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www.insideHALTON.com | OAKVILLE BEAVER | Thursday, April 10, 2014 | 22 Doctor sees cancer from both sides -- and shares by Abigail Cukier Special to the Beaver Health "Connected to your Community" `She packed up her potential, all she had learned, grabbed a cute pair of shoes and headed out to change a few things' Dr. Alexandra Ginty has a favourite quote a friend gave her. It goes, "She packed up her potential and all she had learned, grabbed a cute pair of shoes and headed out to change a few things." A few years ago, the Oakville physician would have described herself as someone who would "put my head down and go along." But she says being diagnosed in 2010 with breast cancer, in both breasts, changed her. "If you go through something so traumatic, you call on yourself to do things and realize you can do things you didn't know you could," Ginty said. Since last November, the family physician also took on the role of regional primary care lead for Cancer Care Ontario for Mississauga and Halton. Familiar places This includes Oakville-Trafalgar Memorial and Credit Valley hospitals -- the very places she had surgery and received chemotherapy. She is also an ambassador for Wellspring and for Look Good Feel Better, which helps boost the morale of women going through cancer treatment. After blogging for I got that horrible phone call... that stopped my day... that I had cancer. Then they found another one. If I wasn't already knocked off my feet, now I was. Now, it was getting a bit out of control. Where do you go from there? Dr. Alexandra Ginty Oakville facingcancer.ca, Ginty decided she wanted a way to curate all of her writings. The result is Both Sides of Breast Cancer; a Doctors Journey, a poetic memoir chronicling Ginty's journey, Contribute your voice and leadership The Halton Healthcare Services Board of Directors Make a Difference in Your Community Milton Oakville Georgetown Hospitals Halton Healthcare Services (HHS) is a leading multi-site healthcare organization with an outstanding record of performance, fiscal accountability and, most importantly, safe quality patient care. The organization's three community hospitals are integral to the health and wellness of their communities and resolute about delivering responsive, safe and exceptional care to their patients. To ensure a healthy future and meet the needs of the growing population, HHS is building a new, state-of-the-art hospital in Oakville which is scheduled for completion in late 2015; Georgetown Hospital has undergone a significant expansion to its Emergency and Diagnostic Imaging Departments and is proceeding with planning for future expansions; and, Milton District Hospital is in the midst of a major expansion that will significantly increase the size of the facility. Through an effective governance body Halton Healthcare Services' first priority is to understand the unique needs of our diverse communities, ensure fiscal accountability and safe quality patient care. To complement the skills mix on our Board, we are looking for an individual with experience in provincial government, marketing/public relations and expertise in the healthcare sector. As a well-connected individual residing or employed in the Regional Municipality of Halton or Peel, you demonstrate an awareness of the specific issues and concerns facing these rapidly expanding communities. You will be both an active voice of the Board of Directors and a knowledgeable resource in governmental affairs. Demonstrated not-for-profit or corporate board experience with formal governance training are assets. With three major capital projects running concurrently, there has never been a greater need for strong community representation on our Board. HHS has retained Promeus Inc., to invite nominations and expressions of interest to fill the upcoming Board vacancy. This advertisement is also posted on the HHS website at www.haltonhealthcare.com. If you have the passion and availability to reflect the face and character of our fast-growing and diverse communities, please send a letter of interest and enquiry to Judy Mandelman, or Heather Spiegel, Promeus Inc. at: resumes@promeus.ca, quoting Project: HHSBD-2014-03 along with positive thinking cards she created as an emotional compass for those facing challenges. "I got that horrible phone call... that stopped my day... that I had cancer. Then they found another one. If I wasn't already knocked off my feet, now I was. Now, it was getting a bit out of control. Where do you go from there?" Ginty had a double mastectomy with immediate reconstruction plus further surgeries and chemotherapy. Another surgery She then found out she was BRCA1 positive; Level 1, the most severe mutation known to cause cancer. At that time, she had a hysterectomy. The positive thinking cards helped her to focus on the moment and put her into a new space. "One was `Don't complain, take a pill.' It was to remind me that everyone in my family was struggling with this. Just go and do something that makes you not grumpy. "If you think differently, you feel differently and behave differently. It makes you feel happier. It doesn't mean you have to be perfect or you have to be well. In that moment, you can think differently." Ginty realized she didn't want to simply write about Dr. Alexandra Ginty her cancer journey, but wanted to help people see positive things about a horrible day. Making lemonade "Sometimes it's about the next minute or the next hour will be better or feeling the warmth of the sun. People love the cards. They are beautiful. You can put them in your bag or by your bed. They can help people facing any kind of adversity." Ginty has brought this outlook to her medical practice. "This completely changed me, philosophically, and I convey it to my patients," she said. "We always focus on the academic side of cancer. I knew that part. What I didn't Awarded EXEMPLARY STATUS by Accreditation Canada know is this emotional side." She is taking a course in psychotherapy, which she plans to integrate into her family practice. "Every day, people have adversity that you can help them through. I always wanted to be a doctor. It made it all the more painful to lose when I didn't think I'd ever get back," said Ginty, who was off for nine months. "I am with people for 15 minutes and leave them so changed sometimes. I have purpose. I would never say it was a good thing or that it happened for a reason, but you can look back and see that life makes sense backwards, and what you learned from it can help you find your purpose."