A confident woman who had always been in control of her life , Anne Lewis discovered that the only thing she could control when she was diagnosed with cancer was how she responded to it .
Large B Cell Lymphoma was discovered by accident in Anne ’ s stomach when she went to Sarah Bush Lincoln for a CT scan to assess the number and locations of her kidney stones . Patty Montgomery , PA-C , ordered the scan for one purpose but was surprised to see that Anne also had gallstones , an ulcer and cancer .
“ By the time I had my first treatment ,” Anne said , “ it had moved into my neck . It was very aggressive .”
Anne was Medical Oncologist / Hematologist Abdur Shakir ’ s first patient , as he had become medical director of the Regional Cancer Center not long before . “ As soon as Dr . Shakir told me I had cancer , my lip quivered slightly ,” Anne recalled . “ He rolled over on his stool and said , ‘ This is a good one . We can get an ‘ A ’ on this . It ’ s treatable and you ’ re going to survive this .’” His words and compassion brought her comfort and confidence in her treatment plan . Anne then had full faith that she would sail through the illness with flying colors .
While Anne took great relief in the prognosis , she struggled with not knowing exactly what to expect from the treatment . She toured the cancer center later that day and met with a nurse who outlined what she could expect . “ As long as I knew the parameters , I could see the cancer as a bump in my life ,” she said .
A bit apprehensive about her first treatment , Anne saw a familiar face in the chemotherapy room and felt more at ease right away . She became reacquainted with the gentleman who , as it turns out , was fighting the same cancer . He generously shared his experience and relieved some of her concerns .
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Regional Cancer Center staff and patients , plus Anne ’ s friends and family members , supported her in many and varied ways . “ I was immediately surrounded by help . My husband , Arbie , our daughter , Janelle , family members , friends , co-workers and church – just so many people – did so many things for me ,” she said . “ All these acts of kindness were un-orchestrated and I was overwhelmed by the generosity of people and their support . Some days I ’ d find a new scarf on the front porch , or a box of chocolates or dinner for my husband . I have a lot of kindness to repay .”
Known as the family planner , Anne wanted to keep things as normal as possible , so she continued to work full time at Eastern Illinois University and plan the family ’ s annual four-day camping trip . “ We ’ re not real campers , but the trip is the one time each year that my entire family gets together in the fall . We joked that so many people came that year because they thought it might be my last trip !”
Anne relied on humor to keep her treatments from becoming too overwhelming . “ My chemotherapy was an all-day event , so for each session I ’ d pack a large basket of things to do . There were note cards to write , a book to read , sudoku to solve , but even with best intentions , I never ever opened the basket !” she said . “ I visited with other patients and watched the nurses in awe . They were very busy and still incredibly caring .”
Anne gained strength and perspective from others who were receiving chemo treatments . “ It was such a humbling experience . I was very lucky because I knew I was going to be okay , but some of the people didn ’ t know if they were going to be okay ,” she said . “ It really made me quit feeling sorry for myself and start appreciating my situation .”
Six years later , Dr . Shakir told Anne the best news of all . “ There ’ s no indication in your body that you were ever sick ,” he said . Anne gives that news an A +.
I was very lucky because I knew I was going to be okay , but some of the people in chemo didn ’ t know if they were going to be okay . It was such a humbling experience .”
Anne Lewis
Pictured on the previous page are Anne Lewis ( tan sweater ) surrounded by her family ; daughter Janelle Martin , son-in-law Blake Martin , husband Arbie and grandchildren Austin , Mia , Mason and Jacob .
For more information about the SBL Regional Cancer Center , call 217-258-2250 or go to www . sarahbush . org . november 2016 healthstyles 3