June is the designated month to celebrate those who have survived cancer, and those who played a part in that journey. This observance inspires celebrations in numerous countries.
National Cancer Survivors Month aims to raise cancer awareness, saluting those who have finished treatment or are currently undergoing it. Various parades, relay races, carnivals, art shows, and other events honor patients, their families and the medical professionals who continually battle the disease.
June also commemorates advances in cancer research. There are more than 18 million cancer survivors in the U.S., thanks to the ongoing research to finding better therapies to fight this disease. According to the National Cancer Institute, that number will grow to 22.2 million by 2030.
The National Cancer Survivors Day Foundation defines a survivor as someone with a history of cancer and soldiers on through diagnosis, treatment and the rest of their life. The annual acknowledgment also teaches what having cancer entails and what lingers after. Besides a patient’s initial battle, there are many struggles a cancer survivor may face. Scientific discoveries have helped to beat adverse aspects by preventing, treating and controlling side effects, but each patient faces individual challenges, including emotional, physical and financial obstacles.
What becomes a “new normal” often tests existing support systems. That leads to isolation for patients trying to adapt to changed bodies and the remnants of emotional shock they endured. Overcoming fatigue and weakness can be monumental in the search for energy and stamina when all a patient desires is immediacy to return to some semblance of routine. It sparks frustration, often causing mental health issues, especially in patients suffering from survivor’s guilt.
Resources can help in this process. The camaraderie found through support groups, professional counselors, activities and planned events are important strength-building elements. Karmanos Cancer Institute in Detroit and Farmington Hills and its centers across Michigan provide support groups, counseling services, integrative therapies, and more. The American Cancer Society (ACS), Gilda’s Club of Metro Detroit, Detroit ROCS, and Jewish Family Service of Metro Detroit offer similar services for cancer survivors. More information can be found in publications such as the American Association for Cancer Research’s Cancer Today, the Academy of Oncology Nurse & Patient Navigators’ Conquer, and the online support resource CanCare.
Clinton Township’s two-time cancer survivor Kelli Kaschimer, 41, is a founding Macomb County Cancer Action Council member through the Karmanos Office of Cancer Health Equity and Community Engagement (OCHECE). Kaschimer is a strong advocate for cancer awareness and a seasoned fighter since Hodgkin lymphoma took her sister’s life in 1999.
She was subsequently diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma in 2011, fighting a yearlong battle and fear of infertility due to the disease. Kaschimer persevered and had a healthy son in 2013. Two years later, a lump on her tongue turned out to be oral cancer. She had to have a third of her tongue removed and went through 35 high-dose radiation treatments. It was a journey that was difficult, but she pushed through it.
Dedicating more than 20 years to her job with ACS, Kaschimer is now director of Volunteer & Client Services for Forgotten Harvest in Oak Park. She continues to work tirelessly to help others in need.
“I like to tell people that through research, advancements and the programs and services I received during my cancer journey, I survived,” she said. Still motivated by her late sister’s giving nature, “I live by her motto of generosity and I’ll continue my work to raise even one dollar that might just save a life.”
This article was written by Wendy Clem, member of the Macomb County Cancer Action Council.