by Bobby Anderson, Staff Writer

To say Mike Isaac’s resume is extensive would be an understatement.
EMT, police officer, detective, SWAT team member – all of it has combined into Isaac’s RN Nurse Manager role at JD McCarty Center for Children with Developmental Disabilities in Norman.
And for the past six years now, Isaac has been a nurse. But his past is almost as interesting as his present.
Fellow nurse manager Suanne Livingston likes working alongside Isaac and is constantly amazed by his background.
“He’s very organized and he’s very respected,” Livingston said. “He does a great job with staff. When he was a staff nurse he was a great staff nurse. I kind of defer to him as far as how he handles things employee-wise because he’s a little more hard-nosed than I am.”
“I learn a lot from him and I kind of watch and learn how he handles situations.”
Isaac worked in emergency rooms at night to help put him through college. He applied for PA school and quickly found it wasn’t a career track he wanted to pursue.
He spent some time in medical research and a couple other jobs before signing on with the Norman Police Department as an EMT for the ambulance service.
He attended the prerequisite police academy and later pursued his master’s degree. The only problem was working those 24-hour EMT shifts really took a toll on his studies.
So he decided to become a police officer instead.
“I said I would just transfer over and I did,” Isaac said. “I did really well and got promoted quickly and did a bunch of really good stuff but I got really interested in things involving mental health.”
A detective and eventually a supervisor, Isaac helped craft Norman’s policy on dealing with mental health subjects. His plans were carried over into department’s across the nation during his 27 years with Norman PD.
Isaac’s reputation earned him a spot helping craft officer-involved shooting policy.
“They weren’t getting the help they needed post-shooting,” Isaac said. “There were a lot of trauma victims involved with homicide and rape – two of the things I was assigned to – that weren’t getting follow-up care to prevent and treat post traumatic stress.”
Working with the FBI’s Behavioral Science unit in Quantico, Va., he helped craft policy to protect all involved.
“You didn’t take their gun right after a shooting. You took it as evidence but you replaced it,” Isaac said. “You didn’t put them on a desk job and treat them like they were unable to do work. Basically we wrote it so they would get a return to work slip.”
The process helped officers work through the ensuing mental and physical issues while protecting their personal health information. Inservice training was given and officers qualified again at the shooting range before easing back into their duties while riding with a supervisor.
“That was actually taken to Quantico for the national FBI academy that all law enforcement agencies around the world send people to.
“Our policy is still given out there.”
A friend mentioned he would be a perfect fit for nursing school.
“They sold me on this BADNAP program,” Isaac said of Oklahoma City Community College’s accelerated nursing program. “It was a great program. I wouldn’t do it again but it was a great way to get in and get employed and get out. I had a couple jobs before I even graduated.”
EMT, policeman, mental health advocate – you would think it all prepared him for nursing school.
“It did, but the pace was a great equalizer. It was just so fast. I don’t know how some of those people did it,” Isaac said. “I don’t know how some of those people did it, single heads of households with children to take to soccer games and other things.
“They were my heroes throughout. It was a great experience.”
Day and night, Isaac completed his ADN in eight months.
“It was tough but it was good. They don’t cut any corners,” Isaac said.
Assessment, investigation, report writing and observation – all skills Isaac honed in his former life have prepared him for a nursing career.
Nursing care plans are still vital. Different disciplines are heavily involved such as dietary and physical therapy.
He laughs when he admits his experience as Norman’s chief hostage negotiator still comes in handy.
But most days he doesn’t need it.
“The opportunity to see mostly the direct care staff grow in professionalism and responsibility so they can take ownership,” Isaac said of his greatest reward. “I always tell them when I interview it’s not a nursing home for kids.”

Expanding and strengthening their team and service

SYNERGY HomeCare proudly opened their doors over 5 years ago in Edmond, Oklahoma. Weama Kassem, CEO and President of SYNERGY HomeCare, has always dreamt of having a business that centered around caring for others; specifically, our aging community. Weama has been fortunate enough to attract a team of professionals with the same heartfelt drive and talent. The people Weama has assembled have accomplished some incredible things by always putting their clients’ needs and happiness first. The SYNERGY HomeCare team always refers to each other as “SYNERGY Family” and they work together to create an atmosphere of care and respect for each other and for their clients and families.
Weama opened her second office in December 2016 in Norman, Oklahoma. This enabled the company to reach and connect a larger clientele and reaching beyond Edmond and Oklahoma City. One of the most essential guidelines in opening the new location has been to duplicate their high standard of care. SYNERGY HomeCare does not use contracted caregivers, all are employees who must completed in-house training, along with continued monthly and quarterly training programs. This ensures the caregivers are not only qualified, but it strengthens the support and bonds within the company itself. Each caregiver is a Certified Nursing Assistant and/or a Certified Home Health Aide. They are each insured and bonded by SYNERGY HomeCare and strive to provide excellent care and support to both clients and their families.
SYNERGY HomeCare is very pleased to announce that Jeff Aynes has joined the SYNERGY Home Care Team as our Director of Sales and Marketing. Jeff has been a strong advocate for health care in Oklahoma for many years and will make a great leader on our team. Jeff is a father of two beautiful ladies and grandfather of two beautiful girls. He went to the University of Central Oklahoma and Oklahoma State University where he studied Marketing, Public Relations, and Broadcasting. Jeff is a Past President of Marketing Plus for Healthcare and currently serves as Secretary. He is currently serving as President of the Northside Marketing Alliance, as well as, Secretary. He has served in the community for many years as a member of the Shriner’s, Scottish Rite, Eastern Star, Amaranth, and Masons where he is a Past Master. He has been volunteering with Muscular Dystrophy, Cerebral Palsy Association, and Make Promises Happen Camp for over 25 years. His passion outside of Sales and Marketing is music. He has owned Jammin’ Jeff Entertainment for over 25 years and has performed over 1,800 events. Jeff joins the SYNERGY staff from AllianceHealth Midwest where he served as Director of Marketing for the Behavioral Health Program. Prior to going to AHM, Jeff served for over 5 years at Absolute Senior Care of Oklahoma City and A Premier Senior Home Care of Tulsa as their Director. We are beyond thrilled and honored that Jeff has chosen to join our team and know he is truly a valuable asset that will provide wonderful support to our growing company.
Together, Weama and Jeff, will be able to provide assistance to our aging community, education to our referral partners, knowledge to our team of growing caregivers, and a bright and smiling face to see each time you encounter them. Serving people is what SYNERGY HomeCare does every day and it is truly the drive and passion of both Weama and Jeff. With over 100 caregivers and five years in business, the SYNERGY HomeCare team stands ready to answer specific questions about care.
Whether you are a senior living on your own, with an aging spouse, or you have an aging parent – there are some key things to keep in mind when selecting a home care company. First, is the home care company licensed in the state? Companies are reviewed annually to determine their eligibility, and this is a perfectly normal question to ask a potential company. Ask to see a copy of their business license. Second, ask if the caregivers are employed by the company instead of being contract labor employees. It may seem beneficial to contract our work, but actually you can face many liability and scheduling issues down the road. Ask the provider to include client AND their family members in developing the plan of care. SYNERGY HomeCare has full-time RNS on staff to specifically build a plan of care for each new client and they spend the time you need to sort out every little detail. Lastly, ask for a list of references so you can check in on who you are considering to employ! We are all use to providing references when applying for a job. SYNERGY HomeCare is happy to answer questions like these anytime.
SYNERGY HomeCare is a group of Oklahomans that you can trust. Weama, Jeff, and the whole team are honored to provide care to this amazing community and welcome your call anytime, day or night!

SYNERGY HomeCare is located at 13720 N Bryant Ave. Edmond, OK 73013 405-254-3046
www.synergyhomecareedmond.com

Photography and Text by Terry “Travels with Terry” Zinn t4z@aol.com

High on my list of want-a-sees in the Finger Lakes Area of New York, was the Corning Museum of glass in Corning New York.
An enthusiastic and knowledgeable docent took me on a whirl wind tour down their educational history of glass exhibition with stops to glass blowing exhibitions in their hot glass shop, and a chance to participate in a glass blowing experience. While I did the blowing the crafts person spun the blow rod and formed the small pumpkin, which when cooled was mailed to me. This is a Finger Lakes road trip stop not to be missed.
Of course I was overwhelmed by their glass gift shop, where I found several pieces from my favorite glass artists. I also found tempting glass in Corning’s Market street galleries. Also downtown is the Rockwell (no relation to the artist) Museum of Western Art which houses the best of the west in the east.
More hands on glass blowing can be had at Corning’s Hands-on Glass: Hot Glass Studio (www.handsonglass.com) where classes are available as well as a small selection of glass for sale. Rodi Rovner and her team work hard to keep the tradition of glass on a personal level alive. My stay at Corning‘s Radisson hotel was convenient and professionally efficient.
If you want to be over fed and have a sensory dining experience, Spencer’s Restaurant should be your Corning dining choice. If you look closely you’ll see church pews accompanied by fireplaces and an inventive menu including eggplant fries!
On my way up to Aurora I just had to make a very brief detour to Elvira to see Mark Twain’s family cemetery plot and to see the near by little writing retreat, which is like a closed in gazebo. What’s a road trip adventure without an impromptu detour? Its this kind of flexibility that makes a road trip all worthwhile.
Of course it made me late for my lunch appointment at the Pumpkin Hill Bistro at 2051 route 90 near aurora. My delicious lunch was waiting for me, and promptly served amid a charming atmosphere of intimate dining.
I was in a bit of a rush as I had tickets for the Merry-Go-Round Playhouse in Auburn. The professional theatre building was once a merry go round enclosure. Getting off the road, resting and being professionally entertained is a welcome counterpoint to a road tour.
After the theatre there was a brief visit to Auburn’s Willard Memorial chapel with its interior decorated totally with Luis Comfort Tiffany religious stain glass windows and accents.
Then it was off to the Belhurst Chateau to enjoy the grounds and public rooms of this restored and expanded Geneva mansion. An elegant dinner at Edgar’s, with view of the lake was a perfect ending to an adventurous touring agenda. The history of this wine related lodge is felt in every room. To emphasize this wine region, there is even a working wine spicket available to over night guests in the second floor lobby. Now that’s hospitality!
On your drive out of Geneva on your way back to Rochester airport, you can tank up your thirst with award winning 100% fruit juices at Red Jacket Orchards (www.redjacketorchards.com).
While I had a very full Finger Lakes itinerary there is much more to savor, and you may find other areas of interest when you request your Finger Lakes planning booklet. (www.fingerlakes.org) Summer and Autumn are perfect times to tour the lakes, hills and many attractions of this part of America, I call a perfect sampling of Americana.
In our fast moving modern culture it is wise to check details of your stops while planning your trip, as some venues may be closed or have issues with operating times. A road trip is always an adventure and if you have an adventurous spirit, touring the Finger Lakes may be perfect for you.

Mr. Terry Zinn – Travel Editor
Past President: International Food Wine and Travel Writers Association
http://realtraveladventures.com/author/zin

by Bryan Painter

LOCO – Cattle and horses over people.
Jerri Wilson, raised near Duncan in southern Oklahoma, made that choice about the time she was still shedding baby teeth.
Horseback at every opportunity, Wilson would carry her lunch around in her saddle bags. Why?
“If it was even mentioned about going to town,” she said, “I became scarce out in the pastures.”
She was born to Billie and (Ed) John E Jackson, Jr. and grew up on the commercial Angus cow-calf ranch in southern Stephens and northern Jefferson counties. Ed Jackson purchased the ranch the year Wilson was born, 1959, and expanded it to 23,000 acres.
Billie and Ed had four daughters. Their names started with J so it was called the 4J ranch.
Wilson was the youngest and grew up following her father around taking care of the cattle.
“The others did not take up much to cattle and the country life,” she said. “I was quite the tomboy, staying out with the cattle all day.”
Wilson’s love for taking care of cattle and the land was not a secret. Everyone could see it.
“Our ranch was far from school,” she said. “I was the first one on and the last one off the school bus for two hours each way and spent many hours looking at cattle and pastures along the way.”
Add those round-trips up from grade school through high school and that’s a lot of miles.
Not long after the bus came to a stop near their house, Wilson was out on her paint pony riding through the cattle and across pastures.
“At branding and shipping time,” she said, “myself, and the other kids on the ranch were in the mix of helping. I thank all of the adults from back then for allowing us to be there because it was what shaped my future.”
More responsibility
As she got older, Wilson’s responsibilities grew. She worked cattle, took care of the cattle and horses, and doctored the sick ones.
Wilson also began showing cattle at the county and state level.
“I really think that was the point that I knew I would always have cattle in my blood,” she said. “At that time, everyone would show home-raised steers. I remember running down to the barn and feeding in the dark before getting on the bus.”
At 13, she showed heifers, but they had to be registered.
“I was fortunate that our neighbor, Mr. Phil Lowery, raised registered Herefords for years,” she said. “I had been riding my pony up the road to help him gather his cattle and I told him I needed to buy one of his heifers to show. He said, ‘Pick one out.’”
Lowery gave her a heifer every year through high school as payment for helping him with his cattle.
“His operation was much different than our commercial herd,’’ Wilson said. “I would ride around in his pickup with him and listen to all the pedigrees.”
Lowery kept little breeding books, with a rubber band around them, on his dusty dash. Wilson studied those little books.
“I built my first herd with those registered Herefords and still have a little Hereford patch for sentimental reasons,” Wilson said.
One of her other passions was livestock judging and grass identification. She went to numerous contests and loved all the aspects of learning.
4-H was a big part of her life, and the horses she took to 4-H and Quarter Horse events were not only for showing.
“They were also my cow horses back on the ranch,” Wilson said.
In high school, she started going to the state high school rodeos. That’s where she met her future husband Bob Wilson. The two married after high school, in June, 1977.
“For a couple of years we lived in Elk City,” she said. “Bob worked there during the oil and gas boom and of course I dragged a few cows along with us.”
As her Dad was getting older, he had heart problems, so Bob and Jerri returned to Ed’s ranch where they lived and worked.
The Wilsons had three daughters, Kristy, Kerri and Kayla.
When Jerri Wilson’s father passed away, the family dispersed the ranch and cattle.
Wilson, 30 years old at the time, and Bob, began their own ranching operation near Loco. They put together enough acreage to get a start, so they bought four loads of commercial Angus bred heifers.
“The timing was not great,” Wilson said. “The cattle market was on a low, so Bob began driving a Peterbilt with a flatbed.”
Bob hauled nationwide for a local wire plant which allowed “us to let the cows pay for themselves.”
“As soon as that was done, he stopped,” she said.
While he was gone, Wilson was feeding cattle and taking care of their first grandson.
“By now our two youngest daughters were beginning to show cattle and loved it,” Wilson said. “It had changed dramatically from my days. Hair products and clipping were much different. There was a lot of learning to do.
“Along the way I bought a couple of Simmental heifers for them to show and liked the way they performed and their temperaments.”
So, from artificial breeding the heifers, and purchasing some purebred and percentage bulls, they started breeding Simmental into their cow herd.
“Now we have a SimAngus cow base and have been breeding them to registered Angus bulls,” she said.
A dusty memory
During the fall of 2010, it seemed the Oklahoma skies had started to dry up.
Rains became a dusty memory.
“We had some really tough years during the drought,” she said. “From 2010 to 2013 we culled our cow herd by a third because there was no pond water. We had some wells dug for them but it is very hard to get water in this area.”
Plus, in February 2011, Bob broke his wrist in a shop accident.
“Then in August, him and his horse parted ways on a large crack in the ground from the drought and he broke his hip,” Wilson said. “It was a very tough year for him.”
A hired hand helped for about three years before moving back to Nebraska. Challenging decisions had to be made.
“At the time, there was not enough water so the calves were taken off at 400 pounds and we sent them to a feedlot which is not what we normally do,” she said. “Normally our calves are left on the cows till they are 500 to 600 pounds.
“In the end it improved our cowherd into productive beautiful cows that I am very proud of. We have been selling a lot of our heifers for breeding or as bred heifers. Steers and heifers not for breeding are sold through National Livestock at the Oklahoma City stockyards or sold at home.”
Over the years, Jerri and Bob have purchased more land and have doubled their size from what they started with, “which has been gratifying to improve those areas.” They have done a lot of clearing brush, sprigging Bermuda and weed spraying to improve the grass for cattle, while yet always being mindful of the wildlife.
They are also mindful of the future. In addition to three children, they have six grandchildren.
“So who knows, maybe some of them will continue in a ranching lifestyle,” Wilson said. “In the cattle business it’s a lot of long days and hard work but it is a lifestyle that I love and have a passion for.”

What will be on your Thanksgiving plate? Norman Regional Hospital Auxiliary

Ham and dressing, gravy, green beans. Maybe a little turkey and hot rolls.

Derald Fendley

We’ll be eating off the same menu but my favorite is cornbread dressing.

Jan Fendley

The usual turkey and dressing but also rutabagas and red cabbage.

Jonnina Benson

Turkey and dressing with candied yams, and pumpkin pie with lots of whipped cream.

Dixie Hurd

With the installation of a twenty-four foot Blue Light Centerpiece this week, the Oklahoma Law Enforcement Memorial added the final piece to the newly repaired and renovated memorial plaza. The Oklahoma Law Enforcement Memorial is the oldest state law enforcement memorial in the United States, dedicated on May 15, 1969. A few years ago it was discovered the memorial was sinking after almost fifty years of withstanding Oklahoma weather and rain water flowing over and apparently under it. Donations were made and the work to repair and renovate the memorial started on December 15th of last year when the memorial stones were taken up and stored. The renovated memorial was for the most part completed and was rededicated during the Fiftieth Annual Memorial Service on May 18th of this year. The center piece was the only part not ready by the service.
This Sunday, November 4th at 5:30 p.m. during the Oklahoma Chapter of the Concerns of Police Survivor’s Annual Blue Light Ceremony the perpetual Blue Light Center Piece will officially be turned on as a constant reminder of the service and sacrifices of our law enforcement officers. The memorial is located on the west grounds of the Oklahoma Department of Public Safety Headquarters, 3600 M. L. King Avenue in Oklahoma City. The public is encouraged to attend.
The names of over eight hundred officers who have died in the line of duty in Oklahoma, both before and after statehood, are engraved on the memorial. See the memorial’s web site at www.oklemem.com for more information on the memorial and Oklahoma’s fallen officers.

by Bobby Anderson, Staff Writer

This fall has been pretty sweet for Belinda Winslow and husband Mike.
In September, she received the blessed news that her 27-year-old daughter was finally cancer free.
October saw her Watermelon Pie creation clean up in the awards category at the Oklahoma State Fair. The pie, an old recipe from her childhood, earned the FAIRest of Them All award as the best overall food creation. The fruity, creamy treat also was named the top overall sweet offering at the fair, dubbed Sweetest of the Sweet.
“We’ve had a good year this year,” Belinda Winslow smiled.
Going up against eclectic creations like deep fried coffee, Frosted Flakes chicken on a stick and Kit-Kat fries, Winslow’s watermelon pie blew away judges at the Great TASTE of a Fair competition which immediately precedes the September fair.
The event, staged to whet appetites and drum up publicity for the fair, was Winslow’s coming out party for her mobile food truck business.
Based out of Moore, the Winslows opened their trailer for business in March 2015 after scores of friends and family kept insisting they bring the watermelon pie to every gathering.
Winslow said some of those invites may have just been for the pie, but it was clear she had something on her hands that people really liked.
“It was a recipe my mom came across and she just loved it and we started making it,” Winslow said. “It just stuck.”
So did the idea of opening her own business. Her and her husband, who runs a full-time paint contracting business, began drawing up a business plan months earlier.
Cost projections outpaced savings for opening a traditional brick-and-mortar business.
“The food truck was the first thing we could think of,” Winslow admitted.
A business on four wheels came with its drawbacks.
Running a business in a trailer meant more prep work. Winslow typically makes her runs to Sam’s Club, Wal-Mart and the Chef Store the Tuesday before an event. Six to seven hours the following day are spent doing prep work, including cutting up some 20 to 25 watermelons by hand.
“It’s hard work, very hard work,” Winslow said of the business. “It’s not something you could just do on a part-time basis. It’s a full-time job.”
“You’ve got to pack it up, move it and have it ready on time.”
The concept also came with advantages.
Being on wheels means that Cutie Pies can be at almost any venue in the state with enough advance notice.
This month the trailer will pull up to Norman and the University of Oklahoma Day of the Dead Celebration. The following day Cutie Pies will be at Integris Baptist with 100 pies for a private event hosted by the radiology department.
Twelves days later you can find watermelon pie at the Luther Pecan Festival.
Outside of the State Fair, Winslow said one of the company’s best events is always the The Old Chicken Farm Vintage Barn Sale in Jones.
It’s a good thing Cutie Pies gets around because it will take you awhile to work through the menu. Watermelon pie may be the star but there’s a talented ensemble cast of banana cream cheesecake, root beer float pie, cherry limeade pie and cotton candy pie.
If sweet isn’t your thing they have savory covered, too, with Winslow’s chicken and corn frito pie.
The twist on the original frito pie includes santa fe chicken layered on Fritos doused in queso cheddar cheese mixed with feta, cilantro and a special chili lime mayo.
Wash it all down with a variety of lemonades – including watermelon, of course.
“This our first year to actually make money,” Winslow said.
And that’s despite a trying year.
Winslow’s daughter battled stage IV ovarian cancer before doctors announced she was cancer-free three days after her last surgery.
Through it all, Winslow has been her daughter’s caregiver, keeping her out of the truck for most events. That’s meant Mike pulling double duty.
“He’s been our savior. He’s saved both of our businesses,” Winslow said of her partner of 20 years.
But it all paid off this fall.
“It was kind of Heaven-sent because (my daughter) finished chemo and we had the fair,” Winslow said. “Right after the fair she had her surgery.”
“But she was still out there.”
All three of Winslow’s kids help in the business including a 21-year-old daughter and a 38-year-old son.
Her two granddaughters pitch in, too.
“They come stay with us every other weekend,” Winslow said. “They love to work on the truck and they hope we have leftovers, which doesn’t happen very often.”
So what’s next? Can she top Watermelon pie?
“I have somethings in the works for next year but I can’t tell you,” Winslow laughed.
You can find out where Cutie Pies Concessions will be next through their Facebook page.

Oklahoma State Department of Health (OSDH) Interim Commissioner Tom Bates has appointed Dr. Edd Rhoades as Chief Medical Officer for the agency. Dr. Rhoades has been with the agency for 40 years and is currently serving as the Medical Director for Family Health Services.
“Dr. Rhoades has served the state and this agency with integrity in a number of key positions over the years and it is appropriate that he should be the first person to fill this important role,” said Commissioner Bates. “The establishment of a Chief Medical Officer aligns with the public health structure of many other states and will provide guidance to our core mission.”
The Oklahoma State Board of Health approved creation of the position at their Sept. 14 meeting, following a recommendation that was included in a corrective action plan provided to the legislature in January. The Chief Medical Officer will advise agency leadership on medical and public health issues and provide medical oversight and consultation to agency service areas and county health departments. Under the current organizational structure, the Office of the Commissioner continues to focus on improving the financial operation and organization of the agency to ensure efficient delivery of core services.
A graduate of the University of Oklahoma School of Medicine, Dr. Rhoades also holds a Masters of Public Health in Health Administration from the University of Oklahoma College of Public Health. He is a Diplomate of the American Board of Pediatrics and has received numerous awards for his work in maternal and child health and environmental protection. Among his honors are the Joan K. Leavitt, M.D. Award from the Oklahoma Public Health Association and the Mike Synar Environmental Excellence Award.
“I’m looking forward to working with Commissioner Bates and the senior leadership team to provide guidance for the agency as we continue to focus on issues that will improve the health of all Oklahomans,” said Dr. Rhoades. “I’m honored to have this opportunity to share my experiences and promote the great work being done by all of our public health professionals.

Just a few years ago Nancy Hughes could lift mountains of paperwork, rearrange office furniture and stand on her feet for hours at a time. As executive assistant at the Oklahoma Public Employees Association, the petite fiery redhead put in long hours at her job helping give state employees a voice in government.
Back in 2003, Nancy learned she had breast cancer. She underwent a mastectomy, rounds of chemotherapy and the cancer went into remission. In 2014, however, it came back with a vengeance.
“I first noticed something was wrong when I bent over to pick up something,” she said. “I felt something pull, and had trouble walking. After about a month I went to a chiropractor about my back. He took x-rays, and they showed either severe osteoporosis or the cancer was back and in my bones.”
A trip to her oncologist revealed the cancer had indeed spread.
“I had no idea breast cancer could come back like that,” Nancy said. “This time I was scared. During the time I was cancer-free, I had been participating in the Oklahoma American Cancer Society’s Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk, and the Relay For Life. I liked being a beacon of hope for others that this disease could be beat.”
So once again she began the treatments, hoping for a positive result.
“This time it was radiation to my hip, spine and right arm,” she said. “It helped with the pain I was having but I do not remember much about that time. I lost control of my body functions, could barely walk and did not eat much. My employer offered me six months of leave to keep my insurance and then social security kicked in, so I took it. I could no longer do my job and was actually a liability to them.”
More than four years after her cancer re-occurrence, the disease has been relentless.
“When it came back, it had spread throughout my bones,” Nancy said. “My right arm fractured, and I had to wear a brace for two years to keep it stable. The bone was almost clear and looked like Swiss cheese. I had the option of getting surgery to put a rod in to stabilize it, but there was a possibility I could lose all the use of that arm. Even having limited use was better than losing it all, so I chose to not have the surgery.”
Using the services offered at the Oklahoma American Cancer Society has been a godsend, Nancy says. The organization offers wigs, scarves, and turbans, all free of charge to cancer patients. They also provide free rides to and from treatment in the Road to Recovery Program.
“Helping people like Nancy is at the heart of what we do every day,” said Jennifer Redman, OKACS program manager. “Not only do we have an entire wig room, but transportation is consistently named as one of the top needs for cancer patients. Our volunteer driver program ensures patients complete their treatment and we can increase the number of cancer survivors. We always need more volunteer drivers and have our own fleet of vehicles. So if you have some time to volunteer, we can always use the help.”
While each day is a struggle, Nancy refuses to let the disease dampen the positive attitude that has carried her through life.
“When I wake up every morning, it is a gift of life,” she said. “I could choose to wallow in pity and feel sorry for myself, but what does that do? I choose to enjoy each day and hope a cure will be found in my lifetime. Sometimes the dark side will come through. Like a day or so ago I realized once my hair is gone this time, I will most likely be bald the rest of my life. That sucks. But I must play the cards I am dealt, so I will save a few bucks on shampoo and conditioner! It’s all about re-framing the negatives and finding the positives.”
Nancy says her family is her foundation. Her husband Mike, their two daughters and four grandsons all pitch in to make life as normal as possible. And throughout her journey, she continually finds new ways to reinvent herself and help others.
“Sharing my story with the Oklahoma American Cancer Society and others is so important,” Nancy said. “I want everyone to know the big ‘C’ word is not always a death sentence. It does not always return like it did for me. Stay hopeful, happy and enjoy what you can. Don’t dwell on the horrible parts, just try to look for the good in everything. Believe me, it is there.”