Battling Cancer

Like a Snoopy cartoon, the teacher is speaking to you, but it sounds like white noise as your mind comes to grips with–the diagnosis.

The diagnosis becomes a turning point.

Elizabeth Kubler-Ross’s five stages of grief from her 1969 book, On Death and Dying, explains the stages which apply to any life changing event, including the diagnosis of cancer. The stages are not simply about death, but reflect the loss of life as you know it.

1. Denial–refusal, either conscious or unconcious to accept the facts

More →

By Dr. Dawn-Elise Snipes

Each year millions of Americans are diagnosed with cancer. Nearly 500,000 of those will be diagnosed with breast or prostate cancer. Many of our patients will have, or have had cancer. It is important to understand the range of emotions, causes of distress and interventions available to help them.

There are many things that affect how a patient adjusts to cancer. It is difficult to predict how a person will cope. The following factors influence how a patient adjusts to cancer: The type of cancer, cancer stage, and chance of recovery.
The phase of cancer such as newly diagnosed, being treated, in remission, or recurrent cancer.
Individual coping abilities.
Friends and family available to support the patient.
The patient’s age.
The availability of treatment.
Beliefs about the cause of cancer.

More →

By Carolina Fernandez

Plucky (pluk’e) adj. Brave and spirited; courageous.

Have you ever noticed how few people possess radiating energy? How eyes lack sparkle and how few real smiles there are out there? How almost no one looks you in the eyes when you talk or how few people have truly gracious social skills? One thing that never ceases to amaze me is the lack of charisma or magnetism or exuberance among people everywhere!

So when I met Lorraine and Cam, I was immediately drawn to their energy. To their lit-up eyes, frequent laughter and bubbly personalities. Now they’re not particularly bubbly as in “effervescent.” No, they are actually more on the subdued side. But when one talks to them, their eyes twinkle. They smile when they talk. They maintain fabulous eye contact. Good upbringing? Perhaps. I’ve met both of their parents, even though one set lives in Scotland and the other in England (and we live up here in Connecticut in New England) and they are, indeed, darling people.

More →

DESPITE going through three years of hell, cancer survivor Andrew Pallister is fighting back.

Andrew, 51, of Pardshaw, plans to ride a bike 11,000 metres up a French Mountain for a cancer charity.

He has been diagnosed with cancer twice and his wife has had breast cancer, but Andrew will not give up.

More →

How Can I Help … When a Child Dies?

I am already at a loss for words when an adult dies. I would be speechless what to say when a child dies…Ruth

Here is some help

“A child has died. Regardless of the child’s age or the circumstances of death, as a person wishing to give support, you feel empty and helpless. What can you say that will ease the pain and help to mend the hurts?

What Can You Do to Help?

There are no easy answers, no standard approaches that are universally helpful. There are no magic formulas that will make the pain go away. It is natural to feel helpless when the child of a friend or relative dies. Remember that showing your loving concern can be very comforting to a grieving family. Please don’t avoid them because you feel inadequate. Families are more likely to reach a healthy, positive resolution of their grief if they receive continuing support and understanding. The following suggestions may help you provide that support”