Most everyone has been touched by cancer in one way or another, whether a family member or friend, or a personal account of having cancer.
That’s why it’s important people with the concern of cancer receive information about cancer and support to get through the difficult times.
To meet that need, the Ho-Chunk Nation sponsored the 13th Annual Share the Care Cancer Conference on Tuesday, May 16, and Wednesday, May 17, at the Wilderness Resort, Wisconsin Dells.
The Ho-Chunk Nation was the original sponsor of the event as well, having started the conference in 2003.
“It’s conducted for cancer education and awareness for our community members, learning new things going on with cancer and advocacy, new things and research being performed, and what can they do as community members to support each other,” said Louise Voss, health educator with the Ho-Chunk Health Department.
Voss and HCN Health Department CHR Supervisor Ruth Puent were co-organizers for this year’s event.
“Our focus is more on community members than on health staff. We bring information on things people went through or going through or as a caregiver,” Puent said.
On Tuesday, the conference had 207 people in attendance and on Wednesday, there were 163 people attending the sessions.
“It was open to everyone, with it being native specific. We sent out a ‘save the date’ card when we booked the conference center and a flyer with registration information when the speakers were finalized. We had articles in the newspaper and on the Health web page. Ona (Garvin) spoke to people at the area meetings, plus we put up posters and had information at the Tribal Office Building,” Voss said.
Last year the conference was held in Bad River and the Ho-Chunk Nation offered to host the 2016 conference, which was then approved.
At the conference, the topic isn’t just to talk about cancer alone, but also how it is linked to other conditions as well, Puent said.
One of the highlights was the sessions given by Dr. Kurt Oettel. What was helpful for the audience is that Oettel is an oncologist who works with the Ho-Chunk Nation’s Health Care Center in Black River Falls. His specialties are medical oncology, breast cancer, and cancer and blood disorders, Puent said.
Another highlight was the session provided by Dr. Stuart Robertshaw, who offered a presentation, “Laughter is the Best Medicine,” Voss said.
“What many of us don’t realize that laughter improves our mind, body and spirit,” Voss said. “And as adults, we don’t get enough of it. Children will laugh between 400 and 500 times a day, yet adults average only about 15 times a day,” Voss said.
Included in the conference was the annual “Night of Remembrance” dinner, when loved ones who died from cancer are remembered and honored. Also recognized are people have survived their battles with cancer. The observance has usually been held the Friday before the opening of the Memorial Day Powwow at the Powwow Grounds in Black River Falls, but organizers felt the event fit better this year with the conference. Linda Delay performed most of the work for it.
To each of the cancer survivors, an afghan blanket was given the afghans were made by hand by men inmates at the Jackson Correctional Institute.
“I want to give a ‘thank you’ to Chief Clayton Winneshiek for speaking at the convention and giving a blessing,” Puent said. “He gave us some really encouraging words,” Puent said.
Presenters included Dr. Kurt Oettel, Rick Strickland and Isaiah Brokenleg, Anthony Litke, Thomas Walker, M.D., Dr. Stuart Robershaw (aka) Dr. Humor), Nan Gardner and Mark Poless PhD.
Dr. Kurt Oettel gave a presentation, “Stages of Cancer,” in which he explained how medical professionals term a patient’s cancer advancement in stages.
“Staging is just how advanced the cancer is,” Oettel said. “Some is aggressive, some is not.”
Stage 0 is the first stage, which isn’t usually talked about. The tumors haven’t decided to invade other tissue, but they don’t stop growing. At that point, doctors “don’t know if it’s the real McCoy or not.”
Stage 1 is when cancer is hard to detect and rarely causes any symptoms. Doctors are not sure whether to treat or not.
Stage 2 is when the tumor has invaded a little further and is curable. Symptoms may appear or not be present. Surgery is an option.
Stage 3 is when the patient has symptoms and surgery is questionable. Chemotherapy and radiation may be used and it may be curable or it may not.
Stage 4 is when symptoms are present and surgery is not recommended but chemotherapy can be used. It is not curable, with head and neck cancer being the exception.
Screening is important and is done to detect cancer before it is considerably advanced and before symptoms appear. Screening is done for breast, colon, lung and prostate cancer. However, there presently are no screenings for bladder, pancreatic, brain and kidney cancers.
Also, a “Lingo Bingo” was held Tuesday afternoon in which terms for cancer and its treatment and conditions were used on a typical bingo sheet. Rick Strickland dressed up in a red costume to resemble a tumor to add a little humor to the activity while he and Isaiah Brokenleg called out the words.
Anthony Lipke, pharmacist at the Ho-Chunk Pharmacy in Black River Falls, told about the various medications used for chemotherapy, along with the benefits and side effects.
“Not all cancers are equal, so some can be difficult to treat,” Lipke said. The basic function is to slow or stop cells from rapidly multiplying, which has an effect on cancer, but other cells within the body as well.
An Eagle staff gets passed from tribe to tribe for each instance of hosting the conference. The next conference in 2017 will be held at Red Cliff or Lac Courte Oreilles bands or at the Urban Indian Center in Milwaukee, Puent said.
“So many people gave us positive comments and statements. It was beautiful. Everyone did a good job,” Puent said.
“I’m astounded at the attendance,” she said. “There are a lot of Ho-Chunk members present and all participants have given us great feedback. We’ve had good food, good information, good presenters, good topics and great housing. Thank you to everyone able to attend. And thank you to Ona and the department staff for all their hard work.”