We got up early in the morning to enjoy a wonderful breakfast
at the Ramada Inn. I had stayed at this
hotel before and knew what to expect. So we headed for breakfast and Doryn and
I were ready to go right after to meet Jessica H of Ackerman Cancer center, who
was escorting us to the TV station, for our interview in Jacksonville’s Channel
4 Morning news show. As we walked into the restaurant at the Ramada, I saw a
familiar face, the woman I met 5 years before on my last trip was still there.
I walked up to her and she remembered me, I had given her a handmade bracelet
in memory of her brother who had died from liver cancer. It’s always
interesting how we reconnect with people, even years later!
After breakfast we walked outside to meet with Jessica who
was ready in the parking lot to meet with us. She was one of the many people
who made our TV and radio interviews possible along with our visit to Ackerman
along with Aryn and Chelsea. We arrived at the TV station and walked inside,
there on the TV I saw my name. I had never done a live recording on TV for UCAAN
and I was excited! We went into the green room and waited for them to call us,
when they did, we all were lead to our room where the segment would be recorded
live and they sat Doryn and I on the couch with our mics on. We were ready to
go on!! Jennifer the TV News Anchor was exceptional and did a great job
interviewing me. Before I knew it, the interview was done – but it was a GREAT
one! Watch it here: www.news4jax.com/news/morning-show/cancer-survivor-mission
The morning show was so much fun and I loved the fact that
they included Doryn as part of the interview. After the show we headed back to
the hotel for a little rest and then made our way to Barnes and Noble to hang out
and then head to Ackerman Cancer Center.
As we entered Ackerman Cancer Center in Jacksonville, Florida
I felt and saw one of the many things that makes them different. It’s not
standard like a cancer center or doctors’ office, instead it’s vibrant and full
of what I would consider happy and healing colors. The center is welcoming,
with big half circle shaped colored couches and seats, the rooms and hallways
are decorated with unique designs on the walls and artwork of all kinds. The
staff in the clinic sit in uniquely designed circular desks and each patient is
greeted with a smile. The overall feeling I got upon walking in was healing and
calming, perhaps it was because of the colors on the walls or the large wall in
the clinic that looked like multi colored pieces of wood, accented by the
Ackerman logo, which resembled a colorful sunflower, that won me over. Whatever
it was, I loved it and really was enthusiastic about meeting the man behind the
center and the staff that were there to support and encourage their clients. I
felt at home, which is what they wanted people to feel when they walked through
those doors.
As we came in, we waited to meet Chelsea, the social worker
that I connected with to visit the center, she then introduced us to her other
team member, Aryn who also worked in Media Relations/communications. We
received a tour of the facility and viewed the various rooms of the hospital,
one of which was a room where doctors and a medical radiology research team
would assess radiology tests taken and decide the best way to move forward in
catering the treatments to each patient. We visited the radiation center and
viewed one of their radiation machines, one I remembered from my previous
treatments. We walked by the integrative medicine office and past the room that
housed their remarkable proton therapy machine), they schedule appointments to
use this machine back to back, so we were unable to see it). The center was
remarkable and the staff was beyond personable and exceptional, they offered a
different type of care, which I had never really experienced. The rest of the
tour included interviews with the founder of The Ackerman Cancer Center, Dr.
Scot Ackerman, speaking with their nutritionist and dietician Karen and other
staff members who shared what brought them to Ackerman Cancer Center.
By the end of the day, we prepared to attend the
patient/survivor dinner which is held weekly on Wednesday nights. I was able to
meet, share and interview patients while I was there. I shared my story and
information about the trip goals and my cancer treatments that caused my dental
deterioration. We once again gave away our pamphlets of information, glow
bracelets, hope bracelets, samples of all natural soaps and our special support
bags we made them. I shared information about our UCAAN CARE dental program and
why we started it. We got rave reviews by the attendees and the staff that was
there. It was a wonderful visit and we hope to return again on our next trip!
After dinner we headed out for Orlando, only 2.5 hours there!
So we arrived at our
hotel and got to sleep after a long day and we planned on going out to Magic
Kingdom the next day.
(By the way the sink is driving Doryn crazy, it screeches like a tea kettle that’s ready to be
taken off the stove.}
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