Barbara Walvoord is founder and now co-owner of Speech and Language Rehabilitation Services, Ltd. and cofounder of the Cancer Center for Healthy Living, where she is president of the board of directors. She was raised in Minnesota, and received her bachelor’s degree in psychology and master’s degree in speck pathology from Northwestern University. Walvoord was employed first by Northwestern University as an instructor in speech pathology, therapy supervision and teaching, and in 1968 became supervisor of hearing technician training at Bradley University. She later worked at Zeller Zone Center, then for the Peoria Public Schools system in several capacities. She’s a member of the American Speech/Language & Hearing Association and the Illinois Speech and Hearing Association. She’s been president of the Peoria Speech and hearing Association (PASHA) and the Illinois Academy of Audiologists and Speech Pathologists in Private Practice. In May 1990 she received Honors of the Association form PASHA, the highest honor given to a member. Additionally, she is a club sponsor and advisor for the New Voice Club of Peoria. Walvoord has presented many workshops, seminars, lectures and talks to the local, state and national groups and organizations. Presentation topics include stuttering, laryngectomy, hearing impairment, sign language, voice disorders, and private practice. She’s also presented in-services for residents, nurses ad staff in hospitals and nursing homes, and to support groups fro head injury, hearing-impaired children and adults, stroke victims and laryngectomy survivors. Further, she has taught sign language and cued speech for families and health care personnel. Walvoord has also volunteered with the Race for the Cure since its inception. Additionally, she chaired the volunteer committee for the first Susan G. Komen Memorial Chapter LPGA golf event, and is currently the membership chairman for the Susan G. Komen Memorial Chapter.
Tell us about your family background. Are you a native Peorian? If not, how did you happen to settle here?
I was born in Rochester, Minn. The oldest of four daughters. My parents instilled in me a strong sense of morals and ethics, and that I could do anything or be anything I set my mind to, regardless of my gender. This included a commitment to volunteerism and the value of hard work.
I graduated from Rochester High School and went on to attend Northwestern University where I met my husband David. We were married while I was in graduate school.
After getting my master’s degree. I was on the School of Speech faculty at Northwestern while David attended De Paul law school. When he graduated he was offered a position with the law firm of Kavanaugh, Scully, Sudow, White and Frederick, which brought us to Peoria in 1968. We have three wonderful grown children—tow daughters and a son—and also have tow sons-in-law.
You have a career as a speech pathologist and have spent many hours as one of the founders of the Cancer Center for Healthy Living. First of all, how did you select speech pathology as a career?
My family background stressed the need to choose a career with which I could support myself if that became necessary. My undergraduate major was in psychology and I had hoped to work as a child psychologist in a clinical setting after attaining a master’s degree.
However, when I was a senior I was told that at Northwestern I would have to go on for a PhD. Because I was not ready to commit to a PhD, I began looking for another career that involved working in a clinical setting with children.
My search led me to a relatively new field at the time: speech pathology. I began taking some of the required courses as electives my senior year and immediately after my graduation I enrolled in the graduate program. I have uses my psychology background a great deal in my career, but have never regretted my decision to change careers.
You went into private practice with Speech and Language Rehabilitation Services, Ltd. thirteen years ago. Do you own this business? Is there an area of speech pathology that you specialize in?
I have practiced speech pathology in many different settings including Northwestern University, Zeller Mental Health Center, Bradley University, another private practice and several District 150 programs.
Thirteen years ago I started Speech and Language Rehabilitation Services as a sole practitioner. After about a year I took in a partner and we became a corporation. Four years ago a third person joined us, so we are now a corporation with three owners and five speech pathologist employees.
Our practice is very broad based with many areas of specialty. My particular areas of specialty include working with individuals who have undergone a laryngectomy or treatment for cancer of the head and neck, those with voice problems caused by pathologies such as nodules or vocal abuse, and those children and adults who are deaf or hard of hearing.
You have taught sign language and cued speech. What is cued speech? How large a community in the Peoria area uses sign language or cued speech?
Cued speech is a method of communicating that involves the representation of the sounds of the English language using eight hand shapes in four different locations around the face. It is based on sounds rather that words, and thus can be used to communicate any word in the English language.
Sign language is a system in which a sign represents a word or an idea and there are many words and ideas for which there are no signs. These have to be fingerspelled. Because cued speech is sound based, it is also beneficial in helping deaf children learn speech.
There is a large deaf and hard of hearing community in Peoria. Most of them use some form of Standard English sing language or ASL, a sign system based on the language system of the deaf. Some are gradually becoming interested in cued speech.
You’ve been a speech pathologist for 35 years. What changes have you seen in how speech pathologists are trained?
It seems hard to believe that I have been in my profession for 35 years. Many changes have taken place in the way speech pathologists are trained. In 1970 it became mandatory for speech pathologists to obtain a master’s degree and a Certificate of Clinical Competence (CCC) from the American Speech Language and Hearing Association in order to work as a speech pathologist. In order to get a CCC, a graduate has to do nine months of supervised Clinical Fellowship Year and pass a national certifying examination.
During their graduate training students are now required to do an external practicum in a medical or clinical setting, as well as student teach in the schools. We were only required to do student teaching as an undergraduate. Finally, in Illinois and almost all other states, it is necessary for speech pathologists to be licensed by the state.
What changes have taken place in how patients are treated? For example, are patients coming to you at an earlier age than when you first began practicing?
The scope of practice has changed drastically. Yes, there is a much-increased emphasis on early intervention with children with speech, language and hearing problems.
For example, infants are now fitted with hearing aids. There is also an emphasis on providing treatment almost immediately for individuals who have had strokes, head injuries or other neurological problems. With the advancements in technology, individuals with severe to profound physical handicaps are also now able to learn to communicate using devices that speak for them. Many of these individuals, who often have intellectual capabilities within the normal or near normal range, were previously only able to communicate nonverbally.
Laryngectomee rehabilitation has advanced tremendously since the development of the tracheoesophageal puncture. This procedure allows larynge-ctomees to communicate using a small silicone tube that is placed under their trachea and allows them to talk using air form their lungs.
Speech pathologists now work in many new areas including swallowing rehabilitation, auditory swallowing rehabilitation, auditory processing disorders, and early childhood education.
There is more emphasis on interdisciplinary treatment and focus on involving the family in goal setting and treatment sessions. Technologic advances have significantly increased diagnostic and treatment capabilities across the spectrum of disorders. This has allowed for more in-depth and accurate diagnoses and more diversified treatment options.
What are the two or three most common reasons for a person to see a speech pathologist? How successful are present-day therapies for these conditions?
Probably the most common reasons children see a speech pathologist are for articulation disorders or language delays or disorders, and adults are seen most often for stroke related deficits.
Present day therapies for these disorders are very effective and new techniques are being developed all the time. The use of computer technology has helped to enhance treatments for all communication disorders.
You are a sponsor and advisor for the New Voice Club of Peoria. Tell us about this group.
The New Voice Club of Peoria is a support group for laryngectomees and their families. A laryngectomee is a person who has had his or her voice box removed because of cancer and has to learn a new method of communication.
This group meets once a month with programs by professional speakers or sharing sessions. It is a vital source of support for individuals who often feel very much alone. They have had a team for the Relay for Life every year, raising several thousand dollars for the cause of cancer. In October they will host the state convention of New Voice Clubs.
The Cancer Center for Healthy Living had its grand opening earlier this year. Why did you feel the need to start the organization? What makes it unique?
When I was first diagnosed with breast cancer thirteen years ago there were very few resources available to help cancer patients deal with nonmedical aspects of their illness. There was not an active network of individuals with whom to share experiences and information and no central location to go to for support.
From reading that I had done I knew there was an important link between the body, mind and spirit for enhancing the health of the immune system and to promote healing. I knew if I wanted to survive and live a quality life, I would have to utilize all of my resources to enable my mind and spirit to help my body.
Five and a half years ago I had a recurrence of my cancer. At that time I met several people who felt, as I did, that we needed more resources for living well with cancer. We formed a small task force and with the help of Saint Francis Medical Center brought a nationally known cancer motivational speaker, Greg Anderson, to Peoria. There was such a tremendous response to this program that we felt we had to do something to respond to the need expressed.
The Cancer Center for Healthy Living is the result of this effort. It is unique because it offers healthy living classes, support groups, a resource library and an Emotional Support Hot Line all in one location.
The center focuses its efforts on empowering cancer patients and survivors, no matter what type of cancer they have, to use their body, mind and spirit to help themselves live a quality life with their illness. It is a place where they can come and know that others understand what they are going through. It is also a place of support for family and friends of the cancer patient who may also be under significant stress.
The center does not provide any medical advice or support, but offers resources that complement traditional medical treatment.
Is your organization modeled after another facility? How is it funded?
The Cancer Center for Healthy Living is modeled after the Cancer Wellness Center in Northbrook, Ill.
When we first started working on this idea five years ago, this was the only place in the Midwest doing what we wanted to do. There were other centers, mainly in California, but evidence of the positive impact of such programs was just becoming available.
People were hungry for this type of information. Because all of our programs are free, we rely totally on individual and corporate donations and grants.
We are just beginning a grass roots individual fund-raising campaign, to be followed by a corporate campaign after the first of the year.
Where’s the center located, and who can take advantage of your services. How do you go about meeting people’s needs?
The center is located in the Hult Health Education Center at 5215 N. Knoxville.
Our center provides services to anyone, patient, survivor, family or friend who has been affected by any type of cancer. We are putting together program offerings and support groups that have varied interests and formats in order to meet the needs of the most people.
We are also seeking input from those who attend our classes so that we can expand our services to meet their needs more effectively.
Give us some examples of your Healthy Living Classes. Who are your instructors? How were the classes received? What are some of your upcoming classes?
Since April we have been offering various Healthy Living Classes. Instructors come from the greater Peoria area and all have extensive experience or are credentialed in their areas of interest and expertise.
Classes have been offered in meditation, visualization, nutrition, yoga, T’ai Ji, imagery, holistic health care, strengthening the spirit, music and healing, stress management, aromatherapy, coping with emotional distress and CPR.
Some of these classes are offered weekly on a drop-in basis and others are given only once, but may be repeated month to month.
Our attendance at these programs continues to grow as more people find out about us. Future offerings will include journaling for self-discovery, reflexology, herbal therapy, emotional stages of illness, book reviews, humor and health, nutrition, and healing creatively.
What types of support groups does the center have? Tell us about the Emotional Support Hot Line.
Currently, we have two very active support groups that meet on a monthly basis.
They are Widow’s Walk, a group for widows and widowers, and the Lymphedema support group for those affected by lymphedema.
In the near future we will be forming support groups focused on specific areas of cancer or specific needs of people we serve. This could include groups for lung, breast, or colon cancer, those with metastatic disease, spouses or caretakers.
Our groups are different from those currently available.
They are made up of eight to ten people who will attend the group weekly for eight weeks. This allows the participants to form a close support network of people who are facing similar difficulties.
Our Emotional Support Hot Line is staffed by trained volunteers who have been affected by cancer in some way and can offer guidance and support based on their experience.
Individuals who are newly diagnosed or are facing changes in their status can call the hot line and ask for help.
The coordinator will take pertinent information from the caller and will then notify a volunteer who will call and talk with the caller.
I need to stress that hot line volunteers offer support based on their personal experiences. They will not offer medical advice or opinions, but will refer the caller to other sources of help for these questions.
Do you promote the heavy use of vitamins or alternative healing methods?
The mission of our center is not to promote any particular treatment, program or method of healing, and not to replace traditional medical treatment. However, some of our programs will offer information about such things as the use of herbs and other complementary methods of healing.
Our goal is to offer information about options that will complement and support traditional medical treatment, and will help individuals with cancer use their body, mind and spirit to achieve a life balance and live their life in a meaningful way to the fullest extent possible.
What has been the response from people in the community to the Cancer Center for Healthy Living?
We have had excellent community response to our center. Our grand opening celebration in June was attended by almost 300 people. Attendance at our classes is growing all the time.
We have approached several corporations and foundations for financial contributions or in-kind services and have had generous responses.
Our contacts with the medical community have also been very positive and they are helping to spread the word about our services. Our biggest challenge is getting our name and our mission known to the public.
When people find out about our services they are pleased and eager to either volunteer to help or take advantage of our programs.
You are a cancer survivor. What are some of the ways that the illness altered your life?
I have been a breast cancer survivor for almost thirteen and a half years. Someone once said that when an individual gets cancer it becomes a member of the family. This is true in many ways, because the family suddenly has to consider the demands made by the illness when going about their daily routine or making any special plans.
However, there are many positive ways that cancer has altered my life. It sounds somewhat trite, but it is true that I have a new appreciation for every day and every activity in that day.
If it is not fulfilling or meaningful to me, I try not to do it. I try to surround myself with positive, upbeat people who have a zest for life and empower me to feel the same way.
The little aggravations of life no longer bother me. I actually become somewhat impatient with people who seem to get very focused on little things that really do no matter in the big scheme of things.
My illness has brought our family much closer together and has helped our children to realize that life is very fragile. We are able to communicate on a much more significant level and there is a firm commitment to caring for and about each other that developed much earlier in their lives than would normally have happened.
What were some of the things about your life that didn’t change?
When you have cancer it is very important to maintain as much of your pre-cancer life as you can. That continuous contact with life as you know it gives a great sense of hope and well being. I worked full time before I was diagnosed and continued to do so until just recently, when I cut back to two days a week. I occasionally had to take some time off to accommodate my treatments, but did not miss a great deal of work.
My hobbies continue to give me a great deal of strength. I am a gardener and have a stepping stone in my garden that states “An hour in the garden tends to put life’s problems into perspective.”
This is very true for me. My commitment to volunteering for community projects has continued. It allows me to feel connected with people I enjoy and gives me a feeling of being able to make a difference in the lives of others and our community.
You have been treated for cancer at different times. Was the treatment the same each time or did it vary? How have you stayed motivated?
My treatments have been many and varied. Thirteen years ago I participated in an experimental chemotherapy treatment that soon after became the standard treatment for breast cancer.
Since my recurrence five years ago I have been in constant treatment involving either chemotherapy or hormonal therapy.
Several of these treatments have been experimental and have been successful for me. I fee that it is important to participate in clinical trials (experimental treatments) because that is how we are going to learn more about cancer and some day learn how to control it and truly make it a chronic treatable condition.
I have been very lucky. Each time I have needed a new treatment because my cancer has outsmarted the treatment I am on, there has been something new for me as the result of ongoing research. Continuing to fund research through the efforts of organizations like the Susan G. Komen Foundation is critical.
I stay motivated because I love life and getting up every morning with “my feet on the right side of the grass.”
I firmly believe that there is going to be a solution to the cancer treatment problem in the foreseeable future that will allow us to live a full and happy life with chronic illness.
Most patients who undergo chemotherapy lose their hair. Since part of a woman’s image-to herself and others-is in her appearance, how did you handle this side effect of chemotherapy. What advice do you have for other women facing hair loss?
Chemotherapy definitely seems to be a lot about hair. I have had many no hair days and am now working on my fifth lifetime head of hair. Managing this side effect at first was very difficult. I did not want to be seen by anyone but my family without some covering on my head.
However, I was also aware that the bald woman in the mirror was the person I really was at the time, working hard with a treatment to stay alive. Somehow the baldness seemed to be a badge of courage.
As time goes on, dealing with this hair loss has become less traumatic and a more matter-of-fact part of my life. I have several wigs that I wear to work, and have acquired a large collection of hats, turbans, scarves and head wraps that I use depending upon my mood and where I am going.
The best advice I received before I lost my hair was to get it cut very short so that it did not seem like as much hair when it did fall out.
Losing your hair is traumatic, but I feel it is important to remember that it does not change who you are. Beauty comes from within and if you can hold your head high and smile, people respond to your persona and not our baldness.
More and more women are starting businesses of their own. What key words of advice would you offer them? What personality traits are most valuable for a woman entrepreneur today?
When I started my own business I had no background in business, finance, negotiating or being an employer. I have learned a lot.
Anyone starting a business has to be willing to seek out avenues to learn as much as they can about their business area. It is essential to be as well informed as possible about all the factors affecting your type of business and stay as current as possible.
A woman in business today has to be confident, know the arts of negotiation and compromise, and be willing to fight for what she wants and believes is right. It is important to believe in what you are doing, know what your goals are and have a plane for meeting them.
The most constant thing about being in business for yourself is that change is inevitable. You have to be able to look at the changes that come your way—many of them unexpected—not as problems to be solved, but as challenges for growth that require creative solutions and often necessitate going back to the drawing boards and revising your goals and business plan to meet new needs and opportunities.
How do you spend your free time? What relaxes you and gives you joy?
What free time I have I like to spend in my garden, reading, playing the piano and playing tennis.
Real joy in my life comes from being with my family and friends and being in tune with nature working in my garden. Although our children do not live in Peoria, I receive a great pleasure and support from being with them as often as possible. TPW