Instructor fights cancerous silence
BY MERARI CALDERON RUIZ
Nowadays, it’s common for people to have a long-term
illness or a disability, yet some people still struggle to
start a conversation over these issues.
Brenda Marks is an instructor at Clackamas Community
College in the skills development department. She was
diagnosed with breast cancer in October 2016. She taught
through week five of fall term and has been on medical
leave since then.
" It was really fa st from gettin g diagnosed to
treatment/’ said Marks.
Within 10 days of having her first mammogram and
being diagnosed, her breast surgeon had scheduled 16
appointments.
“ People struggle In different
ways. Mine happens to be
breast cancer diagnosis, bu t I
think people have a lo t more
similarities than they do
differences.”
-B re n d a Marks
On Wednesday, March 1, Marks will have her last
treatment for breast cancer.
There were several people that were very supportive
of Marks from the start, including family, friends and
colleagues. They have gone from taking her out to eat, to
visiting her at the hospital, to walking her dog. Although,
she noticed that there were other people who didn’t
talk to her at all.
She went to a class called Look Good Feel Better, where
they teach cancer patients how to put on makeup and
feel more confident.
"I went there and I’m like, it’ s really weird who I
haven’t heard from and they said, ‘Well a lot of people
don’t know how to talk to someone with cancer,” ’ said
Marks. "1 have not changed as a person. I am still on
the inside, though besides from a few spots of cancer
maybe, I’m the same person that I was last week, so
what, I don’t understand. They said, ‘Well some people
just can’t deal with it.’ ”
The same thing could be said of people with any type
of disability. Laura Erickson is a student at CCC, and
she said that she doesn’t mind if people ask her about
her disability.
When talking to people with a disability, Erickson
said, “ Try to be tactful, but sometimes it doesn’t always
happen, just try to be polite and think of their feelings. I,
personally, am not sensitive about my disability because
I was taught to advocate at a young age.”
Approaching anyone w ith a lo n g-term illness or
photos contributed by Brenda Marks
disability is not a complicated task. If someone wants
to bring it up in a conversation and doesn’t know how
to go about it, there are different strategies to use.
Ignacio Gonzalez is a counselor at CCC and has talked
to several students with an illness or disability.
“ One m ight consider to ask questions based on
objective observations,” said Gonzalez. “ For example,
if a student is missing from class, the next time you see
them you can say, ‘I am worried that you haven’t been
in class, is there anything I can do to help?’ By doing
so, you encourage people to talk about whatever that
reason might be.’.’
Som etim es, it can be helpful to offer someone
assistance, and it can be a really good bridge to illicit
conversation from other people. Meanwhile, people
can choose to share their information or stay private.
However, if for some reason, people still struggle to
start a conversation, there is an even simpler solution.
Just start by saying “ h i.”
“ People struggle in different ways,” said Marks. “ Mine
happens to be breast cancer diagnosis, but I think people
have a lot more similarities than they do differences.
It’s just part of humanity to care about somebody and
what their struggle is. If they’re willing to talk with you
about it or not, it’s on them, but to be caring about them
is to be hum an.”
According to Gonzalez, the college can be a really easy
environment to engage people in conversation, as long
as we focus on our commonalities.
Marks is scheduled to be on sabbatical next year and
she plans on writing a book for the study skills class
so that students can have a low cost textbook option.
Above: Jim Martineau, athletic director and head
coach of the women’s basketball team, hold an event
on Feb. 11 to support Brenda Marks.
Below: Brenda Marks has treatment at the hospital
for breast cancer on Feb. 1.
Clackamas Print MARCH 1,2017 thedackamasprint.com 5