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Posts with tag talk
Posted Aug 3rd 2007 9:00AM by Jacki Donaldson
Filed under: Stress Reduction
When you're knee deep in the mess of stress, anxiety, disappointment, panic, fear -- you name it -- isn't it nice to escape for a moment, to feel relief from the burden of heavy emotion? I think so. And I happen to know from personal experience a few techniques that have a calming effect on the most overworked of minds. I'll make it brief, because I know reading volumes of self-help advice is not what's on your worried mind.
- Listen to a favorite song, or any song. It will shift your focus and put your mind in the context of the song. You may even feel recharged and motivated.
- Write down your thoughts. Just write. Don't worry about grammar, spelling, or sentence formation. Just jot down what's on your mind. Transfer your emotion to paper -- or the computer screen -- and see how relieved you can feel.
Continue reading Listen, write, breathe, and talk your way out of stress
Posted Jul 1st 2007 8:00AM by Jacki Donaldson
Filed under: Sunday Seven, Cancer Survivors
The seven cancer thoughts I present to you today are purely random. They are not linked by theme or category. There is no rhyme or reason for my choosing them. And they do not belong with one another for any other reason than this: they all come directly from my very own head and are somehow related to the disease that lingers in my thoughts for most minutes of most days. Here they are:
1. Vanity is merely a six-letter word. It's certainly not as important after cancer as it is before. I admit vanity played a role in my life prior to my breast cancer diagnosis and still, it's with me to some degree. But more important than vanity now is waking each morning and realizing I'm alive. I don't want to lose weight to look ultra thin. I choose to reach an ideal weight because I want to be healthy. I don't want a tan. I want skin that is free from damage. My clothes? I want them to fit and feel comfortable. That's it.
2. Normal is a thing of the past. It's funny how I worked so hard to look normal after cancer struck (note: here's vanity rearing its head). Prior to losing my hair to chemotherapy, I worked hard at matching my long, straight, blond hair to a wig that would become my disguise for five months. I found the perfect replica of what would eventually tumble from my scalp, and I wore it proudly. A neighbor who knew I was receiving chemotherapy once told my sister, "That's so great Jacki didn't lose her hair." I looked that much like
normal, people didn't know anything had changed. Little did I know change was right around the corner. When my hair grew in, it was dark and curly. Not even close to normal.
Continue reading Sunday Seven: Seven random cancer thoughts
Posted Apr 4th 2007 11:00AM by Jacki Donaldson
Filed under: All Cancers, Blogs, Daily news
Daniel Sieberg, science and technology correspondent for CBS News and blogger for
Tech Talk recently went searching for online sites offering help and hope for those seeking insight into the world of cancer.
Sieberg went about his search by typing into Google the word
cancer. Thrown back at him were more than 250 million results. Overwhelmed by the sheer volume of information and misinformation, Sieberg sifted and sorted through everything that faced him -- and he narrowed down the results to his favorite five.
Sieberg is right on with his picks, and while I personally would have included
The Cancer Blog as a source loaded with accurate, reliable, and inspiring information, I still commend Sieberg for so effectively hunting down some very good cancer resources. For what it's worth, I happen to highly recommend them myself.
American Cancer SocietyNational Cancer InstituteWebMD M.D. Anderson Cancer Center Leroy Sievers BlogPosted Mar 29th 2007 10:30AM by Jacki Donaldson
Filed under: Cancer events, All Cancers, Fundraisers, Daily news, Celebrity news
Patrick Wayne, son of late actor John Wayne, says Larry King has true grit. And that's why the CNN talk show host will receive the True Grit Award next month, an honor that hails from the John Wayne Cancer Institute.
King, 73, will receive his honor at the annual Odyssey Ball on April 14 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. Jamie Lee Curtis will host the event that will commemorate the centennial of John Wayne's birth.
The Odyssey Ball began 22 years ago and has helped raise more the $14 million to support the John Wayne Cancer Institute's research and treatment programs.
"Larry King epitomizes the strengths and qualities that characterized my father, and for which the True Grit Award was created," said Wayne, who serves as chairman of the board at the institute, located at the Saint John's Health Center in Santa Monica.
Founded by the Wayne family in 1981, the institute honors John Wayne who died of stomach cancer in 1979.
Posted Mar 25th 2007 11:00AM by Jacki Donaldson
Filed under: Colon and Rectal Cancer, Politics, Daily news, Celebrity news, Cancer Survivors, Surgery
White House press secretary and colon cancer survivor Tony Snow asks the public to refrain from jumping to conclusions regarding the surgery he will have on Monday to remove a growth from his lower abdomen.
Blood tests and a CAT scan of the growth show no presence of cancer, he reports. But still, he and doctors are proceeding cautiously due to his history.
Snow, a former Fox News radio and television talk show host, was diagnosed with cancer two years ago, when he was a commentator at Fox. Two months after surgery, he returned to the air and then became White House press secretary in April 2006.
Snow's plan is to be back behind the podium a few weeks after surgery, when he has a better idea of what it is he's dealing with.
Posted Mar 18th 2007 10:00AM by Jacki Donaldson
Filed under: All Cancers, Sunday Seven
My friend -- who has a friend newly diagnosed with brain cancer -- greeted me at the door the other day and asked with a sense of urgency, "How can I help?"
"Help your friend?" I asked.
"Yes, she said, unsure of what she might say or do in this time of great difficulty for everyone involved.
I told her a few things. And then I thought of some more. It wasn't terribly easy to come up with these ideas. Because even though I myself was on the receiving end of help during my cancer journey, it's still hard to imagine what an individual wants or needs -- or doesn't want or need. But here's what I've got to offer.
I hope this helps my friend.
I hope it helps you too.
- Allow your loved one to take the lead. If you sense this person wants to talk, then talk. If you sense talk is not welcomed, then don't talk. To determine whether or not your friend or family member wants to discuss cancer, approach the topic and judge the response you get. I know I can usually tell if someone is willing to open up -- typically the conversation just flows -- and when someone is putting the brakes on chit-chat -- typically the conversation falls flat.
- If talk is not in the cards, then consider an offer of food. Sometimes actions speak much louder than words. So think about calling a restaurant in your friend's town and ordering a meal to be delivered right to the door. Most eating establishments accept credit card numbers over the phone so location should be a non-issue. Even those deep in despair need to eat, and taking away the chore of cooking and cleaning up can be quite a gift.
- If the gift of food is not up your alley, how about sending a small gift, like a candle, a pair of cozy socks, a grocery store gift card, a music CD, a gift certificate for a spa. You name it, your special something might brighten the day.
- If you live near your loved one and have some free time, offer to drive to appointments, visit during treatments, pick up kids and entertain them for the day, clean house, cook, and clean up dinner. Try to be very specific with your offers. Say, "I'd like to pick up your kids tomorrow at lunch so you can take a nap" or "I'm coming over on Sunday to rake leaves." These offers are easier to accept than the "call me if you need anything" kind.
- If a quick stop at your loved one's house is possible, drop off a book on the front porch or set some pretty potted flowers by the door. Or do both. Then walk away without saying a word. Let your help take your friend by surprise.
- When you do have the chance to talk, avoid guiding the conversation with your own thoughts and advice, unless requested. Saying, "Everything will be OK," for example, may not be true. Assuring your friend she will sail right through chemotherapy may backfire if nausea and fatigue are just down the road. Stating, "it's OK, your hair will grow back," doesn't really help those living with the horror of hair loss. So stay away from promises and predictions and stick to the present. Ask questions, listen, and paraphrase back what your friend has shared. These are basic counseling techniques. The premise is that allowing the person to work through the issues is more important than what we can do to directly help.
- Don't forget about the good old greeting card or short note that lets your loved know how much you care. Let the card say it if you wish to avoid writing and then add an address, a stamp, and send your support on its way.
- This makes eight -- so much for sticking to my Sunday plan -- but I must share this too: Don't forget about your loved one after months and even years pass by. Initial diagnoses are tough and treatments are tough too. But as your friend survives each day, remember to check in. Cancer is a life-long battle for many. Support and assistance may be just as valuable a year down the road as it is on day one.
Posted Mar 14th 2007 11:00AM by Jacki Donaldson
Filed under: Breast Cancer, Research, Daily news, Cancer Survivors
Cancer sent me into a state of depression. And it took more than a year of counseling and treatment with an anti-depressant to bring me back to a balanced and healthy level of functioning.
My type of depression -- the kind that shows up just after a cancer diagnosis -- is not uncommon. And neither is the spillover that depression can leave on the children of moms depressed because of their disease.
A study at the University of Pittsburgh -- the first to examine the relationship between children's concerns and a mother's cancer-related depression -- found children of depressed breast cancer patients were more likely to be concerned or anxious about their mother's cancer and about how the disease affects their families.
It's not surprising that kids worry about their moms during times of illness. What startled researchers, though, is the fact that children's' anxieties extended to concerns about the entire family.
The results of this study, funded by the National Cancer Institute, has clear implications. As a society, we need to think about how depression affects whole family units. Oncologists must learn to spot depression early and must swiftly assist women in finding appropriate treatment. And parents should talk openly about cancer and it's emotional side effects with their children in an effort to protect them from withdrawing, hiding their concerns, and suffering in silence.
Most estimates indicate nearly one quarter of women diagnosed with breast cancer have young children. And about 100,000 kids will be affected by a cancer diagnosis this year alone.
Posted Dec 28th 2006 6:00PM by Dalene Entenmann
Filed under: Lung Cancer, Prevention, All Cancers, Stress Reduction, Teen Cancers, Young Adult Cancers, Products, Services, Smoking
Smoking is not an easy habit to break, and of the many methods tried, only a handful seem to work. Of the methods that do seem to work -- nicotine-replacement products; bupropion drugs; counseling; classes; calling a helpline or talking to a health professional -- younger smokers between the ages of 16 and 24 years who smoke and try to quit only use one of the recommended methods of help by talking to a professional. Because of this, younger smokers are less likely to be successful in quitting, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
During the 2003 National Youth Smoking Cessation Survey, the CDC found that younger smokers most often tried to quit smoking by cutting back on the number of cigarettes they smoked each day; not buying cigarettes; exercising; using the buddy system and trying to quit with a friend; telling others they were quitting and changing to a lighter brand of cigarette, switching to chewing tobacco, snuff, or other tobacco products. None of these methods are recommended by the US Public Health Service.
According to the National Youth Smoking Cessation Survey, 77 percent of younger smokers have tried to quit at least once without success. Over a third have tried to quit smoking numerous times without success. Researchers suggest that many younger smokers may need help with other high-risk behaviors such as binge drinking; depression or ADD/ADHD.
If you are a younger smoker who is trying to quit, the CDC encourages you to call 1-800-QUIT-NOW or talk to your physician about methods that might lead to more success. The 2-page summary of the
National Youth Smoking Cessation Survey is available as a pdf document.
Posted Dec 26th 2006 12:33PM by Dalene Entenmann
Filed under: Colon and Rectal Cancer, Celebrity news, Cancer Caregivers, Cancer Survivors
Rock legend Black Sabbath Ozzy Osbourne spoke about his wife Sharon's colon cancer diagnosis during a recent interview with
Hello! magazine, in which he is quoted as saying, "When I found out it was like someone had got a slab of concrete and hit me with a big dose of reality. I thought cancer plus patient equals death. The thought of losing her was more than I could bear."
In 2002, the entire Osbourne family appeared in a MTV reality show
The Osbournes. During the taping, Sharon was diagnosed with colon cancer. Rather than cancel the show, she agreed to share the experience of chemotherapy and cancer survivorship with the viewers to help raise awareness for cancer.
Osbourne said that while he is always happy for the professional success his wife enjoys with such shows as the U.K. talent show
X Factor and
The Sharon Osbourne Show, he misses the time away from her.
Ozzy has designed a limited-edition signature series t-shirt for the Hard Rock Cafe, with profits from the sale of the t-shirts to benefit the
Sharon Osbourne Colon Cancer Program. The cancer charity offers colonoscopies and screenings to people without medical insurance, as well as those with minimal coverage, transportation to chemotherapy for patients and nursing consultation to those in need of assistance with their aftercare.
Now a four-year colon cancer survivor,
Sharon's life philosophy is simple: "live everyday to the fullest, and don't save for tomorrow what you can do today." Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne are featured on the cover of the February 2007 issue of Hello! magazine.
Posted Dec 20th 2006 12:30PM by Dalene Entenmann
Filed under: Alternative Therapies, All Cancers, Stress Reduction, Products
In
Letting it all out might increase chances of cancer survivorship, we shared that finding techniques to minimize stress is an effective way to better health. Our focus in that post was journaling and talk therapy as a means to expressing thoughts and feelings, rather than stuffing your emotions and keeping it all inside. According to the experts featured in that post, "It's about the link between the mind and the body and how your mind state can affect the disease state in the body."
In addition to journaling and talk therapy, cancer centers are offering cancer patients and caregivers self hypnosis techniques to help reduce stress as a part of an overall cancer treatment program. M.D. Anderson Cancer Center's social work supervisor Aida Molano, who has taught hypnosis and self-hypnosis classes at the center for the last 16 years, is offering a 30-minute self-hypnosis CD online as a free download.
According to Molano, hypnosis can help patients and caregivers offset sleeping difficulties, fear of medical procedures, problems concentrating, pain and fatigue using hypnosis techniques. If interested, by clicking on this
link, you can download the free
30-minute self-hypnosis CD.Posted Dec 3rd 2006 10:00AM by Jacki Donaldson
Filed under: Breast Cancer, Cancer Survivors
I never predicted counseling would be part of my treatment for cancer. I am well-acquainted with the practice of talk therapy -- I have a graduate degree in counselor education and spent seven years counseling college students with presenting issues such as roommate conflicts, alcohol use and abuse, sexual assault, and depression -- but I never envisioned myself on the receiving end of such a relationship, never imagined I would be the one prescribed an anti-depressant and referred for cognitive-behavioral therapy.
Yet I have spent the past two years talking candidly -- and at times weeping uncontrollably -- with a talented young woman who has given me the tools to cope with life in the aftermath of a cancer diagnosis. And on Tuesday, the culmination of these two years will result in one final session. Together, my counselor and I will recount what has happened to me, how I have handled it, how I will proceed for the rest of my life.
At the end of my one-hour session on Tuesday, I will be set free. I will walk the white, sterile halls of a hospital basement, travel in an elevator up one flight, and exit a building I never knew could become so familiar. I will allow the outdoors to greet me, and for the very first time since cancer invaded my life, I will accept the challenge of living forward -- without the therapy that helped save my life.
On Tuesday, my case will be closed. On Tuesday, a new version of my life begins.
Posted Nov 20th 2006 11:00AM by Dalene Entenmann
Filed under: Stress Reduction, Services, Cancer Caregivers
New research suggests that it is not uncommon for cancer caregivers to suffer emotional or psychological problems as a result of caring for a loved one battling cancer, and they often suffer in silence. According to study results, the anxiety and stress of caring for someone with cancer is comparable to caring for someone with Alzheimer's disease. This news will come as little surprise to caregivers but it might be a blindspot of need traditionally overlooked by others in the community and medical fields. In USA Today
Cancer hurts caregivers, several caregivers stories are featured highlighting the challenges faced as family members struggle to take care of a loved one in cancer treatment.
Aside from the emotional trauma of learning a loved one has been diagnosed with a disease that may cut life short and the psychological effects that can manifest in feelings of hopelessness and unrelenting fear, New York's Memorial-Sloan Kettering Cancer Center psychiatrist Jimmie Holland points out that hospitals are currently discharging cancer patients
sicker and quicker when they are still in great pain before their wounds have healed. As a result, family members, who are not trained medical professionals, are left to provide the level of medical care of experienced nurses.
In reaching out to cancer caregivers, the answer might start with something as simple as providing a talk therapy environment where caregivers have a safe place to open up and share their thoughts and feelings. A resource of trained counselors and nurses who can offer reassurance and practical help in navigating the inner terror, and at times, the physical exhaustion of cancer care. For additional information and support resources for caregivers, visit the
Cancer Caregivers category of this blog.
Posted Oct 6th 2006 10:33AM by Dalene Entenmann
Filed under: Breast Cancer, Television, Celebrity news, Cancer Survivors
Last Monday, singer songwriter and breast cancer survivor Sheryl Crow
appeared on the Ellen DeGeneres Show to help Ellen, whose mother is a breast cancer survivor, launch the show's recognition of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
Six months ago, Crow was diagnosed with breast cancer, and is happy to say that during her last check-up she got an all clear and is in breast cancer remission. Crow talked about the impact breast cancer had -- that when you hit bottom it is a place where you meet yourself. At that time, Crow realized she needed to take care of herself by putting herself first, as opposed to the many years when her focus was on taking care of others. Crow described herself as very self-critical before breast cancer, and was a woman who could not say no to others -- their happiness was a priority that came before her own. Ellen joked that bottom for Crow might mean breaking up with your fiance (Lance Armstrong)
and getting a breast cancer diagnosis a month later. Crow laughed and nodded in agreement.
Crow talked about some of the dangers you can avoid to promote cancer prevention such as not leaving bottled water out in the sun. The chemical reaction of the heated plastic to the water is known to be carcinogenic. Other dangers include dietary changes a woman can make, and we have shared her tips in a past post
here.
Crow, who is currently touring with John Mayer, stated, "It's what you do with experience that really defines who you become." Crow wears a gold bracelet with the words
Breathe and
That which does not kill me makes me stronger as well as her diagnosis date inscribed on it as a spiritual reminder.
Posted Sep 27th 2006 5:30AM by Dalene Entenmann
Filed under: Chemotherapy, Celebrity cancer diagnosis, Liver Cancer, Television, Celebrity news
Late last March fans of rock legend and Aerosmith lead singer Steven Tyler became concerned over speculation that Tyler had been diagnosed with throat cancer. Even though the remaining Rockin' The Joint show dates were cancelled, everyone connected to Tyler assured the public the rumors were false. Steven Tyler did not have cancer. He was suffering from strained vocal cords and needed a rest.
At the time, bassist Tom Hamilton explained the cancelled shows by saying, "You know Steven. Anything worth doing, to him, is worth overdoing," in reference to the fact that the band had been touring more now than it did 10 years ago.
Unfortunately, several months later it was announced that Hamilton had been diagnosed with cancer.
While the rumors had quieted concerning Tyler's health, now and then something new would come to our attention that made us wonder if he was okay. A reader wrote in that he had seen Tyler at the oncology clinic at a hospital he was visiting. We kept that under our hat.
Last night, Tyler appeared on Access Hollywood and for the first time, publicly discussed his health. No, he was not diagnosed with throat cancer -- but he had faced a serious health crisis and decided to speak about it. Tyler said he had been fighting a secret battle with a silent killer -- Hep C. Diagnosed three years ago, he was told by his doctor, Deepak Chopra's brother, that it was time he sought treatment. Tyler agreed to undergo a year of chemotherapy with interferon. He stated it nearly killed him but managed to stay with it and complete treatment. Tyler had Hep C for many years, and was asymptomatic, which is typical.
During the interview, Tyler said, "Hepatitis C is the one that, of all the people in this room, at least three have it and don't know it." He would like to raise awareness about Hep C and mentioned he might appear on Oprah for that purpose. "It's one of those things people don't speak about it, but it is treatable."
Almost
4 million Americans, or 1.8 percent of the U.S. population, have been infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV); it is the most prevalent cause of chronic liver disease in the United States. 80 percent of those with Hep C have no symptoms. Chronic hepatitis C can cause cirrhosis, liver failure, and liver cancer.
If you missed the television Access Hollywood interview with Steven Tyler, the video segment of the program is available online
here.
Posted Aug 30th 2006 9:20PM by Dalene Entenmann
Filed under: Services, Cancer Caregivers, Cancer Survivors
Faced with a cancer diagnosis, or any challenging life event, you want to talk to someone who has already experienced what you are about to experience. You want to find stories about other people who have overcome adversity, preferably told by the people who went through it first-hand. You want to know what to expect.
Last year, when Katherine Brown's mother-in-law Ruth was diagnosed with Lymphoma, she went on an internet search to find people Ruth could talk to, who knew what it was like to be diagnosed with cancer, be inspired by the personal stories of triumph over the trials and tribulations of a cancer diagnosis and cancer treatment and cancer survivorship.
After an extensive internet search for the kind of community Ruth could connect with, Brown came up empty-handed. As need is the mother of all invention, Brown decided to create what she was looking for and could not find.
The
Cancer Buddy Network is a result of Brown's vision. At the Cancer Buddy Network, you create an account; tell your story; be a buddy. Newly-diagnosed cancer patients, family members and friends, and cancer survivors are welcome. It is the blend of cancer patients, cancer survivors and the loved ones touched by cancer that brings real life hope and inspiration in cancer community support. The Cancer Buddy Network is a recent web destination and it looks very well done. Stop by and give it a look, add your voice to hope.
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