Listen
to Geneva share a cancer experience in her own words. (768 K .au
file)
Listen
to Geneva share a cancer experience in her own words. (768 K .au
file)
Geneva was 61 years old when she was diagnosed with breast cancer fourteen years ago. She compared her cancer to a small Indian basket hiding within a larger basket. She found her support within the Chippewa nation.
Geneva had not felt well for some time. She went to a Chippewa Health Conference to try to find out what was wrong. She attended the session on breast cancer and later went home and did a breast self-exam. She found a lump.
Geneva's surgery went well, but the chemotherapy was more difficult than she had imagined. Loss of her hair was disturbing.
Humor was important to Geneva during recovery. She was able to laugh about her nephew's curiosity about her prosthesis when it fell on the ground in front of him and his friends.
Geneva's Introduction: My energy was going
In the Indian community its sort of a no-no to talk about it, but
I'm of the Chippewa tribe. I had people who cared about me in the
Indian Health Clinic and they held a little conference, and if you
had any health problems you were invited to come. I had felt weak. I
don't know where my energy was going, and I thought there must be
something wrong with me. Maybe they can help me.
Geneva's Introduction: My mother and aunt had cancer
My family has quite a bit of cancer. My mother died with cancer.
My Aunt Jennie died with cancer. So there's a lot of cancer on the
one side, but I didn't hear much about how it felt, or what you had
to do. It was just all so new to me, it was quite frightening in a
way. But I had all my sisters and their husbands with me up there at
the Sault. That's something...
Geneva's Introduction: I had to fight for my job
But I loved my job, and I loved the clients. One day I got a
letter saying that I was not a social worker anymore with this
program. I wondered why, so I began to ask around. They didn't tell
me, and so I thought well maybe they think they're going to catch
cancer, but you can't catch cancer. So I said to myself, I'm going to
fight for my job. So I went and found the best lawyer in that town. I
went into the lawyer and he said, hey you've got a good case. But I
said to myself, he's too eager and I think he'll hurt the people I
work with. So I went home and I wrote out my own defense, brought it
back to the lawyer and I read it to him. "Hey, Geneva" he said,
"you'd make a good lawyer. You just go ahead and mail them this
letter." I won my case. I went back to work my job.
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Geneva's Diagnosis: I needed permission
I went to this conference and a nurse had a little corner where
she was talking about cancer. And the nurse said in breast cancer,
you have to feel of your breasts to find out of if there are any
lumps. I said, well, I have an ache right here. So the nurse said
that when you go home, you feel free to exam your breasts. Don't have
any inhibitions, just go right ahead and do it. I was kind of anxious
to get home, because she gave me permission, because Indian women
were almost too modest sometimes. I was in the house all by myself
and I started feeling of my breasts, and sure enough, that lump was
there and it was quite tender. And I said to myself, oh, oh, your
suspicions are occurring. Geneva, you have breast cancer.
Geneva's Diagnosis: I was afraid of the mammogram
When they gave me the mammogram I was afraid of that machine. And
the nurse tried to be real gentle, but she my little boob on this
flat thing and started squeezing it, and I thought, oh, she's going
to squeeze until the milk comes out or something. And so I said,
"That hurts!" "I'm sorry," she said, "just keep talking and tell me
when you hurt." And so I got just the right position and she said
"Okay, we're done." So I was very anxious to find out if there was or
wasn't. Less than a week they came back and they said yeah, it shows
a pretty good size lump.
Geneva's Diagnosis: An operation confirmed it
So they told me to go to the hospital and they were going to give
me little operation, they said. And so I was telling my husband all
about this, and he looked really downcast because its a very serious
thing with him. I had a little lady doctor, she was so tiny and
dainty. I was so glad it was a woman. It didn't take too long to do
the operation. I went on the little operating table and the little
tiny doctor, she operated on me and I couldn't hardly wait for them
to tell me if that was or if that wasn't. So I got a phone call and
they said you have cancer.
Geneva's Diagnosis: The lymph nodes were affected
Well, they said, you need to have that removed because its going
into your lymph nodes. What in the world are lymph nodes? Well,
that's the first operation I ever had in my life, so that was quite
traumatic. I thought I was going to die. Dear Lord Jesus, I think I'm
ready to go. Just take me, if its your will, but I sure would like to
live.
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Geneva's Treatment: She said "You won't miss it"
They made an appointment for me to come in on Monday, to be all
ready for an operation. I went in. My husband was right with me. As I
was laying in the bed the little doctor, she sat right on the bed and
she's talking to my husband and me and she said, now Genie is going
to have to have this breast removed. And she said, you won't miss
this boob. And my husband just smiled and he says, well, of course
not. And they took me into the operating table and from there on I
don't know what happened.
Geneva's Treatment: Chemo was a way to get better
So I heard that chemotherapy was pretty bad. The first time it was
quite bad. They put this big needle up my arm. I could feel this cool
stuff going through my vein. I thought, oh my goodness, it's going to
knock my heart out. But I knew this was the way I was going to get
better, so let it hurt a little bit. But it got easier and easier.
They didn't quite tell me enough about the aftermath. Oh, it made me
so nauseous and weak. It gets so bad you just feel like you're going
to throw up your stomach, but this is my way to get better. A little
suffering, but, you're going to get better, Geneva.
Geneva's Treatment: I decided to stop chemo
So I was on this research team for two years. They monitored me
very closely. And then I went back to work. I have a particular
client to service and they'd say Geneva, its time for your shot. You
make sure you get in here, now. And several times I said no way. My
people come first. So one day they said, Geneva, its your time to
come in again. And I thought, but I'm beginning to feel so good. But
I did go in and I told them I'm getting better. I don't need this
anymore. I said this is my last time and my doctor just looked at me.
He didn't even say okay or anything, he just walked off. Probably
thought I was going to die or something. I got better.
Geneva's Treatment: My husband asked people to pray
We have real fine Indian Clinic doctors that come in for their
internship and they give us two years of their time. And the doctor
found the lump. I had this biopsy I think on a Friday. They wanted to
operate on me Monday. My husband is a minister and so he was the one
calling my family, my friends. He was calling a lot of people he knew
to pray for Geneva. I didn't know it, my husband was really
concerned. I wondered why my sisters showed up. There must be
something serious, but they were all there giving me support and
laughing about old times.
Geneva's Treatment: I was afraid of going bald
One of my friends just went bald headed. I was afraid I was, too.
Oh, that's so awful for the Indian women because they have such
beautiful thick heads of hair. So I used to wear a wig. I have two or
three of them, so I still wear them sometimes.
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Geneva's Recovery: It opened doors for me
This experience is hard and long, but it has really opened a lot
of doors for me. When some of my friends or relatives I heard had
cancer, I'd go right there and when I could say I've had cancer and
good doctors, and they knew just what to do. And I had the Good Lord
to help me. I said it's okay, just have it taken out and you'll be
all right. Our Indian people do get cancer quite a bit. It seems to
me that the preventive should become stronger and stronger how to not
get cancer. Its part of my life, helping others. I don't say I'm glad
it happened to me, but it's just a great big door that opened up.
Geneva's Recovery: I wore a prosthesis
They gave me a cotton whatever you call it, prosthesis. A little
nurse came and she tried to help me not to miss it so much. Of
course, its part of being a woman, you know. When one's gone, maybe
your half of a woman, I don't know. I wore just a cotton thing for a
while so that I could heal real good on that side.
Geneva's Recovery: It's not just cosmetic
And this thing here is more than cosmetic to me. I don't know why
they call it cosmetic. I developed some leaks in it. I went to bed
and in the morning I was all gooey. Oh my goodness, I can't wear this
anymore. So I tried to get another boob. I went to the clinic. They
said, well, we'll take it to the board. I said, no, that's cosmetic,
you can't have a boob. And I thought to myself, well, don't they know
that seven pounds of me is gone and my equilibrium is out of balance.
It's not as cosmetic as they think. Prosthesis cost so much. I've had
to pay $165 for one. I don't know, maybe there should be a fund or
something where women could maybe at least they would pay half of it
and you could pay the other half.
Geneva's Recovery: The clinic reminded me
There are so many Indian people coming back the clinic. The nurses
and the staff are really overloaded, and they just can't do justice
to everything and everybody, but they're doing their dead level best.
And I was so pleased. It came time for my mammogram. I didn't have to
remember, they sent me a letter with a very attractive "time for your
mammogram". And they remind you when you would have another
mammogram.
Geneva's Recovery: The kids were good therapy
My little nephew was vacationing down in Florida, and he said
"Shawn said I want to go home to be with my Auntie." She's had cancer
and they rode all the way on a motorcycle from Florida way to Sault
Ste. Marie. He's only about eight. He was really curious about
Grandma's boob. He's a very friendly little guy, so he had a lot of
little friends his age. So I was bending over and my boob fell out
and their eyes got about THIS BIG. What's happening to Grandma? She's
falling apart. The next day they called up some of their friends and
they were all giving me a hug. They were playing a game to find out
what side was the boob and what side wasn't the real thing. And all
the laughs they gave me was just really therapeutic.
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