Nutrition Advice from the National Cancer Institute

Diet is often an overlooked subject for cancer patients, but eating the right nutritional foods for strength and energy is just as important as taking the proper medication.

Cancer diets involve eating the correct amounts of protein and calories as well as drinking the right amount of water to keep the ailing body replenished and energized.  The body needs plenty of nourishment when it is going through chemotherapy or when the patient is taking cancer-related medications.

Eating Guidelines from the National Cancer Institute

 

The following suggestions from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) may be helpful if you have difficulty eating or a loss of appetite even when you are feeling well with cancer:

• Eat small, frequent meals (every one to two hours).
• Eat high-protein and high-calorie foods (including snacks).

• Avoid food that can cause nausea and eat things that are enticing, do not drink liquids with your meals.
• Try to eat when you are feeling the best, no matter what time of day.
• Use meal substitutes, such as high-calorie, high-protein drinks, when you do not feel like eating.
• Try to increase your appetite through light exercise or appetite stimulants including a glass of wine or beer, if allowed.
• Add extra calories and protein to food using foods such as butter, skim milk powder, honey, or brown sugar.
• Take your medications with high-calorie fluids.
• Eat foods at room temperature.
• Avoid spicy foods or foods with strong odors.

Keeping Hope Alive with Cord Blood

I am expecting and I have officially decided to bank my baby's cord blood and here are some reasons why and what others should know:

Your baby's cord blood is a rich source of stem cells, the building blocks of our blood and immune system. Cord blood transplants can currently treat over 70 diseases and new purposes for it are constantly being discovered. Currently, to take advantage of emerging regenerative medicine applications, one's own cells are needed for treatment. On top of this your baby's cord blood has the potential to save a family members life, a family member that may even have cancer.

Banking cord blood is an investment and a precautionary measure that you hope can help you if needed but one that you also hope you never have to use. With all the continued research they are finding other diseases that stem cells can aid. I think this step is an important one, especially because of my family's health history with cancer.

My father is currently in the heart of his battle with a very rare form of cancer, melanoma of the esophagus. There has only been approximately 250 other cases ever reported and it is a silent cancer. Most people do not know they have it until it's in its later stages. Who knows, maybe he will be a match and my baby's cord blood will be able to help him. All I know is that by banking cord blood I'm keeping hope alive.

Finding Hope and Keeping the Faith

Each day Cancer takes a life…….Sometimes you wonder why we cant just figure this disease out.  Why does it consistently “linger”  and sometimes kill.  I lost my Uncle on Monday from Cancer.  Cancer snuck back into his life and didn’t give him more then a month to live.  He left behind 3 children, 4 grandchildren, and a loving wife.  As my Aunt said, I just prayed for him to  have comfort and her prayers were answered.  He can now feel no pain, but peace.  This story seems unfortunately too common  these days.  This battle is ongoing.  It’s a battle we have to continue to face head on and a battle we can only “HOPE” and continue to have faith that we will one day be able to defeat.

Never Giving Up Hope

After watching a movie tonight I was inspired to write this post.  The movie ended in such a positive light with the line,“The one thing I can walk away with is Hope”.   Such a strong message, because truly that’s all we can ever have.  Once you lose Hope, you lose everything.  Believe me there are times where you question what you believe, you question your strength,  you question Hope.  And when times get tough we have to find it within ourselves to fight and to never give up.  We only get one chance to live this life, so try to take in every moment life offers.  Its what we choose to do with this gift.  We are all tested daily, that’s for sure……But I think we all forget how precious life truly is.  My only advice tonight is to just never give up hope and LIVE!! 

Helping Others While Sipping Wine in Hermosa Beach

We are always trying to find fun ways to include the community when raising money to help others.  It looks like we are on track for a wine tasting event in Hermosa Beach at Sangria at the end of April.  We are in the midst of planning all the details, but are excited to raise money to help others and of course indulge ourselves with great wine, food, and friends!

More details to come soon...be sure to join our community at Hopes Song!

My Recent Trunk Show Inspired Me & My Fall Collection

I recently had a small trunk show at the new Denim and Pearls in Galeburg IL.  I am always amazed at the amount of support and interest people have in the line and in Hopes Song.  Its such a good feeling to see a group of people come together for the same purpose and that is to share in the "Hope" the hope to  continue to fight and to flush cancer down the toilet!

At this event a young girl came up to me and said that she had gone on to the site and read my story.  She too battled thyroid cancer and wanted to meet another person who had gone through a similar situation.  Its always nice to share your story with someone who can completely relate to the emotions and the changes your body goes through.  The continous struggle to regulate your metabolism and hormones due to no thyroid can be grueling.  Your emotions can go from high to low, your weight continuously fluctuates, and your sleep can be completely disturbed.  You sometimes feel like a bit of a train wreck….  I spoke to her for some-time and at the end of our conversation, surprised her with naming a piece of the fall collection after her.  To see the expression and gratitude on her face was priceless…it brought tears to not only her eyes but to mine and to one of the owners of the store.  You know its sometimes the simple things in life that make the biggest difference.  Though I only met her for a short time I was impressed with her positive attitude and just how kind-hearted of a person she is.  I cant wait to share her words of “Hope” for the fall collection.  Stay tuned……..

I am a Cancer Survivor & This is My Song of Hope

I was diagnosed with thyroid cancer on my 26th birthday and it changed my life alright, for the better! I realized a dream and started truly living.

I founded the Hopes Song community for everyone effected by cancer to learn more about this disease. It’s a social network where people can get the funding they need to pay for treatments, hospital visits or doctors’ appointments, and, engage with others to find the hope and encouragement needed to survive the fight.

The mission of Hopes Song is to unite an online community, connect with people, enrich lives and fight this battle as one. I hope you'll share your songs of hope here on our blog and within the Hopes Song community.