"Most definitely, the love and support I've received has been a blessing," DeCosmis said. "There are so many people out there who care."
In February of 2005, DeCosmis went for a doctor's visit that changed her life forever.
"For a month or so, I had some discomfort and pain under my arm," DeCosmis said. "So I went to get it examined and they found out that I had aggressive Stage 3 breast cancer that had spread to the lymph nodes."
At that moment, the lifelong Weehawken resident knew what her cause of action was going to be.
"I knew I didn't want to die," said DeCosmis, who was 31 at the time of her diagnosis. "That was the first thing I thought about. The doctor told me that he had bad news and good news. Of course, the bad news was that I had cancer. The good news was he said that I could beat it and that he was going to take care of it. I never met anyone more afraid of dying than me. No one in our family had a history of breast cancer. I wasn't a smoker. But I had cancer and I was determined to beat it. I might have cried the first hour on the way home, but after that first hour, I decided from that point forward, the game was on and I was going to win."
The doctors at Hackensack University Medical Center all told DeCosmis that she would recover.
"And I believed them," DeCosmis said. "I asked no questions and did what I was told."
Beating cancer
DeCosmis went through chemotherapy treatments, then had surgery called a bilateral mastectomy, followed by breast reconstruction.
"Ten hours of surgery and the cancer was gone," DeCosmis said. "Radiation treatment followed, along with 12 months of preventive treatment called herceptin."
Although DeCosmis did lose her hair - "It was down past my shoulders at the time," she said - she never lost her spirit or her drive.
"It all went by pretty fast and I handled it pretty well," DeCosmis said. "I don't have horror stories to tell. It wasn't as scary or as tiring as I thought it would be. It was definitely doable. Sure, it was tough losing my hair and the treatments were time consuming, but I was determined to beat it. Losing wasn't an option for me. Maybe it was a little nerve wracking at first, but it really think I did fine."
In July of 2006, DeCosmis had her last cancer treatment. She is now totally cancer free and a cancer survivor, like her mother who beat colon cancer.
"It was all a time for growing and learning about myself," DeCosmis said. "I also learned how important the decisions we make about ourselves and our health and happiness really are."
Giving back
After it was determined that DeCosmis was cancer-free, she turned her attentions toward giving back to the people who helped her at her most trying moments. With the help of two Weehawken businesses, DeCosmis organized the "Strength in Numbers" charity benefit, which will take place throughout October, in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
First, her friends and neighbors, Kim and Keith Black, the owners of Vigneto Wine and Spirits on Park Avenue, will host a wine tasting seminar today (Sunday, Oct. 21) at their business on at Vigneto, with tasters being asked to give a $20 donations to the Hackensack University Medical Center's Cancer Center.
"Wine in the Garden" at Vigneto begins at 7 p.m.
Then, next Monday night, Oct. 29, the second annual "Strength in Numbers" fundraising dinner will be held at Paula's at Rigoletto, also on Park Avenue. Participants will get a full seven-course meal, with Vigneto providing the wine for the dinner.
The cost of the dinner is $60, with half of the sales going to the HUMC's Cancer Center.
"Because it is a first-come, first-served event, we're hoping that people make their reservations ahead of time," DeCosmis said.
There will be plenty of gifts to be raffled off during the dinner.
Paula Frazier, the owner of Paula's at Rigoletto, was overjoyed to help the cause once again.
"I lost a family member, my husband's sister, to breast cancer," Frazier said. "So anything having to do with breast cancer research always has a special place in my heart. Doreen is a good friend and neighbor. I thought it was a great idea and a no-brainer for us. It's such a touching story of how she beat cancer. When she came to me and asked, I had to do it. I'm proud that she came to me and asked me to get involved. It's the community helping the community and people helping people."
DeCosmis also organized the first annual Strength in Numbers Masquerade benefit, which was scheduled to be held on Saturday, Oct. 20 at Feel Good Restaurant and Lounge in Secaucus. All of the proceeds of that fundraiser will go to the HUMC Cancer Center.
"I figured it was a way to bring the community together, that there is strength in numbers, that the effort can be more powerful," DeCosmis said. "It's just my way of saying thank you to Hackensack University Medical Center for the tremendous things they do for people, including me."
DeCosmis said that there has been a good response since she started organizing the events. Last year, she raised a little more than $5,000 with her fundraising efforts.
"We have higher goals and aspirations this year," DeCosmis said. "We have a lot more going on. Paula's been great to do the dinner again and Kim Black is a great friend who is always willing to help. The feedback and the support have been tremendous. A lot of people are excited about it. A lot of people are interested. I'm happy with the response."
There will be donation envelopes provided at both Vigneto and Paula's at Rigoletto all month if anyone wants to make a donation.
To read more on Hackensack University Medical Center, please visit www.humc.com and click on THE CANCER CENTER. For more information about the fundraising events, log onto www.myspace.com\2007strengthinnumbers or feel free to contact S.I.N. directly @ ddecosmis@yahoo.com or call S.I.N. at (201) 430-9555.
Jim Hague can be reached via e-mail at either OGSMAR@aol.com or jhague@hudsonreporter.com
Post a Comment