India Arie- I am not my hair (With Lyrics)

NUTRITION

NUTRITION

I have been searching for a diet, or life style change, that included foods that would effectively deal with my new life and body changes. I searched many plans, such as Atkins, Weight Watchers, and others plus science and nutrition texts before finding Whole30. As a result of this plan I have cut out these foods from my diet - soy lecithin, sugar, grains, dairy and legumes.

Soy is particularly pertinent (see http://www.livestrong.com/article/524606-what-are-the-dangers-of-soy-lecithin-ingestion/ )

A compound of soy lecithin, phytoestrogen, can produce effects on the body similar to the hormone estrogen. Soy phytoestrogens may promote an increased risk of breast cancer in adult women by altering or decreasing natural estrogen, although the direct link to cancer is inconclusive. One study reported by Cornell University examined 28 women receiving soy supplements for six months. The women were found to have an increased growth of milk ducts in their breasts, which is a leading forerunner of cancer, according to the Program on Breast Cancer and Environmental Risk Factors in New York State. Conclusions suggest that premenopausal women may be at greatest risk, but further research is needed.

What is the Whole30?

Established by Dallas and Melissa Hartwig (of Whole9) in April 2009, the Whole30^® is our original nutritional program designed to change your life in 30 days. Think of it as a short-term nutritional reset, designed to help you put an end to unhealthy cravings and habits, restore a healthy metabolism, heal your digestive tract, and balance your immune system.

Certain food groups (like sugar, grains, dairy and legumes) could be having a negative impact on your health and fitness without you even realizing it. Are your energy levels inconsistent or non-existent? Do you have aches and pains that can’t be explained by over-use or injury? Are you having a hard time losing weight no matter how hard you try? Do you have some sort of condition (like skin issues, digestive ailments, seasonal allergies or fertility issues) that medication hasn’t helped? These symptoms may be directly related to the foods you eat—even the “healthy” stuff.

So how do you know if (and how) these foods are affecting you? Strip them from your diet completely. Cut out all the psychologically unhealthy, hormone-unbalancing, gut-disrupting, inflammatory food groups for a full 30 days. Let your body heal and recover from whatever effects those foods may be causing. Push the “reset” button with your metabolism, systemic inflammation, and the downstream effects of the food choices you’ve been making. Learn once and for all how the foods you’ve been eating are actually affecting your day to day life, and your long term health

- See more at:
http://whole30.com/step-one/#sthash.Ocvce5rx.dpuf

http://whole30.com/new/

JUST SMILE

ALMOST OVER

It has been three years since the diagnosis of breast cancer.

From the beginning, God has been in control and I have trusted Him.

My oncologist, Dr. Tran, told me a few weeks ago, as she tried to determine what hormone inhibiter to prescribe, that the chemotherapy that I took before my mastectomy and after, had no effect on the tumor.

 In effect I lost my hair for nothing. So I am here today not because of anything the doctors did, but it was all God.

God was there with me through it all. I don't remember any unusual pain or discomfort during any of the many treatments. I was stuck, radiated, cut up, and prodded, but I just saw it as something that I had to go through. "Through" is the operative word.

   

Deuteronomy 31:6

The Message (MSG)

⁶ “Be strong. Take courage. Don’t be intimidated. Don’t give them a second thought because God, your God, is striding ahead of you. He’s right there with you. He won’t let you down; he won’t leave you.”

UPDATES -

THERE HAVE BEEN CHANGES SINCE MY LAST POST.

PRIMARY CHANGE IS THAT I MOVED FROM GREENSBORO ("COUNTRY") TO THE JEWISH TOWERS IN ATLANTA ("THE CITY"). GREENSBORO WAS NOT A TOTALLY GOOD EXPERIENCE. I AM SO HAPPY TO BE BACK IN THE CITY.







THE JEWISH TOWERS IS COMPLETLY DIFFERENT. IT IS PROFESSIONALLY MANAGED, AND WELL MANAGED. THERE ARE SEVERAL ACTIVITIES THAT I AM INVOLVED IN HERE, SUCH AS, ART AND POTTERY CLASSES, AND A NEW WRITING CLASS.



I ALSO SEE MORE OF MY GRANDSON, SAMUEL -

PART OF         MY FAMILY HERE IN ATLANTA METRO AREA - SAMUEL AND KATHRYN



IN ADDITION, I ALSO PARTICIPATED IN A B          I  ALSO PARTICIPATED IN A CANCER SURVIVAL SUPPORT GROUP, CONNECTED WITH A LOCAL HOSPITAL. DID NOT OFFER THE SUPPORT I NEEDED, STILL LOOKING.





BUT I DISCOVERE                  THE HIGH MUSEUM HERE IN ATLANTA OFFERS FREE ADMISSION ONCE A MONTH.




I AM ALSO WRITING AGAIN, CONCENTR RES                 I AM ALSO CONDUCTING REARCH ON AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMEN EDUCATORS. USING, PRIMARILY, THE AUBURN AVENUE RESEARCH LIBRARY

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I AM WORKING ALSO ON THE CHILDREN'S BOOK

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L                                                            LIFE IS GOOD,
                               GOD IS ALWAYS GOOD,
                              I TRUST AND LEAN ON HIM



#breast cancer survival #AfricanAmericanwomen #victory

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SELF CONCEPT

By Dr. Wilma J. Johnson, MSW, Ed.D.


Knowing who you are in Christ...

     We will explore who you are in Christ and learn what it means to have your self concept based on who God says you are. Self concept can be loosely defined as a person's view of themselves. How they 'see' themselves. This will in turn determine how you act and behave and how you relate to others. It is not based on what you do (job, successes or defeats in life), and it is not in pleasing other people, or in other people's opinions of you. It is based on accepting who God says you are, and seeing yourself as God sees you. This begins by accepting His truths, and rejecting the lies of the devil.
     Many people may feel a sense of hopelessness about themselves, their relationships, and about life in general. Regardless of how they are loved and treated by others, regardless of how many Bible studies, church services, conferences, or counseling sessions they participate in, or how many times they go down to the altar in response to invitations from preachers; they may still have negative beliefs that will decide how they respond to love and truth. There are many reasons for this state, which could include family background or past experiences.
     God's light must penetrate down to our deepest beliefs about ourselves. This could possibly be a very painful experience when we admit that we do feel negatively about ourselves and we then allow God's light and truth shine on how we see ourselves. This will take time, it has taken possibly years to develop negative habits, but God's love, expressed through His people, His Spirit and His Word, can bring healing to our deepest hurts and give us an appropriate sense of self-worth.
     God created us, He knows how we are made, and He knows what we need. Trust Him.
Repeat the following affirmations daily, look up the accompanying scriptures, and pray for openness and honesty before God as you accept these truths of who God says you are.

-I am blessed with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ (Ephesians 1:3)
-I am chosen by You, my Father (Ephesians 1:4)
-I am Your child according to the good pleasure of Your will. (Ephesians 1:5)
-I am an heir. (Ephesians 1:11 & Romans 8:17)
-I am saved by Your grace. (Ephesians 2:5)
-I am Your workmanship. (Ephesians 2:10)
-I am a citizen of heaven. (2:19)
                              

YOU ARE A CHILD OF THE KING, A CITIZEN OF THE KINGDOM.

NEVER FORGET THAT!

                             

GOD LOVED YOU SO MUCH THAT HE GAVE HIS ONLY SON FOR YOU.

BELIEVE IT!

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((Whether or not we feel it is true, we still need to believe it. Jesus is the truth, the Holy Spirit is truth,and the Word is truth, so we should speak the truth in love. The Bondage Breaker, by Neil Anderson))                                                                  

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dr._Wilma_J._Johnson,_MSW,_Ed.D.

MEDICAID V. MEDICARE

 

Well I'm walking through this by faith, everyone tells me something different about Medicare part A. Finally, this morning a guy calls me from ss and he states that I can't cancel part a. or I can but I will have to get out of disability and pay back everything ss has paid me in disability so far, about $5000. he could be lying, I don't know, but I still have part a. My special Medicaid, women with breast and/or cervical cancer, sent me a letter and state that I can't have any personal insurance, or medicare A B C D. VERY STRAIGHT FORWARD.

 

So I am going to think about this, pray about this, and maybe get part b back, it will go into effect October, and try to get C & D etc. I had a visit with a new plastic surgeon yesterday, and we made plans, so now I will have to wait and PRAY. I don't talk to many people about this, mostly I just need a listening ear, prayer and a pat on the back. This morning I felt disoriented, "I Prayed" about this, and now what do I do?  The issues are that Part B comes with a premium of about $104, a deductible, and I will have to pay for my prescriptions.  Part A, hospital coverage, only pays 80%.

 

I needed someone to talk to, and Kat called, and made me feel a little better, and I forgot about crying and feeling sorry about myself. Then I just happened to turn to Joyce Meyer, and she was talking about been pressed on every side, and just say "I believe God is working in my life".

 

So, then my computer was acting up, I called tech support, was with them for nearly a hour, and now my laptop is working better than ever.

 

"I BELIEVE GOD IS WORKING IN MY LIFE"

2 Corinthians 4:7-10

New Living Translation (NLT)

⁷ We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure.^[a] This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves.
⁸ We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. ⁹ We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed. ¹⁰ Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies.

SOCIAL SECURITY MEDICAID BENEFITS

I need help and direction in relation to Social Security disability benefits.

I have been on womens Medicaid for two years fighting breast cancer. I was recently awarded Social Security disability, and with that I got medicare.  My Medicaid worker tells me that I can't get medicare and Medicaid. So I tried to cancel my medicare, because I have been doing good under Medicaid. I returned the cards and wrote a letter like they asked me to do.  They turn around and send me another card, and did this three times.

Finally,  they would just send me the part A card, because they said it didn't cost me anything. But I said I still do not want it. I can't afford medicare at this time.  With medicare is a monthly premium and a large yearly deductible, plus prescription costs. I do not qualify for  any assistance from Medicaid to help with medicare premiums, or for regular Medicaid. Medicaid is threatening to end my Medicaid August 31, 2013.

WHAT CAN I DO TO CONTINUE TO RECEIVE AFFORDABLE BREAST CANCER TREATMENT?

BREAST CANCER TREATMENT

I just heard about this evaluation treatment.  More African American women diagnosed with breast cancer should also know about this.  In my case, the original chemo treatment had no effect on the tumor.

This is a good site, it asks if you are eligible for this test and questions to ask your doctor.

http://www.mybreastcancertreatment.org/


To see if you are eligible go to this page - http://www.oncotypedx.com/en-US/Breast/PatientsCaregiversDCIS/TestRightForMe/Eligible

 

Am I Eligible for the Test?

The Oncotype DX^® test for patients with DCIS is a diagnostic test performed after your original breast cancer surgery. Like other laboratory tests, it must be ordered by an authorized healthcare provider. You may use the checklist below to help determine if you are a potential candidate for the Oncotype DX test for patients with DCIS.
You may be a candidate for the Oncotype DX test if you have recently been diagnosed with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), your surgery was performed as a lumpectomy and not as a mastectomy and, you and your doctor are making treatment decisions regarding future treatment.*If you have been diagnosed with invasive breast cancer, specifically lymph node negative or lymph node positive, estrogen receptor positive, HER2 negative disease, please click here to visit our invasive breast cancer section of the website for more information.
The decision whether or not to order the Oncotype DX test is one that you and your doctor should make together. For more information about getting tested, including suggestions for talking with your doctor about the Oncotype DX test for DCIS patients, click here.

 

Studies Show Cancer Survivors’ Physical and Emotional Problems Often Go Untreated

www.cancer.org

 

Studies Show Cancer Survivors’ Physical and Emotional Problems Often Go Untreated

Article date: May 24, 2013

By Stacy Simon
Cancer survivors don’t have to suffer through many of the physical and emotional side effects that often linger after treatment ends, researchers say. A new review of scientific studies finds that physical therapy and other types of rehabilitation can improve survivors’ quality of life, and urges doctors to ask patients about long-term problems they may be having so they can be addressed.
The review, published early online May 17, 2013 in CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians, finds that most cancer survivors are living with some kind of physical and/or emotional problem, which often goes undetected and, therefore, untreated. According to the review, such impairments can decrease survivors’ quality of life and may result in permanent disability. CA is an American Cancer Society journal.
According to recent data, 1 in 4 cancer survivors report poor physical health and 1 in 10 cancer survivors report poor mental health. In one study of 163 women with advanced breast cancer, 92% had one or more physical impairment, but fewer than 30% received rehabilitation care. Another study found that 63% of survivors of the 10 most common cancers reported the need for at least 1 rehabilitation service.
Lead author, Julie K. Silver, MD, said, “Health care professionals need to do a better job screening patients for physical and emotional help for problems they may be having. It is often up to the survivor to self-identify. We want to shift the burden away from patients and onto health care professionals.”

Rehabilitation improves quality of life

Impairments can result from cancer treatment or from the cancer itself. Common problems include pain, fatigue, nervous system dysfunction including peripheral neuropathy, bone lesions, and lymphedema (severe swelling). Patients and survivors with these problems can experience difficulty with a number of common daily activities, such as dressing, bathing, performing household chores, going to the grocery store, swallowing, and driving. If left untreated, these problems can lead to disability, inability to work, and dependence on others. The evidence shows that physical disability is likely the leading cause of emotional distress in cancer survivors.
Silver said it’s important that survivors know that care is available and is usually covered by health insurance.
She said, “Don’t accept the ‘new normal’ too soon. Make sure you are healed as well as possible – whether you’re in remission or living with a chronic condition. You want to function at the highest possible level. It’s important to advocate for yourself because there may be help you have access to.”
Studies show that rehabilitation improves pain, function, and quality of life in cancer survivors and can lessen physical and mental impairments at every stage of treatment. In one case cited in the review, a man with head and neck cancer stopped driving after he lost range of motion in his neck during treatment. With physical therapy, medication, and occupational therapy including larger mirrors and sensors that alerted when he backed up or changed lanes, he was able to resume driving.

Rehabilitation can occur before, during, and after treatment

The authors propose a model that includes screening for impairments – and treating them – beginning shortly after a cancer diagnosis and continuing even years after cancer treatment ends. The authors say survivors should be screened for both psychological and physical problems and then referred to trained rehabilitation health care professionals.
Care can be given before an upcoming cancer treatment in anticipation of a problem that is likely to occur. Examples of "prehabilitation" care include aerobic exercises, strength training, breathing exercises, nutritional counseling, and anxiety reduction therapy. The goal is to improve both physical and emotional health before cancer treatment so that people can tolerate it with fewer problems.
Silver said it’s important for doctors to ask survivors about any impairments or difficulties they may be having, because they often under-report symptoms.
She said, “Survivors tend to feel grateful to their oncology team and don’t want to be viewed as complaining too much. They may not realize there are things that can be done to help them.”
The studies show that cancer rehabilitation with a team of different kinds of rehabilitation professionals can improve pain control, physical function, and quality of life in cancer survivors. These teams typically include physiatrists (nerve, muscle, and bone experts), physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech-language pathologists, and rehabilitation nurses.
Citation: Impairment-Driven Cancer Rehabilitation: An Essential Component of Quality Care and Survivorship. Published early online May 17, 2013 in CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians. First author: Julie K. Silver, MD, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Mass.
Reviewed by: Members of the ACS Medical Content Staff

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ACS News Center stories are provided as a source of cancer-related news and are not intended to be used as press releases. For reprint requests, please contact permissionrequest@cancer.org.