Archive for the ‘survivors’ Category

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Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Good Things Can Happen from Bad Things

GUEST POST BY TAMI BOEHMER

I had a very interesting interview on a Detroit radio station for a program called God 321. I met the host Danny Hutchins at The Pink Fund Crazy Sexy Luncheon of all places! I am grateful to my friend Molly MacDonald, who leads this wonderful organization, for introducing us. I was apprehensive about being on a Christian program. As some of you know, I was raised a non-practicing Jew. As an adult, our little nuclear family attends Unity, which embraces all religions and has taught me about a loving and kind God.

When I was writing From Incurable to Incredible, I was overwhelmed from hearing stories of the people gracing the pages and how faith helped them through life’s most serious challenges. These stories and getting to know these amazing people I interviewed help me through. It gave me faith that I can do it, too.  My faith certainly helped me. I connected with God on a much deeper level. My faith was and is my lifeboat, which is always there to rescue me in my time of need.

Not everyone in my book were people of faith, but a comment from God 321′s host made me rethink that. Dan said that everyone has faith. After all, humanists have faith in themselves. That is certainly true of all the people I’ve interviewed. Some were very Christian, some were Jewish, and some just believed in the power of themselves and the people around them. Yet they all had faith.

I’m not a Bible reader but there are many truths in it, which have been a source of comfort to me since I was diagnosed with cancer. One is the meaning of faith: “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen (Hebrews 11:1, KJV).” According to statistics, my chances for a long life are not great. But faith tells me that all things are possible, even if there is no (medical) evidence to back it up. I have faith that a power greater than myself will allow me to see my daughter grow up and dance at her wedding (if she chooses that path). I believe God has a purpose for me: sharing hope and encouragement with others.

But sometimes my faith is challenged. Recently, I attended my friend Cyndi’s visitation and saw her husband and two children standing there looking lost. Like us, they are an extremely close family and Cyndi held things together. Her beautiful young adult daughter Lauryn is a spitting image of her. Her husband Gary says that is a gift Cyndi gave to him. I’m angry that so many people are taken away in their prime by cancer. I don’t understand it, but it just is. I want to blame someone, something for it, but in the end, I have to just have faith that some good will evolve from tragedy.

As my mentor Bernie Siegel, MD, conveys in his children’s book, Smudge Bunny, sometimes good things happen from bad things. For me, cancer has been a transformative experience. As one of my friends said recently, “Would you have ever thought you’d write a book and be speaking to groups of people?” My world has opened up since my diagnosis. I take better care of myself and have more confidence and passion for what I believe is a God-given mission. There have been more gifts than I can count.

I just finished watching Monster’s Ball on TV (yes, I know it’s been out for 10 years). I could barely view the beginning; it was so full of painful images. Billy Bob Thornton’s character was a violent racist who transformed into a loving and generous man who falls in love with an African American woman (Halle Berry). This transformation happens after the suicide of his son and the death of her son. In the end, they are looking up at the stars, and Billy Bob’s character says to her, “I think everything’s going to be alright.”

That’s faith. That’s the demonstration of God’s love despite terrible circumstances. Bernie was right. Good things can come from bad things.

To listen to my God 321 interview, go to http://www.god321.net/podcast.html.

Tami BoehmerAfter more than 20 years working in health care public relations, Tami Boehmer was thrust into the world as a patient. In February 2008, she was diagnosed with a stage IV breast cancer recurrence–months after celebrating her five-year, cancer-free anniversary. Unwilling to accept a grim prognosis, she decided to interview survivors nationwide who have lived far beyond what the medical establishment predicted. Tami compiled these amazing stories into her book, and shares them along with valuable information on healing the body, mind and spirit on her Web site and blog, Miracle Survivors. Tami lives with her husband Mike, daughter Chrissy and furry feline AJ in Cincinnati, Ohio. She divides her time between caring for her family, blogging, fulfilling speaking engagements, and serving as a board member for Pink Ribbon Girls, a support group for young breast cancer survivors.

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Posted in Cancer, Inspiration, survivors | 4 Comments »

Monday, December 19, 2011

Enter Our FREE Book Giveaway: From Incurable to Incredible by Tami Boehmer

From Incurable to Incredible

After Tami Boehmer was told by a doctor, “You could live two years or 20 years, but you’ll die from breast cancer,” she got angry.

“How does she know how long I have to live?” Tami asked herself before deciding to talk with other cancer survivors who didn’t accept doctors’ predictions – people who beat the odds. She was determined to find out how they did it so she could do it herself. And thus began Tami’s search for  the “miracle survivors” whose stories are now featured in her book, From Incurable to Incredible: Cancer Survivors Who Beat the Odds.

From Incurable to Incredible features 27 cancer survivors who were given a terminal diagnosis, but shocked everyone by thriving years past their prognoses.  These “miracle survivors” have different cancers and circumstances, but share two things: a poor prognosis and incredible drive to overcome it. The book contains stories of such amazing and inspiring people as Doug Ulman, three-time survivor and president and CEO of the Lance Armstrong Foundation, Paul Falk who became a personal guest of then Vice President George H.W. Bush decades after being diagnosed with acute leukemia at age 9. We also meet radio show host Brenda Michaels, who beat cancer three times and used alternative therapies, and Cathy Wolfe who insisted on having her baby even after receiving the diagnosis of ovarian cancer during her pregnancy – she and her now teenage son are now thriving.

If you’d like to try for a chance to win From Incurable to Incredible for yourself or a friend, here’s what you need to do: Leave a comment by 6pm on Monday, January 2, 2011 and tell us why you’d love to have this book! If you have a story to share, tell us about that too!

Some technical details…
1. Only one entry will count.
2. Giveaway is open to legal residents of the continental United States who are at least 18 years of age.
3. The winner will be selected at random and notified via email.

Tami BoehmerAfter more than 20 years working in health care public relations, Tami Boehmer was thrust into the world as a patient. In February 2008, she was diagnosed with a stage IV breast cancer recurrence–months after celebrating her five-year, cancer-free anniversary. Unwilling to accept a grim prognosis, she decided to interview survivors nationwide who have lived far beyond what the medical establishment predicted. Tami compiled these amazing stories into her book, and shares them along with valuable information on healing the body, mind and spirit on her Web site and blog, Miracle Survivors. Tami lives with her husband Mike, daughter Chrissy and furry feline AJ in Cincinnati, Ohio. She divides her time between caring for her family, blogging, fulfilling speaking engagements, and serving as a board member for Pink Ribbon Girls, a support group for young breast cancer survivors.

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Posted in Cancer, Inspiration, giveaways, survivors | 7 Comments »

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Unexpected Moments of Joy and Hope

GUEST POST BY JENNIFER LEE EDMONDSON

I consider my experience with breast cancer more of a forced march than a journey.  “Journey” seems too kind and gentle a cancer hope candlesword for describing what breast cancer patients have to go through.  My breast cancer was discovered in early 2011, fourteen months after my 2010 mammogram.  I had had annual mammograms for the past 10 years, all normal.  Not this year’s.

So began my forced march into BC land.  No longer was I in control of my life or my body.  I opted for an aggressive approach, and obediently did as I was told through genetic testing, surgery, aggressive chemotherapy, and radiation.  When I was told to jump, my only response was “How high?”   For lack of better words, it was hell.

During my travels through hell, however, I was lifted by unexpected moments of joy and hope.  A young woman I have never met, but have corresponded with via email regarding business, sent me cute little cards containing messages of hope and encouragement.  Another woman, who lives in my city, whom I also had never met, had heard about my plight from a mutual friend, and began delivering meals to my door step and offering sage advice – she was a BC survivor herself.

Another moment of joy and hope was when I discovered Jean’s Cream.  I first heard about Jean’s Cream during my interview of a radiation oncologist.  I had asked her what she recommended for skin care during radiation, and she mentioned Jean’s Cream, among other products.

Well before my radiation treatments started, I ordered my first tube of Jean’s Cream, and found it to be much lighter than the usual product used by radiation patients, and, Jean’s Cream absorbed into the skin much quicker.  I used it three times a day during the weeks I underwent radiation.  Jean’s Cream is, in a word, FANTASTIC.

Jean’s Cream was and still is a source of joy and hope for me, and I share that joy and hope with others.  Even though radiation has ended for me, I continue to use Jean’s Cream.   I have since ordered Jean’s Cream for my mom, who experienced residual pain from shingles many years after the rash was gone.  Jean’s Cream has helped to alleviate her pain.  I also ordered a tube for my little nephew, who gets eczema in the wintertime, and I have also shared the “tubes of joy and hope” with other women undergoing radiation therapy.

I am thankful for Jean’s Cream, and Jean, the person who made it all possible.

Jennifer Lee Edmondson lives with her family in Wisconsin.  She and her husband practice law together, representing people who are injured or disabled, through their law firm, Edmondson Law Office.  Jennifer also writes as a community columnist for The Post Crescent.  Her most recent column, which encourages individuals to have annual health screenings, regardless of what recent studies recommend, can be found here.

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Posted in Cancer, Inspiration, Women, radiation side effects, survivors | No Comments »

Thursday, October 20, 2011

Important Note from Jean, Founder of Jeans Cream

Dear Jeans Cream Community,

As you know, October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. To me, this month is a good time to remember how far I’ve come since my diagnosis and treatment. It is also a time when I reflect on just how essential it is to stay on top of my health. So I want to encourage each and every one of you to also put your health at the head of your to-do list right now – today!

Here are some important appointments to make. Check with your doctor for other tests and medical visits he or she might recommend:

  • Besides getting your mammograms, make sure to schedule your annual physical.
  • There are age-related tests you should have that your doctor will arrange for you, such as a colonoscopy and bone density, cholesterol and EKG.
  • Go to a dermatologist to have a medical professional look at your skin.
  • See your dentist at least annually. Your mouth and gums need to be checked.
  • Visit an ophthalmologist for an annual eye exam to make sure your eyes stay healthy.

If you are asked to get an MRI, Cat Scan or any other evaluation, make the appointment as soon as possible.  You are in charge of staying ahead of the game when it comes to your body.

Thank youJean Soulios for being part of our community! Please continue to stay connected by leaving comments on Facebook or our blog, and by sending us email. We are honored to be a part of your journey of healing and continued good health. May we all continue to thrive for many years to come!

Sincerely, Jean Soulios

Founder and President of Jeans Cream

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Posted in Cancer, Support, Tips, survivors | No Comments »

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

E’s Giuliana Rancic To Cope with Radiation Side Effects

E! News anchor, Giuliana Rancic Giuliana Rancicwill be going through what so many of us have experienced: radiation side effects. She recently learned that she has Stage I breast cancer thanks to a mandatory screening prior to undergoing IVF treatment.

Treatment for breast cancer is determined according to a number of different factors, including tumor size, cancer type, the speed with which the cancer is growing, how far it’s spread, the woman’s age and general health, whether she’s had breast cancer before, etc. In Giuliana’s case, her doctors and health care team have determined that her treatment protocol will involve surgery and radiotherapy.

Most people who undergo a lumpectomy will experience a recovery time ranging from one day to two weeks. In most cases, radiation therapy causes radiation side effects such as skin redness and burning, fatigue, and nausea. Giuliana can support her skin by using a good cream, avoiding irritating clothing, and staying out of the sun.

Another thing that can help women recover from a breast cancer diagnosis and treatment is a good support system. Fortunately for Giuliana, her husband Bill Rancic has been extremely supportive.

“Bill is unbelievable,” Giuliana said. “He lets me cry when I want to cry, he doesn’t say, ‘Hey, look at that person who’s worse off than you are.’ He just lets me feel what I’m feeling.”

So with a few months of medical care, including surgery and radiation side effects, ahead of her, how does Giuliana feel about continuing her IVF treatment?

She has said, “I’m not gonna give up, I want that baby. And what’s amazing is that baby will have saved my life…Now I truly believe that God was looking out for me. Had I gotten pregnant [earlier], a few years down the line I could be a lot sicker.”

We are grateful to see that another woman has caught breast cancer early and are reminded of how important it is for all of us as adult women to be proactive about our health. Staying on top of diagnostic testing is so important in being able to nip cancer as early as possible so that we can live our lives to the fullest for many years to come.

Our prayers go out to Giuliana and Bill, and to every other woman who has recently been diagnosed with breast cancer. May your journey be grace-filled and may you have all the support and resources you need.

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Posted in Cancer, Videos, Women, radiation side effects, survivors | No Comments »

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Three Factors That Enable a Woman To Thrive

GUEST POST BY RHONDA SMITH OF BREAST CANCER PARTNER

It seems as though over the past few months a common theme I’ve heard from women is centered on the feeling that they’re Breast Cancer Partner Headerin ”transition.”  Honestly, I think the whole world is in transition right now.

The women I have encountered talk about discovering that they’ve reached a point in their lives where they recognize that the choices and decisions they made many years ago that led them to where they are today don’t seem to be working for them anymore and are feeling unfulfilled. They have a strong desire to create a different life for themselves.

I find that some are clear on how to go about making this change, some seem “stuck,” some don’t know how to move forward and some are fearful even about the thought of abandoning the life and career they have known up to this point to pursue their passion and true purpose, even though they may be undoubtedly unhappy with their current existence.

Whatever the case may be, I think that there is some sort of transitioning happening among women.  In my personal network I see women taking charge and making changes in their lives, careers, their consumerism, their investments, and their activism.

Breast Cancer Partner Header 2I am happy to say that through my own personal journey I have discovered what I believe is my passion and purpose in life – to educate, enlighten and empower not only breast cancer survivors, but women in general to become their own health and wellness advocate. This discovery was born out of my breast cancer experience and desire to make the necessary changes in my life to put my health and wellness first after realizing what a difference doing this has made in my vitality and overall quality of life.

I have since created a business, Breast Cancer Partner that focuses on breast cancer recovery through health and wellness and taking a more integrative approach to recovery. However, in the process of getting Breast Cancer Partner off the ground, I have realized that women in general can also greatly benefit from putting their health and wellness first, becoming their own health and wellness advocate, and adopting the Recover Restore Reenergize© Philosophy.

Through my work, I have also realized how much we as women give of ourselves every single day to love, take care of and nurture everything and everyone we’re responsible for in our lives, saving ourselves for last.  I recognize how exhausting that can be whether we acknowledge it or not.

Based on my observation, I believe that the three equal factors that enable a woman to “thrive” and live a life full of vitality with grace, elegance and energy is her ability to Recover, Restore and Reenergize herself and her life on an ongoing basis.

And really, it doesn’t matter if you’re a woman recovering from breast cancer, a woman who is enduring the challenges of everyday life, or a woman living out your passion and purpose in the world – all of us need to be more mindful about how we live, work and play everyday. Most important, we must be sure to schedule the time to nurture and love ourselves each and everyday, putting our health and wellness first. That’s the way we can Recover, Restore and Reenergize ourselves each and everyday and be a better, bolder, brighter transmitter of light, love and energy to the world!

Rhonda SmithRhonda M. Smith is the Founder of Breast Cancer Partner, an organization that focuses on breast cancer recovery through health and wellness and taking a more integrative and holistic approach to recovery. Breast Cancer Partner provides tools, resources and information to help breast cancer survivors (and their families) who are nearing the end of or have completed treatment, on their journey to recovery, and those who are now living cancer free.

Ultimately, Rhonda wants to create a world in which each and every breast cancer survivor lives a life that is full of vitality, cancer-free and without fear, so that recovery is a life-enhancing rather than a life-limiting event.

To see Rhonda’s Recover Restore Reenergize© T-shirt, visit the Breast Cancer Partner website here.

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Posted in Cancer, Health, Inspiration, Natural Healing, Women, survivors | 1 Comment »

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Sean Swarner: The First Cancer Survivor To Climb the Highest Peaks of All Seven Continents

Sean Swarner did more than beat cancer. At age 13, he was diagnosed in what is generally the final stage of Hodgkin’s Sean Swarnerdisease, and doctors gave him three months to live. Sean overcame his illness only to be diagnosed with cancer a second time when a golf ball-sized tumor was found in his right lung. After the Askin’s tumor was removed, Sean was expected to live for less than two weeks. BUT a decade later, with only partial use of his lungs, Sean became famous for being the first cancer survivor to climb Mount Everest.

Here is his story:

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Monday, August 29, 2011

Hope ~ A Quote by Richard Bloch

We recently came upon this quote and wanted to share it. The following passage has been excerpted from a letter on the value of optimism in treating cancer. To read the full letter, click here.Hope

There is no such thing as false hope for a cancer patient. Hope is as unique with each individual as a finger print. For some it is the hope to make a complete recovery. But it might also be the hope to die peacefully; the hope to live until a specific event happens; the hope to live with the disease; the hope to have their doctor with them when needed; the hope to enjoy today. Just as each case of cancer is unique, each person is different. Each individual has the right to be told all their options and then decide for themselves.

~ Richard Bloch, co-founder of H & R Block, Inc. and founder of the R. A. Bloch Cancer Foundation

Richard BlochIn March, 1978, Richard A. Bloch was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer and told that he had three months to live. He chose to fight for his life and was declared cancer-free two years later. For the remaining twenty-six years of his life, Dick and his wife, Annette, devoted themselves to helping the next person with cancer have the best chance of beating it.  Dick passed away in July, 2004 of heart failure.  The R.A. Bloch Cancer Foundation continues the mission under Annette’s leadership.

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Friday, August 26, 2011

Hailey’s Story (Teen Cancer Survivor)

Some people have such bright spirits that we become inspired to be better ourselves. Hailey who has survived a form of lymphoma is one of those people. Here is a part of her story…

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Monday, August 22, 2011

What I Did To Move Forward

GUEST POST BY JAN BIANCHI

I can honestly say the combination of support groups, therapy and my love of writing is what help me to navigate my journey Jan Bianchiafter diagnosis.  I can’t shortchange the emphasis of close friends and my mother.  Writing was and has been a great filter but then I like to journal and digress.  Not everyone likes to digress and go within to see the murals on the interior walls of their being.  As a poet it is an essential part of my being.  The murals within can be daunting, unfamiliar to someone new who hasn’t been exposed to their inner being on a regular basis. Writing can be cathartic like hot steam needing release. It is the vehicle for the inner voice to have a place on the outside rather than in the warehouse of one’s being.  Journaling my feelings became a poetic quest as I documented my journey.  That documentation led me to create later, My Journey with Breast Cancer, Measures of Hope.

I was forty-one when I was diagnosed.  And I can confess what matters to me now at fifty-one is different than what I felt vanity wise at forty-one.   I would have made different choices regarding my breast reconstruction. (That is another story for another time.)  I was diagnosed with DCIS.  Since it was in various areas in my right breast I was told they could not do a lumpectomy.  I would undergo a mastectomy with immediate breast reconstruction.

The journey of breast cancer is a process of unfamiliar decisions that become educated decisions, startling facts, heart rendering calculations, and unfathomable testing of the human spirit.  The journey is one of declaring that the Self shall shine forth and bare the badge of Honor, Courage and Hope.  Support groups I found very resourceful for having the gift to listen to other’s process and treatments.  Their stories allowed me to become more familiar with my own in the early stages after diagnosis.  If you have one loyal friend you can count on and trust unconditionally, then I would assign that person to being your wingman. Having two sets of ears and eyes during doctor’s visits, treatment protocols (if mandated) will make a huge difference.  For the individual diagnosed, a certain numbing process goes on for a period of time.  There will be things one will miss and perhaps not hear as clearly as the person beside you.  That person has the ability to be the X factor in asking the necessary questions when you may not feel up to it.  That person will also become a valuable resource to anchor the unknown as you go.  If there isn’t someone you feel close enough to ask, reach out to someone in a neighboring support group to help you.  People really are willing to help if invited!

So moving forward through the maze of any forms of cancer is uncharted territory.  Moving forward from life events that catapult one from one extreme to another is life altering.  It is like sifting for gold in the old westerns trying to discover gold verses pyrite.  To distinguish the outcome will vary for each of us. Anywhere someone can find a quiet setting like a garden creates calm around you. It is in that space creativity can be born to uplift the soul that is burdened. Here is where healing can be found whether in silence, discussion with another or journaling with one’s thoughts.

Jan Bianchi was diagnosed with breast cancer ten years ago at the age of forty-one. She underwent a mastectomy to her right breast and had the tramflap for reconstruction*.  A writer of Inspirational Books, Jan has written five books, including one on her breast cancer experience titled, Measures of Hope, My Journey with Breast Cancer.

Jan is an active artist, combining her own photography with her written verses to make inspiring posters. In fact, right now she is running a giveaway of her creations on her blog. She’ll draw three names from the first 200 followers of her new blog and will giveaway 2 prints of the Header Pic that reads: “Encourage the possibilities of your dreams!” along with one copy of her book, Measures of Hope. Visit Jan Bianchi’s website here.

*Jan has had a lot of fallout from undergoing the tramflap and would love to receive any stories regarding similar issues and how they were handled. Please feel welcome to contact her through her blog.

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Posted in Support, Women, survivors | 3 Comments »

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