CentraState - Healthy Directions

The Full Circle of Care From Cancer Patient to Volunteer: with an aggressive form of non- Hodgkin’s lymphoma, a type of cancer. She was successfully treated at CentraState Medical Center and is marking the third year that her cancer has been in remission. Now, the woman who her physicians describe as an inspiration to other patients has returned to CentraState as a Palliative Care volunteer. F Rosemarie learned of her cancer after a visit to CentraState’s Emergency Department (ED) in May 2007. She had been experiencing prolonged facial swelling, a never-ending cold, chronic shortness of breath, and the recurring sensation of having something stuck in her neck when she lay down. A computed tomography (CT) scan performed in the ED revealed a grapefruit-sized mass in the middle of her chest (between her lungs) that doctors suspected was cancerous. During her subsequent inpatient stay at the hospital, other diagnostic tests confirmed that she was suffering from an aggressive form of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma—a cancer of the lymph nodes, spleen, and other organs of the immune system. Bhavesh Balar, MD, board-certified hematologist/ oncologist Brian H. Chon, MD, board-certified radiation oncologist 4 Following her discharge, Rosemarie began six months of chemotherapy followed by six weeks of radiation therapy at CentraState. Her physicians, Bhavesh Balar, MD, board- certified hematologist/ oncologist with Monmouth Middlesex Hematology-Oncology, and board-certified radiation oncologist Brian H. Chon, MD, both on the medical staff at CentraState, worked collaboratively to develop a personalized treatment plan for July/August 2011 our years ago, at age 36, Jackson resident Rosemarie Cebulski-Mazur was diagnosed Rosemarie that would effectively target her cancer while minimizing potential adverse effects on healthy tissue. “Because of the close working relationships and direct lines of communication, we are able to provide Rosemarie and other patients with the same level of care that is expected at any major cancer center,” says Dr. Balar. TAKING CONTROL Following her diagnosis, Rosemarie began to worry. Among her most persistent concerns: Would she be able to see her two young children grow up? Recognizing her anxiety, CentraState Palliative Care Nurse Mary Ann Cole, RNC, Mary Ann Cole, RNC, palliative care nurse stepped in during Rosemarie’s hospital stay following her ED visit and diagnosis. Cole collaborates with a multidisciplinary team at CentraState providing educational resources and emotional and spiritual support for patients and their families and services aimed at maximizing patients’ quality of life. “We develop a relationship with patients and their families to optimize their quality of life throughout treatment and beyond,” Cole says. “Mary Ann helped me turn my thinking around and realize that I could take control of my cancer,” Rosemarie says. For example, she and Cole found an inviting picture of a beach to hang in her hospital room during her stay to represent the goal of getting better so that she could go with her husband and children on a vacation. “I still get emotional sometimes thinking about my experience, but having cancer helped me understand how precious life is,” she adds. Rosemarie continued to check in with Cole throughout her treatment, cementing the friendship. After returning to her favorite job of being the “best Following her cancer diagnosis, palliative care helped Rosemarie Cebulski-Mazur (shown with son Christopher and daughter Jessica) take control of her fears and think more positively during her treatment. mom in the world,” Rosemarie decided to take on another important role: Earlier this year she became a Palliative Care volunteer at CentraState so she can offer other cancer patients the same support, encouragement, and opportunity to realize the value of life that helped her through her cancer journey. To learn more about palliative care and cancer support services at CentraState, visit www.centrastate.com/cancersupport or call (732) 303-5181. HD Empowerment through Palliative Care Palliative Care Services at CentraState Medical Center provide educational, emotional, physical, and spiritual support for patients who are diagnosed with a chronic, life-threatening, or progressive illness, as well as for their families. Palliative care draws on a range of resources and professional expertise and is designed to support treating physicians in providing multidisciplinary, multifaceted care to their patients. Healthy Directions

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