Posted on Monday, October 3, 2016

Helping a Friend Cope with Their Breast Cancer Diagnosis

When a friend is diagnosed with cancer, it can be difficult to know what to say or how to act. You may feel like you need to treat your relationship differently, but that might not always be the case. The most important thing is that you provide support during this difficult time. Studies have shown that peer support helps improve quality of life and increase likelihood of remission. In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, we’re discussing how to help a friend cope with their breast cancer diagnosis. Lending a helping hand can be just what someone needs to bounce back from a scary diagnosis.

Offer them some help
Radiation and chemotherapy can be extremely taxing on the body, leaving patients burned out and exhausted. The last thing one wants to do after a long day of treatment is cook. Drop off a hot meal so dinner can be on the table when they arrive home. Or bring some meals that can be put in the freezer. This will be helpful on days that they’re too sick to cook but need nourishment. Offer to give them a ride to treatment or other appointments. Chemo will often leave people too sick to drive. If they don’t have help getting to appointments, they may not be able to receive the proper treatment. Keep in mind, she probably won’t ask for help so you need to offer it.

Do your research
Unless you have a true medical background, or have been there yourself, don’t pretend like you know what they’re going through. Take the time to learn about their specific diagnosis. Not only will this show that you care, but it will help you relate to what they’re going through. Help them to understand that certain symptoms or side effects are normal.

Don’t only focus on their cancer
Do normal things too. Get your nails done or get massages. Schedule a girls night with movies and snacks. Sure, breast cancer is a big part of their life, but it’s not their whole life. Restore a sense of normalcy to their routine.

Help them find support through others
You may have other friends who have been diagnosed with breast cancer. Reach out to them. Ask if they would be willing to provide support to your friend. Sharing doctors, or simple tips for how they managed will be extremely helpful.

Be there as a shoulder to lean on, or cry on
Cancer is a very scary thing. Sometimes your friend may just need to cry. It’s OK for her to be scared, and it’s OK for you to be scared too. But having someone who they feel comfortable sharing their emotions with will help with their recovery.

Start a GoFundMe page or have a fundraiser
Chemotherapy is very time consuming and taxing on the body. Due to this some women are unable to work, or they have to cut their hours. Some are forced to work through treatment in order to survive financially. With mounting medical bills this may be almost just as scary as their diagnosis. Help ease their mind a bit, provide them with some extra income for medical bills or for when they need to have time off work.

Give them something to look forward to
Plan a girls’ trip for when they’re feeling better or for when chemo is over. Ask her to be your bridesmaid or maid of honor in your wedding. Having something to look forward to will ignite her fire to fight.

It’s important to remember that cancer affects all races, sexes, and ages. At any moment someone you love may be diagnosed with breast cancer. Knowing these tips will help them to cope with their diagnosis and defeat the cancer for good.

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Posted on Thursday, September 29, 2016

My Top Baby Must Haves

When I was raising my girls there were several items I just had to have. Whether they were a necessity or a luxury, I became accustomed to using these items and I couldn’t live without them! Today, I’m sharing my baby product must haves, as well as rules to live by to keep your babies safe.

When it comes to safety there are several obvious things; corner guards, outlet covers, gates, and knob locks.

But one thing that many first time parents over look is a bath tub spout cover. These are rubberized covers to go over the spout on the bathtub to protect your baby. This way if they bump their head you won’t have to worry about them injuring themselves.

Another safety item is a Pack ‘n Play. It is essentially a portable crib. This way when the kids spend the night at Grandma’s they have a safe place to sleep. Often times people end up letting infants sleep in the same bed as them when they’re away due to lack of resources. However this is extremely dangerous and can lead to serious injury or even death. Rest easy while you’re away knowing that your child is safely tucked in the Pack ‘n Play.

There were also several things I couldn’t live without when it came to feeding.

One of the most important feeding items was a really good electric breast pump. My youngest daughter could only be breastfed for the first few years of her life. So this was a necessity. Back in the 90s I rented mine for $25 a month. I actually had two, one that I kept at home and one that I kept at the office. That way I didn’t have to worry about bringing it with me. These days, most insurance companies will supply you with a breast pump due to the Affordable Care Act.

Another important feeding item was a nursing or feeding pillow. These are essential to help prevent back pain when nursing. You’re able to prop the baby up on the pillow so they sit at breast height, therefore you don’t need to lean forward. Using a feeding pillow can also help prevent your arms from falling asleep which is common with breastfeeding.

There were also some other luxury items I just couldn’t live without.

In order to get back to my healthy lifestyle, it was important that I had a jogging stroller. I go for a lot of runs and I needed a stroller that was sturdy enough for that. Having something I could use to take the girls with me when I went running was essential to getting back in to shape!

Next for me – an electric swing. Do yourself a favor and splurge on the electric one. A crank one you need to turn, and if you get side tracked and forget to crank it baby is going to wake up. They quickly rock your infant to sleep while you’re doing the dishes or folding laundry.

One of my must-have tips for baby safety is attention, attention, attention! Have your eye on your child at all times. You could turn your back for two seconds and they may already be in mischief. Be mindful of hot things, such as coffee sitting on the edge of the table or any kind of hot water.

Now don’t get me wrong, a lot has changed since I had my girls in the 90’s. But one thing I know for sure is these items are essential to the safety of your baby, as well as for your sanity. I hope you’ve found this helpful when trying to figure out what to add to your registry!

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Posted on Monday, September 26, 2016

Coffee, Tea and Me

Sometimes it’s nice to wake up slow with a cup of tea or coffee in the morning. Taking even 10 minutes at the beginning of each day to set your intentions is excellent for your mental health and well-being. Not only do coffee and tea contain caffeine, which will help get you moving in the morning, but they also contain a ton of other health benefits. Starting your day with a cup of coffee or tea can help boost your metabolism. Drinking three or more cups of green tea each day can increase your caloric output by more than 70 calories. The same goes for coffee: the caffeine in these drinks can temporarily increase your metabolic rate. Today, we are going to discuss the benefits of having a cup of joe in the morning to help prepare for the day ahead.

When it comes to coffee…
Try drinking your coffee black. Adding cream and sugar to your morning cup can add inches to your waistline. It may take a bit to get used to the taste, but it’s much better for your health. Did you know that drinking black coffee can also lower your risk of colon cancer?

Drink coffee to boost your morning workout. Have you ever seen people with Starbucks at the gym? I have, and I’ve always thought they were crazy, but there is some logic to it. We know that caffeine boosts energy which is helpful when you need to be up for an early morning workout. But caffeine also increases your epinephrine levels. Epinephrine is a neurotransmitter, more commonly known as adrenaline, which increases your heart rate and primes you for action. This can help you get the best workout possible.

High quality coffee is chock-full of essential vitamins and minerals. Coffee contains tons of B vitamins. B vitamins are important for brain health and function. Coffee beans also contain other minerals such as potassium.

What about tea?
Tea leaves are full of antioxidants. Antioxidants help to detoxify our cells. Having a cup of tea in the morning can keep your skin glowing all day long!

Tea can also help increase bone density. If you have been diagnosed with osteoporosis or osteopenia, it’s important that you start thinking about your bone health now. Horsetail tea is a great bone builder due to its high silica content.

Drink tea to boost immunity. Having a cup of tea a day will help increase your cells immunity to unknown antibodies. Kick sickness to the curb by sipping tea every morning, not just when you’re sick.

Where should you get your coffee beans and tea leaves from?
Pay attention to where your coffee and tea are from. Coffee is one of the most heavily sprayed crops. Therefore, it’s pick a brand that is organic and fair trade, if possible. So, where are the best countries to get coffee from? Two of the more well-known places are Brazil and Columbia, but most people would be surprised to know that Ethiopia is a huge producer of coffee beans.

You also have to be careful when you pick a brand of tea. Pesticides are often sprayed on the crops for better yield. Before choosing a tea brand, do some research. And of course, always choose organic. A good brand that you can get at your local grocery store is Yogi tea. They have made a lot of changes within their company in the past several years in order to provide you with the healthiest product ever.

We all know that coffee and tea can help give us an energy boost in the morning. But it’s important not to drink caffeinated beverages too late in the day. There are many types of tea, such as chamomile tea, which don’t contain caffeine and can help you to sleep. Whether you’re starting your day with a cup of coffee, or ending it with a hot cup of tea, carving out a little time for yourself is never a bad thing.

For more healthcare tips for you and your family, check out my workbook for dealing with caring for your children, as well as your aging parents: Life in the Sandwich Generation. Life in the Sandwich Generation is a workbook filled with information, tips and tricks for managing the demands needing to care for your aging parents, as well as taking care of your children. It details how you can involve your children in the process, how to learn more about your parents health and finances, while still making time for yourself and your spouse. You can find it here for only $10!