A common bond

Breast cancer survivors swim together and support one another

By Patty Rubin
The Portland Upside
April 2010

Photo by Steve Hambuchen, stevehambuchen.com

(Left to right) Pat McGee, Dorothy Burns, Mary Schifferdecker, Pauline Gieber, Eva Hahn, and Claudia Pfenning built close relationships beyond their weekly swim to stay healthy.

About ten years ago I met the group of ladies at Howard Hall pool in the locker room as they were dressing after their swim. I could tell there was something special about them; I just didn’t yet know what it was. They swim every Thursday morning from ten to eleven o’clock and then go out to lunch together. They are, if one considers age alone, what you would call senior citizens.

We struck up a conversation. One teased, in a Phyllis Diller sort of way, about her husband and his habit of cluttering up the garage with too many used golf clubs and carts. Another talked about how cold it was in the locker room as she shuffled off to get a warm shower.

The group that brought these ladies together is not really exclusive and it is one that any woman would prefer not to belong to... It is called Encore. Formed in Portland, Oregon, in 1981 by the late Virginia Schrunk and the late Mildred Perrin, Encore is a support group for women who’ve had breast cancer.

I looked forward to seeing the women every week and admired the positive way they savored each moment of their daily lives. The group consisted of Pat McGee, Dorothy Burns, Pauline Gieber, Eva Hahn, Mary Schifferdecker, and Claudia Pfenning. They began swimming at the YMCA pool until their lifeguard made an inquiry with the University of Portland for the private use of the Howard Hall pool.

Their purpose was not as much about swimming as about each other.

I had lunch with Pat, Pauline and Dorothy at their regular weekly haunt, the Fishwife on Lombard. As we sat together, I began to ask some questions meant to capture their stories and the horrors they felt about breast cancer. I wanted them to talk about themselves. But they kept going back to the same thing, their friendship and how much they meant to each other. Fear and pity were only present in my imagination. I put aside my questions and just listened.

Pauline, sweet and pensive, cute and quiet, was long retired from the Kaiser Pharmacy. At 88, she was the oldest of the group. Her breast cancer came in 1981. She now spends the afternoons quietly with her husband or watching TV. She doesn’t swim anymore, but shows up each week to support the others.

Pat, funny and interesting, outgoing and beautiful, is the youngest at 71 years old. She was diagnosed in 1980 and right from the start let her doctor know she wanted reconstructive surgery. This was not the norm for all women at that time. She learned to stick up for herself while working for the railroad.

“You didn’t get any information until the doctor said this is what you are going to do,” Pat said.

Dorothy, sensitive, lovely, charming and bright, is 82 years old. She lost her husband two years ago, and celebrates birthdays and holidays regularly now with her friends. Although Dorothy could not remember the exact year she was diagnosed with breast cancer, she figured it was probably 1986. The corners of her eyes filled with tears as she spoke about a member of their extended group whose cancer had returned.

Eva Hahn could not join her friends because she had recently had a stroke. She did, however, send her written reflection.

“Because each of us has had breast cancer, we understand what that means. So we have understanding. We are interested in each others lives and we depend on each other. We try to comfort each other when life deals us sorrow. We are grateful to have each other, and while we are not grateful for breast cancer, it has brought us together.”

_____

Five years have passed since I wrote this article and still the memories of the mornings at the pool will be with me forever. Pauline and Mary have passed away. Pat and Dorothy continued to swim until a few years ago when they could no longer get in and out of the pool. They keep active and see each other when they can.

On my last visit the glow of their joy for life still inspires me and reminds me of the beauty of the human spirit.

Patty Rubin grew up in Portland and attended the University of Portland. She has a son and a daughter. She taught English in middle school and now works at the University of Portland. She is working on a series of positive essays for a book.