OUR FIRST VIDEO!!

Click here to see footage from our 'e-book Pre-launch Event' on Thursday, March 13, 2014!

DETAILS OF OUR FIRST PUBLIC EVENT!!

We are pleased to announce the ‘Cancer Crossing e-book Pre-launch Exhibition’.  This Exhibition can be seen at the Blankstein Gallery, 2^nd Floor, Winnipeg’s Millennium Library from March 1-31, 2014.  The Gallery is open during regular library hours. 

On display will be a selection of enlarged photos, complete with messages from a cross section of Cancer Crossing project participants.   This Exhibition lifts our project out of social media (where it has spent its infancy) and brings it to you in the heart of Winnipeg.  Come on down, view our photos and take in the messages, we promise you will be inspired to reshape your view of the world, and how you live in it.

OUR FIRST PUBLIC EVENT!!

Cancer Crossing will be having its first public event!  More details to follow!

CAN YOU 'MIND OVER MATTER' CANCER? HOW WOULD YOU APPROACH A CANCER DIAGNOSIS?

We've all heard the phrase ' Mind over Matter'.  Basically it's a 'mental reach' to cope with a challenging  circumstance.  Some people are true believers in this.  No matter how you phrase it, it's a matter of convincing yourself your situation is not as dire as it may seem, or may actually be. 

We spoke with 'Yamli' who does not wish to be identifiable in her photo.  She is a young woman who recently experienced breast cancer.  She had a breast cancer that was large enough to be felt.  She had a mastectomy, reconstruction and a prolonged period of treatment.  

Prior to her diagnosis she was working on her PhD and held down three part time jobs. 

Her stamina during treatment and recovery wasn't enough to keep working all the jobs and the work required to continue to complete her PhD, but she did work on research papers.  

She kept on telling herself that breast cancer can be cured, so she will be cured.  She counted down the treatments like she was counting down weeks to a vacation.  She didn't tell her family that lives overseas that she was dealing with cancer, she relied on her boyfriend. 

Says Yamli, "I always put a lot of stress on myself and I always want to do everything perfect all the time. I don’t think the cancer has caused me to lower my standards. Everyone always reminds me that I have to put my health first – but it is hard to change a person’s personality."

Can you 'Mind over Matter' Cancer?  There is no answer to that.  In Yamli's case, she decided to take chemotherapy.  Yamli is well today.   Did the chemo alone do the work or did her 'Mind over Matter' attitude allow the chemo to be effective?  No one can say.  There are cases where the chemo does not work.  There are no full answers on why that is either. 

Yamli experienced the many and varied side effects of treatment but continued her mantra that breast cancer can be cured, so she will be cured.  Steadfast in her belief, she continued down the path she knew she had to walk. 

Only you can decide what your approach to cancer will be.  It's a very personal decision.  There is no right or wrong way, there is only 'your way'.  A cancer diagnosis feels like the ultimate loss of control.  The only way you will be able to feel content with the journey is if you can sit back and say, 'I did it my way'.  It was almost 50 years ago that Frank Sinatra sang those words.  It's a tune still played today because it speaks of empowerment.  Everyone likes to feel empowered, there are so many things in life that challenge your will.  Whether you are a cancer patient or simply someone reading this post, do you have a problem that is challenging your will at this time?  Remember to try and see all options available to you to cope and move forward.  Mind over Matter is just one of the many tools for you to consider while you figure out a way to deal with your issue, 'your way'.

 

HAPPY 2014!!

Happy 2014 everyone!! If you have wondered what happened to the folks at Cancer Crossing, we are here! Our team has been hard at work and we are nearing the completion of our e-book - we will have some exciting news very soon, so please stay tuned!

We have some new posts coming as well - you can look forward to some thought provoking issues from our ongoing patient interviews. Thank you everyone for your continued support!

DR. TOM HAYAKAWA - 'A WEEK IN THE LIFE'

Have you ever wondered what the life of a doctor is like? We interviewed Dr. Tom Hayakawa at the Winnipeg Health Sciences Centre.

Dr. Hayakawa is a well known breast reconstruction surgeon in Winnipeg. He also does surgery for head and neck cancers. Many don't know that a large part of his practice is also microsurgery and research - both clinical and basic.

We asked Dr. Hayakawa what a typical week is like for him and this was his response:

"It's probably easier to go day by day, so Monday we're usually in the hospital around 6:30am seeing our pre-op patients, then we round with the Residents from about 7:00 till 8:00, then we operate from 8:00 to 3:30 or 4:00, then we usually go to Resident teaching seminars which then run generally until 7:00 at night.

Tuesday is the same in the morning with 6:30am rounds, we usually finish around 3:30 or 4:00 then usually the day finishes with reviewing patients pathology, then local procedures, or trying to take care of some of the sort of paperwork that's required such as patient forms, disability forms, also trying to get research ready, so usually Tuesday's go until about 7:00pm as well.



Wednesday I usually have a clinic that involves about 80 patients that starts in the morning about 7:30am then finishes around 5:30pm, then I'm on call until Thursday AM.

I start Thursday morning at 8:00am at Pan Am (but I usually come to Health Sciences at 7:00am to round before I go to Pan Am) to operate from 8:00 until around 3:30. Thursday is about the only day I get home before 6:00pm.

Friday is usually either an operating room day which can be a trauma day, as you need to cover the trauma slates as well - or Friday is a day in the office trying to catch up on research, what we are doing with regards to research; and if I'm doing animal research I'm in the animal lab operating, or doing animal research. So Friday is either an operating room trauma slate day from about 7:00am until 6:30 at night or a research day and then every 6th weekend I'm on call for Saturday and Sunday.

I know it's a crazy schedule and I find it fulfilling but I'll be honest with you, it's a terrible lifestyle. It's not a great quality of life if you want to do anything else".

We asked Dr. Hayakawa how seeing patients with cancer has changed him as person and his outlook on life?

"When I see a very nice person that doesn't smoke, and you know doesn't consume alcohol, yet has a massive sarcoma at 40 years old, I feel very thankful for being healthy and being able to come to work and do the kinds of things I do that can help these people. I may talk about how excessively busy I am and how I have no time for extracurricular activities but on the other hand, I feel I am making a positive difference in peoples lives on a daily basis and you can't beat that".

REST IN PEACE ALISON

It is with heavy hearts we announce the passing of Alison Armstrong.  Alison is slated to be featured in our first e-book which we anticipate will be released in the spring of 2014.  The following is a link to her Obituary so you can learn more about her life.  

 

http://passages.winnipegfreepress.com/passage-details/id-207312/name-Alison_Armstrong/min-run-date-1383022800/order-publish_date|DESC,last_name|ASC/

Alison and Paula (another recently passed interviewee - see previous post) will forever be part of our Cancer Crossing family, and there will always be a light on in their memory.

Here is a link to our original post featuring Alison -

Cancer Crossing: Alison: We asked Alison, 'How did you feel after being told of the cancer'? She replied: "I was numb. I could not believe it; did ...