Lately, I have been feeling anxious and antsy. My five year oncology check is next month. I am EXTRA nervous. I remember going through treatment and thinking that five years was so far away. But it isn't. Or does it depend what is going on in your life at the moment that determines how fast time goes by? At my last check up in May, my oncologist wanted to talk about my "release from care" that would happen once I hit the five year mark. I felt panic. Over the past five years, I had had at least 20 checks total? I had had so many, that I thought my sister was mistaken when she said she gets exams once a year. ONCE A YEAR? How can a person live like that? Then my mom brought me down to Earth with, "She's going for a normal check up. You aren't normal"-or something like that.
I always knew I was special :)
I had last posted about my time in Washington, DC and Cancer Policy Advocacy Team. I actually just finished writing an essay about my experience there. If you are interested in making a difference, if you know someone who is going through cancer, or is a caregiver to someone with cancer, a survivor, or a thriver, I would strongly encourage you to be a part of the National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship. As Henry Rollins said, "Change is hard, but change is good".
Nicole Drost CPAT Symposium and Hill Day Testimonial
Being an Elevate Ambassador through the National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship is something that I would not have thought of volunteering for before my cancer diagnosis. Going through cancer treatment, I realized that change starts with me. The NCC has given me the opportunity to grow as a person, reflect on where I want to be in the future, network in my community, and make new friends that happen to have been touched by cancer.
This year, I was able to attend CPAT, which stands for Cancer Policy Advocacy Team. To be surrounded by women and men who have been impacted by this horrible disease …the energy was contagious.
During CPAT 2023, Elevate Ambassadors and CUPID program fellows went to Capitol Hill to speak of their cancer experiences in support of the Comprehensive Cancer Survivorship Act (s.2213). Although most Senators were at Congress, we (my group) were able to meet Legislative Assistants from our respective districts. It was an eye opening experience for me. As a constituent, I would like to hope that our stories mattered to most that we met, and I was especially impressed by Congressman Morrelle, his staff, and guest speaker Senator Amy Klobuchar. Even though I knew that cancer had impacted Congressman Joe Morrelle personally, (I am one of his constituents, and followed his daughter on Facebook, where she chronicled her experience with her breast cancer diagnosis. Unfortunately, she passed in August of 2017). I wasn’t familiar with Senator Klobuchar’s cancer diagnosis.
On the homefront, our town was able to put on an Independence Day parade, and I was able to chat with Congressman Morrelle about my personal experience with cancer, and how important the passing of the CCSA is crucial to cancer patients. In turn, he told me stories about his daughter, and also how he is working on getting Wilmont Cancer Center (where I was treated) to be a nationally recognized cancer center.
One other presentation that impacted me was Beth Blakey, Director of the Cancer Hope Network. Their mission is to support cancer patients and caregivers by being matched up with a 1:1 Peer Support person who has had a similar cancer diagnosis to your own. While listening to Beth, Samantha Schrager (Director of Programs), and two volunteers from CHN, Claudio Pennunzi (who spoke about goal based hope, what wise hope teaches us, and the aspect of Ubuntu “I am because we are”, and Gregory Blake, a cancer survivor who gave us the perspective from the caregivers point of view. He spoke of the “quiver of arrows'' analogy. Have knowledge, give support, be a lifeguard for others, have balance in your thought process (hope vs. reality), and hope; as caregivers, sometimes we don’t get the outcome we want; but we are survivors and will be a caregiver for someone else”. At the conclusion of their presentation, I realized that being a part of CHN would also help me reach my goal of supporting others.
A few days after I had gotten home from CPAT, I actually spoke with Samantha, and filled out forms to be a volunteer for Cancer Hope Network.
CPAT was amazing because of the people! As I said above, the positivity in one room is electric! I loved reading the Advocate Biographies. It was so interesting to read through others’ experiences-they are inspiring! Even though this visit was brief, I learned a lot by getting involved in cancer policy and health advocacy. For example, in high school I took Participation in Government, but honestly I didn’t pay attention as much as I should have. Being an Elevate Ambassador for NCCS has broadened my perspective, and has made me realize that in order to make positive change in the world, I need to be a part of that change. There is a lot at stake when people don’t pay attention to what is going on around them. The National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship gives those affected by cancer the support needed to help influence the world in a positive way so that change is possible.
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