The Cancer Support Community offers many physical activities (yoga, Feldenkrais, Pilates, qigong, t'ai chi, etc.) for cancer patients and for families dealing with the stress of caregiving.  Although not specifically for people with cancer, the following blog from Dr. Carr is a good reminder about the importance of going slow when recovering from an injury (i.e. surgery) and listening to your  body.  Questions about CSC's program?  Call 310-314-2555. Getting Creative on the Road to Recovery Erin Carr | February 24, 2012 | Print When can I start running again? When can I return to work? When can I??? Every patient that comes through my door asks such questions at least once. No matter our age or condition, although we think we are still a kid at heart, when recovering from an injury our body and mind are not on the same playing field. We think we can, until our body says “no.” At least not yet. Normal healing from an injury takes a minimum of six weeks. This is a natural progression, and with the constant stresses and strains we place on our bodies every day, it should make sense. During that six-week window you are in a vulnerable state. Whether you have pain or not, your system has been weakened, muscles aren’t as strong or flexible, and your joints may not be as stable. If you go back to a rigorous activity too soon, these factors can place you at a higher risk of re-injury, only to restart the six-week healing process. It’s also important to note that age and the type of injury also plays a part in recovery. Those at fifty, sixty or seventy may need ten to twelve weeks—or more—to recover. And those recovering from surgery, depending on the type, require even longer. As a physical therapist, when I meet with a patient after a recent surgery, I tell them right off the bat to give themselves one full year to feel “normal” again, and to be able to perform all activities they were doing prior to surgery. I know it sounds like a long time, but this is the reality. Most assume once surgery is done they will be back to normal within a couple of weeks or months. One must remember surgery is a traumatic event requiring extra time, patience, and rehab in order to return to optimal function. The bottom line: listen to your body, slow down, and respect your body’s need to heal. Many people stick to the old adage “No pain, no gain.” This can be true, but there is a time and place for this mindset, and in the early phases of healing—this is not the mantra to follow. Sometimes, these moments in life can actually reshape us and help us realize that maybe this all happened for a reason. Here are some tips to help you through the healing process for your mind, body, and spirit. PATIENCE Aren’t we most impatient with ourselves? Rather than be discouraged, frustrated or angry—enjoy the journey. During this road to recovery you may learn more about yourself than ever. GIVE THANKS Rather than complain, or think about the activities you are missing out on, give thanks for the things you can still do even if they are small, like reading a book or seeing a great movie. Soon enough you will be back to the usual grind, so enjoy the break you are giving your body. JOURNAL Writing about your healing path can help purge the emotional hold you have on your pain and injury. Get your frustrations out on paper and rid emotional stress your body is hanging onto, which also may be contributing to a slow recovery. START A NEW . . . Begin a new hobby. If you can’t participate in an activity due to a physical hindrance, then use your mind creatively. Whether it’s drawing, reading, or meditation, stimulating your mind and body in different ways will spur some happy hormones—those same happy hormones your body would experience after that workout you love to do. Although there were many reasons why I became a physical therapist, one reason was due to my own injuries from swimming and triathlon training in my early twenties. It took four to five months before I got to slowly return to these activities, and an additional two to three months to feel “normal” again. I learned more about myself in those months than I could have imagined. Those life lessons still contribute to the person I am today. It wasn’t an easy road, but now I am a better person, and am able to assist my patients during their healing journey. It is an evolution where one comes out on the other side feeling stronger physically, mentally, and emotionally. Erin Carr, DPT, is an integrative physical therapist at The Akasha Center for Integrative Medicine. She works with individuals of all ages and variety of conditions using a multi-faceted treatment approach with the goal of diminishing pain and restoring optimal function. You can also visit Erin’s website HERE.

What Community Means To Me

   For about five months now I've been obsessed with "community"-what it is, what it isn't, which ones I used to belong to, which ones I currently belong to, what my role is in them- my queries went on and on until I started looking for answers. To be honest, I would've blithely gone on and accepted it for what it was but I had a very significant turning point. During a pleasant afternoon, at a place I'd spent many pleasant afternoons, someone caused my view of community to change when they questioned my ethnicity. After a lifetime of such inquiries from members of my own race (I'm African-American), and unenlightened others, it wouldn't have bothered me if it didn't happen where it did.
   During my struggle over this issue I realized why it caused me to meditate so assiduously about community. The very act of questioning someone about something so personal, and in such an insulting manner, violated my civil rights and private boundaries. Now I had to sort out for myself just what it meant to me and my future with community.
    Throughout my research I found the following definition from "The American Heritage Dictionary Of English Language," "A social group or class having common interests." Lori, on www.collectiveself.com, contributed her own definition online that both touched and inspired me. She wrote, "Today, for me, community is an unexpectedly diverse and unified body of individuals who help ensure that life is surprising and delightful." I'd also like to add that a community is a place where you know you'll be surrounded by friends and extended family.
    While I continued exploring the "Cancer Support Commnity-Benjamin Center's" Mission Statement kept coming back to me. Featured in the lower left-hand corner of their monthly newsletter it states, "Our Mission is to ensure that all people impacted by cancer are empowered by knowledge, strengthened by action and sustained by community."
    Before I started going to the Cancer Support Community I thought I knew what community was because I'd been a member of different groups, clubs and organizations, both personally and professionally, but once I truly started interacting with the other cancer patients and facility staff there I realized how little I knew. The most important thing I've learned from them is to accept others despite race, age, lifestyle or background.
   Ultimately I agree that a community can be cultural even if that culture is made up of cancer patients and their supporters. It develops the ability to alter as new participants enter and old ones leave and has the flexibility to be there for those who need it. In my case it's always with me whether I go every week or once a month.
    Personally the communities I've belonged to, by birth, include female and African-American and the ones that include my interests are the writing, fashion, tap dancing and reading communities. Lately I've also become aware of communities in literature, such as "The Great Benzini Brothers" circus from the book "Water For Elephants". Besides tha main characters, Jacob, Marlena, August, Uncle Al, Walter ("Kinko"), and Camel there's Queenie, Walter's dog, Rosie the elephant, and Bobo the chimp. Set during the Depression, in the 1930s, it didn't matter that these characters weren't all related and were basically dysfunctional they were all connected by a common purpose-putting on a show!
    After reading this book I finally realized my search for the meaning of community wasn't over, it was just beginning, and I was still in the midst of figuring it all out and where I fit in.

Movement Is The Key To Feeling Good

   I've discovered, since getting Stage II A breast cancer in 2010, that the body is a wondrous instrument. Even when I've been crippled with incredible pain, once I started to dance most of my discomfort is momentarily forgotten. It doesn't matter if it's a simple time step or a swishy salsa across the floor, the very act of moving releases me from my physical prison.
   "Yeah, but who wants to move when you're exhausted from chemo or a doctor's visit?" you might ask.
     I often asked myself the same thing before I discovered the relief of dance and exercise. They not only help alleviate my physical obstacles, but my mental and emotional ones as well. In June, I decided to become more committed to movement by joining the "Cancer Support Community-Bejamin Center's" new dance classes twice a week and T'ai Chi: Eva Wieland's "Move To Heal", 6-7 p.m. on Mondays; Marianne Lu's "Tai Chi", 5-6 p.m. on Tuesdays; and Alejandra Ortiz's "Zumba" class from 6:15-7 p.m. on Tuesdays, also.
    Along with anemia, exhaustion, anxiety and tension headaches, I also suffer from lupus, rheumatoid arthritis and osteoporosis--hardly motivation for exercise--but I went against my own doubts and asked my doctors if I could do it anyway. They were as enthusiastic as I was about pursuing it, especially when my blood pressure went down, my color returned and my weight stabilized.
    There are many benefits to movement that I've become aware of while taking these classes, including how much my energy level has increased, how much more relaxed I feel afterwards and how I reconnect with my childhood again through the act of physical play. For the "Move To Heal" class, Wieland incorporates a combination of yoga exercises with stretches, improvisation and choreographed routines to give us an hour of exuberance expressed in gorgeous steps, leaps, sweeps, jumps and turns that are both relaxing and inspiring. Once she even let me teach the class the "waltz clog", a breezy, joyous, tap step that consists of a step, ball/change across the floor. Besides being a fun way to share one of my favorite dance styles with other cancer patients, it was also a good workout!
    After we traveled around the room, Wieland told us, "It's really fun to incorporate other dance styles together because it allows you to experiment and come up with something new."
    Her choice of music, ranging form Adele to Indian, Michael Jackson to Bossa Nova, is another highlight of her teaching style because it adds to the ambiance of the class. In contrast, Lu's "Tai Chi" class is slower, more meditative and poetic. Despite being a beginner, I still enjoy learning how to carefully place my hands and feet in position while concentrating on the luminous snow-capped mountain in my imagination. I picture the frozen utopia writer Daphne DuMaurier depicted in her short story "Ponte Vecchio" because she described it so beautifully.
     Right after "Tai Chi" Ortiz pumps up the music for "Zumba", a Latin dance/fitness class, that's geared to make you sweat. Funky and raucous, it completely sweeps me away as I respond to Ortiz's swinging dance moves that work my whole body. The best part of the class is the energy reverberating throughout the room as everyone dances.
     "Don't worry about getting all of the moves, it's more important to just have fun," she says at the beginning of every class.
     Released from the pressure for perfection, I'm free to dance and forget about everything else in my life. When it's over I have the proof of my exertion in my sweat-soaked t-shirt. Calm and restored, I wash and change into another t-shirt in the bathroom with a sense of elation I haven't felt since my diagnosis two years ago.

Learning How to Trust My Doctors, by Victoria Moore

   For some time now I've been debating about whether or not my life would've gone differently if I hadn't listened to my doctors. Would I still be able to tap dance or attend the computer classes I've started taking at the "Venice Skills Center"? Would I still be able to be a member of the MarVista Library Mystery Club? I thought I had pushed this thought to the back burner until July 11 at the Cancer Support Community-Benjamin Center's Writing Group. Scheduled as a committed group, led by facilitator Zena Bartholomew from 1-3 p.m. every Wednesday, the latest change she's instituted -using topic cards from the "GO WISH" Game (www.codalliance.org)- has given me fresh inspiration and a deeper understanding of my present circumstances.
    On that fateful day, when I reached into the yellow ceramic bowl she stores the cards in before we select one, I never dreamed I'd get the one that said, "To Trust My Doctor". To give you a fuller understanding of how much that topic influenced me then I've reprinted what I wrote in class below:
   
     To trust my doctor or not to trust my doctor? That's not a question for me because my doctors have never given me a reason not to trust them. I really don't think I'd be here if I didn't. They've been there for me every step of the way on my journey and helped me feel as though I always had someone in my corner. They've also reduced and eliminated my fears by visiting me in the hospital, emailing me when they had something to tell me and remaining consistent throughout my treatment.
     I don't know if I'd have been able to face the disease with as much courage as I have without their support. Initially I was afraid of doctors, in general, the hospital, and being sick, but once I got diagnosed with Stage II A breast cancer, I lost my fears and embraced trust.
    The trust I feel for my doctors has affected other parts of my life and I've opened up to others, as well, in ways I wouldn't have before. I've also learned to trust myself more and take more chances. This new openness makes me feel freer and courageous in the face of my new reality. Now when I want to go through an unknown door I do so without hesitation. As a matter of fact I embrace whatever awaits me behind that door. That doesn't mean I tread dancerously and follow dark paths it just means I allow my life to expand as it should.
    Part of the reason I do that is to stay out of a rut and keep challenging myself. I want to keep changing. When I grow internally I want to change externally to match the overall shift. Trust in my own vision is the reason for that and that originated with trust in my doctors. No one told me that I'd become a different person, so I wasn't prepared for it until my doctors and other healthcare professionals explained that I had to to fight my disease. In that case it hasn't been such a bad thing. So now I don't care if I have to trust in my doctors to proceed with a new treatment or on my own path with a new hairdo, clothing style or attitude, my goal is still to reach the next level whether it's towards a healthier future or stronger, more focused life path. Wherever my trust takes me will be alright because it's coming from a good place.

Cancer Support Community Recognizes Supreme Court Decision

The following is a formal statement from Cancer Support Community headquarters in Washington, D.C. regarding the Supreme Court's decision to uphold the constitutionality of the healthcare law.

June 28, 2012

The Cancer Support Community, an international nonprofit dedicated to providing support, education and hope to people affected by cancer, would like to recognize the Supreme Court’s decision today to uphold the constitutionality of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA).

The PPACA contains several provisions of significance to people touched by cancer, including:

 Access to health insurance for all Americans – specifically those who are currently uninsured

 Elimination of lifetime coverage caps on health insurance benefits

 Elimination of pre-existing condition clauses, which previously included a cancer diagnosis

 Coverage of young adults up to the age of 26

 Coverage for screening and preventative services, including breast, colorectal and cervical cancer screenings

"This is a step toward ensuring that all people touched by cancer will have access to the care they need in the face of a cancer diagnosis," stated Kim Thiboldeaux, President and CEO of the Cancer Support Community. "We look forward to working with our Congressional leaders and community members to ensure that the implementation of the law includes access to comprehensive, quality cancer care that includes the seamless integration of social and emotional care."  To learn more about CSC national, visit Cancer Support Community

WebMD: Help is Just a Phone Call Away - By Heather Millar

The following is an article on WebMD regarding Cancer Support Community's new Open to Options™ telephone support hotline. People affected by cancer may call the helpline at 1-888-793-9355.

Friday, July 20, 2012

Remember the fog that surrounded you right after diagnosis? Remember how difficult it is to become an instant expert on your particular cancer? Remember how difficult it can be to make treatment decisions when you’re shocked, stunned, scared out of your mind? Remember forgetting exactly what you wanted to ask the minute you got into the doctor’s exam room?

We could all use a little support when navigating medical crossroads.

When I was in active treatment, I relied heavily on “Decision Services,” a pioneering program at University of California, San Francisco that helped me get ready for key doctors’ appointments, listing questions and concerns, clarifying test results, and helping me prepare for decisions that needed to be made. Now, that kind of help is available, over the phone, nationwide.

Developed in conjunction with UCSF, Open to Options™ provides professional counselors who help patients develop a concrete set of personalized questions and concerns to be raised with their doctors when a treatment decision needs to be made.

Cancer Support Community (CSC), a non-profit network offering cancer education and support, administers this new, national, toll-free call center. Patients may call the helpline (1-888-793-9355) or make an in-person appointment at one of CSC’s 13 affiliates, mostly in large urban areas.

In a pilot study funded by the Centers for Disease Control, an Open to Options™ specialist helped cancer patients with blood cancers brainstorm to create a list of questions based on their understanding of their disease, their priorities, options, and goals. The data suggested that patients experienced less stress and anxiety and had fewer regrets about their decisions when they received this sort of support. Doctors reported that the program made their interactions with patients more focused and productive.

This new program is based upon the one I found so invaluable at UCSF. If you’ve got a medical decision to make in the near future, check it out.

At the very least, take a look at CSC’s “Tips for Treatment Decision Making.” Briefly, they include:

• Learn as much as possible about your disease and your treatment options.

• Bring someone to your medical appointment to help you focus and to take notes.

• Talk through your ideas and concerns with someone you trust.

• Consult decision-making tools such as the patient guidelines created by the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO).

But if it were me, I’d give Open to Options™ a call.

Getting Un-stuck from the Inside -Top 10 Tips by Regina Lark, Ph.D.

Regina Lark spoke at Cancer Support Community-Benjamin Center this past year. The following are Regina's top ten ways to reduce clutter.

I talk with a lot of people about clutter. I hear their stories about how clutter accumulates. Life transitions - birth, death, marriage, divorce, aging parents -- sometimes knocks you off your game. Many say that they just want to wake up one day completely and utterly clutter-free. Some people tell me they would almost welcome a slight house fire or some flood damage, relieving them of the burden of having to decide how to deal with the clutter.

One of the problems of having too much stuff is not knowing how to deal with the problem. A lot of folks feel stuck when it comes to taking action, or, in some cases, waging war, on the mess and chaos that comes with clutter. "Being stuck" has more to do with what you think and how you feel about the clutter, then about the actual pile of papers. Through my experience as a professional organizer and observer of the human nature, I have come to believe that our clutter could very well be the physical manifestation of negative messages we feed our brain. When we tell ourselves we are stuck (or immobile) we believe the message.

We're already at the end of the first quarter of this year that is no longer new. What is keeping you from creating or moving toward your goal? What did you start the year wanting to accomplish and how is the concept of "feeling stuck" going to make the goal elusive? I say it's high time to get un-stuck so you can accomplish what you set out to do!

And so I offer... the Top Ten Tips to help you un-stick from some of the places where you feel stuck!

1. Quiet the mind and take a deep breath. Accept the situation as it is. It is what it is right now. And it is about to change.

2. Understand these concepts: a) You are not your clutter. b) You are not lazy. c) Clearing clutter means that you have to make regular dates with yourself to get the work done.

3. We tend to look at the clutter as a monolithic whole. But it's easier to manage by looking at it in smaller chunks. So... make a list of each cluttered area in your life (be it physical or emotional) as it relates to feeling stuck. Make the list specific: what's the clutter look or feel like? how long have you had it?

4. We need to acquire knowledge about where we are at right now to make sense of how to work out of it. Drill down some more: How do you believe the clutter prevents you from creating or reaching a goal. How does the clutter make you feel stuck?

5. When have you tried to de-clutter? What time of day? How much time did you give to the task? Write about how you have tackled the problem in the past - what worked and what didn't? Do you keep trying to de-clutter the same way expecting different results?

6. Re-define for yourself the words "failure" and "success." I grew up with ideas about the definitions of success and failure. About a year after I started my professional organizing business I experienced months where growth was slow or felt non-existent. Instead of feeling like a failure I decided to re-evaluate what it meant to be a success. And so I decided that for me, a successful month for A Clear Path is the month I don't have to borrow from my dad. So far, I haven't had to borrow any money from my dad. See what I mean?

7. Clutter has a way of muffling sound, it takes up the air, left alone long enough it'll take on a musty odor. Spend quiet time creating a vision in your mind (or cut from pictures and taped to a poster board) of what your ideally cleared spaces will look like, smell like, feel like, sound like.

8. Think of tackling the clutter strategically. For every hour you take to de-clutter, you need an hour to reintegrate the stuff you intend to keep. Look at the list of your cluttered areas and figure roughly how much time you'll need for each project. Once you start the process, you'll know soon enough if you're in the ballpark.

9. Get your calendar and start making dates with yourself to clear the clutter. This is really important. Commit. Commit. Commit. Look at the big picture; be realistic. Do you have a lot of time off in the summer? Are you able to devote 2 hours every Saturday? Once a month? When do you feel most "up?" Are you a morning or night person? Schedule the sessions to give yourself every advantage.

10. Habits: To keep the clutter away you may have to change a few habits. If you habitually drop your clothes on the floor at the end of the day, you may want to change how (or where) you change into your pajamas. You may have piles of mail that's easily identified as trash for recycling. Think about sorting mail near the recycle bin before you even bring it into the space. If mail is dropped through a slot, sort it on your way to the household recycle container.