to health care or the means to pay for treatment.  Families are devastated both emotionally and financially.

I began this project to show how connected we all are through having survived cancer, but I am discovering so very much more, about myself, the world and my place in it.  It is because of people like Khun Nongyao that I want to show the true face of cancer, the every day realities of what people have to go through in their battles with the disease.  It is so much more than what I naively set out to focus on.  This project is absolutely life changing for me.  The places, the people and their stories have affected me deeply.   I hope that my images can help to give a face to the realities of cancer in the world.

Posted in Cancer, Misc. | 4 Comments

Bangkok

It has really been a bit of a whirlwind since we arrived in SE Asia on the 18th, I can’t believe that 2 weeks have flown by so quickly and I have had no time to post!  Originally we were only going to be passing through Bangkok and not working as we  had two days there.  About 3 weeks before I was to leave NY, I emailed a few different contacts supplied to me from the UICC and the ACS and I was able to secure 2 meetings and make some very productive use of our time spent there and meet some amazing people.

My first meeting was with Dr. Kris Chatamra and his wife Finola at the Queen Sirikit Centre for Breast Cancer in Bangkok.

Dr. Kris Chatamra

Over the last 14 years they have worked to create a state of the art facility that treats all women but was conceived by Dr. Kris and Queen Sirikit as “a sanctuary for women in need”.  The Queen is a great supporter and advocate for the center.  The Centre is on the grounds of the state teaching hospital but it is run completely independently supported solely by donations so that Dr. Kris can have complete control over the equipment, procedures, protocols and patients.  He uses cutting edge technology and treatments.  He believes in preserving the breast as much as possible.  His wife Finola is responsible for heading up their slum outreach program.  Every 3 months she leads a team into one of 20 slums that they work in.  Together with local community groups and centers they meet with women, screen them then bring 120 women back to the centre where they receive a full check up, pap smear, mamogram and ultrasound all free of charge.  The women that they serve would never have access to this kind of health care any other way. Through this they are trying to empower these women to let them know that they are important, that they can lead a better life.  They spread awareness and educate the community about breast cancer along with trying to dispel the myths and stigmas attached to it.  Dr. Kris and Finola have dedicated their lives to the centre and have made and will continue to make an incredible difference in the lives of so many.

At the Centre I was introduced to 3 women that are all breast cancer survivors and volunteer in a support group based at the centre.

Piak was 49 when diagnosed 4 years ago.  She had a lumpectomy, radiation and chemo.  Having survived cancer has changed her deeply.  She found great relief from the worry and stress of having cancer through her religion, Buddhism.  Meditation helped to heal her and raise her up out of despair.  She tries to help others, her advice is that worry cannot help you, live with it and make it positive.

Piak

Fha was diagnosed 7 years ago at age 49, she too had a lumpectomy, chemo and 30 rounds of radiation.  She really had to fight through her treatments.  She focused on getting well for her daughter.  Today she volunteers as much as possible to help relieve the suffering of others.  She devotes much of her time to working with the support group, making prosthesis, bras, wigs and counseling other patients.

Fha

Nee’s husband found her lump when she was 45.  She underwent a mastectomy, 8 rounds of chemo and 25 radiation treatments.  She was incredibly sad after losing her breast and having had cancer. It took her 3 years to feel good again. Now she is very happy and volunteers to help others suffer less.  Her foundation in Buddhism also plays a key role in her life.

Nee

Posted in Misc. | 1 Comment

South Africa

I feel so badly that I have not finished putting up the wonderful stories of all of the wonderful women I met in South Africa, they are all incredible women and I am so honored that they took the time to meet with me and share their stories.  I at least wanted to make sure that I posted their photos!   So here is one more story and then all of the beautiful women of Cape Town that I met!

Amanda Power

Amanda Power was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2007 at age 35.  She found a lump one day while stretching after a run.  She immediately went to a breast specialist who did a fine needle biopsy but told her not to worry, you have no family history, go home and put it out of your mind.  Six months later the lump was still there.  She went back to the doctor and they said let’s just remove it for cosmetic reasons.  In a pre-op ultrasound they could see calcification and the lump was removed the next day.  The doctor told her that she might want to call her parents and husband, this is cancer.  She was in a fog, it all felt surreal to her.  She had surgery, 3 months of radiation and 6 months of chemo.  She suffered all the worst side effects, but had the constant support of her husband, family and friends.  Her diagnosis happened 2 years after a major tragedy in her life.  In 2005 after going through 6 years of fertility treatments, she and her husband Richard were finally pregnant with twins.  They were ecstatic, but 17 weeks into the pregnancy her water broke,  she was hospitalized.  At 25 weeks the infection that caused her water to break was now threatening Amanda’s life as well as her babies and labor was induced.  They were unable to save the babies as they were so tiny and they do not have the equipment or technology in SA to support babies under 25 weeks.  Amanda and Richard were of course completely devastated, then just as they were beginning to heal from the death of their children, they were struck with Amanda’s cancer diagnosis and treatment.  Amanda now has a totally new perspective on life, she is determined to help others.  That has become her focus.  Her advice is to never miss an opportunity, live your life fully, fight and never give up!!

Anette Van Eck

Ank Gowans

Ann Steyn

Joycelyn Matsimela

Winkie Gum

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Off to SE Asia

I had to take a bit of a break from traveling for the project for the past few months and devote myself to my commercial work (also why the blog was a little on the quiet side, sorry).  While BA is taking care of the cost of the flights, I am afraid that the hotels, meals, transportation, etc are on my shoulders and global travel is not exactly inexpensive!  So I am finally back out on the road and this time my husband Chris is with me.  It is really great to have him here for support, encouragement and let’s not forget luggage carrier!  We are traveling for the next month.  Bangkok, Cambodia, Vietnam and Hong Kong are on the schedule.  Chris is going to be filming a bit of video along the way, so hopefully we can share some of that soon!  We already had two wonderful meetings in Bangkok (in the 2 days that we were there) and just spent a couple of days doing a bit of relaxing, sightseeing and de-jet lagging in Siem Reap, Cambodia.  We are heading to Hanoi tonight! I hope to be able to post about the wonderful people we met in Thailand over the next few days!

We feel so terribly sorry for the people of Cambodia because of the tragic accident in Phnom Penh on Monday evening.   Even though their hearts are suffering through the worst disaster that has occurred here in twenty years, they have been nothing but warm, gracious, and kind to us.  I was hoping to be able to work here, but I was unable to make a connection. When you are here you realize why, it is a very poor country, with minimal resources, particularly in the arena of health care. I would love to come back here (I know, I know, I say that about everywhere, but I really do mean it) and learn more about this ancient and diverse culture and spend more time getting to know these incredibly kind people that unfailingly greet you with a broad smile and a warm hello.

On the river

Young Monk at Angkor Wat

Banteay Srei

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more SA

It was my very great honor to meet Sheila Moir and her daughter Kelly.  They are two remarkable women.  Kelly is a stage 4 Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia survivor.  She was diagnosed on March 26th, 2002 at age 17.  She was not a candidate for bone marrow replacement.  Within 10 minutes of being admitted to the hospital for treatment she was receiving 4 different chemo meds for 3 days continuously through a port. She lost 26 kilos and was still in ICU on May 3rd, her 18th birthday when her family was called to her side to say their goodbyes to her.  Her heart beat was erratic, her breathing was labored, she was dying.  When her mother came to her and started to speak, her breathing slowed, her heart rate returned to normal, she pulled out of it.  For the next 3 1/2 years she endured horrendous chemo treatments, losing her hair, her nails and her skin peeled off of her body in sheets.  Through all of this she somehow managed to finish high school and start university.  Her family was constantly by her side.  What should have been a great celebration, finishing her last round of chemo was not, because at the same time her mother Sheila started her first round of chemo as she had been diagnosed with stage 3 ovarian cancer in 2006 at age 55.  Sheila has been living with cancer for the last 4 years.  She has undergone various surgeries, 39 rounds of chemo, clinical trials and has beaten back 4 recurrences.  She says it has all been easy for her after seeing what her daughter went through. She insists on living a normal life, she refuses to be sick. Their advice to others is that it is imperative to let your body take over and help to heal itself. Cherish your relationships with family and friends, they are vital.  Keep stress out of your life as much as possible.  Enjoy your life everyday, do the things that make you happy.

Kelly and Sheil Moir

Julia Myburgh was 30 years old when her husband and 4 1/2 year old son were killed in an automobile crash.  One year later, Julia was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer.  She was alone and devastated.  The members of her church provided an amazing support system for her.  One friend in particular stood by her, he took her to all of her treatments and appointments.  They became very close and eventually married.  Julia had had a radical mastectomy, chemo and 5 years of tamoxifen treatment, which usually causes the onset of menopause. Somehow this didn’t happen to Julia and she was able to become pregnant and give birth to a beautiful son Ruan who is now 2.  She even breast fed him for 16 months with her remaining breast.  She tries to live a normal life, she tries to keep stress to a minimum, and is exceptionally grateful that she is healthy.  She has learned how valuable life is and she looks back on her life in a grateful way.

Julia and Ruan Myburgh

Posted in Cancer, Misc., South Africa | 4 Comments
  • My Website

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    I am a photographer living in Westchester county, NY. I have been shooting commercial advertising for the past 20 years. I recently received a small business grant from British Airways. I won 10 business class flights to any 4 destinations that BA flies. It was a contest based on a series of essays that I wrote explaining how face to face travel could change my business and help it take a more photo journalistic path. My essays talked about the fact that I am a survivor of ovarian and endometrial cancers, and that since I have been sick, I have been looking for an opportunity to travel around the world documenting photographically how women with cancer are intrinsically connected. I would like to show how our struggles, hopes, joys, and concerns have no borders. That we share a common bond, regardless of where we live around the globe. This blog is hopefully going to document this journey over the next year.


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