Welcome To Our Site...
Welcome to the online home of “What Makes You Stronger” newsletter. This newsletter is meant to give voice to the women who are affected by breast cancer. They are our mothers, sisters, daughters, aunts, cousins, best friends, doctors, teachers, and clergy. Our newsletters feature several brave women who have dealt with this disease from different vantage points. We are planning to turn this into a book as well. (more...)
Posted By Patricia Wagner on January 27, 2010
If you are facing breast cancer surgery or have had a mastectomy or partial mastectomy, there are certain activities you can avoid to bypass extra suffering after your surgery. Here are some tips to help yourself be more comfortable:
1. As you are probably aware, emotional and psychological pain can sometimes hurt even worse than physical pain. With that in mind, you will want to have a support group standing behind you before surgery and after as well. For example, there may be a friend that you have in mind right now who has already gone through breast surgery. She will probably be a great comfort to you at this time in your life.
2. After breast cancer surgery you may experience a sense of imbalance in your body. In time your body will adjust. A physical therapist can help you regain as much movement as possible. He or she can suggest special exercises to help work out the stiffness and help you to feel better physically after surgery.
3. If you have lymph nodes removed, the affected arm may swell from time to time. So avoid wearing tight clothing or bracelets.
4. Use the arm that has not been involved in your mastectomy or partial mastectomy to carry heavy items. (more…)
Category: Guest Blogger |
No Comments »
Tags: bodily imbalance, breast cancer, mastectomy, support group
Posted By Carla Wells on January 13, 2010
According to classic legend, the Amazon warrior women would remove a breast in order to be able to draw a bow and arrow unhindered. In fact, the word “Amazon” derives from the Greek amazoi, meaning, “without a breast.” And though most breast cancer survivors today do not voluntarily have a breast removed, they are called upon to be mighty warriors in their own right. If given the right tools, encouragement and support, they can persevere and conquer just as thoroughly as the legendary Amazons did.
Often times breast cancer survivors, and their friends and loved ones as well, are at a loss as to what to say or do. They are scared, they are disoriented, and they are unsure of what the future holds or indeed if there will even be a future for them. Because of this insecurity and uncertainty, organizations like The Amazos Society were formed to lend much needed emotional support to survivors and their families.
The Amazos Society was formed by Carla Wells, a seven plus year breast cancer survivor who knows very well what it is like to face the fear and the uncertainty and the just plain ugliness of breast cancer. Physically and emotionally drained, Ms. Wells found herself fighting a losing battle to hold on to her giftware business of fifteen years while at the same time trying to hold on to her very life. Seventeen hundred miles away from friends and family, and forced into a position of being without health insurance, she indeed had to call on the inner strength of the Amazon warrior to see her through. (more…)
Category: Guest Blogger |
No Comments »
Tags: breast cancer survivors, emotional support
Posted By Dr. Elizabeth Menon on January 13, 2010
Another year gone and a new beginning of hope and anticipation is emerging. Christmas and New Year celebrations are only just over but we are already into the second week of Year 2009 – farewell to the passing year and a grand welcome to the new year of hope and happiness! Christmas is a time of hope and a new beginning to all, irrespective of ones religion. But amidst all the celebrations, buying presents and feasting on mountains of food one should not forget why we celebrate Christmas – for most people, it’s the celebration of the birth of Jesus of Nazareth, but for some, it does not stretch beyond Christmas lights, the presents and of course the Turkey! New Year is celebrated on January1, according to the Gregorian calendar but it was not always the same.
The celebration of the New Year was observed in ancient Babylon around 4000 years ago with the appearance of the first new moon, on the first day of spring – season of rebirth and planting new crops. The Roman calendar was tampered many times by their emperors that it became out of synchronization with the sun, and the tampering continued till Emperor Julius Caesar established the Julian calendar, in 46 BC, and declared January 1 as the New Year. Early Catholic Church condemned the celebrations as Paganism, but later on they began to have their own celebrations at the same time as the Pagan celebrations. New Year’s day is still celebrated as the Feast of Christ’s Circumcision by some denominations. Other traditions include the Tournament of Roses parade and parading a baby in a basket to represent rebirth and the spirit of fertility, in Greece and in Egypt. Though early Christians considered this as Paganism, the Church finally allowed its members to celebrate the New Year with a baby, to symbolize the birth of the baby Jesus!
New Year also brings an old declaration to the forefront, the New Year Resolutions, which dates back to the Babylonians – most popular resolution then was to return borrowed farm tools! This is the time when people feel forced to make decisions, but mostly they are declarations rather than decisions! But if the resolutions are not taken with proper planning and a realistic attitude, they are likely to fail, which brings on a sense of inadequacy, low self-Esteem, and even depression! (more…)
Category: Guest Blogger |
No Comments »
Tags: new beginning, new year, new years resolutions
