Speaking to an audience

Last week Thursday, the 17th, I spoke on a panel of cancer survivors at the University of Hawaii-Hilo campus. It was part of a cancer care conference sponsored by the school of nursing, & our local American Cancer Society chapter asked me to speak to youth about my experience. Also on the panel was a breast cancer survivor who I had met before, Erin, who actually works for the ACS, and the other woman, Karen (who also is 38 years old), was a survivor of a rare form of sarcoma. Karen's experience was so much harder than mine -- she had to quit her job to have treatment for about a year on Oahu & relocated her 3 children with her, while her husband continued working in Hilo to pay the bills. Lots of surgeries and many months of chemotherapy, and still feeling not fully recovered after a few years post-treatment, so she's still not working, but volunteers as a "navigator" for other cancer survivors for a Native Hawaiian health care agency. When it was my turn to speak, I was a bit nervous actually because there was so much to share. I talked about how I got my diagnosis & how I reacted -- after my initial shock and wondering if I would die from cancer, I also thought I didn't want to cancel my winter vacation to the Bay Area -- I was supposed to leave on a plane with Kailee in less than 2 days! Other issues I brought up included how a disfiguring surgery can affect one's body image, dealing with raising a baby, & about fertility issues. It was a good experience to share my story with students and also to hear from the other 2 survivors -- very inspiring!

I get to speak to many other young people in my current work. As a health educator for the American Lung Association, I'm currently finishing up my tobacco prevention workshops at several elementary schools -- only in a couple classes have I told the students that I'm a cancer survivor -- if there's a "teachable moment" to talk about my cancer & a possible link to exposure to 2nd hand smoke, I may decide to talk about it. But in each class, I do talk about how my dad died of a stroke caused by high blood pressure from decades of smoking, and that the restaurant that bears his name was a dream of his, but sadly he didn't get to really see it grow, nor see his children grow up. I try not to be all "doom & gloom" with all the health effects -- I urge them not to be pressured to smoke, have good judgment, set goals, & focus on their positive character traits. Some of the students have great insight & ask good questions or offer good comments. After reaching hundreds of students, I often bump into them around town -- at my family's restaurant, the supermarket, the park, the beach, etc. I have to be more conscious about being recognized in public now (like a local celebrity!) -- but it's nice to see their smiling faces & to hear how they enjoyed having me teach them.