Free HEALTHCARE Clinic, Washington DC, on 8-4-2010

The NAFC C.A.R.E. organization is holding a ONE DAY
Free Healthcare Clinic in Washington DC on Wendsday,

August 4th. This C.A.R.E. clinic will be at the Walter E. Washington
Convention Center.

Patients can call 877-233-5259 for further information.
http://www.freeclinics.us/freeclinic.php

The National Association of Free Clinics is the only
national non-profit whose mission is solely focused on
the needs of free clinics and the populations they serve.

They have helped thousands with low cost or free medical test,

screening, treatment, and references to doctors for future help.

If you think you may have a medical problem or just want to

have your blood sugar and blood pressure checked,

you should check out this free one day clinic.

To your health,
Leigh

Anti-Breast Cancer Pill!

Fish Oil, rich in Omega-3 fatty acids, helps protect healthy people from heart disease and now a new study finds taking fish-oil supplements may also reduce breast cancer risk by over 30% in postmenopausal women.

Omega-3, from dietary sources, trials have been inconclusive and the authors of the study caution that more study is needed before the Omega-3 pills can be used for prevention.

This information is from the July 19th Time Magazine, Health Section, Latest Findings.

Always check with your doctor before adding any supplements to your routine and you may want to discuss adding Omega-3's to your diet.

To your health,
Leigh

What is Normal after Cancer?

Cancer Patients won't go back to normal after cancer. But they can find a best "New Normal".

In a Parade article from June 20, 2010 it discusses what is the new normal for some cancer survivors. It goes into some of the problems cancer survivors continue to have after treatment and after they may be named cancer free.

Let me tell you about some of mine. I was diagnosed with breast cancer 3 years ago, had a mastectomy, chemo, and am now on what they call maintenance drugs.

I still have pain where my breast was, I laugh and call it my "Phantom Boob". I can be sitting perfectly still and it feels like someone sticks me with a hot poker. (this is what I imagine a hot poker would feel like). It goes away fairly quickly but the pec muscle stays sore for a while. Sometimes it hurts doing much lifting with my arms.

I had a mediport installed in order to have the chemo easier since I was going to have to have it for the next year and a half. (4 different types that took 2 1/2 years because of complications). Where the surgeon installed the mediport they had to go through the muscle in my arm area. I have had problems with this area ever since. I had to have it taken out because I was constantly in pain where the mediport was attached to the chest muscle above the breast. I still have pains in this spot also even though the mediport was taken out 9 months ago.

I started having a heart racing problem while on chemo. I would walk from my bedroom to my living room and my pulse would start racing around 110 - 120 beats per minute and would not come back down right away. Now I have to take heart medicine and watch for more heart problems.

When I sit too long my legs swell, when I stand too long my legs swell. My lower back aches. I have neropothy in my toes from when the chemo made my toenails turn black and fall off. The feeling never has come all the way back. Sometimes it is weird but the toes seem to burn. I don't know what to make of it.

Before I was diagnosed with breast cancer I was not the most active person, I did not run any marathons, but I worked in the yard, went swimming, and enjoyed outdoor activities. Now, it seems that the heat affects me much more than it ever did. I get dizzy and light headed. I am more sensitive to bugs, poison ivy, and plants that I never had a problem with before.

My maintenance medication, (Femara) which I will be on for 3 more years, makes me moody, gives me the hot flashes and night sweats, (sometimes I feel like I am on FIRE!) and fatigue is constant. My poor husband tries to help but there is nothing he can really do. I just have to wait for it to pass.

I have tried to discuss these items with the doctors but sometimes I feel like they just shrug their shoulders and don't really listen. When I first started chemo my jaw swelled up on both sides and I looked like a chipmunk with nuts in his mouth. This of course happened on a holiday weekend. When I saw the doctor the next week and told her about it all she said was she had never heard of anything like that before. When I lost my toenails and my toes were bleeding, I got the same reply. (I found out later from the web that was a common side effect of the drugs). My jaws still hurt occasionally and my toes will never be the same but I was very glad that my toenails did grow back because sometimes they don't.

Well, There is more to come another day as this is making me depressed. (another of the side effects that cancer survivors quite often have to live with.)

I don't like to complain and I try very hard not to but sometimes I guess it is good therapy just to let it all out.

If you need to vent just give me a reply or response and we will vent together.

You can see the whoe article at www.parade.com/cancer

The Nation's Biggest FREE CLINIC!

In a May 9th article in the Parade Section of the Sunday Paper I found a great article that may help many uninsured people get help with medical expenses. You can see the full article on the Parade web site: http://www.parade.com/.

Since last September, more than 8,000 uninsured patients received treatment at C.A.R.E. Clinics in Houston, New Orleans, Little Rock, Kansas City, Hartford and Atlanta. 1,300 people received free medical care at the Atlanta one-day event.

At the Atlanta event, 60% of patients said they hadn't seen a doctor in at least a year and 20% hadn't had health care in more than 5 years.

These free clinics connect the uninsured with safety-net providers such as free clinics, sliding-scale clinics and federally qualified health centers near where they live so that patients can receive regular treatment on an ongoing basis.

The National Association of Free Clinics has a list of clinics across the US that help uninsured people get checked out for anything from hypertension, heart disease, diabetes, asthma, arthritis and more serious illnesses also.

You can get more information at: http://www.freeclinics.us/

Stay Healthy, Get Checked Out, Fight Cancer

Leigh

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May is Skin Cancer Awareness Month!

Check with your local hospital for a free Skin Cancer Screening. Many hospitals are having the free screenings during this month to help people become aware of Skin Cancer.

Summer is Suntan season and it is so important to use the proper Suntan Lotion with a good sun screen, SPF of 30 or more, to prevent skin damage from the sun. Children are especially susceptible to skin damage and early sunburns can lead to skin cancer in later life.

In an article posted on the American Cancer Educational Services site, Jodi Mailaner-Farrel of the Miami Herald gives you the following information. Five things you didn't know about skin cancer.

1. We know wearing sunscreen daily is one of the best ways to prevent skin cancer, but now evidence suggests that what we eat could help reduce the risk, too. In a study published this year in the journal In Vivo, vitamin C, green tea and an amino acid found in beans, soybeans, lentils, meat, poultry, fish and dairy suppressed melanoma tumor growth in mice.

2. You don't have to get burned to increase your risk of skin cancer. Sun damage is incremental and accumulates over a lifetime. Don't think throwing a shirt on will help you. The average white T-shirt has a sun protection factor (SPF) of only 4 to 6!

3. Although 75% of skin cancer cases aren't deadly, some 10,000 people are still expected to die from skin cancer this year alone. Half of all cases of melanoma, the most dangerous kind, occur in people under age 57.

4. Dermatologists recommend monthly self monitoring of freckles, mole and birthmarks for any changes over time. Use a hand held mirror to inspect hard to see areas. One third of melanomas in men occur on the back.

5. The upper and lower eyelids are two of the most common places on the face where skin cancer can occur, according to the skin cancer foundation. Wear wrap around, UV blocking sun glasses for the best protection or a hat with a three to four inch wide brim.

I found them very interesting and will keep them in mind when going out in the sun.

Please take care of your children and yourselves this spring and summer. (really all year round as sun refection on snow can be very bad also)

Leigh

Cancer Patients: Spring is Here, Be Careful Outdoors

If you have cancer and taking chemotherapy and other medications: Spring is here and you must be vigilant in taking care of yourself.

I love working in the yard. Everything from riding the lawnmower to pulling weeds in the flower beds. I love the colors of spring and summer and miss being able to really enjoy the swimming pool. Cancer medications react with the sun. I thought it would be OK to have a little garage sale. It was a beautiful day and I kept my hat on to keep the sun off my face. But I forgot about my arms and legs. The next day I had sun poisoning. I was sick for a week.

I had not been working in the garden because of the sun but the weeds were starting to take over, so out I went. I apparently had gotten some Poison Ivy growing in the garden and though I had normally not had a problem with it before my system reacted very badly to it. Oh was I miserable and so was my poor husband. He felt so bad for allowing me to go out in the garden. But as I told him, he could not have stopped me, I am bull headed all the way.

My whole system has changed and even though I am not on chemo anymore, my system reacts differently to almost everything. I never know what to expect. My medications make me sensitive to the sun still and I miss lying out by the pool and getting a tan. Time for "Tan in a Bottle". But I wonder if I will react to that.

Please consider what the worst that could happen would be before you go out and try to attack something in the yard. Bee stings may have a more deadly reaction if you are on medication.

Fire Ants, they are bad anytime. You may react to flowers and weeds differently. I love roses but right now the smell makes me nauseous. If you do decide to go out in the sun put on sunscreen, wide brimmed hat and wear a long sleeve shirt and slacks. Bug repellent is a must have.

Everyone take care and watch for all the little critters out there.

If you have any hints on how we can protect ourselves from the sun and bugs, Let my readers know. I am sure they would appreciate it and I would too.

Good Health to us all, Leigh