PeaceHealth St. John | Healhy You | Spring/Summer 2016

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P A T I E N T P R O F I L E Health news
One woman’s journey
through cancer
L I SA BOSWE L L , a vibrant woman practicing a healthy
lifestyle, was surprised to find a lump in her breast.
Lisa, who is pictured above with her husband, Eric, at Relay
For Life, had had regular mammograms with no symptoms
or red flags that anything might be wrong and no family
history of breast cancer. A friend helped Lisa quickly get an
appointment; ultrasounds; and a biopsy, which confirmed
she had stage I breast cancer, triple negative. Later, she also
had the BRCA genetic testing, which was negative.
When Lisa and her primary care provider, TimRandall, MD,
were discussing her diagnosis and why it had happened,
Dr. Randall said, “Things like this happen for one of three
reasons—bad genes, bad behavior, or bad luck.” They
decided Lisa had some bad luck!
Dr. Randall and the rest of Lisa’s care team—surgeon
Mario Forte, MD; medical oncologists Prakash Thapaliya, MD,
and Stephanie Roberts, PA-C; radiation oncologist
C.R. Kim, MD; and breast coordinator Kelly DeRosier—
were all accessible, knowledgeable, and helpful. Lisa feels
she received excellent care at every turn during her cancer
journey, which included breast surgery, three months of
chemo, and six weeks of daily radiation treatments.
Today Lisa is cancer-free. She still has follow-up checkups
every three months since her cancer was somewhat
aggressive. Throughout her journey, she has been extremely
grateful for the support of family and friends. She tries not
to focus on the normal worry of the cancer coming back and
has learned to be grateful for everything.
“I’m not making light of that,” she says. “It’s truly a
different approach to each day and every interaction.”
P U L M O N A R Y R E H A B
A breath of fresh air
F I VE Y EARS AGO , Reditha Brenneman was diagnosed
with COPD and asthma. She felt terrible. She had a hard
time breathing and needed oxygen at all times. She usually
ended up in the hospital at least once a year.
Getting motivated. Reditha’s pulmonologist, Sholeh
Bagheri, MD, wanted her to get help with her breathing
and with motivation. She encouraged her to sign up for
Pulmonary Rehab at PeaceHealth St. John Medical Center,
where she could be monitored and still have her oxygen with
her during exercise.
Going for it. Reditha put in the effort and decided to “go
for it!” She worked out twice a week for an hour. The rehab
staff encouraged her all the way. If one thing didn’t work,
they offered other suggestions for her to try.
“They worked withme and were awesome!” shares Reditha.
Keep on keepin’ on. Reditha continued exercising
at home and walking more. She also changed her eating
habits—getting off sugar—and lost 40 to 50 pounds. Nearly
a year after graduation from the Pulmonary Rehab program,
she now walks her dogs every day.
Worth the effort. Today Reditha feels better. She plans
to lose more weight. Reditha encourages others who want
to breathe easier to consider pulmonary rehab and “just
go for it!”
P A T I E N T P R O F I L E
Timothy Randall, MD
Family Medicine
PeaceHealth Medical Group–
Lakefront
1718 E. Kessler Blvd.
Longview, WA
360-747-5800
Visit to learn
more about the cancer services available in
our community.
Find out if Pulmonary Rehab could help you
feel better—ask your doctor for a referral or
call 360-414-7384 for more information.
Reditha Brenneman encourages
others who want to breathe easier
to consider pulmonary rehab and
“just go for it!”
Relay For Life
When: Saturday, Aug. 13—
24-hour event; 10 a.m.
opening ceremony
Where: Kelso High School
Info: A high-energy event
that celebrates the lives
of those who have battled
cancer and reminds us all
that while we are winning
this battle, fighting cancer
is a year-round priority. Call
361-676-6378 or email
SAVE THE DATE!
I Understand
Breast Cancer
Support Group
When: Fourth Monday of each
month, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Where: PeaceHealth
conference rooms C/D
Info: Courageous and
compassionate women
supporting one another. First
hour is educational; second hour
is group sharing.
Call 360-747-5958.
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