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Local doctor sees cancer as physician and patient by Marta Marychuk Oakville Beaver Staff Health 51 | Thursday October 12, 2017 | OAKVILLE BEAVER | www.insidehalton.com "Connected to your Community" Dr. Alexandra Ginty, of Oakville, says being diagnosed with cancer has helped her become a better doctor. "I always was a compassionate doctor," she says, but having cancer makes you dig deep into empathy, which makes a great doctor. "I'm a very different doctor now," she said. "I now come with a different set of lenses." Ginty, a family physician in Oakville for 22 years, found a lump in her breast in 2010. Ginty said there was no history of cancer in her family. A MRI was done and doctors found another lump. Her doctor thought she might have bad breast tissue. It turned out not only did she have really bad breast tissue ­ it was terrible. She underwent a double mastectomy, but the disease had gone into her sentinel lymph nodes and Ginty went through five months of chemotherapy. Ginty found out that she was BRCA1 positive; Level one, which is the most severe mutation to cause cancer. Ginty decided she would preemptively have her uterus and ovaries removed. After facing cancer from both sides ­ as a doctor and a patient ­ Ginty is passionate about talking about cancer so women don't have to suffer in silence. In fact, she documented her journey with Dr. Alexandra Ginty | submitted photo cancer in a book entitled Both Sides - when the doctor becomes the cancer patient and using positive thinking and healing using Positive Thinking Cards through survivorship. "As doctors, we think we know everything," says Ginty. Being a cancer patient and a doctor has given her a new perspective and a passion to make a difference. "There is so much for us to do," she adds. She has been the Regional Primary Care Lead for Cancer Care Ontario since 2013 and Assistant Clinical Professor at McMaster Medical School. And she has trained with the Ontario Medical Association and Schulich Institute. She is also an operating room assistant at Oakville Trafalgar Memorial Hospital, in addition to treating patients at her practice, three times a week. "You can't fear your future," she adds. Since she was diagnosed with cancer, Ginty says testing and treatment for cancer has come a long way. Treatment is more patient centered and equally accessible. Now, when a woman has an abnormal mammogram she has access to a navigator who helps her with her diagnostic journey ­ and is only a phone call away. October is breast cancer awareness month. Every year, the CIBC Run for the Cure, a five or one-kilometre walk or run, raises money for the Canadian Cancer Society (CCS). It is the largest single-day volunteer-led event in Canada in support of the breast cancer cause. Every day in Canada, an average of 72 women are diagnosed with breast cancer, according to the Canadian Cancer Society. One in eight Canadian women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime. Statistics from Mississauga Halton Central West Regional Cancer Program say the total population in Mississauga and Halton is 1,269,398, with the projected new cancer cases in this area estimated at 6,772. Acclaim Health is seeking volunteers for bereavement support group Karen is living every parents' worst nightmare. She recently lost her only child, her adult son, Nick. Having also lost both of her parents at a young age, she knew that she needed help to get through the loss of her son. "I called Acclaim Health's Bereavement Peer Support program. They hooked me up with my volunteer, Judy. We started meeting Wednesday evenings." Karen had a meaningful experience with Judy -- "it felt comforting to be with someone that lost an adult child. We've cried [and] we've laughed." Bereavement Peer Support Volunteers are vital to someone who has recently experienced a loss. The support they provide through experience, understanding and empathy can be the key connection for someone who is grief stricken. Judy knows first-hand how valuable this kind of help can be. Before becoming a volunteer, she contacted Acclaim Health following the loss of her adult son, Ryan. Her grief felt unbearable and "nobody knew how to help [her]." Judy discovered that speaking one-on-one with someone who experienced similar loss was the connection that she needed to move forward. She wanted to give back and decided to take the volunteer training program at Acclaim Health. "I took the course and it was real eye-opener for me because it was talking about listening; learning how to actively listen. And I realized I wasn't good listener--I thought I was, but I wasn't an active listener. And I learned how to deal with my own stuff before I went and met with someone else." Judy noted that becoming a Bereavement Peer Support volunteer was not only helping another community member who was in need but it also helped Judy -- "it helped me because I watched and I listened and I was there for someone else, I watched them grow, I would watch them work through their pain and I would watch them start come to the other side. And each time we would meet you would see that there was less grief and more hope." Judy and Karen continue to meet and although Karen continues to grieve for her son, she hopes to take the Acclaim Health training program next year and volunteer -- just like Judy. One to two hours a week of your time can create an impact that lasts a lifetime. When you share your story, you keep the memory alive and the feelings real. Become a volunteer and let someone who is suffering a loss know they are not alone. If you'd like the chance to help someone else in a meaningful and rewarding way, contact Acclaim Health now to join the next Bereavement Peer Support Volunteer Training Program beginning Monday, October 16, 2017. For more information, visit www.acclaimhealth.ca. If you are interested in volunteering, please contact Carole La Tour at 905-827-8800 x2313 or clatour@acclaimhealth.ca To see all available volunteer opportunities, please visit Acclaim Health's website www.acclaimhealth.ca/volunteer -- submitted by Acclaim Health Aching Feet? Step right into our office. Now offering SigvAriS compression stockings (covered by most extended health plans, ask for details) custom-made orthotics · foot/ankle injuries · diabetic care · ingrown nails/warts · orthopedic footwear · 627 Lyons Lane, Suite 205 Silvia Araujo B.Sc(Hons), D.Ch oakvilleclinic@bellnet.ca www.oakvillefootclinic.com 905-844-0680