The first Filipino Cancer Network of America-Metropolitan Houston (FCNA-MH) Annual Cancer Symposium was held on Saturday, November 13, 2010 at the Metro Bank Community Center on Bellaire Blvd., Houston Texas from 1:00-4:00 PM. It was an attempt to educate the Filipino community on the many ramifications of Cancer not only to the Cancer patient but also to the families, caregivers and the community.
Chona Sano, RN, BSN , her daughtewr and Dulce Bayot, RN, BSN were at hand for the registration of participants while Ampy displayed her many beautiful crocheted shawls, bonnets, ponchos and decorative towels at a table for fund-raising to benefit FCNA-MH. There were also T-shirts, tote bags, license plates, caps and visors for sale. Some of our very dedicated Facilitators were there to lend a helping hand to set up the venue and just there for support like Luz Reyes, RN, BSN, who is the FCNA-MH Treasurer and works at SLEH as 1st Assistant in Cardiovascular Surgery , Nora Peralta, RN, MSN , Rosnela Hardesty, RN, BSN , Gina Shankar, RN, BSN, Bernadette Pammit, RN, BSN and husbands like Fred de la Paz, Toto Mauricio and Robert Medrano were also there helping out.
Cherry Sloan-Medrano, Coordinator, welcomed everyone and thanked everyone for spending the evening with the group. Zenny Pancho, RN, a retired Nurse Educator from Texas Woman’s University and one of our FCNA-MH Lead Facilitators delivered a very spiritual reflection before the attendants. Arlita Pang,RN, one of our Lead FCNA-MH Facilitators was the ever vibrant Emcee. She briefly introduced the presenters for the evening symposium.
Six seasoned speakers were invited to present various topics. Dr. Alex Wong, a Medical Oncologist who has his private Oncology practice in Sugar Land and a graduate of UST College of Medicine was the first speaker. He spoke very thoroughly and eloquently on the most common sequelae or after-effects of Cancer and Cancer treatment such as pain, fatigue, nausea/vomiting, anxiety/depression, alopecia or hair loss, anorexia or loss of appetite, sexual implications and other psychosocial effects of Cancer and treatment. He was followed by Riza Mauricio, RN, CCRN, a Certified Pediatric Nurse Practitioner who works at MD Anderson, Pediatric ICU and Co-Coordinator of FCNA-MH, followed Dr. Wong w/ her descriptive discussion of many interesting case studies of her young patients at MD Anderson. She spoke how a nurse would deal and care for the children and young adults with Cancer. It is not an easy task according to Ms. Mauricio, sometimes heartbreaking but could be done and is very rewarding.
Sheilah Bofil, RN, MSN , who works also at MD Anderson in the Quality Dept. delivered a very organized way of caring for an adult cancer patient utilizing all the resources to effectuate quality and continuum of care. She provided the audience with information regarding community resources and web sites for various Cancer sites. After a short break, with plenty of snacks, the group re-convened with Ampy de la Paz, RN, MSN one of FCNA-MH Advisers and a long time Cancer Survivor spoke on touching personal experience and journey as a cancer survivor. She discussed how she coped with her diagnosis and how others may have a different reaction to their diagnoses. She also spoke on the personal and professional implications of her Cancer diagnosis, how it affected her and her family, her Nursing profession and how she coped.
Tony Fernandez, MSW, who is a Social Worker and Director of a couple facilities in the Houston area dealt with the psychosocial implications of a Cancer Diagnosis. He personally narrated his experience having a mother who was diagnosed with Cancer and his sister who was positive for the genes of the specific inherited Cancer. He spoke on the psychosocial effects of cancer to the individual with the diagnosis and with the families and caregivers.
Finally, Emilie Ramos, RN, BSN, who works at St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital and the wife of a Cancer Survivor willingly, recounted the difficult Cancer journey of her husband and her family in dealing with a Cancer diagnosis for almost three years now. Luckily, she stated that her husband is willing to fight the diagnosis with his very positive attitude, very willing to participate in Clinical trials at MD Anderson. She spoke on how her whole family was affected from the very beginning and how they are effectively coping to this day.
The participants were encouraged to ask questions in an open forum. Some families of Cancer patients and group members who are now deceased attended the symposium. It was not a huge crowd for this first symposium but we are hoping that the word will spread like wild fire that the FCNA-MH is here to help the community, the families and individuals cope with Cancer. We are here hand in hand to educate, to navigate, to advocate and assist in caring for our brothers and sisters affected with the dreaded Big C.
Together, we will care for each other! Most of our Facilitators are experienced nurses and a lot more with Oncology experience, working at MD Anderson and other hospitals. We hope that many more will participate and join this worthwhile organization for all our good.
Please go to our web site to get to know more of our organization: www.fcna-mh.org
Cherry Sloan-Medrano, RN, BSN, CCM, BC. OCN
FCNA-MH Coordinator
Chona Sano, RN, BSN , her daughtewr and Dulce Bayot, RN, BSN were at hand for the registration of participants while Ampy displayed her many beautiful crocheted shawls, bonnets, ponchos and decorative towels at a table for fund-raising to benefit FCNA-MH. There were also T-shirts, tote bags, license plates, caps and visors for sale. Some of our very dedicated Facilitators were there to lend a helping hand to set up the venue and just there for support like Luz Reyes, RN, BSN, who is the FCNA-MH Treasurer and works at SLEH as 1st Assistant in Cardiovascular Surgery , Nora Peralta, RN, MSN , Rosnela Hardesty, RN, BSN , Gina Shankar, RN, BSN, Bernadette Pammit, RN, BSN and husbands like Fred de la Paz, Toto Mauricio and Robert Medrano were also there helping out.
Cherry Sloan-Medrano, Coordinator, welcomed everyone and thanked everyone for spending the evening with the group. Zenny Pancho, RN, a retired Nurse Educator from Texas Woman’s University and one of our FCNA-MH Lead Facilitators delivered a very spiritual reflection before the attendants. Arlita Pang,RN, one of our Lead FCNA-MH Facilitators was the ever vibrant Emcee. She briefly introduced the presenters for the evening symposium.
Six seasoned speakers were invited to present various topics. Dr. Alex Wong, a Medical Oncologist who has his private Oncology practice in Sugar Land and a graduate of UST College of Medicine was the first speaker. He spoke very thoroughly and eloquently on the most common sequelae or after-effects of Cancer and Cancer treatment such as pain, fatigue, nausea/vomiting, anxiety/depression, alopecia or hair loss, anorexia or loss of appetite, sexual implications and other psychosocial effects of Cancer and treatment. He was followed by Riza Mauricio, RN, CCRN, a Certified Pediatric Nurse Practitioner who works at MD Anderson, Pediatric ICU and Co-Coordinator of FCNA-MH, followed Dr. Wong w/ her descriptive discussion of many interesting case studies of her young patients at MD Anderson. She spoke how a nurse would deal and care for the children and young adults with Cancer. It is not an easy task according to Ms. Mauricio, sometimes heartbreaking but could be done and is very rewarding.
Sheilah Bofil, RN, MSN , who works also at MD Anderson in the Quality Dept. delivered a very organized way of caring for an adult cancer patient utilizing all the resources to effectuate quality and continuum of care. She provided the audience with information regarding community resources and web sites for various Cancer sites. After a short break, with plenty of snacks, the group re-convened with Ampy de la Paz, RN, MSN one of FCNA-MH Advisers and a long time Cancer Survivor spoke on touching personal experience and journey as a cancer survivor. She discussed how she coped with her diagnosis and how others may have a different reaction to their diagnoses. She also spoke on the personal and professional implications of her Cancer diagnosis, how it affected her and her family, her Nursing profession and how she coped.
Tony Fernandez, MSW, who is a Social Worker and Director of a couple facilities in the Houston area dealt with the psychosocial implications of a Cancer Diagnosis. He personally narrated his experience having a mother who was diagnosed with Cancer and his sister who was positive for the genes of the specific inherited Cancer. He spoke on the psychosocial effects of cancer to the individual with the diagnosis and with the families and caregivers.
Finally, Emilie Ramos, RN, BSN, who works at St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital and the wife of a Cancer Survivor willingly, recounted the difficult Cancer journey of her husband and her family in dealing with a Cancer diagnosis for almost three years now. Luckily, she stated that her husband is willing to fight the diagnosis with his very positive attitude, very willing to participate in Clinical trials at MD Anderson. She spoke on how her whole family was affected from the very beginning and how they are effectively coping to this day.
The participants were encouraged to ask questions in an open forum. Some families of Cancer patients and group members who are now deceased attended the symposium. It was not a huge crowd for this first symposium but we are hoping that the word will spread like wild fire that the FCNA-MH is here to help the community, the families and individuals cope with Cancer. We are here hand in hand to educate, to navigate, to advocate and assist in caring for our brothers and sisters affected with the dreaded Big C.
Together, we will care for each other! Most of our Facilitators are experienced nurses and a lot more with Oncology experience, working at MD Anderson and other hospitals. We hope that many more will participate and join this worthwhile organization for all our good.
Please go to our web site to get to know more of our organization: www.fcna-mh.org
Cherry Sloan-Medrano, RN, BSN, CCM, BC. OCN
FCNA-MH Coordinator
