Survivor - Joyce Nielsen

Joyce Nielsen, Edwards resident and cancer survivor, notes that conducting a self breast exam was not something she was in the habit of doing.  But she’s glad she did in July 2007, because it’s how she first noticed a lump that prompted her to set up an appointment Dr. Jamie Brant. 

On July 26, 2007 Dr. Brant informed Joyce and her husband Jim that she had breast cancer.  Dr. Brant arranged an appointment the following day for Joyce to meet with Dr. Reg Franciose, the doctor who would perform Joyce’s lumpectomy.

“Dr. Franciose called me the night before the appointment to tell me not to get on the Internet and start doing research on breast cancer,” Joyce said. “He didn’t want me to get worried.  It was very reassuring.”

She said that Dr. Franciose spent well over an hour the next day explaining treatment options to her, something she thought was different from the kind of treatment she would have gotten at other major cancer centers.  She appreciated how educational the experience was; she felt as though she was prepared to make informed decisions about her treatment.

The Monday following her appointment with Dr. Franciose, Joyce’s team of doctors met for the first time to discuss her treatment plan.  They then met with her individually to explain to her how her treatment would progress.

“Our son, who lives in Houston, was concerned about me not seeking treatment at a major cancer center in a large city,” Joyce remembers, “but after those first Monday meetings this really felt like the place where I should be.”

Joyce also remembered how impressed she was with the thoroughness of Dr. Brant’s work.  She was worried that Joyce’s blood work indicated that she was anemic, so Dr. Brant ordered a colonoscopy to rule out any internal bleeding.  That colonoscopy, performed by Dr. Barry Hammaker, revealed a flat polyp that, after analysis, turned out to be carcinoma cells.  Joyce underwent another surgery shortly thereafter to remove small sections of her small and large intestine.

“I truly believe they saved my life,” Joyce said.  “Their persistence and desire to be thorough led to the detection of the colon cancer early enough that it hadn’t metastasized.”

After the colon surgery, Joyce began radiation treatments with Dr. Patricia Hardenbergh and her staff.  About six weeks later, and after she had completed her radiation treatments, Joyce began chemotherapy treatments with Dr. Alex Urquhart.  Joyce said that compassion of the doctors, their staffs and the convenient environment in which she underwent treatment made her experience much easier than expected.

She believes the Vail Valley community is extremely fortunate to have the expertise of the physicians at the Shaw Regional Cancer Center and access to a facility that is so dedicated to bringing wellness to its patients beyond the treatment of their illness.

 Joyce says the additional programs in support of the patients and their families are what make Shaw a truly unique place.  From the Fit for Survival program administered by Exercise Physiologist Dustin Buttars to the support group meetings led by Vanessa Lewis, social worker, she never felt like just another number, rather always felt like she was being treated as an individual.

“It’s not just about cancer treatment, it’s the about the whole person. It’s very emotional,” Joyce said, “when you realize that all the educational resources, sophisticated equipment, programs and caring people are here to help you through it.”

Joyce and her husband Jim were so thankful for the care given by the team at Shaw Regional Cancer Center and Vail Valley Medical Center, they both joined VVMC’s Volunteer Corps where they now serve as Community Ambassadors and volunteers at the Shaw Regional Cancer Center.  Joyce is also a member of the Shaw Outreach Team and the Community Cancer Coalition, which helps fund the Shaw Cancer Center Library from which she borrowed many books during her treatment.