My Mother Is Diagnosed With Breast Cancer

When I spoke to the Doctor, she recommended that we have surgery, not knowing if they would diagnose the disease as advanced as my Mom. I was scared, not knowing what the outcome would be. I was just forty-nine years old, and I prepared myself for a fight and battle; I wasn’t going to let this disease win. Preparing for the treatments and keeping a positive attitude was my survivor tool. After surgery, my cancer was diagnosed as stage one and the tumor being very minuscule. The Doctor recommended for me to have 30 radiation treatments and no chemo ordered. Every day, I would wake up and say to myself “yes I am going to stay active and positive and beat this disease”. In Geneva where I live there is a facility called the Living Well Cancer Resource Center; I would drive past it daily not knowing that this facility would be part of my life for the next six months. I was recommended to check out the support cancer group meetings they held. I attended my first session by myself, and I also started my radiation treatments the same week. I never attended any type of support groups or addiction meetings, so I didn’t know what to expect. The meeting started off with a panel of ladies who are all cancer patients or cancer survivors. We each took our turn to introduce ourselves and talk about what cancer you been diagnosed with, and how long you been going for

Each year, approximately 12.7 million people are diagnosed with cancer and unfortunately that number is not decreasing. My sister, Caitlin, was a part of that statistic 12 years ago, and to say her Ewing’s Sarcoma changed not only her life, but also my family’s would be an understatement. As a child, witnessing the deterioration of my sister’s health and the my family’s normalcy ultimately shaped me into the person I am today; a person that welcomes change with a resilient nature built on a foundation to never quit. I am blessed to say that my sister is flourishing and her cancer has been in remission and upon meeting her today, one would have no idea she ever endured such a relentless disease. Nevertheless in the past two years, my mother

Each of these individuals took time out of their schedules and consoled with my family. They had explained the treatment plan in detail, precautions, risks, and had answered all of our questions. At the age of thirteen I didn’t understand much of the details the doctors had explained. Although, I knew my father had cancer and he needed to be treated.  I saw my father undergo a thirteen-hour surgery, hyperbaric oxygen therapy, chemotherapy and radiation, and rehab. My father was strong enough and defeated cancer. This life experience has influenced me to become a physical therapist because I saw my father undergo physical therapy. By undergoing therapy sessions, he was able to walk on his own without a walker and speak more fluently.  Seeing my dad defeat cancer for the second time, motivates me to work harder and help others going through such situations. I hope I have the opportunity to provide and care for patients and their families as the

This paper is mainly an analysis of nutrition and performance related to how much energy is needed, body composition assessment, ways to maintain and lose weight, liquid and vitamin needs, nutrition recommendations for vegetarian athletes, and the roles and responsibilities of the sports dietitian. The main proctors of the assessments are the American Dietetic Association, Dietitians of Canada, and the American College of Sports Medicine. The three corporations agree that optimal nutrition can enhance athletic performance as well as physical activity and recovery from exercise. Each of these factors of health were assessed differently and assigned a grade based on the systematic analysis and evaluation of supporting research. These grades ranged

Have you ever had a scary moment where you think you or somebody else in your family might die? Well… I have and I never want it to happen again. This is my Mom’s story.

I realized cancer wasn’t a curse, but a lesson for my entire family. Over time with chemotherapy, prayers and an incredibly supportive group of family and friends, my mother's health stabilized and improved. Every member of my family had been impacted in a unique way, but one thing we discovered through this process is that while physical pain cannot be shared, emotional support works miracles. I learned that life is about being thankful for everything we have and overcoming obstacles we face along the way while lending a hand to those in need. With new perspective, I decided to take the opportunity to volunteer at a local food bank. Through my experience there, you can see firsthand the impact we make and intrinsically it’s a rewarding experience.

This past summer changed my life. My health was more substantial in the past three months than it has been my entire life. Cancer is something that impacts everyone's life in one way or another, and this summer it was my own personal experience. Something that I never thought would happen to me did. After finding a lump on my neck I proceeded to go to the doctor expecting to be diagnosed with mono or some other flu like sickness. But after seeing the concerned look on my doctors face I quickly realized that it wasn't simply mono. A biopsy was ordered after countless inconclusive tests. The chairman of radiologist told me and my family that he was 95% sure that the swollen lymph node on my neck was cancer. After a long 4 days not knowing what the true results were I lie awake at night thinking about what the rest of my life will look like. Things that I have never thought about crossed my mind like: Can I have children? These 4 days was by far the longest of my life. I could not stop my mind from racing: Will I be able to graduate from high school? These four days I changed everything about the way that I acted. I spend less time on my cell phone and more time outside by the lake feeling the

Before becoming a registered nurse I was working as a volunteer with hospice patients for an agency in Woodland Hills. As a full time employee at a plasma center and a student, currently I have very little time to put on my volunteering work, but I still make a point to help whenever I have the time. My job is to relieve the primary caregivers (family members) of the patients, and give them a little time for themselves to do whatever they want outside the house, while I stay with the patient at home. Few months ago I had to stay with a 28- years-old woman with end stage breast cancer. At first I was a little worried about the fact that she is so young and was facing death. I was not sure if I was able, and ready to face this situation, because most of the patients I care for in this field are older adults. I said to myself, I will give it a try and if it does not work I will not return. One Saturday morning I prepared myself to take this challenge.

As an enthusiastic participator in various sports, the science of how diet and nutrition can complement performance has always interested me. Friends with conditions such as IBS and diabetes made me consider how they had been diagnosed and treated in terms of their diet. A chance meeting with a Dietician introduced me to the profession for the first time. Researching the role fascinated me; a career to use my passion to support others improve their wellbeing through diet and nutrition. Consequently, via adult education classes in Human Biology and Chemistry, I gained the necessary A-Level qualifications to apply specifically for Dietetics, and the scientific knowledge base to build towards becoming a competent Healthcare Professional.

My unexpected transition from childhood to adulthood occurred in 2011 when my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. For the next few months, my family and I would constantly travel for about one hundred miles to the treatment center. My mom had to have several surgeries. I watched as the energetic, vibrant woman I had known all my life slowly became more ill and exhausted by each month’s end. Eventually, the inevitable came, the big decision. My mother was given the choice to either undergo radiation and chemotherapy or have a double mastectomy. It took a great deal of discussion and prayer before it was decided that my mother would have a double mastectomy as well as reconstructive surgery.

A little over 2 years ago both my mother and my mother in law were diagnosed with cancer. Not that long after my brother, who for the last 13 years has had serious mental health issues, had a bad spell of depression and paranoid delusions. All this into a state of discomfort and high levels of anxiety which led me to go into counselling. During this process, I first realised that what I needed wasn't being able to deal with these big events, but that the impact they were having was because of other, more deep-seated issues. Then over time, I learnt that these other underlying issues were not things that needed fixed or made to go away. Once I understood this I was able to have greater clarity of thought and more purposeful, focused introspection.

I decided to write about this specific topic since it has been also part of my life. My grandmother was a breast cancer

Nutrition is a balancing act that is needed by athletes. They know they have to eat enough food to acquire energy and needed nutrients so as to ensure optimal performance. Yet, many athletes limit or restrict their energy intake in order to control their body weight. These opposing dietary concerns can place athletes at nutritional risk specifically insufficient calcium intake that leads to bone density

Athletes from different callings and sports have many differences, but one thing they have in common is the diet that is required for peak performance. The chance an athlete has of being the best at his/her specific sport is a thin line between all the other athletes they are competing against. For them to be successful they will need to make sure their body is performing at its top potential, and to do that the athlete will need to have a diet that keeps them going. The human body is like a machine or vehicle. That machine must have the right kind of fuel to work at its peak. It doesn’t matter what sport an athlete is playing, the nutritional diet is just as important as the workout they are doing. This paper will show and explain a

Five years after her initial diagnosis, an MRI scan revealed that my mother’s tumor had metastasized. A few months after her second surgical extraction, more tumors were found. With further treatment impossible, she began to lose her strength and mobility, and was placed in hospice. As one of her caregivers, I helped bathe her, took her the bathroom, groomed and fed her, and spent as much time with her as possible so she wouldn’t feel alone. It was incredibly disheartening to watch her deteriorate, knowing there was nothing I could do about it. Helplessly, I watched as my mother and best friend lost her battle with cancer. In my grief, I was motivated to be there for others who faced similar situations as my mother, myself, and my family had. I also wanted to help prevent illness and unnecessary death so that others would not have to experience the grief of unnecessarily losing a loved one.