Assertive Cancer Patient speaks to writing as help

Author Jeanne Sather speaks out on cancer, being assertive with doctors, health care

By: Daniel Acee

Posted: 5/21/08

Jeanne Sather has found that the best way to handle a potentially deadly disease is to sit down at a keyboard and start writing.

Tuesday, author Jeanne Sather of "The Assertive Cancer Patient" spoke to faculty, staff and students of OSU. Sather spoke of her life with cancer and the importance of being an assertive cancer patient.

Deanna Kingston, associate professor for the anthropology department, discovered Sather's blog online while doing research as she was undergoing treatment for cancer.

Kingston had many topics she wanted to discuss with Sather, and felt it would be a positive educational opportunity to bring her to OSU.

With help from the anthropology department, the women studies program and the Women's Center, Sather's visit was fully funded.

"We (Sather and Kingston) hadn't even talked on the phone before, just through e-mails," Sather said. "We haven't stopped talking since she picked me up from the train station yesterday, and we haven't even gotten to our list [of topics discussed over e-mail] yet."

Sather was diagnosed with cancer nine and a half years ago at the age of 43. She was a single mom with a temporary job that was about to end, and her health insurance ended when her job did.

Sather underwent multiple treatments and was told by the doctors that her life expectancy was "on the slim side" of an 80 percent survival rate.

After treatment had temporarily controlled the cancer, Sather's doctor found a tumor in her arm that weakened the bone and caused it to break.

Sather continued to experience problems with cancer, as she was diagnosed as also having bone cancer and melanoma.

To earn money to support her medical costs and her family's costs, Sather began writing.

"I started writing a weekly column called 'Jeanne's Battle,' which as I had seen was the first cancer writing that was in the moment," Sather said. "All the other articles I had seen from people living with cancer were written after the fact."

Sather moved from the column and found that writing an online blog - a medium in which others could contribute - would be a way to calm down and let others share similar experiences.

"I am more relaxed after I write my thoughts out, and it lowers my blood pressure too," Sather said. "Blogging is great because others can share similar stories and problems they encountered in treatment."

Through the interactions between blogs and comments, cancer survivors are able to learn from each other and create support groups online.

Despite the serious topic at hand, attendees of Sather's presentation found laughter in comments made by Sather and audience members.

Sather outlined the discussion with a list of topics referencing moments of her life with cancer: death, health and happiness, health insurance, her search for a Canadian husband, high cancer-drug costs and errors in medical bills.

Sather said that if the United States had national health insurance, cancer patients would not struggle with money as greatly as they do now.

"There is an underground movement right now involving brave social workers, nurses and poor cancer patients that cannot afford the high cost of cancer meds," Sather said.

"Cancer patients donate their extra medicine left over after treatment and give it to others that cannot afford it. This is much better than the government's recommendation of mixing leftover medicine in dirty kitty litter and throwing it away."

At one point Sather ran an article in newspapers of countries around the world that have national health insurance. The focus of the article was her hope to get someone to marry her so she could make her cancer treatment affordable.

The article told of her struggles with supporting her kids while being able to pay for her treatments. Her many costs include a $10,000 bottle of medicine that she has to purchase every three months.

Overall, Sather's main message to cancer patients is to be active in the process of receiving treatment.

"This is my life, my disease, and I am in charge," Sather said. "If you tell me 'this' is what I have to do, I will question it.

"Don't be afraid of making your doctors angry - assertive patients should train their doctors to not become upset no matter how often you call about symptoms. If you can't train a doctor to help you, then find one that works."

Sather's blog has created an uprising of cancer blogs since she began hers one and a half years ago.

If you are interested in reading Sather's blogs or would like to contact her, go to assertivepatient.com.

Daniel Acee, senior reporter

news@dailybarometer.com, 737-2231