According to a study presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology meeting in Chicago this week, more than 95 percent of the time, cancer specialists accurately recognize the presentation of side effects of cancer treatment years after the treatment is completed. That’s compared to primary care doctors who are much less successful in identifying the same late stage side effects. The findings don’t infer that primary doctors are less-than-excellent physicians. Cancer is only one subset of diseases they face in their practices. It’s not expected that primary care doctors can be specialists in everything.
For cancer survivors and those who treat them, the study’s findings stress the importance of communication between primary healthcare providers and cancer specialists. It demonstrates the need for a team-based approach to cancer survivorship planning and cancer rehabilitation. Communication and information exchange is key to such planning, with the goal being that the patient, the primary care doctor, and the cancer treatment team remain in constant communication after the patient completes treatment.
Continue reading Planning to Survive Cancer→
By Jaci Kettler, MA on April 24, 2012 1:57 pm
|
Tagged anxiety, behavioral changes, cancer survivors, CancerForward, emotional scars, flashbacks, including depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, recurrence, The Survivor Network on CancerForward
|
In a previous CancerForward blog post, I relayed some of my experiences with the physical scars I received from my treatment for cancer. Although perhaps less visible to others, the emotional scars from cancer do not quickly fade and can be very serious.
A recent study conducted by the Duke Cancer Institute discovered that cancer survivors experience symptoms similar to that of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) often for more than a decade after their initial diagnosis and treatment. Some cancer survivors report lasting behavioral changes, including depression and flashbacks (Mail Online 2011).
For many of us cancer survivors, the findings of that study are not surprising. During chemotherapy, I focused on getting better. Although I struggled emotionally, the goal of recovering helped keep me positive. However, after I finished my eight rounds of chemotherapy, I started having issues with anxiety. While receiving chemo, I felt relatively safe from the cancer. When my chemo was over, I lost that safety blanket and my anxiety about a recurrence skyrocketed. I worried my cancer had returned with every back pain, night sweat, and swollen lymph node. The anxiety made it difficult to focus on anything. I disliked being on my own for the months after my treatment, feeling especially anxious and vulnerable when alone.
Continue reading Emotional Scars: Less Visible But Run Deep→
By Jaci Kettler, MA on April 24, 2012 1:50 pm
|
Tagged badges of honor, cancer, cancer survivors, central venous catheter, physical and emotional, scars, self-conscious, side effects, strength
|
Most adults have scars. However, cancer survivors often have distinctive physical and emotional scars. In this first post of a two-part series on scars, I focus on psychical scars, saving a discussion about emotional scars for my next blog.
In total, I have eight recognizable scars from cancer. A couple scars are noticeable, while my clothing usually hides the more serious of my scars. Although a couple of my scars are still slightly painful, I am incredibly lucky that my remaining side effects from cancer are mild annoyances rather than constant pain.
In a culture that values blemish-free bodies, having scars from an uncontrollable event like cancer can be very frustrating and sometimes embarrassing. For example, I have a small, raised scar on my neck. It’s where my central venous catheter or port lived while I received chemo for a few months. People, even friends, sometimes mistake that scar for a hickey, which has led to several uncomfortable, but some entertaining conversations.
Continue reading Survivor Scars: Embarrassing, Difficult Reminders or Sources of Pride?→
By Beth Sanders Moore on March 8, 2012 2:53 pm
|
Tagged #ICanGoForward, breast cancer, cancer survivor, CancerForward, esophageal cancer, Hodgkin’s disease, Kappa Kappa Gamma, Nancy Moncrief, National Cancer Survivors Day, prostate cancer research, Ronald McDonald House, sharing, survivor story, survivorship, Texas Children’s Hospital, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, thyroid cancer
|
On May 23 of this year, in celebration of National Cancer Survivors Day 2012, CancerForward will have the great fortune to honor a three-time cancer survivor whose journey with cancer is worthy of national news coverage. Yet, she has not sought to place herself under a key light or in front of a camera. Not because she’s modest about her situation or afraid to speak out. She sees herself as one of millions who have traveled the same road as she has. She believes hers is not a unique story.
I completely and personally understand her. For years, I, a rather modest person by nature, thought it uninteresting to anyone to share my survivor story. It took me several years to realize that the sharing of experience is helpful to other survivors and could be helpful to me.
I told our National Cancer Survivors Day honoree that I understood her reticence to allow her friends to honor her survivorship. I urged her to consider it thoughtfully but in the framework of what would be healthy for her. She immediately responded, “It is what it is. There’s no reason to shy away from it. It can help others” And, so, we honor a survivor who now a grandmother has fought cancer since age 12 and four years ago lost her husband to cancer far too early in his life.
Continue reading Has Anyone Ever Fought Cancer More Tenaciously, More Gracefully?→
Borrowed from Sharon Bray,
Writing Through Cancer
(www.writingthroughcancer.com)
“Breathe in,” my yoga teacher spoke softly as she led us through a closing meditation. “Fill yourself with gratitude,” she said.
I inhaled, filling my lungs with air, and then exhaled slowly, trying to clear my mind–a perpetually challenging task. “Gratitude.” I silently repeated the word to myself on each inhale, until it seemed I had actually filled my body, my entire being with gratitude. I drove home smiling, feeling lighter than I had two hours earlier as I’d combatted traffic and stop lights to get to my class on time. When I reached my house, I sat at my desk, opened my notebook and made a gratitude list. The page was quickly filled with the names of people who, because of their love, kindness and friendship, have enriched my life.
It wasn’t until this morning that it struck me: my gratitude list was incomplete. For as often as I’ve tried, over the years, to cultivate a practice of letting the people in my life know how much I appreciate them–with letters, little gifts, thank you notes, or, as February 14th nears, even valentines–I am remiss at remembering to appreciate someone in particular.
That someone is a person much like you. She’s has struggled at different times in her life and sometimes won, grieved but often rejoiced, loved (often too well), and sometimes lost. Her body has weathered surgeries, cancer and heartache but it still serves her well, doing its yeoman’s work day in and day out. Her face shows the tell-tale signs of age, and her joints often broadcast her age when she tries to do a new yoga pose. But that someone is more often greeted with an exasperated sigh as she looks in her magnifying mirror to put on her makeup. She sometimes wilts under the harsh words of a fierce internal critic, who trounces all over her writing at regular intervals. She often forgets to be grateful for the person who stares back at her from the mirror. Her face, with all its evidence of a life lived, her body, her unique gifts. That person is me.
Continue reading Sarah Bray Suggests for Valentine’s Day, I Should Sit Right Down and Write Myself a Letter→
Today is World Cancer Day, the theme of which in 2012 is “Cancer Can Be Prevented.” The most important pledge you can make today is not monetary. It is your pledge to make healthy living choices, including individual lifestyle changes.
I eat a healthy diet, I exercise 2 hours daily, I don’t smoke, and I’ve taken the medical advice my docs earlier this year gave me: I should no longer drink alcohol. But, my lifestyle is still not a healthy one. I lead a very stressful life.
My pledge today is to avoid stress without creating stress to get there. Stress is a key cause of heart disease among women. In all of us, it significantly weakens the immune system…a body part in cancer survivors already wrecked by the disease itself and every treatment we apply to get rid of cancer.
I’ve learned that avoiding stress is not so tough and getting there doesn’t necessarily add more stress. It’s a lifestyle change to be sure, so it’s required some adjustments in my life and I can see places that will require more changes.
What a gift I owe to the person who taught me meditation and mindfulness: how to live in the moment, not regret the past; not sweat the future. Heightened spirituality will reduce stress if I seek it every day; and, it fits hand-in-glove with mindfulness. I try to seek it. All I can do it try. No stress.
I’ve found marked stress-reduction by staying in a circle of compassionate, supportive, genuine friends and embracing those relationships. Even if the circle is sometimes a circle of three, I accept it as bounty.
And like many people, I’ve figured out that I’m more at peace and less in stress if I quietly step around those whose values don’t mesh with mine. I had to find that out for myself and the hard way.
On this World Cancer Day, I pledge to fight the fight as arduously as ever, without political divisiveness, over-zealousness or disregard to the underlying purpose of my work. It is stressful at times to make my voice heard for a cause that has struggled for years to become mainstream. But, if I fight the fight fairly, I’ll get closer to the goal with less stress. I may not be the first to score. That’s unimportant to me. With conviction void of stress, it’s enough to know I chose to remain healthy…physically, emotionally, fiscally and spiritually…and fought the best that I could.
By Jaci Kettler, MA on January 15, 2012 5:43 am
|
Tagged active lifestyle, bicycling, cancer survivors, Exercise, fitness, health, Play, swimming, The Survivor Network, Walking, yoga
|
Recent studies have demonstrated the importance of exercise for prolonging life and preventing cancer. One recent study found that individuals that exercise just 15 minutes per day were 10% less likely to die from cancer (Washington Post 2011). In addition to decreasing the likelihood of getting cancer, exercising helps increase one’s health overall (Mayo Clinic 2011) and it is very important for cancer survivors to stay in good health.
Finding time to exercise often can be difficult, especially for adults with full-time jobs and a family. For those individuals not currently exercising, beginning an exercise routine is a daunting task. Although all last summer I planned to start a regular exercise regime, I still have yet to actually begin one. However, even when some types of exercising may be difficult to fit into one’s schedule, there are plenty of options to live an active lifestyle without creating too much stress. Below are four easy ways I’ve found to lead an active and healthy lifestyle.
(1) Walk – Walking is a great way to exercise and is an activity that many of us already do during the day. Walking is my main form of exercise. The walk from the parking lot to my office is a little over 10 minutes. Instead of riding the bus, I walk every day – ensuring I get at least 20 minutes of exercise a day. Additionally, I take my dog on at least two long walks a day. Walking is low impact exercise, meaning people can walk for longer without the aches and pains of some other types of exercise. A great motivator for walking more throughout the day is to wear a pedometer. These are usually very cheap and encourage more activity throughout the day (WebMD). Additionally, America on the Move has suggestions for ways to walk more throughout the day.
Continue reading 4 Easy Ways for Cancer Survivors to Lead an Active Lifestyle→
In October at the successful Saks Fifth Avenue Key to the Cure Kickoff 2011, CancerForward celebrated noted cancer survivors in the Houston community as Forward Movers. The founder of CancerForward, Beth Sanders Moore, welcomed attendees by recognizing the importance of having community leaders be vocal about their cancer survivorship: “We’re here tonight to recognize and celebrate the 2011 Forward Movers. They are cancer survivors and highly respected community leaders. They are role models. The way they live beyond cancer offers hope and inspiration to other cancer survivor as they move forward with their own lives. There is nothing like the support of another cancer survivor.”
It is extremely important to have cancer survivors be active in their community and willing to discuss their experience with cancer, especially those who are successful and visible leaders. These noted cancer survivors serve as encouraging figures to cancer patients and cancer survivors. Knowing others have experienced similar events and emotions helps cancer patients and survivors feel less alone and more positive about their own situation.
The Survivor Network on CancerForward provides cancer survivors with a forum in which to interact with other cancer survivors; but, individuals like our Forward Movers stand as important resources for cancer survivors as well.
Continue reading Celebrating CancerForward Forward Movers→
We all know that October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Breast cancer awareness events occur in almost every city and pink ribbons and products appear everywhere, including NFL football games and locker rooms. Breast cancer awareness and breast cancer research organizations have ensured that research on breast cancer cures and treatments are well-funded.
Breast cancer is a very intimate cancer. Although we typically focus on the cancer’s impact on women, we note breast cancer is also a very real disease for males. Ann Pietrangelo pens an exceptionally good article this month on the subject of male breast cancer.
During October, while we support breast cancer awareness and research causes, we should also remember to support breast cancer SURVIVORS, both male and female. We’re particularly drawn to the stories of two breast cancer survivors that appear on CancerForward.org. One is about a male breast cancer survivor. The other is about a female breast cancer survivor. One commonality between the stories is the vigilance with which both survivors looked to prevent a recurrence or second cancer. Another is the power of healing both found in spirituality.
Continue reading Men, Women & Survivors Are the New Pink→
Yesterday, CancerForward was fortunate to be recognized by Texas Children’s Cancer Center as its 2011 Torch of Champions Honoree. The occasion was the 4th Annual Celebration of Champions Luncheon which salutes survivors who have been treated at the Center. The event raises important funding for family-centered care for children, adolescents and young adults with cancer and blood disorders.
CancerForward was very proud to be a part of the day. Championing cancer survivors is what we’re all about. It’s very important that every person who has survived a cancer diagnosis knows that there are people who are supporting them not merely to overcome cancer, but to be the BEST cancer survivor he or she can be.
Continue reading We All Hold Torches of Championship→
|
