Lead a Fit and Healthy Life
Posts tagged cancer
American Cancer Society Relay for Life
06 days ago
It was another proud moment yesterday watching Hannah up on the stage sharing our family’s story. She worked hard to improve her presentation and it really showed. Remember, she’s only 9!
It was a touching evening overall –the videos and the stories really touched my heart. I can relate to much of it and it’s comforting to hear from others going through the same thing. It’s sad that we all are a ‘family’ because we have had to deal with some scary challenges in our lives, but it is what it is and you come together to help one another the best you can. This year they are also going to honor caregivers.
As a caregiver of a cancer fighter myself — I know it’s a really hard job in every way. So honoring those that care so much is so worthwhile!
The American Cancer Society Relay for Life sounds like a very fun event –
- Overnight relay-style event
- Teams of people camp out around a track
- Members of each team take turns walking around the track for the duration of the event
- Food, games and activities provide entertainment and fundraising opportunities
- Family-friendly environment for the entire community
Because it’s a Relay, you’re not required to be there the entire time…but it’s so fun, you’ll probably find it hard to leave!
Now – we all have charities we support, so when looking into one –make sure that it meets your own goals and also look into how they spend their money. I am often dismayed to find out how Non-profits use the money we all donate. Be a smart with your donations and make sure they are doing what they said they were going to!
I like events that give people the opportunity to celebrate the lives of people who have battled cancer, remember loved ones lost, and fight back against a disease.
Are you doing what you love?
12 weeks ago
This morning’s workout was the famous Lady of CrossFit – FRAN. Mentally I was just not in the game this morning – I heard some very sad news yesterday that brought both Scott and I to tears and has thrown me for a loop this morning.
Mrs McMichael, Nate and Ms. Megan
Nate, who is in 2nd grade now, had the most wonderful Kindergarten teacher. Mrs McMichael is the definition of teacher – smart, interactive, passion for teaching. While Nate was still in K, she and I talked about kids in general. She and her husband had been trying to have a baby for some time but had not given up hope. Last year, she finally got pregnant but the pregnancy was a very rough one. She was very sick and was put on bed rest. But she made it through the 9 months, and now Carter is 11 months old.
During her hard pregnancy, her husband became seriously ill and turns out he had a brain tumor. He died on Monday. 33 years old.
I have not been in regular contact with her since Nate graduated although have attended the fundraisers on their behalf and sent her a note. I can not even begin to understand what she must be going through – my heart breaks for her in so many ways. As a mother, a wife, a cancer caregiver, a young adult who shouldn’t be dealing with cancer changing their family. And as I have mentioned before, it brings up our own experience each and every time we hear about someone losing their cancer battle. That could have been our family -
I just can’t seem to get it all out of my mind — it definitely is a good reminder about priorities in your life. I wrote this short status update yesterday:
Life is so short & unpredictable– wake up every day thankful and appreciative of all the great people in your life. You never know what tomorrow will bring…
It’s the kind of news that you just shake your head a lot and think about where you are in your life — and what if it all ended tomorrow? Are you doing what you love?
Resolution Follow Up: Get Moving
02 weeks ago
It’s a great day isn’t it? It’s Friday, many of us have Monday off — the weather in Northern VA isn’t too shabby. Life is pretty good right now, right this second, day. What are you doing to kick off your day? It’s the 13th of January and for many of us, we vow to make changes but never really sit down and think through the ‘HOW’ of making the changes. Nothing comes easy or free — weight loss, good spirits, fitness are no different.
I don’t really share any in depth info about my husband Scotty very much on this blog. Partly because this is my journey and while he is definitely an influencer of it in more ways than I can count, it’s my story to tell. Also, he’s more private about stuff than I am — obviously. He doesn’t live his life like an open book. This may surprise you, but I don’t either. My book is certainly more open than most, but there are some things that I choose to keep private.
This blog highlights one aspect of my life –my personal passion. You can call it an obsession but I find that with that word brings certain pre-conceived negative ideas. If something brings you joy, keeps you healthy, surrounds you with a great community and keeps you learning and striving to improve – it’s a passion. Does I sometimes get carried away with it all — yes but I recognize that and that’s what counts.
Anyway, back to my original point — Scotty. Scotty started CrossFit a few weeks ago. I could not be more proud of him, even though he comes home ‘mad at me’ for encouraging him to go. I will take him mad at me forever if it means he’s working on getting back into shape and getting healthy.
Since his cancer treatment, it’s been hard for him to get back into any sort of fitness routine. He still has some neurological issues because of the chemo and while you and I can push through them — imagine having your hands and feet hurt all the time and try to do any sort of fitness. You use your hands and feet all the time! It’s no excuse though. When we finished up chemo, Dr. Marshall – our oncologist – told us “your diet matters but what is most important is getting regular fitness in. We know, it’s proven, that regular exercise helps prevent colon cancer from returning.”
Now, think about that. The Dr just said regular exercise can help prevent a re occurrence. After all he has been through, he owes it to himself to get moving. So, although there is a cancer card in the mix, he’s no different than many people out there struggling to follow through on their NYE resolutions to get in shape. Look at it this way – We know – there is proof – that regular exercise can prevent so many cancers and other diseases from occurring. You owe it to yourself to get moving!
IsMyCancerDifferent.com
02 months ago
Have you checked out www.IsMyCancerDifferent.com - a website that educates people about the benefits of asking for more personalized cancer treatment?
When we first found out Scott had colon cancer –we had no idea what to do, where to go, who to talk to. During the course of our treatment, I found out we were not alone. How the heck do you find out information about your cancer? Yes, lots of people had/have colon cancer but to us — we were dealing with only SCOTT having colon cancer.
One of the most important things that i learned early on – you have to be your own advocate. You have to go in there prepared and ask questions. Doctors don’t know everything and your course of treatment should be part of a discussion and decided together with your medical team. You or someone on your behalf has to form your team. We were Team Hoaglund and we worked with the oncology team at Georgetown Medical Center. Yes they had more knowledge about the cancer we were looking at, at all the tests, our symptoms, our options –but we knew US.
Is My Cancer Different™ gives families and patients another tool to let them be their own project manager and gather information on why, when and how and ultimately decide on the treatment strategy that works best.
If you or someone close to you is looking for tools and resources as they begin their cancer journey — have them check out www.IsMyCancerDifferent.com.
Another young person with cancer.
03 months ago
I am thinking good thoughts for Ethan – another young person with cancer.
“I don’t want fear or cancer to define me, but it’s always in the back of your mind,” the former Survivor winner tells PEOPLE in a new interview.
His fears were confirmed on Sept. 14, when doctors told him the cancer had returned in his chest.
“It’s localized in my lung area,” Zohn, 37, says. “But it’s good that it’s not all over my body.”
Spreading the word about Cancer
23 months ago
Hannah was asked to speak at a local American Cancer Society event this evening. She wrote her speech herself, with no help from us and while she was reading it — many of the people in the room were brought to tears. I was so proud of her and how poised she was and the story she told with her words…she’s wise beyond her years. Here is what she said typed out and you can see it in the images — I scanned it…
Hi, I’m Hannah Hoaglund and I’m here to tell you about a period in my life when my Dad experienced cancer and what I did to help. It was a few years ago when it started. My Dad’s stomach always hurt and he usually didn’t feel well. My Mom kept telling him to go to the doctor. Finally he went and the reports were certain. He had colon cancer. This was a very hard time for me and my family. I remember him always going to doctor appointments and being in the hospital. Then one day, my mom told me that my dad would be in the hospital for a whole week. I remember screaming and crying for my dad. Later that week I went to visit him in the hospital and when I got there we helped him walk around. He was REALLY slow. I said “he could win a slow race”. When he got home half of his colon had been taken out, but he was finally better.
Just a couple of months ago I did Locks for Love, which is a program that sends hair off to a factory that makes wigs for kids who have cancer. But in order to make the wigs they need hair. I cut off 12inches and gave them my hair to make a wig.
And that’s my story. Please take this time and donate what you can. It can make a real difference to people like me and my family.
Overhead Squats for your Core Workout
03 months ago
The news of Steve Jobs hit hard. Not only are we a tech family – the hubby loves his MAC – we are also one of the many families who have dealt with cancer. Last night I thought about Steve Job’s family. How hard it must be for them. They didn’t lose an icon. They lost their Dad, Husband, Family. To have to share the experience must be both comforting and difficult at the same time. I wonder if they are used to it – I mean he IS Steve Jobs after all. I suppose they also had time to let his illness sink in and process the reality of what was going to happen. Doesn’t make it any easier I am sure. My heart goes out to them for their loss.
Whenever we hear of cancer taking someone — it brings back the feelings we experienced during Scott’s treatment. Once again, just because the cancer is gone, doesn’t mean the Cancer is gone.
It felt great to get a good workout in this morning –
Warmup
800m jog
5 rounds of bear crawl/crab walk
5 rounds of inchworms/walking lunges
5 Handstands
Skill
Overhead Squats
WOD
5-5-5-5-5
Overhead Squats
L-sits (5x10s holds)
63,83,93,98,98
My wrists hurt because I didn’t tape them and because –well, Overhead Squats, so I stuck with the 98lbs at the end even though I wanted to get to 100#. Coach Conan stressed that it’s not really about the weight during OHS, it’s about midline stability. Keeping your core tight is what holds the weight. If you are all loose — there is no way you will lift heavy over your head.
And related — we may not do ‘crunches’ in CrossFit, but the entire WOD today was about the core. You don’t have to hit the gym and say ok let me focus on my abs to get a good ab workout — if you are doing things right, most movements should engage your core, thus working your core, thus getting you a good ab workout. Your workouts can be more efficient — which is what we all want right?
Goodbye to an amazing innovator: Steve Jobs
03 months ago
Very sad to hear about Steve Jobs – no other way to say it — Cancer Sucks.
Cancer doesn’t discriminate — you can be super rich, poor, male, female, short, tall, fat, thin, happy, sad, black, white, old, young —
http://www.apple.com/stevejobs/
”I’ve looked at myself in the mirror and asked, ‘If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I’m about to do today?’ Whenever the answer is ‘no’ for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something.” -Steve Jobs
Men may need colon cancer screening earlier than women do
04 months ago
Study: Men may need colon cancer screening earlier than women do
Men may need to begin colon cancer screening earlier than women, new research suggests.
The study found that men were far more likely to have potentially precancerous lesions (also called polyps or adenomas) in their colon — 24.9 percent of men compared to 14.8 percent of women — and to have them at an earlier age.
“In our study, analysis of age- and sex-specific prevalence of adenomas, advanced adenomas and colorectal cancers indicates a significantly higher rate of these lesions among men compared with women in all age groups, suggesting that male sex constitutes an independent risk factor for colorectal carcinoma and their precursor lesions, and indicating new sex-specific age recommendations for screening colonoscopy,” said study author Dr. Monika Ferlitsch, an associate professor of medicine at the Medical University of Vienna in Austria.
But, at least one U.S. expert says that screening guidelines don’t need to be changed based on these findings alone.
“This is a very interesting, very well-done study that included a lot of people. But, I have a lot of concerns about making changes to currently accepted screening guidelines that are well thought-out,” said Dr. David Bernstein, chief of the division of gastroenterology at North Shore University Hospital in Manhasset, N.Y.
“There were very few people under 50 in this study, and all of those were referred because they have a high risk of colon cancer,” noted Bernstein, who said all of these people would have been referred for screening in the United States because of their higher risk anyway. He added that while the issue might warrant further investigation, he doesn’t see any need to make gender-based screening recommendations for colorectal cancer.
Young Cancer Survivors
04 months ago
Author Geralyn Lucas puts a fresh face on cancer survival
There are way too many young people getting cancer—
Sixteen years ago, Lucas received a breast cancer diagnosis. The 44-year-old author of “Why I Wore Lipstick to My Mastectomy” is among Gen X survivors helping to de-stigmatize the disease.
