Young cancer group helps with mental toll of diagnosis

SOUTH WEST.

>> AT 34 WAKE COUNTY MOM IS

FACED WITH LIFE CHANGING

DECISIONS AT THE SHE LEARNED

SHE HAD CANCER. JUST

34 YEARS OLD.

>> AFTER SURGERY, CHEMO AND

RADIATION. SHE'S FACING A WHOLE

NEW BATTLE, TACKLING THE MENTAL

TOLL. WRAL, HEALTH REPORTER,

GRACE HEY, BUT INTRODUCES US

TO THE DUKE HEALTH PROGRAM

HELPING YOUNG PATIENTS MOVE

FORWARD.

>> IN 2 CRUCIAL.

THESE MOMENTS OF MENTAL

STILLNESS HAVE BECOME A VITAL

LIFELINE FOR IRIS BUGBEE.

I WAS 34 YEARS OLD.

>> WHEN

>> WE FOUND A LOT SUDDENLY

DIAGNOSED WITH CANCER. SHE

FOUND HERSELF IN HER MID 30'S

IN THE MIDDLE OF MEDICALLY

INDUCED MENOPAUSE. WE DID 6

ROUNDS OF CHEMO, BILATERAL

MASTECTOMY AND THEN 17 ROUNDS

OF RADIATION HOME WITH A 2 YEAR

OLD, A HUSBAND AND THEIR

FAMILIES FUTURE TO THINK ABOUT.

I WAS IN THAT WAITING ROOM WITH

60 70 YEAR-OLD WOMEN. I KNOW

THAT I'M THIS YOUNG.

BUT I SOMETIMES FEEL LIKE

PEOPLE FORGET, I'M THIS YOUNG,

BUT I HAVE THIS MUCH MORE TIME

BLAST.

>> THAT I HAVE TO LIVE THROUGH

>> IT'S AN EXPERIENCE. DUKE

HEALTH CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST

CAROLINE DORFMAN SAYS IS BOTH

UNIQUE TO AND EXTREMELY COMMON

AMONG YOUNG CANCER PATIENTS

THERE AT A TIME IN THEIR LIFE

WHEN THEY'RE TRYING TO BUILD

THEIR CAREERS, THEIR FAMILIES,

YOUNG PEOPLE DON'T NECESSARILY

HAVE THE SAME FINANCIAL

RESERVES. HAS SOMEBODY WHO IS

OLDER AND THAT CAN BE AND

SIGNIFICANT SOURCE OF STRESS.

ONE STUDY FOUND AMERICANS

DIAGNOSED WITH CANCER BEFORE

THEY WERE. 39 WORK 40% MORE

LIKELY TO HAVE DEPRESSION AND

20% MORE LIKELY TO HAVE ANXIETY

THAN THE GENERAL POPULATION

FUELED BY AN AGE FUNDS SINCE

2019 DORFMAN. AND THOSE WITH

THE DUKE TEEN AND YOUNG ADULT

ONCOLOGY PROGRAM HAVE BEEN

WORKING TO CHANGE THAT. WE

REALLY WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT

IF THEY'RE SURVIVING THEIR

SURVIVING IN A WAY THAT WE CAN

MAINTAIN THE QUALITY OF LIFE

MOVING FORWARD AND THAT REALLY

COMES WITH INTERVENING ON SOME

OF THE PSYCHOLOGICAL SYMPTOMS

EARLY BY CONNECTING PATIENTS

TO RESOURCES AND 2 OTHERS IN

SIMILAR SHOES. THE PROGRAM IS

HELPING PATIENTS LIKE BEEN BE

BETTER MANAGE THEIR NEW

REALITIES AND HELP ME TO

ACKNOWLEDGE MY BODY THAT WIND

THROUGH THIS SIGNIFICANT SERIES

OF EVENTS. AND NOW

UNDERSTANDING OKAY, WILL.

WHAT CAN I DO FOR MYSELF TO TO

WORK ON THESE THINGS IN WAKE

COUNTY? GREAT. HAVE A WRAL NEWS

JUST TRYING TO HAVE SOME SELF

CARE THERE IS IS REALLY SO

GREAT. THE PROGRAM HAS THE GOAL

OF ENROLLING 260 PEOPLE OVER

THE NEXT 4 YEARS IS HOPING TO

PEOPLE ACROSS THE STATE.

>> AND YOU DO NOT HAVE TO BE A

DUKE PATIENT TO GET INVOLVED.

WRAL DIVES DEEPER INTO STORIES

LIKE IRIS IS IN OUR DOCUMENTARY

DIAGNOSIS, YOUNG, THE NEW FACE

OF CANCER IN NORTH CAROLINA.

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