Jeanne Dean - Bladder Cancer
As a longtime volunteer at M. D. Anderson, Jeanne Dean is used to seeing the face of cancer. When her own diagnosis for bladder cancer came in 1980, Jeanne never thought for a moment that she wouldn’t get through it. "Because of my volunteer work with cancer patients, I probably wasn’t as frightened by the news," she says. "I just prayed that I would handle it with dignity."
About the only time Jeanne’s courage ever wavered was the day she looked down at the bag she wears to replace her bladder, and realized she would have it for the rest of her life. "I cried, but then quickly got over it," she says. "You can put your head in a sack and retire from the world, but I like doing things too much."
She also says cancer has enriched her relationship with her husband. "He was so good to me in the hospital, taking care of all my needs. He must have been shocked by my appearance, but he never showed it," she says. "When someone supports you like that, I think you try a little harder."