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Healthy Women Project:
Success Stories from Peer-Counseling Participants
Who got their cancer screenings?
She Did!
She is a busy mother and grandmother from the Tri-Valley. Despite rheumatoid arthritis and degenerative disk disease, she found the time and energy to do five breast cancer fundraising walks. When she first began the project, she was adamant about not getting a Pap smear. “I don’t want to go, but you’re welcome to try to convince me.” What kept her from going? “I find it embarrassing, humiliating. It's the last thing I want to do. Who wants to go have a Pap smear? It's like yuck! I've done so much doctoring in the last few years of stuff that I have to go to. A Pap smear doesn't seem like something I have to do so I tend to just put it off and put it off." However, after participating in the Healthy Women Project, she happily had a change of heart. “Yes,” she told us, “it motivated me to go take care of business that I needed to do…It was a good experience.” How did Healthy Women Project make a difference? “Being accountable to someone and the reminder in the mail just gave me that little extra push.”
She Did!
She is an independent widow with mobility issues and chronic pain due to degenerative disk disease. Her last mammogram experience had not been a good one, as the technician was not experienced handling women with disabilities. “My low income these last few years has kept me from getting screened, but now that I do have MediCal, I can follow up not only on my cancer prevention needs but all of my health needs.” Fortunately, her involvement with Healthy Women Project provided “the reminder that I need to get it done…. I’m very thankful there is an organization that does care.”
She Did!
She made an appointment for a mammogram almost immediately after receiving initial information from the Healthy Women Project. She had chronic pain and it had been ten years since her last mammogram. She and her doctor both found a lump in her breast, but fortunately it was not serious, and she was able to receive proper medical treatment. “The Healthy Women Project encouraged me to ask for a mammogram, and now I will ask for a Pap smear.” She even told her sister about the project, and shared the things she learned while doing it.
She Did!
She needed and got both tests. In the past, having O.I. (a genetic “brittle bone” disorder) has been a barrier for getting tested. “The thing I fear the most is getting lifted because I'm breakable. [My provider] always asks if I have someone to come with me and lift me and I'm like screw you, no. They assume just because you're disabled you have someone to take care of you.” However, she soon realized getting screened for these cancers was important. "This got me off the dime and that's an important thing….The other half of me is very stubborn and very capable." She ended up being glad she did get her mammogram.” Because [my provider] saw something on the mammogram they wanted to look at a second time, that was scary, so that will certainly keep me from skipping them in the future.” She found the self-advocacy suggestions particularly helpful. “I made the appointments the same day we talked….They gave me two appointments back to back so there was plenty of time to get on the table, like you suggested.”
She Did!
She has been diagnosed with bilateral carpal tunnel and osteoporosis. Her barriers to getting screened included feeling overwhelmed with disability issues and arranging transportation. For her, getting a mammogram was extremely important, because her sister recently battled the disease. Despite her last mammogram experience being painful, she realized, “I guess it’s in the family. So I really gotta get the ball rolling and get this appointment done.” She got “on the ball” and scheduled both appointments. Learning “about the percentage of women who can develop the cancer…if it’s not caught on time” was her primary motivation.
Congratulations to these women for choosing health!