When Jeannette Shade moved from the Sierra Foothills
into a condo in downtown Santa Barbara, she felt out
of place. The busyness of city life was different from the wide
open space of her northern California residence. Jeannette
always hoped she might somehow find her way back to the
Central Coast, where she had previously lived for 28 years.
Proximity to longtime friends and her son in Ojai made the
change to city life worthwhile. One of the greatest benefits
of returning to Santa Barbara was hidden then, but within a
few short months, Jeannette would give thanks for her new
location, a quick 5-minute ride from Ridley-Tree Cancer Center.
“It turned out be a gift,” she recounts.
Jeannette admits she had been neglecting her health for some
time. Sansum Clinic recommends that asymptomatic people
start regular colorectal cancer screening at age 45 to 50 years,
with the preferred screening test a colonoscopy. Jeannette
chose to do at-home Cologuard®
tests starting at age 50. They all
showed negative results until
2019 when at age 58, Jeannette
received a positive result from
the test. This came at the same time she was experiencing
certain symptoms that were too great to shrug off. Jeannette’s
Sansum Clinic primary care physician Dr. Laurel Bliss
recommended a colonoscopy. When Jeannette visited Sansum
Clinic gastroenterologist Dr. James Egan for the procedure, the
gentle and kind manner of the team melted away fears she’d
harbored about this test. What could not be erased, however,
was evidence of cancer.
Dr. Egan referred
Jeannette to Dr. Cristina
Harnsberger, Sansum
Clinic’s fellowshiptrained colorectal
surgeon. Like Jeannette,
Dr. Harnsberger had
recently returned to
Santa Barbara. The
physician had spent
the previous 12 years
in medical training
in preparation to
receive her doubleboard certification in
colorectal and general surgery. “I just remember thinking, ‘What
do I need a surgeon for?’ I couldn’t process all of this,” Jeannette
shares. “I had no idea what the protocol was. I knew nothing
about cancer.”
After reviewing multiple tests, the surgeon confirmed
Jeannette had stage 3 rectal cancer, and would need two
surgeries: one to completely remove the cancer and lymph
nodes and reattach the colon back to the rectum, and a
second to reverse an ileostomy. Jeannette would also require
the services of Ridley-Tree oncologists. Regret washed over
Jeannette as she digested the news. “I was embarrassed
and ashamed that I had not gotten a colonoscopy sooner,
because I think this all could have been avoided,” she notes. “A
colonoscopy is the gold standard diagnostic test,” remarks
Dr. Harnsberger. “The main difference between a colonoscopy
and other tests is the ability to remove asymptomatic polyps
before they have a chance
to turn into cancer.”
Once connected to medical
oncologist Eric Bank, MD
and radiation oncologist
George Cheng, MD, PhD, Jeannette liked knowing the duo would
collaborate on her treatment, along with a tumor board of
specialists to review her case and offer recommendations. “I was
very impressed to be in the hands of many people. That was really
good for my psyche,” she remarks. The team determined that
simultaneous radiation therapy and oral chemotherapy would
be the best course to shrink the cancer before surgery. Jeannette
remembers Dr. Cheng’s empowering statement “Your cancer
though stage 3, is closer to stage 2 than stage 4. Our goal is to cure
you.” She greatly appreciated the doctor’s personal phone calls
and his thoughtful consideration to schedule around a trip she
planned to see family. Dr. Bank’s calmness and questions about
her home support meant so much to her. They’d often lighten
the mood by chatting about Jeannette’s grandson and Dr. Bank’s
baby on the way. “It was that type of experience that was so
helpful, people caring not just about your cancer, but also about
your head and your heart,” she says.
Patient Navigator Pam Wells provided Jeannette with a respite
from the emotional overload of this new diagnosis. Jeannette
calls Pam her “guardian angel.” When the blur of information
clouded Jeannette’s memory during the first critical medical
appointments, Pam answered questions and took notes. She
also functioned as Jeannette’s first point of contact for anyquestions or concerns, and checked
in on her often. Pam noticed how
her patient’s positive attitude
and brightly-colored outfits lifted
everyone up “as if she was bringing
her own brightness to get through
a hard day.” Jeannette’s youngest
son captured this very spirit in a
photo taken on her first day of treatment. Her motivation
to push through the difficult moments was her three sons
and grandchildren. When she frequently sat in the waiting
room with patients who drove from afar to receive treatment,
Jeannette felt grateful for her space only blocks away. She
looked forward to seeing the radiation therapy technologists
and department members every day who now felt like old
friends. When Jeannette was admitted to Cottage Hospital for a
case of diverticulitis in December of 2019, visits and cards from
her radiation therapy technologists and oncologists made her
feel like a V.I.P. and her new Ridley-Tree family kept her afloat.
Once Jeannette’s radiation therapy was completed, RN
Specialist Andrea Hodosy prepped Jeannette for her upcoming
surgeries. Andrea is also a certified wound, ostomy and
continence nurse and her years of experience explaining
complicated procedures to patients shone through. In
February of 2020, Jeannette underwent the first surgery in
the capable hands of Dr. Harnsberger. Recovery was tough,
but the payoff came on Valentine’s Day when Jeannette was
healing from her procedure. Dr. Harnsberger had just reviewed
the pathology results for Jeannette’s surgery. The surgeon
calls pathologists “unsung heroes” who work efficiently and
precisely behind the scenes to evaluate a patient’s cancer
and help direct clinical decisions. Local pathologists from
Mission Pathology Consultants, including Dr. David MartinReay, who evaluated Jeanette’s tumor, and fellowship-trained
gastrointestinal pathologist Dr. Eric Himmelfarb, regularly
assist Dr. Harnsberger and Dr. Bank by
determining the source, molecular
type, and extent of involvement of a
patient’s cancer. In Jeannette’s case, her
cancer was eliminated, joyful news
that Dr. Harnsberger wanted to share
in person. “We both stood there with
tears in our eyes,” explains Jeannette.“ I thought, just like my parents, these people gave me life.”
Once healed from surgery, Jeannette began infusion
chemotherapy and oral chemotherapy to blast any remaining
cancer cells. The early surge of COVID-19 kept anyone from
accompanying her for treatment, but her Ridley-Tree team
provided critical support. “I was not going through it alone, not
at any one step. I always just felt like I was the only patient they
had,” Jeannette adds. Oncology Nurse Specialist Jay Nubia
and the team of RNs “worked their magic” and reduced her
worry over getting a port. Dr. Bank explained how this type of
chemotherapy would not cause her to lose her hair. As the end
of her treatment plan neared, Jeannette began to believe even
more deeply that her return to Santa Barbara was more than
just good luck. It was where she needed to be for this specific
time in her life. This place gave her new life in more ways than
one. Her mission now is to inform anyone who will listen about
the importance of colonoscopies. “I have encouraged 12 people
to go in for screenings, and I tell them not to be afraid,” she
comments. “Sharing my story seems like proper closure, if I can
help even one person. I do think this was meant to be, and there is
a reason this happened to me.” Dr. Harnsberger calls Jeannette
one of the most grateful and positive patients she has ever had.
“Her quiet strength, determination and positive attitude carried
her through with support from her team and family. Seeing this
and the success in Jeannette’s smiling eyes when she came for
follow-up, this is why I love my job.”
Photo Caption: Dr. George Cheng, Jeannette Shade, Dr. Cristina Harnsberger
and Dr. Eric Bank