#16 Stayin' Alive!

There is nothing like educating yourself on the road one is traveling.  Our traveling took us to a seminar in Minneapolis that was titled, Living with Breast Cancer: How we can improve patients quality of life.  It was sponsored by The Women Legislators' Lobby and American Cancer Society CAN of Minnesota  (Yay women! We are the best at saving breasts!).

Dr. Jeffery Dusek from the Penny George Institute at Abbott Northwestern Hospital was awarded a grant to study the impact for integrative treatments to effectively reduce pain in cancer inpatients.  The good news is that I am right on track with his research.  Acupuncture, massages, ginger, reflexology, yoga, mindfulness and relaxation were found to decrease a cancer patient's pain.  The results were significant enough for me to sit up and pay attention.  Fortunately I have incorporated all the above techniques in my daily life to combat everything from nausea to anxiety to a distraction from living with cancer so the affirmation was welcomed.

The second speaker was Matthew Goetz, M.D., a Deputy Director of the Mayo Clinic Breast Cancer S.P.O.R.E. (Specialized Program of Research Excellence).  His research focused on estrogen receptor positive breast cancer--that's me so he had me at "hello".  Interesting facts but what it all came down to was the need for money for research--of course.

So again, raise your hand if you know someone living with cancer and want to do something about it.  Advocacy is our best friend to inform (and pester) our legislators and communicate to them that the answer to a cure is supporting NIH (National Institute of Health).  Donations to your local American Cancer Society is the next step.  If you have already generously donated (thank you), now write a letter to your representative in Congress to let them know how critical funding and public policies are needed to fight this disease.  Give or write or both.

Now excuse me as I temporarily get off my soap box and thank you for reading # 15 of 7777.