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Online Resources
Sisterhood of Survivorship
Online support for those with or
surviving women's cancers. Sponsored by Women's Cancer Network.
Learn More >>
painAction: Dolor de Cáncer
Cancer pain
information in Spanish.
Learn More >>
Palliative
& Supportive Care
A
collection of current and past articles from Oncology and Oncology Nurse Edition.
Learn More >>
Survivorship
A collection of current and past
articles from Oncology Nurse Edition.
Learn More >>
painACTION.com
Inflexxion, Inc. has relaunched
painACTION.com, the
self-management program for patients living with chronic pain.
Learn More >>
The Spirituality and Health Online Education and
Resource Center (SOERCE)
from the The George Washington Institute for Spirituality and Health (GWish). NOTE: on the GWish home
page, sign up for the quarterly e-mail newsletter.
Learn More >>
CA CONNections
The quarterly newsletter of the Connecticut Cancer Partnership, CA CONNections, is available online.
Learn More >>
"Chemobrain Resources"
Jane Brody articles in New York Times The Fog That
Follows Chemotherapy Learn More >>Taking
Steps to Cope With Chemo BrainLearn More >>New Book, Your
Brain after Chemo: A Practical Guide to Lifting the Fog and Getting Back Your
Focus.Learn More >>NY Times Blog Q & A: When
Cancer Treatment Affects Memory, by author of Your Brain After Chemo.Learn More >> |
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Meetings
Yale Bioethics
Tuesdays; 5:30pm - 7:00pm
77 Prospect St., Room A002 (CME)
September 1
Conscientious Objection and Moral Distress.
Nancy Berlinger, PhD
October 6
Dignity, Liberty, and Human
Rights at the Very End of Life.
Kathryn L. Tucker, JD
Annual Meeting: Connecticut Coalition to
Improve End-of-Life Care
September 17
10:30am - 2:00pm
Franciscan Family Care Center
267 Finch Avenue
Meriden, CT 06451
"Futility: Hope, Reality, and Moral Distress."
Karen Stanley, RN, MSN, AOCN.
Learn More >>
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Continuing Education
Yale
September 26
7:30am - 2:00pm
8th Annual Oncology Nursing Conference: Challenges in Oncology Nursing Practice. The Study at Yale
1157 Chapel St., New Haven
Oncology Nursing Council of Smilow Cancer Hospital at Yale-New Haven. Contact: Jamy Stenger, 203-688-6437.
(CNE)
Elsewhere
October 9-11; Cambridge,
MA
Practical Aspects of
Palliative Care: Integrating Palliative Care into Clinical Practice. (CME)
Learn More >>
October
21; Publick House in Sturbridge, MA
8:00am - 12:00pm
Medical Orders for Life Sustaining
Treatment (MOLST), Massachusetts Pain Initiative quarterly
meeting. (CME,
CNE, CSWE)
Learn More >>
November 2009; Online
Oncology Nursing Society (ONS) Virtual
Meetings for Fall 2009: Institutes of Learning and Advance Practice Nurses meetings. (CNE)
Learn More >>
November 6-8, 2009; Dana Farber Cancer InstituteCancer Survivorship for Clinicians: Helping Survivors Live Well Beyond Cancer (CME) Learn More >>
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August 2009 Volume 3 · No 8
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Staying Active after a Diagnosis of Cancer
Guest author, Scott Capozza, MS, PT, is the physical therapist
for the Connecticut Challenge Survivorship Clinic at Yale Cancer Center. Along with being a longtime runner, as
well as a cyclist and volunteer with the CT Challenge, he is a 10-year survivor
of testicular cancer. The
following article describes the approach that he takes in counseling cancer
survivors.
During and following surgery, radiation therapy, and
chemotherapy, your body may feel fatigued while it is healing from these
treatments, and thus you may not feel like exercising. A vicious circle can be created: you feel tired, so you don't exercise,
and then you become more fatigued because you have not been able to increase
your energy level by exercising, and so on. Begin slowly and keep things in perspective. If you were exercising before you began
your treatments, it will take you the same amount of time since you stopped to
regain your previous fitness level. Aim for 30 minutes a day 5 times a week as your long-term goal. If this is too much to start with,
begin with 15 minutes, 3 times a week (a day on, a day off for rest) and
increase each session gradually to 30 minutes. Then you can add in another day, (starting at 15 minutes and
working up to 30). Set a specific
goal. For example: "I want to be
able to do a 3 mile walk for breast cancer by May." Write your routine and goals for the week on the
calendar. Having concrete, but
realistic and adjustable, plans and goals is a good strategy to keep you
motivated. Moderate to vigorous levels of exercise are the most effective. If you think of exercise on a scale of
1-10, 1 is sitting on the couch and at 10 you feel like you'll pass out - aim for a level of
5-7.
How can you return to work and still find ways to stay
active or increase your activity level? If you work on the upper floors of an office building, take the stairs
instead of the elevator (and if you do work on the first floor, you can always
walk up and down the stairwell several times anyway!) You can park farther away from where you work in the parking
lot; if there is a shuttle to work from the parking lot, try to walk the
distance once a day for two weeks, and then as you get stronger you can walk
round-trip. If you plan on going
to a gym or working out after work, bring your gym clothes with you to work,
and change into them at the end of your work day. This way, you don't have to go home first to change and then
potentially get distracted from your time to exercise. Encourage a co-worker (or two or three)
to come with you on a lunch-time walk or an after work workout. Having a partner to exercise with you
makes the task more fun, it makes the time go by faster, it holds you more
accountable, and you are getting somebody else to exercise and be healthy
too! Talk to your co-workers and
your supervisor about entering a corporate challenge at a local road race, bike
event, or other activity, such as a weekend hike. This will help get more people to be active and help build
camaraderie amongst all of your co-workers.
If you need help getting back your strength or endurance,
you can consult with a personal trainer at a gym. If you are experiencing a reduction or loss of range of
motion, lymphedema, or other chronic condition as a result of your cancer
treatments, you can seek the professional advice of a physical therapist,
lymphedema certified therapist, or a licensed massage therapist. These professionals will be able to help
you develop a plan to address barriers to your exercise plan. Have a plan in your head (putting it
down on a calendar or your Blackberry is better) for the steps on your journey
to regaining your physical fitness or in establishing your fitness plan for the
first time. Having a series of
short-term, attainable goals is a great strategy for mental and physical fitness.
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In the News
Surviving
Cancer a Long-Term Journey
A recent article in the Connecticut Post, "Surviving
cancer a long-term Journey," highlights the role of the Connecticut Challenge Survivorship Clinic at Yale Cancer Center in cancer care.
Read More >>
The Connecticut
Challenge
While the ride is over, the
fundraising is not. Please donate to support survivorship programs at Yale and
other institutions in Connecticut. You can make a general donation, donate to a rider, or donate to the Yale HEROS or YCC Hot Wheelers teams.
The fund-raising deadline for 2009 is
September 24.
Learn More >>
September is...
Gynecologic Cancer Awareness Month
Learn More >>
Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month
Learn More >>
Leukemia and Lymphoma Awareness
Month
Learn More >>
Prostate Cancer Awareness Month
Learn More >>
October is...
National Breast Cancer Awareness Month
Learn More >>
American Cancer Society: National Breast Cancer Awareness Month
Learn More >>
Lifting Weights Helps Breast Cancer Survivors
A new study suggests weight lifting helps decrease the severity of
lymphedema (see YaleCares article on lymphedema). The study
did not address whether weight lifting can prevent the development of
lymphedema.
Learn More >>
Connecticut
Coalition Updated Booklet
Connecticut
Coalition to Improve End-of-Life Care has updated their booklet entitled
"Beginning the Conversation about Death, Dying and End-of-Life Care in
Connecticut" and has recently reduced the cost to $5/copy.
Learn More >>
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Journal Watch
Schmitz KH, et al. Weight lifting in women with
breast-cancer-related lymphedema. N Engl J Med. 2009 Aug 13;361(7):664-73.
Read More >>
Houliha NG. Transitioning
to Cancer Survivorship: Plans of Care. ONCOLOGY Nurse Edition
July 2009, Vol 23 No 5. Read More >>
Boyle DA. Nursing
Leadership in Survivor Care. ONCOLOGY Nurse Edition July 2009, Vol 23 No 5.
(NOTE: Debbie Boyle is a featured speaker at the upcoming 8th Annual
Oncology Nursing Conference, Sep 26. (see Continuing Education)
Read More >>
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