As most of us know, chemotherapy can have damaging effects on our mind and body.  Chemotherapy not only kills cancer cells, but also our healthy cells because it cannot tell the difference between the two.   During treatment uncomfortable side effects do occur, but often it is the best option for a successful outcome.  Patients will experience weight loss, a possible change in taste buds, and weakness.   It’s important to understand that taking care of yourself is extremely important when you are putting your body through this kind of trauma to minimize the side effects.  Here are five amazing tips on how to help you get through chemotherapy:

1.  Taste Bud Changes-

It’s not uncommon to experience changes in your taste buds.  The nerves in your tongue give you the ability to perceive taste differently and you may have cravings for salty or sweet foods or no appetite at all.  This is nothing to worry about, when the treatments are over the changes in taste go away.  Mean while, try experimenting with other foods.  You may find something you like that you can add to your new diet.  In fact, in order to work with these changes you WILL have to modify your diet and create a meal plan.

2.  A new Diet Plan For Treatments-

Creating a new diet and meal plan for your new lifestyle will not be easy, but it may help with side effects from the chemotherapy.  Eliminating and adding new foods will seem over whelming, but with the right support and professional advice you will be able to achieve a successful plan.  Knowing what to eat and how much before your next appointment will help your treatments go more smoothly.

3.  A workout Plan-

Yes, I konw this may seem like the last thing you want to do, but studies show that increasing your activity level will help you eat and in return give you more energy.  Exercise is always the best healing for the body and soul.  Of course, before you engage in any kind of strenuous exercise, make sure to consult your oncologist as he may be able to give you some tips before hand.

4.  Ginger-

Yes, that’s right, I said ginger!  Studies have shown that ginger helps reduce nausea effects, which is one of the main side effects caused by chemotherapy.  Nausea causes vomitting, which in turn causes weightloss and fatigue.  Ginger supplements are offered over-the-counter, but it’s important to consult your oncologist before taking them because they can interfere with blood clotting.

5.  Keep Hydrated-

It’s so important to keep yourself hydrated during chemotherapy because you lose so much fluid during these treatments.  On top of the nausea, taste changes and loss of appetite make it difficult to keep yourself nourished.  Click here for some amazing tips to help you maintain your fluid intake, which is extremely important to your health during these treatments.

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From fleeing Nazi controlled Austria when she was young, to meeting her future husband Leonard Lauder on a blind date, Evelyn Hausner had a far from ordinary life. Shortly after her marriage to Leonard, Evelyn came to work for her mother-in-law’s then small cosmetic company Estée Lauder. Throughout the years she moved up within the company, eventually becoming Senior Corporate Vice President, and creating Clinique. She loved working with her husband, and his family, especially Estée, whom she had the utmost respect for.

It was in 1989, however, that Mrs. Lauder was diagnosed with breast cancer. It was from then on that she became an ardent supporter of breast cancer awareness and research. Starting in the early nineties, Evelyn Lauder became one of the most important supporters in breast cancer awareness when she created the Pink Ribbon Campaign, which to this day is a worldwide symbol of breast cancer awareness. She also established the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, which has raised approximately $350 million since its start.

This past November, we lost this amazing woman to ovarian cancer. Mrs. Lauder was 75, and is survived by her husband, two sons William and Gary, and five grandchildren. Her legacy as one of the most influential advocates for breast cancer awareness will not be forgotten.

Nixon was diagnosed with breast cancer herself back in 2006, although did not announce it publicly till over a year later while doing an interview with Good Morning America. Nixon’s mother also battled breast cancer while she was a young girl so she was very aware of the likelihood that she one day could have it as well. Following a routine mammogram her doctor called her with the dreaded news. They had found a small lump in her right breast, requiring surgery immediately, combined with 6 weeks of radiation. Waiting until she was completely cancer free to make the announcement out of fear of the paparazzi hounding her at the hospital, she later became the official spokeswoman for the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation. If you didn’t love her as Carries hard-nosed lawyer friend, then you HAVE to love her now! Being in remission for almost 4 years, Cynthia wants to continually remind women of the old adage, “The only thing to fear is fear itself.” As she stresses the importance of routine checkups, she said “The only thing to really be afraid of, is if you don’t go get your mammograms, because there’s some part of you that doesn’t want to know, and that’s the thing that’s going to trip you up.”

Continuing on as a breast cancer advocate, a mother and again as a Broadway star, you can catch Nixon in this emotional yet funny play. Every big publication has given it two thumbs up and the Hollywood Reporter hailed it as, “powerfully moving experience.” So if you happen to find yourself in the city that never sleeps or you just need a great read before you’re ready to go to sleep, Wit is the golden ticket!! For more information on the show go to  http://www.broadway.com/shows/wit/

Photos curtousy of (clockwise): 1.) Open Library  2.) Pop Watch at Entertainment Weekly  3.) David Taylor at Smithsonian Journeys Blog 4.) San Fransisco Chronicle

Hearing the news:

All people with cancer react differently when they hear the news.  Some may want to discuss everything in detail with you, other may want to sit with you in complete silence, and other people’s moods might change everyday. One of the best things to ask a person with cancer is “ Would you like to talk about it”?  This takes out the guessing game of if you should talk about it or not, and allows them to tell you exactly what they want.

Ways of Coping:

People with cancer may suddenly want to vent with you and express their emotions.  Often times their emotions may be of anger or frustration.  Do not feel that you are the one they are angry at.  Instead, put yourself in their shoes, and try to imagine how anxious or scared you would feel.  Also, ask your friend or family member, “What are you feeling”?  This digs a little deeper than the average “How are you?”, but be prepared to hear anything.

Ways you can help:

Often you might feel like you are useless and cannot do anything to help your friend or family member.  Do not feel like that!  Here are some great ways to help:

-Do research on the disease so you will better understand the disease and be better prepared.

-If you do not know the answer to a question, do not answer.  Be honest, your friend or family member will appreciate it

- Silence is golden, just like what the movie theaters say before a film! Sometimes they may not want to talk, and a warm hug, or a loving look is just enough when you visit.

-Your friend is still the same person, so if you watched movies or played cards with them, you can still do those things!

Most importantly, remember this is not a cancer patient, this is your friend.

A picture is worth 1,000 words for most people, but for breast cancer patients a painting could mean inner thoughts and expressions that cannot be verbalized. Many treatment centers have brought in art therapy for patients to help express difficult emotions.  Art therapy allows the opportunity to exercise hand and eye coordination, and also can be beneficial to help relieve stress, anxiety, and emotional and mental problems. The patient’s work is their self-expressions of their life goals, needs, aspirations, and feelings.  Let some of these artists inspire you to try art therapy, and start creating work that will have more beauty and originality than you can imagine!

Pamela Crouch: An artist and an actress who was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2008.  While undergoing two surgeries and chemotherapy all she wanted was to live through to see her daughter graduate from the 8^th grade.  Soon after her chemotherapy treatments she began to feel the side effects of the therapy and started to feel sorry for
herself.  Crouch wanted to paint for others who were diagnosed recently or for those who have been going through treatments so she decided to pick up a paint brush and start painting bird houses with pink roofs. Soon after she started painting she found that you cannot feel sorry for yourself when you are doing something to make others feel better.

Meg Guttman:  A Breast-cancer survivor of almost 13 years, a dancer, singer, and an actress who wanted to find what made her happy throughout her cancer treatments.  She asked herself what would make her happy and all she wanted to do was have time to herself to reflect and be able to create projects with pictures and material.  Art therapy helped her mentally and emotionally get through her treatments.

Karen Austin:  Karen Austin is currently going through cancer treatments and she uses photography as an outlet.  Austin finds that taking photos can help her express her spiritual type of awakening.  She thinks art gives you something creative to do and offers a way to show a perspective of what you are going through.

Sue Lemmon:  A five year breast cancer survivor who found painting to be her outlet for emotions when being extremely ill during treatments.  She told herself day to day that, “while things can seem really bad, the sun is going to rise in the morning, and it’s going to be all right.” Lemmon urges others to go out and try art therapy, even if you don’t consider yourself an artist. She says, “You may not be a Picasso.  You may not be a van Gogh, but if you paint a flower, and it looks like a flower, and you’re happy with the flower? Hey. It’s good.”

If you want to see more breast cancer patients’ art work and stories go to http://www.livingproofexhibit.org/.  These ladies are proof that everyone can be artist!

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Here at THE Breast Cancer Fundraiser we find it incredible that the gowns are received from designers, manufacturers, and bridal shops.  Some gowns are even donated from individuals who are happy to give up their most outstanding dress for an important cause. The dresses are in excellent condition, and many are brand new or gently worn.  Gowns will range anywhere from $99 – $799 and any exclusive name brands or couture gowns that are valued up to $20,000 will receive a discount of 25% – 75% off.

The organization has received more than 50,000 wedding gown donations, which has allowed them to hit a resale value of over 4 million dollars!  If you are interested in making a donation or would like to buy a gown to help support the cause, visit their website at http://www.bridesagainstbreastcancer.org/

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Joyce Rothman – a grandmother, mother and a survivor of breast cancer.  Her story teaches us lessons on acceptance and determination.  In the beginning she did not know how to cope with the reality of her diagnosis.  At the end of the first year, Joyce slowly learned to find beauty within herself rather from the outside.  She sees herself as a warrior who has overcome a battle for her life.

Jen Zahavich - a mother, wife, daughter, sister and a breast cancer survivor.  Her story is about gratitude and bravery. The lessons to be taken from her story are to be thankful for what you have every day, and to learn from whatever life throws your way.  She has a very optimistic look on life;  just saying “I love you and thank you,” are enough to make someone’s day.  Jen also takes us on the journey of her story of diagnosis, and different treatment options such as naturopathic.  She is a strong believer in this treatment because it has less damaging effects on the immune system, but the only downside is the treatment is very expensive.

Meredith Israel – a new mother who is still fighting for her life. Two years after giving birth to her baby girl and her husband receiving a GM promotion that required them to relocate to New York, Meredith was hit with some devastating news; she was diagnosed with stage 2 breast cancer.  Rather than celebrate her husband’s new promotion Meredith began a fight for her life. Her story is inspiring because the message she sends to her readers is to fight hard and never give up.

Elle Kelly - invites you into her life of ups and down.  She calls her blog “The Lump Lessons,” which seems appropriate considering how she really captures the reader’s attention as she talks about her everyday struggles on dealing with the survival of breast cancer.  She talks about how her faith and daughter have been the driving force in her fight to live.  Among the many lessons to be learned from Elle is to learn how to have faith and not fear the unknown.

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These tests are not completely fool-proof. There have been some recent studies that predict that many women who start having yearly mammograms earlier than age fifty might receive at least one false-positive result. However, it is a very important part of early detection. The technology for mammograms, and mammogram-like testing, is improving rapidly year after year, and with this new technology comes more accurate results.

We realize there is a lot of stress, and anxiety surrounding mammogram testing, and that is more than understandable. However, we can’t emphasize enough, the importance of early detection, and how it can, and most certainly has, saved lives. We have listed a few articles below with more information. Remember it is never too early to get one; it could just save your life.

Articles:

• Susan G. Komen For the Cure, Boise Affiliate on the importance of mammograms.
• NBC Washington on mammogram age considerations.
• The American Cancer Society on mammogram testing, (what it is, and what to expect),

The Hostess- This gift bring the slogan, “hostess with the mostess “ full circle. ONEHOPE Wines offer multiple varieties and 50% of the proceeds support a cause. Each bottle represents a specific organization from breast cancer to AIDS.  You can buy a single bottle or a glorious gift pack and feel good with each glass you raise!

The Music Lover- Who says cowboys don’t have a soft side? Susan G. Komen for the Cure and Garth Brooks presents the “Pink Edition” consisting of over 30 of his greatest hits. It also comes with a DVD featuring videos and never-before-seen footage. Snatch up this steel for just $15.00.

The Athlete- How does that saying go…PINK is the new BLACK?! Add a little color to the lives of sport enthusiasts you know with PINK official gear. From pink ribbon adorned tube socks to the official composite Baden Breast Cancer Volleyball. There’s a little something for everyone. Keep in mind that Superbowl is right around the corner and the NFL teamed up with the American Cancer Society to “create a world with less cancer and more birthdays!” Grab the official Rebook jersey of their favorite team at just under $65.00. If that price point is a bit to high, no worries, they also offer cute beanies and slim fit t-shirts starting at $19.99.

The Man-of-the-House- Do you have a man that simply warms your littler heart? Return the favor and try warming his with savory coffee and goodies. After loosing a member of their team to cancer, Caribou Coffee created a specialty line called Amy’s Blend, featuring coffee, teas, mugs and more. Caribou has already donated over $500,000 to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure. Give a cup of cheer to all!

The Fashionista- Help your friends live a charmed life. Charity by Design , a line from Alex and Ani, is a bracelet line that is intended to showcase the unique characteristics of each charity, as well as the people it supports. Available in both silver and gold finishes and starting at a mere $18.00, they’re so affordable you can buy one for your friend and one for yourself. Now that’s WINNING!!

And while the true gift of the holidays is giving, why not make your gifts give in multiple ways.