Fighting
to Win
Continued
by Lisa Aichlmayr
photos by Allison Waltz
In an almost ironic twist of her decision to let others know, Melody Pees now volunteers at Summa Health System Akron City Hospital in a program called the Stephen Ministry Program, designed to give hospital patients a chance to talk to someone about their fears and concerns.
One year ago she responded to an article about the program. She did not get involved then because she thought she would not have time.
About a week after she got out of the hospital, Melody Pees received a letter asking her to join.
"It just hit me like a ton of bricks," she says. "With what I had just gone through, there was no decision."
Even though the class had already filled up, the instructor agreed to let her come to see if she would be right for the program.
"Within two minutes, we both knew that's where I needed to be," she says. "I know how beneficial a person like that would have been for me in the hospital."
Bob Nolan, manager of volunteer and customer services for Akron City, says the usual process for finding volunteers consists of months of interviews before 10 weeks of training. But Melody Pees went straight to the training after an initial session
"We allowed her to come in, and it was a good choice," Nolan says. "She's outgoing but very
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"I had nightmares. I was afraid to go to sleep. I was just afraid of all those issues when you have something that can take your life." |
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concerned and caring about all people, and that's what we're looking for."
Nolan says volunteers are trained to talk about spirituality plus cultural and religious diversity. They are prepared for the kinds of conditions the patients will be in and how to respond to difficult situations.
When Melody Pees was in the hospital, all the scenarios that had been held at bay by the quick pace of her illness suddenly gained free reign. Because of this, she now knows the importance of having someone to listen.
"I had nightmares," she says. "I was afraid to go to sleep. I was just afraid of all those issues when you have something that can take your life."
She says the nightmares were not of her dying from cancer, but other vivid events, such as car accidents.
"You want your life to be normal, and all of a sudden you're thrown into this other realm, [when you] just want to be normal again," she says.
"I have a really strong faith," she adds. "Death never really frightened me. It was not that I was afraid of dying, but of not being there for the rest of my family."
A very real and physical source of her nightmares was also the possibility the cancer had spread to her lymph nodes, a situation where cancer can then spread quickly to the rest of the body. After her Monday surgery, Melody Pees did not know her status until the end of the week.
"On Friday when I was discharged, my oncologist came bouncing in and told me, 'Get out of here,'" she says.
The cancer had not spread. And it was gone, as far as they could tell.
"It was such a sense of relief – all those thoughts, those worst scenarios," she says. "Next it was a sense of sadness because I thought of all the women who weren't getting the same news that day."
But that doesn't mean the story was over.
Melody Pees had radiation treatments every day for five weeks to make sure the cancer did not return.