All posts tagged: cancer tools

Cancer Club Thoughts for the day: MOJO

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I am working a plan to get my mojo back. Still recovering from two radiation treatments with more treatments on the horizon, I’m still a woman of little energy. The Health Plex associated with Presbyterian Hospital Systems here in ABQ offers a 10 week cancer rehabilitation program called Thrive. I decided that it was just what I needed. On my last visit to my endocrinologist, I did persuade her to sign off on the program. I paid my $90 and submitted my paperwork. Fairly quickly I had an appointment with an exercise specialist for an evaluation.  Vitals, O2 sat, balance, body fat, weight(ugh!) and all those important numbers to see where my fitness level stood. The next day I was started on a plan with several exercise machines. The routine is to check in and have my blood pressure, O2 sat and well being checked. On Tuesday and Thursday I work the machines supervised. Pulse rate is checked between machines. BP and sat are checked  when I am done. Monday I go to a special …

Cancer Club thoughts for the day

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It’s your fault that you have cancer. Wow! I started listening to a meditation tape on cancer given by a dear friend. The first thing this woman says on tape is it that it’s your fault you have cancer. I was shocked. Fortunately, I don’t believe it. It was still unnerving. Cancer starts with the change of one single cell in your body. If you caused cancer by being stressed, by being too fat, by not eating the right things, by not exercising enough, we would all have cancer, most of us anyway. It makes the assumption that we have more control than we do. Some people we encounter would love to think we did something wrong to get cancer. Then, the theory goes,  if they avoid that something, they will not get cancer. The randomness of cancer is all too scary. Cancer happens. The question is not what we did wrong. The question is how do we deal with it.  

Cancer club thoughts for today

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It is amazing how the little things in our lives determine just our our day is going to be. I’ll admit to cheap thrills. I am easy to keep happy. I love my first cup of coffee. I write in my journal and sip coffee while glancing at the colorful flower bouquet on my table. Feels good and is always a reason to jump out of bed. A good start to the day. Some  little things that I can do for myself include having my favorite coffee; journaling daily in long hand  ( Julia Cameron’s THE ARTIST WAY); buying a $4 bouquet of flowers weekly at Trader Joe’s. Small things for a woman of little energy. I seem to have too many days where I have too little energy. I have always  been actively engaged. Feel good. Life is grand. Coping with fatigue, pain and fuzzy brain started with the sudden onset of rheumatoid arthritis and was completely foreign to me. Well, It is not a stranger anymore. My cancers seem to leave me the …

CA Attitude: Survive and Thrive

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My goal for this web page is to show others fighting the good cancer fight that there are wonderful resources to help you to  survive and to thrive. This site is new and I have a lot to add. A person with cancer does not have to be alone. There are endless individuals, organizations and also professional who would love to help you on your journey. My plan is to introduce you to many in Albuquerque. We have much more than Breaking Bad. If you are looking for something now. Email me at:   marymann@comcast.net and maybe I can point you in the right direction. You do have to do the work to survive and you are surviving by being here. Thriving is a challenge too. A little more fun than surviving but both are equally important.

Support Group: People Living Through Cancer

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I happened to find this support group posted on the bulletin board at the Health Plex. This was my first support group. This was the first one I was able to locate. It is sponsored by one of the older support group organizations: People Living Through Cancer. Visit their site for all the good things they do:   http://pltc.org/ You will feel like you are among old friends with this group and  Julie Turkel Hughes, LMSW. There is usually only four people and occasionally you might have Julie all to yourself. It is a wonderful place to test the waters with support groups. The Group meets at the Presbyterian Health Plex at 6301 Forest Hills Drive NE. Monday                     12:30-2:00pm Call 242-3263 for questions. You may just show up and it is free. Lots of value in making the effort to go.

Look Good Feel Better: A Delightful Program For Cancer Girls

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 In February 2014, between radiation treatments, I knew I needed a  morale boost. I needed help. I needed a lot of help.  I had reached the point of no makeup, my appearance was in the C- range and I was dropping slowly to the bottom of fatigue and discouragement. I made the call to Jamie McDonald at 291-2006 and signed up for the Look Good Feel Better Program.  This program was started in 1987  when it was learned that makeovers really did help the morale and attitude of cancer patients. Three groups work together to make it happen. The Personal Care Products Council member companies provide funding and the excellent cosmetics. The American Cancer Society provided a national network to assist women with information and access to the program. The Professional Beauty Association/National Cosmetology Association provides expert volunteers to teach the program. Each year 50,000 cancer girls are given a huge bag of cosmetics in their individual skin tones and taught how to apply them. Visit their web site: http://lookgoodfeelbetter.org/  This wonderful program  boosts  morale …