A Day at the Oncologists

By DebiLyn Smith www.debilynsmith.com Author of Running From Cancer: a tilted memoir. A breast cancer "treatment survivor" since May 2011, DebiLyn strives to reduce the 50% of life-style induced cancer patients. "You can run, but you can't hide," she says.

Not An Easy Job

"Oncologists & technicians see a steady stream of people battling cancer. It's not an easy job for any of us", says the writer.

It's almost like a work schedule. I have a little blue card with my name and number on it. Inside the card are written the dates and times I am to arrive for my next radiation treatment. They range from 8:48 am to 4:26 pm on Monday to Friday and some days there are two times as I have to see the Oncologist as well.

We have purchased a parking pass for the month for under $4. It seems like such a small lot for all of the people coming and going but everyone only stays for thirty minutes at a time so there always seems to be a spot to stuff the suburban. I have been given my own hospital gown and housecoat to take with me every day that I come. It’s up to me to wash and take care of it. I was wondering if they would mind me attaching some lace and rhinestones to it. It's dowdy enough to plummet even the cheeriest.

Once inside the cancer clinic, I head down radiation alley, passing stations named The Cabin, The Lake, The Park, arriving at The Hills with mere minutes to spare. I am to place my little blue card in a slot marked "drop off" on a desk that no-one is seated at. Someone will eventually notice that I have arrived by the card being in this slot. I get changed in the room across from my station, taking all my clothes with me into the waiting area. There's a jig saw puzzle on the table for anyone to work on, stacks of magazines, a water fountain and a heated blanket machine for you to help yourself to. Maybe I could crawl inside- it's -12C again today.

I'm cranky and not in the mood for the cold fingers of the radiation technicians as they pull my torso this way and push my butt that way to line up their co-ordinates. They mark on my skin with a felt pen each time I come. There is a green lighted line I can see mirrored in the head of the radiation machine that runs from beneath my armpit down along my body. Today there is a young man joining the usual two young women working on me. I make a face at having to bare myself yet again to another trainee and wonder at my childishness. It's just another old lady boob to him.

My arm is stretched over my head and now they all leave the room. The machine whirrs and beeps, then after a few minutes it moves to the other side of my body where it repeats the process of noises. In ten minutes the techs return and I am already out of position, redraping myself, and trying to get off the steel slat I've been lying on.

"See you tomorrow," I call out, like it’s a job. In many ways it feels like one, a very depressing job. Back in the change room I pull the recommended skin cream from my bag and slather the coolness across my warm breast. I know it will get warmer as the day goes on, so I want to be right on top of keeping everything chilled. I get dressed and walk to The Hills reception cubicle where my little blue card is now in the "pickup" slot.

And I'm done for the day. But the technicians have only started. I stop to wonder how they feel about all this? Having to see this never-ending stream of people battling cancer. Old ones, young ones. Ones that arrive in wheelchairs or jog in like I did yesterday.

I come to the conclusion it's not an easy job for any of us.

Breast MRI and Radiation Explained

By DebiLyn Smith www.debilynsmith.com Author of Running From Cancer: a tilted memoir. A breast cancer "treatment survivor" since May 2011, DebiLyn strives to reduce the 50% of life-style induced cancer patients. "You can run, but you can't hide," she says.

How the Magnetic Resonance Imaging Machine Feels to Us

"That MRI may very well have saved my life", says writer Debi-Lyn Smith

Many cancer patients have asked me to explain more about the breast MRI and the radiation treatment that I have been through. After numerous mammograms and follow-up ultra sounds on my very dense breasts, my doctor decided the next course of action would be a breast MRI. Once in the hospital, I was put into a hospital gown and housecoat and lead to a room where the Magnetic Resonance Imaging machine awaited.

I have had a brain MRI before and knew that I would be put on a steel table and slid into a long cylindrical "cigar tube" where the tests would begin with a series of long beep and boop sounds. The difference this time was that I was put face down on my chest with my breasts placed inside squares that had been cut out of the table. The problem with this is you are lying right on your diaphragm making it difficult to draw a full breath. Especially when you're not totally comfortable being in tight spaces to begin with.

A ball is placed in your right fist that you may squeeze if you need to come out, but they stress not to squeeze that ball unless it is absolutely necessary, otherwise they have to start all over again and no-one wants that. I recall lying in there reminding myself I had travelled a long way to have this done and as uncomfortable as it was, I made myself lie still until I didn't think I could do it anymore. You are given headphones that they play music and talk to you through. Some sessions seem very long, others quick, but the entire process still took forty minutes. Long enough for them to test both sides. Long enough for them to surprise us all with a detection of a suspicious miniature mass in the right breast that turned out to be cancerous.

That MRI may very well have saved my life. It took two weeks to hear back and after that I saw a surgeon who sent me to Terrace for a biopsy. Four samples were taken, three of which did not hurt. I don't know what was different about the fourth except that it made my toes curl and the breath escape me. Owwwwww. What a wimp I was back then.

As for the radiation machine, same cold steel slab that you lay on, this time face up. You have been warned not to wear any deodorant or perfumed lotion on your skin, no necklaces or jewellery around your neck. Your arm on the affected side is raised up behind you, resting on a cushioned holder. The techs introduce themselves and start moving your torso this way and that. They draw little lines on your skin with a marker that later rubs off. You have two to four new pin-point blue tattooes on your flesh that will stay with you forever as a reminder not to ever radiate this same spot ever again. The techs then flick a switch operating two oblong  over-head light-covers that now illuminate a beautiful forest scene with a babbling brook running through it. This is what you look at as the gigantic head of the machine radiates you on one side of your body with steady humming noises before rotating up and over your chest to your other side. The techs leave the room. There are sliding and clicking noises as different parts of the head open and close, depending on what strength of radiation you are getting (or so I imagine?). The techs re-appear and lower your table to the floor. You hop off and wish them a nice day before heading off to change. You now have the rest of your day to yourself.

Radiation was definitely the easiest part of the cancer experience, physically. Emotionally it is one of the hardest as you start to relax and remember all the things that you have been through the past seven months. You weep both from joy and terror that the treatments are almost over. Your life is about to be back in your own hands and now is when you really face the fact that you just had a big bad brush with that scary "C" word. All you can do is keep on breathing and enjoy the rest of the time you have left as best you can.

I tell you, after all this, going to see the dentist is going to be a breeze!

Yoga Practice After Chemotherapy

By Karen MacLeod HBBA, CYA-RYT Karen is a yoga teacher, runner, cyclist and hockey enthusiast with a passion for food, the outdoors, and coaching the entrepreneurial spirit. She passionately encourages others through her adult hockey program and yoga classes and believes that it is never too late to ignite your strengths and find more joy.

Yoga is About You on Your Mat and How You Feel in That Moment

Real yoga is not about comparison, competition, nor accomplishment - it's about how you feel in the moment

You’ve read about its benefits, heard about it from your health team and know how yoga’s impact on inflammation and fatigue has helped cancer patients. Now you are convinced that yoga can improve your chemo-muddled mind, your hijacked, fatigued body, and your shaken spirit.  But where do you start?

Yoga is more accessible than ever before, but with increased popularity comes the whole yoga-Industry story and this can be intimidating.  We see hair commercials with models doing aggressive yoga postures, magazines advertising young girls in tight clothing, and new yoga studios popping up all over with flashy teachers and expensive classes.  Intimidating indeed, especially now that you are dealing with all of the cancer sh*t.  Here are some suggestions to help you relax and start your own very personal yogic journey.

Exhale

Yoga is more than the wonderful stretching and strengthening exercises.  It’s about uniting your mind, body and spirit.  I ask you to let go of all of your preconceived notions of what a yogi is supposed to look like.  Real yoga is not about comparison, competition, nor accomplishment.  It’s about you on your mat and how you feel in that moment.  So make an effort to clear your mind and exhale any negativity on whether you are good enough. You are good enough.

Look it Up

Next grab a cup of tea and surf online to wet your toes in the vast sea of free yoga videos, online demonstrations, and articles. Research the various types of yoga and be sure to search with phrases that reflect where you are at with yoga i.e. gentle yoga, beginner yoga, healing yoga, or fiery yoga, if that is where you are at.  Learn some of the very simple and basic poses or asanas such as Child’s Pose (Balasana), Mountain Pose (Tadasana), or the very relaxing ending pose, Savasana.  Vow not to let all of the info intimidate you. There is so much out there on the world wide web so don’t feel that you need to come away with anything learned.  Just say hello.

Find Your Place

The key to enjoying yoga is finding the right yoga teacher for you and signing up for one of their classes that is right for you.  Many yoga studios, gyms, or home classes allow you to trial a class before committing so why not find a few places and pop around from class to class for the first while.  It may make you feel better to go a few minutes early and let the teacher know that you are in the process of healing and plan to take the class at your own pace.  Keep it short and sweet, then find your spot on your mat and be open to what comes next.  Notice what you notice and remember to be kind to yourself.  Yoga is a practice, not a perfect.

Make the Commitment

Yoga is a journey and a practice so make the commitment. It may start out in one place and lead to a completely different place in time. Keep your mind open; open to being present; to clearing your mind; and to stretching and strengthening your body to its optimal alignment.   If you have trouble getting out to practice then do it at home on your mat to a CD or an online yoga class.  And if it isn’t working for your body at the start, ask questions and find out from a good, caring yoga teacher what will work for you and the body you have today.

Spring into Action

You owe it to yourself to try it for at least three months. A well-chosen yoga class and teacher will allow you to start slow and progress at your own comfort level adjusting for your specific needs, strengths and limitations.  Once you find those authentic yoga teachers who inspire you, offer the depth of class you want, and who are ready to offer guidance you will never be the same again.  It’s sort of like when you finally get in the habit of eating delicious dark chocolate, or drinking fresh loose leaf brews; you won’t want to go back.

Namaste.

8 Ways to Keep Cancer Survivors Healthy

Lifestyle Guidelines for Cancer Survivors Promote Continued Health

Exercise provides physiological and psychological benefits for cancer survivors

1. Get Regular Exercise

Regular exercise is one of the primary ways that survivors can stay healthy.  Exercise lowers reported fatigue in cancer patients by 40-50%, and the scientific evidence supporting exercise as the best intervention for fatigue is very strong. In a study on Exercise and Cancer Rehab, evidence indicated that exercise can provide both physiological and psychological benefits for cancer survivors.  As a prescription therapy for cancer survivors, studies have suggested that regular physical activity will help to reduce the risk of cancer recurrence, given the known anti-inflammatory effects of exercise.  Here are 10 things you should know about cancer exercise.

2. Eat a Healthy Diet

Eating a healthy diet and getting plenty of exercise both give you energy and help you feel better. The Canadian Cancer Society reports that good nutrition is vital at every stage of your cancer treatment and recovery. Following their nutritional guide will help you heal and recover after treatment.

3. Get Regular Check-Ups with Your Healthcare Provider

Having regular check-ups with your healthcare providers is essential for your preventative care to be ongoing. As well, the long-term care of the cancer survivor can be effectively coordinated in an individualized survivorship plan that takes into account the cancer diagnosis, treatment, side effects, follow-up visits, the availability of psychological and support services, and tips on the best ways to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

4. Get Cancer Rehab to Overcome Side Effects of Cancer Treatment

Research strongly supports the effectiveness of cancer rehabilitation in improving the quality of life in cancer patients. Early rehabilitation interventions can help with some of the side effects of cancer and its treatments – including fatigue, cancer-related pain, peripheral neuropathy, adhesions & fibrosis, chemo fog, emotional distress, lymphedema and range-of-motion limitations.

5. Don't Smoke

Over twenty per cent of Canadians over the age of 11 still smoke, even though smoking is a known risk factor for many conditions including lung cancer. According to Statistics Canada, however, the rates of smoking in 2012 lowered significantly from 2008 levels. The World Health Organization has declared smoking a preventable cause of death. (2008. WHO Report on the Global Tobacco Epidemic, 2008: The MPOWER Package. Geneva.)

6. Avoid Weight Gain

Another important way to improve your health is to keep your weight in check. Cancer treatment can be complicated by weight gain, and excess body weight is also associated with cancer recurrence, reduced quality of life, and reduced survival. 

7. Drink in Moderation

Drinking alcohol in moderation is important for cancer survivors to stay healthy. As described by our guest blogger DebiLyn Smith in Alcohol and Cancer, drinking more than the maximum three alcoholic drinks a week for women, or seven to fourteen for men, can adversely affect health as well as cancer risk.

8. Stay Connected with Family and Friends

Make sure to have regular visits with your family or friends to maintain your overall health. By maintaining these supportive connections, quality of life is improved and stress, depression and fatigue is reduced.

Please contact one of our 48 Cancer Rehab locations across Canada. Links will direct to a Cancer Rehab provider in your area.

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