A PARTICIPANT PROFILE
ROYCE BAUDER"Without The Wellness Community, so many of us would be fighting a solo battle instead of knowing thatwe have someone at our backs."Royce Bauder describes herself as “basically a private person but also a fierce fighter, not only for myself but for the underdog.” Her determined battle with pancreatic cancer only enhanced these qualities, and Royce has become an even stronger advocate for those forging their own battle.
Born in Springfield, Missouri, Royce aspired to be an actress and worked on the stage, in radio and on TV. After a divorce, she needed to support herself and her daughter. Soon after finding a job, her employer, William Price retired. Royce moved to Los Angeles, but Mr. Price called her back to Phoenix, and she worked for him for nearly 58 years, until his death in 2008.
In February 2003, Royce was diagnosed with a rare form of pancreatic cancer called neuroendrocrine carcinoma. “The 7.5 centimeter tumor was wrapped around an aorta,” Royce recalls. “They couldn’t find a surgeon in Phoenix to operate but we finally found one at the University of Southern California. In June 2003, Royce underwent a two-day, 21-hour procedure. They removed the tumor, her gall bladder, the entire small intestine and some of the head of the pancreas. “They took a lot of stuff I would have rather kept,” says Royce with a grin. Although the cancer was gone, it returned in 2006 as a lesion in her liver and thorax. Royce had a successful radial ablation on her liver, and is still trying to find a solution for her thorax problem.
Some time after surgery, a friend of Royce’s shared that his wife was involved with The Wellness Community (TWC). I resisted coming to a support group but I eventually did and was pleasantly surprised to find a whole battalion of fighters, just like me. It was also my good fortune to meet Kay Kays, a four-time pancreatic survivor and TWC participant/advocate. She’s definitely my mentor and champion.”
Royce, who lives with Maestro, her “lifesaver cat,” enjoys the tai chi classes at TWC.
“So many of us would be fighting a solo battle instead of knowing that we have someone at our backs. I live by the motto, ‘If you want something, go for it,’ and at The Wellness Community they give you immeasurable opportunities to do just that.”