Brenda Coffin got to ring the bell in the Oncology Department at Penticton Regional Hospital.
That乌鸦传媒檚 how many cancer patients celebrate the end of their chemotherapy treatment at PRH. The bell is engraved with the words: 乌鸦传媒淣ever give up, never surrender.乌鸦传媒�
For Coffin, she had the added bonus of having her parents and two daughters on hand for the occasion.
Her family乌鸦传媒檚 story started on Christmas Eve 2015, when Coffin乌鸦传媒檚 younger sister Peggy learned she had breast cancer.
Living in Calgary, Peggy used a video link to inform Coffin and other family members gathered at their parents乌鸦传媒� home in Vernon on Boxing Day. She would soon undergo a mastectomy.
乌鸦传媒淚 went to help her with her appointments in Calgary and she told me I should get a mammogram done because of what she was going through,乌鸦传媒� Coffin recalled.
Although her initial mammogram was clear, a few months later Coffin discovered a lump on her breast which was confirmed to be malignant. Rather than a mastectomy, her doctor performed a less invasive lumpectomy at the cancer clinic in Kelowna last summer.
Coffin then started chemotherapy in Penticton at the Oncology Department at PRH. After six rounds of treatment (each round three weeks apart), she completed her chemo treatment on Feb. 23, 2017. Her final chemo session turned into a family affair. Her two daughters, Chloe and Gracie made a special sign to commemorate the occasion which they brought into the hospital for their Mom.
Chloe said she stayed up late the night before to complete the artwork 乌鸦传媒� much to her mom乌鸦传媒檚 chagrin.
乌鸦传媒淪he was telling me to go to bed at about 10:30, but I said: 乌鸦传媒楴o, I have to make it perfect,乌鸦传媒櫸谘淮綕 she recalled with a grin.
Gracie also donned a pink tutu for the visit, after she and her friends decided to get dressed up at school that day for fun. 乌鸦传媒淭hen I decided that maybe I can make some people happy at the hospital if I still wore it,乌鸦传媒� Gracie explained. 乌鸦传媒淎 lot of people mentioned it and started smiling.乌鸦传媒�
Brenda said having her daughters stop by for her final treatment was great.
乌鸦传媒淭hey乌鸦传媒檙e my sweeties,乌鸦传媒� she said. 乌鸦传媒淲hen I first told them I had cancer, they said: 乌鸦传媒楳om, we乌鸦传媒檙e going to help you, we乌鸦传媒檙e going to get you through this.乌鸦传媒櫸谘淮綕
Brenda noted her sister乌鸦传媒檚 experience battling cancer helped her as well.
乌鸦传媒淚 was able to use that as a reassurance that we would get through this, just as Aunty Peggy did,乌鸦传媒� she said. 乌鸦传媒淭here乌鸦传媒檚 just amazing doctors and staff here in Penticton. I was just so impressed 乌鸦传媒� from the lab techs to getting my mammogram 乌鸦传媒� everybody has been absolutely amazing, especially the oncology team.乌鸦传媒�
Brenda said as difficult as her cancer has been, she realizes it could have been much worse.
乌鸦传媒淎s tough as it has been, it乌鸦传媒檚 not as tough as it could have been,乌鸦传媒� she said. 乌鸦传媒淚 know there乌鸦传媒檚 a lot of people going through a lot worse. You count your blessings every day.乌鸦传媒�
Brenda is now undergoing follow-up radiation treatment in Kelowna. Although she does not require scans by a SPECT-CT machine, she applauds the recent donation of the nuclear medicine equipment for PRH by Penticton businessman David Kampe.
The South Okanagan Similkameen Medical Foundation still has $7 million to raise in its $20-million campaign to provide the medical equipment for the PRH expansion, now under construction. For more details, contact the Foundation office at 250-492-9027.
