Beyond the pink: Finding help to navigate breast cancer

All right, Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October is coming to an end, but that doesn't mean that the awareness ends. That should be daily, year-round. For many of us, you'll never forget about that, including our guest that we've had on the last couple of weeks, Nikki Panico, with Susan G. Komen, State Director of Minnesota and Wisconsin. Well, first of all, Nikki, well, good to see you again. Thank you. We should point out that your offices are uh where you're in Milwaukee well well i i work out of Milwaukee, sorry i had to say that's no that's what i wanted to start with before we get on to the topic du jour here which is very important but um does that mean you are a Brewers fan brewers all the way how are you feeling today after that Brewers yes you're uh i'm sorry what did you say i said how How are you feeling today after that last night? Oh, my gosh. So excited. So excited. Already getting ready for the parade tomorrow. We're figuring out our game plan to be down at what we call our Summerfest grounds at 730 to be ready for when the gates open at 8. All day long festivities. You're going to get down there at 730. The parade's at 10, and then it comes in. Okay, that is going to be – you're going to have to send us some pictures from that. That looks like that's going to be great. Yeah, yeah, really, really excited. But my son's at University of Minnesota, so I have roots in both states. Right, and the director for both states. But I knew you were, I thought, based out of Wisconsin, so I had to ask about the brew crew. Yes. Yeah, I was going to wear it, but I was like, okay, yeah, my Brewers. That's very nice. We have discussed a number of topics, and today we wanted to talk to you here about the resources available to those who are either concerned about breast cancer, have been recently diagnosed, or it's metastatic. I mean, all along the way, there's a need for resources. And a lot of people maybe are just overwhelmed or lost about where do I turn to figure out all the things, all the questions that I have, the answers that I need, What treatments are out there that I might not otherwise discover? What support do I get? How do I get through this? It's a lot. I mean, where should you begin? Obviously, I worked for Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation for 15 years. And I've been diagnosed twice with breast cancer. I'm currently battling for the second time. So a trusted resource if you're not affiliated with the health system. And really, even if you are, I firmly believe in SusanGKomen.org. We have a patient care center where social workers, trained patient navigators are there to answer the phone or answer the email, to answer any question, whether that be around, when do I get a mammogram? I can't afford a mammogram. All the way to your diagnosis. It's advanced to stage four. I need a clinical trial. this 800 number, this email address can provide a great deal of resource to you. Yeah, I think we have a graphic we're going to put up with some of those links here when we when we can but tell me everything here about you know who this is available to everybody whether it's it is and and how quickly do you get connected or a response and within 24 hours a lot of times much quicker and I do want to say it's a free resource for yeah patients caregivers family members professionals even you do not have to be a donor you don't have to participate in anything to be in contact with our trained staff to get information answers connect with resources that fit your needs so this can guide people on any number of topics absolutely absolutely um there are some questions here um that people may have again um let's let's go down the list you'd kind of emailed me a few that i that i picked out that i thought were just very very important and poignant um what if somebody doesn't have health insurance whether you know and say that they're worried about getting screened maybe they can't afford a mammogram. I mean, so people who have a concern, I want to make sure that I'm doing everything that I can. What do they do? There are programs that help individuals access mammograms and diagnostic services. I mean, it's really important to ask for help, and Komen can explore resources with you. Regarding treatment, and I'll never forget the day my mom a hard-working woman raised four girls and she was stage four which is called metastatic when it advances outside your breast and she had that and she had insurance but it wasn't great insurance and i'll never forget when her oncologist said don't bring her in for chemo her drug isn't covered and we became that panicked family you know my sisters and i how much can you take can you take got a loan how much is the drug you know and really scrambling and what we found the pharmaceutical company covered about the first 10 shots of her chemotherapy and then we were able to enroll her in a program I mean you know this this happens to average Americans where insurance it's really a struggle with insurance so again in those instances you need to really speak up and ask a lot of times the health system has some philanthropic services and again we didn't know we were thinking we had to we became that family of taking enormous loans out for health care but we did by asking and inquiring and again the Komen helpline can help you the patient care some of those local resources center can help people with those questions what about you had mentioned people that it's not just it's not just insurance coverage of your care but it may be everyday bills. I mean, your income may be impacted either by the out-of-pocket that you might have to pay or inability to work full-time or even part-time. What about people seeking answers to, how do I even afford to pay the bills that I have because this disease that I am trying to fight is impacting my ability to do that? Correct. Boy, what a financial toxicity being diagnosed with cancer can be. And so at Komen, we do have a financial assistance program. It's not a lot, but maybe for that particular month, you don't have to choose between groceries and paying your co-pays. But also like Komen, there are some really great smaller nonprofits It's in Minneapolis, in Minnesota, in western Wisconsin that do provide financial assistance. So, again, I keep referring people back to the helpline, but there is a database of other nonprofits that can provide some financial assistance. That sounds like a really good place to go for that kind of guidance counseling. Right, right. Yeah. What about, you know, so we talked about insurance. We've talked about paying the bills. We've talked about screening. What about emotional support? I mean, it's tough. I mean, for people that don't know what to do with these emotions or how to respond to them or how to get through. I strongly encourage talking to, if not the physician you're working with, the nurse that can help guide you and discuss some options. And I know I've been in different health systems in the different places I live for breast cancer. And there's always a social worker, usually built into just even the the care of treatment is um a couple sessions of someone to talk to inside that health system so again Komen can help guide but really inquire one of the sessions you can go back and listen to about advocating for yourself but this is a really good time to bring that up to your doctor or the nurse or someone you're dealing with in that health system to see what services are available there okay um you said that there's one thing that you wish every person affected by breast cancer knew what is that one thing um i think you're not alone there is well there's five million survivors across our country that have been through what you're going through um there's people that understand you have options you have resources. You don't have to navigate this alone. So don't be afraid to discuss it both within your personal circles with whoever your doctors were and please again I've been with Komen for 15 years and I see the good we do. Please reach out. And with that if we can if we have time let's bring up that the contact information here for the patient care center at Susan G. Komen. There's phone number 877-465-6636. The email is helpline at komen.org. And free and available to all. And Nikki, thank you so much for the time that you've given us here these last couple of weeks for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Obviously, I'm sorry. Go ahead. It's emotions for all of us. I'm sorry. Thank you so much for sharing your own personal journey with your wife. I just wish her all the best. And what an amazing, supportive husband you are. And for Amber, who's not online, thank you for sharing your personal journey. We all know it's affected everybody. I invite your listeners out. May 1st is our race for the cure that we've had for over 30 years in Minneapolis, and it's May 1st at Viking Lakes, and we'd love for you to join us where we really celebrate survivors and those currently battling. So you will feel unlimited love and support if you join us on May 1st. I don't live far from there. I'll be out. I'll join you. Good. I'd love it. Hope that we can have you on again throughout the year because Breast Cancer Awareness Month is a month, but the battle is year-round, and there's so many important things to talk about. So Nikki, we'll have you on again as much as we can. We'd love that. Thank you so much. All right. Go Brewers. Enjoy tomorrow.