Headwear Etc Blog

How Long After Treatment Began Did You Lose Your Hair?

My hair starting shedding 21/2 weeks after taxotere/cytoxen infusion.

Did You Lose It Gradually or Very Quickly?

One morning I found handfuls of hair in the shower. It fell out quickly.

What Was Your First Reaction When You Noticed the Loss?

S—, the reality of cancer is now seen on the outside. I was devastated at the thought of losing my hair. However, I maintained a positive attitude because I knew my attitude would have a powerful impact on my recovery.

Were You Tempted to Shave Your Head? Did You Do It?

Yes, I was tempted to shave my head, but my wise hairdresser made the decision for me. He cut my hair short and left the rest to fall out on its own. This was a good decision because the side burn hair stayed and looked natural under head coverings, and I did not appear bald.

Did You Choose to Wear a Head Covering or Not?

Yes, I am still wearing head coverings. It takes about 6 months for hair to grow 3 inches or 1/2 inch a month after treatment. I did not want people to feel sorry for me, so I was determined to look my best. Headwear has become a passion with me. I found if you take a basic headwrap and top it with a colorful scarf or hat the casual observer would have to look carefully to realize I was not merely dressing in high style.

How Did Losing Your Hair Affect Your Everyday Life?

My daily life is the same wearing fashionable head coverings. The professional world and friends treat you as a sick person instead of the same person you were, who is trying to regain her health. Looking fashionable gives me confidence to continue a normal life. I realize the importance of looking good.

Advice

* The best fabrics to use for head wraps are cotton, rayon, challis, and cotton blends. Silk and polyester are elegant, but tend to slip and will not stay securely on your head. Instructions for a Basic Headwrap are: 1) Lay a square scarf (36″x36″) flat; wrong side facing you. Fold scarf into a triangle and place the scarf folded about 1 inch below your natural hairline. Tie the ends into a square knot behind your head over the triangle point. The flap should be beneath the knot. 2) Pull any excess scarf from under the knot so you have fullness. Wear the scarf with ends loose or tie in a classy bow. Hugs to You!

Memorial Day — a tradition followed at many national cemeteries today. In recent years, the custom has grown in many families to decorate the graves of all departed loved ones.

The origins of special services to honor those who die in war can be found in antiquity. The Athenian leader Pericles offered a tribute to the fallen heroes of the Peloponnesian War over 24 centuries ago that could be applied today to the 1.1 million Americans who have died in the nation’s wars: “Not only are they commemorated by columns and inscriptions, but there dwells also an unwritten memorial of them, graven not on stone but in the hearts of men.”

National Moment of Remembrance

To ensure the sacrifices of America ’s fallen heroes are never forgotten, in December 2000, the U.S. Congress passed and the president signed into law “The National Moment of Remembrance Act,” P.L. 106-579, creating the White House Commission on the National Moment of Remembrance. The commission’s charter is to “encourage the people of the United States to give something back to their country, which provides them so much freedom and opportunity” by encouraging and coordinating commemorations in the United States of Memorial Day and the National Moment of Remembrance.

The National Moment of Remembrance encourages all Americans to pause wherever they are at 3 p.m. local time on Memorial Day for a minute of silence to remember and honor those who have died in service to the nation. As Moment of Remembrance founder Carmella LaSpada states: “It’s a way we can all help put the memorial back in Memorial Day.”
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Headwear for hairloss

MOTHER

For those lucky enough to still be blessed with your Mom,
this is beautiful. For those of us who aren’t, this is
even more beautiful. For those who are moms, you’ll love this.

The young mother set her foot on the path of life. “Is
this the long way?” she asked. And the guide said: “Yes! and the way is hard.
And you will be old before you reach the end of it. But
the end will be better than the beginning.”

But the young mother was happy, and she would not
believe that anything could be better than these years. So she
played with her children, and gathered flowers for
them along the way, and bathed them in the clear streams; and
the sun shone on them, and the young Mother cried,
“Nothing will ever be lovelier than this.”

Then the night came, and the storm, and the path was
dark, and the children shook with fear and cold, and the mother
drew them close and covered them with her mantle, and the children said,
“Mother, we are not afraid, for you are near, and no harm can come.”

And the morning came, and there was a hill ahead, and
the children climbed and grew weary, and the mother was weary.
But at all times she said to the children, “A little patience and we are there.”
So the children climbed, and when they reached the top
they said, ” Mother, we would not have done it without you.”

And the mother, when she lay down at night, looked up
at the stars and said, “This is a better day than the last, for my
children have learned fortitude in the face of hardness. Yesterday I gave them courage.
Today, I’ve given them strength.”

And the next day came strange clouds which darkened
the earth, clouds of war and hate and evil, and the children groped
and stumbled, and the mother said, “Look up. Lift your eyes to the light.”
And the children looked and saw above the clouds
an everlasting glory, and it guided them beyond the
darkness. And that night the Mother said,
“This is the best day of all, for
I have shown my children God.”

And the days went on, and the weeks and the months and
the years, and the mother grew old and became little and bent.
But her children were tall and strong and walked with
courage. And when the way was rough, they lifted her,
for she was as light as a feather; and at last they came to a hill,
and beyond they could see a shining road and golden gates flung wide. And
Mother said, “I have reached the end of my journey. And now I know the end
is better than the beginning, for my children can
walk alone, and their children after them.”

]And the children said, “You will always walk with us,
Mother, even when you have gone through the gates.”
And they stood and watched her as she went on alone, and the gates
closed after her. And they said: “We cannot see her
but she is with us still. A Mother like ours is more than a memory. She
is a living presence…….”

Your Mother is always with you…. She’s the whisper
of the leaves as you walk down the street; she’s the smell of bleach
in your freshly laundered socks; she’s the cool hand
on your brow when you’re not well. Your Mother lives
inside your laughter. And she’s crystallized in every tear drop.
She’s the place you came from, your first home; and
she’s the map you follow with every step you take. She’s your first love
and your first heartbreak, and nothing on earth can
separate you.

Not time, not space… not even death!
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“We help women with hair loss look and feel confident…with style, fit, and comfort.”

PASS THIS ON TO ALL THE MOTHERS AND CHILDREN YOU KNOW.
MAY WE NEVER TAKE OUR MOTHERS FOR GRANTED…

Pass it on to the men also because they have mothers too….

Home is where your story begins.

Dogs and Cancer: Do Dogs Have the Ability to Detect Cancer in Humans?
From Lisa Fayed,
Your Guide to Cancer.
Can dogs really sniff out cancer in their humans? The idea of dogs being able to detect cancer may seem far fetched, but considering the physiology of the canine nose, it may be a possibility.

Dogs have 25 times more smell receptors than humans and bread down concentration of smells 100 million times lower than a human.

In a study done in Amersham England, published in the British Medical Journal , the researchers set out to find out if dogs can be trained to identify bladder cancer solely on the odor of urine. The conclusion was successful.
Dog cancer symptoms
Information about Dog Cancer Dog Cancer treated with K9 Immunity
The dogs used in the study correctly identified bladder cancer in urine 41% of the time. It is evident that bladder cancer gives off an odor or compound that can be dtected by dogs.
Dr. Armand Cognetta of Tallahassee, Fl, an expert in melanomas, began researching if dogs could detect skin cancer. He enlisted the help of a dog trainer, and with samples of melanomas tried to train dogs to sniff out skin cancer. George, the dog used in the study, was able to detect the melanoma 99% of the time. Further research proved that George could detect malignant melanoma lesions from benign lesions on patients successfully.
More research is being done to study whether dogs can be trained to detect other types of cancer, like breast, prostate, cervical, and bladder cancer. Initial results show to be promising.

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Staying Fit During the Holidays
by Paige Waehner
It CAN be Done!
The holidays are time of celebration…and my how we celebrate! We eat, we drink, we indulge and then we end up feeling like bloated whales by the time it’s all over. It’s almost as though a voice announces: “Let the eating commence and let exercise become a thing of the past!”

This year, you have a choice. You don’t have to let every party become your own personal eating contest and you don’t have to let shopping take the place of your usual exercise routine. All it takes is flexibility, creativity and a new way of defining exercise.

Keep Moving

It’s tempting to ditch your workouts as your days fill up with holiday preparations, parties and whatnot, but, now more than ever, you need to stay active. Exercise will help you deal with added stress and give you energy for everything you need to accomplish.

Also, it’ll help you avoid weight gain. If you have trouble sticking with your usual routine, now is a great time to come up with a new one. Forget the rules, lower your standards…do whatever you need to do to keep moving:
Shorten Your Cardio. Pare down your cardio routine to whatever time you have, whether it’s 10 minutes or 20 minutes. Stick with activities that are easy to do at a moment’s notice–walking, running, jump rope or dancing around the house to your favorite tunes. Try to work as hard as you can in the time you have by keeping the intensity high. Here’s a sample 10-minute workout to try at home:
Exercise wherever you can. You already know to take the stairs, park far away, etc. to get more exercise. This holiday season, slap on a pedometer as you’re running around and see how many steps you can accumulate. Use every opportunity to get in more movement whether it’s parking on the opposite side of where you need to be or chopping down your own Christmas tree.
Make it a family affair. As you gather together with your family, plan active things to do. Walk around the neighborhood to look at holiday decorations. Play football before the big meal at Thanksgiving. Plan contests with the kids to see who can run the furthest or who can do the most pushups. Challenge everyone to a snow-shoveling contest and then build a snow-person out of the remains.
Control Your Eating
Eating yourself into a coma seems inevitable during the holidays what with all the yummy delights available. But treating every party like it’s an invitation to indulge is a sure way to add pounds. These tips are probably nothing you haven’t heard before, but they’re great reminders for keeping the calories in check:

Eat Before You Go. Rules to live by: never go grocery shopping while hungry and, similarly, never hit a holiday party on an empty stomach. You’ll be less tempted to overindulge if you’re belly’s full of something healthy.
Choose One Treat. Once at the party, choose one thing to indulge in and make it good. No chips–you can have those any old time. Pick something you only get during the holidays.
Control Your Drinking. Alcohol is an easy way to consume more calories than you need so avoid mixed or fruity drinks and have a glass of water for every drink you consume. And definitely avoid the egg nog–it has up to 350 calories a cup.
Don’t Skip Meals. It’s tempting to skip meals to make up for whatever nightmare food you’ll eat later but, just like the empty-stomach rule, if you’re starving, your rational mind will be unavailable for healthy food choices. Eat small meals all day to avoid going nuts at the buffet table.
However you deal with the holidays, make this the year that you don’t gain extra weight. Make a decision to do everything you can to stay active and eat healthy while not depriving yourself of all the fun. Like everything else in life, it’s all about moderation. Happy Holidays!

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Dear Friends,
I wanted to wish you all a very happy Thanksgiving! It’s a wonderful time of year to tell the people we cherish just how thankful we are to have them in our lives.
There are so many ways to show your gratitude for the different people in your life:
– Call a friend or loved one just to check in and offer a listening ear.
– Spend time with your children. Play a board game, bake cookies, or read a book together.
– Send a thoughtful card to someone on your medical team who means a lot to you - your surgeon, oncologist, or nurse, for example.

May you all have a wonderful and loving holiday season.
My Best,
Marilyn
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October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month
October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, also known as NBCAM for short. The pink ribbon will be visible vitually everywhere to remind men and women to raise awareness about breast cancer.
Fast Facts About Breast Cancer
1 in 4 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lieftime.

Over 200,000 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in the U.S. this year.

Over 40,000 women will die from the disease.

Breast cancer occurs in men. In fact, over 1000 men will be diagnosed this year.
Breast Cancer is More Than A Lump…
A common breast cancer myth is that a lump must be present for it to be breast cancer. Although a lump is a common symptom of breast cancer, there are many breast cancer symptoms women aren’t aware of like sudden change in breast size or a breast that is warm to the touch. For more information on breast cancer symptoms:

6 Breast Cancer Symptoms Most Women Don’t Know About

Inflammatory Breast Cancer Symptoms
Breast Cancer Screening Begins at Home
All women should perform a monthly breast self exam to check for breast changes. The breast self exam takes about 10 minutes and is simple to do.

Many young women have the misconception that they do not need to perform self exams because of their age. However, this is untrue. Although breast cancer may be rare in young women, it still occurs. See 5 Reasons Young Women Need Monthly Breast Self Exams for more information.
The Mammogram is One of the Best Screening Tools
Getting a regular mammogram is essential for breast health, along with the self breast exam. Mammograms are normally performed after the age of 40, but can be done if breast cancer is suspected or if there a genetic predisposition for breast cancer. Breast Cancer Isn’t Just About Genetics
Although breast cancer can be hereditary, those with family members who have suffered from breast cancer are not the only ones at risk. Many women have never had anyone in their family diagnosed with breast cancer. While it is especially important for women with a genetic disposition for breast cancer to be regularly screened, it is just as important for women who don’t. See Hereditary Breast Cancer for more information.

No one can pinpoint exactly why one woman may get breast cancer and another won’t. There are several breast cancer risk factors that increase the chances that a woman may develop breast cancer.
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The Waiting Room Jitters
From Lisa Fayed,
Your Guide to Cancer.
Stay up to date!
How to Turn The Wait Time Into Productive Time
I used to hate the waiting room in doctor’s offices. It’s boring and sitting there really does build up anxiety. This is especially true if you are waiting for test results. If you are there long enough, you start to look at other people waiting, trying to figure out why they may be there. You may move on to playing peek-a-boo with a small child or perhaps read a magazine published 2 years ago. Regardless of the reason for the visit, the waiting room can make a person impatient, frustrated, and stressed. It can actually mentally exhaust you to the point that you will be in such a rush to leave, you may not have a productive visit with the doctor.

After hours of waiting around, I decided to take action. I vowed to never be bored, forced to read issues of magazines that I wouldn’t give a first glance at on the rack, or silently play the “guess why he’s here” game at the doctor’s office.

1.) Bring Your Own Reading Material. Don’t force yourself to read a Highlights kids magazine when at the doctor without children, or read “Field and Stream” when you aren’t a hunting enthusiasts. Although I do have to admit that there is some satisfaction about reading an old Time that features candidates for the Presidential election that was last year. You know who won, and for some odd reason you feel like you have the heads up. The point is to bring your own magazines, books, or other reading material. You’ll thank yourself after.

2.) Electronic Gadgets Aren’t Just for Kids. One day, while waiting in the doctor, I decided to organize my purse. I found my son’s Gameboy that I had to take away the day before. What a treasure! Super Mario saved my sanity that day. There are even games like Tetris or Jeopardy that appeal to adults in these pocket sized game consoles. The Ipod or any other MP3 player can be very useful, too. Music can sooth worried nerves and make the time go by faster. You may want to refrain from singing along, though.

3.) Knit, Crochet or Embroider? I am envious of those who can knit or crochet. Keeping your hands busy can be very relaxing and help to keep your mind off being at the doctor. Just throw your supplies in a small tote and knit away until your name is called.

4.) Bring a Friend. One really is the loneliest number in the waiting room. Bring a friend; keep it to a minimum, no more than two people. They don’t have to go with you to see your physician, but they can sit and wait. The bad thing is that they are left by themselves while you are called in. Your friend can, however, go run errands and simple call to a cell phone when are done can solve that problem.

5.) Bring Your Cell Phone. Please don’t be one of those annoying people who call people just to talk while they are waiting. While this is a right of the person, it certainly is a wrong! If you really feel like talking to someone, go outside or text message. Although talking on your phone unnecessarily is annoying to others, organizing your phone book or silently playing games on the phone is not. Note: Choosing your ring tone in the waiting room is not part of acceptable cell phone activities.

6.) Work Can Come With You. Todays technology allows us to take a laptop anywhere and possibly allow us to go online. There are networks available that allow internet access everywhere. If this is an option for you, bring work with you or just surf the net. If it can keep you busy at home, it will keep you busy in the waiting room.

7.) Think of questions. Write down questions you have for the doctor if you haven’t done so already. This is a task to definitely do before seeing the doctor. I always forget question I have during my visit and when i get home, i am flooded with questions.

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Tanorexia
From Lisa Fayed,
Could You Be Addicted to Tanning?
Researchers at Wake Forest University may have solved the question as to why many men and women still tan despite being aware of the dangers. These tanorexics, or people who obsessively tan, may have an addiction to the UV rays of tanning beds, even experiencing a ‘high’, much like a drug addiction.

The study has found that the UV rays in tanning beds have an effect the production endorphins, chemicals released from the brain that produce euphoric like feeling in the body. Endorphins are often referred to a our bodies natural morphine, reducing the pain we feel.

The Wake Forest study followed 8 people who tanned at tanning beds frequently, from 8 to 15 times a month and 8 people who tanned less than 12 times year.
The Dangers Of Tanning
Skin cancer
Latest Info, News, Meds, Treatment Read Reviews From Cancer Survivors
RevolutionHealth.com
All participants were given a drug to block endorphin production and were instructed to tan in UV and non UV tanning beds.

Those who tanned frequently were more apt to UV ray based beds than there less tanning counterparts. When using non-UV beds, the frequent tanners developed symptoms that are similar to narcotics withdrawal. The less frequent tanners did not experience any symptoms.
The Effects of Tanning on Our Bodies
Did you know that when our skin gets darker from tanning, it is actually a product of skin cell damage? The skin turns darker to protect itself. Tanners are literally damaging their cell’s DNA, which could eventually lead to cancer.

Contrary to popular belief, using tanning beds is no safer than directly tanning in the sun. Many experts believe that tanning beds may be worse than the natural sun because they use UVA rays, which have been linked to melanoma, a deadly type of skin cancer.

Tanning can be achieved safely through artificial means, like self tanning lotions, spray on tans, and bronzing cosmetics.

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BLESSINGS ARE THE THINGS WE TAKE FOR GRANTED

Blessings are the things we take for granted.
Each holiday we notice what we see.
Most know the Earth is utterly enchanted
Yet walk through life and love mechanically.
Valuing one’s gifts takes resolution
After days and nights of fantasy.
Love brings the sweet relief of absolution,
Enveloping our hesitance in need.
No touch inspires so swift a revolution,
Transforming all the hieroglyphs we read.
In your love is the charity of spring,
Nor self-obsessed nor blinded by some creed,
Embracing the grey dawns that blessings bring.

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