Candace Mattson, left, a registered dietitian with UP Health System-Marquette, talks with Amanda Bloxton-Kippola, of Ishpeming, of her son, Maxwell Bloxton, 7, about healthy meal choices during Cancer Survivors Day 2017 last Tuesday at the Presque Isle Pavilion. Cancer patients, survivors and others gathered to share a dinner, with local health agencies providing information at booths. (Journal photo by Christie Bleck)

MARQUETTE — Cancer Survivors Day 2017 was a mix of talking about past cancer experiences and learning healthy ways of avoiding the disease.

UP Health System-Marquette and the Superior Health Foundation hosted Cancer Survivors Day last Tuesday at the Presque Isle Pavilion.

Cancer patients, survivors, family members and caregivers gathered for a healthy meal and a chance to win prizes after visiting the information booths from various health agencies.

Talking with visitors about how they can cut down on the risk of getting cancer were representatives from the American Cancer Society, the Livestrong program at the YMCA of Marquette County, UP Rehab, UPHS-Marquette Nutrition and Wellness, Cancer Care of Marquette County and the SHP.

Candace Mattson, a registered dietitian in nutrition and wellness/diabetes education at UPHS, was surrounded in her booth by a variety of artificial foods like spaghetti and meatballs, a hamburger and a slice of cantaloupe.

The fake foods had a purpose: teaching people the healthiest items to include in their real meals.

Visitors to her booth had to choose foods for their customized plates.

“Once they design their plate, I kind of go off of what a typical American diet looks like,” Mattson said.

That typical plate, she noted, is a slab of meat, starch and a few vegetables, although she acknowledged that most people who designed plates were fairly close to make proper choices; nobody picked the pizza.

However, there still was room for a little culinary education.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s My Plate method, on the other hand, urges a plate consisting of one-half fruits and vegetables, one-quarter protein and one-quarter starch.

The American Institute for Cancer Research takes it a step further, Mattson said.

“To help prevent cancer, you want to do two-thirds of a plate being plant-based sources, and then a third of the plate being from animals,” Mattson said, with that third being meat, dairy or fish.

Amanda Bloxton-Kippola, of Ishpeming, visited the booth with her son, Maxwell Bloxton, 7. Their household already is making an effort to include protein in its diet.

“She makes us eat fish every day,” said Maxwell, whose favorite fish is northern pike.

Lynn Bartanen, patient care coordinator with Cancer Care of Marquette County, talked about her organization.

The organization helps patients with things like co-pays, deductibles and travel expenses — things that detract from the main issue at hand: dealing with the disease itself.

The volunteer organization helps people in Marquette County who have cancer, she said.

That means no exorbitant salaries for executives.

“Ninety-eight percent of our money goes back to help patients,” Bartanen said.

Cancer Survivors Day provided a means for people to learn about dealing with and avoiding the disease, but it also was a place for people with that unfortunate common interest to reflect on their experiences.

Bruce DesJardins, of Marquette, had been a caregiver for three people who died from cancer, all close to him: his wife, his father-in-law and mother. They also died in relatively close succession — about 14 months of each other.

“I did everything I could,” said DesJardins, who noted he’s just now able to get out and about in the community, although he attends every Cancer Survivors Day.

That “everything” involved support from hospice care.

Hospice is geared toward people in the final stages of a terminal illness, which, of course, draws in patients’ loved ones.

“It’s hard to see them fail,” DesJardins said.

He retired early from his position sterilizing surgical tools at the former Marquette General Hospital, now UPHS, to be a better caregiver.

DesJardins had one piece of advice for people looking after loved ones suffering from cancer.

“I’m just glad I had the quality time with them in their last days,” he said.

Christie Bleck can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 250. Her email address is cbleck@miningjournal.net.