Knitting Circles for Those Touched by Cancer
Growing up on the East Coast, I spent a lot of my childhood visiting battlefields and living history museums. Watching costumed adults recreate scenes of the past was like theater to me. What I loved most was being invited into the scene to dip beeswax candles, twist a pretzel or card fiber for yarn.
Those early outings nurtured my love of handcrafts. Even today I have but to look at a handmade object to appreciate the time, ingenuity and love that went into its making.
I also learned how handcrafting bonded people to each other, because it took a village to produce the quilts and farm equipment and household goods needed by all. When illness or death visited the communities, the villagers needed look no farther than next door for support. Bound together in industry, they instinctively gathered together to grieve and to heal.
Nowadays we no longer need to produce all our necessities. But wouldn’t it be nice for those of us navigating life after cancer to be part of a close-knit social fabric? In the spirit of our wise and comforting heritage, I warmly invite you to join me in a knitting circle for those touched by cancer. As we work our common craft, we will set healing intentions and create a safe cradle in which to lay down our cares and find loving support.
This group is perfect for you if you are currently in treatment, a cancer survivor or accompanying someone on their cancer journey. Your supportive friends and family members are also welcome.
I am grateful to Happy Knits for hosting us in their cozy, centrally-located space. Will you join us?
Location: Happy Knits, 1620 SE Hawthorne Blvd, Portland, OR 97214 map
Dates: First and third Sundays of each month, starting 5/20/12
Time: 12:30-2:30 pm
Admission free
Bring your own project, or purchase patterns and materials onsite. Friendly store staff are available for light project advice; knitting instruction available upon request at additional fee.
Questions? Call 866.678.8577 or contact me below.
Please share this announcement with survivors you know. I look forward to welcoming you into the circle!
10 Great Reasons to Get Your Exercise!
This week I saw a patient about to embark on chemotherapy for breast cancer. She was deciding whether to pursue a regimen that would reduce her recurrence risk by 50%, or the more aggressive regimen recommended by her oncologist, which would reduce her risk by another 6% but carries the risk of additional longlasting side effects.1
Whatever choice she makes for chemotherapy, I’ve recommended she add regular exercise to her regimen. Exercise is remarkable medicine. In addition to cancer prevention benefits, studies have shown exercise to improve survival after breast, colon and lung cancer by 33 to 50%.2 Nothing heroic is involved: this benefit was achieved simply through cancer survivors walking for 30 minutes five times/week. Exercise at that level costs nothing, has only helpful side effects and confers a far greater incremental benefit than the more aggressive chemotherapy regimen.
Remarkable reduction of cancer recurrence risk alone is a great reason to exercise. Here are 9 more for all of us:
2. Exercise increases circulation and oxygen supply to muscles. Think of a house that hasn’t been ventilated: it gets unpleasant with stale air and trapped odors. We’d want to open windows to release the musty air and allow fresh air in. Tissues only function properly in a well-oxygenated environment. When our circulation doesn’t bring in adequate oxygen, toxic wastes accumulate and cell function deteriorates. Even genes may malfunction, contributing to the development of cancer and other diseases.
3. Exercise increases energy. If you’ve found yourself huffing and puffing while going upstairs, it’s not just “getting older”. It’s a sign that your cells aren’t efficient at making energy. With professional guidance this is typically correctable – at any age.
4. Exercise improves immunity. Regular exercise increases the activity of natural killer cells and killer T cells, critical elements of an efficient immune system. These cells protect us from a gamut of illnesses, from colds and flus to cancer.
5. Exercise supports natural detoxification. It supports optimal function of the liver and bowels, both critical to ongoing detoxification.
6. Exercise improves hormonal function. It regulates production and disposal of our stress-management hormones as well as male and female hormones. Studies convincingly link regular exercise to improvement in menopause-related symptoms.
7. Exercise prevents and reverses excess blood sugar and insulin resistance. By creating greater muscle demand for glucose and regulating the insulin-dependent mechanism which delivers it, exercise is a critical strategy against these conditions. If you’re prediabetic or diabetic or have a family history of these conditions, exercise (along with healthful nutrition) is your ticket to good health.
8. Exercise strengthens bones. Exercise is a potent antidote to osteoporosis, another scourge of Western society and a common side effect of cancer treatment. Osteoporosis is much easier to prevent than to treat, so it’s never too soon to incorporate weight-bearing exercise into your health plan.
9. It looks good. Exercise improves metabolic efficiency, so we store less fat and become lighter and more toned. I can see on my patients’ faces whether they’re exercising regularly or not: those who exercise regularly express a vitality that those who don’t can’t match.
10. It feels good. Exercise releases endorphins, which elevate mood. It produces a feeling of accomplishment. It’s even an effective antidepressant, without the side effects of pharmaceutical antidepressants.3
Want more joy and freedom from physical complaints, but not sure how to start? Give me a call: I’ve got lots of ideas to get you moving, and have fun doing it. We’ll cheer together as you celebrate the health benefits you achieve!
© 2012
1 Stated recurrence risks are compared to absence of conventional treatment; ie, not taking chemotherapy.
2 For example: Irwin ML et al, Physical activity and survival in postmenopausal women with breast cancer: results from the women’s health initiative, Cancer Prevention Research, 2011 Apr; 4(4): 522-9.
3 Chen X et al, Exercise, tea consumption, and depression among breast cancer survivors, Journal of Clinical Oncology, 2010 Feb 20; 28(6): 991-8.
Cancer Survivors: Don’t Miss the Bus!
In a brilliant little blog piece I read this morning, life coach Bev Barnes talked about a dream in which she waited for a subway train to take her out of a collapsing subway station. When a brightly-lit bus showed up on the train tracks she wondered if she should take it. She did, and it transported her safely to exactly where she needed to go. (If you’d like to read the original blog piece, you’ll find a link below.)
Life is never the same after cancer treatment. Routines, goals and relationships that used to work for you may no longer fit as well. Treatment centers provide little guidance or transition support for what comes next. You may feel like you’re waiting alone for a train that hasn’t shown up.
What if some friendly people showed up at the station, and understood what you were looking for? What if you found it easy to talk to them, and they helped you find a bus instead that would take you exactly where you wanted to go?
If you’re a woman and this sounds familiar, “The Heroine’s Journey: Thriving After Cancer” may be just what you’re looking for. In 8 sessions over four months, we’re going to build an intimate circle of trust in which we look at what you’d like life after cancer to look like, and how you can get from here to there. You’ll enjoy the support of women with common experiences and language as you gain new tools for healing physically, emotionally and spiritually. You’ll have a safe and joyful place to explore possibilities and opportunities that fit the wiser woman you’ve become. And we’ll walk with you and cheer you on as you confidently move forward in your new, fully authentic life.
Ready to join us? You’ll find all the information you need to register here: “The Heroine’s Journey: Thriving After Cancer”
See you on the bus!
PS -Here’s the original blog post, for your reading pleasure: click here
copyright 2011, Shani Fox, ND, LLC
Connect with us!