Meet The Incredible Sandy Roberts
Sandy and Bruce Roberts
Written By: Sandy Roberts
I already feel like I belong! I first met the lovely Corrine Sikora during my many years teaching kindergarten in Central Bucks School District where our teaching paths would often cross. We also shared in our cancer journeys as we connected with each other during our chemotherapy sessions at Alliance Cancer Specialists in Doylestown. We were able to share smiles, laughter, and stories as an encouragement to one another. Corrine’s joy and enthusiasm would just fill the room with light! I remember, one time, sharing with her how wonderful it would be to have a massage to help with the chemo side effects of sore muscles but couldn’t find someone who had experience with cancer patients and ones who have chemo access ports.
Let me share with you a bit of my cancer history. My sister passed away from breast cancer in 1993 and two months later my dad also passed away from cancer. A few years later I lost my mom due to cancer. My first, of many, breast biopsies and lumpectomies was in 1977. The many test results would come back pre-cancerous and I knew what to look for knowing my family history. I started my cancer journey in 2008 after finding out, from DNA testing, that I have the BRCA mutated gene, aka breast cancer gene. In 2009 I had a double mastectomy and an oophorectomy. (I already had a hysterectomy in 2004.). My gynecologic oncologist thought he caught everything “just in time” as they found growth on one of my fallopian tubes and the growth was removed! Following surgery I was on tamoxifen for five years. Then…In 2017 I was diagnosed with fallopian tube cancer, yet I didn’t have fallopian tubes! It seems “the growth” moved into my peritoneal lymph nodes before my fallopian tubes were removed. Technically, I have Stage 3 extraovarian primary peritoneal fallopian tube cancer.
It was during my first round of three months of weekly chemotherapy that I was introduced to Keith Fenimore and his amazing non-profit, Pine2Pink! I then had major abdominal surgery to remove the cancerous lymph nodes followed by three additional months of weekly chemo. It was a long eight months! I was only able to get through it with the unconditional love, compassion, and grace of God and the total love and support from my incredible husband, Bruce. Bruce started a support team for me called “Sandy Strong” and with my caring family, tremendous friends, extraordinary co-workers and student’s families, my loving church family, as well as my outstanding oncology team, I did indeed feel Sandy Strong! One of the ways I was able to build up my strength was to go on the very first Pine2Pink Virtual Pink Ribbon Hunt. It got me up and moving as we spent time outdoors, walking all through Doylestown and Peddler’s Village, and having great fun doing so. My husband would go with me for physical and emotional support, and we found ALL the ribbons! It truly was a great motivation and inspiration to get much needed exercise and to get back into the social swing of things- seeing people and experiencing life again! This helped me find such joy in my journey!
It has been an exciting four years supporting Keith and Pine2Pink and being a part of an amazing organization that has found wonderful ways to help others suffering from breast cancer while bringing joy and comfort to their journeys! Corrine saw that too- And wanted more for ALL cancer patients. It was quite moving to watch Keith, Kristina, his wife, and the Sikora family work together to make Corrine’s vision come to fruition. My husband and I were given a private tour of the new Kin center when I became the first guest to register which was a wonderful honor!
I was unable to help with Pine2Pink and setting up of the Kin Center this year as my cancer has returned. I had another six months of chemotherapy and now I am on a PARP inhibitor called Lynparza. The doctors are hoping that this drug will help inhibit the further growth of the tumors. So being able to watch the remarkable progress as an outsider has been thrilling! I continue to be amazed at how the outpouring of love, support, local donations, volunteers, and professional personnel have come together to make this Center become a reality.
My joy and enthusiasm is now set on getting stronger so I can become a part of the Kin Center! Just as the Virtual Pink Ribbon Hunt helped to inspire and motivate me back to health, so too does the Kin Center! I am so excited and eager to come to the center as a guest and partake of the many services that are being offered, as well as just coming to the center to relax and take in the comfort and calm feeling of the beautiful and inspirational surroundings. It is my goal to join in on the Pilates classes, the gardens, fitness services, workshops, facials, Barre 3 classes, who knows, maybe I can even work up to the Zumba classes! Selfishly, I am SO looking forward to a massage with a professional who knows how to help a cancer patient with a chemo access port! Another personal goal for me is to be able to become strong enough to help at the front desk, welcoming and helping fellow cancer patients to the Kin Center, helping with the library, and to be able to become an integral part of the Kin team! My eyes have filled up with tears as I continued to see the posts about the wonderful people willing to give of themselves, in so many ways, to help local cancer patients. In fact, I have tears in my eyes right now thinking of being a part of this extraordinary group of people!
I count my blessings and joys every day as I see all of this inspiring and motivating me to continue working and fighting through my cancer journey. Thank you to the LONG list of those who have donated time, skills, supplies, monies, and above all, to those of you that are coming along side of me and so many others in our cancer journeys. God bless you all!
