Breast Cancer Survivor Sue Ellen Bailey of Racine
Celebrates Life® At Cancer Treatment Centers of America®
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Joins Fellow Five-Year Cancer Survivors in Tree-Planting Ceremony
Zion, Illinois – June 5, 2009 – Sue Ellen Bailey returned to Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA) at Midwestern Regional Medical Center (Midwestern) in suburban Chicago today to celebrate her five years as a breast cancer survivor. Bailey was joined by doctors, hospital administration and the clinical support team in a tree-planting ceremony in her honor. Five doves were released at the conclusion of the event to commemorate each year of her fighting survival. Bailey, a 45-year-old resident of Racine, Wisconsin, was diagnosed with breast cancer following her very first mammogram at age 40. After looking into a local hospital and treatment center, Bailey was ready to begin her treatment. But a childhood playmate and neighbor of hers was adamant that she first get a second opinion at a hospital just over the Illinois state line – CTCA in Zion.
“I had already been to my local hospital and pretty much felt comfortable and confident there. But, after meeting and visiting with the staff and other patients and their families at CTCA for the three-day initial evaluation, my husband and I really start rethinking. Everyone at CTCA was so amazing, respectful, comforting, kind and empathetic,” she remembers.
Bailey’s treatment plan consisted of six cycles of chemotherapy delivered in fractionated doses, each spread across three days. Her multidisciplinary care team included a medical oncologist, nutritionist, naturopathic doctor, mind-body therapist, physical therapist and chaplain to help fight the disease on all fronts, manage any side effects and maintain her quality of life. “One of my favorite things was having a chair in the infusion center by the big windows looking over the water, path, and park that I enjoyed during my chemotherapy,” she said.
Now, after being a cancer survivor of five years, Bailey’s advice to other patients is simple, “Never lose hope. It is one of the most important things to have in life and even more essential when you've heard the dreadful words that ‘you have cancer.’”
Bailey is an assistant preschool teacher at Holy Communion Church in Racine. Her favorite moments are spent with her husband and number one caregiver, Keith, and their daughters, Stephanie and Heather, lounging together in their big backyard. In her free time, she also enjoys playing violin, traveling, cooking and spending time with friends.
“Life can sometimes be hard and bitter, and sometimes even painful, but if you once tasted the bitterness of a body with cancer and are now celebrating life with a body without cancer, it tastes so sweet!” Bailey remarks.
This year, 104 CTCA patients are celebrating their five-year triumph over cancer at CTCA at Midwestern Regional Medical Center. “At Cancer Treatment Centers of America, we surround each patient with a multidisciplinary care team that is designed to meet their individual needs,” said Anne Meisner, president and CEO at CTCA at Midwestern Regional Medical Center. “Our team provides state of the art treatment protocols with fully integrated complementary therapies. We empower our patients to help them take control of their cancer and every patient is treated as though they were a member of our own family. We are so proud of our celebrants and honored to acknowledge and celebrate their journey and continued success,” she added.
About Cancer Treatment Centers of America
Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA) is a national network of hospitals providing a comprehensive, fully integrative approach to cancer treatment. CTCA serves patients with advanced cancer from all 50 states at facilities located in suburban Chicago, Philadelphia, Tulsa and suburban Phoenix. For more information about Cancer Treatment Centers of America, go to cancercenter.com.
