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Tuesday, October 30, 2012

To our readers,

This is the fifth in aseries of five special pinkeditions published by thestaffs of The Record inTroy and The Saratogianin Saratoga Springs inhonor of National BreastCancer AwarenessMonth.

The goal of each ofthese special sections,published on the fiveTuesdays in October,was to provide you withinformation about breastcancer -- information thatwe hope will both informyou and inspire you.

We offer our thanks tothe readers who sent instory ideas, photos ofevent held in conjunctionwith Breast CancerAwareness Month anditems for our calendar ofevents.

Thanks also go to writ-ers Kathryn Caggianelliand Francine Grinnnell,photographers EricaMiller, Jeff Couch, MikeMcMahon, J.S. Carrasand Ed Burke, and assis-tant managing editorBetsy DeMars for theirhelp with this section.

Lastly, we hope weachieved our goal of pro-viding you with informa-tive and inspiration sto-ries.

On behalf of the staffs ofThe Record and TheSaratogian,

Lisa Robert LewisEditor and breast

cancer survivor

One woman’s journey toward wholenessReconstructive surgery blends art and imagination with science and technique

By Kathryn Caggianelli

TROY – Shortly after Moth-er’s Day in 2011, Linda, a Still-water resident who asked not toshare her last name, was diag-nosed with Stage 1 breast can-cer. The mother of two, she was47 at the time and healthy inevery other way.

Although preliminary screen-ings revealed something suspi-cious on a mammogram, shewas determined to remain opti-mistic and believe that subse-quent tests would turn up noth-ing of a serious nature.

Unfortunately, that wasn’t thecase.

“My first reaction was, ‘Oh myGod, I really have breast can-cer. I have cancer cells multiply-ing and spreading right now,’”Linda recalled. “I was at theBreast Center at ImageCare in

Latham and the doctor told methis was not a death sentence;that I’d have surgery, maybechemotherapy or radiation, andin six months to a year thiswould be gone.”

Linda was sent home with thedisturbing news and a carepackage filled with literature onbreast cancer, relaxation

lotions, candles and what shedescribed as a ‘teeny, tiny boxof tissues.’ She was instructedto make follow-up appointmentswith a general surgeon and aplastic surgeon.

“What happened next? A lotof tears, anxiety and uncertain-ty,” she said. “It was so difficultto tell my children, my parents,

my siblings. I had to tell myfamily without really knowingwhat was going to happen next.I kept thinking, ‘Why me?’”

After seeing a general sur-geon the following week, shescheduled appointments withOncologist John Ferraro of NewYork Oncology Hematology atthe Latham Cancer Center andPlastic Surgeon Marthe Gabey.

“I was determined to getappointments quickly becauseall I wanted was to get thosebad cells out,” Linda said. “Thewaiting is terrible. Your mind isconstantly on cancer and straysback and forth between ‘what ifI die’ and “I’m going to beokay.’”

Ferraro spent countless hourswith Linda and her husbandeducating them about her typeof breast cancer and explainingthe best surgical and post-sur-gery treatment options.

Understandably distressedand overwhelmed by herpredicament, Linda requestedto speak with other women hehad treated who had faced simi-lar choices. Ferraro shared hercontact information with threebreast cancer survivors, one ofwhom was around the sameage as Linda who, too, had chil-dren of a similar age.

“She was a lifesaver,” Lindasaid. “She had the same fears,same ideas, same problemsand she had done it. Eventhough my husband was a hugesupport, I knew I had to decide(my course of treatment) formyself.”

Linda opted to undergo amastectomy and reconstructivesurgery about a month after

A truly fitting tribute to BarbSaratoga Springs woman to run marathon in memory of best friend

By Kathryn Caggianelli

SARATOGA SPRINGS– Penny RichmondRuhm, 51, considers her-self a low-tech runnerwhose heart was neverreally in that particularsport until her best friendchanged her mind.

Ruhm is running theBoston Marathon in 2013in honor of Barbara Rich-mond Moran, who at theage of 51 lost a 14-yearbattle with breast cancerin February.

Canadian-born Ruhm, aprogram manager for theAdirondack Health Insti-tute in Glens Falls, grewup around the corner fromMoran in Adams, Ontario.As youngsters the pairstruck a close friendship.

“We weren’t related, butoften thought we shouldbe,” Ruhm recalled, char-acterizing her friend andherself as the tomboys onthe block. “Barb and I metplaying outside, playingkickball and baseball. Wejust always knew eachother in that way that kidsplaying outside togetheroften do. We both had alove of sports and becamecloser as we playedtogether on school teams.Barb’s Dad was my dentistand our families went tothe same church andknew each other as mostneighbors do in smalltowns.”

After high school, thepair attended the samecollege and earned under-graduate degrees. ButRuhm, after living inBoston for several years,opted to pursue a gradu-ate degree in Albany andultimately moved toSaratoga Springs .Though separated bymiles, the friends stayed intouch through weeklyphone calls and occasion-al visits.

“Often we spoke of themundane – our daily lives,our jobs, our families anddogs. Invariably our chatswould lead to talk aboutour dreams and futures –where we wanted to go,

what physical challengeswe hoped to take on, andwhen we would see eachother again,” Ruhm said.“One of those dreams wasto complete the BostonMarathon, and we used totalk about it a lot.”

In fact, while Ruhm livedin Boston, Moran wouldschedule her visits thereto coincide with theBoston Marathon.

“We would watch themarathon almost fromstart to finish, reveling inthe inspiration we werewitnessing and wonderingif that might someday beus,” Ruhm said.

Moran loved sports ofall kinds and earned her-self the nickname “Bullet”for a still-standing highschool record for the 40-yard dash. A physical edu-cator and personal trainer,bringing out the best inpeople of all ages wassecond nature for her,according to Ruhm.

“While I loved sports inmiddle and high school, Idid not like running forrunning’s sake. That did-n’t come until later, whenat Barb’s urging andencouragement, I gave it a

shot and she shared herlove of running with me,”she said. “She was a natu-ral, I was not, but sooncame to appreciate themental benefits as muchas anything. “

In their youth, the pairbicycled across the U.S.And over the years,Ruhm, with Moran’scoaching, participated inseveral marathons andother competitions. Moran,who suffered from chronicorthopedic problems, wasnot able to follow suit. Yether biggest challengecame nearly 15 years agowhen she was diagnosedwith breast cancer.Although she fought hardto beat the disease, shelost the battle last Febru-ary.

Ruhm was recentlyselected to run the BostonMarathon in memory ofMoran as part of the DanaFarber Marathon Chal-lenge Team. Moran’s fam-ily has been participatingin the event for the pastthree years and has raisedmore than $30,000 forcancer research. Ruhmhas set a goal for herselfof raising $10,000 in her

best friend’s memory.“This was the one we

were supposed to dotogether. This one wasthe one we were sup-posed to continue todream about, or at leastwatch again, together asold ladies,” Ruhm said.“As Barb frequently toldher doctors, she was sup-posed to live to be onehundred, not merely half-of that. Barb was not sup-posed to lose her life tobreast cancer and I wasnot supposed to lose mybest friend.”

“I can think of no morefitting tribute to Barb thanto run the BostonMarathon in her memory,raising money for a curefor the disease that endedher life. I know she will bewith me and I will makeher proud,” she said.

For more information,follow the online link toRuhm’s website for theDana-Farber MarathonChallenge Team athttp://www.runDFMC.org/2013/pennyr.

Every dollar of theDana-Farber MarathonChallenge that is raisedthrough pledges or out-

right donations benefitsthe Claudia Adams BayProgram in innovativebasic cancer research,according to the DFMCwebsite atwww.rundfmc.org.

Since 1990, Dana-Far-ber Marathon Challengeteams have raised morethan $56 million for theClaudia Adams Bay Pro-gram, said Jan Ross,director of Running Pro-grams at the Dana-FarberCancer Institute in Brook-line, Mass.

“One hundred percentof these funds go toresearch and allow scien-tists to focus on the sci-ence," Ross said, "Eachone of these runners hasa heart-wrenching story toshare and is running themarathon in memory ofsomeone very special tothem."

Traditionally, about 550runners are chosen froma competitive list ofentrants. The BostonMarathon is April 15,2013.

“I was determined to get appointments quicklybecause all I wanted was to get those bad cellsout. The waiting is terrible. Your mind isconstantly on cancer and strays back and forthbetween ‘what if I die’ and “I’m going to beokay.’ ”

LindaStillwater resident and cancer survivor

Photo providedBest friends at the finish of the TransAmerica Bicycle Trek, Penny Ruhm, left, and BarbMoran.

“I can think ofno more fittingtribute to Barbthan to run theBostonMarathon inher memory,raising moneyfor a cure forthe disease thatended her life.I know she willbe with me andI will make herproud.”

Penny RuhmProgram

manager forAdirondack

Health Institute inGlens Falls

See RECONSTRUCTION, Page 3

Tuesday, October 30, 2012

$1M raised at ‘Making Strides Against Breast Cancer’ eventBy Kathryn Caggianelli

ALBANY – More than15,000 people from across theCapital District and beyondturned out at Washington ParkOctober 21 for the 2012 MakingStrides Against Breast Cancer5k walk/run. The effort raised$1 million locally and it was aspectacle to behold, accordingto Michele Mack, senior direc-tor of special events for theAmerican Cancer Society’slocal branch in Latham.

“We had a beautiful, sunnyday. The park was full of walk-ers,” she said. “Survivors, fami-ly and friends came out to sup-port the American CancerSociety and our community inthe fight against breast cancer.”

Mack, a breast cancer sur-vivor of 13 years, knows thesignificance of the annual Mak-ing Strides event.

Since 1993, eight millionwalkers across the U.S. haveraised more than$460 million tohelp fight breast cancer throughMaking Strides events. In2011, one million walkersacross the country collectedmore than $60 million, accord-ing to information from the ACSwebsite found at www.mak-ingstrides.acs.org. The walks,in more than 270 communities,help to raise $60 million dollarsfor the American Cancer Soci-ety each year to save lives frombreast cancer.

Because the event is family-friendly and a proactive way forsurvivors and their friends andrelatives to contribute to thecause, many individuals andteams participate each year –each with their own heart-wrenching story.

Abbie Powers, a first gradeteacher at Division ElementarySchool in Saratoga Springs andher team of walkers raised$1,845.

“Overall, the walk was veryinspiring,” said Powers, wholost her mother Dorris Powersto breast cancer three yearsago. “It was a very upbeat daythat put a feeling of hope on allof our teams and the otherwalkers. It was great to seeeveryone wearing pink andencouraging to see many menand women wearing “survivor”T-shirts.”

Powers said she was alsogratified to see a number oflocal and corporate businessespitching in that day by donatinggoods and services.

Powers, her fiancé, herfiance’s mother, her sister, herfather, her brother-in-law andtwo nephews walked this yearin honor of her mother and as away to show support for all ofthe women and men battlingbreast cancer.

Powers’ coworkers alsopitched in, donating $500 insupport of her team “We HopeYou Dance.” They had set ateam goal of $2,000 this year,and in the past 13 years haveraised more than $15,000 forMaking Strides.

The dollars raised fundgroundbreaking research tofind, prevent, treat and curebreast cancer; ensure accessto mammograms for womenwho need them; and providefree resources and support tothe one in two newly diagnosedwomen who turn to the Societyfor help and support, includingtransportation and lodging dur-ing treatment.

Except for skin cancer,breast cancer is the most com-mon cancer found in Americanwomen, according to the Amer-ican Cancer Society (ACS).Approximately one in eightwomen in the U.S., or 12 per-cent, will develop invasivebreast cancer during their life-time. Other current statisticsfrom ACS likewise reveal thatapproximately 226,670 newcases of breast cancer in theU.S. will be diagnosed inwomen and 63,300 new caseswill be diagnosed in men.Sadly, approximately 39,510women will die from breastcancer.

ABOVE: Participants in the 2012 “Making Strides Against BreastCancer” 5K walk/run gather in Washington Park in Albany onOct. 21 prior to the start of the event.

AT LEFT: Katie Enos walks with her dog Ellie during the 2012“Making Strides Against Breast Cancer” 5K walk/run in Washing-ton Park in Albany.

BELOW RIGHT: Madison Vancott, dressed in a festive boa, rideson her uncle Anthony Livreri’s shoulders during the 2012 “Mak-ing Strides Against Breast Cancer” 5K walk/run in WashingtonPark in Albany.

BOTTOM: Members of the University at Albany women’s basket-ball, dressed in their university hoodies, take part in the 2012“Making Strides Against Breast Cancer” 5K walk/run in Washing-ton Park.

Photos by Jeff Couch

being diagnosed. Follow-ing surgery, she under-went a regimen ofchemotherapy thatspanned six months.

“The chemotherapywas bad,” she recalled. “Istill almost vomit when Igo to NYOH and seeother patients getting it. Ilost all of my hair, but if itwasn’t for that most peo-ple wouldn’t even haveknown I was goingthrough cancer treat-ment.”

In a year’s time, Lindahad been to more than 50doctors’ appointments.She was able to holddown her job during thattime and credits the sup-

port of her family andfriends, employer andhealthcare providers forher strength and success.Although she faces a one-in-six chance of recur-rence of cancer, sheremains optimistic abouther future.

“That means I have afive-in-six chance of win-ning,” she said.

Linda cited Gabey, herplastic surgeon, as beingparticularly instrumentalin her journey back tophysical wholeness andemotional wellness.

“Dr. Gabey has becomemore than just my plasticsurgeon; she’s an advi-sor,” Linda said. “Shealways wanted to knowhow I was doing withchemotherapy and every-thing else – not just formedical reasons, butbecause she really cares.

No matter how crazy busyshe was at her office orthe hospital, she alwaysstopped, blocked outeverything else and calm-ly focused totally on me. ”

Gabey, 51, a New Jer-sey native who earned amedical degree from theMedical College of Vir-ginia in 1988 and com-pleted a plastic surgeryresidency at Albany Med-ical College in 1995, cur-rently has a private prac-tice in Troy and is aplastic surgeon with Dart-mouth-Hitchcock PutnamMedical Group in Ben-nington, Vt.

“Women who come tosee me have many emo-tions and challenges.Usually, the greatestproblem is the breast can-cer,” said Plastic SurgeonMarthe Gabey. “I hopeful-ly will be a positive side in

that I will give her abreast that cancer hascaused her to partially ortotally use.”

Gabey chose to special-ize in plastic and recon-structive surgery becauseit blends art and imagina-tion with science andtechnique, she said.

“In breast reconstruc-tion I also get to know mypatients fairly well since itgenerally takes a year tocomplete a reconstructionfor cancer or breastreduction,” Gabey said.“In counseling mypatients, I emphasize thatthe reconstruction processis just that – a processand that although I wishone operation couldreconstruct a breast andnipple, it often takes fourto six procedures to com-plete.”

Gabey noted that fol-

low-up surgeries after theinitial reconstruction areroutinely minor and thatadvances have beenmade in the reconstructiveprocess that havedecreased complicationsand improved overallresults in the long term.

When meeting with abreast cancer patient forthe first time, Gabey takes

a medical history, notesthe plan for cancer treat-ment that has been pre-scribed and then performsa physical examination.Next she discusses theoptions and limitations ofreconstruction.

“My ultimate goal for mypatients is to help themfeel whole and completeagain,” she said.

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Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Continued from Page 1

Reconstruction

Marthe A. Gabey, MD, PCBoard Certified Plastic SurgeonSpecializing In Breast &Reconstructive Surgery

Reconstructive surgery is onepart science, one part art.

IS NOW LOCATED AT

333 Hoosick Street, Troy NYFormerly located at 1 Conway Court, Troy

(518) 271-1454

Dr. Marthe Ann Gabey is aplastic and reconstructive

surgeon who truly accentuatesthe positive by restoring a

positive body image to womenaffected by breast cancer.

“It brings me great satisfactionto help someone feel beautiful

and whole again”- Dr. Marthe Ann Gabey

A mammogrammay save your life…if you find the time.

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Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Event planner hosts inaugural cancer benefitBy Kathryn Caggianelli

LATHAM – EntrepreneurCamisha Smith, 37, of Lans-ingburgh is a certified wed-ding and event planner wholaunched her business,Mishe, about one year ago. Aflair for fashion and a talentfor creating weddings andevents that match the visionof her clients is somethingshe takes great pride in.

Smith recently turned herfocus to hosting a cocktailparty with a purpose – toraise money to fight breastcancer.

“I would see friends post onFacebook about various can-cers, and one specificallywould post about her medicaltreatments, copays, etc.,”Smith said. “It really started tobother me and so I wasinspired to try and make a dif-ference.“

So she designed a pinkfundraiser extraordinaire andcalled it “Shining Light on theMatter” that boasted pinkchampagne garnished withstrawberries and pink pamperswag bags, pink hair exten-sions, sparkle tattoos, a silentauction, door prizes, food,fashion and more. The inau-gural affair was conductedOct. 25 from 6 to 10 p.m. atMichaels Banquet House inLatham. Approximately 100people attended, making itpossible for Smith to raisemore than $1,000 in just fourhours. It was an evening ded-icated to survivors and thosewho didn’t survive a cancerthat indiscriminately strikes

women and men of all agesand races.

“We plan to continuefundraising through October,”said Smith.

Proceeds will be donatedto Capital Region ActionAgainst Breast Cancer(CRAAB), St. Peter's HospitalCancer Care Unit, and Can-cerCare CoPayment Assis-tance Foundation.

Smith cited some highlightsof the event.

“Lisbeth Calandrino, a two-time survivor and blogger atthe Times Union, was thespeaker. She delivered abeautiful message that wasuplifting, encouraging andinspiring to both the survivorsin the room and all otherguests,” she said. “The silentauction items included giftbaskets, gym memberships,massage services, gift certifi-cates, hotel stays and more.”

For breast cancer survivorMia Fluker, “Shining Light onthe Matter” was a poignantreminder of how importantraising awareness and annu-al screenings are.

“I was diagnosed withbreast cancer in November,2010,” Fluker said. “The badnews was overwhelming forme because I had severalcoworkers that had gone toget checked and they werefine! I felt a lump in my chestAugust, 2010 and it took meuntil November of that year toget it checked because I wasmore concerned about how itwould affect my job, and I justknew that I was okay.”

But by the time her doctorfound the cancer there were

three tumors measuring fivecmm each. Fluker had onlyfelt one lump, she said.

“This was a wake-up callfor me. I was diagnosed withStage 3 breast cancer. Had Ikept putting it off, I could bedead right now,” Fluker said.“The event that Camishahosted really touched me andI hope and pray that it willmake others aware of howimportant is to be checked.

But a diagnosis of cancerdoesn’t mean you shouldstop living. Rather, it is a cueto start really living your life,she said.

Smith noted the vendorswho donated their time tomake “Shining Light on theMatter” the success it was:T.R. Laz for providing photog-raphy; DJ Chris Wright formusic; Christine Neeley forthe photobooth; Fifi Frocks &Frills along with Shush Shoesfor providing fashion; InsideOut Beauty Consulting forproviding pink hair extensionsthroughout the month ofOctober; Karen at BumbleBeads Boutique for providingsparkle tattoos; and GourmetConfections for providingdessert.

Jennifer Hendricks fromAFLAC, Shavina Richardson,MSW from American CancerSociety's Hope Club On theGo Program and CRAAB pro-vided information andresources about cancer.

For more information aboutMishe or to make a donationto fight breast cancer visithttp://www.mishe-events.com/About_Mish_.html

Committed to helping ToLife!

Photo providedHannaford Supermarkets Community Relations Specialist Molly Tarleton, thirdfrom left, and C.H. Robinson account manager Darrell Allen, fifth from left, pres-ent the board of directors and staff of non-profit organization To Life! with a$15,000 donation at the Hannaford on Wolf Road, Colonie. To Life! offers freebreast cancer education and support services. Funds came from the Pink Rib-bon Watermelon program, a Hannaford and C. H. Robinson partnership.

Getting pink hairextensions to raisebreast cancer funds

J.S.Carras photo

Gabriella Anda of DejosephHair Restoration in Albanyplaces a pink hair extensionin the hair of Colleen VanCura of Rotterdam for a $10donation to raise funds forbreast cancer and raiseawareness about the dis-ease. The event was held atGold’s Gym in Niskayuna.