A Lifelong Quest to Enhance Psychological Well being Amongst Most cancers Sufferers [Sponsored]

Megan Corridor: Yearly, the Most cancers Group Awards, sponsored by AstraZeneca, presents a person or group with the President’s Award. This award acknowledges those that are making a significant impression within the lives of most cancers sufferers. In 2021, Margaret Stauffer obtained the President’s Award for her work because the Chief Mission Officer of the Most cancers Help Group within the San Francisco Bay Space. As we ready for this 12 months’s awards, we reconnected with Margaret to listen to extra about what’s occurred since she obtained the award. Properly, Margaret Stauffer, it’s such a pleasure to get an opportunity to speak to you. I can’t wait to listen to what you’ve been as much as the previous 12 months.

Margaret Stauffer: Thanks. It looks like a blur, however we’ll attempt to break it out a bit of bit.

Corridor: Once you clarify the Most cancers Help Group to individuals who’ve by no means heard of it and individuals who aren’t a part of the most cancers world, how do you clarify it to them?

Stauffer: I say it’s a spot the place individuals can come collectively and join with others who perceive what it’s prefer to be coping with a most cancers prognosis, and it’s a spot the place they’ll grow to be knowledgeable and empowered as they’re going by way of most cancers remedy and past. It’s additionally a spot for family members to get help for what they’re going by way of, in addition to the affected person.

Corridor: I perceive that your mom went by way of a fairly brutal expertise when she was recognized with most cancers. Do you thoughts telling me a bit of bit about that have and the way it knowledgeable your work?

Stauffer: Positive. To begin with, I wish to say it was a very long time in the past, so issues have modified dramatically, each by way of remedy and by way of psychosocial help. However when she was recognized with breast most cancers, she had a radical mastectomy, and there have been no help providers for her. She simply had the surgical procedure, and she or he was anticipated to go on along with her life.

However her life was impacted tremendously by that. She was a pianist. She needed to take care of lymphedema in her arm that made that tough. She didn’t know anyone else that had gone by way of one thing just like what she had gone by way of. So it was very isolating and lonely and difficult for her, though we, as her household, tried to do what we might. However we didn’t actually perceive both on the time what the impacts have been.

What actually drew me to the work at Most cancers Help Group was having the ability to create a spot the place individuals might get that help, the place they might find out about remedy choices, the place they might really feel a way of reference to different individuals who know what it’s prefer to be coping with this.

Corridor: In case your mom might have benefited from the Most cancers Help Group, what do you suppose she would’ve performed there? How would you’ve set her up with emotional and social help?

Stauffer: Properly, my mom didn’t like to speak about issues that have been non-public or emotional. However I’d actually attempt to get her arrange in a help group, as a result of I believe she would actually have loved being with different individuals and speaking about their experiences. And I’d’ve additionally needed her to entry a few of our wholesome life-style lessons, to check out a yoga class or a Qigong session, and to take pleasure in among the social connections that we’ve got. For instance, we’ve got a no-talent expertise present yearly, and I believe she would’ve cherished the silliness and the enjoyable and the creativity associated to that.

Corridor: However she truly had expertise. She might’ve performed the piano.

Stauffer: She did have expertise. She wouldn’t have been within the no-talent class.

Corridor: Is that what has impressed you over these so a few years working within the most cancers group, that have together with your mom?

Stauffer: That’s definitely part of it, however as a wedding and household therapist working within the well being enviornment, I’ve seen over and over the toll that bodily sickness takes on households and actually wish to have an effect on that, and discover higher methods of serving to individuals get by way of that have.

Corridor: You’ve mentioned that not addressing the emotional and social features of most cancers care is like paying for an costly automobile and never placing any gasoline in it. Do you thoughts explaining that a bit of bit?

Stauffer: Properly, medical remedy is extremely vital, after all. However we additionally know that there are such a lot of different elements that contribute as to whether or not anyone does effectively going by way of most cancers remedy. The psychosocial facet is essential. In the event you’re getting nice medical remedy, however you’re actually depressed, and also you don’t get to your physician’s appointment since you don’t really feel like getting off the bed, that’s not going to assist.

Corridor: You obtained the President’s Award a couple of 12 months in the past. What did it imply to you whenever you came upon you’d gained?

Stauffer: It was very humbling, I assume, initially, as a result of I do know there are such a lot of individuals doing nice work throughout the most cancers area. I felt very moved and touched by it. I’ve devoted 30 years of my life to this work. Having that recognition felt very particular.

Corridor: How has the award modified your life or modified the work of your group?

Stauffer: Properly, I believe it’s helped to extend the visibility of our group. And one of many issues we would like to have the ability to do is assist anyone impacted by most cancers, who’s in our geographic space, who needs our providers. That extra publicity has been essential. And there’s additionally the truth that there was a monetary piece to the award, and that makes a major distinction in our capability to supply the providers freed from cost.

Corridor: Did the award create any new connections or provide help to community with different individuals doing thrilling work within the most cancers group?

Stauffer: We’ve already been very linked with all the different most cancers providers in our space, however I believe getting that award reminded individuals about our providers and what we do and possibly put us extra entrance of thoughts.

Corridor: I perceive you’re a decide this time round. With out giving something away, what struck you in regards to the nominees this 12 months?

Stauffer: I used to be so impressed by the nominees for the 4 totally different Catalyst Award areas. It’s such a beautiful factor to see all of the totally different work that’s being performed, each by way of remedy advances, but additionally by way of reaching individuals who’ve historically been underserved, serving to people who find themselves in additional distant areas get hooked as much as most cancers help and providers. It’s simply very gratifying to see all of the fantastic issues which might be being performed to help individuals whereas they’re going by way of remedy.

Corridor: One of many distinctive issues about these awards is they convey collectively individuals from all totally different elements of the most cancers group. Why do you suppose that’s vital?

Stauffer: Properly, I believe there’s a synergy that occurs whenever you’re connecting with different individuals, who’re doing both related work or new and totally different work to assist people who find themselves coping with most cancers. With the ability to join with different organizations, different hospital teams, different academic establishments, different non-profits that present such essential help, it’s an effective way of studying from one another and supporting one another.

Corridor: As we sit up for, doubtlessly, a future that’s much less centered on COVID, what are you trying ahead to? What offers you hope?

Stauffer: I’m trying ahead to being in the identical room with the person who I’m talking to. A part of the group that we create at Most cancers Help Group is that reference to one another and having the ability to hug anyone, having the ability to provide them a field of tissues in the event that they’re having a tough time, of having the ability to giggle collectively in the identical room and really feel that camaraderie and connection much more deeply than we will really feel it once we’re on a platform like Zoom.

Corridor: Properly, Margaret Stauffer, thanks a lot for taking the time to speak with me immediately.

Stauffer: Thanks. You made it simple.

Corridor: Margaret Stauffer is the Chief Mission Officer of the Most cancers Help Group within the San Francisco Bay Space. In 2021, she obtained the President’s Award from the Most cancers Group Awards, a part of the AstraZeneca YOUR Most cancers program. YOUR Most cancers brings collectively the group that’s working to drive significant change in most cancers care. Go to YourCancer.org to be taught extra in regards to the C2 award winners and the YOUR Most cancers program.

This podcast was produced by Scientific American Customized Media and made potential by way of the help of the AstraZeneca YOUR Most cancers program.

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For extra exceptional tales from the 2021 Winners of the Most cancers Group Awards, go to our Heroes of Most cancers Care assortment.

[The above text is a transcript of this podcast.]