Dying of other cancer...

[Jackie07]

I've been feeling so sad about my college basketball teammate who'd been moved to hospice a couple of days ago after a complete hysterectomy early October when cervical cancer was confirmed. She's only 50 going 51 late this month.

She had confused the signs of discomfort with 'menopause' and the stress from caring for her 80+-year-old Mother who'd been diagnosed with colon cancer three years ago. She moved out a year ago and lived by herself while teaching full-load in the university as a Biology professor (had received her Ph.D from MIT in the 80's). Cervical cancer is usually silent...

After the hysterectomy, she's only able to endure one round of chemo and radiation to each of the three spots on her bones. She's also been suffering from liver mets... [I see now the wisdom of doing chemo before surgery. Angiogenesis tends to cause cancer cells to spread...]

Her father had died at a fairly young age (60?)

I just wanted to remind everyone that there are other cancers out there that are deadly! Take actions (genetic testing, prophylactic hysterectomy/oophorectomy/cervix removal...) and pay close attention to your health. Cancer develops because our own cells fail to regulate the growth. One of my doctors (a neurosurgeon) had told me that "People who have one type of cancer are more likely to have another type of cancer..."

She's a year behind me and we'd been on the same team since high school... She'd also lettered in track (long jump and relays) thus her nick name: 'Monkey' (='Houtzu' - similar to the pronunciation of her last name 'Hou'.)

[karen z]

Jackie,
I am so sorry to hear about your friend/former teammate. This is very sad news. Your words of being vigilant about taking care of ourselves are important for all of us. Thank you.
Again, I am so sorry.
karen z

[Paty]

Jackie,

I am so sorry...a hug.

Paty

[Jackie07]

My dear friend, Prof. Lucy Hou, just passed away 10 hours ago in Tainan, Taiwan. She'd been my basketball teammate (college and high school) for 6 years. She had also lettered in track (long jumps and relays).

Please, everyone, get a genetic testing/consult and take preventive measures. Her passing was so sudden (diagnosed in late September) and shocking to us... One of the teammates who had visited her had just called me from Hawaii while on break. Ms. Yang had had surgeries to remove 'everything' after a diagnosis of breast cancer and then ovarian cancer several years ago. She couldn't believe 'Houtzu' (= 'Master Hou' or 'Monkey', Lucy's nick name) could be gone so soon. They'd had a good visit in the hospital just 10 days ago...

Cervical cancer is 'silent' - Houtzu had no known risk factors except for being a woman.

[ElaineM]

I am sorry to hear about the passing of your good friend.
Please take care of yourself. I know you are sad now, but please be comforted by the happy memories you shared with her.

[bejuce]

Hi Jackie,

I'm so sorry about your friend. It's so hard to comprehend how life works sometimes.

Sending you virtual hugs,

Marcia

[KristinSchwick]

I agree with Marcia, life really makes little sense most days, we just like to pretend that this chaos has a purpose. The silver lining is to appreciate the time we had/have with our loved ones.

Sorry to hear about your loss.

[dawny]

So sorry to hear about the passing of your friend Jackie, sending you my warmest wishes

Dawn

[3twins]

Jackie,
I'm so sorry about your friend. Thank you for reminding us to remain vigilant. Hugs.
3twins

[karen z]

Dear Jackie,
I am very sorry to hear this news.
Take good care.
karen z

[Cam]

Jackie, I'm so sorry to hear about the loss of your good friend.
Camille

[Jackie07]

Thank you all. Her memorial service is going to Feb. 4 in Tainan, Taiwan at her church. One of her former church members had moved from another town to take care of her 24 hours a day since October. She's the oldest child and her Mother has been treated for colon cancer for three years. Makes me wonder about the HNPCC http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition/lynch-synhttp://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001895/drome connection...


Below is a link to information about Cervical cancer:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001895/

[Mtngrl]

I'm sorry, Jackie.

Prayers for you.

[BonnieR]

Jackie, thank you for sharing your sadness with us. And thank you for the reminder that there is alot of cancer out there. We are not immune from it. And sometimes the symptoms are not always clear. I had a friend complaining on intestinal problems. Too late, they discovered it was ovarian cancer, not intestinal.
So we need to be vigilant. And also honor those who are fighting other forms of this nasty disease.
Keep the faith

[KDR]

Jackie,
I was so sorry to read about your dear friend's passing, especially so quickly. She was lucky to have such a good friend in you. Do share more about her if you wish. There's nothing I love more than a compassionate human being who stops to tell, to listen, to care.
With love and understanding,
Karen

[Jackie07]

Thanks, Karen.

902

Professor Lucy Hou.

She had received the 'Best Teacher' award twice - one at the beginning of her teaching career, the other just one (or two) year ago.

[Jackie07]

Top: Lucy - in bucket hat after the 1982 tournament. Three of the 8 girls pictured (including myself) have been diagnosed with cancer [1-30-2012 - just learned another teamate in the picture had had breast cancer surgery/treatment in 2006. So out of the 12 teammates of the 1982 team, there are 4 cancer incident. Only Houtzu (cervical cancer) did not survive...] I've survived two different types of cancer the past 21 1/2 years (probably would have had another one had I not gone through the prophylactic hysterectomy/oophorectomy - the surgeon said there was 'hyperplasia' already). Another teammate (in white jacket) also had a hysterectomy several years ago when ovarian cancer was found after her breast cancer treatment.
Neither of us three has ever gone through pregnancy (The three infertility treatments I received in the late 1990's only resulted in three uterine fibroids.)

Bottom: Lucy (standing in white shirt) in 1984 before heading for MIT where she received her Ph. D in biology in the late 80's.

[Paula O]

Jackie,
I'm really sorry about your loss of your dear friend Lucy. (((hugs))). She sounds like a very special lady.

Which one is you in the picture?

Paula
P.S. I want to be sure I am understanding you correctly. Am I correct that you are not advocating that folks here get total hysterectomies prophlactically because of breast cancer but rather your message is for everyone to follow up with genetic testing to see if we are also pre-disposed to also having other types of cancers and then follow through with surgery or careful observation if there is a high statistical chance of it occuring elsewhere? I have not done any genetic testing whatsoever. I know that my insurance would not cover the one that adresses my daughters' risks for breast cancer.

[karen z]

Thank you Jackie.
karen z

[Mtngrl]

Jackie,

Thank you for sharing the pictures with us. I appreciate knowing about your friend Lucy, and knowing more about you. That's what friends do--it makes me feel closer to you.

I'm so sorry, still, for your loss.

[Laurel]

Jackie,

I am so sorry for your loss. I love the photo of all your teammates. Which lovely young lady are you?

[Jackie07]

To Laurel and Paula: 'Top left'(the usual 'Point-guard' positon:) in both pictures.

To Paula: I had requested for genetic testing after seeing many of our members on this Board have had the tests done. My oncologist reluctantly agreed (I'd had two surgeries each for both brain tumors and breast cancer already, plus Mother had been treated for Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma in 1998) to my request for genetic testing in early 2009. The result was a 'BRCA1-Variant of unknown significance' and the genetic counselor in the hospital told me that my risks was higher than normal, but not to worry too much. It all changed when I learned about 2nd Brother's colon cancer (my family overseas had kept the news from me for several months) later that year. I put the 4 cancers together and located a cluster called HNPCC (Hereditory Non-polyposis Colon Cancer.) Recalling 2nd Brother had mentioned that his colon cancer was unusually 'big', I made an appointment with a gynecologist and eventually was referred to a gynecological surgeon.

There was a twist during the process: my surgery was postponed because a special 'ring' used in the procedure http://www.pelvichealthsolutions.com/hysterectomy-laparoscopic had been recalled. There were only 3 good ones (of a different brand) left before the hospital could get more supplies. Hoping to be one of the three patients to get it, I called my family doctor and was given a lecture that I shouldn't have had such 'anxiety' over a prophylactic procedure. He wanted me to get a 2nd opinion! So I called my oncologist and he agreed that I should proceed with it... So I had the procedure done almost exactly a month from the orginally scheduled date.

[Paula O]

Thanks for sharing the picture(you all were such lovely young ladies and it was fun to see a photo of you). I also appreciated hearing of your experience, Jackie.

Paula

[Laurel]

Jackie, I was a forward. Not much of a ball handler, me.

[Jackie07]

Lucy was also a forward - one of the best. The rules were changed during her senior year (separating the 'professional' teams - most of them were attached to technical schools - from other college teams) and she led our school team to win the championship in the new division.

Below is the link to a song I shared with her church friends and my teammates after her passing:

http://video.search.yahoo.com/video/play?p=no+more+night+no+more+pain+no+more+tears&tnr=21&vid=1503422710317&l=223&turl=http%3A%2F%2Fts2.mm.bing.net%2Fvideos%2Fthumb nail.aspx%3Fq%3D1503422710317%26id%3D96fe04a07b44d 937ff5a291b3e70effe%26bid%3Di64DsZyX%252bYv6og%26b n%3DThumb%26url%3Dhttp%253a%252f%252fwww.youtube.c om%252fwatch%253fv%253d1cfciYxtF_U&rurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3D1c fciYxtF_U&sigr=11a2kkn6u&newfp=1&tit=No+More+Night+%28with+lyrics%29

[chemteach]

Jackie, I am so sorry. What a wonderful teacher she must have been. She was your good friend, and because of that, we all feel a loss too. Thoughts and prayers are with you always. Janet

[Paula O]

That's a beautiful song of comforting truth, Jackie.

((Hugs))),

Paula

[Adriana Mangus]

Jackie,

First of all my condolences for your loss.

I totally agree with you. Although I tested negative for the BRCA 1 and 2, I have to be vigilant for other type of cancers.

On my father's side all of my uncles, ----his brothers either died of stomach or colon cancer. My father passed away from a stroke at the age of 79 and was healthy almost to the end of his life until the stroke took him almost immediately.

I am seeing the obgyn and internist for ovarian/cervical and colon cancer . The obgyn keeps telling me that I will "never" develop ovarian cancer. I wish I had seeing her before 1994, perhaps she already knew (you know crystal ball), I had breast cancer before I even discovered myself. SHe's a nut!! She eventually signs the referral for the transvaginal ultra sound but each time I have to fight her. Oh well.

The internist does not mind seeing me, I have a strong patient-doctor relationship with my primary doctor and since she's the one referring me, I have never had a problem with the internist. He just writes the little paper and I get schedule for the colonoscopy.

We are the ones responsible for our health, and WE must remember that no one cares about you, but yourself.

Take care,

Love,

Adriana

[Jackie07]

Another cancer incident of my college basketball team...

The Captain a year behind me e-mailed us pictures of Houtzu's funeral. Included was a picture of her and another teammate who had also attended the farewell service. This teammate, a college instructor in the midst of working on her advancement dissertation, is also a breast cancer survivor (surgery in 2006). Her mother passed away two years ago from stomach cancer.

So far, out of the 12 members of the 1982 team, we've had 4 cancer incidents - all gynecological cancers. All three members with breast cancer (one also had ovarian cancer, and I've had life-long brain tumors) are alive and well (8 1/2 years with recurrence - me, 4 1/2 years, 5 1/2 years respectively.) All four of us have family members/relatives who have been diagnosed with cancer (lung, NHL, Colon, and Stomach) - makes me wonder about the HNPCC connection: http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition/lyn...H0001895/drome

This is pretty close to the statistics of cancer incident in Taiwan http://www.asiatoday.com/pressrelease/latest-data-shows-incidence-cancer-rise-taiwan except that we've all just passed the half century mark (instead of the cut-off age - 74 - used in the statistics) None of us has the risk factor of alcohol use, betel nut consumption [major cause of oral cancer in Taiwan] or obesity. Hopefully we've matched the statistic and no more teammates will be diagnosed with cancer in the future.

[schoolteacher]

Jackie,

I am so sorry about your friend.

Amelia

[NEDenise]

Jackie,
I'm so sorry for your loss. Thank you for sharing Lucy's story with us. What a lovely way to honor your friend and your friendship.
Denise

[meo]

Dear Jackie,

So sorry to hear you lost your dear friend. Thank you for sharing her memory with us. The pictures are lovely and I hope they give you some comfort when you look at them and remember.
Sending hugs,
Mary