Journey of Courage: Honoring Cancer Fighters and Supporters
June 11, 2024 | Episode 18
Producer’s Note: The following is an AI-generated transcript of The Wellness Conversation, an OhioHealth Podcast
SPEAKERS: Marcus Thorpe, Lindsey Gordon, Pauline Ross
Marcus Thorpe 00:14
You don't have to look very far to find someone who's been impacted by cancer in some way. Whether it's a loved one, maybe it's personal. Too many of us know the courage and strength it takes to fight cancer. For Pauline Russ here at OhioHealth. Her job hits close to home.
Lindsey Gordon 00:27
Joining us today on this episode of the wellness conversation podcast during this cancer survivor’s month is Pauline Russ OhioHealth System Program Director of cancer surgery, breast health and genetics. Pauline, thanks so much for spending some time with us this morning. I get goosebumps. I mean, I have them right now just thinking about your story because it truly is remarkable at the age of 34. You were pregnant with your second in your second trimester when you were diagnosed with breast cancer. I just I wonder as someone who has been pregnant myself, how did you know something was off when your body's going through all those changes? How did you know this isn't right.
Pauline Russ 01:12
Right, so thank you for having me. You're right. That is it was tricky. And actually, some of the discomfort I was having in my breasts was one of the reasons I took a pregnancy test, I assumed it was because of the pregnancy. But this is where I credit really a combination of my OB GYN and my own intuition. Because when the symptoms remained into my second trimester, and they were asymmetrical, that was when my OB GYN I just saw this. In the first trimester, I could tell she thought, pregnancy changes, of course, but I saw this look in her eyes change when I was still having the same complaints. It was almost, although pain is not a typical symptom for breast cancer, I did have pain, it was where I didn't even want anybody to hug me because it would be so tender. And so when I explained that to her, again, I just saw a look change, the look in her eyes changed. And she said, You know what, just to be safe. Let's go ahead and do an ultrasound. And so I knew right away that there must be something different, or this was not typical of what she saw amongst pregnant women.
Marcus Thorpe 02:30
I know we're going get into so much of your story. But just right there, I just want to stop and say, This is why men and women need to go to regular screenings, why they need to go when they're pregnant to their physicians to their OB GYN. So just keep that in the back of your mind as we go through this journey. But, you know, this was spotted, and this was taken care of, because you were already in that process of continuously going. You have no family history, right? You were young, you are healthy. What message do you think that has, when it comes to why your outcome was what it was, I mean, going to get screened, being sure that you were taking care of things, knowing feelings inside of your own body as you're going through this journey.
Pauline Russ 03:15
Right and as I've transitioned my work into working in oncology, that's one of the common things, you know, I don't think I really have to worry about cancer, because I have no family history. And in fact, for breast cancer in particular, it's really less than 10% that is associated with family history or genetics. And so it becomes that much more important, if you are of screening age to have those regular screenings. And if you're not, or either way, really being very aware of your own body, no one knows your body like you do. And so if you feel like something's off, it might be, don't be afraid, go get checked out. Because knowing and the on the front end is so much better, the options are so much greater, and the results end up being that much better, too. So it absolutely is of utmost importance. But I emphasized because I was 34 and I was pre you know screening age, I emphasize the importance of just self body awareness.
Marcus Thorpe 04:17
We're talking about cancer survivor’s month that it is one of those months where it's time to recognize the fight and the battle, and the teamwork it takes to fight a disease like cancer. For you. Can you talk about your journey, your cancer journey? How did it change your perspective on life? How were you able to find strength to power through some of those really, really difficult days? Sure.
Pauline Russ 04:41
So I already worked at OhioHealth but I'm a physical therapist, so I was in the rehabilitation space. And the reason I bring this up is because it's just so funny how things end up tying together and things come full circle, but in my rehab days, I remember the day that my manager said we really need somebody to start treating lymphedema Chemotherapy, we don't have enough lymphedema therapists in the system. And I was like, Well, I'm really not that interested. It's not my cup of tea, but okay, you know, nobody else was volunteering. So I did. And as a result, I ended up meeting so many breast cancer patients who were coming in for Lymphedema Therapy. And that was my one connection to just knowing anything about cancer, quite honestly. And so when my own diagnosis occurred, I mean, I went through all of the, the normal process, I mean, first denial, like there's no way it had also taken us like two and a half, three years to get pregnant. So I'm like, all of a sudden, I'm all happy to be pregnant. And now you're going to, you know, tell me that I have to also battle cancer. So after I went through the denial, the, I guess, anger, you know, and I really started to realize that I was pretty fortunate. I mean, I already had some information about our own cancer team. And they took such good care of me. They truly work as a multidisciplinary team. So whether it's a radiologist, or a surgeon, or a breast health nurse, like they all just came together, my OB GYN, my medical oncology team, they all just became, it's like I was in the center. And all of them, you know, were around me taking care of me. And now that I work in this space, I know that that's how it is for everybody. But I just felt very special, and very fortunate. So I ended up I was diagnosed December 1 2009. I had my first chemotherapy, December 21. And I remember when the doctor called me to tell me, I was going to start chemotherapy, I said, I really thought you might have the wrong patient that said, you know, I'm pregnant, right? And she said, Yep, we know you're pregnant. There are certain chemotherapies that are safe during pregnancy and others that are not, we are obviously going to start with the ones that are safe. And contrary to what you would think it's actually the bad stuff. It's the heavier chemotherapy that's safe during pregnancy, because I guess from what they explained to me, the molecules are too big to penetrate the placenta. So I ended up having four rounds of chemotherapy during my second trimester, into part of my third. And then the latter part of my third trimester, I had a break to let my blood just replenish because there were certain drugs I couldn't take that normally are used to replenish your white blood cells. And I couldn't do that because of the pregnancy. So I did end up with a couple of blood transfusions in there just to help replenish the blood too, especially during like childbirth, you lose a lot of blood. So I had the chemotherapy had my break, had him and I remember I was induced, and the OBGYN after I was induced, she said, I'll be back like this is your first child, it's an induction. Don't be surprised if it takes 24 hours. And I remember my little mom with her little Greek accent, she said, Dr. You're going to be back really soon. She said, both of my girls six hours. And sure enough, six hours later, there he came. And I just remember being so grateful. Because at that point, I was, you know, I didn't have any hair from the chemotherapy and my child came out and he was covered in hair.
Lindsey Gordon 08:24
What was going through your mind in that moment when you first saw him. When you saw and you knew, like, you guys had been through something together. And there's already that connection between a mother and their child. What was going through your mind in that moment?
Pauline Russ 08:40
Yeah, I was, first of all grateful because like I said, when I saw all his hair, I didn't even have hair on his ears. I was like, This is proof that, you know, it didn't get to him. You know what, that what the physicians told me was true. And then part two was I just felt so guilty. And I was just apologizing to him, you know, for putting him through all of that. I'm grateful to him too, because I know that he was a big part of my strength in my journey.
Lindsey Gordon 09:09
Oh, man, you are so strong. And your story is so remarkable. Yeah, there must have been so much, we kind of got right into your journey. But there must have been so much going through your mind about you must have been so torn on the decision to go through chemo because ultimately it was your decision. Was it?
Pauline Russ 09:25
Sure, sure. Yeah. And so, you know, I think that part of that a big part of my journey has to do with just with my faith, too. And so, I had a lot of people praying for me, I truly felt called to have this child. You know, I think other people were, you know, some people were saying, hey, it might be easier to go through treatment if you just end the pregnancy and that just was not in my plan at all. And so, I found strength just in my faith. I found strength in my family, my friends, I had quite a remarkable network. And my work family. I mean, they were carrying me through it to the same people that I work side by side with on a daily basis, we're now taking care of me saving my life saving my child's life. And so it's just, you know, I think sometimes I, I felt like something was helping me go through the journey and helping me with those decisions, to where I just felt really confident in them. So I never and the one thing I always would do, and I recommend this to other people, too, is that once I make a decision, I quit looking back, like just the decision is made, move forward, you know, because otherwise, it gets so much more complicated and more emotionally taxing. I think to do that. I just felt confident in my decisions moved forward. And I remember my breast health nurse said, Pauline, if you had a sandwich in front of you, you would not eat the whole thing in one bite, take little bites. And after you eat each bite, celebrate how good it tasted. So that's exactly what I did. I would check off I had the four chemotherapies before I had him. I then had him I had 12, my 12 weeks of maternity leave are spent in 12 weeks, 12 weeks of chemotherapy, and then I had surgery. And then I continued with infusions that Herceptin infusions for a year. So it was overall a year and a half. But again, small bites. And I felt really confident in every decision I made because it was a combination. It was me it was my care team, my family, and I just leaned on my faith a lot too.
Lindsey Gordon 11:35
How long ago was this journey again?
Pauline Russ 11:37
So it ended. I was diagnosed in December 1 2009. And we had a celebratory dinner with all of the people that had really impacted the journey in May of 2011.
Lindsey Gordon 11:49
And how is your son today? How old is he?
Pauline Russ 11:51
He's great. He's 14 years old. And we just did our eighth grade clap out yesterday, he just finished middle school. Getting ready to be a high schooler. So yeah, and he's a swimmer. He's really good academically, you know, it's funny, one of the things that I had been told having a chemo, quote on quote, "chemo baby" was sometimes they can be a little shorter, you know? And, I mean, he's 5'10 and 14. And so it's just, you know, I keep getting these positive reinforcements that the decisions we made were right ones and, and we are taken care of.
Marcus Thorpe 12:25
Is it hard for you to even? I mean, you look at your son now. And you're like, holy cow, what a journey it's been. But now that it's, you know, 2024, when you look back at 13, or 14, is this really feel like that? Was you back then? Or does it feel more like it's you because it was such a battle, it was such a special thing for you to fight through as a as a family unit?
Pauline Russ 12:49
You know, it's a little bit of both, because on one hand, I think that was kind of a lot, you know, how did we get through that? Just all of the steps that the process took, and all of the emotion that went into it, all of the things that we were fearful of and anxious about. But then at the same time, so much positive came from that journey, that I know, it's a part of me, and it's a very important part of me. And it's a part of me that as crazy as it sounds, I wouldn't want to give up. Like, I'm glad now. But it was, yeah, that was part of my journey, because it's shaped so much of who we are.
Marcus Thorpe 13:29
That's right. That's right. I'm curious, working in the field that you're into at OhioHealth. And you see the fight, and the struggles and the successes and the celebrations. How has that impacted you from the work that you do and the work that you know, our cancer team does at OhioHealth? How does that full circle wrap to you? Does it make you a better employee a better leader? How do you look at it from your journey to where you were as a patient to where you are as an employee?
Pauline Russ 14:03
Absolutely. So work for me was never just a job. I mean, when I was a physical therapist, I cared for my patients. I made the transition in 2011 into oncology. And so it's so much more than a job. So for sure, it has impacted my work. It has also made me I understand our mission, I've always known our mission is to improve the lives of those we serve, you know, but I saw it happen to me, I saw it come to full fruition. So my work can never just be a job. I mean, my work has become a mission. And I am humbled and just so grateful that I get to be a part of other people's journey. You know, my my OBGYN anytime which this is more common than you realize, which is, you know, scary but she has had many pregnant patients who who are diagnosed with breast cancer, or very shortly after giving birth, they're diagnosed. And she immediately will send me a note Pauline needs to talk to so and so, you know, obviously, I'm not going to talk to them about anything medically related, but more just that emotional support that you are going to get through this. Life can be better after cancer. And so, you know, I do get the opportunity to see firsthand the impact that our care team has on these patients. And also, it helps me they all have an amazing experience. But there was one in particular who said, There's something you guys could do better. And it ended up resulting in a whole new program we have I don't know if you've heard of the cold cap therapy program, but it helps patients preserve their hair that came from a patient advocate, who I don't think I would have come across had I not been in this role had she not felt comfortable talking to me as a fellow survivor. So it does truly end up impacting the work work too not just the kind of the emotional side of it, or my perspective as I approach it.
Marcus Thorpe 16:04
And if you want to learn more about cold capping, we'll put some information inside the body of this podcast so that you can link straight through it, you can learn more and figuring out how to get involved for yourself.
Lindsey Gordon 16:14
I am curious to know too, and I think this is there's a takeaway to be had here for anyone listening, whether you have a cancer journey of your own, or whether you've experienced pregnancy, or regardless, however, you're listening, I think there's a takeaway from your story. And that you were able to shift gears and shift your mindset from that feeling of denial, and anger and sadness to I'm going to fight this and I'm going to be positive. How did you do that?
Pauline Russ 16:44
I think for every person, they need to figure out what their number one motivation will be to get through it. And for me, it's obvious I had a child growing inside of me, I had to get through it, and get him through it and be there for him I needed to survive, so that he would have a mom. And for each person, there's something there's something you're living for, there's someone you're living for, there's someone you have to be strong for. And I think finding that is so key to being able to get through any difficulty. And also just having the faith that this is a bump in the road. I mean, it could be sometimes bumps are bigger and smaller. This, even if it's a large one, you you will get through it and there is light afterward. And the light might be even brighter after than it was before you went into it. And also just leaning on others, we have so many resources all around us in this day and age lean on those things. You know, don't be afraid to ask for help. Kind of, I think of it as also it's an opportunity for, you might not be able to pay back those people, but you can definitely pay forward. So, you know, we should all feel comfortable being a part of a community where we can all help each other and ask for help. So those were some of the things I leaned on a lot of people again, I leaned on my faith, I leaned on my network, I leaned on my caregivers, knowing all along, I had to get through this for my child and for the rest of my family.
Marcus Thorpe 18:26
I know you said earlier in this podcast that you don't spend a whole lot of time looking back, you do a lot of what's next we're moving forward. This is part of the journey, this is what we need to do. But reflection is obviously part of a cancer journey, right? And understanding where you were to where you are now, if you looked back now and could write a letter to you know, 2009 Pauline, what would you be telling yourself? How would you deal with that cancer diagnosis, knowing now, what you wish you would have known then?
Pauline Russ 18:58
Yeah, man, it'd be really nice to have been able to look into the future at that point. But I think I was definitely stronger than I realized. And I wish I could tell myself that you are stronger than you realize, you will get through this lean on everyone around you. And when you're having a moment where you're feeling weak, that's when you really need to lean on others and, and I leaned on on my faith too, and just knowing that my support system will carry me through. And I remember having a little family meeting after I had been diagnosed where that's literally what everybody asked my parents, you know, what do you want from us? What do you not want from us? My my husband, my sister, you know, what do you want from us? What do you want from us and, and I had to allow myself to be comfortable to ask those things. So I think just having faith in having faith in who's around you having faith in yourself and just knowing that this is not the end of the story, you know, there's more to the story. And life will be better after cancer than it is now. I wish I had known those things.
Marcus Thorpe 20:09
That's amazing
Lindsey Gordon 20:10
what to take away for anyone on the on their fight and on their journey now. And, you know, I think there's also something to be said, these are things that if you're supporting someone, if you are someone support on their cancer journey, I mean, these are things you could be telling them today. Right? And don't hesitate to tell them that and I just think your story is so helpful and beneficial, and the perfect one to share for this cancer survivors month in June.
Pauline Russ 20:36
Yeah, I mean, I truly found my mission in life. You know, it was life changing for me in the most positive way. I made a career transition. And I mean, that's that change has just resulted in so much fulfillment as a result.
Marcus Thorpe 20:51
What does current day look like for a cancer survivor from something that was so long ago? Do you still have to go for regular checkups? Can you maybe shed some light on the journey for someone who maybe is close to the stage where you are have Okay, well, I've fought I've battled, I've won. But now what?
Pauline Russ 21:13
Yeah, I think an easy trap to get into is who I got through that now I can just move on with life. And, you know, first of all, you're still at risk for a recurrence. Secondly, you're at risk for other cancers and other diseases. And you can't forget to continue to have the screenings continue to see your physician so but for me, personally, I'm down to an annual screening, mammogram, and then also annual physicians visits. So I did have the treatment and the continued medication varies depending on a person's specific cancer. In my case, I had to have tamoxifen for 10 years. So once I was done with that, you know, you do have this little mental thing of who I was doing something to continue to fight. Now, what am I doing? Well, the answer is prevention and screening. So
Marcus Thorpe 22:08
awesome. Yeah, good advice. It's, you've survived, don't let your guard down, continue to do the things that you know, keep you healthy and keep you moving forward. I love that.
Lindsey Gordon 22:19
All right. Well, Pauline, thank you for being so open and honest and sharing your journey and everything with us. We so appreciate it. We know our listeners do too. This is the part of the podcast where we like to have a little fun and get to know everyone and learn more about you and who you are. And I think this is gonna be a fun one.
Marcus Thorpe 22:38
Yeah me too. It is June, which means you get ready for summer travel, you've got your plans. Maybe you're booking things now if you're one of those procrastinators, but if you personally could travel somewhere and really cost wasn't a factor. Where do you think you would go?
Pauline Russ 22:54
I'm so impartial on this one. And it's somewhere I've already been a gazillion times, but it's Greece.
Lindsey Gordon 22:59
I knew. As soon as I heard you do your mom's voice. I'm like, in the fun round. She's gonna say Greece.
Marcus Thorpe 23:05
I love the mom.
Pauline Ross 23:09
Yeah, I mean, it's gorgeous. It's a perfect mix of really ancient history, and absolutely breathtaking views, the beaches, the sunsets. I mean, it's just, it's hard to go elsewhere after you've been there. But there are I mean, I would like to travel through other parts of Europe. I'd love to go as far as Australia. But every time we get ready for a big trip, I'm like, Oh, I want to go back there.
Lindsey Gordon 23:37
That is so awesome. Do you have any trips back to Greece planned anytime soon?
Pauline Russ 23:41
We went last summer and I would love to go next summer. We like to try for every two to three years. Yeah. Because it's also I I want my son to be bilingual. He is currently and I feel like the more we immerse him in the language and the culture the you know, the more likely that is, and I didn't I failed to mention the food. There's amazing too. It's all natural and delicious. And so yeah,
Lindsey Gordon 24:07
That's wonderful. Oh my gosh, amazing. Okay, so I think I know the answer to this one now too. But if sticking with the vacations and trips theme if you can only do ocean mountains or desert, which one? So
Pauline Russ 24:18
In Greece, you get a combination of oceans and mountains, not so much the desert but it's ocean for me, just the the vastness of it that makes you feel so small and the crashing of the waves just sitting there and listening to it with your eyes closed even it's just, there's nothing else like it.
Marcus Thorpe 24:36
I was gonna ask you about savory or sweet but now they're talking about Greek life and food. I want to talk about Greek food like what should I be looking for? What's the best thing I should be ordering when I go to a restaurant? What's the right order for me?
Pauline Russ 24:51
Yeah, well, you want you know, a protein like either a chicken or if you get you know, I wouldn't like don't get all the it's really good, but If you want an actual Greek meal, I wouldn't just get a sandwich and fries, I'd get the whole spread with your we call it Biggie Leah in Greece, but it's everything. There's family style. And that's what I recommend. You just get a plate of everything at your table and you share it amongst all of you. And it's a combination of different meats and their potatoes and abundance of vegetables. So that's what I would recommend is a family style where you get to try everything.
Marcus Thorpe 25:28
I think we've just started Greek food podcast, I think we've got our first guest.
Pauline Russ 25:34
My sister and I, we buy my mom passed away a few years ago, and my sister and I wanted to do something to honor her. And my mom was always known for her baklava. So we, through the Parks and Rec in our community, we teach baklava classes. Oh my gosh, and so and we've had repeat people who have already done coming back because they love the baklava. And we've also done it with spanakopita. So those are, those are two that's the savory one the spanakopita and then the sweet and the baklava.
Lindsey Gordon 26:04
I bet you guys throw an epic Greek Easter feast.
Pauline Russ 26:07
We do.
Marcus Thorpe 26:07
Yeah?
Lindsey Gordon 26:08
Epic.
Marcus Thorpe 26:08
If you need taste testers, I think you've found them.
Lindsey Gordon 26:10
If you need extra guests at the table, you know who to ask!
Marcus Thorpe 26:14
Pauline, you've been a great guest. We really appreciate the insight. We recognize your fight and your battle, but also just the work you're still doing in the cancer space for OhioHealth for our patients. It's It's uplifting. I know it's rewarding work for you. But we're so proud of you and where your your son is and where your family is going. And we couldn't thank you enough for being part of this podcast.
Pauline Russ 26:37
Thank you so much. It's truly an honor. Well, and
Marcus Thorpe 26:40
Well, and we thank you, of course for joining us for this episode of the wellness conversation and OhioHealth podcast. Before we wrap up, we do invite you to follow us on all major social channels making sure you're staying up to date on any new episodes, as well as health and wellness topics. If you're looking for more information on OhioHealth services and locations, be sure to visit ohiohealth.com
Lindsey Gordon 26:58
The information in this episode will also be available in written form on the OhioHealth wellness blog, you can find that at blog.ohiohealth.com Thank you for joining us and be sure to subscribe as we continue our exploration of important health and wellness topics with OhioHealth experts