Vim & Vigor - Winter 2008 - (Page 21)

self-image by ﬁnding out in advance how cancer treatment can affect your appearance and what can be done about it. One resource is Look Good … Feel Better (lookgoodfeelbetter.org), a national cancer support program that helps women address the appearance-related side effects of cancer treatment. ❋ mind over cancer Cancer can change your life in ways you’d never planned, bringing feelings of sadness and even depression, says Harpham, who was forced to close her medical practice because of her illness. And yet she discovered new sources of joy in unexpected ways. One way is to create a “personal happiness list” to help you remember favorite pastimes and reintroduce former delights into your life. Or indulge in pleasurable activities you once thought you had no time for: studying a foreign language, traveling for pleasure or spending more time with friends. Beyond feeling down in the dumps, some cancer patients suffer from clinical depression marked by extended periods of sadness, feelings of hopelessness and helplessness, difﬁculty sleeping, loss of interest in once-pleasurable activities, changes in appetite, tearfulness, low energy and a withdrawal from family and friends. “Don’t expect to [have to] suffer [through] clinical depression,” says Greta Greer, a licensed clinical social worker and director of survivor programs for the ACS. “It is a medical condition and can be treated.” info + ideas + inspiration ❋ the fear factor Not even Harpham’s medical background freed her from fear, which made it difﬁcult for her to sleep, eat or enjoy life early in her treatment. She believes taming these fears is an important task as a “healthy survivor.” She writes, “For me, the ﬁrst steps toward taming my fears included letting [them] surface in safe places (at home with my husband and close friends; in the hospital with my doctors, nurses and oncology social workers; in my journal; in my private prayers), acknowledging my fears to myself, and sharing my fears with someone who cares.” If cancer is now part of your life equation, discover the Linnea Basey Community Resource Center in the oncology unit at St. Anthony Central Hospital. More than a library, the center is filled with books, journals, audio/videotapes and online search assistance. It’s also an excellent resource for patients looking for information about services (such as counseling, support groups and financial assistance) available in their community. Visitors are welcome to browse at their own pace and on their own terms, with help available if you need some. Along with clinical information, you may access materials on complementary treatments including stress management, biofeedback and therapeutic touch. There’s also a humor section with movies and books chosen to lift your spirits. Whatever your question about cancer—from the medical to the practical, the emotional to the spiritual— you’ll find answers at the Linnea Basey Community Resource St. Anthony Central Hospital is now Center. Many materials home to the St. Anthony Regional Mountain Cancer Center. Visit are available in Spanish. stanthonycentral.org for inforTo learn more, call mation on its many services. 303-629-2038. new cancer center go vim & vigor · wi nter 2008 21 http://www.lookgoodfeelbetter.org http://www.stanthonycentral.org

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Vim & Vigor - Winter 2008

Vim & Vigor - Winter 2008 Contents Friendly Faces For Your Health 'Tis the Season to be Safe Eat Your Veggies Joint Effort Fresh Beginnings Decades of Opportunity Keeping Score Your Big Give Roll Up Your Sleeve Tidings of Comfort and Health Blueprint for Safety The Smoke-Free Mom-to-Be Childbirth Trends Moms Choosing Midwives Community Sections Dollars & Sense Ask the Experts

Vim & Vigor - Winter 2008

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