Looking good helps you to feel better

Aryon Dagger was one of the survivors who was given a totally new look as part of the Makeover Magic program. She has blogged her experiences on -

http://christhebutch.wordpress.com/2008/11/04/a-new-life-and-a-new-look/#more-387.

Her story reminded me of a time, long ago, when I had a recurrence of thyroid cancer. I came out of hospital with an embarrassing large red scar across my neck. Without my asking, a friend scooped me up and took me shopping. We found some pretty, high-neck blouses. Her gesture helped me hold my head up and look life in the face as I went through the next stages of treatment and waited anxiously to hear if it had spread. The scar has faded, and I'm disease-free, and my friend has moved on. But her action touched me deeply and the memory will always stay with me.

I love your new look Aryon, but above all I love you as a person. Thankyou for reminding us that it is not the new look alone, it's the friendship, the listening, the understanding, and above all the acceptance that counts. That helps us to feel better about ourselves.

And that's what the American Cancer Society's real life program - Look Good, Feel Better - is about too. For more information about this program see:

http://www.cancer.org/docroot/ESN/content/ESN_3_1X_Look_Good_Feel_Better.asp?sitearea=SHR.

Anyone got a stress ball?

Stress levels mounted all round when Sheeznit Naheed attempted to organize no less than 30 avi's in an interactive game of "Have you ever..." to break the ice and introduce the topic of Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome. Not everyone saw the point of the exercise, but it was a brave departure from standing in the auditorium and running through a set of Powerpoint slides. And yes, most of us DID get it, although Sheez must have been sweating bricks by the time he finished getting some order into us and explaining the rules to us umpteen times.



Then it was back to the auditorium. In real life a school psychologist in Columbine, Colorado (yes, that's right...) Sheez knows what he is talking about. And it IS a very serious subject. But, in another departure from convention, he avoided giving us a textbook definition ("you can all Google PTSD and learn a lot...") and concentrated instead on the relationship between stress and anxiety and illness. In his view and contrary to the findings in a recent study "there is TONS of evidence that avoiding negativity, being positive, avoiding stress, are all very effective in fighting cancer...". There were nods all round in the audience.



I can do no better than simply give you the chat log of Sheez's closing words:

Sheeznit Naheed: I live and work with folks everyday who are in the struggle with fear of dying
Sheeznit Naheed: or fear of living another day
Sheeznit Naheed: I know folks who have lived through hell
Sheeznit Naheed: some of whom the world will not let them forget
Sheeznit Naheed: and the strongest of them are fighters
Sheeznit Naheed: or artists
Sheeznit Naheed: or full of faith
Sheeznit Naheed: or they just ride a bike every day
Sheeznit Naheed: or they do awesome things for others in a virtual world
Sheeznit Naheed: whatever it is
Sheeznit Naheed: they LIVE STRONG
Sheeznit Naheed: and I encourage you all to do the same



And yes, there were a few Powerpoint slides. Synergy Devonshire who organized the talk is going to put them up in the Welcome Center so please go take a look. And she is compiling a transcript from the chat log - IM her if you want a copy.

The approach may have been unconventional but the message is likely to stick. And now I'm off to Google PTSD and see what more I can learn...

Understanding Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder doesn't only happen to combat veterans and rape survivors. As the name suggests, it can affect anyone who has a significant trauma - including, for example, a diagnosis of cancer.

Understanding can be half the battle. Come and learn more on Sunday, November 25 at 2 pm SLT when Sheeznit Naheed will be speaking on PTSD in the Auditorium, American Cancer Society island. As a Real Life psychologist, working for Columbine's school district, Sheez is uniquely qualified to talk on the subject.

LM American Cancer Society Office, American Cancer Society (82, 81, 23)

Art, from the heart

I came across Artistic (Fimi) Fimicoloud's art several months ago and I immediately bought a copy of her work "Sparkle Lake Sunrise" which just literally sparkles with joy and hope. Next month marks three years in Fimi's battle against metastatic breast cancer. She is going through chemotherapy at the moment and is preparing to have surgery soon, but she agreed to come and talk to us in our "Fighting Spirit" series on Friday, November 9 about what has helped her to fight, in her talk "The Healing Power of Art".

Fimi started by using her art in real life to help her fight her own personal battle. Her painting has kept her from spending every moment wondering if her disease has spread to this part or that. Instead, her mind is filled with thoughts on how to portray the nature she so loves. She was fortunate to have an artistic background, and a strong love of nature. But as she goes on to say: "...art can heal anyone. If you are angry, pick up a black crayon and attack a piece of paper, if anger feels black to you. Let your heart lead you, and you will never go wrong."

A special feature of her paintings is that she tucks away a pink ribbon (symbol of breast cancer) into each one.

One picture doesn't fit this theme, it is Fimi's "The Warrior Woman", pictured above, with Fimi herself (her favorite avatar is a pink fox). She is a self portrait of Fimi "...from the inside. She is me, and I am her. She is all the warrior women who have fought this battle rising up from the depths of her roots she faces her enemy with bravery and self-assurance. Her shield, though armored and protective, is really her breast. S he was created when I found that my disease had returned to my breasts, leaving one hard, and misshapen. I felt frightened, and so I brought forth the warrior within me, the woman never stopping to end the fight."

When Fimi started to receive emails and letters, she felt the potential to help others see the joy in life, to celebrate. She has given talks, both in world and out, to help people to understand how art heals, and has been featured in her local newspaper and in Rob Stein's article in the Washington Post.

These words especially brought tears to my eyes: "My art, my life, is about looking forward, never looking back – looking back serves no purpose but to break one’s heart when you’re walking a path as difficult as some of us do. So instead I look forward – to that next beautiful sunset on the river."

I am proud to count Fimi among my friends. To read her talk in full please send an IM to Artistic Fimicoloud or myself. Her exhibition on ACS Island will be closing shortly as there is a lot of rebuilding planned, so hurry along there while you still can and if you can't get there in time use the SL search engine or IM Fimi or me to find out where she is showing.

We ended the talk with fireworks. Because it's about Celebration. About Hope.

Less Pain, More Life

On Sunday, November 4, Dr Ren Stonecutter came to give us a talk on The Management of Chronic Pain - or "Less Pain, More Life" - in the American Cancer Society's Auditorium on ACS Island.



Ren has been treating chronic pain in his Real Life family practice now for four years and has taken several advanced courses in its management. His talk focussed on the nature of chronic pain, why traditional pain medications frequently don't work, some of the newer medications and non-pharmacological methods of alleviating chronic pain. He also focussed on helping both patients and caregivers accept the realities of chronic pain and set realistic goals for themselves to achieve maximum health even in the presence of pain.



My favorite part was when he quoted General George S. Patton, Jr, who saw thousands of soldiers who had been wounded in combat. He once stated that Pain is like an enemy.

"You keep moving around and the enemy cannot hit you. Same way with pain. The quicker you break away from the pain, the quicker you will drive the pain out of your system. You sit too long and you will not be able to move."

Well, Ren's talk certainly helped me think differently about pain. And judging by the discussion afterwards I think it helped others in the audience. Thanks, Ren. IM me or Ren if you would like a transcript or copies of the slides.

At the end of his session, Ren referred to a booklet called American Cancer Society's Guide to Pain Control, and we put the wrong URL up on the slide. Here is the correct one:

https://www.cancer.org/docroot/PUB/PUB_0.asp?productCode=F9637.00

Fighting Spirit

Our first support group session in the "Fighting Spirit" series was a success, with Cruiser Gilman leading the discussion and talking about how he fought and won his battle with esophageal cancer, accompanied by his partner Zzeee Zaftig who is also a cancer survivor. So I have hopes that this formula will be a successful one going forward.

We have two sessions already scheduled in November:

Friday November 9 at 2 pm SLT - breast cancer survivor Artistic Fimicoloud will talk about the healing power of art and explain the message and content of her pictures - in the open air exhibition outside the Auditorium. FREE T-shirt for everyone who attends.

Thursday November 29 at 4 pm SLT - Erb Enoch talks about his experience as a male breast cancer patient - this will be in our usual venue, Hope Haven on ACS island.

A Friend at the End of Your Pen

A year ago Flash Alcott became a member of the club no-one wants to be part of when he heard the words "unfortunately, we found cancer." Flash has found it useful, like many of us, to write down his thoughts as he travels this journey. He came along on Friday October 9 and gave us an introductory talk about Expressive Writing, sometimes known as Journaling, and why cancer patients, survivors, caregivers, family members, and medical staff can find it helpful. I have an edited chat log of his talk so if you would like a copy send me an IM.



Flash is at this moment preparing to give a series of workshops on Expressive Writing at a cancer center in California and has offered to set up a similar course in Second Life. IM him if you would be interested in taking part.

DoctorAnn Buchanan's talk about Depression and Cancer

Friday, July 13 we had our first talk sponsored by SL's Cancer Survivors group in the American Cancer Society Auditorium in Second Life. DoctorAnn Buchanan who is the founder and Director of the Ann Myers Medical Center (AMMC) in SL came and talked to us about Depression and Cancer. It is clear that very many of us who are going through treatment for cancer at the moment and even those who have just completed treatment suffer from varying degrees of depression. DrAnn's take-home message was - "Above all, if you take nothing else from this talk, remember these things: YOU ARE NOT ALONE! Depression is NOT your fault! Saying you need help is a strength, NOT a weakness."

There is a transcript of the full talk available on a notecard. If you would like a copy just IM me in Second Life.