Fa'asegi Luisa Te'o Caldwell

My name is Faasegi Luisa Te’o Caldwell. I am a Cancer Survivor and this is my story.

On October 28, 2003, I went in to the Breast and Cervical Screening Clinic to check on a lump I found in my right breast during my monthly self breast exam. Tele Hill, RN confirmed that I did have a lump and started the ball rolling by scheduling an appointment with Dr. Tofaeono Victor Williams.

In November 2003, Dr. Tofaeono performed an ultrasound and found that the lump in my breast needed some attention. So we scheduled a biopsy for early December, 2003. The biopsy tissues were sent to Hawaii for testing, and the results were received within three weeks. Dr. Tofaeono called me to come in. At that time, my sister Ailota Nesheim, was here from Hawaii so I called her to go with me to see Dr. Tofaeono regarding my biopsy results. I was so scared, but my sister kept saying that it was going to be okay. I asked my Mom to remember me during her prayers that week, and even told my Minister - Rev. Alapi Eti about my tests, and to please pray for me. My mother fasted every Friday from the time I started going in for my tests, and always and prayed for me.

I said a silent prayer on our way to the hospital that day, “Lord please help me, Lord please forgive me, and Lord please heal me.” We entered Dr. Tofaeono’s room at the Surgical Clinic, and when he looked at me, I knew that he knew that I was very scared. He said, “I got your biopsy results back and the lump is benign.” At that moment, it felt like a heavy load on my shoulders had dropped. I was ecstatic! I hugged my sister, and was almost in tears. Again, I said my silent prayer, “Thank you, Lord.”

Dr. Tofaeono suggested that I consider removing the lump soon. I said, “Schedule me for the removal!” And on December, 2003 just before Christmas, I checked myself in for the removal of this lump in my right breast. I went in overnight, had the operation the next day, and discharged that afternoon. I went home without talking to my Doctor about my operation, but was given an appointment to see him within a week. When I went back for my appointment, Dr. Tofaeono said that he was not very happy with my operation. He said that it didn’t look good, and he had sent the lump he removed to Hawaii for testing.

The results came back in January 2004. Dr. Tofaeono called me to come in, but I didn’t take anyone with me this time because I wasn’t expecting any bad news. As I entered his office I knew immediately by looking at him that he had bad news. He said that the results were in and I had cancer. I felt like my whole world had just collapsed around me. It wasn’t long ago that I lost my late husband because of this terrible disease. He had colon cancer, and here I was with the same disease. I flashed back to the times when my husband was very sick and the pain he had had to endure. He passed away on August 3, 2001. I was determined not to go through this again.

Dr. Tofaeono suggested that we have another operation to remove the tissues surrounding the lump, and remove some of my lymph nodes to keep the cancer from spreading to other parts of my body. And on February 2, 2004 I underwent a right lumpectomy and axillary’s dissection. This again sent to Honolulu for testing and the results were very promising. The cancer had not spread, and that’s when I found out the ‘Stage’ of my cancer. I was in Stage IIA, and my cancer was called Infiltrating Duct Carcinoma (T-174). The next step was to undergo radiation treatment and/or chemotherapy.

My case was presented to the Off-island Referral Board, who approved my treatment in Auckland, New Zealand. I had three weeks to get my affairs in order before my departure. It was a very hectic three weeks because I worked full time for Fletcher Construction. I had to train someone to takeover my job while I was away, and find someone to take care of my 8 dogs. My main concern was my Doberman name Shogun. Every time I leave him, my Shogun stops eating. I have to call him up and talk to him over the phone so he knows, that I know, that he’s not eating. I knew that he would be okay for a week, and I have to go through the same routine daily to make sure he survived my being away. I knew that I would miss and worry about my eight dogs at home.

On Friday, February 27, 2004 I flew to New Zealand and was met at the airport by Janet Dougherty of NUAZ Limited, who handled all of the referral patients from LBJ Hospital. She was very sweet and always helpful. She had already set up an appointment for me with both a Surgical Doctor and an Oncologist for the following day. Both Doctors recommended that I start radiation therapy immediately. So Janet started working to secure an appointment with the Auckland Hospital for radiation.

The Auckland Hospital had a backlog about mile long, and the earliest I could get in was around June. She checked with Australia and they said that I could get in around May. By some miracle Janet managed to secure a slot for me at the Mid-Central Health Center at Palmerston North. Palmerston North is about an hour’s air-flight from Auckland.

On Wednesday, March 24, 2004 I attended my first consultation with a Radiation Oncologist, Dir. Nick Nedev, to begin planning my radiation therapy which included a simulation and CT scan. On Wednesday, April 7, 2004 I received my CT scan and mark-up. A mark-up is a tattoo placed on the body so that the Radiation machine knows what areas to focus the on. The actual treatment started the following day. My treatment was scheduled Monday through Friday for 10 minutes a day, for 6 weeks.

I stayed right across the street from the hospital at a motel called A’abode Motor Lodge which was about 3 years old and very nice. They had everything including a Labrador name Jessie. Jessie was not allowed to go into any of the rooms, except my room. She liked my room because I fed her leftovers, which I wasn’t supposed to do, but she reminded me of my dogs at home. I didn’t feel any pain from the radiation treatment until the last week when I started to develop blisters on the treatment site. Fatigue was another side effect.

The discharge nurse gave me all of the medications to take care of this, and on May 21^st I completed the last day of my treatment. I was so relieved that it was over without any major problems. All of the Nurses and the Doctors who were involved with my treatment came to say good-bye and wish me luck. Since I was their first referral case from American Samoa, they kept asking me if I was happy with my treatment, and whether I was satisfied with the service. I gave each Nurse and Doctor a bottle of wine, a box of chocolate, and a big bundt cake for their tea. (New Zealanders are big about tea.) I was very satisfied with everything they did for me. It was even harder to say goodbye to Jessie, who had been my companion in such a far away place.

During the six weeks I was in Palmerston North, my family was very supportive. I would get a phone call from my sister, Faimafili Te’o Monaghan, from Maine every week, and she even sent three boxes full of warm clothes. My other sister, Ailota Te’o Nesheim, house-sat for me in Pago, and she also sent me care packages of Downy, shampoo, and everything she knew I might need. My mother, Luisa Te’o, was always in tears as she encouraged me to be brave. My kids called to cheer me up all the time. And my in-laws, Bob and Sheila Caldwell in Takapuna, Auckland sent me soups and get well cards, along with a phone call every week to see how I was doing.

The owner of the Motor Lodge couldn’t believe the amount of calls and mail I got every week. I was very blessed with having the encouragement of my family and friends during this very hard time in my life. I couldn’t wait to get home! After I got discharged, I flew from Palmerston North, to Apia and straight to Pago on the same day. I had a clean bill of health from my Doctors, and my follow-ups, which are done at our local hospital by my dear Dr. Tofaeono Victor Williams, have so far been good.