Ringing bell at Jamestown Regional Medical Center an 'amazing' feeling for cancer survivors
Oct. 11—JAMESTOWN — Ringing the bell after completing breast cancer treatments is an "amazing" and "awesome" feeling, according to Barbara Schlecht, a breast cancer survivor of six years.
"Once you ring the bell, everybody in that waiting room, they stand up and they cheer and they clap and it's just overwhelming joy," Schlecht said. "The workers, everyone, they could be there for something cancer related and not feeling the best at all."
Rhonda Ravely, a breast cancer survivor of two years, said ringing the bell is a great feeling.
Ravely, who works in material service at the Jamestown Regional Medical Center, said she felt pain in her breast about three years ago. When she felt the pain, it was close to her scheduled appointment for a mammogram.
"I had them do an extra precaution of that area, and they called me back and told me to come do a biopsy and ultrasound," Ravely said. "Then after that, I was set up with appointments and I had 16 weeks of chemo and four weeks of radiation."
Schlecht, who is a registered nurse at JRMC, said she had a lump on her right breast for about 10 years. She got the lump after she was playing with her son and accidentally got elbowed. She thought the lump was just trauma from the incident.
"The doctor checked it every year," she said.
Schlecht said she got a mammogram every year to make sure she didn't have any breast diseases like cancer. She said a few years later the lump started getting a little painful in November 2017, and she got an ultrasound.
"Then they noticed some change," she said. "So then we decided to get it removed."
Schlecht had a lumpectomy to remove the lump. But then it came back cancerous and she had another surgery done to remove the cancer followed by 33 doses of radiation in Fargo.
This year, Schlecht and Ravely have made a "pinky swear" to promise to take responsibility for personal health or to support others to do so.
For Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October, JRMC has created
a "pinky swear" headquarters
to tell people that JRMC has all the tools to help with mammograms, scheduling appointments and chemotherapy to treat cancer. The "pinky swear" headquarters is a place to keep a promise, according to JRMC's website.
"Our message is really to tell people all the things that are right here in their community and the care that is right here at JRMC," said Heather Erholtz, planning and strategy director at JRMC. " ... It (pinky swear) is a pact, it's a promise, it's engaging, it's something you could say to a friend, it's something I can say to my daughter that I'm making her a pinky swear."
Ravely's pinky swear is to share her story and get regularly-scheduled breast cancer screenings every year. She said she wants others to be aware that anyone can get cancer.
"I have no history in my family of breast cancer," she said. "I don't know why I got it."
For Schlecht, the pinky swear is about being her own advocate.
"If anything ever feels odd or out of the ordinary, make sure you are following up and being your own patient advocate and following up on it," she said.
Jason Schaffer, radiology manager at JRMC, said it is recommended to start gettting annual breast cancer screenings at the age of 40.
"Obviously in addition to that too, if you have any instances where again you feel something that doesn't feel right, feels different, to also talk with your doctor, see if it makes sense to come in," he said. "Even if you are under the age of 40 because it certainly can happen sooner than that too. ... The key is early detection because the earlier you catch it, the easier it (may be) to treat and hopefully cure."
Cancer screening studies in history have reconfirmed that regular screenings cut breast cancer deaths by about 33% in all women ages 40 and over, according to the American College of Radiology.
JRMC has also rolled out the pink carpet to create a "VIPink Experience" for women receiving mammograms. A pink carpet has been placed at the registration desk and where individuals walk in to get a mammogram. A pink flag is flying in front of JRMC and staff is also giving away items in the mammography room to encourage and thank individuals for getting a mammogram.
The "VIPink Experience" starts with the schedulers who coordinate with patients to make appointments that work for them, Schaffer said.
"When they arrive for their exam, our folks at the front desk, our schedulers and registration folks are very welcoming, making that process much easier and more efficient to get along with their mammogram," he said.
He said mammographers take time to talk with each patient and explain what to expect during the mammogram, which makes each person feel more comfortable.
"We have maintained a little bit longer appointment time for our mammograms than maybe what the standard or norm is," Schaffer said. "Part of the reason for that is so that those folks can take the time and make it a much better experience and more personable rather than feeling kind of rushed through the appointment because we know people have questions and they want to find out some information while they are here too."
Followup and post care is also part of the experience. He said the mammographers will call patients if a followup diagnostic mammogram or ultrasound is needed.
"Part of the reason for that is again people might have questions," Schaffer said. "They might be wondering, what did you see, why do I need to come back in? And to have somebody that has a bit more knowledge on their care is beneficial too."
Erholtz said JRMC is proud of all the things it has done first in North Dakota. She said JRMC was the first hospital in the state that had 3D mammography.
"We went first and we bridged that gap and we are only able to do that with the support of our community," she said.
Schaffer said JRMC is focused on having good technology and doctors available on site. A couple years ago, he said JRMC invested in comfort or curved paddles that are more ergonomic and shaped to a breast to make it more comfortable and less painful during an exam.
He said JRMC is going through an evaluation process for replacement equipment.
"That's definitely something we got our eye on and what's out there to make it a better experience for folks," he said.
Erholtz said their technology and doctors go beyond mammograms. She said JRMC builds services around the care for women.
"We've got obstetrics and gynecology specialists in our clinic and they are doing amazing things with some genetic risk factor testing so those would be the instances maybe before 40," she said. "Then after that it's the ultrasound here. It's the biopsy here. ... It's beyond the mammogram that makes this really the pinky swear headquarters. The (JRMC) Cancer Center has the ability to have the infusion here now."
She also said the JRMC Cancer Center has a consistent team that has not changed.
So far the JRMC Cancer Center has 21 people who have rang the bell to mark the end of their treatments.
Schaffer said one of the barriers to early detection of cancer is an individual's financial situation. He said insurance may not cover all the costs or some people may be uninsured.
"That's where we provide financial assistance as far as it starts with kind of evaluating where they are at, what they have for coverage, trying to encourage them to sign up and take part in an insurance plan," he said.
Schaffer said JRMC works with Women's Way to help provide a way to pay for breast and cervical cancer screenings for eligible North Dakota women. He also said if there's still going to be a situation where the individual is impacted financially, staff can look to the JRMC Foundation to help cover the costs of the screening exams.
He also said another barrier is anxiety and individuals might hold of on getting screenings because they don't know what to expect.
"We have wonderful staff and we do training and we talk about what's going well for patients all the time to try to replicate that and make it a better experience for folks when they come in," he said.
Lisa Jackson, foundation director at JRMC, said the medical center has "incredible support" that eliminates barriers to receiving care and reduces patients' anxiety. Fundraisers and events are held to raise awareness about the importance of breast and cervical cancer screenings.
"In Stutsman County, we were one of the worst counties in the entire state for the percentage of women that were receiving their mammograms and we've changed that," she said. "We've flipped that to be one of the best counties in the state."
Mammography rates in North Dakota are currently lowest in the 40-44 age range and both the 55-64 and 65 and older age groups have shown some decline from 2012 to 2020, according to information provided by JRMC. In Stutsman County, 52% of female Medicare enrollees received an annual mammography screening which is higher than the state and national average.
The JRMC Cancer Center also helps eliminate travel time, Schlecht said. She said she did her mammographies, surgeries and follow-up appointments at JRMC which helps save time, gas and mileage. She said traveling outside of Jamestown also requires taking time off of work.
"Here, it's just a quick, usually a 30-minute appointment we can do," she said.
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Many fundraisers are held to raise awareness about breast and cervical cancer screenings. Lisa Jackson, foundation director for Jamestown Regional Medical Center, said that kickoffs with the Running of the Pink in the summer.
"R.M. Stoudt has championed access to breast and cervical cancer screenings," she said.
Upcoming or ongoing events include:
* "JRMC U: MyRisk TM — Genetic Testing" at 11 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 12. The event will include discussions on developments in genetic testing particularly related to breast cancer. This session will also touch on mammography technology, breast cancer screening experience and followup support available at JRMC. A light lunch will be included. The event is free to attend. Registration is required by visiting
.
* "Spook Out Cancer" from 7:30 to 9 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 27, at Puklich Chevrolet Buick GMC in Valley City. The sixth annual event will feature several trick-or-treating booths for kids and families. Puklich is also donating $100 of every car sold and $10 for every vehicle serviced in October. A virtual silent auction will begin about a week prior to the event.
* "Baskets, Bags and Bubbly" at 5:30 p.m Friday, Nov. 17. Sponsors of this event gather to wine, dine and bid to raise funds for local cancer causes, including JRMC No Excuses, Central Valley Health District's Women's Way program and Jamestown Area Cancer Support group. Designer purse
Past events held that promote wellness include POUND for Pink that was held on Oct. 2 and Jamestown High School's football game to support breast cancer awareness held on Friday, Oct. 6.
