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A study done by The American Institute for Cancer Research looked at the relationship between food, nutrition, and cancer. This study looked at how to take a giant step towards better health whether you in cancer treatment, a cancer survivor, or just someone committed to living a healthier lifestyle. All fruits and vegetables are health building foods but as with anything, to get the most bang for your buck we will look at the top ten SUPER FOODS. I doubt that this will shock and amaze you but if it brings a better awareness to how to do things better then take a look and start to improve your health.
The list of SUPER FOODS: 1. Broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower and other vegetables in the cruciferous family 2. Beans 3. Berries and Cherries 4. Onions, garlic, chives, and the like 5. Vegetabels that are deep orange, yellow, red, and green 6. Fish 7. Tomatoes 8. Mushrooms 9. Nuts and seeds 10. Green tea These foods can also be benefit for cardiovascular disease as well. Now if you are not sure of other cruciferous vegetables that would include: brussel sprouts, kale, bok choy, collards,parsnips, rutabaga,mustard greens,radishes, swiss chard,and turnips. In the bean group we should also add soy but there is discussion about avoiding soy if you have or had breast cancer and you can look to both sides of the fence on this. I would say that you need to talk to your healthcare professional to determine their thoughts on soy if you fall in this category. Beans can be used in so many different ways, in soups, spread,s dips, salads and all kinds of side dishes. Berries we look again at colorful which would include, blueberries, blackberries, strawberries and cherries and they are great in a salad, in a smoothie, on cereal, in breakfast cakes and just as a snack. Onions, garlic, chives can be added to many different foods such as sauces, soups, on bread and more and for the deep orange, green, yellow, and red vegetables we think about carrots, yams, sweet potatoes, squash, melons, peaches, oranges, papayas and lots of other good sources. Fish should be eaten one or more servings a week. Those fish with the highest omega-3 fats include mackerel, salmon, sardines, rainbow troug, herring and albacore tuna. Fish can be baked, poached, sauteed and for convenience, you can use canned fish. Tomatoes are good in any form, paste, sauce, puree, diced, spiced and juiced. Mushrooms are good but using shiitake aor maitake in place of common mushrooms are even better. Nuts are concentrated energy and protein. They are high in fat but mostly unsaturated fat, which is a healthy form of fat. Flaxseed is also included in the nut list but again that is something you should talk to your healthcare provider about as it needs to be discussed if you are a cancer pateitn with an estrogen-receptor positive cancer and also should be looked at if you are a prostate cancer patient and their guidance will help you in the use of flaxseed and what form. Lastly, Black and green tea are but not herb teas act as a powerful antioxidant.There is more effect of the antioxidant in green tea than black so again we are getting more bang for our buck with green tea. Now that you are hungry, look at the list and determine what steps you are going to take for a healthier you. This is a short list but one that is easily remembered and look for fun ways to incorporate this SUPER FOODS into you new diet. ENJOY, and make it a great day! (Meal!) S Disclaimer: This website is for informational purposes only and is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of any medical institution. Conference for Young Women Affected by Breast Cancer- Living Beyond Breast Cancer (LBBC.org)1/24/2012 C4YW - Conference for Young Women Affected by Breast Cancer When: Friday, February 24, 2012 - Sunday, February 26, 2012
Where: Hyatt Regency 601 Loyola Ave New Orleans, LA 70113 C4YWis the only international educational conference solely dedicated to the unique needs of young women with breast cancer. Join us to:
Explore a variety of emotional and medical issues including treatment updates for early-stage and metastatic breast cancer, fear of recurrence, breast reconstruction, fertility and pregnancy, sex and intimacy, complementary therapies, relationships and long-term survivorship. Special workshops for men, lesbian women and caregivers will also be available. Learn More: Visit C4YW.org for complete event details, including registration, program agenda, continuing education credits for social workers, and information on our host hotel and city, the one and only New Orleans, Louisiana! The PA breast cancer coalition showcases traveling photo exhibit in CRAWFORD county at YOLANDA G. BARCO ONCOLOGY INSTITUTE
MEADVILLE, Pa. – The Pennsylvania Breast Cancer Coalition (PBCC) is pleased to work with the Crawford County Exhibit Committee and the Yolanda G. Barco Oncology Institute to bring its traveling photo exhibit, “67 Women, 67 Counties: Facing Breast Cancer in Pennsylvania,” to Crawford County from March 1st to March 10th. The photo exhibit will be displayed in lobby of Meadville Medical Center’s Yolanda G. Barco Oncology Institute located at 16792 Conneaut Lake Road in Meadville. An opening reception is scheduled for Thursday, March 1st at 5 p.m. The exhibit and reception are FREE and open to the public. To RSVP for the opening reception, please call 800-377-8828 x303. This work of art features women from each of Pennsylvania’s 67 counties, along with a message about how breast cancer has touched their lives. The women reflect the diversity of Pennsylvania, and their stories show the impact of breast cancer on themselves, their families and their communities. The exhibit encourages women to learn about early detection and celebrates life, courage, hope and the dignity of women and families who have battled breast cancer. “67 Women, 67 Counties: Facing Breast Cancer in Pennsylvania” is sponsored by the PBCC and funded by the Pennsylvania Department of Health. Pat Halpin-Murphy, president and founder of the PBCC, encourages everyone to visit the exhibit. “Breast cancer is not a rare event separate from the fabrics of our everyday lives. It impacts our mothers, daughters and friends. We must educate ourselves about this disease and fight to find a cure now…so our daughters won’t have to.” “Meadville Medical Center’s Yolanda G. Barco Oncology Institute is honored to host 67 Women, 67 Counties: Facing Breast Cancer in Pennsylvania,” said Valerie Bond Waid, B.S.N., M.B.A., R.N., the director of cancer care services at the Yolanda G. Barco Oncology Institute. Bond Waid adds, “The exhibit showcases how far breast cancer spreads throughout the Commonwealth. By generating awareness, we can generate hope.” The PBCC represents, supports and serves breast cancer survivors and their families in Pennsylvania through educational programming, legislative advocacy and breast cancer research grants. The PBCC is a statewide non-profit organization dedicated to finding a cure now…so our daughters won’t have to. For more information, please call 800-377-8828 or visit www.PABreastCancer.org. Sleep issues, is it a cancer thing, a woman's thing, or part of aging? I wish I had the answer. It has been a battle zone for me for many years now. If I can get to sleep first, before my husband comes to bed, I might have a fighting chance to get to sleep but only for a few hours and then I am awake and there is no possible way for me to get back to sleep. If I can't get to sleep at all, it is a night of tossing and turning. At our age, we find that as a couple, one of us is getting out of bed and going to another bedroom 99% of the time. I suggested twin beds but that would still not handle the snoring from my husband and my little dog. Ron has always been able to fall asleep anytime and anywhere and now the tables are turning. He is now starting to appreciate how difficult it is to function each day when you don't get restful sleep.
I have taken over the counter medication on numerous occasions and one time it will put me to sleep and I wake up feeling like I have a hangover and then next time I use it, I am so wound up that I might as well get up and clean the house. I have even on occasion used prescription medication and sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. A good night sleep for me would be 5 hours uninterrupted sleep but that is rare to almost non-existant. I find many people around my age that are stating the same, they can't sleep. Are we so in overdrive for too long of period of times that we can't just switch it down in low gear ? I also think that sometimes weather influences all of us. Three people working yesterday had stated they got up at 3 AM and had to take something for a headache and none of them live close to each other. Are we intertwined so that we share our pain in ways that we don't even recognize? Lots of questions and no answers! I can say for sure that sleep is important, stress reduction, eating right ,exercising and all of this mindful things help to balance us out and I will say my scale is often tipped too far to one side or the other. I know that things I should be doing, but as everyone else does... I have lots of excuses. I had yet another co-worker talk to me about diet and how they never eat any fruit or vegetables. My theory is junk in, junk out. You don't put sugar in your gas tank and expect your car to work so why would you do less for yourself and that sometimes our bodies are so out of whack they forget to make what we need and we may need to jumpstart the engine or give it a shot of oil or something to prime the pump. All these analogies and my point is that we all need to take better care of ourselves and medical professionals need to listen. Too many times, the I can't sleep or, I just don't feel good is just put in the category that this will go away or no need to intervene. We do know what is normal for us and what is not right and we need to follow through and keep the dialog going that this is not my normal. When your normal continues for too long of a period of time then it tips the scale. Alot of us out there have our scales tipped and although I don't have the answer, I suggest you keep pursuing it till something changes. Many people are turning to self medication over the counter answers when they aren't being listened too. The PM medications are flying of the shelf and this is not a good answer for a long term decision. Please talk to your physician and continue to pursue your issues. This is a mind body experience that we have to look at, not just one aspect but the whole thing. Everything affects everything else that is going on and if you get too far off balance something will fall. Take care of yourself and be proactive.. eat your fruit and vegetables and get plenty of exercise and rest and laughter and love... Making it a better day for me and those around me! S www.malebreastcancer.ca
Malebreastcancer.ca Was founded in 2008 by Heidi Wagner and Natalie Wagner, in support of their father, Herbert Paul Wagner, who at the age of 61 was diagnosed with Male Breast Cancer (MBC). As well, the organization "A Man's Pink" was established in 2009 to support this website and incorporated as a not-for-profit organization in Canada in August 2011 and Florida in January 2012. Mission Statement This website site is designed to provide Male Breast Cancer (MBC) patients, survivors and their loved ones with access to information on male breast cancer. We also provide a forum to share individual stories, and one on one support to other male breast cancer patients and survivors. By increasing awareness and early detection we can afford men the same survival rates as women diagnosed with breast cancer. "We've Added a Little Blue to the Pink". Our Goal Our goal is to increase MBC awareness by establishing the third week of October as MBC awareness week globally. I just found this resoure and thought you would be interested or could pass it on. Making it a great day! S Ok, so we have all heard about mammograms and yet there are many misconceptions. Very low levels of radiation are used to do the test itself. Some people are concerned about the level of radiation but if you had yearly mammograms from age 40 to 90 you would have received a total of 20-40 rads where as if you have breast cancer and are treated with radiation, you will get around 5,000 rads ( a term used to measure radiation dose).
Medicare and Medicaid as well as most private health plans cover all or part of the cost of this test. Breast cancer screening is available to women withouth health insurance and women who don't have coverage for breast cancer screening. It may be offered free or at very little cost and many programs are out there to do just that including: Susan G. Komen with vouchers and PA Breast Cancer Coalition. There are many programs out there and we can help you find those answers. A mammogram requires you to undress above the waist and then you will be given a wrap to cover yourself. A technician will position you breast for the test and your breast is then pressed between two flat surfaces to flatten and spread the tissue for better visualization. We do have two different types of mammograms, screening which is a routine test which is what is normally ordered and is used to look for disease in women that don't have a breast problem and diagnostic is used when there may be a lump, skin changes or nipple discharge. Diagnostic mammograms are routinely used for follow-up abnormal screening mammograms. About 1 our of 10 mammograms will require more pictures to be taken. The numbers are better than you might expect and hopefully will muffle some of the fears about mammogram. Only 2 to 4 of every 1,000 mammograms leads to a diagnosis of cancer. I am all for the glass is half full rather than half empty. DISCLAIMER Disclaimer: This website is for informational purposes only and is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of any medical institution. Make it a great day, the ducks are..... enjoy the rain! S Soothe For Spring Campaign
For the third year in a row, hospitals, cancer centers and oncology groups across the country needing hats for their patients continued to rise. However, a sad sound resonated throughout 2011. Centers need more and more hats each month. In these tough economic times, patients faced with a cancer diagnosis are worried about how to pay for tests, treatments, drugs and their physicians. Where they would have taken one 'free' cancer cap before, they are humbly asking the center staff, may I please have two? In the past year, we've also seen several new cancer centers open their doors, asking for several hundred hats on opening day, and then dozens each month to sustain their patient population. Halos of Hope is launching our Soothe for Spring Campaign asking our knit and crochet volunteers to make adult hats, for women and men, in lighter weight yarns, so that we will be prepared to meet the need of a new cancer center opening this summer, and several cancer centers located in warmer weather states, requesting 30-50 hats every month. Soothe for Spring will run January 1 through April 30, with a goal to have a minimum of 3,000 hats ready in early May as the weather warms. Hats can be sent to Halos of Hope, or dropped off at one of our donation locations, at any time throughout the campaign During Soothe for Spring, we will continue to accept hats made from other fibers, and accept hats for children and teens. We know many people are striping it up with their leftovers from the holidays, and some of those will be worsteds and bulkier weight yarns. These hats will go to the centers that need them in the remaining winter months, and kids always need help. As those projects are finished, find the cottons, cotton-blends, bamboos, dk weights, fingering, sock weight, and baby yarns. Then knit or crochet a breath of spring, the warmth of summer, and light, cool, comfort into your caps. We have provided some yarn suggestions and options at the end of this newsletter, and will post the yarn-suggestion list in our Hatliners' blog, for reference on our website through the next four months. Visit our patterns and guidelines page, our Ravelry group, or our Facebook page if you need hat pattern ideas to get you started. Throughout the campaign, we'll try to share other pattern suggestions, and we encourage our volunteers to share their cap creations through the social networks to help us all discover new options. Halos of Hope sends hats to over 450 cancer centers nationally. While our target for this campaign is 3,000 hats targeted for very specific requests, every hat makes a difference. Each hat received over 3,000 with this campaign means we can soothe another person's stress experienced from the hair loss side effects of chemotherapy or radiation. For those of you that are talented and willing to share your talents... I thought I would pass the info on. Making it a great day! S One thing we all know, that those of us that were once patients, we understand the needs of those we are caring for. As the patient you have to be able to ask for help and tell others what you want and need. Let go of the tasks that you can, people are willing to help. In fact you are doing a favor for others when you ask for help. There is nothing that another person wouldn't do for you if only you ask. If you take care of yourself then you may have more energy for the things you want to do and you in fact may stay healthier. Those around you will actually feel less guilty if you take the time to ask and there may be tasks and skills that another helper could actually do better than you so, don't hesitate. Those things that are within the boundaries could include: cooking, cleaning, shopping, yard work, childcare, or even eldercare or taxi. They may be able to take you to a doctor appointment or pick up your child or find information you need. As the caregiver you may also help with the emotional needs of the patient by fielding phone calls and visits to when the patient is able to talk or visit and you may be able to keep others informed. The other thing is, that if someone says no that is ok too. They may not have the time right now or may not know how to help or they may not be able to cope with what is going on in their lives. Sometimes people just feel uneasy around others who are sick but know that they still care, they just may not be able to help at this time. The last thing I want to add is as a caregiver you must take care of yourself. All those hours driving, sitting at appointments etc. can take a toll, be active, still connect with friends, give yourself some time off and find nice things you can do for yourself. I find dancing in the kitchen when no one is watching is a good way to left off steam and really laugh. Can you imagine if my oven could talk what it would say? Making it great. S
Many people that are going through radiation often ask me to explain THE BOOST. Radiation treatments are scheduled Monday through Friday, once a day for a number of treatments (weeks). This is the plan to pace these out and how soon these start are often based on the facility you are working with and or hospital. The waiting to start can be hard as many thoughts are going through your mind at this point and most of us just want to get it done. You may have to have Chemotherapy first and your doctors may not want you to get chemo and radiation at the same time. Skin care is another consideration during this time and it is important to follow religiously what the doctor has told you as some products can interact with the radiation. The first time there is always the scariest as once again you are facing the unknown. You are told to change into a gown for your upper body and that includes removing your undergarments, necklaces are not recommended. You are taken into the treatment room and the technologist is working to set up the machine to your specific needs and getting you ready. The table looks like most xray tables that you may have been on with the exception of a large arm that is over your head but nothing to make you feel claustrophobic. There will be an armrest above your head which you will hold on to on the affected side and this is why it is important to keep good mobility of that arm. Radiation is then given at a number of different times from different angles. There are cameras in the room as your technologist will leave the room when you receiving treatment but will able to see you and hear you throughout the treatment so if you need to talk to the technologist you will be able to at anytime during the treatment. I often tell patients it takes longer to dress and undress than receive your radiation treatment.
Now comes the question of boost. After treating the whole breast you will be given an extra amount of radiation on the spot where the tumor was. This boost is given at the area where the tumor was. This does not require hospitalization and really you may not notice anything different other than the technician has told you that you are getting a boost now. There is another type of boost where they actually under anesthesia of some type, put in a radioactive implant and is usually left in for 36 hours. One of the most common side effects that you do hear from patients is fatigue. I recall saying at the time I was going through radiation that I was tired, bone tired. It almost felt like it took too much effort to breathe but of course you do. This will dissapate with time. Some also experience some kind of skin reaction and your tissue does feel different after radiation. It actually may look like you sunbathed on just one side. You may continue to have some tenderness or soreness but that also will decrease over time. After you have completed your radiation treatment, your radiation oncologist will continue to see you as wil your surgeon. That is what boost does mean and I hope that this cleared some of the cob webs for you on this subject. Disclaimer: This website is for informational purposes only and is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of any medical institution. Making it a great day! S |
AuthorMy name is Sue Kilburn and I am a clinical nurse breast cancer educator at the Yolanda G. Barco Oncology Institute in Meadville, Pennsylvania. Archives
March 2015
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