Is Pediatric Oncology for You?

May 13, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Your strong desire to help others fight cancer might influence the topic choice of your bachelor degree. If you have made a decision to work in the field of oncology, you’ll want to examine its various aspects to find your niche. If you possess a strong love for children and a desire to help reduce their pain and discomfort, pediatric oncology may be the path for you.

Deciding to Pursue Pediatric Oncology

The time to determine your ultimate career path is when you are first starting your bachelor degree program. Majoring in biology, chemistry or physics will give you a strong foundation for medical school. If you know that you want to ultimately work in pediatric oncology, you’ll also want to spend time with children. You might get a part-time job in a pre-school as a teacher’s aide or volunteer in the pediatric oncology section of a hospital. Some people love children, but are too sensitive to cope with witnessing them struggle with illness. You’ll want to assess yourself in this regard ahead of time to ensure that you can cope emotionally with the day-to-day demands of your work.

Planning a Career Path in Pediatric Oncology

In addition to going to medical school after completion of your undergraduate degree, you’ll want to seek out specialized research programs in pediatric oncology. Look for graduate and post-doctoral research opportunities to learn about pediatric tumors, leukemia and relevant clinical treatments.

The more in-depth your education and knowledge, the better you will be able to help advance the field of pediatric oncology.

 

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How to Stay Healthy

January 20, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Many people begin to worry about living a healthy lifestyle after it is too late. People start to worry about eating heart healthy food or foods that are good for your body after they have developed heart disease or cancer. While there is limited research on any food connection to cancer, it is clear that eating a healthy diet can lead to being healthy overall.

There are many ways to improve a lifestyle. One of the easiest and most beneficial ways to improve you lifestyle is to start eating a healthy diet. When planning to eat a healthy, color is key. The more bright fruits and vegetables you eat the better. When you look down at a healthy plate, the plate should be full of vibrant colors. Eating a healthy diet means that giving up most fast food is a must. Fast food is full of preservatives and is very unhealthy. Eating healthy does not mean that you have to give up all the food that you love. There are great, healthy meals that you can make at home that mimic the unhealthy foods you would order from the take-out menu.

Another change that you can make to have a healthy lifestyle is to start good habits and end bad habits. Good habits that will have a large impact on you life are to stop smoking. Smoking is not only bad for your lungs, but is a leading contributor to other diseases like cancer and heart disease. Good habits that you can start to implement are to wear sunscreen everyday and to start on an exercise program. Wearing sunscreen everyday will ensure that you are protected from the sun’s harmful effects but you are also keeping your face free from wrinkles. Exercising is an important part of every healthy lifestyle. Speaking with a doctor to determine an exercise program is always a good idea before moving forward with exercising.

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Helping Your Children Understand Your Cancer

January 15, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Your first instinct as a parent is to always protect your child. When you are diagnosed with cancer your first instinct will probably be that you do not want your children to worry or to be effected in anyway. However, by not telling your children about your illness, your child may begin to think something worse is going on.

Children, even at a young age can tell when there is change a in the home. If their parent is tired and seems sick all the time the child may start to believe that their parent does not love them anymore. It is important to tell your child what is going on so that they can understand why you are not acting like your normal self.

Your child may find out about your diagnoses from someone else or overhear you talking about your cancer to someone else. If your child overhears you talking about it to someone else, they may think that it is something very bad that you are hiding from them. And while that may be case, you should be upfront with your child so that they can understand what you are going through and what you having cancer means. If you child hears that you have cancer from someone else, whoever tells them may be misinformed. Children talk amongst themselves constantly, and usually not with the most correct information. If your child hears scary information from someone who is misinformed or from another child they may become terrified and insecure about what is happening.

While you may think that you are protecting your child by not telling them about your cancer and treatment, what you are going through effects them as well. It is important that you help them understand the changes that will be happening to you and your family so that they can cope with your diagnoses as well.

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The Second Opinion

January 4, 2011 By Leave a Comment

A diagnosis of cancer will make your head spin. You will probably not hear all the doctor has to say, you are too busy trying to figure out how you are going to deal with all of this. Many cancer treating physicians will give you the technical diagnosis and then bring you back once you have had a chance to process that, to discuss your treatment plan. Obviously you need to trust the person who will be in charge of this rigorous treatment cycle. You know you have a long road ahead of you.

Of course you will go on the Internet and do your own research. You will find millions of websites about cancer, thousands of websites about your particular type of cancer. While it is important to be informed, you need to be careful. Gather your information and then bring it to your doctor. He or she will be the one to help you weed through the misinformation and figure out what is the good information and what is the best treatment plan for you.

Any reliable doctor will advise you to get a second opinion,the chance to see another cancer specialist to see how he or she would treat your disease. There are many different approaches to cancer treatment, and the first line of treatment may not always be the best choice. The second opinion physician will tell you what he thinks and he may or may not agree with the doctor you have already seen. There is also no harm in getting a third opinion if you feel you need one.

Cancer specialist physicians have gone through a lot of schooling to be able to help fight cancer. You will literally be putting your life in his or her hands. To know that you have made an informed decision and that you trust your physician is one of the most important steps in fighting cancer.

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Help Is Here

December 19, 2010 By Leave a Comment

A diagnosis of cancer is devastating. Hearing those words will be one of the scariest things anyone can hear. A doctor will go into great detail what happens next. It is a lot to digest, and some people cannot process it. So they do the research. There are hundreds of books on cancer and its treatment, hundreds more on survival stories and how each person deals with it, and yet hundreds more on faith healing, herbal treatments and home grown remedies.

What is the right thing to do? Whom do you trust? In the cancer world, unfortunately, it is hit and miss, with no cure currently available. There are so many options, and hopefully with the proper doctor and proper research, the right treatment will come. The treatment that will make you a lot sicker before it makes your better, but in the long run, send you on the road to remission, where cancer takes a break and leaves you to get back to the business of living.

The good news is that there are support groups out there. If you google search “cancer support groups” on the Internet you will see over nine million places to look. There are support groups that are made up of cancer survivors, people who share their own stories of the fight. There are cancer support groups made up of psychologists trained in helping you deal with the daunting task of living with this monstrous disease. There is probably more advice out there than you want to hear. Remember, knowledge is power. If you are fighting cancer you need all the power you can muster. At a time when you may feel completely out of control, being able to chose the path of your treatment is important. Being informed and talking to the right people, learning as much as you can about your disease, will enable you to take control, to make the best decision for you.

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Bright Foods, Bright Future

December 17, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Pumpkin pie, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki...
Image via Wikipedia

A diagnosis of cancer is upsetting, to say the least. You hear the diagnosis, go to the doctor and do all the things you have to do to fight the disease. You set up your treatments, prepare yourself and your family for the fight ahead. You do all the research, get a second opinion, check with insurance and get ready for the marathon, because fighting cancer is no sprint. It is indeed a long, and sometimes very difficult, road. Armed with a goal of restoring your health, you do what needs to be done.

There are the obvious things you need to do. Starting treatments, whether it be radiation or chemotherapy is a feat in itself. The treatments are grueling and take a very heavy toll on the body and soul. Throughout this time you also have to try and keep your spirits up, convincing yourself daily that the assault on your body and mind are worth it, you will come out the other side of this tunnel healthy.

One more soldier to add to your army is your choice of foods. The current research has shown that beta-carotene, lycopene, lutein and beta-carotene are all varities of carotenoids. They act as anti-oxidants, which protect cells from free radicals, which are substances that break down cell membranes, allowing cancer to take hold. Carotenoids are also the pigments that give fruits and vegetables their vibrant yellow, orange and green color. So take a trip to the grocery store and shop for those brightly colored fruits and vegetables. Not only do they look good, they are delicious. There are some many different ways you can eat them, and there is a lot of variety, which is very important when you feel you cannot eat anything due to side effects from cancer treatments. Having plenty of choices at your fingertips will make it easier for you to do even a little to help you stay healthy.

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When a Parent Has Cancer: Helping Kids Cope

December 13, 2010 By Leave a Comment

The safe and secure world of a child’s home can suddenly become unpredictable and scary when a parent is diagnosed with and begins to battle cancer. Kids are very in tune with moods and feelings, they can sense stress in the family quickly and often become worried. It is important to talk with them about cancer, give them age-appropriate information and tell them how many people battle cancer and survive. Imagined fears are very often far worse than the reality.

There are a few things to be sure and do when talking to the kids about a parent’s cancer diagnosis. These things can be of help and hopefully make the situation a little less scary for all.

-Use the word “cancer” to explain the illness, and tell where the cancer is located.
-Encourage questions but do not force the issue. Have meals together, spend time watching movies or playing games, limit visitors and phone calls in order to focus on the family. Doing these things will create a relaxed atmosphere in which kids may feel more comfortable about talking and asking questions.
-Let them know what to expect by explaining treatments and discussing how the parent may feel or act during treatments.
-Be sure all the kids know who will take care of them and the family’s life if a parent is hospitalized or too sick to carry on with daily activities.
-Plan activities away from the house with friends and family members on days when the sick parent is having a hard time.

Handling a tough challenge such as cancer together as a family is a hard battle, but will draw everyone closer and compassion is learned firsthand. Nobody would choose such, but since cancer is not a choice, it will best help the kids to have a positive attitude and go forth.

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When you Can’t Find the Right Freebie

December 11, 2010 By Leave a Comment

I love contests and freebies. If I enter often and keep track of everything that I hope to win, I can usually make sure that I do not miss out on any contests or prizes that I have won. I love when I find just the right freebie or contest prize to give away to a friend.

Sometimes I actually count on winning so much, that I have accidentally come up to a friend’s birthday or a family member’s wedding and had no gift for them. More than once I have stopped at paydayone.com to get a cash advance and get the gift that I should have bought several weeks before.

I think the freebie that I won that was my favorite and the most exciting win was the mixer. I won a huge, professional grade, stand mixer. It is a beautiful red color with stainless steel edges and mixing bowls. I didn’t think I would have room for it in my kitchen, but I made room.

My mom asked me who was getting married next in the family and would they be getting the mixer. I told her that there was no way I would even consider that! I love this mixer. It is so easy to use and super easy to clean.

I am in three big contests right now. If I win any of the three, the gift will most likely go to my mom for Christmas. I would love to give her a $500 gift card somewhere, a new rocking chair, or even a basket or organic coffee. Of course, my mom is awesome and she would love whatever I gave her, simply because it would be from me.

It is not always a good idea to count on the giveaways when you enter. There are a lot of people for very few prizes. Still, it is fun to hope!

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It’s Me Time

December 9, 2010 By Leave a Comment

You are the best room mother the school has ever seen. The Girl Scouts would fold and go under without your leadership. The PTA would need ten volunteers to do the work that you do. The local charities would be hard pressed to find a volunteer who puts in as much time as you do. You are Superwoman. The house looks great, the kids are clean and polished and everything is in its place. When the phone rings, you run. When someone asks for help, you bring a crew. Everyone is counting on you.

Then cancer knocks on your door. Those six little letters that will turn your life upside down. All the door knocking and cookie baking in the world could not have prepared you for this campaign. You know how important your family is to you. You want to fight cancer with all you have, and obviously, as Superwoman, you have what it takes. The doctor says you need chemotherapy. Chemotherapy takes its toll on you. There are medicines from the doctor to help with the inevitable pain and nausea, but you hate being weak. Who will deliver the Girl Scout cookies? Who will run the church bake sale? The house needs cleaning, the laundry is behind.

It is time to take a step back and realize you need you. It is time to concentrate on you and your family. Cancer does not care who takes care of all the responsibilities. It is a hard fighting disease and you will need everything you have to fight it. The work will get done. Who cares if your laundry is not folded right away? It’s “ME” time. Cancer will try to take Superwoman down. It is when she refuses to give up, lets everyone else handle the “volunteering”, and concentrates on the task ahead of her, coming through cancer treatments to get to that wonderful place “remission” that the true strength comes out.

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Turning Hopeless To Hopeful

December 5, 2010 By Leave a Comment
...of course, this was prior to the actual zap...
Image via Wikipedia

Cancer. The word itself is enough to instill fear in most of us. When you hear that someone has been diagnosed with cancer, you immediately feel compassion. You want to help them. You want to help their families. You reach out to them to offer any help you can. We all know that cancer affects the patient, as well as the family. It is often said that a person does not get cancer, a family gets cancer. We have no choice in the matter. However, once cancer comes into our lives, we have lots of choices.

There are the choices we allow the doctors to make. The doctor will decide what type of treatment will be best for your type of cancer. Cancer treatment can include strong medications, or chemotherapy, that, while killing off the bad cancer cells, take along some of the healthy cells making it difficult to fight off common illnesses and infections. Unfortunately the drugs are so powerful that they often come with side effects of hair loss or constant nausea, vomiting or diarrhea. There is also radiation therapy, which is used is some types of cancer. Radiation therapy has its side effects as well. We know that the side effects are inevitable, we are hoping that the powerful drugs are at least killing the cancer.

It can begin to feel hopeless. It is said that the treatments for cancer are sometimes worse than the disease itself. One important part of your treatment should be support. Being able to speak to people who have been where you are, along with their families, can go a long way in helping you and your family cope with the difficult journey. When you have no hair, are throwing up everything you eat, and feel freezing cold all the time, being able to see someone who felt those same things and now is cancer free, well that can turn hopeless feelings to hopeful dreams.

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