Radio, radio: spreading hope via the airwaves

On the air with some amazing hosts!

This week I’ve had the honor and privilege to be on two wonderful radio programs: Conscious Talk Radio, based in Seattle, and Hope for the Journey a Blog Talk Radio program.

Both shows were hosted by cancer survivors. Conscious Talk stars Brenda Michaels, whose story is featured in From Incurable to Incredible, and her husband Rob Spears, who is also a survivor. Hope for the Journey host Yvonne Ortega is also a breast cancer survivor, as well as a successful Christian author of the book by the same name. 

These hosts bring hope, inspiration and valuable information to listeners. I encourage you to check their shows out.

If you’d like to hear my interviews, here are the links:

Conscious Talk Radio (I’m on the second half of the interview) -http://www.conscioustalk.net/audio/20100826_jim_randel_tami_boehmer.mp3

Hope for the Journey – http://www.blogtalkradio.com/hope-for-the-journey

Signing off!

Living with cancer: my husband’s perspective

The Boehmers on their Utah vacation this summer.

My husband Mike keeps our family blog going now that I’m focusing more on this one. He’s a wonderful writer, and sometimes his posts are so good, I have to share. I was talking with Mike the other day about someone who is really discouraged about her stage IV cancer diagnosis and what I could say that might help.

I remembered something from metastatic breast cancer survivor Ann Fonfa’s story in From Incurable to Incredible. Someone had called her and said, “I’m dying from cancer.” Ann responded, “You’re living with cancer! Get that dying stuff out of your mind!”

Like Ann, I believe your focus is crucial, and for me, I’d rather focus on living.  My husband was worried that I’m not doing as much visualization as affirmations as I had in the past. I told him that the reason I don’t is because I’m too busy doing all these wonderful things in my life, and because of it, I’m more confident that I’m well and will stay that way. After some thought, he agreed.

Here’s my husband’s take on it:

 Tami talks a lot on www.miraclesurvivors.com about living with cancer. It’s about enjoying the blessings of each day while keeping the cancer at bay and — ultimately — getting rid of it.

In the past week, for example, Tami and I went to dinner and a comedy club. Tami, Chrissy and I enjoyed a Reds game. And Chrissy started 6th grade. We worked, did chores, exercised, went to church, attended recovery meetings, spoke with newcomers to recovery and/or cancer, paid bills, did chores…

But, also, Tami mentally/physically prepared for the first of her two-step outpatient SIRT surgery. The first procedure takes place next Thursday. She has to be at the hospital at 10; the prep procedure starts at noon. Then, several hours of recuperation.

Within two weeks, they’ll actually insert radioactive beads in an artery leading to the tumor on her liver.

Meantime, we’re headed back to Indianapolis to meet with Dr. George Sledge. Tami’s concerned about pain in her armpit again, and we want to make sure the hormone blocker is working. Also, Dr. Sledge is on the cutting edge of breast cancer research — and we want Tami to benefit from any breakthroughs.

On the non-cancer front, Tami and I are both excited about attending s social media marketing bootcamp led by Krista Neher, a great speaker and teacher. We’re thinking we’ll learn a lot that will help us both — me at work, and Tami with her book promotion.

That’s living with cancer — one minute, we’re trying to decipher a scan report; the next we’re filling out Chrissy’s school forms or reading something about marketing.

And, in between, we’re expressing thanks to the Higher Power (God) for the many, many blessings in our life.

Rockin’ Robin: another miracle survivor

Robin Farley and her husband Dennis during a trip to LA

Robin Farley contacted me on this blog to tell me she was six years out from a stage IV breast cancer diagnosis. Due to the craziness of my life, her story sat in a folder for about a month. It just so happens that when I finally got back to her, she just had the Selective Internal Radiation Therapy (SIRT) therapy that I’m planning on getting.

When Robin was 35, she did a baseline mammogram and was told it was normal. The trouble was they had mixed up her films with another woman. She actually had Stage I cancer. Two years later, she had another mammogram after seeing an indentation in her breast. By then, it already had spread all over her liver.  She later learned she had 18 months to live. Robin tells us:

I started out with so many liver lesions that they couldn’t count them. But THANK GOD over the past 3 1/2 years most have disappeared only leaving a few to “keep me honest.”  I have outlived the initial outcome projections, and I’m trusting God to do what I cannot do. In the meantime, I’m doing what I can to receive my earthly complete healing.

My church sent out requests for prayers. Just knowing that thousands of people were praying for me, helped tremendously. Nothing is too big for God. The odds of me making it for six years were slim to none when I was diagnosed. I’m doing well. If you spend your life worrying about dying, you’re not living.

Robin called me after she received the SIRTs and was doing well, despite some initial fatigue. I’m eager to hear if those few tumors left will continue to be there to keep Robin “honest.”

Resilience: bouncing back from adversity

Bouncing back is a choice.

I’ve been watching more TV than usual lately. It has always been an escape, a guilty pleasure, but sometimes it can be a source of inspiration

There was a program on TLC the other night about Joanne Fluke, who was born with tiny webbed legs that would never work or grow.  Actually it appears as if she has no legs at all. When she was born, they didn’t think she’d survive, but at age 34 she is thriving…so much so that she and a partner won a dance competition. Now she is determined to put ballroom wheelchair dancing on the map.

To look at her is shocking, but when she talks, you forget about it. She’s vivacious, confident and extremely optimistic. Her disability is overshadowed by her abilities.

Then this morning I was watching Good Morning America’s interview with Fantasia, who won American Idol years back. She attempted suicide because she couldn’t handle the public scrutiny associated with fame.  Now, with the help of a life coach, Fantasia is healing and releasing a new album.

I found it ironic that she was interviewed by Robin Roberts, whose “courageous and public battle has been recognized with awards and honors from organizations around the country.”

So what makes someone swallow pills to end it all, while others overcome much more difficult circumstances? It made me think about a quality Joanne Fluke, Robin Roberts and the cancer survivors in From Incurable to Incredible all share: resilience. According to dictionary.com, resilience is “the ability to recover readily from illness, depression, adversity, or the like.”

Joanne, Robin and most of the people in From Incurable to Incredible credit their faith, strong support from friends and family, and being true to themselves.  Another thing I noticed is they didn’t see themselves as victims. It would be easy to sit back and feel sorry for themselves, but instead they took action to turn things around.

That’s not to say, you can’t feel grief or loss over a situation. I certainly go through times of fear and sadness. But I think what sets apart thriving from merely surviving is that ability to move through those feelings, get back on your feet, and make something good out of it.

For me, it’s a decision I have to make every day. Am I going to be a victim or a victor? I’m shooting for the latter.

The path of least resistance: making treatment decisions

When something goes smoothly, it often means it's the right path.

I was thinking about my topic today and came up with this: Sometimes its best to go on the path of least resistance. In hindsight, it seems clear to me regarding past love relationships. They say you need to work at relationships, but when you’re working all the time, it’s not meant to be. For me, the ones that seemed hard or the timing was wrong were the ones that didn’t work out. 

When I met my husband Mike, however, I was shocked how easy it was. We had so much in common, I thought he was just saying he liked things I did just to win me over. And I didn’t have to nag him into spending more time with me or to make a commitment; he wanted to!

I’m finding this is true regarding whether to have surgery or do the Selective Internal Radiation Treatments (SIRT). I met with the interventional radiologist in Cincinnati yesterday and was extremely impressed. We were taken in immediately and the nurse spent almost an hour with us, clearly explaining the procedure and answering our questions. She was warm and caring.

The doctor came in and also gave us our full attention and his reasoning why he thought SIRT was right for me. He even used the word, “excited” about the nature and position of the tumor, which would make the treatment most likely to be effective and targeted to the tumor.

We talked about insurance, and it looks like ours is most likely to cover it. Also, they are usually busy doing the procedure, but have a little lull, which means I could get it done quickly.

This is opposite from our experience in Louisville. We went down there after being told that I was a perfect candidate for SIRT, then found out they rather do surgery instead. We had an extremely long wait and then discovered their practice was in a contract dispute with our insurer so nothing would be covered. Surgery recovery would be six weeks with a four-day hospital stay. SIRT is an outpatient procedure with a week-recovery. Not to mention the two-hour drive to Louisville!

What’s really amazing is that after coming up with this topic, I turned to today’s reading in the Daily Word, a publication of daily devotions. It read: “I am empowered by love, yet able to yield when nonresistance is the best course of action.” I guess God is confirming to me I’m making the right decision.

The see-saw of second opinions

Sometimes getting second opinions can make your head spin!

I’ve always encouraged everyone to get second, third…as many as it takes opinions. It certainly worked for many people in my book.

True to my word, today I went for a second opinion regarding the tumor in my liver. As some of you may recall, I went out of town to see a doctor about selective internal radiation treatments (SIRT). When I got there, I was told it wouldn’t help me and that surgery was the way to go.

Today I consulted another surgeon in Cincinnnati who had the complete opposite opinion and thought I should go with SIRT. How could two doctors have such conflicting ideas? Confused, Mike and I stepped outside and weighed our options. Should we get a third opinion from another surgeon to break the tie? We decided to go ahead and consult with the radiation interventionist the surgeon here recommended to see what he had to say about SIRT.

When I got home, I watched a Joel Osteen episode I had taped. He talked about asking and receiving signs from God about decisions or future outcomes. It was really inspiring and made me conclude that maybe God could be the tie-breaker!

I think it was God who inspired me to finally contact Miriam, who had inflammatory breast cancer with massive lesions in her liver in ‘08. She did SIRT and is completely free of tumors today. She was a wonderful woman, and I’ll share more about her in future posts.

I recommend anyone looking at this alternative to go to www.beatlivertumors.org, which is run by another miracle survivor named Suzanne Lindley. Suzanne is a great advocate for the treatments and holds an annual conference to spread hope and information about treating liver tumors. Suzanne had given me Miriam’s contact information weeks ago.

I read other success stories like Miriam’s on the site, which also helped me make a decision.So it looks like we are going to give SIRT a try. Stay tuned for more updates.

Breast in Show: entertainment with a big purpose

Eileen Mitchard, producer of Breast in Show, and me visiting while I was in DC

A while back I answered a query looking for breast cancer survivors to share their stories for a unique theatrical and musical production called Breast in Show. The show’s producer, Eileen Mitchard, told me snippets of stories would be read by actors, so mine would remain anonymous. So I let it all go, sharing with her the most intimate details of my journey.

I had the opportunity to meet Eileen in person when our family went to DC for spring break.  She told me with great passion about the show, which will premier in DC, October 15 and 16, and will raise money for breast cancer organizations in the area. The show, which includes orignal music and stories representing survivors, physicians, and family members. Eileen tells me she modeled after the popular show, The Vagina Monologues.

I got caught up in her enthusiasm and the show’s mission. By the end of the conversation, I was ready to go march on Washington! But my family and I didn’t get any farther than the Smithsonian. {:)

Eileen plans to take the show on the road throughout the country, raising money and hope for the cause. Here’s some snippets of our amazing conversation:

I want the show to be the match that strikes the wildfire that says “We can, we must, and we will eradicate breast cancer in our lifetime.” In the 20th century, we eliminated tuberculosis and smallpox, put men on the moon and transformed AIDS from a death sentence to a manageable disease.  I think we can do the same for breast cancer.

My hope for the show is that we can help create a groundswell where people will work together to make this a reality. Together there is nothing we can ‘t do.  AIDS became so terrifying to everyone that all of those agencies got together and said, “We have to do something about this now.” They short-circuited plans and made it happen. Nobody has put a stake in the ground like that to end breast cancer. We can’t just say, it’s great you survived. No person should have to travel down that trail.

My ultimate dream is to take this show to Broadway. I intend to do the show until there is no longer a need for it.

To learn more and purchase tickets, go to http://www.breastinshow.org/index.html.

Scan report…and touching story to share

From Incurable to Incredible is spreading hope to people who need it

Mike and I went to my oncologists today to talk with him about my scan results and our surgery consultation. The good news is that it seems the Aromasin is holding everything at bay. Nothing grew, and the PET scan showed no cancer activity in the spots there. 

But my doc seemed surprised the surgeon recommended cutting out the tumor in my liver. He didn’t see the point of doing it if I have cancer in other places. He seemed happy that we’re seeking a second opinion.

Opportunities to market From Incurable to Incredible keep growing (see the News and Events page), and I’ve heard some wonderful feedback from people who have read the book. This is from my friend Alyson who bought a book for a friend whose daughter is going through leukemia treatments:

Her daughter went through a bone marrow transplant last month and has developed some type of condition as a result. But Monica said that the book is really helping her through it. She plans on revisiting it often while her daughter goes through the healing process and then probably many times after that, as well. She also said that she would reccomend it to anybody who is experiencing issues with cancer.

This email came a the best time for me. My daughter just returned from Camp Kesem and expressed fears she has had about my cancer. It’s hard enough for me seeing my daughter in emotional pain; I can’t imagine dealing with a child’s cancer diagnosis.

It made my day to hear that the book helping  this woman in her time of need. It made me even more motivated to keep plugging away at getting the word out to as many people as possible. You can help, too. If you’ve read the book and liked it, please recommend it to someone who needs hope and/or put a review on Amazon or BarnesandNoble.com.

From one of our readers in Holland

Carlita from Holland shares her story.

One of the wonderful things I discovered from doing this blog is that it makes the world a smaller place. Looking at my stats, I see that we’ve had visitors from more than 60 different countries. I’ve heard from visitors from Romania, the UK, Argentina and most recently, from Carlita of the Netherlands.

Carlita commented on one of my posts a while ago, and I responded by asking her a few questions about herself. I was very impressed how Carlita integrated body, mind and spirit methods to achieve wellness. Here’s what she had to say:

I was diagnosed in July 2007, and started with chemotherapy in August up until November (six treatments). That January, I had a breast-saving operation. The results being not okay, I had an ablation in February. Afterwards I went into radiation treatment up until the end of April 2008.

During this time I continued to work. And I also continued jogging…at a lower pace but I kept going.

I focused on my body, mind and soul. It gave me the rest and the bodily strength from which I could generate my mental and spiritual power. I followed a course on mindfulness, and meditation became part of my daily routine, as did yoga. It certainly was not a candy and sugar trip, but I went the path life had in stall for me. And I also became friends with my cancer before I invited it out of my body. It felt good to do it that way.

At the moment I’m doing well, the six monthly check-ups are okay. I am feeling very well and certainly hoping for the best.

I’m busy (planning stage!!!) with a book on daughters with mothers who’ve had breast cancer. I’m trying to picture the coping mechanisms these girls use to get through.

The Netherlands do have a good public health care system concerning breast cancer. On the other hand, there are so many hospitals and centres that it really pays off to check which is which. As I had a history with lumps in my breast, I did my homework beforehand. So when I realized something was wrong, I chose one of the two top-of-the-bill hospitals in Holland. The hospital I’m at also covers complimentary treatments, in terms of surgery, physical and psychological help.

I find it interesting the many similarities we all share regardless of where we live. But I’m also intrigued by the differences. I really wish our medical system covered complimentary treatments like Holland’s does.

Thanks Carlita for sharing your story!

Summer fun at Camp Kesem: a magical place

Chrissy and I checking in with program manager "Gus Gus" at Camp Kesem IU.

Tie dying was a hit! However, it did leave a trail of colored fingers… 

Canoeing in the lake was definitely a home run on Sports Day!!   

Catching some Z’s before we play CAPTURE THE FLAG!!!! Best all camp activity ever!!!

These are the tweets we’ve been receiving from Camp Kesem, where our daughter Chrissy is attending this week. It may sound like a typical camp, but it’s not.

“Kesem” means magic in Hebrew, and that’s exactly what goes on at these camps. For the past nine summers, Camp Kesem – a college-student-run summer camp for kids whose parents have (or have had) cancer – has provided plenty of laughs and lots of emotional, but non-therapeutic support. And best of all, it’s free of charge.

 Between 2001 and 2009, Camp Kesem grew from a single campus hosting 37 campers to a national movement serving over 1000 campers at 22 camps. Chrissy attends the camp based out of Indiana University. The counselors are all specially trained and raise money to pay for the camp expenses.

This is Chrissy’s second year, and she has truly blossomed as a result of attending. She absolutely loves the counselors and all the activities. Best of all, she is around kids who can relate to what she’s going through as a child of a survivor. Both Mike and I admitted we were jealous that she was having a week filled with fun in such a beautiful place. I can’t wait to hear all about it when we pick her up.

If you’d like to learn more about Camp Kesem, go to www.campkesem.org. Even if you don’t have school-aged kids, it’s a very worthy organization to support.

Do any of you have advice or experiences you want to share about talking with kids about cancer? Post them here and you’ll be entered to win a From Incurable to Incredible T-shirt!

From Incurable to Incredible Book Signing Bash wrap-up

Cathy Wolfe, who drove two hours from Indy to be at the signing, told about her amazing journey to save her son Johnathon (pictured) and herself. That's me giving her a big hug.

I want to sincerely thank everyone who attended the book signing. It was a wonderful evening that surpassed my expectations.

The party included so many people who have supported us along the way and several people who came because they saw me on TV. My husband Mike, of course, was my biggest assistance. As usual, he beat me to the punch writing about it on our family blog. So here is his eloquent wrap-up of the event:

The long-awaited book-signing party took place last night — and it was a huge success. At least a hundred people attended, and we sold more than 75 books. Tami probably has a big case of writers’ cramp because others who had already bought the book also brought theirs for signature.

For me, it was an event remniscent of our wedding. I was literally surrounded by a number of the people who have played a key part in my life. I went to get a drink of water and couldn’t get there for 90 minutes because I kept bumping into people who mean so much to me — family, recovery friends, Unity friends (including Rev. Doris), social media pals, Pink Ribbon Girls, former co-workers of Tami’s… and, of course,miracle cancer survivors and their family members.

I loved it when Tami, Cathy (from Indy), Paul and Steve shared remarks on the PA. Yvonne left a few minutes earlier. Her mom and sister attended. Jami Elliot, who gave a generous donation that helped us publish the book, also came from Indy.

It was extra special to see five to 10 people come after seeing Tami on TV. They wanted the book to spread hope and inspiration to family members and friends. One has two family members with cancer.

I’ll never forget last night. It was truly Incredible, just like the people there.

Special thanks to Cynthia Holloway from Sycamore Senior Center who arranged us to have the event for free at their beautiful facility and was there to help us. Also thanks to Rosie and Tim Boehmer, Jenny Panguluri, Jami Elliot, and Pat Meier who helped with setup and cleanup. A huge thanks to  Bill Branzel who shared his beautiful piano music for the evening. Chris and Ingrid Schuyler, who helped with the signing table,  and to Cathy Lyons, our wonderful photographer. All donated their skills to the event.

My medical update

Looks like surgery will be an option for me.

It’s been a busy week with planning the book signing party, media appearances and speaking engagements. Yesterday we visited with a liver surgeon in Louisville upon the advice of Nancy Hamm, a miracle survivor who is in From Incurable to Incredible. Rather than having to repeat all of it, here is what my husband Mike wrote about it in our family blog:

Well, nothing is clear on this cancer journey. We went to Louisville expecting to do a consultation in prep for a new radiation outpatient treatment for the tumor on Tami’s liver, but the surgeon had a different plan.

He suggested cutting out the tumor along with several lymph nodes leading to it that have cancerous activity in them. If he just did the radiation thing, the liver could just get more tumors due to the node involvement.

He said the more traditional surgery — involving a four-inch incision, four days in the hospital and four/six weeks or recuperation — would pretty much guarantee no more cancer in the liver area.

We’re planning to get a second opinion from a liver surgeon in Cincinnati soon.

We had thought all along that liver surgery would be a good idea — but oncologists here and in Indianapolis didn’t think it was worthwhile.

Oh, well… the good news appears to be that the cancer is staying confined to the same areas. We’ll get the April/July scan comparison results on Friday morning, but things look good at this point.

Overall, we’re really glad we made this trip. I read an interesting article in Cure magazine about people like Tami who “hitchhike” from treatment to surgery to remission to better treatment — and live great lives with cancer, while hoping and praying for a cure and benefitting  from other breakthroughs along the way.

One more note: I talked with another miracle survivor Suzanne Lindley who hosts a wonderful site called BeatLiverTumors.org. She was also the subject of the CURE magazine article Mike mentions. She told me that having surgery was the “gold standard.” The best thing the doctor told me is that when we remove the tumor, I wouldn’t have any problems with liver again!

TV and how From Incurable to Incredible is saving my life

Don't touch the dial...er remote!

I just returned from my interview on Cincinnati’s Channel 19. I found that the most stressful thing was not being on TV, but trying to find the place! I am extremely fortunate to have a husband Mike, a talented public relations professional who has landed me much of my publicity. He has been so supportive every step of my journey, and this is no exception.

Here is the video clip (also thanks to Mike!): http://www.fox19.com/global/video/flash/popupplayer.asp?ClipID1=4977459&h1=From+Incurable+to+Incredible&vt1=v&at1=News&d1=215134&LaunchPageAdTag=Search+Results&activePane=info&rnd=71575484

During my segment, I talked about Nancy Hamm, who is featured in the book. They pulled her picture among the several I sent them, which I believe is no coincidence.  Thanks to Nancy’s urging, I’m going to Louisville tomorrow to consult with a surgeon about selective internal radiation treatments (SIRT). Nancy forwarded me a message from a woman with stage IV inflammatory breast cancer that spread to the liver who had the treatment and has been cancer-free since February 2009!

There has been so many ways I’ve been blessed by my book and blog. I’ve always said that writing it has saved my life, but I never meant it in the literal sense. Perhaps I can now! I’ll let you all know what I discover.

If you’re in the Cincinnati area and are planning on attending the book signing on Saturday, please RSVP in the next day or two. You can do so by going to the News and Events page on the blog and clicking on the Evite or just shoot me a line on the Contact page.

Really getting away from it all in Utah

Our wonderful guide McLean led us on a Western mule ride adventure.

I haven’t posted in a while, not just because I’ve been on vacation, but because we were in such a remote location, we had very spotty Internet access. Our Utah vacation has been full of surprises. I knew it was going to be pretty, but had no idea there was such diversity of beauty.

After leaving the lap of luxury of my Park City retreat, we traveled four hours south to Bryce Canyon National Park.  We stayed at a little place called B ryce Canyon Inn, that had small cabins that were very nice. The best part of it was that they had guided mule rides right from the place. Mike, Chrissy and I had our own private guide named McLean, who looked like he was straight out of a Western movie. His family had been living in the little town of Tropic for five generations and his brother and nephew have participated in rodeos. 

We were in the middle of beautiful country he said he rode around as a boy and didn’t see a single person the whole way. As you can see from the picture, we rode through these rock crevasses that were too cool to describe. We stopped to see some ancient Native American engravings on one  of  rock walls. McLean was so nice, and it was great hearing about life in southern Utah. I learned that he lost his mother to breast cancer when he was a child and his grandma had it and survived. I gave him a card, and he said he was going to buy my book, From Incurable to Incredible. Yes, I’m always “on!”

Bryce Canyon is spectacular. The orange rock formations, called “hoodoos,” looked to me like God made this huge sandcastles all over the landscape. I’m a little afraid of heights and got nervous – especially after hearing McLean’s stories of people falling to their deaths off the cliffs. I’d say the highlight was on Rainbow Point when we saw this elk gracefully trot along a sheer cliff face right before us.

From Bryce, we went to Pinewoods Resort in Dixie National Forest (about an hour’s drive). With huge pines and cool weather, it was a nice break from Bryce’s dry, dusty topography. Dixie National Forest is one of three places in the country that has Bristlecone Pine trees, some of which are over 2,000 years old. Our friend Sheridan, who recently moved to New Mexico, drove up to visit with us. We loved Cedar Breaks National Monument, which was at its height of wildflower season. The lush greenery and flowers stood in stark contrast to the rocky formations below.

I really enjoyed the camp atmosphere of the resort, where we had a campfire and played a fun game of badminton at night. We had some real, quality family time while enjoying the company of our long-time friend.

On a sad note, we received an email from Christine Dittmann, who is featured in our book. Her last surgery was unsuccessful and her future is uncertain. Like all the survivors in my book, Christine is not giving up easily. She is a wonderful wife, mom and friend. Please send out your prayers to Christine and her family.

We’re in Salt Lake City now, ready to fly home early tomorrow. I’ll be busy going to Louisville for my SIRT consultation and planning for the book signing when we return. If you live in Cincinnnati, I’d love to see you there. See the News and Events page for details.

Image Reborn retreat: bonding and pampering in the mountains

Me and the gals at the retreat

I promised to report about the Image Reborn retreat, so here it is.  It was beyond my wildest dreams. I knew it was going to be special as we wound up a mile-high mountain past huge mountain homes until we reached our mansion. We’re talking 10 bathrooms, a breathtaking view, special massage room, hot tub, etc.

I was first to arrive and Donald, our personal chef, was already preparing our fantastic meal that looked like something out of Martha Stewart. As the night wore on, the 10 of us got to know each other. We ended up cramming into the hot tub, everyone (but me) with glasses of wine. I went to bed early, but some stayed up until 4 a.m. We were joking that we should start a reality show, “Breast Cancer Survivors Gone Wild.”

The next morning, Pam Herskovitz, a nutrition counselor who participating in a groundbreaking study on nutrition and breast cancer, came and prepared a healthy breakfast. This included a healthy serving of information about the role of diet in cancer prevention. We even received a healing foods cookbook. Before long, it was time to go into Park City for lunch. And when we came back, facials and massages!! The evening ended with discussion and scrapbooking.

The best part of the weekend was bonding with other survivors. It felt like we knew each other for a long time. All the women were terrific, including our hosts Connie and Shelia from Image Reborn. I could tell they really cared about us and are living out a mission. I received a lot of inspiration meeting Lynda, an 8-year, stage Iv breast cancer survivor who is doing great.

I’d recommend checking out Image Reborn if you’re a breast cancer survivor and especially considering donating to this wonderful organization. Find out more by going to www.imagerebornfoundation.org.

Image Reborn: free retreats for breast cancer survivors

Massage is just one of the treats in store for the Image Reborn weekend retreat.

When I was at the Young Women Affected by Breast Cancer Conference in February, I stopped by the Young Survival Coalition’s table to see my friend Kristy. “You’ve got to stop by Image Reborn’s booth; I went to one their retreats and it was great!”

When I finally found them tucked away in a not-well-traveled corner, I was convinced I discovered the best kept secret in the breast cancer world.  Image Reborn’s  Living Beyond Breast Cancer program offers free weekend retreats in Park City, Utah. They even pay for your airfare up to a certain amount. It seemed too good to be true, but I signed up right away.

Today, I am packing my bags to leave and I can’t wait. I’ll be sharing a mountain home with seven other survivors. We met over email, and I’m looking forward  to make some new connections. The focus is on encouraging women to reclaim their sense of personal power and to strengthen them in their journey toward healing on all levels and living fully. Some of things planned for the weekend include:

• Meals prepared by a chef
• Main street shopping
• Massages and facials
• Q & A with a healthcare professional
• Soaks in the hot tub

 I guess the word is getting out because now there is a waiting list to participate.  To find out more and to learn how you can donate to this very worthy organization, visit their web site at www.imagerebornfoundation.org.

I’ll share pictures and more on future posts. Utah, here I come!

SIRT: Take that, liver tumors!

Nancy Hamm, with her husband Clint

When I started writing From Incurable to Incredible, I had two goals: to help others…and myself, to be honest!  Well it certainly has helped me in so many ways.

Nancy Hamm is one of the stories I shared in the book and on this site. Nancy’s doctor called her on her 59th birthday with news she had liver cancer. When it came back after surgery, they told her she had seven months to live. Luckily her son found out about a targeted radiation therapy that zapped her liver tumors and enabled her to get a liver transplant. She has been perfectly healthy ever since.

When I was writing Nancy Hamm’s story, I didn’t think her treatment pertained to me because she had primary liver cancer and mine was breast cancer that spread to the liver. But when Nancy came by to pick up her books, she encouraged me to check it out for myself. I did some research and found out about Selective Internal Radiation Therapy (SIRT), which injects microscopic radioactive beads directly to the liver tumor through the hepatic artery. The outpatient procedure provides a concentrated dosage over a longer period of time, while conserving normal liver tissue that surrounds the tumor. That means minimal side effects. Heck, Nancy was at a party three days after the procedure!

I contacted the surgeon that Nancy went to and I’m scheduled for a consultation and scan the end of this month. Based on my past scans, they told me I’m a perfect candidate for the procedure. They told me this is not considered a cure, but I know it worked well for Nancy and Evan (another person in my book.)  Nancy also told me of a man who was in remission for four years after having the treatment.

I want to point out that both my oncologist and the oncologist I consult with pooh poohed the idea.  I believe it’s because they are so focused on their own specialty. I say this to encourage you to be proactive in your care and do your own research. In other words, be the captain of your own ship and keep searching on your own. That’s one thing a lot of the people in the book did, and they are alive and well to talk about it!

I will let you know more after I have my consultation.

Miracle survivor Kristin Shrader: “Cancer has to learn to live with me!”

Kristin, pictured here with a friend, is living with cancer and loving life

I’ve enjoyed making new Facebook friends as a result of my “dog and pony show” for From Incurable to Incredible. Here’s a comment I received the other day from another incredible survivor, Kristin Shrader (who be-friended me after hearing my WLW interview):
 

I was diagonosed with breast cancer  in Nov. 2005. I’ve been fighting ever since. On July 23, I start my ninth chemo regiment. I feel like I’ve been sitting at the bar sampling shots for the last five years! But as long as I wake up each morning that’s another day of beating the beast!

I was diagnosed a stage IIIB. I’m now 44 years old, divorced and a mother of a 14 year-old-daughter and a 9-year-old son. I work full time and have never allowed cancer to control my life. My motto is ” I don’t live with cancer, it has to learn to live with me!”

Your story sounded wonderful, and I love the title of your book! Like I stated, I have had my fill of chemos…surgeries and radiation…but I’m still living life and loving every minute of it!

I love Kristin’s spirit! Speaking of living and loving life, I wanted to remind everyone in the Cincinnati area of my upcoming book signing July 31 at 7 p.m. (Yes, I always seem to sneak in a plug for the book somehow! ) If you’d like to come, please click here to go to the Evite. I need RSVPs to prepare for refreshments. Even if you have already told me you’re coming, I still need your Evite RSVP, by the way!

Hope you all have a great day!

Cancer and politics…my WLW experience

Getting the word out about From Incurable to Incredible on the radio!

Yesterday I had my first radio interview as a guest of the  Bill Cunningham show on 700-WLW. I’d have to say I was a bit apprehensive being the guest of a conservative talk radio host, but my experience couldn’t have been nicer.

I try to keep politics out of the equation here, but let’s just say I lean farther to the left than right. One thing I’ve learned is that cancer is the great equalizer. It affects everyone, and in some odd way erases all of our differences and brings us together.  It was great to share hopeful stories from the book, From Incurable to Incredible.

Of course, Bill likes to put politics into his discussions, but what he brought up shocked me. He complained about the huge sums of money we spend on the war and how if it were spent on cancer research, we’d have a cure by now. He mentioned how he had the scientist who discovered the breast cancer vaccine on his show and how he complained about his difficulty to get research funds.

 I agreed that more money needs to go toward research and suggested to listeners to contact their congressmen/women to suggest just that. I’d like to invite you all to do the same. Our politicians count on our votes. Let’s use our power to let them know we need to get more money to researchers so we can find a cure. Especially you survivors out there: share your story and put a personal face on this disease. Let’s be heard.

If you’d like to hear my interview (it’s about 20 minutes), click HERE. My interview is Hour 3, so go to that one.

MelanomaGirl raises awareness/funds for skin cancer

Andrea Hetker, AKA Melanoma Girl, blogs for the cause of preventing skin cancer.

Before my life became crazy with the release of From Incurable to Incredible, I had the opportunity to connect with Andrea Hetker. Andrea has started her own blog called MelanomaGirl and is working to build a community to spread awareness of and raise funds for melanoma prevention.