The Journey There is no typical breast cancer patient. There is no typical lung cancer patient. There is no typical prostate cancer patient. There is no standard protocol for treating cancer. That’s because each cancer is unique and each cancer patient is an individual navigating what has come their way. Like all of us, they are each on a journey. And for each of them, the journey is personal. Donna Berdeaux and Carol Cobb is personal CAROL’S JOURNEY Carol Cobb was diagnosed with cancer after she found a lump in her armpit during her monthly self-exam. It was almost exactly on her 70th birthday. “My first honest thought was, ‘Well Happy Birthday to me,”’ she says. “But then, I decided to react positively. I like to be completely informed, both the good and the bad. I like to have all the information possible so I can deal with it and make decisions.” So she began looking for resources and headed to the Augusta Health website. The first thing that popped up was a photo of breast cancer navigator Donna Berdeaux, BSN. So Carol picked up her phone and called her. Donna answered, and said, “I was literally just picking up the phone to call you.” Turns out, says Carol, they were a perfect match for each other. “I’ve learned, as I’ve gone through the phases of my treatment, Donna is my VIP,” says Carol. “I can email her or call her whenever I need. She is so completely informed on everything: side effects, bruising, scars and what to expect next. Reassuring me that what I’m experiencing is normal. She has a knack for providing the perfect amount of attention—not smothering, but just the perfect amount of help. My husband admires her, too. She goes out of her way to be sure 4 continued on page 5 AUGUSTA HEALTH • CANCER PROGRAM ANNUAL REPORT 2019 Breast Cancer Navigator Donna Berdeaux, BSN, guides breast cancer patients through their journeys at Augusta Health’s Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders. “A cancer diagnosis is scary, and patients are understandably nervous,” says Donna. “So are their families. Everyone reacts a bit differently,but they are all facing the unknown and all looking for information. So one of my key roles is to alleviate the initial anxiety, and often that’s done by providing accurate information. Looking on the internet about a cancer diagnosis can be terrifying. There’s a large amount of information on the web, and trying to find the right information can be overwhelming. I can become their resource.” “Everyone has different needs and everyone will have different treatments, depending on their pathology. They also have experiences and emotions that are unique,” she explains. “My patients aren’t their disease; they aren’t ‘Carol, who has breast cancer.’ She’s Carol, who loves knowledge and teaching, who is a very involved grandmother and who, just like me, likes rocks and geology. She is a whole person, and that’s how I treat her.”
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