Cancer Survivor Project

For me, personally, when the doctor said malignancy, I knew what he meant, but frankly that word didn't sound so scary. There's just something about the "C" word. In fact, it wasn't until I pulled up in front of the clinic where I was to see the chemotherapist. Across the front of the building in large letters: "The Cancer Center." I kind of understood how an alcoholic must feel when they finally admit their problem. The only thing that went through my mind as I parked my car was: "Hi. I'm Rick. I have cancer."

Cancer is a scary thing. It has a really bad reputation - that is totally deserved. It can be in your body for a long time before you know it. Or it can show up as a noticeable lump. Usually, by the time you notice it, it's been there for awhile. Unless you have a history of it in your family, when you go to the doctor, it's the last thing you expect the doctor to say, and in any case, you hope you never hear it. Any cancer is life threatening if left untreated. Some are more aggressive and deadly than others, some are much more "treatable" with a much higher success rate in treatment. Regardless, from the moment you hear the word cancer, you're a survivor.

Are you here because you're a cancer survivor? Have you been recently diagnosed? Are you still going through treatment? Or, have you been cancer free for several years? Or, maybe a friend or family member has cancer. Or, maybe you saw the link on our blog and you're just curious. Whatever the reason, welcome to the Survivor Project.

Wherever you are in your experience, you can make a difference in the lives of others. You don't even have to be through with treatment to be part of this project. Cancer survivors often share their experiences and look for ways to encourage one another. Many keep journals. It helps to know what to expect. The treatment is very aggressive and affects your entire body, leaving you temporarily feeling pretty weak and tired. You find strength in relationships - with God, with family, with friends, with your medical team, with other survivors.

This is not a matter of just recording the faces of people with cancer. As I share elsewhere on our site, anyone with a camera can record a face. This is about telling your story, and capturing your image in a way that will be meaningful to you. For some, that may be an individual portrait. For most, it will probably be a relationship portrait, like our Love Is Portraits. For others, it may be a color image on location at a site that is important to you and your family, doing something you have always loved (or dreamed of) doing together. For still others, it may be a portrait with someone who was instrumental in their treatment or recovery. This project is a celebration of life.

It's July, 2010, and the Survivor Project is underway. If you or someone you know is a survivor and would like to participate, please give me a call. We'll set up a time to chat and share and get to know one another. We'll determine what would be the best way to photograph you - the style of the image, what other people you might want with you, etc.

I'm a survivor myself. After all my treatment was done, I began thinking more and more about all the people who had helped me, and all the people I'd met who were also going through treatment. I wanted to do something to help out. The most I have to offer is my talent. So I decided to come up with a project doing what I do best.

The project began to take off after I talked with a few people I know who have survived cancer, and they began to tell others about it. The idea is to photograph cancer survivors in the way that will be most meaningful to them, that will best tell their story. I am so excited to see it coming together. Everyone's experience is different. Most have family members who were particularly supportive. Some have other friends who stepped in to help. Almost all of them have an appreciation for life that most of us just take for granted. And their smiles are incredible.

Marie had breast cancer in 1998, then was diagnosed with bone cancer in her jaw in 2004. Part of her jaw was removed and replace with a titanium plate. When I photographed Marie, a smile was not easy for her, so I asked her to smile with her eyes. She sat there a second and then the most beautiful spark appeared in her eyes and the rest of her face followed. She still didn't have a big, "toothy" smile, but she was smiling - and it was beautiful.

As the project continues to grow, the possibilities increase. I'm not sure where it's going. The initial plan was to do a calendar. As more and more people are taking an interest, I'm wondering if a coffee table book might be a better plan. Many of the people I've talked with are Christians who have shared how their faith saw them through or grew as a result of their experience. This could turn into an additional project of photos of survivors and stories of their faith. Some of the images will be in color, some in black and white, so that we have options to create the best collection(s) possible. It could even turn into multiple projects. American Cancer Society is interested. Additional projects could benefit area hospitals involved in cancer treatment. I'd love to do a series on the medical personnel - the doctors, nurses, radiologists, and other professional care-givers. Then there are those who contribute financially to area institutions....

Here's my experience - short version:
I noticed a lump in my neck just below my jaw in August 2008. I thought it was a reaction to sinus trouble, but the swelling didn't go down. It wasn't until June of 2009 that I finally got to an Ear/Nose/Throat specialist who gave me a definite diagnosis. A PET Scan indicated possible cancer in my tonsils, a tonsillectomy was scheduled. After about three weeks to recover, I began 7 weeks of radiation and chemo through July and August. This pretty much irradicated the cancer. There was still a small lump in my neck, which was removed by surgery in October. A biopsy showed the radiation had been effective. A 2nd PET Scan and physcial exams every two months confirm the cancer is apparently gone. I'm up to 3 months between check-ups now.

I thought the year after treatment was going to be a breeze! Physically, for the most part, it has been. However, getting back into the swing of things has been a challenge. I'm amazed how difficult it is to do so many things that used to come so easy! The past year and a half, the biggest challenges have been the mundane everyday stuff and the normal hassles of everyday life.

I have long believed that God will use anything that we encounter in life, good or bad, to bring glory to Him, and to mold us into the image of Christ. I've experienced it in various ways in my own life, and shared it with others. When I received a diagnosis of cancer, it was somewhat unexpected - there's no history of it in my family and I've not done anything that I know of (or that the doctors could point to) that would cause cancer in my throat. But there it was - the "C" word. One of the first things that came to mind was, "It's time to put up or shut up." Either the things I believed were true and could see me through this experience, or they weren't, and it was time for me to realize it. I'm here to tell you, it's true - both in the big things like Cancer, and in the mundane, everyday, irritating-like-sand-in-your-shoe stuff, too!