Category Archives: Cancer

You were Light

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It seems fitting that on Mother’s Day I would finally try to write about you. I always thought that losing Grandpa would be the hardest… he was my first loss to cancer, after all, and I idolized him. My love for Grandpa was a child’s love, however… and I had that same love with you, but because I had the opportunity to share more of my life with you, it was a love and respect that developed into adulthood.

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You were the most beautiful person I’ve ever met and will ever meet in my life, inside and out. You made everyone feel special and appreciated. When I remember happy memories from my childhood the majority of them centered around you and Grandpa and your house. I used to get so excited when I would get to come… I’d write songs in the car about going to Alta, and sing them on the way. It was only an hour’s car drive, but felt more like four.

You baked me chocolate chip cookies and cake with no frosting (which is how I still prefer it), special dinners and treats out. You taught me that there’s always room for dessert. You would know which of your family was coming up the road by the sound of the engine. Your love and patience and compassion and tenderness radiated from your eyes. You radiated warmth. You were light.

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Guestblog: Mesothelioma Surgery May Make Breathing More Difficult

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Mesothelioma Surgery May Make Breathing More Difficult

Mesothelioma treatments can serve two purposes: They can help stop tumor growth, and they can help manage symptoms. Curative treatments have the potential to do both; when the tumors get smaller, they place less pressure on the lungs. This in turn reduces symptoms like chest pain and coughing. Treatments can extend a patient’s life expectancy, as well.

In the case of curative surgery, however, many patients experience the opposite effect – at least, for the first few weeks following their operation.

The two main surgeries for mesothelioma – the pleurectomy/decortication and the extra-pleural pneumonectomy – are both invasive procedures. While the former is a lung-sparing procedure, the latter involves the removal of one full lung. The remaining lung must then bear the burden of both.

Additionally, with an extra-pleural pneumonectomy, fluid may accumulate in the space more quickly for the first three days after surgery. These fluid buildups – known as pleural effusions – can make it difficult or even painful to breathe. On the upside, surgeons can safely drain this fluid from the chest cavity with an outpatient procedure called a thoracentesis.

Even with a pleurectomy/decortication, patients may still experience difficulty breathing. As their body heals and their lungs get stronger, this struggle should get easier over time.

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Guestblog: Life After Cancer Treatment

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Receiving a cancer diagnosis and prognosis can be overwhelming, but getting back into the swing of things after cancer treatment can sometimes be just as hard to overcome. You might not feel like yourself and your interests might have changed, but getting your life back on track is possible.

Although your life changed the moment you were diagnosed with cancer and it may never be the exact same as it was before your diagnosis, there is hope for a better and brighter future. Generally, it takes the amount of time you went through treatment to regain a more normal life again.

What Is “Normal” After Cancer Treatment?

Many who have completed various cancer treatments describe the first few months as a time of change, rather than a time of returning to the ways things were before treatment. This time is about finding and redefining what is normal for you now. Going through cancer may have changed your outlook on life, what you can accomplish on a daily basis, how you enjoy spending your time, and even the people you want around you.

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In Memoriam

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memoriam

Two Thumbs up for an individual who was always entertaining. Two thumbs down for a sad end to a brave fight.

Via http://www.cbc.ca/news/arts/story/2013/04/04/roger-ebert-obit.html

Pulitzer Prize-winning film critic Roger Ebert has lost his battle with cancer.

The writer, who marked 45 years with the Chicago Sun-Times on Wednesday, died Thursday, the paper has reported. Ebert was 70.

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Thirteen is a lucky number

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To say that I have been consumed with work for the last few
months would be a gross understatement. I’ve been incredibly guilty
of finding no balance in my life, and working long hours because I
knew it was temporary. My husband has been phenomenal… stepping
up to do things around the house, helping out with the kids, even
getting groceries and doing laundry.

Last Friday I finally reached
the point where it was done. And Saturday was bliss. I was able to
get back into my regular routine, and who’s smiling face should I
happen to run into but Wanda. (you can find posts about Wanda here
and here and here.)
Wanda would be one of many people who have been so understanding
when I did my disappearing act because of work. But more than
anybody, she always reminds me to slow down and focus on the things
that matter in my life. Sad for me to say i “ran into her”
considering she lives right across the street, but that in itself
is a good indication of the last three months for me.

She’d
probably roll her eyes if I told her face to face that she was an
inspiration to me, and one of my heroes when I see how strong and
brave she’s been in her fight with breast cancer. I know there must
have been times through this that she’s felt discouraged, but you’d
never know it talking to her. I knew that her chemotherapy had been
completed (first MAJOR step YAY) and she told me Saturday that she
had 13 radiation treatments left.

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Obviously thirteen is a lucky
number because after number thirteen we will all be talking about
how she beat this and how she taught all of us around her the true
meaning of inner strength and positive energy. We will talk about
how all of us have learned by her example and I especially will be
thanking her for not only being my friend but for teaching me to
never take things for granted, and to keep focus on what is
important.

Just thirteen more steps. Thirteen phenomenal steps to
complete a journey that no one should have to take. Just a walk in
the park. Right Wanda?

Take A Stand Against Sitting!

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If you are sitting at your desk right now reading this, you might have what is arguably the most common health problem in Canada today – Sitting Disease.  Sitting Disease is a term that has been coined by the scientific community to describe a metabolic condition caused by the ill-effects of an overly sedentary lifestyle. And while the scientific community has recognized this as a real concern, the medical community has not yet classified it as a diagnosable illness.

Researchers, however, have this to say:

“For people who sit most of the day, their risk of heart attack is about the same as smoking.”  ~Martha Grogan, cardiologist, Mayo Clinic

“Today, our bodies are breaking down from obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, cancer, depression, and the cascade of health ills and everyday malaise that come from what scientists have named sitting disease … Every two hours spent just sitting reduces blood flow and lowers blood sugar, increasing the risk of obesity, diabetes and heart disease.” ~ James A. Levine, MD, PhD

“Prolonged sitting should be considered within occupational health and safety policies and practices just like other elements of posture.” ~ British Journal of Sports Medicine

“We’ve become so sedentary that 30 minutes a day at the gym may not counteract the detrimental effects of 8, 9 or 10 hours of sitting.” ~ Genevieve Healy, PhD

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Happy Birthday Cancerbytes

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Specialty-First-Birthday-Cake

On Friday, Cancerbytes celebrated its 1st birthday. It’s hard to believe it’s been a year since it began, or that it’s been a year since the person who helped inspire it has been gone as well. While the heart of this website is in memory of every friend and family member who has been lost to cancer, fought cancer, or beat cancer, the catalyst that started it all was my father-in-law.

I had my first exposure to cancer at 14 years old, when my Grandpa died. Through the years I lost others as well, including my Grandma when I was 25 (I have yet to write my Grandma’s story… stay tuned). My father-in-law was the first time where I had been more there for it… at the hospital… pretty much until the end. To say it profoundly affected me would be an understatement.

I was sad and mad at the same time, with an overriding feeling of helplessness and wanting to DO something. Five days after he passed away, was the beginning of this. I’m confident that modern medicine has the ability and the brilliant minds to find a cure, just as sure as I am that this can’t be done alone.

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I miss…

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In Memoriam

In Memoriam

It seems hard to believe that it’s been a year since you’ve been gone. Today I found myself thinking of little things I’ve missed this past year. I miss the messages on our answering machine. I miss the humour that, more often than not, crossed several lines. I miss the gifts for the kids, the construction sets that came with a gazillion pieces and hurt like you know what when you stepped on them. I miss all the woodworking projects. I miss the looks on Mark’s face when he was talking to you, and just KNOWING you were saying something off the wall, and looking forward to him getting off the phone so I could find out what it was. I miss you calling and saying “This is Dad”… almost right away, and learning pretty quickly it wasn’t just a word to you, that you just happily accepted everyone into your life. I miss the wooden canes. I miss you teaching me how to play guitar. I still have the sheet music with chords on it, tucked away, but don’t want to learn how to play because you’re not here to teach me. I miss hearing you play and sing. More than anything I miss your laugh.

If I had to pick one thing I am the most grateful for, in getting to know you, it was how when you first met my boys… children who were not biologically related to you… you treated them as your own. Anyone on the outside looking in would never have known otherwise. From the beginning, you became “Grandpa Jim” to all of them, you accepted and loved them equally, and I really can’t put into words how much that meant to me.

Maybe the closest I can come to expressing it, is to add what Aric, my oldest son, helped write and read on the day of your funeral. It may sound cliche’ but it really couldn’t be more true: While you may be gone, you certainly are not forgotten.

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As close as I’ll get to a comeback

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The history: I have participated in the Bluenose Marathon for four years: 2007-2010. The first three years, I ran the 5K. (Two of these three years, my son Aric ran in the 10K… so my goal was always to get a better time in my 5K than he did in his 10K, and I’m happy to say I did, both years!). The fourth year, as I went to register for the event, a surge of adrenaline, or stupidity, struck me, and instead of registering for the 5K, I registered for the half marathon. Why did I do it? You can read about it here.

http://hollysalsman.blogspot.ca/2010/05/why-am-i-doing-this-again.html

As you can see, my heart was in the right place, though not necessarily my brain. I managed to complete the entire distance, after having ran 4.4 KM with my boys the previous day, with no training in walking distances that long, on sneakers that were about two months past needing an upgrade. (Which I knew… but I didn’t want to switch them so late in the game). By the time I crossed the finish line I could hardly walk and I was in tears. But, I had registered and raised money for the Easter Seals that year… so I felt more justified in pushing myself as hard as I did.

I knew I was in pain… hardly able to walk… sore… stiff… but I wouldn’t realize the full extent of my injuries until later. The next morning I still couldn’t walk. The pain in my right foot was so excruciating that I had to hold onto things just to get around the house. The morning after, same thing. After about two weeks of it not getting any better, I went to see my doctor, and discovered I had damaged the tendon on the bottom of my foot… plantar fasciitis … and it would take me a year and a half to recover from it.

Not only did it require time, I had to make some real changes to my everyday living. All the cute shoes I had, that had no support, had to go. I couldn’t wander around barefoot anymore, which was one of my favourite things to do. Any shoes I wore had to have good support and I learned how to pick shoes that fit the bill. I had to stretch before I could even get out of bed… take things slow until the morning pain wore off, and roll frozen golf balls on the bottom of my foot when the pain would get the best of me. My doctor told me if things didn’t get better, she could prescribe cortizone injections… which I heard horror stories about, so did everything I could to avoid them at all costs. My physical activity was severely limited, and more than anything I just felt stupid that a decision I made had caused it.

2011 came and went, and still being in recovery I was unable to participate in the Bluenose Marathon… which was tough for me to accept. Finally, around 6 months later, I was officially healed. Well, as healed as it would get.

Then came 2012… and I was officially healed and had started going for walks… but not nearly to the level of a half marathon. Because of this, I was incredibly tempted to register for the 10K… but me, being stubborn, didn’t want to go backwards from the half. Begrudgingly, I missed yet another year… but started seriously training. I made up my mind that I would train properly and participate in 2013 in the half once more.

10th Anniversary

Bluenose Marathon

The present: True to my word, I have worked hard on my training. I have currently walked a total of 646.26km, completed the full half marathon distance once, in September, and gone 18km in October. Aside from that I regularly walk over 12km. I’m proud of how far I’ve come and have registered for the Bluenose Marathon half. On top of that, I have also registered for the Scotiabank Charity Challenge, this year choosing to support (for Cancerbytes as well as a friend) the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of Canada, Team in Training. The link for my fundraising page is here; any and all support is appreciated to help me reach my goal:

http://my.e2rm.com/personalPage.aspx?registrationID=1703272

The future: Will I do it again next year? Who knows! I’m focused on getting through THIS year first. As Cancerbytes nears it’s one year anniversary I’m proud of the support this website has generated, and grateful to be able to participate in events myself, which ultimately helps to accomplish what this website does.

To anyone who supports me, thank you. To those who are participating in the Marathon and would like to join my team, awesome! The more the merrier. You don’t even have to go the full half… shoot me a message and I’ll get you added in whichever event you’re participating in.

Here’s to the Bluenose… and helping charities raise money for a cure.

 

Attention all Tightrope Walkers!

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If wishes were fishes...

If wishes were fishes…

New Year’s Resolutions: who makes them and who doesn’t? Generally I’m not someone who makes them, because I figure they are too easy to break. This is why I quit smoking on December 27th, 2005… and I’m still smoke free. That being said, you can’t deny the advantages of setting personal goals for yourself, and statistics show that people who regularly make New Year’s Resolutions are 10 times more likely to achieve their goals. Not all the New Year’s Resolutions stats, however, are this motivating:

New Years Resolution Statistics:

Percent of Americans who usually make New Year’s Resolutions 45%
Percent of Americans who infrequently make New Year’s Resolutions 17%
Percent of Americans who absolutely never make New Year’s Resolutions 38%
Percent of people who are successful in achieving their resolution 8%
Percent who have infrequent success 49%
Percent who never succeed and fail on their resolution each year 24%

*Source: University of Scranton. Journal of Clinical Psychology, published 12/13/2012

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Everyone Has a Story

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telling stories around a campfire

The more people that I meet in my life, the more I realize that everyone has a story. What I find myself wondering is how many of these stories remain unshared? Forgotten? And ultimately lost through time?

Among the many many things I loved doing at my Grandparent’s house, the one thing I loved the most was going through the drawer with old photographs, asking who each of them was, stories about them, where they lived and how they grew up. In some ways I think  I was destined to be a writer because people’s stories have always fascinated me. The story I loved the most though, the one I made my Grandpa and Grandma tell me over and over and over again, was the story of how they met.

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Why didn’t I think of that?

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It will come as no surprise to those who know me well that I am constantly, and I mean CONSTANTLY, reading and researching things online. Some of my best inspiration has come from happening across something that has sparked an idea. Sometimes it’s a fleeting spark that sets off an event not even remotely like the news that sparked it to begin with. Other times you happen across an idea that is so perfect in its simplicity that you just have to roll with it… and give full credit to the creator.

Such is the idea of the scarf box. A perfectly simplistic idea with far reaching possibilities. And of course, because my friend Wanda is in the middle of her battle with breast cancer, she is the one I brought the scarf box to, yesterday. Today was her second chemotherapy treatment and I wanted her to know I was, and would be, thinking about her.

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Health Care should be a Right… not for the Privileged

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As I sit here this evening, with my television on CNN, but muted… and working at my second and even third job with music playing in the background, turning around every few minutes to check the latest electoral vote counts, these last months of biting my lip in an attempt to keep political views to myself is just disintegrating. I have tried very hard not to express my opinion, because lets face it, I left the United States. I made the decision to move to Canada, I made the decision to become a permanent resident, and then I made the decision to become a Canadian Citizen. Since leaving in 1997, I have been back to the United States for one visit, and it wasn’t back to my home town. However, I do have plans to go in June… assuming that I still have a place to stay after writing this.

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TODAY MATTERS!!

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We can all use a little dose of inspiration… especially on a Monday!

Don’t let worrying about tomorrow rob you of today.

Life is not measure by the breaths we take, but rather by the moments that take our breath away.

We cannot change the wind. We can only adjust our sails.
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Ten Things Others Have Done To Beat Insomnia During Treatment

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Ten Things Others Have Done To Beat Insomnia During Treatment

You have been told that you have cancer, how are you supposed to get any sleep? All the worrying, what could go wrong, what will the treatment be like, will I lose my hair, what about the kids, will I be able to work and a thousand other questions.
Then you start treatment and that adds to the problems. Many of the WhatNexter’s on WWW.WHATNEXT.COM that are being treated for cancer either by Radiation or Chemotherapy have described problems with sleep disorders and how they have tried to correct them. Here are some of the remedies tried:
Sleepless

Day one past is one less to go :)

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Day one is now just a memory… thought of you all day and you KNOW who you are!

Drive

Something about you that I truly admire,
Words from your mouth often inspire.
Glass is half-full, you clearly see,
Your positivity brings joy to me.

You’re a combination of special and rare,
So many talents, with the world you may share.
Just the way you make others feel,
Is so wonderful, it’s simply so real.

Wherever you go, whatever you seek,
I know you will conquer, no matter the peak.
By the look in your eyes, I can sense your drive,
I’m so happy, I know you will thrive.

~Anitapoems.com

What Can You Expect As A Hospice Caregiver?

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Being a Caregiver will be one of the biggest gifts you will ever receive. A gift? Yes, a gift. Often times the caregiver is a child of the person who needs to be cared for. This turns into role reversal, and brings up different feelings for both people. The Parent may feel guilt that they are taking up your time, being a nuisance, or a bother. The Caregiver may feel resentment, stress, fear and fatigue once the situation starts to be more demanding. But once you have committed to take care of your loved one, right till the last second, you will find out what a gift it is. It is a great feeling knowing that you were there to take care of every need, to comfort, aid and Dr. When you see the fear and anxiety wash completely off of their face when you take care of their needs, it starts to sink in, that if you were not there to take care of these things, then that person would be going through this difficult time alone.

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I make the mashed potatoes

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It’s early in the morning, and already the house is fluttering with activity. There’s always so much to do and with everyone coming over, while many hands make light work, much food also makes much work! The counter is covered with every sweet you can imagine. It’s hard to believe that somehow it will all go, either through eating it today or sending it along. I look out the window and there’s electricity in the air, like the entire world is holding its breath, waiting to see that first snowflake fall. I snack on something for breakfast, because on a day like today there’s really only one meal, and it’ll be around 3:00. I go in what is, for all intents and purposes, my room and get dressed up. Even though we aren’t going anywhere, it somehow feels “right” to be dressed up. I stop for a minute and close my eyes… for some reason I feel this need to take it all in, the smells in the house, the clinking of the good plates as they are being pulled out of the cabinet, the sound of grandma moving around the kitchen, and grandpa walking up the eight creaky stairs from the garage. For some reason the creaks seem to get higher pitched the higher you climb, but I figure that’s just my mind playing tricks on me.

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Random Musings from Cancer Patients/Survivors

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In my 24 year journey dealing with Cancer, I have had 3 diagnoses, Chemo, Radiation, Surgery, Procedures, more tests with names that the average individual shouldn’t know, radiation again, lost 50#…..twice, lost my teeth, my hair…..twice, quit one job, started a Company, lost BOTH parents to cancer and turned into a Cancer Advocate. During that trip, I have spoke with many people about the everyday cancer subjects that come up when talking with another cancer patient/survivor.

These are some of them:Hero Of Hope

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