Page 7 - HNW Spring Magazine 2024

about everything. I felt like, What’s going on? second opinion. “I remember Dr. Park said to me,
I was aggressive. I thought I took care of it.” ‘We can treat you for the medical condition but
So when her family member, Dan Devine, everyone forgets about the emotional part of
offered to connect Gina with a resource he had cancer.’ And he is so right. I can be getting the
through his business connections for a second right treatment, but if my thinking is full of doubt
opinion, Gina said yes immediately. and fear then that’s not healthy either. I think
“I had never really thought about getting if I had stayed with my original doctor I wouldn’t
a second opinion. I was really going through have had as much peace as I do with Dr. Park.
a hard emotional time. But when Dan made Dr. Park gives me hope and peace of mind—and
the offer, I thought, I have nothing to lose.” in this kind of situation, that’s everything.” ✦
Healthnetwork medical coordinator Jennifer
Donnellan connected Gina with Dr. Ben Ho
Park, MD, PhD, who is the director of the
Ingram Cancer Center at Vanderbilt University
Medical Center and a Healthnetwork Service
Excellence Award winner.
“Dr. Park is a gem!” says Gina. “You can
Gina Santel appreciates the tremendous support she received during her cancer tell by the questions he asks and the advice
journey from her husband, kids, and the “extended family” of her kids’ spouses. he gives that he is a scientist. He’s always
Pictured from left to right: Brittany and Cody Santel; Gina and Tim Santel; thinking and giving me stats. I can tell he is
Shelby and Joey Devine. always educating himself and keeping up
on the latest research and treatments. He’s
not just putting everyone in the same bucket.
Another Lump, “I moved on with my life. I thought that was it.” My other doctors were good. I don’t want to
But then a month after her final surgery,
imply that I had doubts about them. But it
A Second Opinion she felt a little lump. She had it checked was a scary time, and Dr. Park gave me peace
immediately and everyone who examined her
of mind. He was on it. He had a plan and he
and reviewed her scans agreed that it was was confident.” I’m a fixer.
It was every woman’s worst nightmare—times two. likely a stitch left over from the surgery. It
Gina Santel thought she was done with breast would dissolve in time. Nothing to worry Peace of Mind I hate to see anyone suffer. I’m a fixer.
cancer. She’d made an aggressive treatment about. Gina recalls her oncologist telling her Gina is hopeful her cancer journey is soon to I like to fix problems. When you have
choice: a double mastectomy. She thought that there was “less than a three percent be in the rearview mirror, for good this time. a big problem, you go to the best person
it was all behind her, and her doctors agreed. chance of that cancer happening again.” She weathered her radiation fairly well, and to solve it. Fortunately neither my wife
“There’s less than a three percent chance of But the lump bothered Gina. After all she’d now she is taking an estrogen blocker and or I have had to use Healthnetwork for
that happening again,” her oncologist told her. been through, she didn’t want to take any undergoing infusions to help strengthen her ourselves, but I’m more than happy to
Then, Gina found a lump. chances. Her breast cancer surgeon asked if bones. She will continue to be monitored donate. I know it costs money for them
she wanted to do one more scan—it was and see Dr. Park every six months. She switched to do what they’re doing. And having
them as a resource is meaningful.
G ina Santel was diagnosed with completely up to Gina. “Yes, let’s do one more,” to a breast cancer surgeon at Vanderbilt who We have a large family, and I find great
breast cancer in 2020 right
she said.
works with Dr. Park. “My breast surgeon talks
value in being able to refer people to
The lump was not a stitch. Gina was the
when Covid hit. “It was crickets
in the hospital on surgery day,” three percent. to Dr. Park and they work as a team. We’re all Healthnetwork. Being able to facilitate
on the same page,” she says.
the possibility of someone to get the
she remembers. Her tumor was very small “I feel like I’m getting the best of the best care they need in an expeditious manner—
and the cancer was stage one. In consultation Here We Go Again of care,” she says. “When you’re facing cancer, I feel really good about that.
with her physicians and family, Gina chose an This time the protocol would be radiation, you can’t ask for anyone better than Dr. Park.
aggressive battle plan: a double mastectomy, followed by more surgery. Gina liked her He’s the guy you want in your corner.” DANIEL J. DEVINE
followed by reconstruction surgeries. She oncologist and trusted him. “But when you Gina has wondered how things might have Healthnetwork GOLD Supporter
wanted to hit it hard, get rid of it, and never get diagnosed for a second time you start played out differently if she had not been
look back. having doubts. You just start getting scared connected with Healthnetwork to arrange a

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