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Help Suzanne Aucoin
About Me
Hello!
Let me tell you about myself… I am a 35-year-old woman with stage 4 colorectal
cancer. This re-occurrence of cancer has thrown me for a huge loop!!! I was first
diagnosed at the age of 28 and had surgery for what was stage 1 colorectal cancer. I
was told I was cured back in 1999. When I moved back to Canada (I was working in
Southern California and had surgery there), I dedicated myself to being well. I
changed my eating habits and engaged in regular exercise with the assistance of a
nutritionist/personal trainer. The result was a 20 pound weight loss and a renewed
feeling of energy.
When I was re-diagnosed in November 2003, complete shock and fear surged through
my body. I just could not believe all of my hard work was for waste. Since then I have
been able to mentally accept that my situation is unusual and the cancer is not a
result of an unhealthy lifestyle or bad choices. I try to counteract these emotions
with the help of a counselor and a perspective that it might just be my “good” health
that will carry me through these treatments.
However, I still have had many challenges! The first was being told that there is no
cure for this kind of cancer. The list of challenges continues but I prefer to tell you
about the successes, activities and pro-active approaches I am undertaking to manage
this disease.
I started a trial on Jan. 6, 2004 at the Juravinski Cancer Centre in Hamilton. I was on
an experimental chemo called oxaliplatin. This was combined with a placebo or PTK
pill which was supposed to cut off the blood supply to the tumour. I finished the trial
on Sept. 23, 2004 being the longest person to receive oxaliplatin. Some people are
still on the trial and able to take the other components. However, I discovered I was
on the placebo. This news disappointed me at first but I tried to look at the success
of chemo alone. There was considerable shrinkage in the main tumour on the liver.
As well, because I was on the placebo it made avastin, a drug from the same family as
PTK’s, a much more viable choice.
Prior to being kicked off the trial, I began fundraising with a committee called L3 – Live
Life Large. Gary Bellhouse was the first member and he actively enlisted the help of
Mary Bamford, Carrie Morris and Phil Short. Soon after its inception, Tom Ryan and
Kelly Dickenson came on board. When it was time to start paying for and receiving
Avastin (Nov. 9, 2004), a significant amount of money was about to be raised. There
was a talk at White Oaks, a dinner dance at John Michael’s Hall organized by my DM
family and then an amazing Spin-a-thon at White Oaks organized by L3. I was
comforted by the fact I was getting the best and latest treatment and my financial
worries were taken care of.
Since November 2004, we have raised our initial goal of $100,000!!! It only took six
short months to make this happen. There have been a variety of events and an
overwhelming response from the Niagara community to support me.
I have continued to research other treatment possibilities and have visited a couple of
centers in the U.S. to consult with oncologists. What is clear to me is that the U.S.
has many more opportunities and new combination drugs in trial. Canada clearly
needs to pick up the pace and catch up!!!
As of October 25, 2005, I started to get Erbitux as there was new growth on my Oct.
4th CT scan. So far I have had three treatments on this new drug. It seems to be
working and I will know more when I get my December CT Scan. In the meantime, the
advocacy and political struggle that this disease has demanded that I tackle, is heating
up!
I have been to Queen’s Park twice. I spoke at a press conference on behalf of colon
cancer patients. CBC and Global interviewed me regarding the expense of Erbitux and
the challenges we face in accessing this drug in Ontario. There is an action letter and
contact information on this website so that you can help with this struggle. CBC has
done a follow-up interview which will be aired soon.
I will be meeting with Federal Health Minister Dosanjh and I am awaiting a response
from Provincial Health Minister Smitherman. I am working as hard as I can to put
pressure on government officials and representatives so that cancer patients do not
have to suffer more.
Until the Ontario Health System can get its act together, I will continue to go to West
Seneca and pay for Erbitux out of pocket. It is going to cost $100,000 for six months
of treatment. Fundraising was put on hold until January 2006. It looks like there will
be a need to start planning fundraising activities and functions again.
This journey has been both blessed and challenging. I have become so much more
aware of what is going on in the world of science. I truly hope it catches up to me
soon so that there is a cure or substantial protocol to effectively manage this disease.
Wouldn’t it be nice to have a world in which cancer was managed like diabetes??? Or
better yet, a world in which cancer was just like the common cold???
Again, I want to express my sincerest gratitude to all of those who have donated to
the trust account, attended events, driven me to the doctor and hospital, picked me
up when I was feeling down and overall supported me. I am indebted to the L3
committee and the DM Community. My continued goals are to be well enough to
receive the latest and best treatments and dream of the day I return to work where I
have created my own foundation to support people living with cancer.
Let’s keep on Living Life Large!!!!
Hello!
Let me tell you about myself… I am a 35-year-old woman with stage 4 colorectal
cancer. This re-occurrence of cancer has thrown me for a huge loop!!! I was first
diagnosed at the age of 28 and had surgery for what was stage 1 colorectal cancer. I
was told I was cured back in 1999. When I moved back to Canada (I was working in
Southern California and had surgery there), I dedicated myself to being well. I
changed my eating habits and engaged in regular exercise with the assistance of a
nutritionist/personal trainer. The result was a 20 pound weight loss and a renewed
feeling of energy.
When I was re-diagnosed in November 2003, complete shock and fear surged through
my body. I just could not believe all of my hard work was for waste. Since then I have
been able to mentally accept that my situation is unusual and the cancer is not a
result of an unhealthy lifestyle or bad choices. I try to counteract these emotions
with the help of a counselor and a perspective that it might just be my “good” health
that will carry me through these treatments.
However, I still have had many challenges! The first was being told that there is no
cure for this kind of cancer. The list of challenges continues but I prefer to tell you
about the successes, activities and pro-active approaches I am undertaking to manage
this disease.
I started a trial on Jan. 6, 2004 at the Juravinski Cancer Centre in Hamilton. I was on
an experimental chemo called oxaliplatin. This was combined with a placebo or PTK
pill which was supposed to cut off the blood supply to the tumour. I finished the trial
on Sept. 23, 2004 being the longest person to receive oxaliplatin. Some people are
still on the trial and able to take the other components. However, I discovered I was
on the placebo. This news disappointed me at first but I tried to look at the success
of chemo alone. There was considerable shrinkage in the main tumour on the liver.
As well, because I was on the placebo it made avastin, a drug from the same family as
PTK’s, a much more viable choice.
Prior to being kicked off the trial, I began fundraising with a committee called L3 – Live
Life Large. Gary Bellhouse was the first member and he actively enlisted the help of
Mary Bamford, Carrie Morris and Phil Short. Soon after its inception, Tom Ryan and
Kelly Dickenson came on board. When it was time to start paying for and receiving
Avastin (Nov. 9, 2004), a significant amount of money was about to be raised. There
was a talk at White Oaks, a dinner dance at John Michael’s Hall organized by my DM
family and then an amazing Spin-a-thon at White Oaks organized by L3. I was
comforted by the fact I was getting the best and latest treatment and my financial
worries were taken care of.
Since November 2004, we have raised our initial goal of $100,000!!! It only took six
short months to make this happen. There have been a variety of events and an
overwhelming response from the Niagara community to support me.
I have continued to research other treatment possibilities and have visited a couple of
centers in the U.S. to consult with oncologists. What is clear to me is that the U.S.
has many more opportunities and new combination drugs in trial. Canada clearly
needs to pick up the pace and catch up!!!
As of October 25, 2005, I started to get Erbitux as there was new growth on my Oct.
4th CT scan. So far I have had three treatments on this new drug. It seems to be
working and I will know more when I get my December CT Scan. In the meantime, the
advocacy and political struggle that this disease has demanded that I tackle, is heating
up!
I have been to Queen’s Park twice. I spoke at a press conference on behalf of colon
cancer patients. CBC and Global interviewed me regarding the expense of Erbitux and
the challenges we face in accessing this drug in Ontario. There is an action letter and
contact information on this website so that you can help with this struggle. CBC has
done a follow-up interview which will be aired soon.
I will be meeting with Federal Health Minister Dosanjh and I am awaiting a response
from Provincial Health Minister Smitherman. I am working as hard as I can to put
pressure on government officials and representatives so that cancer patients do not
have to suffer more.
Until the Ontario Health System can get its act together, I will continue to go to West
Seneca and pay for Erbitux out of pocket. It is going to cost $100,000 for six months
of treatment. Fundraising was put on hold until January 2006. It looks like there will
be a need to start planning fundraising activities and functions again.
This journey has been both blessed and challenging. I have become so much more
aware of what is going on in the world of science. I truly hope it catches up to me
soon so that there is a cure or substantial protocol to effectively manage this disease.
Wouldn’t it be nice to have a world in which cancer was managed like diabetes??? Or
better yet, a world in which cancer was just like the common cold???
Again, I want to express my sincerest gratitude to all of those who have donated to
the trust account, attended events, driven me to the doctor and hospital, picked me
up when I was feeling down and overall supported me. I am indebted to the L3
committee and the DM Community. My continued goals are to be well enough to
receive the latest and best treatments and dream of the day I return to work where I
have created my own foundation to support people living with cancer.
Let’s keep on Living Life Large!!!!