Beth Hannley never expected to get cancer. She recalls that she felt almost immune to it. But when it came, she knew—even before her doctor did. “I was 68. I started developing the classic symptoms, like sudden-onset constipation,” Beth says. “I just had this feeling it was ovarian cancer, and I told my doctor we should look for it.”
Beth was right. A biopsy at Providence Regional Cancer Partnership (PRCP) verified her suspicion, and her care team got treatment started right away. Beth remembers that her diagnosis was in August, and she started treatment the week of Labor Day.
Know where to go
Beth has worked in health care for 30 years. Knowing what she does as an industry veteran, Beth wanted to get her care at PRCP.
“Having a clinical background, I knew the program’s technical core is solid. I did a lot of research, and I already knew about the Partnership’s reputation,” she says. “But what became so clear, quickly, was that the caregivers truly care about their jobs, and their patients. You could see it in the way the nurses and medical assistants on the infusion floor would talk to their patients. They get down to eye level and ask how you’re doing.”
Connecting the parts
Another part of PRCP’s appeal to Beth was its integrative medicine services, including naturopathic medicine, and Beth would benefit tremendously from PRCP’s acupuncture program. She suffered from chemotherapy-induced neuropathy, a nerve disorder that can arise as a complication during chemo and some other drug therapies. When motor nerves are affected, patients can experience balance problems and pain or weakness in the hands and feet.
Beth’s case was bothersome. She couldn’t button her shirt, pick up small objects or write with a pen. Beth made an appointment with one of the acupuncturists working in-house at PRCP.
“I wanted it to work, and by God, it did,” she says. “I started acupuncture in February, and when I went to a wedding in September I signed the guest book and wrote a sentence—in my own handwriting! I’d had noticeable change within a few weeks, but at the wedding I realized I was back to normal. It was wonderful.”
Learn more about PRCP at cancerpartnership.org.
Providence Regional Cancer Partnership
1717 13th Street
Everett, WA 98201
Phone: 425-297-5500
This information is not intended as a substitute for professional medical care. Always follow your health care professional's instructions.
