Janelle Sweaney—Looking Back, Looking Forward

A patient recalls her cancer experience and those who helped her get through it.
You've heard them called “the good old days.” Maybe they were those idyllic, childhood moments spent playing in the afternoons; maybe they were Spring Break road trips when gasoline was less than a dollar (or two dollars) a gallon.

For Janelle Sweaney, the good old days weren't that long ago. Just three years ago, she was 23 and working, having fun and being carelessly happy. “I was out just enjoying life, not thinking of consequences and not having a care in the world,” she says. But those so-called good old days took a sudden turn.

WORST-CASE SENARIO
In December 2003, Janelle thought she had a bad case of the flu. “My chest was congested,” she says. “Eventually, I found myself sleeping at night in an elevated position so I could breathe.” At first she was just coughing up phlegm, but when that turned to blood, she went to see her primary care physician.

Her doctor immediately ordered a chest x-ray, which revealed a large tumor between Janelle's heart and lung. What she'd thought was just the flu turned into a worst-case scenario—cancer. It would later be diagnosed as Hodgkin's lymphoma, a disease of the white blood cells that often affects adults in their 30s.

As a doctor called Janelle's boyfriend to come pick her up, Janelle says, "Then it hit me and I thought, 'I am going to die.'"

BONDING WITH CAREGIVERS
Janelle was admitted to Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center where Alice M. Forsythe, M.D., a medical oncologist and hematologist with the Cancer Care Center, happened to be on call. “I remember telling my mom I was glad I was diagnosed with cancer that day, all because I got Dr. Forsythe,” she recalls.

In the months of treatment and follow-up that would come later, Janelle says she and Dr. Forsythe formed a unique bond. What she appreciated most was Dr. Forsythe's forthright attitude. “She didn't hold anything back,” Janelle says.

“I believe both patient and doctor are in this battle with cancer together. Through educating her about her cancer and about the treatment process, I was striving to empower Janelle with the tools to become an active participant in the healing process. We became partners in getting her through this,” Dr. Forsythe recalls.

Also at Janelle's side was Lori Watts, M.S.W., a social worker in the Cancer Care Center. Watts provided—and continues to provide—support and education to Janelle and other cancer patients. The staff at the Cancer Care Center also knew Janelle by her first name. They could sense if she was having a particularly bad day and were able to give her the extra attention and support she needed to get through.

When Janelle was losing too much weight, Dr. Forsythe helped her find a medication that would relieve the nausea caused by chemotherapy. And at what was supposed to be Janelle's last chemo treatment, Dr. Forsythe sent balloons and goodies to celebrate.

Janelle endured 12 weeks of chemotherapy, followed by four weeks of radiation, which she took on her lunch breaks because she continued to work.

She finished treatment in May 2004 and enjoyed three months of remission. But then at a checkup, a scan showed that the cancer had returned just under her diaphragm.

HOME FOR CHRISTMAS?
“I was with my family and I plainly remember Dr. Forsythe coming in to talk with us,” Janelle says. “She told me because of the tumor recurring, I would need a bone marrow transplant, which meant being referred to Seattle.”

At the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, they discussed her treatment—an initial round of drugs to stop the cancer growth, followed by a stem cell infusion. Fifteen percent of patients die during the transplant, and only 20 percent come out of it cancer-free, she learned. But she decided to go ahead with it. She and her doctors hoped Janelle would be home by Christmas.

The first round of medication didn't shrink Janelle's tumor at all, and a second didn't help much. Instead of waiting for the full suggested month, they decided to go ahead with the infusion. “At that time I just freaked,” she says. “Here it was already December, and I knew I wasn't going to be home for Christmas.”

So on Dec. 31, 2004, Janelle checked into the University of Washington's Medical Center as an inpatient for the stem cell infusion.

FAMILY VIGIL
Janelle was never alone. During the treatment and the months of recovery, her mother stayed nearby, attending every class offered at the center so she could help take care of Janelle. Her stepfather was there often. And Harry, her boyfriend, was in Seattle as much as possible while still taking care of their lives back in Boise. Dr. Forsythe even called to check on her progress.

Complications, such as infections and a lack of appetite, impeded Janelle's progress. But she didn't give up. “My doctors and family gave me the strength to go on and on,” Janelle says. “My mother was a real stone, and my boyfriend never broke.”

Finally, a PET scan in March 2005, showed that the cancer was gone and Janelle could go home. “It was the happiest time in my life,” she says.

LOOKING BACK
Janelle doesn't think of cancer as a bad thing because, she says, she doesn't take life for granted anymore. And she's grateful to Dr. Forsythe—and all the physicians and medical staff who helped her through treatment—for looking out for her best interests and treating her so compassionately.

Physical changes have come with treatment: She's shrunk an inch and gone through early menopause. She won't be able to conceive children, but right now she and Harry are just thankful she's alive.

Looking toward the future, Janelle says she's starting to feel normal again. A recent PET scan turned up clear, and she's back to work at Washington Mutual as a loan officer. She also volunteers with other patients, lending them her support and experience.

In sharing the lessons she's learned, Janelle says, “You always need to stay on top of your health. Always listen to your doctors and believe in your own strength.”