Issuu

WE CAN WIN THE BATTLE.

ALL WE NEED IS YOU!

KOMEN PUGET SOUND

RACE FOR THE CURE

ONE DAY 5K Run/Walk 1 MILE & Kids’ Race SURVIVOR CELEBRATION

LOCAL PRESENTING SPONSOR

SUNDAY ~ JUNE 1, 2014 SEATTLE CENTER REGISTER AT:

MEDIA SPONSOR

KOMENPUGETSOUND.ORG

KOMEN PUGET SOUND • 112 FIFTH AVENUE NORTH • SEATTLE, WA 98109 •

#KOMENPUGETSOUND

/KOMENPUGETSOUND

2 • Bellevue Reporter • May 23, 2014 Obstetricians & Gynecologists Bellevue • Issaquah

Overlake Obstetricians & Gynecologists overlakeobgyn.com

Bellevue • 425-454-3366

1800 116th Ave. NE, Suite 201

Issaquah • 425-391-8655

751 NE Blakely Drive, Suite 2030

HOSPITAL AFFILIATIONS Overlake Hospital Swedish/Issaquah Hospital

OUR PRACTICE is a group of Board Certified physicians, Certified Nurse Midwives and Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioners. We are excited about the opportunity to provide comprehensive care to women of all ages.

Thank You for Caring If you are reading this special breast cancer section of the Bellevue Reporter, you clearly care about the impact of breast cancer on our community. Thank you. More women in Washington State are diagnosed with breast cancer than any other form of cancer. Indeed, our state has one of the highest rates of breast cancer in our country. Who knows why the incidence of breast cancer is so high in our state? One theory is it might be a relative lack of vitamin D. This is why I am excited about the Komen funded study on obesity and vitamin D that was just completed by Dr. Anne McTiernan, MD, PHD of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. This research is discussed in another article in today’s paper. It is one of eight local breast cancer research studies together totaling $3.7 million dollars in Komen global medical research funding spent right here in Puget Sound. Personally, I would like to see more study into the unique factors affecting breast health in our Northwest region. Beyond the statistics, we care about breast cancer because so many of us know someone whose life has been touched by this disease. It might be a mother, a daughter, an aunt, a sister, a wife, a close friend or you. For me, the matriarch of my family, my Aunt Judy, is a breast cancer survivor. And, now that I am a part of a Komen Puget Sound family, I have become close to the many Komen staff, donors and volunteers who have either survived breast cancer or are currently battling this disease. I am inspired by their stories every day, and they reinforce within me a personal sense of urgency regarding our mission. If a woman has to decide whether to pay for her family’s meals or her breast cancer treatments, she needs our support today. With 100 women in our state diagnosed with breast cancer every week, we need find a cure for breast cancer now. When lives are at stake, there is no time to lose. If you also feel this sense of urgency, I invite you to visit komenpugetsound.org and register for the Race for the Cure on June 1. Join me and others who share your desire to make a difference. We can win the battle against breast cancer. All we need is you. Thank you,

David Richart Executive Director, Komen Puget Sound

Our Physicians provide care for women of all ages during pregnancy, delivery, postpartum care as well as gynecological care, at all stages of their lives from adolescence, through and past menopause.

OUR PHYSICIANS

James D. Haines, M.D. Ann M. Kolwitz, M.D. Michael M. Lawler, M.D. Kristin J. Graham, M.D. Jonathan I. Paley, M.D. Katherine Van Kessel, M.D. Desiree L. Otto, M.D. Judith A. Lacy, M.D. Christine L. Werner, M.D. Our Certified Nurse Midwives provide a full scope of midwifery care, prenatal care, labor support, hospital deliveries and gynecological care including annual exams, family planning and evaluation of gynecological problems.

OUR MIDWIVES

Peggy Moore Kibbel, CN.M., A.R.N.P. Laura Carmichael, CN.M., A.R.N.P. Lori Loghin, C.N.M., A.R.N.P.

A.R.N.P

Our Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioners provide annual exams, family planning evaluation of gynecological problems and infertility evaluations.

OUR A.R.N.P’S

Lisa Abel, A.R.N.P Cheryl Axford, A.R.N.P Jennifer S. Nielsen, A.R.N.P.

KOMEN PUGET SOUND

Race for the Cure • 3

JOIN THE RACE. Everybody’s Welcome! Enjoy a day filled with fun for yourself and the whole family, and you will make a real difference in our fight against breast cancer.

Start a team! There’s strength in numbers and more fun! A Race team is a great way to build morale, support a friend, remember a loved one and maximize your impact in the fight against breast cancer. Teams can be any type or size: • Corporate Teams • Friends and Family • School Groups • Healthcare Teams • Community Organization • And more! There is no additional cost to form or join a Race team. Team members do not have to participate in the same event. Become a team captain. Learn how easy it is at komenpugetsound.org.

Donate. Support a Race participant. Even if you can’t walk or run, you can lend your support. Make a general donation or give to a participant or team. Simply go online to komenpugetsound.org to make a donation.

Why it’s important: Reasons to race. Every week, over 100 women are diagnosed with breast cancer in Washington state. Komen Puget Sound is the only organization that supports critical breast cancer services for local women and funds medical research to better diagnose, treat and ultimately cure this disease. The Race for the Cure is Komen Puget Sound’s single largest opportunity to raise funds needed to fight breast cancer. Seventy-five percent of net donations stays local to provide critical services like free mammograms and breast cancer treatment support for low income women. The remaining 25 percent goes directly to Susan G. Komen global medical research to better diagnose, treat and ultimately cure breast cancer. Currently, Komen’s global medical research program is investing over $3.7 million locally into Puget Sound research projects.

Fundraise for the cure.

Getting started is easy!

The Washington state Department of Health (DOH) estimates $3.3 million is needed this year to provide low-income, uninsured women with lifesaving mammograms. Your support will help fill that gap. Once you sign up for the Race, you’ll get customizable fundraising webpage to collect donations online.

You also will have access to email templates to help you solicit donations. We will provide you with lots of fundraising tips and you can even “Fundraise on Facebook.” Make your fundraising efforts go even further. Ask your donors if their companies have an employee matching gifts program. It doubles the amount you raise. Check our website for details and matching gift guidelines. Raising $150 could fund a lifesaving mammogram through our community grants program.

Race Day Schedule 7 am: Registration and timing chip booth open 7 am to noon: Top 100 Fundraisers Tent, Survivor Celebration Tent, Food, Water, Coffee, Sponsor Booths, Main Stage Entertainment 8 am: Kid’s Race 8:15 am: Women’s Only 5K RunKids for the Cure 8:30 am: Co-ed 5K Run 8:45 am: One Mile Walk 8:45 am: Co-ed 5K Walk 10-10:45 am: Team Photos at Pink Ribbon 10:45 am: Survivor Parade 11 am: Fundraising Awards and Closing Ceremonies

Komen Puget Sound Community Events 21st Annual Survivor Celebration

September 14, 2014 Aboard a Holland America Line Ship at Pier 91, Seattle Puget Sound breast cancer survivors celebrate their journey with an exceptional experience onboard a luxurious Holland America Line ship. Guests are treated to an exquisite dining experience. Registration begins in August at www.komenpugetsound.org

Susan G. Komen 3-Day Walk for the Cure September 19-21, 2014 Greater Seattle Area The Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure is a 60-mile walk for women and men who want to make a personal difference in the fight to end breast cancer. Register at www.the3day.org

Lunch for the Cure® October 9, 2014 Hotel Murano Bicentennial Pavilion, Tacoma

The Lunch for the Cure has become one of Pierce County’s most important fundraising events with over 600 local community leaders joining together in the promise to end breast. Learn more at www.komenpugetsound.org

Power of a Promise® Luncheon

October 23, 2014 The Westin Hotel, Seattle

Be a part of Seattle’s premier luncheon supporting the fight against breast cancer, and help ensure all women have the opportunity to receive lifesaving breast cancer education, early detection and treatment. Learn more at www.komenpugetsound.org

SAVVY WIGS Please call for an appointment

425-453-1959 Monday-Saturday

12015 NE 8th Street Suite 3, Bellevue, WA 98005

1054742

4 â€˘ Bellevue Reporter â€˘ May 23, 2014

I am the

FACE RACE

of the

Agave Restaurants serve contemporary Mexican food using t Toelug(Skybox) e FighADVERTISER: hand-crafted, fresh, natural ingredients, no preservatives, We Support thUniversal trans fats or lard. seafood, free-range, hormone! free chicken, beef,Sustainable eggs, rice & beans. Most of our food is Against Breast Cancer#UA_Pg2_6x1 gluten-free with the main exception being the flour tortillas

WEEKEND BRUNCH: $4 Mimosas $5 Marys.

and we offer vegan & vegetarian options!

lands

Issaquah High

42 5. 36 9. 89 00

www.AgaveCocina.com

KOMEN PUGET SOUND

Race for the Cure â€˘ 5

Research Volunteers Wanted . . . Do you currently use Clarisonic products? Would you like to use Clarisonic products? We are looking for volunteers between the ages of 18 & 70 to participate in Clinical Studies evaluating Clarisonic products. If you are interested please contact us: Phone: 425-952-3730 Web: https://consumertesting. lorealusa.com/clarisonic/ Survey4.asp

If you qualify, you will be compensated for your participation in completed studies

6 • Bellevue Reporter • May 23, 2014

Using art to find emotional outlet, friendship Lisa Leong-Tsang recalls a moment from her high school years when her father, calligrapher Wing K. Leong, gathered friends and art colleagues for a gettogether in his Portland studio. The primary subject of conversation, it turned out, was Leong-Tsang’s future — at the time, she was agonizing over which college to attend. They all agreed she should absolutely go to Reed College, Tsang’s own alma mater. Leong-Tsang did indeed go to Reed, even following in her father’s footsteps by studying calligraphy. She applied her artistic talents to anaplastology, the medical practice of creating lifelike prostheses. Decades later she still keeps a photo album of her patients, as well as silicone copies of her work. A ceramic vase made by a patient who had lost her hand sits on top of a display case in Leong-Tsang’s dining room. “I get my inspiration from the other people that touch my life,” she says. Leong-Tsang left the practice behind after 15 years and stopped painting altogether when she started a family in 1994. Then, in 2004, her doctor told her she had cancer. Leong-Tsang began 12 weeks of chemotherapy at the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance to treat infiltrating ductal carcinoma — a diagnosis that makes up 80 percent of breast cancer cases, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine. She received a care package from EvergreenHealth that directed her to an art therapy class offered by Cancer Lifeline. She decided to take it. “The people I met there are some of my best friends,” Leong-Tsang says. “They continue to inspire me. One friend of mine has lived with Stage Four cancer for the last four years, and we still get together.”

The Boob Blog By Linda Ball

Last September I published my first book. I called it “The Boob Blog” because it started out as a blog. I started the blog to keep family and friends up to speed on my progress and what was happening to me as I dealt with breast cancer. I realized what was happening was so unreal I had to expand on it — thus the book. When you’re given a diagnosis of cancer, it’s frightening. Emotions and thoughts swell up that are hard to explain. Why me? I’m always been very healthy. I work out. I eat pretty healthy, except when I crave sweets. I used to be a body builder (30 some years ago). How could this happen?

Leong-Tsang rediscovered her passion for art and was eventually asked to lead a class of her own. She’s taught ever since, donating most of the money she makes back to Cancer Lifeline. Though she has a basement art studio built by her husband, evidence of her lesson planning spills out into the dining room: paints, calligraphy model prints and “Bottles of Hope,” tiny decorative jars made from old injectable medication bottles. For an upcoming calligraphy class she’ll teach, she pulls out an example card with one of her favorite quotes: “Most of the shadows in our life are caused by standing in our own sunshine.” Though she teaches art, Leong-Tsang’s true role is to help patients find something that will distract them from the unpleasantness of treatment — and help them connect with others who share in their pain. “It’s something to look forward to when you know you have chemotherapy on Tuesday,” she said. “We laugh, tell stories and have fun. “Some people talk about their treatments, some people talk about tablemates or about specific types of chemotherapy. There’s just a lot of sharing in the classes. There’s no judgment.” Daniel Nash: 425-453-4290; dnash@bellevuereporter.com

It’s because cancer has its own agenda. And in the case of breast cancer, if you’re female, you are a target. Think of seven women you love dearly. One of them will get a diagnosis of breast cancer. I moved to Seattle over the Labor Day weekend of 2009 to start a new life, not really knowing anyone in this area. My diagnosis came one year and four months later. I was pretty much on my own, except when one of my friends from Alaska, my home state, or Idaho, where I moved here from, would come to help. I now realize how strong I was because I had to deal with this pretty much on my own, which I’ve come to learn, is not the norm. But I didn’t know any different. I dedicated “The Boob Blog” to survivors, current and future patients and anyone who has had their life touched by any kind of cancer. In the book I talk about how I’ve always had a pretty wicked sense of humor, and that is what kept me going. In chapter three, “Fact Finding,” I said “tomorrow is my brain scan. It will be interesting to see if there’s anything in there.” Well, there wasn’t (meaning, no tumors)! I talk about chemo. It’s hell. There’s really no other way to describe it. I did chemo first, which is called neoadjuvant therapy. You can’t think straight. You are tired all the time. And I thought, okay, at least I’ll lose some weight with cancer. NO! You gain weight because they give you steroids to counteract the side effects of the chemo, so you want to eat more, and you gain

weight. Great, I thought. Fat and bald. Then, for a little extra fun, when I had one of my first MRIs, a tech called to say there was a “spot” on my appendix. My oncologist told me not to worry about it. On the evening of May 25, 2011, I knew something was terribly wrong. You guessed it. Appendicitis. So, it had to come out. That set me back a little from the chemo schedule. I am very much a planner and in control of my life, so for me all of this was really hard because I was not the one in control. The disease was. Once I was back on track, I went into phase II of the chemo, which was the hard stuff. It was a combination of two drugs, adriamycin and cytoxan; adriamycin is also referred to as the red devil, and it didn’t take long to figure out why. That’s when my hair really started to go, and tired took on a whole new meaning. What made my journey unique is that I really did my best to try to keep it normal. I continued to do things I enjoyed as much as I could. I went zip-lining and kayaking after I had a uni-lateral mastectomy. And it kept me strong, physically and mentally. I don’t forget my medical team in the book at all. They were all so wonderful. My medical oncologist, Dr. Kaplan, my surgeon, Dr. Beatty, my plastic surgeon, Dr. Isik, and the oncology nurses and all the nurses were nothing short of angels. My final day of chemo was bittersweet, because I had to say goodbye to those wonderful nurses. Many women don’t bother with

reconstruction. But I felt I was still too young not to do it. I opted for a tram-flap, which was another long journey. The tram-flap is an amazing procedure, but had I known how painful it would be, I might have re-thought it. I was in rough, rough shape for a good month after the surgery. I had to have constant care for three weeks, so thankfully I had three different girlfriends come in week shifts to care for me. I am healed now, but I still have occasional twinges of pain, from nerves reconnecting I suppose. By December 2012 I moved into my very own little condo in West Seattle. I bought at the bottom of the market and I love my place. I have a view of Puget Sound, which was my priority. I love being able to sit on my deck in the summer and see the Sound and the Olympic Mountains and to walk along the shore. I participated in my first Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure last June, and I will be doing it again this year. I’m also the PR chair for this year’s American Cancer Society, West Seattle, Relay for Life. The fight can’t end until cancer is eradicated forever. “The Boob Blog” is available on Amazon.com or for Kindle. It’s also available at the Issaquah Library, and at Swedish Medical Centers in Issaquah, Seattle First Hill and Edmonds in the cancer education centers. Sometimes reading someone else’s journey can help you make key decisions.

KOMEN PUGET SOUND

Race for the Cure • 7

Extending Hope to Cancer Patients and their Families

hen Anna heard the news she was pregnant, she and her husband were overjoyed. Up to this point they had devoted their lives to providing a safe, nurturing home for foster children. While they had a large family of six foster children, they welcomed the news of another child in their lives. But then, shortly afterwards, Anna also received the news that she had breast cancer. After the baby was born, Anna underwent surgery to have the cancer removed, and then she began chemotherapy. Overwhelmed by the unexpected medical expenses, she turned to her mother who put her in touch with one of Cancer Lifeline’s financial navigators. The navigator worked helped with the application for aid from the Komen Puget Sound Patient Assistance Fund. Support from the Komen fund helped to keep the heat on in Anna’s home as well as provide meal support for her and her family. Once Anna’s financial situation was stabilized, she was able to address her medical needs and is now doing well. Both financially and emotionally, Cancer Lifeline helped Anna move from hopelessness to the survivor she is today. Forty years ago, Cancer Lifeline began service as a 24-hour phone line designed to offer information and provide emotional support to patients and families affected by cancer. Over the years of carefully listening to the needs of cancer patients and survivors,

the organization added other programs to provide all people touched by cancer with high-quality emotional, financial, and health and wellness services. For the past nine years, Cancer Lifeline has administered the Komen Puget Sound Patient Assistance Fund (KPAF) to provide low-income breast cancer patients like Anna with financial and emotional support to help stabilize their lives and allow them to remain in treatment. The organization is Komen Puget Sound’s second largest grantee, after the Washington State Department of Health. With the ongoing economic downturn, KPAF and Cancer Lifeline’s patient financial assistance program has been particularly vital for vulnerable breast cancer patients. It is one of the few programs in the Puget Sound area that helps patients at risk of losing housing, utilities or other basic essentials due to the expense of cancer treatments, loss of employment and/or insurance needs due to illness. “Cancer Lifeline has truly been a lifeline for patients who have nowhere else to go,” says Elisa Del Rosario, Komen Puget Sound Director of Grants, Education and Advocacy. “They meet a critical need for women and families in our community, with staff and volunteers who exhibit the utmost caring for patient’s well being.” In addition to addressing the health and financial needs of cancer patients, Cancer Lifeline also

provides important mental well-being programs, including classes in artistic expression. These Creative Expression workshops are open to all people living with cancer – patients, survivors, family members, friends and co-workers. Lead by trained facilitators, classes may include card making, painting, collage, fiber arts or writing. By tapping into their creative skills, participants learn to cope while navigating through their cancer experience. “Our programs are based on the needs of people living with cancer,” said Joseph Yurgevich, Cancer Lifeline program director. “We offer you choices and encourage you to take control. Most of all, we provide the environment where you have the freedom to express feelings without being judged.”

Investing in Research to Find a Cure for Breast Cancer – Worldwide and Right Here at Home By Dr. Anne McTiernan, MD, PHD. Thirty years ago, Susan G. Komen was founded on a promise to end breast cancer forever. Since then, the organization has worked towards fulfilling that promise by investing more than $790 million into breast cancer research. That makes Komen the largest non-government funder of breast cancer research in the world. Did you know that Komen is currently investing over $3.7 million of their global breast cancer research program right here into active medical studies in the Puget Sound region? One Komen grant recipient is Dr. Mary-Claire King at the University of Washington. King is working to uncover new genes that will better identify women at risk for inherited breast cancer. Other Komen grant recipients include some of my colleagues at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. For example, one Komen grantee is working to uncover a simple, noninvasive blood test that, when done in combination with a mammogram, will significantly increase accuracy in detecting breast cancer at an early stage, when it is most curable. I am working at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center on an exciting Komen funded study that looks at vitamin D insufficiency and weight, two interrelated risk factors for breast cancer. We have such an epidemic of obesity and lack of exercise in our country. This is why I believe a study into these areas can have a significant impact on better understanding these risk factors for breast cancer.

Many of you may be aware that vitamin D comes from the sun and helps build better bones, but there is evidence that it might also help in prevention of breast cancer. This is particularly important for us living in the Northwest where, unfortunately, many of us are not getting enough vitamin D due to a relative lack of sunlight, and other factors like body weight. Overweight individuals are at increased risk of low vitamin D levels. That’s possibly because excess fat absorbs and holds onto vitamin D, making it unavailable to the body. Vitamin D may be helpful in reducing the risk of breast cancer in a number of ways. It could reduce production of fat tissue, which would result in lowering breast cancer risk factors related to obesity. Vitamin D by itself has also been associated with a reduction in the initiation of cancer in laboratory experiments. We have recently completed a study that enrolled 218 women who were overweight with low Vitamin D levels in a year-long, nutrition and exercise based weight loss program. Participants met regularly with a study nutritionist to learn strategies for healthy eating and weight loss, and worked closely with our exercise specialists on a moderate-intensity aerobic exercise program. As a part of this study, half of these women were randomly assigned to receive a daily dose of vitamin D. We found that women whose vitamin D levels rose to what is considered a healthy level lost significantly more weight and body fat, and they lost significantly

more inches around their waist. This means that women should have their blood levels of vitamin D tested by their medical provider. If their levels are too low, they should work with their provider to ensure that any vitamin D pills they take are raising their vitamin D to a healthy level. These results were recently Anne McTiernan, MD, PHD is a researcher, Public Health Sciences, published in the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. To our knowledge, there are no prior studies on the effect of vitamin D and weight on breast cancer prevention. So, this study is highly novel. If positive results follow, as we hope, this research will translate into clinical and public health practices that will provide women and physicians additional options for reducing risk for breast cancer. In the meantime, there is one thing we do know. When it comes to breast cancer, exercise and weight control are like wearing a seat belt. They reduce your risk, and might even save your life.

8 • Bellevue Reporter • May 23, 2014

A STEP IN THE

RIGHT DIRECTION

Join QFC and the Komen Puget Sound Race for the Cure as we raise funds and awareness for the fight against breast cancer. Ensuring that all women have access to breast cancer early detection and quality treatment support is the ultimate goal, and QFC is committed to seeing this happen. Understanding the facts about the disease and knowing the warning signs can help protect you and your loved ones. Here are some useful tips: • Talk to your family and learn about your family health history • Complete monthly breast self-exams • Be alert to any changes in your body • Notify your doctor immediately if you notice any changes or have any concerns • Have yearly check-ups and mammograms, as recommended • Spread the word by talking and sharing with mothers, sisters, family and friends. Love and knowledge are powerful weapons in this battle.

QFC is proud to be the Local Presenting Sponsor of this year’s Komen Puget Sound Race for the Cure. We will see you at Seattle Center on June 1st!