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Information you should know Announcements
Life Cycle Health Center
February 2, 2010 by Ellen Rudolph, Executive Director
It is with great pleasure that I announce the opening of our first Life Cycle Health CenterTM, an integrative, patient-centered medical practice in Sherman Oaks, CA. Our new Center serves cancer patients, their families, and caregivers, providing holistic therapies based on natural healing traditions - especially Chinese medicine. Life Cycle is open to anyone seeking quality holistic care. We have created a serene healing environment and built a team of some of the best-trained acupuncturists and healing arts professionals in their fields who treat a broad range of health conditions.
Have you recently been diagnosed with early stage, hormone-receptor positive (HR+) breast cancer? Are you struggling to make treatment choices? Then you may be interested to know that each woman's tumor has its own unique biological make-up, and that not all women benefit equally from the same type of breast cancer treatment. If you are a woman with this type of cancer, the Oncotype DX® breast cancer test can help you and your physician decide whether or not chemotherapy may be beneficial in addition to your hormonal treatment.
January 4, 2010 by Gail Pekelis, MA, PT, CLT and Jodi Winicour, PT, CMT, CLT-LANA
For decades, many doctors have warned that lifting weights or heavy groceries may cause the onset of arm swelling in women at risk for lymphedema, such as those recovering from breast cancer surgeries including lymph node removal. Common medical advice has included avoiding the use of the "at risk" arm to lift toddlers, garden, lift weights or scrub floors. Thousands of women have been afraid to get back to their usual activities following these surgeries because of this type of advice that lacks medical evidence. Individualized exercise programs have been an integral part of therapeutic rehabilitation for breast-cancer treatment recovery and lymphedema for years, but support of this clinical knowledge in the literature has been difficult to find. We are pleased to report on 2 recent studies that help to support the participation of supervised gradually progressive exercise programs.
In our physical therapy practice we have observed patients experiencing Axillary Web Syndrome (AWS). These are women who have undergone axillary lymph node dissection (ALND), who are experiencing post operative pain and limited range of motion associated with a palpable web of tissue extending from the affected axilla into the ipisilateral arm.
Lymphedema, as previously stated, is a swelling of a body part from the abnormal accumulation of protein rich edema fluid in the affected area. In post breast cancer, lymphedema can develop in the affected arm. If lymph nodes are removed, there is an increased risk of developing lymphedema.
This 2nd article on lymphedema will present current assessment and treatment options for lymphedema.
In a three part series of short articles, the following information about lymphedema will be examined.
This first article will define lymphedema, the risk factors and provide some helpful suggestions for self-education and care.
Article II will discuss assessment and treatment options for lymphedema.
Article III will discuss Axillary Web Syndrome and its presence with or without lymphedema. This condition may appear following axillary node dissection.
An illness such as cancer can be one of the
most stressful events of a person’s life. The stress of cancer and its
treatment is increased by family, work, and financial concerns, in
addition to everyday stress that was present before the cancer
diagnosis.
Stress has not been shown to cause cancer; however, chronic stress
may weaken the immune system, causing other health problems and
decreasing feelings of well-being.
What does a golfer need most
to win his/her game? New shoes? The best irons? A great swing? A brand named
golf course? All of the above?
To
execute a perfect swing a golfer must have oxygen-filled muscle groups. This
means lean, pliable, flexible muscle groups especially in the core (abdominal
muscles). This will power muscles for the duration of the game.
Tight muscle groups are as
detrimental to a golfer’s scores as playing with a broken arm.
My Name is Anne and my family has been hit hard by cancer. I've had 2
grandparents die of cancer and my father is currently fighting prostate
cancer. Two of my aunts are breast cancer survivors so I decided I want
to give back help find a cure.
I'm hoping to participate in the Susan G Komen 3 Day walk in San Diego,
CA in November. Registered walkers agree to raise a minimum of $2,200
for the Breast Cancer 3-Day benefiting Susan G. Komen for the Cure and
the National Philanthropic Trust Breast Cancer Fund, in order to walk.
It's a lot to raise, in a short time, but I'm determined.
If I don't make enough for the November walk I will continue to raise
money and participate in the July 2009 walk in Boston.
Special BC Awareness Month pricing on ReForma prosthetic nipples!
September 17, 2008 by Marsha Adams
In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness month, ReForma is
offering a special promotion to introduce the lifelike
ReForma Prosthetic Nipple. Effective September 15th through
October 31st, 2008, the ReForma Prosthetic Nipple, usually
offered at $95 per pair, is being made available at only
$59 per pair.
Exercise for Cancer Survivors: Getting Your Life, and Your Body, Back After Treatment
September 7, 2008 by Amanda MacMillan for Health.com
Pink-Link physical trainer, Sami Papacek-Reis, was interviewed by Amanda MacMillan for Health.com. Read the article to learn more about how and why breast cancer survivors need to exercise, before, during and after their treatment.
You are invited to share how you make a difference in the world or how
someone has made a difference for your healing quest. We each make a difference,
every single one of us, and each caring act is no less important than any other.
The more we acknowledge how we make a difference, the more we bring awareness
how we each help each other within our communities, within our environment, and
within our world. Awareness is a vital key to moving forward to build a world
without breast cancer. Please feel to submit your own experiences and invite others to submit
their experiences.
A group of women stand on a bare stage in northern New Hampshire, pink
handprints on their t-shirts marking a story where there once was a breast. They
are ordinary women, telling a story of courage and determination that would be
extraordinary, if it weren’t so heartbreakingly common.These women are here
because they had the courage to write about their journey through and beyond
cancer and then perform their words on stage for family and friends, the medical
community, and anyone else that chose to brave the snow and ice of a New
Hampshire winter to join us. I am privileged to be their guide in this process
My name is David Jay. I'm a professional fashion/beauty photographer recently
moved to New
York from Sydney,
Australia. I wanted to share with you a project I've started recently. It
is called The SCAR Project, a series of large scale black and white portraits of
young women surviving beast cancer.
You can have safer everyday products in your own home!!!! As a Cancer survivor of 16 years, these products have been a wonderful change in our use of toothpaste to laundry detergent and bathroom cleaner. Do you know what is in your products? check this out...I'm happy to share with you
www.wellyesmom.com