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Johnsie’s Fight Like a Girl Story

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May
20
2013
White Ribbon

It’s coming up on the 2nd anniversary of my mothers death, 2 days after my birthday! I truly believe that, even though she had health problems, that she died from a broken heart. Although, my parents had been divorced for 26 years, she still loved my Father! The thing is my father died in March 2009 of lung cancer, which of course spread everywhere else. When he was fighting cancer, he was always optimist! But, I believe that he knew it would eventually take his life. After his death I believe that she just gave up and really wanted to die also! I am just so sad that I lost them both in the same year!! As my birthday nears, I dread the date to come and go, with all the feelings and fear of a future without them!! I drove by there old homes this week. I decided that am going to spend this weekend at the beach, where I grew up with my Father! I know they are watching over me, but I miss them so very much, even at 47!!!! Johnsie L North Carolina Submitted 8-2-2012 The … [Read more...]

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Women with Mesothelioma Cancer

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Mar
29
2012
Women with Mesothelioma Guest Article

Because mesothelioma is mostly diagnosed in people who worked in factories, power plants, auto repair facilities or in other similar industrial jobsites, it has a reputation as a "man’s disease". And to a great extent, this is true. Mesothelioma affects three to four times more men than women, according to research by the Centers for Disease Control. But women are affected, too. How do Women Get Mesothelioma? Women get mesothelioma the same way that men do – by inhaling or ingesting asbestos. While men were more likely to experience occupational asbestos exposure – breathing in asbestos fibers on the job – women faced environmental and secondhand asbestos exposure threats. One of the most common ways women were exposed to asbestos was through their contact with their husbands' asbestos-contaminated work clothes. When a wife washed the factory uniforms a spouse wore in an asbestos-laden jobsite, she became high risk for inhaling the fibers from the fabrics. Women can … [Read more...]

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Childhood Cancer Awareness Month!

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Sep
08
2011
Childhood Cancer Awareness Month

September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month!  Do you know what that means??  It's time to take action in the fight against pediatric cancer!  This month, I want to share some important statistics and resources about childhood cancer and how to become an advocate for all of the kids who have, are, and will fight.  It doesn’t take much but a heart for kids to make a difference! First, here are some major childhood cancer statistics…you can raise awareness simply by sharing these facts! -Cancer is the #1 cause of death by disease in kids -46 children each school day are diagnosed with cancer -7 children die each day from cancer -40,000 children are presently being treated for cancer in the United States -2/3 of childhood cancer survivors will suffer some type of long term effect resulting from treatment -1 out of 5 children diagnosed with cancer dies and in some types of cancer, 1 out of 5 lives -When diagnosed with cancer, 80% of children are diagnosed … [Read more...]

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“Hope” by John

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Sep
03
2011
John Hope

I had a strained relationship with hope before my wife was diagnosed with cancer. To me, hope was a high waiting for a low, a fix with a nasty flipside. Far from the precious entity exalted by legions of poets and philosophers, hope was just another coordinate on the pain/pleasure cycle existing in infinite balance with its opposite. In the same way that happiness alternates with sadness, or desire with loss, hope alternates with fear. One requires that the other exist. Hope was for suckers, and I was no sucker. Or so I reasoned. The times I didn’t need hope, that is. But when life would clobber me over the head with misfortune, there I was, clinging to hope like a dear, misunderstood friend. Since my wife’s diagnosis, however, my relationship with hope is no longer strained. It’s been severed completely. I’ve abandoned hope, and in the process have met a new friend: peace. To abandon hope is to trample the plotline of feel-good movies, to renounce the rhetoric of … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Living Life, Personal Power Stories Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

The Do’s and Don’ts of Cancer Kid Gifts

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Aug
01
2011
Doing origami!

Do you know a child with cancer?  Are you wondering what kind of gift to give them?  As one who was on the receiving end for quite some time, I’m hoping to give a little insight on giving get-well gifts.  There are do's and don’ts- some are quite obvious, while others perhaps only someone who’s gone through it can realize.  But all hope to ease that “what do I get them” feeling and create a better giving/receiving experience for both the patient and the people who care about them. DO: Soft Coming home from the hospital after a tough round of chemo, I’d slip on my fuzzy socks, grab my softest stuffed animal, and snuggle beneath my coziest blanket in my most comfortable pj’s.  Comfort….it’s all about comfort.  That’s why anything plush or fluffy goes over big with anyone who’s ill, especially a child.  Whether it’s a big stuffed bear to hug during chemo or a pillow to jam your face in on hard day, the level of comfort that something soft can provide … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Childhood Cancer Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Can Sitting Too Much Kill You?

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Jun
22
2011
Can Sitting Too Much Kill You

Does sitting too much increase the risk of dying prematurely? According to a new study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology, time spent sitting is even more important in determining mortality rate than the amount of structured exercise a person gets. Time Spent Sitting and the Risk of Death Researchers reviewed survey responses looking at time spent sitting and overall physical activity in 123,216 individuals as part of the American Cancer Society’s Cancer Prevention Study. They discovered in healthy men and women, that the more time a person spent sitting down, the higher their risk of dying. The association was stronger in women than in men. Men who sat more than six hours a day were eighteen percent more likely to die, while women who spent the same amount of time sitting increased the risk of death by thirty-seven percent. The risk of dying was even greater in men and women who sat for long periods of time during the day and got no structured … [Read more...]

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One Who Should Not…

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Jun
13
2011
Melinda Childhood Cancer LR

A soft beanie slips over the small head of one who should not be hairless A needle plunges into the hip bone of one who should not know that kind of pain A single word scares one who should not yet know true fear Thoughts beyond this world float in the mind of one who should not have to wonder what it feels like to die Memories of a past life escape the conscience This is normal, right? Everyone gets chemo… Everyone must fight for each day… Everyone must endure the acrid taste of Prednisone as it skims the back of their throat… Everyone must search each cell in their body for the energy to turn over in bed… It’s impossible to imagine that the world goes on lives go on… while yours crumbles beneath your shaking feet Why have you been chosen? Only God knows… How hard must you fight? There is no certainty in the mouths of doctors… What will happen? Only time has the ability to speak those … [Read more...]

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The Battle Against Childhood Cancer

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Apr
28
2011
Me and Braden, the Inspiration for Braden's Hope Foundation

In the battle of childhood cancer, we see kids and their families, nurses, and doctors who are on the front lines every day.  It’s important, however, to recognize and acknowledge those behind the scenes- those out of the direct line of fire who make the fight possible.  Although overlooked in importance and, I believe, underappreciated for what they do, childhood cancer organizations are utterly passionate about helping kids like me.  They bring a personal and sincere quality to what they do and ease the cancer journey for kids and their family. Backing up the children on the front lines are organizations that offer direct services to families affected by childhood cancer.  An organization that is near and dear to my heart is the Teddy Bear Cancer Foundation.  TBCF provides immediate support to families and has impacted my life personally.  Through every step of the way- both during and after treatment- they were always there to provide us with what we needed.  The mission … [Read more...]

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Young Adult Cancer Patients Need a Break!

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Apr
20
2011
Break Cancer

Did you know that every year almost 70,000 young adults between the ages of 15 and 40 are diagnosed with cancer? Did you also know that the survival rate for this age group has remained the same over the past three decades? Fortunately the Livestrong Young Adult Alliance is working on these problems, striving to boosting cancer survival rates and improving the quality of life for young adults with cancer.  They have brought together a coalition of organizations, like the I'm Too Young for This! Cancer Foundation and together they are going to make a difference. They know that things like delays in diagnosis, lack of health insurance coverage, overlooked early warning signs of cancer and lack of participation in cancer clinical trials are contributing to lower survival rates.  They also want to help young adult cancer patients face their own unique challenges, like: long-term effects from cancer treatments that need to be addressed over their lifetime, obstacles in … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Leukemia, Life After Cancer Tagged With: , ,

Introducing the Fight Like A Girl Club Power Forum

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Apr
14
2011
Fight Like A Girl Club Power Forum

The Fight Like A Girl Club is SO excited to introduce our new Power Forum. This new addition to our website is basically a "discussion area" where Fight Like A Girl Club members can connect, interact, and get to know one another. We hope that it will come to be a place to get questions answered, receive support and encouragement, and share news and updates with friends. The Power Forum presently has over 50 categories including breast cancer, ovarian cancer, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis aka RA, cervical cancer, endometriosis, lung cancer, and many more cancer types, diseases, and chronic illnesses. If you would like a category added or have suggestions to make the Power Forum better, please let us know. Enjoy! … [Read more...]

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