Editor’s Note: Bellah Care Chronicles Patient Symptom Management Workbook was created by two sisters who were caretakers for their mom after her diagnosis of pancreatic cancer. Their books are a tool aimed to help patients and family members gain control over symptoms, side effects, nutrition, medication, appointments and blood and scan results. In collaboration with the Bellah Care Chronicles, we have created a customized, comprehensive and complete Patient Symptom Management Workbook for pancreatic cancer patients. Thanks to a generous educational grant, The Hirshberg Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research is gifting the notebook to newly-diagnosed patients. It is our hope that patients and families will be able to take control of their treatment and their well being and be able to focus on what really matters most to them. Below is their story.
By Sarah and Carmella Banks
Our names are Sarah and Carmelle Banks. We are sisters, 2nd-generation caregivers, and cancer activists. In 2006, our lives took a dramatic turn when we became primary caregivers to our mom, Jane, who was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer at the young age of 57.
At the time, we lived on separate coasts, one of us living on the east coast and one on the west. When our mom told us she had cancer, we immediately returned home to live with her and put our heart and soul into taking care of her. While most people in their twenties are transitioning into careers and family life, we were getting ready to embark on the biggest role of our lives, warriors against pancreatic cancer, with our mom leading the way. Our mom was a single parent, a registered nurse and health educator for 37 years. She taught us about being women of integrity by stressing the importance of service and helping others. She always made sure we were taken care of. Years later, as she was facing the biggest challenge of her life, it was our turn to make sure she was loved, supported, and was well taken care of.
Throughout treatment mom endured a variety of chemotherapy drugs, surgeries, integrative treatments and took many medications. In an effort to be better caregivers and understand how her body was handling treatments medications and new food regimens, I designed a book which would keep track of her daily needs and what we refer to as the “new normal”. I created the book specifically so it was small enough to travel in a purse or bag back and forth to doctor appointments, but large enough to hold the pertinent information that your doctor may ask. The book also contains refillable pages with detailed charts for medication, daily food intake, symptoms, doctor’s notes, phone numbers and other medical information.
Our mom fought courageously for 2 1/2 years overcoming the bleak statistics that gave her only six months to live. Today, though we can no longer fight this disease beside our mom, we continue to stand up for cancer by dedicating our lives to helping other families manage their cancer care. We‘ve made it our mission to stand up for all patients, caregivers, and loved ones by spreading cancer awareness and helping to raise thousands of dollars for cancer research.
Our family was first introduced to the Hirshberg Foundation after going to one of their annual educational Symposiums at UCLA. We were eager to collaborate with them by creating a customized book for pancreatic cancer patients and their loved ones. The Hirshberg Foundation helped to pioneer the first customized Symptom Management Workbook for people facing pancreatic cancer. Agi has shown her unyielding support for the book’s launch and the entire Hirshberg Foundation family has supported the two of us as both caregivers and as an organization. We have high hopes of contributing to the cancer community using the Foundation as a guiding source of inspiration. We are so happy and proud to be a part of the Hirshberg family and their ongoing efforts to find a cure for pancreatic cancer. We know our mom would be too.
With the help of an educational grant, the Hirshberg Foundation is generously gifting the customized workbooks along with a re-stickable mediation logs to individuals touched by pancreatic cancer. Helping other pancreatic cancer patients and caregivers manage their care better is a special way to honor our mom’s memory, continue her legacy of love and generosity and help make a positive difference in the lives of other families, like o