Client Testimonial from the Guardians of Hope Benefit Breakfast ~ October 3, 2006
Good morning. I would like to share with you a little of my story and how having cancer affected me. How it affected my whole world.
In August of 2004, my husband, myself and our two sons, had just moved in to a home that I had fallen in love with. The kids were about to start a new year of school and I was fortunate enough to be able to be a stay at home Mom.
Then one month later in September of 2004, I was diagnosed with an aggressive form of breast cancer. I was terrified. I was then referred to a wonderful oncologist. Dr. Chaudhry through
And then the bottom dropped out of my world and I found out what terrified really is. I lost that feeling that we could make it. That confidence that everything was going to be ok was rapidly slipping away. My husband had decided sometime between my diagnosis and my first round of chemotherapy, that he no longer wanted to be a part of our family. Unbeknownst to me at the time, he had started paying only the bare minimum on all the bills. Just enough to keep everything on until he left. Then on our oldest sons 16th birthday, my husband announced he was leaving. 5 days later, he was gone. I was so sick from the affects of chemo at the time. But was trying to be strong for my boys. While they were trying to be strong for me. It wasn’t working very well on either side.
Then in the next 4-6 weeks while I was finishing up my first 6 rounds of chemo and getting ready for a mastectomy, the first of a long line of late notices, shut off notices and an eviction notice started pouring in. I was so exhausted and overwhelmed. I was at a loss. I didn’t know what we were going to do. Just trying to sit there on the phone with the power company begging them to please give me more time. “Yes I know my power bill is almost $800, but I will pay what I can until it is paid off. “ It was just so overwhelming. Then looking in the bare cupboards I knew I had to do something. One day after dropping the boys off at school, I covered my bald head, swallowed my pride and headed for the food bank. The girl there taking my information wouldn’t even look me in the eye. I felt like she was afraid if she got too close she might catch something. Then she told me to wait outside by the back door and awhile later she came out with some bags of food on a cart. While reaching for one of the bags to put in my car, my hand almost touched hers. She stepped back and pulled her hand back quickly. I never felt so humiliated before. I cried all the way home.
And then I was given a brochure for Cancer Patient Care. I didn’t call them right away. I thought “I don’t know if I can go through that again” I shouldn’t have worried. Again when I knew I couldn’t do it on my own, I swallowed my pride and called them. From the first contact with Cancer Patient Care staff, I was treated with dignity and respect. Truly caring people. And they will even hug you let alone not cringe if you touch their hands. Jennie put my mind at ease. She was such an advocate for me. She took over calling the utility companies for me. She told me to try not to worry. She told me to call her anytime. And I know she truly meant it. She asked if there was anything else she could do for me besides the power. Then she asked me how we were doing with groceries. I lost it, started to cry and told her about my previous experience. The next thing I know, I have a check for $100 to spend on groceries at Safeway. The boys and I went to the store and stretching that $100 so many ways was actually a fun outing for us. Letting them each pick out one box of cereal. Any kind they wanted. How many people can truly understand how something so very simple, could be so special and mean so much to a mother and her kids. Cancer Patient Care kept in contact with Avista for me. The calls I got from Avista after that were actually calls asking me what they could do to make things easier for me. Cancer Patient Care did that. When I didn’t know how I was going to be able to afford the gas getting to and from 6 weeks of radiation appointments, Cancer Patient Care was right there easing that worry.
At the end of July 2005, I could no longer afford the house we were living in. And for almost 4 months my boys and I were without a home. The hardest part was us not being able to be together the whole time. The boys would alternate staying with family or friends while I did the same in between driving back and forth to
Times can still be a little hard. But my boys and I are together, I am still in remission and doing well. And we can handle anything together. And Cancer Patient Care has been such a large part of helping us get that confidence back that we can make it, and we will make it.
There are so many things I want to thank Cancer Patient Care for. But especially for this opportunity to share a part of my journey through cancer treatment with all of you. And to thank each and every one of you as well. If not for the generosity of those of you in this community supporting Cancer Patient Care, I honestly don’t know how we would have made it through this.
Thank you.
Pam Wellington
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