Patient Navigator

We all have cancer cells in our bodies.

How about that as a scary thought?  Every single human being on the planet has cancer cells in their bodies.  The good news is that, for most of us, our body’s natural defenses know how to defeat these defective, tumor-causing cells, and they never get the chance to grow up into a full-blown cancer.

I had the pleasure of attending a presentation by Dr. David Servan-Schreiber,  himself a cancer survivor, during the CancerGuides® training in June 2009.*  His delivery was amazing; his presence on the stage mesmerizing.  But what stuck with me was the plain truth – we all have cancer cells somewhere in our bodies. 

Accepting that fact also motivated me to learn more about what to do to try to keep those individual defective cells from joining together and having a cancer party.   Following his advice, outlined in the book “Anti-Cancer – A New Way of Life,” I have made small changes in my life since then.  I try to include freshly ground flax seed in my daily diet, usually in my morning oatmeal or yogurt.  I am proud to say that my ten-year old son often copies me, and grinds his own flax seed into his breakfast.  I definitely am more conscious of the amount of fruits and vegetables that we all eat.  I try to purchase eggs and meat that are grass-fed, and therefore richer in Omega-3s.   I am working to reduce toxic cleaning products and other indoor pollution from our house.   I exercise regularly.

I am falling down, however, on approaching life in a light-hearted way, with laughter and serenity.  Dr. Servan-Schreiber emphasizes that emotional toxicity is as harmful to the body as physical pollutants.  It is easy, and we are programmed very early, to react to problems with anger and negativity.  It is much more of a challenge to find the humor in adversity, to love those who make life difficult for us.  I think these are the most difficult changes of all – the internal ones of the basic self.   Whether you’ve had cancer or not, any person who wants to improve their chances of avoiding cancer should read Dr. Servan-Schreiber’s very important book.

 * CancerGuides® training is offered by the Center for Mind-Body Medicine in Washington, D.C.  It is the country’s only comprehensive training in integrative oncology. To learn more, visit http://www.cmbm.org/

Guest editor:  Debora Harvey, Director of Client Services at Patient Navigator, LLC

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I am encouraged – most of the people I know who have had cancer have beaten their disease and become cancer survivors.  They struggled through the chemotherapy, the radiation treatment, surgery, physical and emotional upheavals and come out on the other side.  It is a time of celebration and elation.

But then the reality of life after cancer kicks in, and many of them find themselves in a kind of limbo. Lingering disease and treatment side effects, or “late effects,” such as lymphadema, memory and attention loss, muscle weakness, chronic pain and fatigue, affect their daily life.  Some are no longer able to work in their jobs, and feel unvalued.  Some are dismissed by the very doctors who helped to save their lives.

Many health care providers, especially those outside major medical centers, have not had much experience with long term cancer survivors, and are uneducated about potential late effects.  The challenges of a post-cancer life can be more like a chronic illness, taking a new toll on the survivor and family.

Cancer survivor stories abound on the internet – mostly how the cancer was beaten, and how various treatments worked for the survivors.  In recent years, however, there is a new focus on how to LIVE as a long-term cancer survivor. 

In doing some research for a client who has numerous serious late effect conditions, I discovered the Cancer Survivors Project (http://www.cancersurvivorsproject.org).  It is an organization dedicated to improving the lives of children and adults after cancer, to making widely available information about the physical, emotional and mental late effects of cancer treatment.  The stories of long-term cancer survivors illustrate that, even after the personal war against the cancer is won, there are hills to climb.  Family, friends, good nutrition, compassionate and knowledgeable medical care – the tools of the battle – are still often needed to support the survivor in “real life” after the cancer is gone.

Today, there are nearly 12 million cancer survivors in the United States.  If you are one of them, remember that just as you won your fight against cancer, you can learn to live and enjoy your new life as a strong and proud survivor. 

For further information, visit the Office of Cancer Survivorship at the National Cancer Institute: http://cancercontrol.cancer.gov/ocs/

Guest editor:  Debora Harvey, Client Service Director at Patient Navigator, LLC

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