LAWTON – Cancer survivor Henry Ray, Lawton, offers words of encouragement to anyone facing the potentially fatal disease.
“The first thing I would tell them is that a diagnosis is not a death sentence anymore,” he said. Ray survived prostate cancer and is now a volunteer driver for the Cancer Centers of Southwest Oklahoma. The centers consist of four locations–Lawton, Altus, Duncan and Chickasha.
The retired school administrator said he saw a newspaper article stating that volunteer drivers were needed to help patients get to and from treatments and he has now been driving as a “floater - when needed” for seven years.
“First of all, this [free transportation] is a wonderful benefit for these folks. A large percentage of them need help getting here for treatments,” Ray said. “I’m glad I volunteered.”
He said he is still picking up some of the same people he started with seven years ago.
“It’s rewarding to help. You tell your cancer story and then listen to their story. They almost become like part of the family.”
‘Compassionate care’ “Cancer isn’t fair and it doesn’t discriminate,” said Director of Nursing Robyn Lewis. “Whether we cure cancer or not, we make a difference.”
Lewis has been with the Cancer Centers of Southwest Oklahoma since its inception and has been the nurse manager in Lawton since 2010. With more than 20 years of nursing experience, 15 of them have been in oncology—a branch of medicine that specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer.
“Being an oncology nurse is not for everyone,” she admits. “But if you love it, you love it. We believe in and practice compassionate care and we don’t forget our patients. Our celebration for them is a personal touch. We celebrate their milestones like birthday parties.”
Lewis first became a licensed practical nurse in 2003 and her career has grown through the years, partially inspired by a dream in which she was filing charts in Dr. Nadim Nimeh’s office. Nimeh had treated cancer patients in the area for at least 20 years prior to joining the Cancer Centers, according to an 2008 archived newspaper article. Chief Operating Officer Lane Hooton wrote on the Comanche County Memorial Hospital website that Nimeh is the “face of Oncology” for southwest Oklahoma.
Lewis told Nimeh about her dream, along with a comment that maybe she was supposed to work for him. It wasn’t long before she applied for an opening in his office and began to work for him. One of the biggest changes she has seen over the years, other than the advanced treatments that are available today, is that the old paper-charting era has been replaced by electronic medical records. Lewis has gratefully embraced all the positive changes.
“Electronic medical records are more efficient and patient safety has improved,” she said, also mentioning barcoding medications. Bar Code Medication Administration is a system that uses barcodes to help ensure patients receive the correct medication at the right time and in the right dose, according to techtarget.com.
Lewis’ enthusiasm spills over into the scientific areas of medication advances, including biotherapy and immunotherapy. She appreciates the continuing education offered by the Cancer Centers that has allowed her and other nurses to embrace the advancing changes in treatment and care. Lewis commented that Cancer Centers of Southwest Oklahoma Chief Operating Officer Lane Hooton is fully behind supporting employees to attend weeklong education courses covering different tracks. “Tons of education” is available, Lewis said.
Lewis is also excited and inspired by the advances in chemotherapy treatment through the years.
“The old form of chemo would kill the cancer cells but would also kill other normal cells,” she said. “Through science, medications are now more personalized. Individual markers can be targeted now. Cancer cells are targeted without affecting healthy cells.”
According to the American Cancer Society, targeted drugs often work by blocking cancer cells from copying themselves. This means they can help stop a cancer cell from dividing and making new cancer cells. Traditional chemotherapy, however, kills cancer cells that have already been made.
Lewis has held positions with the Oncology Nurses of Central Oklahoma and is an active member of the Oklahoma Society of Clinical Oncology and Oncology Nursing Society. Overall, she said she is most proud of the Cancer Centers of Southwest Oklahoma and its commitment to employees and patients.