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Dear Christine,
Happy New Year to all of you! It seems like only yesterday I was writing this column and wishing you all a Happy New Year last year! Where does the time go?
I'm not complaining, mind you, for it was fourteen years ago to the day that I sat in the hospital recovering from breast cancer surgery on New Year's Eve. It's just that the days, weeks, months and yes-- years-- are flying past with abandon.
There have been so many improvements in cancer care in the last fourteen years. New drugs, machines, therapies and protocols are prolonging all of our lives. Research all of the possibilities when it comes to your own cancer treatments and survivorship.
There has been such an increase in awareness of cancer. In 2008, I met over 20,000 cancer patients and survivors who attended conferences, rallies, Survivorship Days and ceremonies to "celebrate" our lives and bond with other families going through the same experiences. Don't ever be afraid to ask people for help. The love and support that they want to give you can absolutely get you through this experience on a day to day basis.
Finally, I've spent fourteen years laughing with all of you-- about the mishaps, ackward situations, catastrophies and blunders that cancer has brought our way. Promise me this: that one year from today, you will look in the mirror and honestly say, "I laughed every day of the year!"
I hope 2,009 brings you the best year of your life. Don't forget to laugh!
"Laughter may not always add years to your life, but it will add life to your years."
--ICR*
*(I can't remember!)
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NIPPED IN THE BUD! |
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SHARE THE EXPERIENCE |
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How You Can Support a Friend Diagnosed With Cancer
When friends and family members are far away from a loved one diagnosed with cancer, and travel is out of the question or nearly impossible, plan to make a video of New Year's greetings by sending a tape to share with the patient. Ask relatives and buddies to record words of encouragement along with wishes for the New Year. Sharing funny memories and old stories on tape is a gift that will be enjoyed and remembered for many years to come.
To cancer patients:
Can't visit friends and family due to your treatments? No problem! Just put your disk in the DVD player, wrap yourself in a cozy blanket and heat up some hot apple cider and popcorn. Enjoy messages and greetings from those you love who are with you in spirit, if not "in the flesh."
"Happiness lies first of all, in health."
--George William Curtis
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TOMATO POWER! |
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Ever since scientists announced that tomatoes could boost defenses against cancer, especially prostate, people have been consuming more tomatoes, tomato sauces and paste. Some, however, have been trying to cut corners by taking supplements containing lycopene, the ingredient that does the work. Ohio State University researchers found that pills alone don't work, but tomatoes do. The study, which appeared in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, believes that the little red tomato may contain several beneficial compounds. Pasta, anyone?
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THE CHAT ROOM |
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Dear Cancer Club,
I have always had a sense of humor and have raised my three grown daughters to have a sense of humor, too. When I was going through treatment, I told my girls I have a way to let them know I am around after I die. I told them that I will make their noses itch; that way they will know it is "ME."
They laughed and said, "Mom, we all have allergies. Our noses always itch!"
I replied, "Yeh, but after I die, it will be me."
This way I have planted the seed, and every time they itch their noses, they will think of me, and know that Mom is still bugging them~ even after death.
Laugh a lot, and keep on moving!
Madeline Davidson, Omaha, NE
Dear Cancer Club,
I am a cancer patient and have been battling this disease for 20+ years. It has been in the last six years that I have had several surgeries, radiation and chemo.
I, too, choose the positive side of this disease (if there is one...ha!) to try and minister to those around me. I have done things from flipping my wig in public~ because in Florida it gets awfully hot~ to actually going through a drive-through fast-food restaurant and taking my wig on and off each time the young person would come back to get my money and deliver my food.
Poor kid... that was really bad of me, but my two grown girls, mom, sister and nieces got a big kick out of it!
Kathy Bowlin, Orlando, FL
Dear Cancer Club,
When I was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1998, I went to my Radiation consult. When the doctor told me he had to sterlize my breast with radiation, I replied, "Can't I just spray some Lysol on it? It would be a lot cheaper and take less time." He looked at me like I was crazy, and said, "I don't think that would work, but it was a good idea."
June Schatz, Minneapolis. MN
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HAVE YOU HEARD? |
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January is a great month to curl up with a good book! Here are some great ones:
ABOUT...WHAT HELPED ME GET THROUGH: CANCER SURVIVORS SHARE WISDOM AND HOPE™ ? by Julie K. Silver, MD. This book can help you each step of the way and fortify you with the strength, courage and knowledge necessary to deal with the tough challenges ahead. $17.95. Visit www.cancer.org.
ABOUT...OUR MOM IS GETTING BETTER™? by Alex, Emily and Anna Rose Silver. Important survivorship issues are addressed by children, for children, to help families move on after treatment ends. $14.95. Visit www.cancer.org. ACS Product Code #968100.
ABOUT...THE HAT THAT SAVED MY LIFE: A STORY ABOUT SURVIVING BREAST CANCER ™? by Becky M. Olson. Olson journeys through the gauntlet of friendship and loneliness, valor and self-doubt, laughter and disappointment, sickness and healing. $19.95. Visit www.beckyolson.co
ABOUT...GET BACK IN THE GAME: AN INPIRATIONAL STORY OF CANCER SURVIVORS? by Terry Leiden. Do you have prostate cancer? Time to get back in the game! Meet five men who refused to let their diagnosis stop them from living. $16.95. Call (706) 724-8548 (Telfair Street Press) or visit http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=uf4n8vcab.0.0.gevok4bab.0&ts=S0381&p=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.harborhousebooks.com
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YUKS FOR BUCKS! |
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Recession got you down? Even laughs cost more these days! Humor consultant Malcolm Kushner reported in Reuters that it's 3% more expensive to get a yuk and that's no laughing matter! His Cost of Laughing Index is a compilation of sixteen leading humor indicators, including wholesale prices for rubber chickens and other gags, as well as the price of an issue of Mad magazine.
Kushner is quoted as saying, "It means we're paying more net worth for less net mirth." Better laugh while we still can afford it!
"Humor is laughing at what you haven't got, when you ought to have it."
Langston Hughes
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ABOUT CHRISTINE CLIFFORD BECKWITH & THE CANCER CLUB™ |
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The Story Behind The Newsletter
The Cancer Club™, based in Minneapolis, MN, was created by Christine Clifford in 1995 in response to her diagnosis of Stage III metastatic breast cancer at the age of 40 in 1994. Christine, whose mother died of breast cancer at 42, found during her own treatments that while family and friends were supportive, noone ever gave her anything to make her laugh.
Needing a lift, Christine began to search for signs of humor in herself and her predicament. She found them daily. The more she laughed, the stronger she grew, and The Cancer Club™ was born.
The critically acclaimed Cancer Club™ is the first organization to offer hope and support to cancer patients, their families and friends through the healing power of humor. A dynamic speaker, Christine has traveled the globe with her keynote presentations and seminars on using humor to get through life's adversities.
Christine is married to speaker/author Harry Beckwith (co-authors of You, Inc. The Art of Selling Yourself) and is the mother of five boys: Harry, Jr., Tim, Walter, Brooks & Cole; a daughter Cooper, a cat Simone and grandmother to a Siberian Husky named Skylar. Call The Cancer Club™ today or email us to book Christine for your next event. Don't forget to laugh! ™
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NEXT ISSUE: FEBRUARY, 2009 |
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We Hope You've Enjoyed This Edition
We hope you've enjoyed this edition of The Cancer Club™ eNewsletter. We'd like to thank our FABulous illustrator Jack Lindstrom of FAB Artists!
If you have a humorous or interesting story about cancer, send it to us at: P.O. Box 24747 Edina, MN 55424-0747 or email us at: Christine@cancerclub.com
Visit us online at www.cancerclub.com
Have a fabulous New Year, and don't forget to laugh!™
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