Art & The American Cancer Society, #94

[Unidentified voice]:

program People say why do we have breast cancer? Only walks. You know, why don't we have a prostate walk? Or why don't we have a pancreatic cancer walk? It's because breast cancer research has led to discoveries that will help at least 17 other types of cancer. What you learn from one type of disease can translate into cures for other types of disease, and I think it's important for people to realize that.

[Unidentified voice]:

I knew that in this case with the diagnosis of cancer, the that I might overthink the situation and bury some of my feelings. I also knew as a psychologist that expressing myself, getting some of those thoughts out or feelings out would help me kind of rebalance myself. So I set up some rules for myself about making these paintings in order to guard against caring what the painting looked like in the end, overthinking it and barring myself from knowing how I was feeling.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

This is Dr. Lisa Belisle and you are listening to the Dr. Lisa Radio Hour and podcast show number 94, Art and the American Cancer Society, airing for the first time on Sunday, June 30, 2013. Today's guests include Sue Clifford and Cheryl Tucker from the American Cancer Society of Maine Sally Lockridge, author, artist and cancer survivor and Caroline Knight, Pen Bay, cancer researcher. Growth is usually considered a good thing. Babies grow, flowers grow, even mutual funds grow. From these types of growth, we obviously derive benefits. Cancer also represents growth, the growth of abnormal cells. Abnormal cancer cells compete with normal cells for the body's resources. The only way to manage cancer is to kill the abnormal cells, often along with normal cells such as those found in the skin, hair and intestinal tract. In the case of cancer, growth yields destruction, but it can also lead to positive growth in other ways. Cancer patients may find themselves stronger and more resilient than they ever thought possible. They may finally tap into creative potential that had remained dormant until becoming necessary for their healing, they may also find themselves the center of a community that has grown in response to their needs. Destructive cancerous growth can thus in a strange way, be of benefit. Not always, of course, cancer does cause death. Sometimes a death that comes too early in a person's life. There is nothing redemptive about that. But if we always seek to know how we grow positively in the face of destruction, we will almost invariably find some way in which this might be. So thank you for joining us today. We hope you enjoy our interviews with Sue Clifford and Cheryl Tuckard of the American Cancer Society of Maine, Sally Lockridge, author, artist, and cancer survivor, and Caroline Knight Pen Bay, cancer researcher. Cancer is a diagnosis that impacts all of us.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

And because this is so, we're fortunate to have people like Sue Clifford and Cheryl Tucker from the main chapter of the American Cancer Society to help us on our journey. Sue and Cheryl, thanks for coming in and talking to us today about the work that the main chapter of the American Cancer Society is doing.

[Unidentified voice]:

Thank you for having us.

[Unidentified voice]:

Thank you.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Like most people who are listening, I've had cancer in my family, my grandmother, my grandfather. And it's something that it's become so commonplace that sometimes we forget that it's actually still a very serious thing that doesn't always get cured, and it requires support. This is what it sounds like the Maine chapter of the American Cancer Society is out there trying to do.

[Unidentified voice]:

I mean, cancer is a chronic illness. We have over 9,100 people we expect to be diagnosed in Maine this year. That's a pretty high number, but we do have, what, 75,000 Mainers that are living with a history of cancer. So to your point, yeah, there are a lot of people that do need support and look for support from the American Cancer Society for their journey.

[Unidentified voice]:

And we really try to approach it on a couple of different levels. One is by getting a lot of messages out about prevention and early detection and the importance of catching your cancer early so that you can be a survivor and not a statistic. And then we also have our programs and services to help people who are currently battling the disease to make their life more comfortable. They don't have to worry about where somebody might be that could give them a ride to their appointment because their families have to work. They can't take time off from work. A lot of times, the medication cancer patients are taking, it says on the bottle, do not drive while taking this medication. So how are you supposed to get to your treatment appointments without things like support from the American Cancer Society?

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

It seems to Me as though there have been an increase. And I think that this is true. From my medical training, I could say an increase in cancer cases over the last hundred years. Is this true with the state of Maine as well as nationally and internationally?

[Unidentified voice]:

Yeah, absolutely. Part of it is because cancer tends to be a disease that strikes people later in life. It doesn't always, of course, but the statistics prove that as you age, there are more things that you. Your heart disease risks increase, your cancer risk increases, your diabetes risk increases. And Maine, unfortunately, has an aging population. It's considered one of the oldest states in Maine, United States. So that's one reason why instead of heart disease being the number one cause of death in Maine, it is cancer instead.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

And that's unusual.

[Unidentified voice]:

It is unusual.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

What are some of the top cancers that Maine people fall victim to?

[Unidentified voice]:

Well, lung cancer is the number one cancer in Maine. However, then for women, breast cancer, and for men, prostate cancer. And then, of course, colon cancer is the third. And then melanoma.

[Unidentified voice]:

Those are the top cancers, really, that people should be most concerned about getting screened for. Women should get annual mammograms. Men should talk to their doctors about what tests might be right for them. For prostate cancer, certainly, melanoma is one where you should always check your body when you take a shower and look for any changes in your skin. And then, of course, lung cancer can be avoided if you watch your smoking and tobacco products and other things.

[Unidentified voice]:

And actually, it's interesting, in Maine, we actually have a high rate of melanoma. And that's surprising, you would think, in a state like ours, where we don't get outside as much. But thinking about some of our industries, the fishermen and along the coast, outdoor recreation activities, we do have a rather high rate. So it's something we really need to think about.

[Unidentified voice]:

Skiing in the winter. You should always wear sunscreen, even in the winter.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

And perhaps it's because we live in a state like Maine, where we don't have as much consistent sunlight, that we aren't as good about putting sunscreen on. And when we get out there, we really want to enjoy that sun. So we aren't quite as good about protecting ourselves.

[Unidentified voice]:

Absolutely. And a lot of the jobs in Maine are based outdoors. We're an active state. We have a lot of outdoor things that people enjoy doing.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Has there been any relationship noted between some of the industries and certain types of cancers in the state? Some of the mills, paper mills, some of the. Environmentally, that's something that we currently have

[Unidentified voice]:

a lot of research going on about. The American cancer Society is one of the largest funders of cancer researchers, non governmental funder research. And so they do look at a lot of different things. They look at naturally occurring radon in a state like Maine, where we live on granite Ledge. And then they also look at the industrial products that have happened in the state over years. But that's long term research studies. And I don't think we're able to do any conclusive evidence about that yet. But certainly something that people should be aware of to always try to limit your exposure to any types of chemicals, even household products.

[Unidentified voice]:

And I would also just add that if someone has a particular concern about say, radon or asbestos, we have a lot of great information on our website where someone can actually go to cancer.org and, and go to the search bar and put that in and see what does the American Cancer Society have to say about that particular thing.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

One of the things that people have expressed to me over time is that with all of the information that's out there, it's hard to know which information is well vetted, well researched, what sources it comes from. Is this one way in which the American Cancer Society can be helpful to people?

[Unidentified voice]:

Absolutely. Not only because we have been rated by other people that are not associated with us. So that you can be assured that it's. We are top rated for all of our information for the cancer research that we do. 46 of our funded researchers have gone on to win Nobel prizes for their work. But they also. We don't necessarily rate other cancer organizations, but we can take what they're using for messages. And ours is science and evidence based. And if theirs is not, then it would be something that we would probably not recommend for someone. Right.

[Unidentified voice]:

And just adding to that, you know, basically if you call our 800 number or look at our website and have a question about, you know, related to cancer in any way, it won't be on our website or available for information unless it's been tried and true, studied and researched. So we're very much a data driven

[Unidentified voice]:

organization, science and evidence based.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

What are some of the similarities and differences between the American Cancer Society and some of the more cancer specific organizations, say organizations that are working with breast cancer or prostate cancer.

[Unidentified voice]:

How do you. I don't think there's a lot of differences. I think we're all working towards the same goal of eliminating cancer or at least reducing its harsh effects on people's quality of life. And so we do all partner and work together together a lot of times.

[Unidentified voice]:

Yeah.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

One of the cancers that I'm reading about here. You gave me this when you came in. You gave me the cancer facts and figures for 2013 with a special section on pancreatic cancer. Why is this something that the American Cancer Society decided to focus on?

[Unidentified voice]:

We really have seen an increase in the number of diagnoses for pancreatic cancer in the last few years. And so it's has risen to the top. Is something that people are becoming more and more concerned about.

[Unidentified voice]:

Well, and pancreatic cancer is a cancer that when diagnosed, oftentimes it's a diagnosis late into the cancer because it's hard to screen for that. So there's a lot. Unfortunately, many people don't survive beyond five years with this diagnosis. So obviously there's a lot we can still learn.

[Unidentified voice]:

So, yes, both of us have been touched by people in our families that have died of pancreatic cancer. So we understand why the heightened interest in it because we're very interested in it ourselves.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

I have treated patients with pancreatic cancer, and it is striking how. Yes, how late it's diagnosed and how quickly it progresses and how painful and debilitating. I mean, I think most cancers have some pain and debilitation associated with them, but pancreatic cancer is really one of the bigger challenges, I think, when it comes to cancer these days.

[Unidentified voice]:

Absolutely. And really, some of the success cases have been people who have been diagnosed with some sort of other problem with another internal organ. And the doctors can find the pancreatic cancer at a very early stage while they're in that body cavity. But there's no way that you can X ray that deep into the body looking for tumors and that sort of thing. So it's really trying to determine if they can come up with a blood test that might have an enzyme in it that might point to some sort of thing. Those are the types of research that we're looking at now for this type of disease.

[Unidentified voice]:

And I think just speaking to, as sue alluded to earlier, we both have a personal experience with pancreatic cancer in our families. I am very happy to see that cancer effects in figures is focusing on that because we often do hear about the top five cancers. So it's nice to see what's going on in other cancers.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

The American Cancer Society, as you've said, funds research really nationally and probably internationally.

[Unidentified voice]:

Absolutely.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

And one of those research sites is right here in Maine.

[Unidentified voice]:

Yes. We actually have a funded researcher at the Jackson Laboratory in Bar harbor. She had a 720,000 grant over four years that was to study stem cells in the Treatment of brain tumors. Very fascinating and emerging science.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

You have research. It sounds like you do outreach, and you've alluded to some of the support that you offer cancer patients and their families. Tell me a little bit about that.

[Unidentified voice]:

Yeah, I think the first thing that I like to talk about when asked that question is our transportation program. We know certainly in a state like Maine, we have a large geography, we have a lot of rural communities, and we work with a lot of wonderful volunteers throughout the state that offer transportation for cancer patients going to their medical treatment appointments Monday through Friday. During the day, they'll pick them up at their home, bring them to the cancer center, and then bring them back

[Unidentified voice]:

home free of charge.

[Unidentified voice]:

Free of charge. And that program, you know what we tell the volunteers that work on that program? You know, everyone makes an incredible difference. One person makes a huge difference, and

[Unidentified voice]:

they often make lifelong friendships. Because a lot of reasons that these volunteers are attracted to be a driver for the program is because cancer has touched their family in some way or even themselves personally. So they make lifelong friendships with these people that they drive to their appointments. Very comforting. Because patients can't always talk to their families about how they're feeling. So having a person that they don't really know that well, who may have some sort of cancer experience that they can share and talk about, is good for them, not only for being able to get them to the treatment appointments, but also psychosocially, it's a big help.

[Unidentified voice]:

We also talking about transportation. We partner with the Amtrak downeaster to offer a cancer care fair for folks from Maine to travel to Boston for care. So there's a reduced train fare available for them. And actually, any of the resources that we kind of are talking about, folks can call our 800 number, 800-227-2345, to find out information and how to sign up for the program. And they are all free. Like I said, with the exception of the cancer care fair, there is a reduced fare.

[Unidentified voice]:

The patient navigators we partner with two

[Unidentified voice]:

hospitals in Maine, Maine general and Maine Medical Center. Patient navigators are available to work with cancer patients in the treatment center on finding resources that they may need to get through their cancer journey.

[Unidentified voice]:

And it doesn't necessarily mean resources related to their treatment. It can be related to how can I obtain general assistance from my community to help me pay my bills while I'm going through cancer treatment or I'm having difficulty with my insurance company. Can you help me untangle the web of bills? And how can I talk to my. So it's non medical advice that these patient navigators offer, but it's so critical to helping a patient heal both emotionally and mentally.

[Unidentified voice]:

They also talk to the caregivers, which is also very important. We have a caregiver pilot that we're actually offering in a number of facilities in Maine where it's just a binder of resource information, but I'll tell you, it is such valuable information because oftentimes the caregiver doesn't recognize what they might need, so we try to work with them as well.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

We'll return to our program in a Moment on the Dr. Lisa Radio Hour and podcast.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

We've long understood the important link between health and wealth. Here to speak more on the subject is Tom Shepard of Shepherd Financial I

[Unidentified voice]:

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Dr. Lisa Belisle:

There are other things that you have available to help people with their healing process, including your TLC Tender Loving Care catalog of products that have to do with hair loss and and mastectomies. Also your Look Good, feel Better program that has to do with hair loss and skin changes and helping with that. And your support groups. Reach to recovery man to man for prostate cancer, I can cope for families, I feel like we could spend a lot of time talking about all of these different programs. It's something that requires funding. How do you make the money that you need to support all of these programs to bring cancer support to patients and their families?

[Unidentified voice]:

In Maine, we actually have two signature events that happen in Maine. One is called Relay for Life. That's a team event where people come together and form teams that raise money. It's an overnight event. It's like a slumber party or a campout, however you want to think of it, where they gather, usually at local colleges or high schools on the track and in the infield, they set up their tents and they have tent judging contests and those sorts of things. And then a member of the team is asked to have one person on the track at all times. And they're usually anywhere between 12 and 18 hours in length. And the reason it's an overnight event is cancer doesn't sleep. And so neither do these people. And there are a couple of special parts of the. Of the Relay for Life is the beginning lap, which is to recognize cancer survivors and caregivers. They kick off the event with a lap that is totally to honor them. And people just line the track and applaud and encourage them on their walk around the track. And then in the evening around 10pm they have what's called a luminaria ceremony. And a luminaria is a paper bag with sand with a candle in it. And people decorate it in honor of someone who survived cancer or in memory of someone who's lost their battle. And all the names are read and everyone walks by candlelight during that part of the evening. So that raised $1.6 million for the American Cancer Society in Maine last year. And then we have our Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk.

[Unidentified voice]:

So Making Strides Against Breast Cancer, It's a three mile, non competitive walk and we are looking forward to it. The event in October, it raises money specifically for breast cancer research and programs. And we typically have a couple thousand people that participate. It's a great day on a usually nice sunny day, we hope in October.

[Unidentified voice]:

Yes.

[Unidentified voice]:

And people say, why do we have breast cancer only walks. You know, why don't we have a prostate walk? Or why don't we have a pancreatic cancer walk? It's because breast cancer research has led to discoveries that will help at least 17 other types of cancer. So it's not that we're necessarily focusing just on that disease. It's just that what you learn from one type of disease can translate into cures for other types of disease. And I think it's important for people to realize that.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

How can people find out about the American Cancer Society?

[Unidentified voice]:

Well, certainly we have a Wonderful website. It's cancer.org it's available 24. 7 and can go on at any time. And it has a great headers where you can choose where you want to go to learn more about research or to learn more about support programs or how you can help us raise money. And Sally found the place there on the website where if you want to publish, have us publish a book, you can submit your ideas for that. So it's an amazing website. And then we also have our 800 number, which is 800-227-and that also is the only cancer hotline of its type in the world, where we have live operators there 24. 7. And the most frequent time when people call, actually somewhere between midnight and 3am when they can't sleep and they're tossing and turning and they don't want to wake up their family member to say, hey, you know, I'm having trouble sleeping. So they just call these friendly voices and get the support they need.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Well, I'm very pleased that you've brought your own friendly voices in for our listeners to hear today and talk to us about all of the great work that the main chapter of the American Cancer Society and also the American Cancer Society nationally is doing. We've been speaking with Cheryl Tucker and Sue Clifford of the main chapter of the American Cancer Society. And I really encourage anyone who is interested in learning more to go to or to call the 1-800-227-2345 number to learn more about the types of things that are available to help support cancer patients and their families.

[Unidentified voice]:

Thank you for having us today.

[Unidentified voice]:

Thank you.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

We and the Dr. Lisa Radio Hour

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

and podcast hope that our listeners enjoy

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

their own work lives to the same

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

extent we do and fully embrace every day.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

As a physician and small business owner,

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

I rely on Marcy Booth from Booth, Maine to help me with my own business and to help me live my own life fully. Here are a few thoughts from Marcy.

[Unidentified voice]:

If I were an artist. I'm not sure what my medium would be because I'm attracted to and moved by so much art. It's hard to choose. Of course, one minor drawback that I learned at a very young age is that I don't have a lot of artistic ability. That's not to say that I have no creativity, it's just that fine art is not my forte. But as I consider the fact that art is an expression of creativity, I believe that talent and creativity can be applied to so many situations to solve a myriad of problems. Finding new solutions or presenting creative concepts that are unexpected but open new paths to success are paramount to the successful management of business finances. And like art, not everyone has the talent or passion for it, which is why I enjoy doing what I do. We are passionate about helping our clients by using our talents with numbers in business management so they can use theirs to keep their businesses running smoothly. And we'd welcome the chance to help you. I'm Marcie Booth. Let's talk about the changes you need. Boothmain.com

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

On the Dr. Lisa Radio Hour. We like to think about health and wellness from a broader perspective and we've brought in to help us think about this multiple artists over time who also think about health and wellness from a broader perspective. Today we have with us Sally Lockridge, who is not only an artist but also has a background in psychology and a PhD in psychology and she is a breast cancer survivor who used her art to help her heal. So thank you for coming in and talking with us today Sally.

[Unidentified voice]:

I'm happy to be here.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Sally, I have your book Red Art in my Hands. This is published by the American Cancer Society and it is beautiful. It contains paintings that you did while you were going through your cancer treatment.

[Unidentified voice]:

That's correct.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

So talk to me about this. Why Was it so important for you to have this artistic outlet that you engaged in while you were going through this very medically oriented epoch in your life?

[Unidentified voice]:

I liked how you put it an epic, because it certainly was an epic and a journey, and perhaps I'm still on it. Art has always been a very emotional and aesthetic process for me. It helps me connect with nature. It helps me connect with myself internally, go deeper inside and understand more about myself and even surprise myself sometimes. Because I've been doing art here in Maine for so many years, it was quite natural to think about painting my way through having cancer.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Before you.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Well, actually, I was going to say before you were an artist, you were a psychologist, but really you've always been an artist.

[Unidentified voice]:

That's right. I grew up with parents that always encouraged us to be creative, imaginative, to look for answers, to ask questions. My mother was a science teacher and very artistic herself. We were expected to make our own clothes. We entered art contests, and each of them, my two sisters and I, we each won our own sewing machine. Sometimes like a sweatshop with all these sewing machines sitting there and we're turning down our clothes. But it was very helpful to me in the sense of helping me believe in myself and that I could create things and do things and figure things out. I've always drawn and painted from as long as I can remember. I did not go to art school. I went to grad school and became a clinical psychologist. But even when I was in. Had a very busy practice in Vermont, I was painting. I'd come home from work and I'd paint and I had a show every year. And that helped set a goal. That set a goal for me. When I moved to Maine in 1999 with my husband, or soon to be husband, because there wasn't licensing reciprocity for psychology between Vermont and Maine, I decided to concentrate on my love of art. And I'm very glad that I did.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Why did you make that initial decision to go to graduate school in psychology and become a psychologist?

[Unidentified voice]:

Actually, I wanted to be a philosopher, but I decided that that might be impractical. I didn't envision myself teaching philosophy. So midway through college, I switched from philosophy to psychology. And I became fascinated with. By learning about human nature. And I've always been drawn to children. So when I went into my clinical work, I did a lot of work with children and families. I saw adults as well. But it really was the work with the kids that excited me. I also painted and drew with them, or more accurately, tried to help them use Art, storytelling, puppet play, toys, other means of communication to express how they were feeling. And it really was a bridge to them and to trust.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Do you think that this is something that happens to us over time, is that we maybe are more open as children to doing things like painting and engaging in artwork. And then as we get older, if we haven't, I'm putting quotes around this word chosen to be artists, then we just decide it's not that important anymore.

[Unidentified voice]:

I think that's right. And I didn't fully answer your question before. I'll go back to that. But I do know from research that's been done that kids say beneath roughly the age of 10, they're far less critical of themselves. And when you get into puberty and you start, you have more of a cognitive ability, a neurological ability to analyze things and you become more self critical. And I think that discourages a lot of kids from using the inherent ability they have. I think that all people have an ability to be imaginative and creative. It doesn't mean they're going to produce paintings or sculpture, but we have an ability to think outside the box and sometimes that gets squashed. I went to school to become a psychologist, I think largely because my family was very academic and it was kind of an expectation you would go to a good college and then go on and do something significant to contribute. And I also loved school. I might have wanted to be an eternal student. So I loved being in graduate school because it was a chance to learn more and to ask more questions and spend hours in the library.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

How have you incorporated your interest in philosophy into your psychology practice or your art?

[Unidentified voice]:

Interesting. I haven't thought about that until this moment. So let's. I don't consciously do that, but I'm sure that who I am in my own sense of spiritual connection to the world influences how I paint, how I think and how I connect with other people. But I don't have a philosopher in mind that I then try to emulate or go back to.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

You've described a very thought driven sort of approach to living. And yet as part of your healing, you were painting pictures in which you described to me trying to disconnect from your thoughts.

[Unidentified voice]:

That's correct, yeah. Knowing myself pretty well. Not totally, but pretty well. I'm pretty balanced on left and right hemispheres. And I also strive to be a better and better artist as I go along as a professional artist. And I also teach soft pastel painting and have for maybe 11 years now. And so I'm always thinking about how do you express an artistic principle or technique, lots of thought. And I knew that in this case, with the diagnosis of cancer, that I might overthink the situation and bury some of my feelings. I also knew as a psychologist, that expressing myself, getting some of those thoughts out or feelings out would help me kind of rebalance myself. It's an emotional roller coaster that a lot of people go on when they have cancer or other serious disorders or diseases. So I set up some rules for myself about making these paintings in order to guard against caring what the painting looked like in the end, overthinking it, and barring myself from knowing how I was feeling.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Thoughts can be very tricky because we can sort of latch on to them and use them for comfort. And yet, in cancer, sometimes there are no explanations. So even if you are trying to think through something, you won't necessarily get anywhere.

[Unidentified voice]:

I think that's true. Thankfully, there's a lot more research now and a lot more hope around a number of cancers. But there's also so much information out there, not all of high quality or accuracy. And with the ability to Google and search the Internet, I find I've heard this from other people who have had cancer, do have cancer, that they can get overwhelmed. They can overwhelm themselves by going to too many sites. And in some sense, that's dangerous.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Well, I think that is part of it, the ability to kind of do a Google search and get information and have that be of some comfort. But then there is always this uncertainty that no matter how much information you have and how much of it is right, relevant to your own life, there's still this not knowing, why did I get cancer or why me, or did I do something wrong?

[Unidentified voice]:

I don't struggle with those questions, and I'm glad. It's just it happened to me. What I do struggle with some still is, do I still have it, or will it come back? When people ask me, how are you, Sally? I'll say, fine. But if it's with a close friend, I might say, fine. As far as I know, there's always an if. Now, it makes life more precious, and I think it deepens how one can experience and appreciate life. Everything felt out of control. You know, when you get cancer, and it's pretty overwhelming. I certainly thought I was too young to get cancer and how could it be and all that. But this was a process I had control over, and I got to structure it, and I got to put cancer in its place in a way, rather than having cancer. Define me like, here I am, breast cancer. Here I am, an artist who happened to get breast cancer. That kind of stuff.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Well, I'm looking at some of the paintings in your book, and these are 33 paintings over time that were done over the course of your radiation treatment. The first one is very obviously a right breast. Your right breast is my right breast. Day one. By the end, you've gotten to day 33.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Good morning.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

And it's a picture of a beautiful. Well, I don't know. I think it's a tree and a bush. Like maybe forsythia or an apple tree. Tree. I'm not sure, but it's more landscapish.

[Unidentified voice]:

That's right.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

It seems as though there was an evolution over time in your paintings. Did you evolve as you were thinking about the way. Because you were thinking about the cancer and how it impacted you?

[Unidentified voice]:

I think when there are paintings in this series of 33, they were daily paintings, except weekends off, that when something emerged that was more representational to me, it showed that I was strengthening, that I wasn't so focused on the cancer. And that felt good. There's one fairly early on called I Can't Remember what Day It Is, but out of my Nowhere. And it's a painting that resembles in a very quick way, some of the work that I normally do. And so that expression, out of nowhere, when I looked at the painting I had done, became out of my nowhere. And I was happy to see that.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

The goal of the Dr. Lisa Radio Hour is to help make connections between

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the health of the individual and the health of the community.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

The goal of Ted Carter Inspired Landscapes

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

is to deepen our appreciation for the natural world. Here to speak with us today is Ted Carter.

[Unidentified voice]:

When one enters a nature preserve or a secluded wooded area, we often think that we are the observer. Have you ever thought that upon entering such a space that we are, in fact the observed? A thousand eyes are looking upon us. We can choose to see the natural world through hard eyes or soft eyes. Hard eyes make us separate from nature and also from other people. Soft eyes connect us to nature and to people around us. We welcome and observe the world around us with a sense of awe. Through this vision, it is as if we are seeing the world around us for the very first time. It is a fresh and new look. I think that in landscaping, in working with land and landscape, one of the things I really try to do is have a great, deep reverence and respect for the natural world. And I try to bring that journey to my clients as we work together in designing and creating their landscape. I'm Ted Carter and if you'd like to contact me, I can be reached@tedcarterdesign.com

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

At the Dr. Lisa Radio Hour and Podcast, we believe we are helping to

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

build a better world with the help of many.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

We like to bring to you people who are examples of those building a better world in the areas of wellness, health and fitness.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

To talk to you today about one of these fitness is Jim Greidericks, the president of Premier Sports Health, a division of Black Bear Medical.

[Unidentified voice]:

Here's Jim Our new Premier Sports Health division is now the place to come for the top of the line Don Joyce Sports Braces Whether you are looking for an effective, long lasting knee brace, ankle brace, back support or wrist brace, why not get the best? Come in to Black Bear Medical's Premier Sports Health and get fitted by our trained staff. The Don Joy line of bracing is nationally recognized as the most innovative cutting edge technology in bracing. And now you can buy these braces retail at our convenient location down on Marginal Way in Portland. I'm Jim Greatorex, President of Black Bear Medical. Come on in and see our trained staff down at 275 Marginal Way and at www.blackbearmedical.com.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

as you're simultaneously trying to get rid of the cancer cells and also keep your other cells and your whole self healthy, how did the ability to come home and paint, how did that help that process?

[Unidentified voice]:

It helped in a number of ways, not all of which I recognized until after I had gone through the process and some time had gone by. I knew that it could be cathartic because I know that by expressing something it can become less overwhelming and less fearful. I also knew that if I did something early in the morning, so I scheduled my treatments as much as possible for very early in the morning. Then I would come home and do my painting and then write a few sentences about the painting as I looked at it. I wanted to contain it, so to speak, so that I'd have the remainder of the day to use for my art and my life and my family. And I Think that really worked that way for me. The paintings also helped me look at some of my own feelings that I wasn't aware of. Sometimes when you're in traumatic situations or these medical situations, you experience new emotions or ones that are so intense that it can not only scare you more, but make you uncertain and like not knowing yourself. And so when I did each painting, when I looked at it afterwards, being pretty analytical and psychologically minded, I feel like I learned more about myself. And there were certain ones that surprised me. Like the one in the middle. Day 17.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Well, talk to me about day 17. What's that one?

[Unidentified voice]:

Day 17 would be the exact middle of 33 treatments. So I went into this feeling. When I went off that morning for my treatment, I felt happy, relatively happy, because I was halfway done. I had gotten through half of it. I'd had the surgery. I'd gotten through half the radiation. The discomfort and the fatigue was increasing. But I only had halfway to go. So I thought that I would paint quite a positive picture. But if you look at the picture and I'll try to describe it, it's a mass of a blue area. I think if I read how I described it, it will make it better to imagine it. As I laid the blue in, the shape soon came to represent completed treatments. The arrow shows the way forward. It both surprises the and unsettles me that the arrow appears to be bisecting a breast, no doubt my own. Apparently, my unconscious self aggressively grabbed hold of my brush. What does my future hold? And after I wrote that, I named this painting Back to the Future. There was a movie like that. So my idea was that I could get back to my regular future. But I now knew certainly that my future would always have an element around cancer.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

One of the paintings that you did was done on the day of your 65th birthday.

[Unidentified voice]:

That's right.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

And I think many of us, when we're younger, have the sense that life goes on indefinitely. Nothing bad is ever going to happen to us. We're going to work hard. We're going to get to a certain place in our lives, and then we can shift around and start finally enjoying ourselves. You're 65, and you're going through radiation treatment. What did that feel like to all of a sudden realize that, okay, my life really is finite. And it's not going to look exactly the way I thought.

[Unidentified voice]:

Certainly as I've gotten older, I've been aware that life is finite. And as people I've cared about have died or been ill, that reinforces that certainty for you. But to be 65 and on a radiation table did not feel particularly good. It also was kind of amusing because when you go for radiation and this they need to do, they always ask you your birthday. They need to make sure you're the right person on the table and that they're going to use the right what radiation protocol for where they aim their beams. That day I remember going in and what's your birthday? I said, 4 5. 4 5. Suddenly one of them realized that's today, or your birthday is today. So there were a lot of happy birthdays and then we went on with it. But the picture that I did when I came home that morning took me back to when I used to go to the beach in Delaware with my family. I love the beach. That's partly why I'm here in Maine. So it's a very cloudy day on the beach. And what I wrote at the end was that I wasn't sure if the clouds were coming in or out. Again, my ambivalence and uncertainty Sally, how

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

can people find out more about your book Rad Art or about your artwork?

[Unidentified voice]:

The book is published by the American Cancer Society, so if you go to cancer.org and you scroll down to find the bookshop and click on that, then the book will pop up. It's also available on many distributors online and in some bookstores. It's also now apparently available as an e book through the Cancer Society and Amazon and other places. I don't have one yet, but it's available. If you want to find out more about the book and the process, there is a YouTube video of me talking about the book and that you can access by googling Rad Art and then my name, last name Lockridge. L O U G H R I D G E and that should pop up among other writings and reviews of this book. As for my artwork, which is the real me, if you go to www.sallylockridge.com you'll find lots of examples.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Sally, it's been a pleasure to spend time talking with you about your book Rad Art and also I appreciate your bringing examples of your painting into the studio because it certainly has made this all come alive for me in a very profound way. We've been speaking with Sally Lockridge, who is a main artist and author of the book Rad Art.

[Unidentified voice]:

Thank you. I really enjoyed being here and having a chance to explore some of these ideas with you. In my journey

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

today in the studio,

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

I have with me Caroline Knight, who is is a research coordinator or the research coordinator I should say, for the Pen Bay Medical center research department, just up the coast from us here in Maine. And she's going to talk to us about something that I suspect many people don't even realize is going on, which is medical research and cancer research in particular in the state of Maine. So thanks for coming in. Thank you, Caroline. This is something that is. I have some background in. I actually did cancer research when I was a medical student and early on in my medical training. And so I know that it was going on in Maine because I was doing it back, it was a while ago. But it is something that most people don't really quite realize. We think, well, how could we have something like medical research, which takes resources, it takes people, it takes academicians. How could we have that in the state of Maine?

[Unidentified voice]:

Well, fortunately, with cancer research research, it's all coordinated mostly through the National Cancer Institute, and there are major coordinating centers that do a lot of that work. And then they find centers around the country to do the actual patient care so you can be a small institution and link into the work being done at the National Cancer Institute.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

And this, in fact, is what has recently happened with Pen Bay.

[Unidentified voice]:

Yes, we have become an affiliate of Eastern Maine Medical center, which is a member of the large cooperative groups under the National Cancer Institute.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

What type of cancer research is being done at Penn Bay right now?

[Unidentified voice]:

We've opened four studies just recently, three of them in breast cancer and one in colon cancer, and we plan to open several others soon.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Why is it important to do cancer research in smaller communities and smaller states like Maine?

[Unidentified voice]:

So that the local people have access to the cutting edge medicine that's being done. And so that the research is being done on people from all over the world, all over the country. People genetically who've been in Maine several generations are different genetically than those who have been in, say, Alabama for several generations.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

And are there benefits to actually doing this research in Maine that we might not have, say, if we were in Boston or a larger urban center? Does it enable you to connect with people because you know who the patients are in the community?

[Unidentified voice]:

Yes, we have such a small institution that we know everyone and there's only one oncologist. So we are able to know every patient. We don't have to go out and recruit and talk to other physicians and try and get them to send us patients, because if they are a cancer patient being seen in the mid coast area at Pen Bay Hospital, they are being seen by our oncologist.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Before Pen Bay started doing cancer research, Pen Bay was Doing other types of research.

[Unidentified voice]:

Yes. Pen Bay has been involved in various research studies. A few in the 1980s, 1990s, the early 2000s, several in the neurology department or also pulmonary study or 2Nasma. And then when I came to work there, I have been doing research for 20 years and when I came to work at Penn Bay I thought I'd never be able to do research again and found a new in the anticoagulation clinic and brought in research studies that I had been doing in my previous job in Colorado. And from that we've grown a department. Now there are two full time study coordinators, myself and another one.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

If I'm a patient or a doctor and I have a disease like breast cancer, how do I know if there is a cancer study being done in my area?

[Unidentified voice]:

The National Cancer Institute has a website with listings where you can put in say your zip code and it will help you find a center or ask your physician. They are generally in tune to such things.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

So a local physician up in the mid coast area will know that there are research studies being done at Penn Bay and can connect patients that way.

[Unidentified voice]:

We have just started and so we're getting the word out, but they are also usually aware of studies being done say in Portland or at the Alphonse center in Augusta or in Brewer.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

You're not originally from Maine?

[Unidentified voice]:

No.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

You're from elsewhere? Yes.

[Unidentified voice]:

Why did you.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

From away?

[Unidentified voice]:

Yes.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

And that's okay. We like people from away. Why did you move to Maine?

[Unidentified voice]:

For the lifestyle. Decided it was time for a change. And I missed the ocean, liked the slower pace and like the idea of being able to get to know my neighbors. And I love working at the small hospital and getting to know so many of the people I work with.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

And you live in Rockland now?

[Unidentified voice]:

Yes.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

And how have you found? Well, you came from Colorado originally. Yes. So the winters, how do they compare?

[Unidentified voice]:

It can be pretty depressing here compared to Colorado where it's snowy but sunny. Here it gets gray sometimes. And I can certainly see the allure of going south for a vacation in the winter.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

And we're happy that it's summer now.

[Unidentified voice]:

Yes. This is why we live here.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

This is why we live here this time of year.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Maine and summer. How can people find out about the

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

research that you're doing at Penn Bay Medical Center?

[Unidentified voice]:

They can Visit our website, pennbayhealthcare.org there's information. Or they can call the research center, which is 207-596-8959.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Well, I'm thrilled to know that there is great work being done in medical research at Penn Bay and I know at other places around the state, and it's nice to know that we have very smart people who are coming in and trying to figure out how to treat some of these diseases like cancer and multiple sclerosis and some of the other things that we talked about. So thank you for coming in and talking to me today. We've been speaking with Caroline Knight, who

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

is the Research Coordinator at the Penn

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Bay Medical Center Research Department up the coast.

[Unidentified voice]:

Thank you.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

You have been listening to the Dr. Lisa Radio Hour and podcast show number 95 art and the American Cancer Society. Our guests have included Sue Clifford and Cheryl Tucker, Sally Lockridge and Caroline Knight. For more information on our guests, visit Dr. Lisa.org the Dr. Lisa Radio Hour and Podcast is downloadable for free on itunes. For a preview of each week's show, sign up for our E Newsletter and like our Dr. Lisa Facebook page. You can also follow me on Twitter and Pinterest Dr. Lisa and read my take on health and well being on the Bountiful blog. We love to hear from you, so please let us know what you think of the Dr. Lisa Radio Hour. We welcome your suggestions for future shows. Also let our sponsors know that you have heard about them here. We are privileged that they enable us to bring the Dr. Lisa Radio Hour to you each week. This is Dr. Lisa Belisle hoping that you have enjoyed our art and the American Cancer Society show. Thank you for allowing me to be a part of your day. May you have a bountiful life.

[Unidentified voice]:

Sa.