Welcome to the official page of the Connecticut Challenge for Cancer Survivors.
The CT Challenge is:
A collaborative network of cancer survivor services throughout the state of CT.
A global resource for survivors on the web.
www.ctchallenge.org
The CT Challenge is:
A collaborative network of cancer survivor services throughout the state of CT.
A global resource for survivors on the web.
www.ctchallenge.org
Information
- Founded:
- 2005
Notes
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Connecticut Challenge
Happy New (Normal) Year! For those who have experienced health and other challenges this past year (or years), the expression “Happy New Year!” certainly takes on a different connotation.
I believe the phrase “new normal” has surfaced and stuck for many reasons and is a valid way to look at the future. When folks cons...ider what life will be like going forward in the new year… after losing their steady income, during or after being treated for a life threatening disease like cancer, or after the death of a loved one…. no matter what, it simply isn’t going to be the familiar “happy new year”.
However, just by acknowledging that fact and helping family and friends understand things are different- maybe good, maybe not so good, but definitely different, can open up new possibilities to create joy in a new (but not like any other) year. In my exercise practice, I suggest my clients take a few minutes to list the physical activities they still can do (and like to do), versus the things they cannot do or can’t do the same way. It is amazing how empowering it can feel to see how long your “can do” list gets and how it can help to create a “new normal” for individuals whose lives have changed forever.
I wish you the best of everything in your new year!
-----------Linda
By Linda T. Gottlieb, MA, CPT, CCET
www.fittraining.net
www.ctchallenge.org
For those who have experienced health and other challenges this past year (or years), the expression “Happy New Year!” certainly takes on a different connotation.
Connecticut Challenge
The following is a journal entry from a survivor in the CT Challenge Community. Adapting plans and adapting spirits seems to be a central challenge for many if not all cancer survivors. There is no one right way to improve your ability to do this. In fact, there are probably an infinite number of coping mechanisms one ...might employ, and the effectiveness of each is associated with the distinct nature of the challenge being faced at any given moment. Take a moment to read one survivor's musings about planning, adapting, and hope.
FLAUNTING IT – SURVIVING AND THRIVING
What is the time line? I go along every day with cancer as my chronic disease handling it well. Then something happens, a bad cough, an intestinal disturbance, a change in the CT scan, and my carefully built structure of challenges and goals, support, comfort and ease comes tumbling down. What is happening? How can I continue to carry on? I just want to lay my head on my pillow, close my eyes, turn my body on my right side in a fetal position and sleep a deep, healthy sleep. When there is such a change my days are filled with doctors; visits, tests and additional body care instead of exercise, yoga and tai chi. I look in the mirror. The image liking back at me is pretty much the same as before. How is my mind, my soul, my spirit? Are shadows and doubt entering and dancing with resident hope? Sometimes hope is knocked to the floor, breath knocked out.
But hope rises, strong, glowing brightly, lifting the body, making it free, making it smile, making it happy. The mind knows deep inside that everything will be fine. What is fine? It depends on the current situation, That situation is never something to be ashamed of. On the other hand, it is a badge of honor to be flaunted, the badge of surviving and thriving no matter the circumstances. It is fueled by that flame within that courses through my cells causing them to shout “you will be healed.”
I open the door and walk into the sunshine.
I embrace life and it embraces me.
I yearn for the touch of my loved ones.
Keep me safe and near.
www.ctchallenge.org
The following is a journal entry from a survivor in the CT Challenge Community. Adapting plans and adapting spirits seems to be a central challenge for many if not all cancer survivors. There is no one right way to improve your ability to do this. ...
Connecticut Challenge What is survivorship? Survivorship is an emerging science, a guiding principle, and a tool for healthy living. Learn more by going to the link -->
www.ctchallenge.org
"What is survivorship?" This is a philosophical question that I deal with on daily basis; asking it, quite frankly, drives my passions and informs my career. More importantly, it drives what 11 million cancer survivors in the US do every day, whether they know it or not. ...
Connecticut Challenge TIP OF THE DAY: Did you read "Cancer is stupid; be smarter"?
www.ctchallenge.org
A few days ago, I met a 49 year-old head and neck cancer survivor who was first diagnosed 10 years ago. Apparently, Tommy’s (not his real name) bout with the disease wasn’t pretty, but after ...
Connecticut Challenge
The
holidays are here, and at every turn you are reminded. However,
sometimes we simply don’t feel cheerful. Don’t fret if you have a
moment or two of “Bah Humbug!” Not everyone has what I call a
“Hallmark card holiday”.
Why
not take some time this holiday season for self care? Taking a break
from holiday shopping or ...baking for a massage, an hour of reading an
inspiring book or a solitary walk along the beach can do wonders for
frayed nerves and harried spirits.
Self
care is important care. There is power in being your best, in
honoring your body and soul during this holiday season and beyond.
Create a new seasonal ritual that makes you joyful and happy – with
friends and family or solo time to reflect on the past year and set
intentions for new experiences in the future.
Use the link to read more on our blog!
www.ctchallenge.org
The holidays are here, and at every turn you are reminded. However, sometimes we simply don’t feel cheerful. Don’t fret if you have a moment or two of “Bah Humbug!” Not everyone has what I call a “Hallmark card holiday”.
Connecticut Challenge
Cancer Is Stupid
A few days ago, I met a 49 year-old head and neck
cancer survivor who was first diagnosed 10 years ago. Apparently,
Tommy’s (not his real name) bout with the disease wasn’t pretty, but
after some taxing treatment (including surgery that left him with a
noticeable scar on his neck), he has been (his words) “...disease free”
for nearly 5 years. Ten years ago, Tommy was surprised, to say the
least, to be diagnosed with cancer. He had never smoked (actually has
always thought it was gross); he exercised every day; he is a high
school teacher, so “other than annoying teenagers,” he isn’t “exposed
to anything hazardous at work.” As far as he knew, he didn’t have any
family history cancer except “some prostate cancer, which seems pretty
normal.” Tommy didn’t understand then what he had done wrong, and he
still doesn’t understand now. “I’ve been a teacher for nearly 30 years
now. I’m not a psychologist, but my particular cancers don't seem to
follow the philosophy of rewarding positive behavior. If I treated my
students like cancer has treated me, they would be bouncing off the
walls.”
Tommy isn’t exaggerating. From what he told me, he
has done everything right - both before and after his diagnosis. In the
five or so years since he has been “cured,” Tommy estimates that he
checked in with his oncologist once per year, and he went for regular
check ups with his primary care physician every 6 months. As soon as he
could after treatment, he got back to exercising. About 2 months ago,
he ran a marathon; it was his 9th. I will write that again, he ran a
marathon; it was his 9th. He had been training all summer, and he felt
great. But on race day, after just a few miles, he felt exhausted, and
although he was properly trained, he was reduced to walking by halfway
through the race. “I just couldn’t catch my breath; at one water
station, I sat down for a few minutes, and felt like I was going to
pass out.” This was not a normal feeling for Tommy; over the past five
years, he has been running a lot, and recently he has been feeling like
“superman.”
After the race, old feelings of fear crept back
into his psyche. He thought maybe his cancer was back. He was worried
that another tumor in his neck might be making it difficult to breathe
– that seemed logical to him. Tommy made an appointment with his
physician, and after a chest x-ray, it was clear that his old cancer
wasn't back; it was a whole new cancer. Tommy now had lung cancer.
“This is stupid.”
Those were the first words Tommy said to me.
That's what he said to me before he told me any of his story. I work in
a major cancer center, and I was bustling through the waiting room of
the outpatient clinic rushing to pick up some materials for a research
project in which I am involved. I paused for a moment to grab a drink
at the water cooler, which was next to the chair in which Tommy was
sitting. I nodded at him, and he said, “This is stupid.” Obviously, at
that point, I had to know more. We ended up talking for about 30
minutes, and I asked him if I could relay his story to the CT Challenge
family, he said sure, but asked me to change his name. He hasn’t told
everyone (including his students) about his new diagnosis yet.
“I just want to know what I’m up against before I
start worrying everybody again.” He was oddly calm when he talked. I
got the sense that this was a true calm; he wasn't faking or supressing
his feelings (that's not an expert opinion, just my personal read on a
man with whom I had a 20 minute conversation). He had traveled across a
few states to get an opinion from the oncologist he was waiting to see.
“In this cancer game, information is king. It doesn’t make any sense
why I have it now…why I had it before…why it’s back. None of it makes
sense. But I do know that since it is here, I need to know as much as I
can, so I can fight it.” I asked him a question I ask almost every
cancer survivor I meet: As an experienced survivor, do you have any
advice for other survivors?
“Sure. Like I said – this is stupid. Cancer is
stupid, so be smarter.” We both laughed when he said that. I thanked
him, and moved on with my day. But I couldn’t stop thinking about
“Cancer is stupid. Be smarter.” Great advice.
What does it mean for a cancer survivor to be
smarter? We know that being smarter means making the lifestyle choices
that lead to well-being. This includes many of the choices Tommy made –
avoid risk factors like smoking or excessive sun exposure; exercise and
strive to be lean; eat healthy foods; inform yourself about your cancer
and what is healthy for you. You can do other things that I am sure
Tommy did (but we didn’t discuss) like surround yourself with a good
support system; take advantage of mental health care to reduce stress.
As Tommy unfortunately learned, cancer is not
something over which we have complete control, but within the cancer
survivorship experience, there are many many decisions which survivors
are afforded. Tommy’s advice is sage – in each decision you are
afforded as a survivor, be smarter than cancer.
www.ctchallenge.org
A few days ago, I met a 49 year-old head and neck cancer survivor who was first diagnosed 10 years ago. Apparently, Tommy’s (not his real name) bout with the disease wasn’t pretty, but after ...
Connecticut Challenge We have a new guest blog on our website from Linda Gottlieb, a personal trainer who works with cancer survivors. Check it out!
www.ctchallenge.org
» About Us » Blog » Cancer and Exercise Benefits: Live Your Best Life
Linda T. Gottlieb Hello everyone! So honored to be a guest blogger! To live your best life is sometimes a challenge and always a gift!
Connecticut Challenge TIP OF THE DAY: Learn more about survivorship and get out of your comfort zone. We all fall into routines, and forget to ask ourselves what we can do better. Have you tried yoga? Have you considered counseling for your fear of recurrence? Have you developed a five-year screening plan with your doctor? If not, why not try one?!
Connecticut Challenge
There Is No Place Like Hope, December 14, 2009
Over the last few weeks, I have alerted you to a few great books about cancer survivorship, and this weekend, I received an email about another book that has undoubtedly helped survivors. It is the season of gift-giving, so I thought it might be nice to keep the gift ideas ...flowing.
There is No Place Like Hope: A Guide to Beating Cancer in Mind-Sized Bites by Vickie Girard is exactly what it sounds like. It is a collection of short (some just one line) stories, sayings, and pieces of poignant advice for cancer survivors. When I first saw the title and the cover, I thought that this book would be geared towards a newly diagnosed survivor or someone actively undergoing treatment. While many of the vignettes are certainly aimed at assisting in the treatment process, there are equal numbers of vignettes that apply to the entire spectrum of cancer survivors. The book is divided into important chapters that focus on distinct points on the larger cancer journey. Chapters include "Diagnosis," "Treatment," "Children," and "Nighttime." This book is not like the others I have recently reviewed. It is not the type of book that one reads cover-to-cover. Rather, it is like a coffee table book for cancer survivors. Survivors can thumb through this like a reference manual, and access inspiration, advice, or a story on a given topic when it is needed or wanted.
The author, Vickie Girard, is a breast cancer survivor. She was diagnosed in 1992 with very serious Stage Four cancer, and by her account, she was told she probably would not survive. Well, she not only survived, but she became a fantastic writer/advocate for cancer survivors.
Christian McEvoy, MPH
Director of Survivorship Information
christian@ctchallenge.org
http://www.ctchallenge.org/Page/2698/The
www.ctchallenge.org
Over the last few weeks, I have alerted you to a few great books about cancer survivorship, and this weekend, I received an email about another book that has undoubtedly helped survivors. It is the season of gift-giving, so I thought it might be nice to keep the gift ideas flowing.
Connecticut Challenge
Recurrence is a key issue of concern for
survivors after treatment. It is one of those nagging questions that
simply never seems to go away. Certainly some survivors have more
difficulty with the fear of recurrence than others. The good news in
fighting this fear is that we know there are some modifiable factors
that contri...bute to recurrence. In other words, there are some lifestyle
choices survivors can make to improve their chances against recurrent
cancers.
Recently at the American Association of Cancer Research Breast Cancer Symposium,
some eyebrow-raising research was debuted concerning breast cancer
survivors, alcohol, obesity, and recurrence. The study examined nearly
2000 women who had survived invasive breast cancer. The women were
studied for up to eight years, and they provided researchers with
information about their alcohol consumption and other lifestyle factors.
Bottom line, the researchers found that as
alcohol consumption increases, so does the risk of recurrence. Women
who reported consuming less than 3 drinks per week, didn’t seem to have
any increased risk, but survivors who imbibed more than 3 drinks seemed
to be at much greater risk. The researchers also suggested that
consuming more than three drinks per week and being obese could put a
survivor at even higher risk.
So what’s the take home message? Should breast
cancer survivors not have that glass of red they love on Friday
evenings? Absolutely not. The message from this research is moderation.
Enjoy a glass of wine or a beer on Friday or Saturday night, but don’t
make it a nightly ritual. The other message here is that obesity is a
risk factor for poor health outcomes. To prevent obesity, or to lose
weight when necessary, exercise and proper nutrition are key. Here is a
great video from the experts on the CT Challenge Team lauding the
benefits of exercise for cancer survivors.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4ZMZYdJU
Connecticut Challenge TIP OF THE DAY: Ok, it's actually a question today "Is your movement is secondary"? Find out by watching Debra Campagna discusses yoga and cancer survivorship.
Connecticut Challenge
TIP OF THE DAY: Sometimes watching videos can be good for your health! This one certainly is, so take a look: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4ZMZYdJU
Connecticut Challenge
Young adults who were diagnosed with leukemia, brain cancer, Hodgkin’s lymphoma, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, kidney cancer, bone cancer, or a neuroblastoma might be at a significantly higher risk for heart disease. A huge study of over 14,000 adult survivors of these cancers and over 3000 of the survivors’ siblings suggest...s that the survivors are at serious risk for heart failure, heart attack, heart inflammation, and heart valve abnormalities – and that risk is probably serious for up to 30 years after the treatment and diagnosis. Survivors of childhood cancers should be sure to check in with their primary care physician, and they should discuss with those physicians the possibility of cardiovascular complications and ways to reduce the risk of harmful cardiovascular health outcomes.
Breast cancer survivors who pay attention to research know that the benefits and harms of soy intake after a breast cancer diagnosis has been widely debated. Research has produced conflicting recommendations. Some studies have found that soy reduces risk of recurrent and incident breast cancer, but others have suggested that the soy compound, isoflavone, helps breast cancer cells grow in the lab and promotes tumor growth in animals. A new study on the topic was published this week. The most recent study suggests that soy might even be protective for breast cancer survivors. So with all this conflict, what should breast cancer survivors do? I mean, on the one hand, soy could be helpful, and on the other hand, it could be harmful. It’s not like one option is bad or good and the alternate option is null. Well, I have bad news – we don’t know the answer yet – medical professionals are split in their opinions.
What I can offer is a bit more information – or at least a bit more explanation: The studies that suggest protective effects of soy are population-based. That means that the researchers studied groups of women who either did or did not ingest soy, and they examined those groups with respect to breast cancer. On the other hand, the studies that suggest harmful effects, were (to my knowledge) only in animal tissue. This means that the researchers added soy to breast cancer tumor tissue (in a lab) and watched what happened. Apparently, the tumor tissue grew more rapidly with the help of the soy. There is further confusion over the difference between soy foods and soy supplements. Even the proponents of soy are clear that they can’t make inferences regarding the effects of soy supplements because the population studies have studied only soy-containing foods and not soy supplements. So stay tuned, and we will keep you up-to-date.
Christian McEvoy, MPH
Director of Survivorship Information
christian@ctchallenge.org
www.ctchallenge.org
» About Us » Blog » Young Adult Survivor's Heart Risks and The Ping-Pong Soy Issue
