The Lung Cancer Alliance -- the only national non-profit organization dedicated entirely to lung cancer patient support and advocacy -- asked pulmonary clinical nurse specialist Donna Wilson to help educate the lung cancer community about healthy breathing. Wilson agreed and her breathing tips, available on podcast, are intended to relieve shortness of breath related to pain or activity. Her three breathing techniques -- detailed here -- are simple, easy-to-understand, and truly relaxing.Before beginning this series of breathing exercises, stop whatever you are doing and sit down or lean against a wall.
- Place chin to your chest to relax your neck muscles. Breathe 10 short bursts of air in and out of your lips. As you expel air, neck and chest muscles should relax.
- Place chin to your chest. Breathe three times in through your nose and out through your mouth.
- Place chin to your chest. Close your mouth, and breathe four times in and out only through your nose.
I don't have lung cancer -- but I do have moments of anxiety and panic. So I plan to save these tips. And I plan to use them. And I plan to share them. Because we all can benefit from a dose of relaxation.
I sometimes complain about the lack of warmth I've encountered from medical professionals throughout my journey with breast cancer. There have been glimpses of compassion. And there are a few who stand out as truly caring and concerned. But there seems to be a general lack of sensitivity. Maybe it's a side effect of the job -- distance -- that I should have been prepared for. But instead I was shocked by how I often felt forgotten, like a number, just one of many in my same boat. And this makes me sad -- for me and for all the others who sail rough waters in search of health. I have waited in lobbies for hours -- four hours one time -- and I've been encouraged to toughen up. I've rarely felt comforted -- except by a few who have hugged me or placed a hand on my shoulder. That's all it takes. A simple gesture or kind word. 
Stress is not good. Long-term stress can suppress the immune system. Part of cancer prevention is supporting a healthy immune system so it can do the job of stopping cancer before it has a chance to develop into disease. 
Having a dog or cat or any other pet diagnosed with cancer is just as hard as having a friend or family member diagnosed. We have to determine the treatments and procedures since they can't speak up. A common cancer in dogs and cats is bone cancer. Osteosarcoma is the most common long bone tumor in dogs and cats. Often it is mistaken for arthritis or pulled muscles or stiffness in its early stages and so is not diagnosed sometimes until drastic measures have to take place. Cats and dogs differ in the way bone cancer matures and how treatment should be administered. Because of the rapid nature of osteosarcoma, treatment should be sought as soon as possible. The only trouble is that the most common sign -- lameness and pain -- usually happens when it is already taken firm hold.
