Scott Webb (Host): Today I'm speaking with Debbie Albin from San Juan Regional Medical Center, and in addition to being a cancer nurse navigator, she's also a cancer survivor, and she's here today to share her story and how she works with cancer patients and families to navigate their cancer diagnosis and provide hope during a dark time.

. Welcome to Celebrate Health, a podcast from San Juan Regional Medical Center. I'm Scott Webb.

Debbie, it's so nice to have you here today. We're going to talk about navigating a cancer diagnosis and what that means, and especially what is a cancer nurse navigator. What do you do? How do you do it? So let's just start there. What is a cancer navigator?

Deb Albin, RN: A nurse navigator is someone who guides the cancer patient through the journey, helps them understand and sort through choices from early detection, rehab, after treatment support. My role is to provide education about their particular type of cancer, help them understand what to expect, answer questions. And believe it or not, although I've done this over 20 years, just here, I've been a nurse, 30, I don't have all the answers, but I do know how to find them. I like to provide them with information about further testing procedures. Things that their physician has ordered. I connect them with resources and support services through our community and around the state, and provide emotional support as well.  

Host: I'm sure that it's a real comfort to patients and families. And it sounds like this is a real passion of yours. So maybe you can share a little bit more about that. Like why are you so passionate about your work and do you have any personal cancer story that you could share?

Deb Albin, RN: I do have a very, if you will, hot passion for this because I am a stage four, two months to live cancer survivor that was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. And it was discouraging because like I said, I've been a nurse for 30 years and I went to the doctor and because my particular presentation of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma did not present the way it was supposed to. So multiple tests were done and finally, right here at San Juan Regional, they found it and I was even told at National Jewish that it was rheumatoid arthritis in my lungs. Well, you, first of all, you have to have a diagnosis for that.

I didn't have rheumatoid arthritis. It can happen, but it's very rare. But long story short, it turned out to be non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. It had metastasized, it was throughout my chest. It had grown into the right parotid under the jawbone into the base of my skull, which the pain, I cannot stand anyone to be in pain.

I could not get out of pain. Nothing would touch it. So once the treatment started, the chemo, and it began to shrink, that was such a relief to get out of the pain. But I was, I went through chemo for a solid year and I went through RICE, ESHAP, CHOP. 

 You name it, because what did we have to lose? So I worked with some amazing doctors at the time, and we did that. I spent more time in the hospital than I did at home. Chemo just didn't agree real well with me. And then we did a bone marrow transplant because that was just as far as the chemo could take me.

That left me 80 pounds, bald and in a wheelchair, and I'm a girl to the bone. And there was nothing about that that I liked. It was tough stuff and I proceeded to go forth with radiation after all of that. And, at the end of the session, the doctor that was here at the time, Dr. Wynn told me, he says, Deb, there's no cure for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, but you're in total remission right now, and I would like you to consider the part-time nursing position, because I think you can give our patients hope. And I told him I didn't have to think about it, that I was all over it. And I've been at the cancer treatment center since 05.

Host: Wow.

Deb Albin, RN: I've never burned out Scott. I absolutely love what I do to see hope with someone that's been there, done it and made it that extreme, gives them hope that they can make it and fight too.

A lot of it is your mental state, you've got to, there's nothing a whole lot positive about that, but you've gotta reach down and find grit that you never knew you had. And I do attribute a lot of it to faith and when the doctors could only do so much, I could only do, I gave it my all. But I did a lot of praying.

Host: Sure.

Deb Albin, RN: And, when the doctor asked me that, I thought, okay. This is the big picture. Because I really didn't understand. It wasn't just why me, why anybody, cancer's horrid. But I just, didn't understand. Because there's no history in our family and sometimes when you do everything you know to do, then you just have to stand firm and go, okay, this is the way it is, and let's get it done.

And I'm so grateful for the opportunity because every patient that walks into this facility, as far as I'm concerned, they're mine and I will treat them as family and help them because I didn't know about this when I went through it. So to, to be able to connect them with financial resources. Well, we're traveling. We don't have the money to stay. Well we've got things to help facilitate that with our Conley house, you know, we want to be as supportful as we can.

Host: Right. And you know, I don't know that it, in big letters it says, offering hope on the website, you know, for San Juan. But it probably should, especially, eahy, especially when you're involved and you mentioned there just briefly, some of the services that you offer. I wanted to have you talk more about that, like what can patients and families expect in the way of services? 

Deb Albin, RN: We treat every kind of cancer here, but with our breast cancer patients, I work very closely with the surgeon's office and I get a list of all the new diagnosis. I make contact with these women. We set up a pre-op and they make a connection with the navigator, so they can be made aware of our resources such as support groups, wigs, prosthetic bras for the mastectomies and et cetera. I'm able to offer those. I'm able to help, like I said, placement at the Conley house. People that are having to travel great distances or make appointments out of town, we can help with some gas assistance. I work very closely with other navigators out of state and in-state to coordinate appointments and expedite their appointment time to see the doctor and get things going. Those kind of services.

Host: Yeah, it's really amazing. Just want to have you talk a little bit more about maybe treatment and support. You know, I know as you said, there's all different types of cancer, but just in general, what can folks expect in the way of treatment and support?

Deb Albin, RN: Well, we have a machine that nobody has this side of the Rockies. It's more of a targeted treatment. The treatments don't go on as long. It's more concentrated. We haven't done it yet, but we are able to treat MS and Parkinson's. We're able to address, so the neurologist and our doctor have to get together. Right now it's pretty much dominated by cancer treatments, but we do offer, S-B-R-T, I-M-R-T, and those are all specific types of radiation for specific types of cancer. So there is an array and they go by the NCCN guidelines and follow it very closely and we do have, you know, very positive results and that's exciting.

Host: Yeah. Just want to finish up today and have you talk about the support groups that you help to facilitate.

Deb Albin, RN: Oh yes. We do one for the women and we do one for the men. The women is the second Wednesday of the month and the men's is the third wednesday. I kind of spoil the guys because I for them. I'll bring them stuff. You know, you can get to a guy through his stomach. I'm telling you. He'll come feeding. And so the women, it's a catered lunch, it's sandwiches and fruit and veggies and it's a lot of sharing. We have people that have, been out and survived. We have people that are brand new. We have people that have had reoccurrences and so a lot comes to the table to help those that are new and then they make connections with somebody. Family can care and you've got support and it's wonderful and needed.

But somebody that's been there, done it, like I had said previously and made it, it gives you hope and causes a connection. There's everything there. It's not just breast cancer, it's brain, it's lung, it's kidney, it's, you name it. It's well received and well attended. The men, we treat everything on the gentlemen as well, but a lot of times men just are not quite as in tune with their feelings or verbalizing them. So thus the cooking, I'll get them there.

Host: Uh, that's perfect. You know, I host a lot of these and I hear a lot of stories, but every once in a while I hear a personal story that really, that really hits me. You know, and I love hearing medical providers sort of origin stories, if you will. Like, how'd you get there?

Why do you do that? Why are you so passionate? And I just, really appreciate your story today. The work that you're doing for patients, families. I've used this word a few times today. I'm going to use it again. It's amazing and I appreciate it.

Deb Albin, RN: Well, I appreciate the privilege of being able to share.

Host: That's great. Well, Debbie, thank you so much for being here. 

Deb Albin, RN: Thank you.

Host: And to learn more about cancer care services at San Juan Regional Medical Center, visit sanjuan regional.com. And thanks for listening to Celebrate Health, the podcast from San Juan Regional Medical Center. I'm Scott Webb. Stay well.