Always care well, every step of the way

Sometimes the most painful experience gives birth to a beautiful endeavor. Take for example the case of Robert “Bobbit” Suntay. A few years ago, he lost his beloved wife Jackie to ovarian cancer. He was, of course, devastated by her passing. But instead of being broken, he used his pain and his love for Jackie to be of service to others. He does this through Carewell, a non-profit cancer foundation that provides support, education and hope to persons with cancer and their loved ones.

Recently, Bobbit shared with me this “oh-so-beautiful” e-mail written by Mae Castro, one of Carewell’s community members.

“As you savor Mae’s poignant and heartfelt sharing, I think you will come to see — as she has — that the single most element that we wish to have with us along our respective cancer journeys is hope,” said Bobbit, the founder and managing director of Carewell or The Cancer Resource and Wellness Community Foundation.

He said: “It really tugs at our heartstrings when we hear from persons with cancer that their experiences at Carewell have helped them gain new hope for themselves and their loved ones.”

Here’s the letter of Mae — which she entitled “My open letter of gratitude and hope” — that Bobbit shared with me. Let me share parts of it with you, too.

Hello Dear Friends and Supporters,

It is with great pleasure that I’d like to share this day with you as I celebrate this memorable first week of my life... my new beginning freed from the bondages of chemotherapy!    

I am now a certified “GRADUATE” from the School of Chemotherapy where I took up 16 sessions of chemo treatment that began on March 3, 2008 and ended on Sept. 3, 2008. Hooray for me! Maybe I should ask my oncologist for a diploma. And just so you know... I have no intentions of pursuing an MBA course on this subject ever. No more next chemo for me!

Initial evaluations after the first four sessions of chemo showed no positive response from my body. This prompted my oncologist to change my protocol and get me to my third line of treatment.

After six sessions on this third line of treatment, my CT SCAN results showed a slight decrease in size of my old tumor but at the same time new growth were seen in another area of my liver. The doctors told me that these growths were more “cystic in nature” and not a metastasis. My CA 125 showed also a decrease in value from 986 to 182 but nowhere near the normal value of less than 35. Thus, my treatment continued.

This actually confused me and brought me more anxiety when I think about it. But I refused to let this development get in my way of living and enjoying my life.

I sought refuge from God. And by the grace of God, I have lifted up my body and spirit to the Lord to do and to live according to His will.

God’s love was manifested even more when I joined the Carewell Community in the summer of 2007. But it took me until just recently to realize this as each day unfolded for me.

Allow me to give you a brief background how it was with me before Carewell. Like any other person given this kind of condition, I went through the usual depression, emotional stress and anxiety attacks when I was first diagnosed in June of 2006. This became more prominent all throughout my first line of chemotherapy that lasted until January of 2007. I felt isolated and alone even when I was surrounded with my family and relatives. It felt like nobody really understood what I needed most.

I put up a brave front amidst all that was happening to me and went back to work in February 2007. I thought getting back to work would help me get over my emotional ups and downs. It did relieve me to know that I was able to work again. But the emotional strain became even more defined especially the first time I was about to go back to my doctor for the required monitoring tests after being on remission.

It was during these times that fate once again stepped in and brought me to meet Bobbit Suntay.

The sincerity of his welcoming warmth and understanding of my condition made his invitation to visit the Carewell Community something to look forward to at that time.

The community center office boasts of a mini-library and resource center. Literatures, audio CD and other multi-media resources about cancer are available for the members’ taking. And books on wellness and other references and novels are also available for borrowing from the library.

I instantly felt at ease the first time I talked to Bobbit at the Carewell office in Makati. I was amazed when I started talking to him about all my worries and anxieties. It all felt so good to finally have somebody listening and knowing he really understands because he’s been there, too, when his late wife, father and father-in-law had cancer all six months apart of each other.

After intently listening to my plight, he offered me a counseling session I could avail at Carewell, free of charge. Aside from counseling, I could also avail of consultations with Carewell’s medical team of volunteer doctors like oncologists, rehab, palliative, nutritionist, plastic surgeon, psychiatrist, just to name a few. And again, all free of charge for the members. Even membership was free! The only requirement is that the member is diagnosed with cancer.

The succeeding days and months that followed saw me attending art classes with my daughter Mia during Saturdays when I am well enough to make it.

My husband Ed attends the husbands group that Bobbit calls the Happy Hour group. This was a once a month meeting before. But due to the men’s enjoyment in each other’s company, they now hold it twice a month.

I also availed myself of their wellness programs such as qi gong, yoga and reiki classes and recently a pilates class. This helped me a lot in learning how to breathe properly and at the same time get me focused in a day.

They also have a centering prayer group and a grief sharing group for those who need spiritual and emotional therapy.

When Carewell offered us a respite weekend in Anilao, I became all the more engulfed with the extent of how well the survivors are being taken care of through all the joint efforts of the volunteers and most especially Bobbit. And all these were made available to me and my family for FREE!

And so it was when the events and activities came one after another. I became involved in most of the Carewell activities and helped the volunteers in any way I can.

Being at Carewell always made me forget that I am sick even for a moment. The fun and the laughter that echoes through the walls of the center reverberates along the corridors of the building when the Carebelles gather together for their Thursday meetings.

On Sept. 19 to 30, a Carewell photo exhibit entitled “Portraits of Hope” will be on display at the Power Plant Mall in Rockwell. The photographs were made possible by the renowned photographer Wig Tysman, with the help of famous makeup artist Patrick Rosas, who made the Carewell survivors and their stars look fit for a photo shoot. Please try to catch this photo exhibit. It includes me!

Then on Oct. 2, the exhibit will be brought to Manila Polo Club for the culmination of the celebration (entitled “Carewell Star Night”) with a benefit show honoring the survivors and their “stars” who became a source of inspiration and encouragement during their cancer journey.

 Ryan Cayabyab together with his Ryan Cayabyab Singers will be performing on stage. Likewise, Melissa Joseph and Christopher de Leon will render The Carewell Song composed by Nonong Buencamino and Floy Quintos. Our famous director Marilou Diaz-Abaya has also created a video for this event. They all graciously waived their professional fees in the spirit of helping the Carewell Community.

Imagine my elation when they told me that my story was one of the many chosen to be part of this first of its kind event in the Philippines. Never in my wildest dreams could I imagine myself being a part of something as big as this event to be shown in public.

I felt God was working in mysterious ways as I lived each day in His presence. It’s scary. But knowing God is on my side helps me get through the scary feelings.

I was a skeptic myself before when everything was “normal” for me and I read or heard about testimonials of this sort. But now here I am. I guess cancer made me braver than ever to make me write such an e-mail as this one.

(For tickets to the Star Night event, please call Carewell at 751-0242.)

(Would love to hear from you at miladayjewels@yahoo.com)