Healing from Cancer Treatment in the midst of a pandemic

Walter’s journey began long before he stayed at Gabriel House. He was diagnosed with prostate cancer many years ago, after undergoing treatment, both he and his wife believed that his health troubles were behind him.

Renee and Walter came to our house after seeing a radiologist for what Walter believed to be severe jaw pain caused by TMJ, which is pain from the compromised movement of the jaw joint and the surrounding muscles.

“We went to acupuncture, specialists, you name it everything. Nothing really helped the pain.” Renee said. They did a CAT scan at the radiologist’s office where a small lump had been found on his neck but was not big enough to arouse suspicion.

However, given their past experience with prostate cancer, both Renee and Walter knew all too well that no bump was too small to go unchecked.

Growing more concerned, Walter gave Mayo Clinic a call where he was referred to a maxillofacial surgeon for exploration and dissection of his neck.

What made the timing of all this more significant though, was the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, which is still ongoing, however was much more severe at the time. And at the time the lump was still small. During this time, doctors’ offices were limiting their patients and visitors.

Renee recalls after looking back to remember if this was an obstacle for her and she said no, “You know I thought about it and we hate the fact that this had been growing for a year. But in hindsight what if this happened during the middle of the lockdown. I wouldn’t have been able to go in for procedures and be there for appointments.”

As a caregiver, being able to be there for your patient is critical. You can help motivate them, maintain their mental as well as their physical strength. This is why in our house we recommend our patients have a caregiver that is close to them to aid in a smoother recovery.

When Walter was finally seen by the doctor at Mayo Clinic, they were told his lump was cancerous. Upon doing surgery and opening his jaw, the tumor had gone too far and could not be taken out.

From there, Walter had to undergo six long weeks of radiation. After grueling sessions of having a form-fitted radiation mask on him, Walter had his first anxiety attack.

“It was the first one I ever had which was very scary. But I ended up getting through it,” Walter recounted, which is when he met our mindfulness therapist, Dr. Callahan.

Walter ended up going to his first mindfulness practice which lucky for him, ended up being just him and Dr. Callahan. He was able to calm down and de-stress from the day and found the class very helpful.

Both Renee and Walter liked the convenience of the house and even got close to one of the patients.

Renee said, “We know most patients are transplants so we wondered, will we even have anything to say to them. But as the weeks go on you get to hear their stories and learn about their families.”

During their time at our house, they met an individual who was going through something similar but a more intensive version of Walter’s procedure and experiences, so they were able to connect with him and share tips they learned from nurses.

After staying with us for six weeks, their radiation doctor told Walter his tumor has decreased significantly and they are now able to return home.

Their best advice for patients going through something similar is to be surrounded by a strong community and maintain an active and healthy lifestyle. Coming from Renee, a gym owner, that is great advice!

We also believe maintaining a healthy lifestyle during your stay is key, which is why we encourage the frequent use of our fitness center as well as attending wellness classes!