Link to purchase on Amazon: http://amzn.to/2FUIA1H
“When someone has cancer, the whole family and everyone who loves them does, too” – Terri Clark. Cancer is a burden that more than one carries. It affects not just the patient, but the whole periphery of those around them. This was brought to a whole new level in the case of Kira and Jackie Hodgson. At the end of 2019, Kira Hodgson was diagnosed with breast cancer. Just a few months later, her mother, Jackie, was too diagnosed with breast cancer.
]]>Cancer is a burden that more than one carries. It affects not just the patient, but the whole periphery of those around them.
This was brought to a whole new level in the case of Kira and Jackie Hodgson. At the end of 2019, Kira Hodgson was diagnosed with breast cancer.
Just a few months later, her mother, Jackie, was too diagnosed with breast cancer.
In one instant, Kira and Jackie’s lives were changed forever. Then they were changed a second time.
Meanwhile, a global pandemic started catching fire.
“Incomprehensible”. When these two lovely ladies blessed me and Sharon Kim and ‘sat down’ with us over an Instagram call, that was the word that came to my mind. It is incomprehensible that these two women-- devastated by devastating news-- could be so strong.
But the more we talked, it became apparent why: they aren’t going through this alone. They have a beautiful, complicated, and deep familial bond that was there before cancer and before quarantine. So even apart, they are together. And they brave this fight together.
But before the fight began-- before the cancer took it’s hold-- they were strong all the same.
Kira spent her days at a startup in the foggy, paved hills of San Francisco. She was content with life—stressed at her hefty pile of work, but happy to have good work to do. Then in the cool evenings, she’d go out to eat with friends.
She looked after her health: watching what she ate, and practicing yoga everyday.
Jackie was—and still is a dedicated special education teacher. Before COVID 19, she worked 50- 60 hour weeks. The job was rough, but it was needed. On her off- hours, she spent time with her husband, children, grandchildren-- and even volunteered at her church.
They were two career- driven, strong women, trying their best to be there for their friends and family alike.
Then the bitter cold hand of cancer introduced itself.
First to Kira, after she discovered a dimple. You’d think it would be simple to get an answer out of doctors after telling them your concern about a suspicious cancer- like mark, but that was not the case.
She went back and forth between a few doctors who continually said she was ‘too young for cancer’ and that ‘it was probably nothing’. After some scans and a mammogram Kira had to fight for, the doctors scheduled a biopsy.
Kira called her parents to talk about her concern, and they immediately flew Kira’s father out to be there for the next week’s biopsy.
There, the doctor spoke those dreaded words: ‘we see a mass. It doesn't look good.’
The intense, stomach- churning shock set in. She was only 31, and was intentional about living a healthy life. She was a pescatarian. She worked out.
But cancer never discriminates.
Through talking with her oncologist and doing a little research into the lives of breast cancer patients her age, Kira caught a glimpse into what life with cancer would entail.
It would mean loss. Loss of peace. Loss of hair. Loss of fertility. She saw that cancer is the great thief that comes to take whatever it can—and that realization was met with anger and with sadness.
This fear of the unknown set in, as she tried her best to adjust to the already fear- inducing known: she had cancer.
Jackie then flew out to San Francisco, sitting with Kira through all her various appointments.
The same month-- January, Jackie felt a lump.
But was it fibrosis? Surely, it wasn’t something to be worried about.
Nonetheless, she scheduled a mammogram.
They found a mass.
She told her coworkers that week that she couldn’t even imagine that it was cancer! That thought was just too surreal.
After flying out again for Kira’s last AC treatment, Jackie had a sinking feeling that it was indeed cancer.
When she went to the ultrasound, the doctor confirmed that feeling. But Jackie still clung to the hope that she might have an estrogen- driven cancer (a slower- developing case).
But then she got the call a few weeks later. She had triple negative cancer: not a hormone- based cancer, but a highly aggressive and fast developing kind.
While this news was settling in, the impending threat of COVID 19 had locked Kira and Jackie in their homes, miles away from one another.
“I think the most upsetting thing (..) is the fact that I can’t be there for her [Kira]. That’s definitely the worst thing. You never want to see your child have cancer (…) knowing that I couldn’t help? That’s hard”.
On the other hand, Kira was wrecked knowing everything she had gone through would be experienced by her mother, too.
“It’s one thing to have cancer and experience what we go through (…) but when it happens to your mom—that’s so unfair”.
Kira knew what feelings her mom would have to face, and saw that this was ‘a worst nightmare situation’.
Getting cancer yourself is one thing, but for your mom or your daughter to get it too? At the same time?
How they were able to handle this and not go insane is a common question they get, Kira said.
She remembered the days when she first got cancer, and was trying so hard to get cancer ‘right’. To always be a champion for positivity, and to always keep her head up. But she soon realized that couldn’t happen. You can’t be positive all the time, she concluded. It’s not going to happen.
That’s her advice to cancer patients: “Let go of judgements of how you think you should deal with it… and how others think you should deal with it”.
Don’t be afraid to be more than a ‘positivity seeker’. You can be an ‘experience seeker’, Kira says.
“When you get cancer you have a right to be angry. To be sad. To be positive. It’s okay to laugh; it’s okay to feel it all”.
Jackie felt that—as awful as it is—Kira going through the same thing is what has helped her. It was Kira’s handling of her diagnosis that empowered Jackie to face her own diagnosis. She’s obviously devastated that her daughter has cancer, but it afforded her a way to deal with it.
“I think it would have been different if I hadn’t seen her go through it”
Kira’s take on balancing everything that inspired Jackie is that you tackle one role at a time. One day she’s the daughter that needs to call her mom at midnight because she’s just so overwhelmed by having cancer. Another she’s the ear for her mother who feels the same pain. Another day she worries about COVID and all that could mean for the future.
“Just one of these things would have been the hardest things I’ve ever done. But they’re all at once”.
It’s for that reason that Kira and Jackie sometimes agree to avoid talking about certain things some days.
One day cancer may be too much, or chemo may be too triggering. Emotions revolving around cancer are ever- changing and vary from moment to moment. One minute you can talk about something as easily as you can read a picture- book.
Another minute, the same topic triggers some crushing memories, and you just can’t go there. Sometimes you just need to take a step back from something and process it later on.
But when they do talk about hard- to- breach topics, it makes for an extremely shared experience. They both know how astronomically unfair and painful cancer is. They both know the feeling of loss attached to losing your blood cells, your hair, your breasts. They both know the pain of the known, and the fear of the unknown.
Jackie thinks that is what makes the relationship so much more raw. Though you never want anyone you love—and especially your child-- to have cancer, there is some solace in the deep connection forged. This unique situation leaves room for them to both truly understand what trench each other is marching.
“This has opened my eyes more to what she’s going through. Before I was looking in, but now I am in. And though we were close before, this has definitely brought us closer”.
Being in it together has brought out many opportunities to be there for one another.
They’ve sent each other care- packages and birthday presents. They’ve been there to talk... or not talk.
Though they are apart… they are together. Through every hard moment, they are together.
Jackie and Kira were there for each other in a defining moment on the cancer journey: saying goodbye to your hair.
Kira hated having to shed her hair, and Jackie hated having Kira relive that….when the time came for Jackie to shave her head—though it was sad—the worst part was making Kira go through that moment again.
They both knew just how hard it was to go through that sinking moment of loss. To say goodbye to part of yourself for possibly forever. To say a hello to looking more like a cancer patient. They both knew not only how to sympathize with one another, but how to empathize. And as hauntingly beautiful as it is, there is comfort in that.
“[Before my mom got diagnosed too] I felt isolated… cancer is isolating. I wish she wasn’t going through...I’d give anything for her to not have cancer. But I feel like I’m not alone anymore”.
“Cancer feels unfathomable. You lose your fertility, your friendships… I lost the ability to work for a year. I remember thinking, ‘there’s just no way I’m going to get through this” (…) But you can get through it. I wish this never happened. But I can still lead a good life and be infertile. I can still lead a good life and have cancer. You can live a good life after something really horrible happens.” – Kira.
Kira found through this how strong she can be. She didn’t know how strong she was until she decided to brave each day with her having cancer and her mom having cancer and the world being held under siege.
Kira and Jackie both have lost much, and even though cancer is certainly not a gift, it did provide an opportunity to rethink who they are and what matters to them.
Before the cancer, they defined themselves by their careers—Kira was a designer, and Jackie was a special- needs teacher.
Kira and Jackie both absolutely loved their jobs, but cancer has helped them reevaluate what they define themselves by. Having cancer makes you take a step back and question what you really want, and who you really are.
Though family was a value to them before cancer, it becomes the first priority after cancer. Suddenly a career advancement is nowhere near as valuable as an evening with your grandchild, mother, or sister.
They are both extremely proud of their family, drawing power from it.
“I think we’re fierce in our love and fierce in our loyalty”—Jackie.
And it shall be that love and that loyalty that will pull them through this. Through Kira’s cancer, through Jackie’s cancer, and through being immuno- compromised during COVID 19.
“Us both having it (…) has helped us think we got this. We can conquer this.”—Jackie.
Their love of each other, the world, and other cancer patients is what drives them to share their story on their platforms, and on ours.
“I want to help other people in some way. I think that we can take our experience, as much as it’s horrible (and it is!) but it’s a choice that we’re making to make something good of this.”—Jackie.
There is so much to learn from these two beautiful, and strong women. Though they’ve lost so much, yet, they still seek to give.
Their story is heartbreaking, but it is also awe- inspiring. Their story of pain also gives great hope: hope to look for the good in every bad situation, and hope to keep on moving, no matter how rough the terrain.
Your strength can endure far beyond what you ever thought it could, as your hope can, too. Good can be found in a pile of bad, as stars can be found in a sea of void.
If you want to find Kira and Jackie, here are their handles:
IG: @kirahodgson
IG: @jalar123
They’ve already done so in the past, but wish to do another live stream soon to talk about their story.
Jackie also has a Gofundme if you feel inspired to give:
https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-jackie039s-fight-against-breast-cancer
That's why CanPlan is providing 5 FREE and new pdf downloads to help you stay both physically and mentally healthy. These include: CanPlan Starter Pack, Deep Questions Game, Anxiety Tracker, COVID-19 Wellness Tracker, and Sleep Tracker.
Here is a brief description about them all, as well as my experiences with them, as the CanPlan intern.
The CanPlan starter pack (pdf and physical journal) is the simpler version of the CanPlan journal. It has all the same features, but it is a bit less intimidating when you are just getting started. The pages you fill out can later be transferred into the journal if you wish.
I haven’t used the starter pack, but I have been using the journal for the last few months. Instead of using it for physical health purposes, I have been using it for my mental health.
It helps me reflect on my days and months, rather than just letting them fly by. Using this planner has helped me process why I had a good or bad day—and how my mindset made it better or worse.
Additionally, this planner helped reveal to me a stress ‘trigger’ in my life, which I have used to help calm myself down. Sometimes, once you know why something is getting to you so much, it’s a lot easier to tell yourself to breathe and then refocus.
Here are more reasons why journaling can benefit your mental health: https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/encyclopedia/content.aspx?ContentID=4552&ContentTypeID=1
The anxiety download is a four- part set. There is the general ‘things I’m anxious about’ page, an anxiety quiz, a ‘deep dive’ sheet that helps you process a stressful situation, and a meditation walk-through.
This is filled with interesting anxiety information, and eases you in to the concept of journaling your stress.
The quiz gets you thinking about how anxious you truly are. I think as humans we are so quick to say ‘I’m fine’, and ‘I’m normal’. But right now, anxiety is the new normal.
And even before the pandemic, 1 in 5 Americans (18 percent!) had some form of an anxiety disorder.
So, if you score high on this quiz, it really doesn't make you all that out-of-the-norm. What it does make you is more informed.
If you get a 36 or more, it says you might have some form of anxiety. I took this quiz and I got a 36 exactly. I know I have struggled with anxiety in the past, but I had called myself perfectly after that.
But then I took this quiz, and I realized how much stress is on me now. It has caused me to again qualify as having some form of anxiety. And that gives me peace, surprisingly. It means I know more about what is going on with me, and I can begin to heal.
So, take this quiz. You could learn some much- needed information about your mental health.
This page helps you process everything about a stressful or ‘anxiety triggering’ experience you recently went through. It’s great for placing your thoughts back into reality as opposed to anxious fantasies of what the other person might have thought, what could have happened, or what might happen because of it. It helps you step back and look at the situation for what it is.
This is a very thorough explanation on how to focus on your breathing and calm your mind. It’s to focus on the moment, pushing out all anxious thoughts in order to clear your head.
This is a little exercise to do with another person, especially your quarantine buddies. It involves questions ranging from the silly to the deep, as well as ‘action cards’ that might include ‘stare into each other’s eyes for a minute’.
I called up my friend and took to my Instagram followers and found some interesting things.
Question: “When this is all over, what moment from this experience will you remember most?”
My friend’s answer: “I think there’s a lot. I will remember the realization that I took my senior year for granted. I’m really going to miss everyone—as well as the stage of life.”
This got me thinking. When we are isolated, we forget about ‘keeping up with the Jones’s’ or the Kardashians or whoever you will. We forget about the clothes and all the fads. When we’re alone long enough, we start to realize how much we truly appreciate our friends and family (and how often we take time with them for granted).
Question: What’s the first thing you plan on doing once the quarantine is over?
Answer(S): “Seeing my boyfriend and friends”, “Hang out with friends!!”, “See my sisters”, “giving all my friends hugs”, “eat out with friends” and…“hugging the homies”.
The list went on for longer, but you get the point. I learned a lot about my friends that I miss dearly through this exercise, and I think it’s a great excuse to call one up and connect with them!
Better yet, if there’s someone in your household, this is a great activity to learn more about each other while trying out a new quarantine activity.
This tracker was designed to help people monitor any symptoms of COVID-19 at home, however it can also help people who just want to stay accountable over their health, whether they are experiencing symptoms yet or not. Staying proactive is key to remaining sane in quarantine, so having this tracker can be really useful for anyone who has felt a loss of control over their health.
It helps to track both your physical and emotional well-being:
Physical wellness: Symptoms, medicine, temperature.
Emotional wellness: People I have seen and places I’ve visited, favorite part of the day.
Then at the bottom, there is an overall day rating from good to bad.
This is helpful for people who want to isolate the ‘wellness’ feature from the journal. If you are just interested in jotting down how you are from day- to- day, or want to list medications/ symptoms you had, then this would be a straightforward alternative for you.
It might also be helpful to go along with the planner—having the wellness sheet makes all your information/reflections easier to view.
You ever been tired the entire day, but you didn’t know why? You think you got enough sleep, but… did you? When did you go to bed again?
When you are intentional about counting the hours you slept and keep track of it— it’s much easier to know why you are tired (or not!)
Maybe you got a great amount of sleep the night before; it was 8 hours. That's the recommended dose, right? True, but not everyone thrives on 8 hours. Some people need more—or do completely fine on less. By keeping track of how much you slept/ how much energy you had the following day could reveal to you how much sleep you actually need.
Here's more information here: https://www.helpguide.org/articles/sleep/sleep-needs-get-the-sleep-you-need.htm
Additionally, this may reveal to you other causes that make you tired. Maybe you got plenty of sleep, but the problem is that you hit coffee lows in the afternoon, or you just started on a new treatment or medication that has a side- effect of drowsiness.
You can also use it to see what makes your rest better. Maybe exercising or warm milk before bed shows a trend of helping you fall asleep faster.
So, that is all for the descriptions/ reviews of the 5 new and free products. Let us know what you plan on sampling in the comments below!
Best wishes and blessings,
Audrey Streb,
CanPlan intern
]]>So, we've come up with five ways to help cancer patients during this coronavirus pandemic—all while maintaining a safe distance. Before we get into it, I want to preface this by saying that the most important thing you can do to help is to ask first.
Make sure that your help is welcome, because it may not be. That may not be the case — but they could have a specific list of needs, and will want practical, as opposed to creative gifts. They may not.
But asking first will allow you to gift them what they really want and need. With that said, let's get into it.
Typically, gifting a cancer patient or caregiver with a homemade meal would make an excellent gift. But right now, a homemade meal may put some people on edge.
Not only that, meals are often what people think to provide families with first. They may already be overwhelmed with uneaten dishes. This isn't to say 'NO' to homemade meals—just ask first.
They may even have specific dietary restrictions, too. So be sure to check in and see what would be helpful to them.
There are other ways to gift them with meals, if they are in need.
You could gift them canned goods or frozen meals as an alternative to cooking something. Or maybe you could gift a patient with a subscription to a meal delivery service.
Here is a list of some food subscription services: https://www.top10.com/meal-delivery/top-reads/the-best-prepared-meal-delivery-services
You could also ask if they would like an UberEats gift card, or a gift card to one of their favorite restaurants they’d like to support (or miss supporting) too.
It's best that cancer patients avoid going out right now—so it may be a huge relief to them and their caregivers for you to pick up their groceries.
Just be sure to check and make sure if that's alright. It's possible the patient or their caregiver isn't worried about going out and are confident that they're taking all the right precautions.
Maybe they're an extrovert that loves their grocery store time because it's the only excuse they have to get out of the house right now. Just make sure.
I've seen this thing going around lately where you create some kind of 'quarantine advent calendar' for your friend including either a gift or letter for them to open each day for any X number of days.
If this sounds like something you'd like to put together, I'm sure it would be much appreciated by your friend. It could be their source of excitement as they wake up that day, ready to read what you've written or unwrap what gift you've given.
But maybe you aren't that close, and a simple care package seems more appropriate. Either way, here are some resources to help you assemble your advent calendar or care package:
For practical presents: https://share.upmc.com/2017/10/cancer-care-packages/
For letters: https://www.mdanderson.org/publications/cancerwise/what-to-say-to-someone-with-cancer.h00-158989023.html
For books, since quarantine may be a great time to read: https://mycanplan.com/blogs/canplan/5-best-books-every-cancer-patient-should-have-on-their-bookshelf
You may want to buy these at pharmacies and grocery stores, rather than online. You've probably heard by now that amazon's deliveries are running a month behind, and most other sites aren't doing much better.
Skype, FaceTime, simple phone calls... whatever they do. Just connect with them. Let them know you're still there... even though you can't physically be there.
If you can, let them steer the conversation. Allow for them to be sad and open up about the struggles of isolation getting evermore isolating.
Getting cancer might have already made them feel like an outsider, and now that their friends and possibly much of their family can't get within 6 feet of them? That's hard. So hard.
Maybe hearing about that makes you uncomfortable, but try your best to embrace the discomfort. If it's too emotionally pressing, you could always write a letter.
I received a hand- written letter from a friend this week, and it was the sweetest thing. It's such a rare thing to receive these days, and at times writing allows for two people to connect on a deeper emotional level, so try it out.
Connecting with them doesn't have to be heavy, either. Sometimes laughter is the best medicine, and they may just want to talk about nonsense or even play a game with you. (Pictionary and charades can work really well on skype, if they are able to play them).
When my mom was the primary caregiver to my grandfather, she'd wished she had an online group to help her out. I've heard cancer patients swear by how helpful blogs and online groups can be—even before isolation. And nowadays, Reddit is littered with people longing for kindred spirits during social- distancing.
You are just one friend, and though you are probably very treasured, you don't have all the answers. But you could point them to people who might.
Cancer patients and caregivers may feel too stressed to focus on researching online forums or creating a cancer blog right now. But if they wanted, you could do it for them.
I've known many cancer patients that have created Facebook or WordPress blogs to allow their friends and families to follow along with their journey. It's also opened the door for them to connect with other cancer patients that can empathize with them on a deep level.
You could start up that blog for them—or if they are more interested in just joining an online group, you could scout online to find them the perfect fit.
Here is the CanPlan facebook group to get the ball rolling: https://www.facebook.com/groups/CanPlanFam/?source_id=1547092065561323
Here are other ideas to help out your friends with cancer (though it was written pre- coronavirus) https://www.mskcc.org/blog/10-tips-supporting-friend
I hope you found these tips helpful and have found more inspiration to help out your friend or family member with the cancer and coronavirus battle.
Best wishes and blessings,
Audrey Streb,
CanPlan intern
]]>I’ve found that a lot of articles on this topic have the same few tips of washing your hands and such— not much more. The question begs to be asked: what are the other ways a cancer patient can stay safe during the COVID-19 outbreak? Well, I’ll try my best to answer that in this blog.
I think it’s important that say that I, nor anyone at Canplan is a medical professional. We’re just people who did some research and would like to present that research to you in a digestible and helpful way.
So, here is: How Cancer Patients Can Care for Themselves During the Coronavirus outbreak.
]]>I’ve found that a lot of articles on this topic have the same few tips of washing your hands and such— not much more. The question begs to be asked: what are the other ways a cancer patient can stay safe during the COVID-19 outbreak? Well, I’ll try my best to answer that in this blog.
I think it’s important that say that I, nor anyone at Canplan is a medical professional. We’re just people who did some research and would like to present that research to you in a digestible and helpful way.
So, here is: How Cancer Patients Can Care for Themselves During the Coronavirus outbreak.
Many medical experts recommend you don’t go to the hospital unless your treatment is pivotal.
It’s best to connect with your doctor and ask if you should still attend regular treatment during this present time. Good questions to ask are:
Here are some more examples of good questions to ask: https://www.cancer.org/treatment/treatments-and-side-effects/physical-side-effects/low-blood-counts/infections/questions-to-ask-about-coronavirus.html
If you feel like you might have the infection, contact your doctor or oncology team to find out your next steps.
I remember when I went on plane trips as a perfectly healthy kid, my mom still would pump be with vitamins before and after the flights.
There are all kinds of germs on planes; always have been. But now, understandably, plane flights are a lot more alarming than they were before.
If you must get on a plane to receive treatment, then: avoid crowds at the airport, wash your hands often, and wipe down your seat, arm rests, and tray before you touch them.
If you have an appointment scheduled that you can only get to by plane and it is not necessary for your health, then it’s best you stay home.
This is recommended by the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, who have an hour podcast that gives good information on Coronavirus and how cancer patients should navigate it here below, if you are interested:
https://www.lls.org/patient-education-webcasts/your-questions-answered-about-coronavirus-covid-19
Though it’s wise to stay home and avoid coming in contact with large groups of potentially infected people, it’s still good to get some time outside—if that is possible for you.
Having time outside can give you vitamin D, healthy chemicals that emanate from plants, and a feeling of ‘calm’.
It’s still recommended that you find a way to get outside during these times—just avoid people. Remember the 6-feet- apart rule, and if you can, try to go in the morning when fewer people are out.
With the herds of people out at the store buying all that they can, it’s best you avoid the store as a cancer patient.
Once you’ve spoken to your doctor, they’ll let you know how at- risk you are (though perhaps you already know.)
If you’re at a high risk, have a caregiver or family member go to the store for you.
If you’re at the lower end of the spectrum, you can probably get away with going yourself. Just make sure you wipe everything down before you touch it, sanitize your hands, and don’t touch your face. Then wash your hands once you get home before touching anything.
I avoided making this the first point, as most of you readers have probably read this a million times before. But in case you haven’t, here you are:
a. Do your best to avoid people and practice social distancing. Stay 6 feet apart from those you can.
Understandably, if you have a caregiver that needs to be very hands- on, this isn’t doable. That’s ok.
Just limit the number of people coming into contact with you, and if you have a hands- on caregiver (s), make sure they are strictly following the social- distancing rule.
b. Use hand- sanitizer often
c. Wipe down surfaces before you touch them. The virus can survive for a long time (I’ve even heard for up to three days) on some surfaces.
So just be careful (as I’m sure you have been), and wipe down the surfaces you can. Then wash your hands after touching the ones you can't. Speaking of…
d. Wash your hands often (with soap and hot water, and for 20 seconds). Some songs to hum while you do this to ensure you’ve done the job properly are:
The chorus of ‘Mamma Mia’, ‘The Imperial March’, ‘La Cucaracha’ for you Spanish speakers, the chorus of ‘Africa’, and of course, ‘Happy Birthday’ (twice).
In a time where physical health is being so heavily discussed, please don’t forget about your emotional and mental well- being.
If you need to do positivity exercises, breathing exercises ect, make the time for them.
Do whatever you can to overcome the fear. So many people are bound to it right now as they’re glued to the rising statistics and predictions of the future. Though it’s an easy trap to fall into, remember that you don’t have to.
Keep a steady head, and prepare yourself for whatever may come, but remember: you don’t need to freak out.
It’s not wrong to have a healthy caution, but just remind yourself that the odds of catching this is rare—especially if you take the precautions.
Conclusion:
There’s no denying that these are crazy times. But that doesn't mean you have to drive yourself crazy with worry.
Bear in mind that even though the news makes it seem the opposite at times, this is still a rare disease to catch.
Take the basic precautions, and if you are concerned or at high- risk, continue to stay at home, and have others run errands for you.
When/ if you need to go out, just be careful and call your doctor if any new symptoms ever do develop.
If you know any tips, have any additional questions, or want more resources, don't hesitate to write a comment!
Best Wishes,
Audrey Streb,
Canplan Intern.
]]>
Throughout my experiences with cancer, it’s become clear that a plan is necessary. When scouring the internet, however, it’s hard to track down any articles that talk about the importance of one. This article will delve into not only how to plan for cancer, but also why it’s so important to do so—for the patient and caregiver both.
But first, here’s a bit about my experience with this:
About 7 months ago, my family packed up and moved from Southern California to a small town just outside of Colorado Springs, Colorado. It wasn’t for the skiing, low gas rates, or the ‘Colorado blue sky’, but for the commitment to family.
When we learned that my grandfather—my ‘Pa’, as I’ve always called him—was reeling from the after- effects of cancer and in need of round- the- clock care, we moved our whole life out West in just two weeks. In just fifteen days I said my ‘goodbyes’ to California and a senior year spent with my dear friends, and ‘hellos’ to a new school and home.
My mom, dad, and I moved into the basement (though it was a lovely basement, with windows and spacious rooms, it was still a basement) of my aunt and uncle. We moved Pa in, and my mom was to be his primary caregiver.
I accepted my new life, but it was still rough. I had never seen my mother struggle with something so much as she did taking care of my Pa. “It wasn’t just the care,” she told me, “it was that there was never a break.” I could attest to that. She was the cook, the nurse, and the care—coordinator. This meant four am phone calls, colostomy bag explosions, and communicating/ coordinating with visiting hospice nurses.
It was too much. Not only that, Pa wasn’t getting all his needs met. He not only needed more socialization than we could give, he needed a team of people to take care of him. So, we got him settled at an affordable hospice home, run by an absolute angel. My family’s caregiving journey may have been short, but we learned A LOT. This list is a mix of things I witnessed, things my mom wished she had done, and some experiences of Sharon Kim, the founder of CanPlan.
So, without further ado:
I honestly think it’s impossible to know 100% what you’re going into when you take on the role of a primary caregiver. Even as a nurse, my mom was blind-sided.
But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try your hardest to understand the role you’ll be in.
Reach out to others who have gone through the same thing and ask what helped. Even ask what they wished they had done.
Other good resources include:
My mom-- a seasoned nurse-- was overwhelmed when she was the primary caregiver for my grandfather. To the average joe, the caregiving process can seem impossible. That’s why a planner is so helpful.
A cancer planner can give you your sense of control back in an otherwise uncontrollable situation. Through tracking what symptoms show and when, patterns are easier to discern. This gives you direction—lighting the path for what needs to be done, and when it needs to be.
My mom made spread sheets in Exell to try and keep track of everything, and the founder of CanPlan, Sharon Kim, created her own paper system. But there are few resources tailored specifically to this.
This lack of detailed planners available is what drove Sharon to create her own cancer planner as part of CanPlan. In the planner, there’s space for appointment trackers, blood cell counters, and both weekly/ monthly overviews of how your loved one is doing.
You can get the planner here if you’re interested:
When you’re in front of a doctor, they are often so intent on giving information, that you forget which questions to ask. Since your time with them is so short, it’s good to write your questions down and be intentional with communicating your concerns.
A journal helps with this—it not only creates good questions as you go about your week, but it can also give the doctor something to look at, too.
Us caregivers may not know what vomiting every three days means while our loved one is on –blank- medication, but the doctor might. By jotting down everything that happens and making note of what the doctor says in response, this paves way for us caregivers to get better at our job.
While we’re at it, here are some articles that cover what to ask your doctor:
It’s not that you don’t love your family member—it’s that it’s a weight you can’t carry alone. No one is superman, and knowing your limitations is vital to your own mental health.
So, think about how you process your emotions—my mom tried to go for a walk every day to keep herself centered. Whether you exercise, socialize, or journal… you need to make sure you’ve planned to make time for it.
It might feel selfish to take time to yourself during a time like this, but it will result in your loved one getting better care—care from a refreshed soul, rather than a worn- down and weary one.
Your extended family, friends and church all want to help. They just may not know how to ask or even what they could offer. When I was living in Colorado to help take care of my grandfather, we realized how vital it was to reach out to our community. They wanted to help and were willing to do whatever they could—we just had to ask.
There’s a way you can plan for this, too, through creating a system of who you know/ what you need to distribute the help needed.
To illustrate: Write down your list of needs, and then you can delegate them to the people in your network. Do this by dividing your community into 3 tiers. Have the 1st tier for your close family and friends, 2nd for acquaintances, and church members (if you attend church), and the 3rd tier for people on social media.
Allocate favors that take more trust (childcare or pet care ect.) to the higher tiers, and lesser favors (like meal provision) to lower tiers. Through organizing and assigning people in each tier to different activities, you can make sure that everything is covered, and that no one is over- burdened.
As far as the third tier, sometimes it’s easy to forget that there is help available via social media. In hindsight, my mom wished she had something like a Facebook group to connect her to others who had seen the other side of being a cancer caregiver. There are plenty of groups out there, you only have to reach out.
Speaking of, CanPlan has a community of cancer patients and caregivers on Facebook, if you are interested: https://www.facebook.com/groups/CanPlanFam/
Day by day is not enough, things move too quickly. Looking back over one day can be so overwhelming, so it’s good to cherish and process the good moments that happen throughout the day.
Write down something you’re grateful for in the moment. This can work wonders when you look back over your day, revealing just how many pockets of good there can be amidst all the pain.
You must embrace all the moments and adjust as you need to. Maybe you slotted something for a certain day, but when you get there, you may realize you just don’t have it in you. That’s okay. Just adjust, then get back on track when you need to.
Know above all that you aren’t alone in this. There are people all around the globe who are caregivers like you—and they are happy to provide information and community. There are plenty of resources out there to equip you with knowledge and encouragement to fight this.
With a plan, you can bring a real punch to this fight, too. Whether it’s through CanPlan or not, you should have something in place to balance your loved one’s well- being and various appointments—as well as your mental health. Never forget to look out for yourself in the midst of all the craziness that will ensue, and remember to take notice and appreciate the little joys that life does bring to you every day.
(Overview: 1. Learn all you can, 2. Make a plan, 3. Maximize your doctor visits, 4. Know your limits, 5. Seek out community. They want to help. And 6. Take things moment by moment.)
Thank you for reading, and I hope you found this helpful! If you did, please let us know in the comments so we can produce more content that resonates with you!
Audrey Streb,
CanPlan Intern
]]>Poor diet increases the risk of several types of cancer, but most commonly that of the colon. Colon cancer occurs when tumours form in the lining of the large intestine and it is most commonly seen in men and women beyond the age of 50 years. Diet has been found to have an important role in the development of colon cancer. Since colorectal cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer – related deaths all over the world, it is important to understand the role of the diet so that the risk of mortality can be reduced. It has been found that a diet rich in red meats or processed meats increases the risk of colorectal cancer by up to 18 %. While meat has been found to have a causative role, certain food items like fresh fruits and vegetables have a protective role, and thus help to lower your risk of colon cancer.
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A diet rich in saturated or trans – fats is associated with a greater risk of colorectal cancer. These types of fats are contained in processed meats like ham, salami, hot dogs, bacon, etc. Consuming these foods increases the levels of free fatty acids in the body since they are immensely rich in fats. Consuming these foods also elevates the levels of bile acids. Bile acid, is then, metabolised by the microbes present in the gut to generate secondary bile acids in the body. It has been ascertained that secondary bile acids promote the process of carcinogenesis, that is, they increase the production of cancerous cells in the body by facilitating cellular changes in the normal cells. Increased pro – inflammatory effectors mediated via COX – 2 pathways is what causes these changes in the cellular morphology. Further, foods rich in trans – fats lead to oxidative stress in the body, which increases the activity of free radicals causing aggressive changes within the cells in the body. Oxidative stress is caused due to the release of compounds like hydrogen sulphide, which are toxic to the mucosa of the colon.
Consuming red meat has been found to be the major risk factor of colorectal cancer. During the process of cooking of this meat, compounds such has heterocyclic amines are produced, which have been found to have a carcinogenic effect on the cells of the colon. Studies have found a two – fold greater risk of colorectal cancer in individuals who ate red meat more than once a week than in individuals who ate it less often. The lesser the amount and frequency of consumption of red meat, the lesser is the risk of colorectal cancer with the risk being almost negligible in occasional consumers.
But, what about the amount, how do you know, how much is too much? Well, it has been determined that as less as 50 grams of processed red meat can significantly increase your risk of colorectal cancer. And this amount is contained in as little as 4 pieces of bacon or just a single sausage, so, even a standard breakfast meal containing red meats is enough to elevate your risk. This concludes that eating red meats even in small amounts each day can increase the risk of colorectal cancer.
Other than the amount and frequency of consumption, the method of cooking meat also determines the level of risk. Fried and darkly - browned surface of the meat leads to a greater risk of colorectal cancer than a lightly - browned surface. In fact, well – done grilled red meat has been identified as the main contributor to colorectal cancer. So, in order to reduce your risk of colon cancer, it is important that you reduce your consumption of red meats along with modifying your methods of preparation.
Increasing daily consumption by almost 100 gram increases the risk of colorectal cancer by up to 12 to 17 %. While this has been established for red meat, increase in overall meat consumption has not evidenced a similar effect. This implies that other types of meat like white meats, chicken, birds and seafood like fish and oysters are relatively safe for consumption and must be included in your diet.
Along with white meats, fair consumption of fruits and vegetables in your diet can lower your risk of colorectal cancer. High consumption of fruits and vegetables helped in lowering the risk of colorectal cancer by almost 32 %. Dietary fibres contained in wheat bran fibre and whole grain foods are also associated with a lower risk of colorectal cancer, but, the evidence has been inconclusive. The possible mechanism by which these foods help is by inhibiting the proliferation of cancerous cells in the body by causing them to die through the mechanism of apoptosis or programmed cell death.
Vitamin D and calcium have also been estimated to have some sort of protective role against colon cancer. In individuals with lower intake of calcium, that is lesser than 700 to 1000 mg per day, a higher incidence of colorectal cancer has been reported. Mild supplementation with calcium and vitamin D helps to lower the risk of colorectal cancer as suggested by researchers. Vitamin D has been found to be particularly helpful in cases of cancer which have been mediated through inflammatory pathways. Other than this, some studies have also found foods containing selenium and curcumin have a protective role against colon cancer.
All in all, diet has a significant role in determining your risk of colorectal with some kinds of food having the potential to increase your risk while others helping in lowering your risk. In order to prevent colon cancer, it is advisable to increase your intake of fresh fruits and vegetables along with fibre, vitamin D and calcium while lowering your intake of red meats and processed meats in your diet. If you are a predominant non – vegetarian, you can still safely consume white meats, seafood and eggs in moderate amounts without worrying about increasing your risk of colon cancer. Along with this, it is also imperative to limit alcohol intake and cease smoking to protect yourself from the risk of colon cancer among other cancers.
Author Bio: Dr. Garvita Arora is a qualified dental surgeon and an avid writer. With 500+ articles and medical blogs, she has written on a variety of topics, which have been of immaculate interest to her readers. Exploring new domains, she has now collaborated with CancerBro as a guest writer and is immensely dedicated to her work.
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Being diagnosed with cancer is a life changing experience. While we experience stress in our daily lives, it’s completely different when you’re faced with life-altering adversary. Needless to say, having cancer can be overwhelming and extremely stressful. From the moment of diagnosis, stress and anxiety will set in and it can pervade throughout the whole journey. Not only for the patient but also for the immediate family and loved ones as well.
An unhealthy amount of stress over an extended period of time can often lead to distress or even depression. Distress happens when patients feel they cannot manage the mental or physical pressures they are contending with. Distress is a factor that can reduce the quality of life for cancer patients and their caregivers.
The National Cancer Institute states that extreme distress is associated with poor clinical outcomes. Intense and protracted chronic stress can also lead to a host of physical manifestations such as digestive, fertility, and urinary problems.
Luckily, there are healthy, proven, and effective ways of coping with stress including having a cancer plan.
Taking away the fear of missing out on a doctor’s appointment or medicine schedule can alleviate a significant amount of pressure. Plan your schedule well in advance so you are not rushing around and adding extra stress. Knowing exactly when to do things can help you prioritize and organize your day. Those who suffer from stress often become easily disorganized and mistakes can pile up causing grief for the patient and caregiver.
A common complaint among patients undergoing procedures to cure cancer is the sense of losing control. Having a cancer planner can optimize not only your time but also keep your stress levels at bay. Planning your schedule can be an empowering experience as it can bring back a sense of control over your circumstance. A study on cognitive and behavioral mediators published by NCBI showed that women with a low sense of control are vulnerable to distress post cancer diagnosis. The study also revealed that women with a stronger sense of control adapt better through an active engagement in their social life. Just by being around people, you are taking a positive step to not letting the cancer dictate your life. Use your cancer planner to plan out not just your hospital visits but every part of your life.
Set goals and track them in a cancer journal as a means of breeding internal motivation. Internal motivation, according to a report by Psychology Online, can prevent stress and improve self-esteem. Being able to set objectives and periodically go back and reassess them promotes good health. Knowing that you are working towards something bigger is a self-reinforcing motivation and a self-rewarding experience.
Having a cancer plan can also help you be more proactive. Identifying benchmarks and milestones along the way can help in clearly assessing your situation, which will put your mind and your caregiver's mind at ease. By becoming more proactive, you can schedule regular assessments with your medical professionals and respond to situations rather than just reacting to them.
Choosing healthy stress management strategies like using a cancer planner can also lessen the chance of adapting unhealthy behaviors associated with stress such as smoking, overeating, or consuming alcohol, which can compromise the patient’s health.
When it comes to following healthy habits, the U.S healthcare industry is making steps to improve the range of care it provides. It is not just about treating illnesses like cancer, but also helping patients develop good habits through education. Maryville University stresses that today’s nurses are taught to promote "appropriate medical choices and healthy lifestyle habits." This allows them to help patients make choices that can prevent illnesses or create positive habits that will help them cope with illnesses like cancer. Caregivers will also be able to learn the best way to help the patient. With more nurses working in community centers, there are more ways to learn how to deal with cancer. In the end, combating stress from cancer is all about building healthy coping mechanisms and turning them into powerful habits.
You can also use your planner as a journal. Keeping a journal is a healthy stress management strategy for cancer patients. Very Well Health advocates that making a chronicle of your journey not only mitigates depression caused by stress, but also helps with pain management and cognitive stimulation. Tracking your mood and thoughts with a journal can significantly boost your positive outlook and help you deal with the stress.
A cancer plan may not seem like an effective way to deal with the disease. However, by effectively organizing your life around the cancer you will be able to gain some control over the disease. There are always ways to cope with cancer, as demonstrated in ‘6 Tips On How To Create A Cancer Plan Of Attack’, so don't ever give up.
About the Author
Jane Michaels is a health and wellness writer. She follows the latest health trends in the hope that her articles will help someone who is ill. In her free time she likes to enjoy the great outdoors.
If you haven’t already met one of the most positive, Godly, and awe-inspiring women out there, we’d like to introduce you to Nicole Body (or as some people know her, Sparkly Survivor).
In July of 2017, Nicole was diagnosed with Stage 3 Undifferentiated Pleomorphic Sarcoma. Through the support of her family, her incredible attitude, and most importantly, her faith and relationship with God, Nicole is now cancer-free. We are so proud to have Nicole as a CanPlan Champion and had the incredible opportunity to ask her a few questions about her faith and how it has changed her life through cancer and beyond. We hope you can be as moved and inspired as we are from Nicole’s life-changing story.
]]>In July of 2017, Nicole was diagnosed with Stage 3 Undifferentiated Pleomorphic Sarcoma. Through the support of her family, her incredible attitude, and most importantly, her faith and relationship with God, Nicole is now cancer-free. We are so proud to have Nicole as a CanPlan Champion and had the incredible opportunity to ask her a few questions about her faith and how it has changed her life through cancer and beyond. We hope you can be as moved and inspired as we are from Nicole’s life-changing story.
Nicole: This question makes me smile, because the answer is so simple, yet so dynamic at the same time. I am beyond thankful that our relationship does not depend on my works, but on acceptance of His Son. In that regard, our relationship is so beautiful and secure. In the day-to-day as I “wrestle” with Him in the battle of my desires and sinful nature to what He has for my life, I believe He is sanctifying me and continues to change and grow my love for Him as I connect with Him through reading His Word, worship, prayer, and obedience.
My faith grew leaps and bounds through cancer. Cancer in and of itself is a horrible thing, but what God did in my life during cancer changed my life for the better. I learned how to trust God in a new way and my eyes were fixed on the eternal life that Jesus offers especially as death seemed to be quickly approaching. I felt such peace and surrender to my loving, faithful God for what the future would hold. And he showed up in beautiful ways throughout the entire journey and now in survivorship. I have fallen more in love with God as I learn more about who He is and how great His love is for the world.
When I was cured by a miracle during surgery, I was shocked to see that I had doubt. I discovered where my heart really was when my amazing, big, wonderful, loving God that I believe in with all my heart, doubted that I could be healed by a miracle. But I was reminded in a big way that God supersedes natural law, and that ANYTHING is really possible. And if He wills something, there is not a power on Earth that can stop it from happening. It has grown my faith so much.
If you are in a season of doubt about God loving you or if you will ever be healed from cancer, stay rooted in the truth: God is good all the time. It’s more than a feeling or circumstance, it’s the truth and it never changes. It’s sturdy, reliable, steadfast and fully good. He loves us and promises eternal life and that is something that cancer can never take away.
My favorite Bible verse is John 16:33, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” but during my cancer journey, my theme was also Romans 12:12, “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, and faithful in prayer.”
Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers and Devotional: What Your Heart Needs for the Hard Days by Holley Gerth. I read that through my cancer journey and was incredibly moved and changed by it.
It has often changed but right now my favorite is Tremble by Mosaic MSC.
“Jesus loves us right where we are at, but He loves us too much to let us stay there.” - Pastor John Snyder, Crossroads Community Church
He sees you right where you’re at and He loves you more than you can even imagine. There is truly no better time than now to start believing and learning about Him. I always recommend reading the Bible starting in the book of John to learn about the story of Jesus, asking questions that you wrestle with at www.gotquestions.org, and surrounding yourself with those who can help you in your journey. It’s the best decision you will ever make and eternal life begins now.
For me, the “why me” came to me only when I became cancer free. It was more of “why do I get to be cancer-free and live while so many suffer and die from this terrible disease?” The way that I got through that was just remembering that God has a purpose and plan for our lives. He is doing amazing things through the most difficult of circumstances, and He proved that by His death on the cross. We are understood by so many others who face the same trial that we do and we are understood by our Savior on a personal level.
I think sometimes prayer is perceived as something that needs to be done kneeling beside a bed at night with hands folded and eyes closed. But if that was the only way to pray, how could we ever follow the command to “pray continually” found in 1 Thessalonians 5:17? I would literally have conversations all throughout the day through writing and just talking to God in my head. Thanking Him, lifting up requests, confessing struggles, sins, and fears. I talked with Him all the time. And it felt like a relationship more than ever before even with eyes open and on the go. It became an essential piece of my cancer journey and now in survivorship as well.
When I wrote my funeral with my husband, I had never felt so close to God. I was preparing to be in His presence for all of eternity as we did not know if I would make it past my surgery. It was when I came to a point of full surrender and trust that I experienced this peace. My future was secure. I had nothing to fear. It has made all of the day-to-day worries not feel so daunting as I think back to how free I felt in that moment.
I would have to say Romans 12:12, "Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, and faithful in prayer." I also can’t recommend enough writing daily and documenting your journey in a raw and real way to look back on. It has kept me humble, grateful, and able to empathize with others. Day One is a great app to download to journal on your phone or computer - I couldn't write with my hand because I had a blood clot and my dominant arm was swollen!
Want to learn more about Nicole and her faith journey?
Visit her website: https://sparklysurvivor.com/
Follow her on Instagram: IG @SparklySurvivor
Like her Facebook Page: FB @SparklySurvivor
]]>I can’t even begin to imagine what it’s like to hear the words, “You have cancer”. But a diagnosis is not a prognosis of any sort. Many people after hearing those 3 words think that’s it’s a death sentence; we’re here to remind you otherwise. No one really knows how much time we’re each given. And if you’re equipped with the proper tools, recovery is just within reach.
In the case of cancer, time is of the essence and you should begin to restore your health back to optimal level without further ado. The road will be a little bumpy and at times chaotic, but when you have an action plan with every intention of getting better, healing yourself is a lot easier to achieve than you would believe. With our cancer planner, we’ve put together three simple steps to help you get started on your journey towards self healing.
Assess all of your options using our Treatment Options Evaluation template.
Did you know that three out of four doctors would not use chemotherapy as a treatment if they had cancer? A study was done by NaturalNews, a science-based natural health advocacy organization whose mission is to “empower consumers with factual information” and the results are alarming. When asked to choose between 6 different experimental therapies and chemotherapy, most of them denied chemotherapy as a choice and even went as far to say they wouldn’t allow their family to go through the process either.
This is because doctors know the way to beat cancer is not to extinguish the tumor by polluting your entire system with hazardous chemicals. They recognize how absurd the ideology behind chemotherapy really is but they can’t dispute it, even if they wanted to, because their training doesn’t allow them to. Now how exactly preposterous is chemo? I’ll take you back to the beginning of the history of chemotherapy so that we can find out.
Chemotherapy was accidentally developed from nitrogen mustard, aka “mustard gas”, into a treatment for cancer during World War I (Yale Journal of Biology and Medicine). Mustard gas was used as a chemical warfare agent known to cause particular harm and deadly effects. When the first clinical trail investigating the use of mustard gas as a treatment for advanced lymphosarcoma went successfully, everyone was stunned. But much like how it is now as to before, the effects of the treatment did not last and though the tumor regressed at first, the patient died not so long after.
So if chemotherapy has been just as ineffective when it was first developed as it is now, why is it still the most highly recommended form of cancer treatment?
The FDA has made it illegal for doctors to suggest herbs and supplements as a remedy for cancer, but chemical therapy is still recommended. Due to the corrupt politics of medicine, there are medical procedures your doctor’s not legally allowed to discuss with you at the risk of loosing their license. It’s not because your doctor doesn’t want to help you, it’s just that there are certain liabilities they’re held responsible to as an M.D. Unless a medication or treatment is FDA approved, your doctor is not permitted to prescribe or talk about it. And if a military grade chemical is endorsed by government institutions, that’s even more of a reason to become your own doctor. It’s incredibly important for you to perform your own research and not rely entirely on the doctor for information. Using our Treatment Options Evaluation, document your research to help you weigh out all of your options. This practical guide readily assists you in comparing and contrasting potential therapies and is a great way for you to visualize the pro’s and con’s of each treatment. It’ll really help you predict the ramifications of each of the different methods you may choose.
Use the CanPlan Food Pyramid and our nutritional guide.
Cancer is a mutational disease and these cancerous cells were innate within your body since the day you were conceived. Because of environmental or genetic factors, or a combination of both, your immune system has been compromised and rogue cells are taking over. The best thing you can do for your body now is to improve its cellular environment and support your immune system; this involves a radical change in your diet and nutrition. We’ve discovered a common factor that links cancer survivors and it’s that all of them transformed their lifestyles completely.
We strongly recommend you to stay away from animal protein because red meat and diary products are considered cancer promoting foods. Also falling into this category are refined sugars and carbohydrates because of how much insulin they produce. Insulin growth and animal meat are huge contributors to inflammation and are closely associated with cancer cell division.
The most useful and effective strategy is to implement a plant-based diet. Colorful fruits and vegetables help improve your nutritional status and decrease your chances getting sick. Vitamins and supplements from GNC will not do the trick because your body has a difficult time absorbing these add-ons and enhancers. It’s essential to obtain your nutrients from living organisms. Cruciferous vegetables like cauliflower and broccoli contain a compound so strong in preventing cancer that it’s being investigated as a chemotherapy agent. And for your intake of beneficial phytonutrients and antioxidants, be sure to get enough berries into your system. Overall, a diet with an emphasis on fruits, vegetables, nuts, and whole grains will be the best nutritional policy to follow.
Though it is expensive to maintain a diet of organic fruits and vegetables, these are the absolute best choices for cancer patients and should really be your only choices. Organic plants are grown without pesticides and other agricultural chemicals, so as they are grown in the natural outdoors, they protect themselves from predators and pests. This defensive characteristic of organic plants produces phytonutrients, which is advantageous to the human health and helps prevent the body from malady.
Focus on what brings you happiness by receiving as much positivity and encouragement as you can get.
In the realm of holistic medicine, your body and mind function together to produce your state of health. When it comes to curing a disease, one should apply this comprehensive approach by taking into account mental factors and treating the person as a whole, rather than just taking care of the physical symptoms. The mind and body approach in cancer treatment is vital to survival.
You’re might start feeling like you’ve lost all sense of control, especially if your body is being assaulted with chemotherapy, radiation, surgery and invasive procedures. Learning to cope with a strong mind is a mental technique cancer patients are becoming more and more aware about because the psychology of cancer is very real. It’s been scientifically proven that “women with ovarian cancer who lack a good support system have more distress and more aggressive malignancies, and this is just one example of a psychological association and a biological marker for more aggressive disease (drweil.com).”
A lot of people blame their cancer on the high levels of stress in their lives. Though this has yet to be proven/disproven, we know that stress affects the production of hormones such as epinephrine and cortisol that can weaken the immune system and increase the risk of cancer. Meditation, yoga, guided imagery, practicing mindfulness and acceptance are some tress reducing activities you may find helpful in dealing with heavy apprehension and anxiety. Maintaining a healthy state of mind not only allows you to feel more in control, but you’ll start to feel stronger and invigorated by your own positive energy. Releasing suppressed emotions and increasing positive emotions will improve your overall well-being. It also helps to deepen your spiritual connection and to embrace the social support from your loved ones. You can also refer to our Positivity & Happiness tips for more ways to stay stress free and headstrong.
Self-healing begins when you’re ready to take control of your condition. There’ve been countless cases of successful self-healing stories of Stage 4 cancer patients who heard what the doctors had to say and decided to take matters into their own hands. If you haven’t heard of the Spontaneous Remission Project, be sure to read into it when you have a chance. The project was put together by the Institute of Noetic Sciences and is a collective account of over 3,500 case studies of people who’ve experienced unprompted remissions from seemingly “incurable diseases”, most of these cases revolved around Stage 4 cancer patients who either said no to conventional treatment or were given an alternative treatment deemed inadequate by professional M.D.s.
When there’s nothing more your doctor can do for you, it doesn’t mean there’s nothing more that YOU can do for yourself. We’re not trying to persuade you against conventional medical treatment. We want to simply enable you to optimize your chances for a cure by integrating orthodox treatments with holistic remedies and alternative medicine. We’re here to empower you to become your own doctor. If you apply this kind of Whole Health approach to every aspect of your wellbeing, you can rest easy and know that you’ve done everything possible to help yourself heal.
]]>Chemo-brain is a term frequently used within the cancer community to describe the feeling of memory loss and seemingly slower cognitive function after various types of cancer treatment. Everyday things such as struggling to pay attention and multitask might be more difficult, which can sometimes be discouraging. Luckily, there are a variety of ways to help fight this feeling!
1. Meditate and focus on one thing at a time. Throughout one’s cancer journey, there are endless distractions and constant stressors that make it difficult to center yourself and really focus on what is most important to you. Meditation has been proven to have many health benefits, including the possibility of reducing one’s symptoms of anxiety, depression, and blood pressure.
Guided meditation audiobook ($4)
Link to purchase on Amazon: http://amzn.to/2DA7PnJ
Guided meditation book ($3)
Link to purchase on Amazon: http://amzn.to/2G2Vo9C
2. Write things down in one place. By keeping everything crucial, important, and dear to you in one place, it will be easier for you to keep track of everything that needs to get done, even when it feels overwhelming. A daily tracker or journal can help you remember dates and names, keep track of tasks, and track your own journey.
CanPlan Cancer Planner ($45)
Link to purchase on Amazon: http://amzn.to/2DyShAA
Start Where You Are: A Journal for Self-Exploration ($13)
Link to purchase on Amazon: http://amzn.to/2FMJj95
3. Research has shown that doing brain exercises on a regular basis, ranging from anything from a puzzle to a Sudoku to a crossword puzzle, can increase brain function and leave one feeling more confident in their own abilities. Brain exercises like such promote connections between brain cells and have been shown to improve one’s memory and mood.
Adult word search book ($7)
Link to purchase on Amazon: http://amzn.to/2HOA3xL
Adult activity book ($7)
Link to purchase on Amazon: http://amzn.to/2GHKa86
4. Aside from mental exercises, physical exercise is equally important to encourage blood flow to the brain and release endorphins. There are a variety of things to do for one to increase blood flow to the brain, from getting some fresh air or taking a walk, practicing yoga, or lifting light weights are just a few ways to keep your blood flowing. Activities like such help deliver oxygen to your brain, nutrients to your tissues, and helps promote cardiovascular health.
2 pound weights ($11)
Link to purchase on Amazon: http://amzn.to/2GJfK5y
Cancer Fitness: Exercise Programs for Patients and Survivors ($21)
Link to purchase on Amazon: http://amzn.to/2GJk8Bp
Yoga Body & Mind Handbook ($12)
Link to purchase on Amazon: http://amzn.to/2ICpizY
5. Teach yourself something new! You’re never too young or too old to learn a new skill, no matter where you might find yourself. There is a never-ending number of things you can teach yourself, such as a new language, how to knit, garden, or even a new recipe. It’s always exciting to showcase new talents to friends and family, and what a more perfect time than to surprise everyone now!
Dinner Made Simple Cookbook ($10)
Link to purchase on Amazon: http://amzn.to/2ICpmjc
Easy French Step by Step ($13)
Link to purchase on Amazon: http://amzn.to/2u185gb
Learn to Knit Kit ($13)
Link to purchase on Amazon: http://amzn.to/2FUIA1H
I’m a firm believer in the power of planning and preparation. It is one of the wisest ways to approach your cancer journey because it forces you to bring the future into the present, so that you can do something about it. Now.
When my mom passed away from cancer, I was stuck in this perpetual state of “what if.” What if we had gone a different route with her treatment? What if we had been consistent with her healthy diet? What if we developed a better relationship with her doctor? Would she still be here today?
I literally felt sick to my stomach thinking about all the lost opportunities and the lack of control we had over the situation. But after nights of replaying the scenarios over and over again, I began to realize that it wasn’t the situation we needed control over; it was our responses to them. And our responses would have been drastically different had we took the time to come up with an effective plan early on.
As humans, it’s fundamental for us to feel some sense of control, especially when it comes to our physiological needs. We seek to find some form of certainty in every situation because the unknown is uncomfortable. According to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, if a sense of control is not provided for our most basic needs such as our health and safety, all of our other needs such as our self-esteem, sense of belonging and self actualization are disregarded and abandoned in favor of supporting our deeper needs. So it makes sense as to why cancer patients are usually overwhelmed with feelings of hopelessness and depression. They are too busy focusing on their deteriorating healthy to even take a second and focus on their self-esteem.
The best way to take the driver’s seat in this journey is to create a cancer plan. I’ve created the roadmap for you with www.mycanplan.com so now it’s your job to get to the destination of remission safely with effective planning. Here’s how to get started with creating a cancer plan of attack.
Start by creating a list of questions you should ask your doctor. You want to find out as much about your cancer as possible since the goal here is to become the expert about it.
Understand where it is in your body, how likely it is to metastasize, statistics on the survival rate for your cancer based on different treatments, what you can do to build up your immune system, etc. Start by making a general list of questions and then go into specifics. Do as much research on your own as you can and then check the facts with your doctor. The more you show up to every appointment prepared, the more you’ll get from your doctor. Show him/her that you’re ready to fight and that you want this to be a team effort. If there’s something you don’t understand, do not hesitate to ask. Click here for a list of some great questions you can start off with.
Although your gut instinct is to follow every word your doctor says, do your own research about the treatment he/she is recommending. Ask questions like:
If you don’t feel fully convinced, get a second opinion. This is something I can’t stress enough. Having more than one pair of eyes on the situation will help you determine the best path for treatment. Then do your own research about what other treatments are out there. There’s a range of integrative therapies you can take advantage of and various options for supplemental treatments if you decide to go the conventional route. Come up with a list of 6 – 7 treatment options, weigh out the pros and cons of each and really get a solid understanding of what the goals for the treatment are.
Create a list of all the people in your network that would be willing to help – whether it’s by giving you a ride to an appointment, getting you connected with someone, offering financial support, etc. Once you determine who in your life can help, go out and ask them. Chances are, they are eager to help you…they just don’t know how. You need to be direct with them and tell them exactly what you need otherwise you’ll be carrying the stress and burden on your own.
Dr. Tony Jimenez M.D. quoted, “One negative thought can kill you faster than a bad germ.” Try to count how many times you engage in negative self-talk each day. You might be overwhelmed by how often you criticize yourself. As humans, negative experiences tend to have a greater impact than positive experiences because once the brain starts looking for bad news, it’s stored into long-term memory quickly.
However, if you can start to recognize this negative talk and replace it with encouraging statements, your attitude will start to change. Come up with a plan to combat against negative thoughts. Make a list of some songs you could listen to, funny videos you could watch, or activities you can do to pick your mood up. Keep a gratitude journal and plan to write in it every single night before you go to bed so you can reflect on the positive things that happened to you that day.
What you put into your body is going to be fundamental in winning this battle. What you eat determines whether you’re feeding cancer or fighting it. Develop a solid diet plan and be strict about it. You’re going to need to cut out a lot of things in order to detoxify and repair your immune system.
Juicing is hands-down the best piece of advice I could give any newly diagnosed cancer patient. It is the most efficient way to extract massive amounts of nutrients from produce, without having to eat several pounds of it per day. I can go on and on about the benefits of juicing but the main point is that it releases 90% of the nutrients in food and is rapidly absorbed in your body, fueling your immune system with nutrients that can turn off cancer genes, interfere with cancer cell reproduction, and cause apoptosis.
It’s essential for patients to get a good night’s sleep so that the body can rest and repair. Develop a sleep routine where you get up and go to bed at the same time each day. Also develop a regular pre-sleep routine that helps to calm you before you go to bed. For example:
Also make sure to stay as active as you’re able to. The sooner you start exercising, the better you’ll feel, the fewer medications you’re likely to need, and the lower your risk will be for complications, says Andréa Leiserowitz, physical therapy supervisor at the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, an affiliate of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. She recommends implementing an exercise routine before treatment gets underway – especially if you have been inactive.
An effective form of exercise cancer patients can really benefit from is rebounding because it increases your G-force. Studies show that increased G-force helped increase Lymphocyte activity, which is when the lymph system transports immune cells throughout the body and supports immune function. For this reason, rebounding is often suggested as a detoxifying and immune boosting activity. As a cancer patient, this is the best exercise you can do.
Cancer is manageable when you begin to understand the things you can and cannot control. We are all on a journey. You can be inspired, motivated and hardworking, but without direction the best you’ll be is busy and rarely productive. It’s not just about have a goal; It’s about having a plan and understanding that every choice on your course either contributes or constricts your success. Planning is the answer to your fight against cancer. Best wishes to you on your journey!
]]>My name is Sarina and I’ve been interning with CanPlan for the past few months. It has honestly been such a rewarding experience as I have a personal connection with cancer that made this experience all the more meaningful. Both my grandma and uncle were diagnosed with cancer while I was growing up and their experiences as well as my experiences with them have greatly impacted my life.
My grandma was first diagnosed with lung cancer when I was born. Since they caught it early, she was able to remove a part of her lung – removing the tumor almost immediately. There was always the possibility that the cancer would come back, and it did. When I was in middle school I remember her needing to go to treatment every week. She would come home sick, throwing up and unable to eat anything. Her hair started to fall out as her body slowly deteriorated. It was hard to watch. Still, she fought on until finally the doctor said that the treatment was working and she would go into remission. Unfortunately that didn’t last for long. Halfway through high school, the cancer came back. This time, unsure if my grandma was strong enough to undergo treatment again, the doctors opted for experimental drugs. They worked for a short while but eventually she had to go through another round of treatment. Now in college, I was fully able to understand the impact this cancer was having on my grandma’s quality of life. It was hard for me to watch her slowly lose her will to live. She kept questioning why she was still alive which was hard for family to hear. She is still struggling today, trying to cope with the emotional toll cancer has taken on her life. Part of the reason for this is my uncle passed away after being diagnosed with sarcoma a few years ago. For my grandma, watching her child pass away before her was hard to comprehend. In my uncle’s case, he refused radiation or chemotherapy opting to live out his life the way he wanted. He tried different holistic treatments and really identified with the practice of Reiki. It was interesting for me to see two people take such different approaches to dealing with their cancer. My grandma went the medical route seeking treatment, pills, and anything science etc could provide and my uncle on the other hand sought out holistic treatments, opting to live out the rest of his life the way he wanted instead of subjecting himself to multiple treatments and chemotherapy.
Through these experiences I have learned so much. First, I learned that everyday is a blessing – you never know when it could be your last and therefore surround yourself with people who are important and don’t waste time stressing about the little things. Secondly, I’ve learned that while we all have our own opinions about how other people should live their lives – it is most important to realize that it is their life and they are capable of deciding what is best for them. The prime example for this is with my uncle. When he refused to go through treatment, my grandpa was extremely upset, wondering why he would forsake science in the pursuit of a holistic treatment. However, this was what my uncle wanted and what made him happy and therefore the knowledge that we supported his decisions was ultimately more meaningful to him. Lastly, from the perspective of a caregiver, I’ve learned that the only way to truly help someone is to take care of yourself. There is no way you can give the best care to someone if you haven’t taken enough time for self-care. You can become resentful and lose sight of why you want to help them or become overwhelmed by all the new responsibilities. It is important to schedule some “me time” because then you’ll be able to go back with a positive and refreshed attitude.
]]>I know, it’s so scary. Making a plan to cure yourself and save your life. Literally, you have the weight of your world in your hands. But not to fear. Even though there is still no “cure” for cancer, many have successfully healed themselves from the deadly disease. Be assured there have been many countless cancer survivors before you who have paved the road to recovery with hope and encouragement. We’re just here to guide you on your way.
Being diagnosed with cancer is terrifying. So finding assistance and helpful information should be easy. In this blog entry, I will be guiding you through how to create the best appropriate cancer plan for your body and your condition. Within a cancer plan are three distinct segments – a treatment plan, a payment plan and a recovery plan. A treatment plan considers all of the patient’s therapy options, including conventional care and alternative methods, to make the best informed decision per condition. A payment plan accounts for the finances and how to outsource funds to pay the inevitably heft medical bills. And lastly, a recovery plan includes the supplementary actions that need to be taken, such as changing your diet and lifestyle goals. When all three parts function together, it is intrinsic to improving the chances of survival. Effectively enforcing and efficiently keeping track of a cancer plan will help a patient progress through healing swiftly and with a greater peace of mind.
To begin, you should assume it’s your responsibility to know everything about your body and your condition. But isn’t this my doctor’s job? You may ask. Well, sadly, most doctors won’t be able to provide personal quality care because of the largely disproportionate ratio of registered oncologist to new patients. With approximately 1.6 new cancer cases each year and only 21,200 registered oncologists, there’s a dire shortage of cancer specialists in our country (American Cancer Society, 2014). It’s best if you don’t become solely reliant on your doctor. He/She should really only be there to clarify esoteric information for you. Bring out the doctor in yourself by having a cancer planner to keep all of the information pertaining to your cancer organized & easily accessible. Be prepared for every appointment by doing your own research and coming up with questions beforehand. Make the most out of the time you have with your oncologist because it may be hard to get in touch with them during off hours. Take notes of every appointment so you can keep track of how you’re progressing after each. Accumulating all the data you can possibly find will only benefit you as a patient and caregiver. All you have to do is seek and you will find the answers. And the more you know, the more you have to fight with.
The first thing to consider after your initial diagnosis is – What are the treatment options for my type of cancer? If your cancer is invasive, your doctor will strongly urge you to perform a very aggressive form of orthodox treatment as soon as possible. Be ready to be convinced to do surgery, radiation or chemotherapy. But just know that there are many alternatives on the spectrum of treatments. From surgery, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, gene targeted therapies and clinical trials, to some of the more obscure treatments such as plant extract therapies, there are just so many options available. It’s also common to integrate therapies of the conventional norm and of the alternative. For example, a patient with stage 2 lung cancer may opt to have surgery and also adopt Gerson Therapy as a supplemental treatment where they heavily regulate their diet. So how do you choose the best route? This is where the beauty of having a cancer plan comes in. Start by weighing out your different options in terms of cost, duration, side effects, convenience and the general pros and cons for each. This will help you to filter out the options that aren’t plausible for you and your family. Trust your gut feeling and narrow your list down to the top three options. Create a visual roadmap for each treatment option listing the action steps you’ll need to take in order to see this through and picture yourself after each milestone. How are you mentally, physically, emotionally and financially? Trust me when I say that you’ll have a greater peace of mind knowing that you’ve weighed out all of your options and have narrowed your focus down to the treatment plans you believe will work best for you. Trusting your treatment plan is absolutely vital to fighting your disease. Believe you can and you’re half way there.
Now how do you pay for all of this? There are ways to pay for all of your expenses when you get creative with it. Since crowdfunding has taken off in the last couple years, you’ll be surprised at how many people, whether it’s your friends or those who’ve just heard your story but have never met you, are more than willing to help your cause. You can check out platforms like GiveForward, GoFundMe or Indiegogo. For further financial assistance and direction, you can evaluate these helpful organizations from our resources list (www.familyreach.org, cancercarecopay.org, cancerfac.org, thechainfund.org). Having a cancer planner will help you to keep track of all your medical expenses in one place and stay on top of your payments. The last thing you want to worry about is all your expenses adding up and getting out of hand.
Finally as part of your recovery plan, it’s important to ask yourself what vital changes to your lifestyle choices are necessary to help you heal and strength your immune system. A breakdown of the immune system is the primary reason humans develop cancer; we must work towards recovery by building back up the immune system with nourishing therapies. There’s a bunch of research you can do on cancer fighting foods you should incorporate into your diet. There is a cancer fighting food pyramid inside of CanPlan to help you get started. What you put into your body is one of the only elements you can control in your fight against cancer, so don’t ignore the importance of it. Now to create the best plan of action to guide you towards recovery, start by keeping track of your daily diet, exercise and medications. Then at the end of the day, rate how you feel overall on a scale of one to ten and what your general mood was for that day. Do this everyday as you start to make your lifestyle changes and notice what elements are and aren’t working for you. Perhaps you noticed that running for 30 mins greatly improved how you felt for that day. Take note of this and be consistent with it in your treatment plan. The more aware you become of your body and how it reacts to certain elements, the better you’ll be able to detect any new symptoms and find ways to combat against it. Keeping track of your progress will help put you in the driver’s seat with your fight against cancer. Don’t wait around for your doctor to tell you how you’re doing. This is your fight. You control how you want it to go.
Remember, you know your body best so always honor your body and how it reacts to certain treatments. A one-size-fits-all approach, much like the plan your doctor will prescribe you, won’t work in this situation. Since there is no “cure” to cancer as of right now, you’ll have to discover the best recovery plan through experimental trial and error. We encourage you to ask for help and seek guidance as much as you can. We’re lucky enough to live in an era, and country, with unlimited access to infinite knowledge where we can freely acquire information to make a well-informed decision (just be sure to double check your sources). It’s as if we’re given all the tools we’d need to be our own doctor. Now isn’t that a progressive thought.
]]>I was looking through some of my old documents and came across a list of questions I made for two of my mom’s doctors after she was done with her chemotherapy and we got news that her cancer had come back. I just wanted to share this so you can get an idea of what was going on through our heads during this time. Just to give you some context, she was first diagnosed with stage 1 uterine sarcoma cancer, went through surgery and chemotherapy, then got word that her cancer had aggressively spread to her lungs three months later. She developed ascites (fluid build up in the abdomen) as a result of her tumor spreading.
DR. STEVE QUESTIONS (Natural Therapy Doctor):
Now, here’s a list of some general questions every patient should ask their doctor at the BEGINNING of their cancer journey. It’s so important to get as much information as you can from the beginning because every decision you make from here on out will effect the rest of your life. So here are the best questions any cancer patient can ask their doctor:
GENERAL QUESTIONS:
SYMPTOMS QUESTIONS:
MEDICATION:
TREATMENT QUESTIONS:
SUPPORT QUESTIONS:
Start your journey off right by getting your very own CanPlan Cancer Planner. It is full of questions you should ask your doctor and space for you to jot down the answers and keep everything organized.
]]>I was honestly a bit skeptical about suggesting modern medicine to newly diagnosed patients after my experience as a caregiver for my mom. Although I’d read a bunch of articles indicating that chemotherapy is toxic, carcinogenic (causes cancer), destroys erythrocytes (red blood cells), devastates the immune system, and destroys vital organs, I still allowed my mom to go through with the treatment because she insisted on listening to her doctor. 15 books and many nights of fighting my own biased opinions later, I finally came to the conclusion that modern medicine can be very effective at treating certain types of cancer. Now, I am in no way giving medical advice to anyone reading this article. I’m simply restating the facts that have already been published on this topic. The best advice I can give you is to follow your gut about your doctor and your treatment (AND to get yourself a CanPlan Cancer Planner so that you can start off your journey the right way). Wishing you the best!
Due to the effective methods available to detect the cancer, cervical cancer is one of the most treatable cancers. The Pap test detects the presence of abnormal cells on the cervix before they’re even cancerous. If the cancer cells appear on the cervix, they’re growing at a very slow rate. If these cells are diagnosed at a precancerous stage, they can be treated before they develop and spread.
In breast cancer stage 1, if the tumor is smaller than a peanut (2 centimeters or smaller), it is very treatable and survivable.
A 2014 article in the Journal of Clinical Oncology considers the advances in the treatment of testicular cancer one of the greatest achievements in medicine. This is particularly due to the approval of the chemo drug, cisplatin, in 1978, which boosted survival rates for this type of cancer. Although it’s treated successfully in 95% of cases, early treatment can raise that rate to 98%.
Prostate tumors can grow at a slow rate or don’t grow at all. These tumors are not deemed harmful enough to require treatment.
Melanoma is considered to have a high survival rate because it’s usually very easy to spot while it’s still in its early stages. You can check the skin for large, dark, oddly shaped or raised blotches. The Skin Cancer Foundation says if it’s not treated early, it can advance and spread to other parts of the body, where it becomes far more difficult to treat and can be fatal. It’s important to check your back, scalp, scrotum and in between your toes.
The thyroid gland – located in your neck – helps produce hormones the body needs to burn calories and control heartbeat. Papillary, the most common type of thyroid cancer, grows slowly. When tumors are large, or start to grow into nearby tissues, doctors can treat and even cure the disease with surgery by removing the gland.
Cancer can be extremely overwhelming with the abundance of information. Here are the top five books that CanPlan recommends to aid you in your journey.
Price: $16.32
Emphasis: Soul
Review: When cancer hits, the diagnosis is usually received as a death sentence, but the reality of life is that every single person must come face to face with death, even in the most ironic of ways, as it was for Dr. Paul Kalanithi, who went from treating cancer patients to being diagnosed himself. This vulnerable, personal story will give hope in a completely different light during a time when the hopelessness tempts you to fight alone. He gives a powerful message to why it’s worth fighting for your life, as he did until his final breath on March 9, 2015.
Link to Purchase: http://amzn.to/2FI2FLR
Price: $16.30
Emphasis: Shortcomings of Conventional Medicine
Review: I think the first step in fighting any battle is to know what you’re up against. This book has gotten great reviews because you can learn about what cancer really is for yourself, not just through your doctor or appointments, especially if you have just been diagnosed or are a suddenly appointed caregiver. Both parties can ask the right questions with this resource.
Link to Purchase: http://amzn.to/2FOgDvs
Price: $16.03
Emphasis: Mind
Review: This is another book to not only become more knowledgeable about what you’re fighting, but it’ll give you the bigger picture as it goes deep into cancer’s history, present, and future by telling many different cancer stories throughout time. I think it’ll help as another resource to challenge yourself to understand and to equip yourself with hope.
Link to Purchase: http://amzn.to/2DmRJxM
Price: $16.55
Emphasis: Body
Review: Clearly what you eat is a huge part of your health, especially as you fight cancer. This is a book that’s an easy read, but will give you the breakdown of why it’s so important to change your diet and what are the practical ways to do so.
Link to Purchase: http://amzn.to/2FOhJHA
Price: $10.01
Emphasis: Holistic Lifestyle
Review: This is a book that will shed light on remission and pushing to overcome cancer in practical and new ways. She offers 9 new ways of living to dramatically increase survival, but these ways touch upon every aspect of life– mind, body, soul/spirit. Another message of hope!
Link to Purchase: http://amzn.to/2FOmVLS
]]>I’m going to be very blunt and straightforward with this because there’s no point in sugarcoating facts. Cancer is a business. If everyone were cured of cancer, oncologists, pharmacists, and insurance companies would all be losing massive amounts of money. Unfortunately business owners saw the market opportunity and started making cancer gifts designed to just generate profits with no promise of helping patients. You see people selling pink ribbon shirts, jackets, bumper stickers, lanyards, keychains, etc. at pretty much every cancer event. And although I understand the symbolism of the gift, if I were battling cancer, the last thing I would want is a keychain to remind me of this disease that has now somehow been imbedded into my identity.
Therefore, I wanted to create a simple guide of some USEFUL and PRACTICAL products that’ll actually help a patient through his/her cancer journey. These are some cancer gifts I wish I knew about while my mom was battling stage 4 uterine sarcoma cancer. Why? Because they all serve a greater purpose of actually helping a patient either physically, emotionally, or psychologically.
For your health, rebounding involves jumping on a mini-trampoline; this increases both blood and lymph circulation. The body contains 5-6 quarts of blood, which is circulated by the heart. But without the lymphatic system, the body cannot effectively eliminate toxins. The lymphatic system is a major dumping ground for toxins and waste products. Exercising on a rebounder promotes the flow of lymph, thereby flushing the toxins.
You can get all aerobic exercise you need on a rebounder, and get all the lymphatic circulation you need on a rebounder, without the shock and trauma of hitting a hard surface.
~ Albert Carter
Click Here to Purchase: http://amzn.to/2zix9Nk
As a psychology major, I strongly believe in the power of the mind and how it plays a role on our health. CanPlan is a tool I created to put the control back into the hands of patients by putting them in the driver’s seat and giving them guidelines on how to be proactive about their treatment. Imagine how beneficial it’d be if patients knew the right questions to ask, showed up to every appointment prepared, understood all of their treatment options, tracked their daily activities in a way that highlights what’s working and not working in their treatment plan and were constantly reminded that they are not lost, but rather on their way. They’ll be able to work in unison with their doctors, they’ll start believing in their own abilities to influence the outcome of their situation, they’ll be able to communicate better with their peers about what they need and they’ll essentially become the expert about their cancer. Planning is the answer to your fight against cancer.
5 out of 5 stars! This was an amazing planner. I think oncologists should give them to their patients when they are first diagnosed. It has EVERYTHING and helps document every step of the journey in an easy to read and understanding way.
~ Verified Amazon Purchaser
Click Here to Purchase: http://amzn.to/2ziynYW
I got this book as a gift when my mom was going through treatment and it was the best thing ever. I seriously wish we had this book from the very beginning of the journey so we weren’t scrambling to really comprehend the material towards the end. It gives you all the benefits of juicing and how to activate your body to start fighting the cancer through food. Charlotte Gerson, the daughter of Max Gerson, founded the Gerson Institute in 1977. Under her father’s tutelage, Charlotte learned about the remarkable nutritional therapy that has saved the health of thousands, including Nobel Peace Prize winner Dr. Albert Schweitzer, a lifelong advocate of the Gerson Therapy®. Charlotte has supervised the training of medical staff at the Gerson Institute and at hospitals licensed to teach the Gerson Institute method. She has lectured on the benefits of nutritional therapy at several hundred health organizations worldwide, including the Cancer Control Society, the National Health Federation, and the International Association of Cancer Victors and Friends. A staunch practitioner of holistic medicine, Charlotte Gerson has devoted her life to the Gerson Therapy’s message of health and healing.
We watched the Gerson documentary on juicing for cancer one night in April 2013 when my husband was literally dying before my eyes from colon cancer and 3 1/2 rounds of chemo. He refused to do anymore chemo from that night on. I scrambled to buy a juicer and this book the very next day. We followed most of the directions in this book and my husband is now cancer free!
~ Verified Amazon Purchaser
Click Here to Purchase: http://amzn.to/2yvZHpn
This cancer gift is a tad bit more pricey, but it’s SO worth it if the patient doesn’t have a juicer yet. I am a strong advocate for juicing and have seen the benefits work on many different cancer patients firsthand. Juicing is the best way to extract massive amounts of nutrients from vegetables. You can get the nutrients you need, which in turn helps your body to fight cancer. Juicing makes this possible without having to sit down and eat several pounds of vegetables per day. If your body is overloaded with toxins, you could be absorbing as little as 1% of the nutrients in the food you eat as it passes through your body. Toxins in your system can prevent nutrients from being absorbed from whole foods as they move along their way through your digestive tract. However, juices are rapidly absorbed in the digestive process. So I HIGHLY recommend a juicer as a gift. There are some cheaper options on Amazon, but I found this one to be the best in terms of quality and price.
I love this juicer! It is great for the juice cleanse that I am doing. I just did a week straight of just juicing. I was making about 6 juices a day and this machine worked like a champ. I juiced all kinds of things from carrots to beets and apples, kale to sweet potato. Seriously, I know it is a little pricey, but it is worth the money!
~ Verified Amazon Purchaser
Click Here to Purchase: http://amzn.to/2xMqOc6
There are 7 research studies published on frankincense oil and cancer, shown in the Table below. As you can see, almost all of this evidence is in vitro research, meaning that the essential oil was found to kill cancer cells in a petri dish.
Today, the most common frankincense benefitsinclude:
I am very satisfied with the oil and highly recommend this product. I have purchased other oils from different companies only to find out the concentration of the oil is severely diluted. Majestic Pure oils are by far the strongest concentration I have found. They really are therapeutic grade. I am definitely going to go be purchasing some other oils soon.
~ Verified Amazon Purchaser
Click Here to Purchase: http://amzn.to/2xMro9M
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It’s quite appropriate that this week would be RAK Week (Feb 14th – Feb 20th), Random Acts of Kindness Week, as it commences on the most affectionate of holidays. Love and heart shaped confetti are on boastful display everywhere, while emotions and sentiments are flying high. Many anticipated a surprise from their special someone. Others, like myself, sat on the sidelines admiring the festivities, trying the hardest to be the least of envious. Then I thought to myself, instead of watching everything happen, why I don’t take this opportunity to jump in the action and good stuff. Because you don’t necessarily have to have a Valentine to do something nice for someone. And it doesn’t require a special week for the dedication of exceptional virtue.
Too many happy moments escape us if we always expect good things to come to us. I’d rather be the one to initiate. So here are a few Random Acts of Kindness I’ve compiled for us to do this week for a cancer patient. And even if you don’t have much, don’t worry. We encourage you to get creative here so that you can give your best. It’s the thought that counts.
Did you know people who are kind and compassionate are usually the most successful? It’s in the numbers and science. Those who spend money on others report much greater happiness than those who spend it on themselves. Besides this, physiological benefits of kindness include a strengthened immune system, improved cognitive performance, increase in energy, lower heart rate and balanced cortisol levels which results in less internal stress. Doing good for others actually does so much good for yourself! That’s amazing!
Let’s remember this, that true kindness is innate within. It needs not to be coerced to do. Because the epitome of kindness, the act of doing good from the soul, is giving and not expecting anything in return. There won’t always be cheers or credits. And those with more should give more because there are those who have less who just can’t. In a world of drastic disparities, this is considered an acquired ethic and imperative if goodness is to prevail. The essence of love and kindness is very simple, you don’t have to dress it up in glitter and lights on a special day. All you need is to be available and ready. It takes a lot to give a lot, but it feels good in the end. When you are grateful and practicing random acts of kindness, the result is inner peace, greater consciousness, collective joy and a heart full of love. So give it all you’ve got. You have nothing to lose.
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