Sisterly support
Theresa Seward-Burris is a wife, mother, and now a 45-year-old breast cancer patient.
“I struggle with energy, but I try not to change anything about my family’s life because I want it to stay normal for them,” Theresa said, adding “it’s important.”
A cocoa-colored scarf covers Theresa’s bare head while she sits in an infusion suite at University Health (UH). A fleece blanket with images of pink ribbons – the kind you see each October when women are reminded to get their mammograms – is draped across her lap.
The space inside the Richard and Annette Bloch Cancer Center at UH is designed to be comfortable, calming and bright. It’s a place that provides quality cancer care for all. This is where Theresa allows herself to cry so her children won’t see her sadness and fear. There’s also plenty of room for a friend. In Theresa’s case, her best friend is also her identical twin sister, Juanita Seward.
“I wish it had been me because I always felt like I’m physically stronger and could handle treatment better,” said Juanita. “It’s almost torture,” she added, about watching her sister battle breast cancer, a disease that’s estimated to impact one in eight women.
The twin sisters were born two minutes apart. “We’ve always been close,” Theresa said. For 26 years they ran a successful cleaning service in Independence. In recent years, they’ve built careers as licensed life and health insurance brokers.
The pair does most everything together, including getting an annual mammogram. They have always been firm believers that early detection of cancer can saves lives. “We make it a point to go every year,” Theresa said. “She’s my buddy, so we go together.”
Theresa’s mammogram in January came back abnormal. UH doctors performed a biopsy, which confirmed the cancer diagnosis. Her team of providers came up with a plan to attack the cancer. Next came a partial lumpectomy to remove cancer from the breast, followed by chemotherapy sessions.
Spending hours sitting in treatment leaves time for her to think. Theresa is grateful for the unwavering emotional support from her family and the compassion from the skilled doctors and nurses at UH. “They’ve been wonderful,” she said. “Way beyond the level of care I imagined.”
With any cancer diagnosis, concerns about expensive treatments will soon follow for most patients. UH lessens the financial burden by providing quality care for all, regardless of financial circumstances.
In Theresa’s case, she had private insurance through her employer. And, luckily, her employer understands that between doctor’s appointments and naps, she can only work part-time. Fewer hours mean less income, however. Theresa’s husband has a career, but like many families they, too have the recurring expenses of a mortgage payment, car payments and teenagers to feed.
She said no one tells you how expensive it is to have cancer. Theresa has private health insurance, and quickly met her out-of-pocket maximum deductible. That’s when UH Patient navigators like Tina Shropshire step in to help. Shropshire works hard to find patients resources, including money to pay for essential needs, such as utilities and the mortgage. These patient navigators come with a wealth of knowledge as well as a caring heart.
“Each year Bra Couture, a Kansas City-based not-for-profit, generously grants funds so that fellow navigators and I can help patients be able to focus on getting better, instead of paying the power bill,” said Shropshire.
UH navigators have complied a list of community and religious organizations that offer patients financial support. UH Social Work Services work with patients to ensure their financial lives don’t unravel as they battle cancer and fill prescriptions. UH Financial Counseling also works to enroll eligible patients in Medicaid and offer discounts for those whose income makes them eligible.
Theresa’s advice for patients who are just starting their cancer journey is to “stay positive and have faith.” Once she’s done with treatment, the inseparable twins plan to do one more thing together: They’ll get their first tattoos, which will be the pink ribbon that reminds all women to get regular mammograms, and supports those who are battling breast cancer. “It’s not something you want to remember forever, but it’s something you’ll never forget,” Theresa added.
Click here to find mammography locations. Weekend and extended hour appointments are available.