Gratitude Stories – Diane
Newport Hospital’s reputation for delivering exceptional patient experiences is well known. Diane Daddario-Pfautz, who receives ongoing treatment through the Brown University Health Cancer Institute at Newport Hospital, is but one example of how grateful patients are expertly and compassionately cared for at the hospital.
“The caregivers at Newport Hospital are personable and address all of your questions and concerns,” Diane says. “They treat you more like a friend than a patient and the environment is very warm and intimate.”
That level of comfort and confidence, Diane adds, has made a positive impact on her health and well-being—and inspired her to give back to the hospital.
A long road
Diane was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1995. It was discovered on a mammogram and she underwent a lumpectomy at a Connecticut hospital to remove her tumor. Chemotherapy and radiation followed. Treatment was successful, and Diane was able to resume her active lifestyle for many years thereafter.
But in 2014, Diane, now living in Newport, began experiencing debilitating back pain. She went for a diagnostic scan at Newport Hospital, which revealed multiple tumors in her spine. Diane was sent to Rhode Island Hospital to undergo precisely targeted, high-dose radiation treatments delivered via CyberKnife, a robotic radiosurgery system. From that point to the present, Diane’s cancer care has been managed under the watchful eye of Newport Hospital staff. “I’ve been stable for over 10 years,” she says proudly.
For the past few years, Diane’s regimen at the Cancer Institute has included estrogen-blocker injections once a month, lab work and bone-building infusion therapy every three months, and a full-body scan every six months.
Reiki to the rescue
Diane was introduced to Reiki, a Japanese technique for stress reduction and relaxation, shortly after she was first diagnosed with cancer. The hospital she received treatment at would offer patients the complementary, hands-on energy therapy after chemo or radiation as a way as to reduce side effects and boost their immune system. Diane found the therapy so profoundly beneficial that she became a practitioner and earned certification as a Reiki master. Pre-COVID, Diane began volunteering at Newport Hospital and performing Reiki on other cancer patients, a practice she’s returned to in recent years.
Reflecting on her healthcare journey, Diane says, “We’re really lucky to have that wonderful hospital right here in our community. You don’t have to go up to Boston. You’re going to get the same care here and it’s so close. It’s like my home away from home.”