Your Breast Cancer Awareness

I haven't written in a while and sometimes I wonder, am I too close to Michelle's Place Breast Cancer Resource Center to be writing this blog? Not too close to the day-to-day operations but too close to the reason we were started. I will write another day on why it is okay for the people close to the patient to feel these feelings that we don't feel comfortable admitting (unfairness, anger, etc.) because I was that person. But today, I want to talk about why you should donate your hard-earned dollars to Michelle's Place as you sit and try to find focus through October-induced pink fog.

Our Executive Director, Kim Goodnough, gave a poignant speech, at our 12th Annual Celebration of Life Golf Tournament, this past Friday. Kim took a moment after all of the raffle tickets were purchased and there were no more chances for the participants to spend money. She was strictly taking the opportunity to share tough information with a group of people supporting our organization. I am going to do my best to reiterate what Kim shared (and I will probably add to it because I just can't help myself). We lost 4 clients this week. We are not here to save lives. We are here to bring comfort to women fighting the battle for their lives. We will not find the cure for cancer. We are helping the women who live in your neighborhood and are raising children while going through breast cancer treatment. Your sisters, your friends, your aunts, your mothers, your daughters, your co-workers. One of the four we lost this week was Candy Guitterez. Candy was one of our Self Help Group Facilitators and she leaves behind a family and her youngest is six years old. This is what we do. Bring comfort, support, whatever we can to help these women get through their days in the best way possible. And we educate women on getting mammograms, ultrasounds, diagnostics so they catch breast cancer early and don't have to get to where Candy and others have been. It is not pretty, pink-filled days that the marketers make it look like. Women walk into our office scared and we give them understanding, hugs, love and information. Services and support come next. No woman should have to go this alone.

Breast Cancer Awareness Month, October, Pink Ribbons, Hope. It has a place. We celebrate too. There is plenty to celebrate. But when faced with a choice on where to spend your dollars, we hope you consider where the funds are invested. Michelle's Place invests in our community. Helping women and their families right here in Temecula Valley. If you choose to support us, you can make a one-time donation online or choose to be part of our Wings of Hope program where you can choose to donate monthly automatically as low as $10.

Every dollar counts. Make yours count. Thank you.

Amy Watson
amy@michellesplace.org

Farewell October

Happy Halloween! Even though it is October 31st, please do not let this be the last day of Breast Cancer Awareness Month...breast cancer awareness is a year round activity! Take what you have learned and continue to share with those around you.

What can you do? Well, we received support from young and old this month. Soccer players sold pink socks, football players sold pink items, elementary school children collected coins. Children can participate all year too...my kids have a charity bank at home and put part of their allowance in there each week.

It doesn't end there. Have you considered the children who's moms are going through treatment and their families are struggling financially? We have and our Pink Ribbon Assistance program provides financial support and at holiday time, we provide a Christmas party complete with the man in red and presents for kids. In August, we have a Party in the Park and provide the kids with backpacks full of school supplies to take that burden off of the parents.

We cannot thank our community enough for their involvement. Something as simple but as profound as our Go Pink! program really makes a statement as you drive through town. Local business sell our pink ribbons for $1 and display them. All proceeds go to us, Michelle's Place Breast Cancer Resource Center, and the displays are beautiful and such a vision of support!

So much more went on this month and appreciate each and every action that everyone took to promote awareness this month because out of it came education. We were able to provide more than 80 free screening mammograms and we provided support to over 100 women diagnosed with breast cancer this month. That is what we are all about. Helping women get what they need and educating the community.

And I will close with a message from our Executive Director, Kim Goodnough:

October is leaving me speechless

I am very rarely at a loss for words. Just ask my husband, my father, my dear in-laws, my children, my friends. I want you all to know that I have not been neglecting this blog. I literally have not found words profound enough to express what I have been feeling over the last couple of months.  We start preparing for October months in advance so I have been in the zone for a while.

October is an especially busy (understatement of the year) for Michelle's Place and we do remind everyone that every month is Breast Cancer Awareness Month for us. Due to marketing and the pink revolution, we will never win the battle to even out the activities across the months so our staff, board and volunteers dive in head first and do not come up for air until the beginning of the fourth week of October. I am so proud to be associated with these people...their passion, support and dedication is beyond measure.

Today our Executive Director, Kim Goodnough, published her weekly message in the Michelle's Place weekly e-newsletter and I finally became inspired. Not inspired enough to write my own words, but inspired to share hers. Without further ado, here is a message from our Executive Director:


It is so important that we are reminded of the work MP does and how much it means to so many.  I am so proud to be part of this team.  When I was walking in the event yesterday (Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure) I felt emotionally overwhelmed a little as I looked around.  I think everyone feels that way when they participate in that event.  But, for me it was a little different this year.  It was a very introspective day. This is my 11th year.  It's so cool to see so many "Team Michelle's Place" shirts everywhere.  We started the walk with Paul who lost his wife this year and he comes to MP to feel part of her and share with us their love story, and as we crossed the starting line the announcer yelled out "GO team Michelle's Place, we love Michelle's Place", my heart swelled with pride.  And as I read all the names of those lost, loved and remembered on the backs of participants, I thought, we lost 4 women this week at MP.  And then, as we neared the finish line (we cheated) part of the Hawks soccer team ran past us in their pink socks that they sold to raise funds for Michelle's Place.  So MANY people are part of this amazing journey.  All of us, each one of us, makes an impact.  We are a support system for those who have lost loved ones, direction for those recently diagnosed, we provide hope and inspiration for young people and we carry on a legacy that I think Michelle would be proud of.  Thank you all for what you do.  It is awe-inspiring and so heart-warming.  I am blessed to be part of it.

Thank you, Kim. Michelle is not only proud, she is smiling and cheering you, and all of us, on.

Perception is Everything.

This week I (Michelle's Place on Twitter) received a tweet that read "what about pancreatic? We've nailed breast?"
This stopped me in my tracks. Do people really believe we have nailed breast cancer? Does the statistic of approximately 90% chance of 5-year survival when diagnosed in the early stages imply that we have it under control and there is no reason to worry?
I don't think so.

According to the American Cancer Society, your relative survival rate decreases if you are diagnosed with breast cancer before the age of 40. Yes, it drops to 84%.
If you do not catch breast cancer early which can happen easily in today's down economy when not everyone is insured and can easily get the diagnostics they need, 5-year relative survival is 23% for distant stage disease and tumor size plays a part in this too. (Source: ACS Breast Cancer Facts & Figures 2011-2012)
And remember, just a few weeks ago...Robin Roberts, announced she has a blood disorder called MDS,  myelodysplastic syndrome (preleukemia), resulting from chemotherapy from her breast cancer over 5 years ago. Here she was on a journey that had her believing she was cancer free and now she is facing more excruciating treatments. I lost my mother to Leukemia that started as MDS resulting from chemotherapy in March of this year and her doctors told her she was going to beat it too.  I want Robin Roberts to beat MDS because no one should have lose this battle. Ideally, no one should have to face this battle. I still have a lot of questions about the long-term consequences of the breast cancer treatments we are using and where that leaves women 5-10 years down the road. Especially if younger women are dealing with more aggressive breast cancers and chemotherapy gets stronger and more aggressive.
So have we really nailed breast cancer? My answer is no.

The statistics show we are heading in the right direction. Death rates have been decreasing since 1990 especially in younger women which means we are getting the education out there for early detection. We need to make sure women understand that just because breast cancer does not run in your family does not mean you are off the hook. 85% of breast cancers occur in women with no family history. My sister-in-law, Michelle, who we lost at age 26 had no family history. Educating the community is a large part of what we do at Michelle's Place. However, as long as we are seeing women walking through our doors misdiagnosed, the battle will be far from over. Get educated, ask questions, and be your own health advocate!
Are we fighting the battle like true warriors? Yes.
How are you waging war against breast cancer?

IBC...What is it?

There are different types of breast cancer. One type of particularly aggressive breast cancer is Inflammatory Breast Cancer (IBC). IBC does not look like what we think breast cancer should look like. IBC does not present itself as a lump and its symptoms tend to grow quickly, often mistaken for an infection like mastitis. Even worse, IBC is usually not detected on mammograms or ultrasounds.

Now are you paying attention?

At Michelle's Place, we had the pleasure of hosting an Educational Seminar on IBC by IBC Survivor Kommah "Koko" McDowell of the Kommah Seray Inflammatory Breast Cancer Foundation. She really spells it clearly and helps us understand what we need to know about IBC in this video.


Inflammatory Breast Cancer by michellesplace

We have other online Educational Seminars available for viewing.

Knowledge is power. Be informed. Be your own health advocate.

Beyond Breast Cancer Treatment...I am home from chemo, now what?

Yesterday at Michelle's Place, we had the pleasure of hosting a Breast Cancer Educational Seminar on Why Exercise & Nutrition are Key for Recovery. Anneke Marvin, Trainer and Owner of CrossFit Temecula South, where they train everyone from professional athletes to individuals with severe injuries and physical limitations discussed the physical effects of chemo and radiation and how exercise and nutrition are a key to recovering from breast cancer and having a solid quality of life going forward. I asked Anneke for her top 3 tips and she gave me GOLD! Thank you, Anneke!!!

Anneke's Top 3 Tips for Women Going Through Breast Cancer Treatment

1. Cut out as much sugar from your diet as possible. This includes processed foods, grain, and dairy. Cancer cells love sugar so don't give them any!

2. Sleep! Sleep enough and sleep enough consistently. Many studies show that sleep disturbances and/or inadequate sleep raise systemic stress which in turn increases your risk of cancer forming or returning.

3. Keep stress low. I know that we can't eliminate ALL stress but control the things one can. Learn to say "no." Meditation, yoga, and exercise are all good stress reducers. 

Healthy Steps class at Michelle's Place

Beyond these tips, I hope at least one person learns from this that trainers are out there to help you during treatment and beyond. You do not have to be getting "bikini ready" to hit the gym. It is about building and maintaining strength...doing what you can and feeling the best you can. Mentally, you can feel more in control of your journey through breast cancer. 

At Michelle's Place, we offer Healthy Steps classes twice weekly. This class is a series of gentle dance-like movements to done to music. Learn more including the benefits of Healthy Steps.

It is about balance. Taking care of the whole person. Listen to your body. 

Be your own health advocate.

Reality Rally

Along the journey, we get the honor of meeting people who give of themselves to help others. Today people from all over are in Temecula to be a part of an event that was sparked on the beaches of Gabon. When this Survivor contestant heard "Gillian, the tribe has spoken," she took her lot in
life seriously. This adventurous grandmother born and raised in South Africa who makes her home in Temecula knew she would do something with her 15 minutes and she has. Gillian Larson has realized her dream - Reality Rally. A weekend achock full of events all in the name of "Fun for Funds." Michelle's Place is honored to be the beneficiary of this spectacular event that has something for everyone.
With over 80 Reality Stars representing 27 shows, a golf tournament, 3 parties, 2 after parties, Surf Dogs, a Chopper Dog and 31 FREE things to do...oh, and did I mention there is a game called Reality Rally? It is easy to see that this weekend is an incredible undertaking.

 

Let the journey begin!

In our 10+ years of service, Michelle's Place Breast Cancer Center has evolved into more than we ever thought possible when we came together to start this organization. We are working to get more information to you than ever before. As Michelle's sister-in-law, I am so excited to be starting this blog. I want to share resources, helpful information, stories from breast cancer survivors and more. I welcome your comments and questions and would love to know what you are thinking about breast cancer support and services that we provide or that you see elsewhere. My vision is that this truly becomes what I named it...a Pink Ribbon Network.

For those of you that are not familiar with how Michelle's Place started, read Michelle's story and view our founders video below.

Michelle's Place wouldn't be what it is today without massive, unrelenting support from our community for which we are forever grateful. Now my goal is to broaden our scope and open that up even further...breast cancer impacts every part of our lives and it isn't over when treatment is over. Knowledge is power and information is at the heart of knowledge so we will start there. Our website has online resources available to you even if you are not local to Temecula Valley. Only great things can come from sharing...so let the journey begin.

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."

~Margaret Mead

Thank you for sharing this journey with me.


Amy Watson
Michelle's Sister-in-Law