On July 22nd, we had so much fun once again with our very own Hannah Garrison (Artist, MS activist, and moderator for our MS virtual support group) lead our appropriately titled…”Art With Hannah Garrison“! It has a Saturday Night Live ring to it, don’t you think? She was requested to teach something relaxing and summer-y, and did she deliver!
We created an absolutely beautiful dusk beach setting, that is begging for a pineapple drink with a little umbrella in your hand. Last time we had an event to celebrate MS Awareness Month, but this time all were welcome. We saw members from our Blood Cancers, Prostate Cancer, Thyroid Cancer, MS Group, and more!
I promise this is SO easy and relaxing, so grab some supplies and have an hour of creative relaxation.
Supplies:
Acrylic paint or watercolor paint. (It will be watered down, so it doesn’t matter!) Colors – blue or aqua / dark blue / orange/ pink / purple. (colored pencils were also successfully used in this art project!)
Paint brush – round or flat.
Black crayon, but any dark color will be ok!
Water
Napkins
If you have any suggestions, or would like your art featured in the AnCan Art Gallery, please email me at alexa (at) ancan.org!
To SIGN UP for any of our AnCan Virtual Support groups, visit our Contact Us page.
COMPLETELY FREE, you’ll find fun activities (trivia, dance party, scavenger hunts, prizes), meet new friends, and hear from top experts about topics relevant to you. Fertility, dating, mental health, and so much more.
You’ll also see AnCan’s own Wendy Garvin Mayo at the Practical Resources for Caregivers session on Sunday, and Alexa Jett(me) will be out and about representing any and everything AnCan. Don’t forget to say hi!
Have you checked out our page “All the Faces of AnCan” lately? We are always growing, and you might see some new faces! While we’ve discussed Dr. Herbert Geller (researcher and AnCan Advisory Board Member) previously on the blog, we have a special treat today. Dr. Geller was part of an esteemed panel explaining the science behind mRNA Covid-19 vaccines with CureTalks.
I find this description of what mRNA means and brief explanation from CureTalks to be extremely helpful.
Messenger RNA vaccines, also called mRNA vaccines, are some of the first COVID-19 vaccines authorized for use in the United States. mRNA vaccines are a new type of vaccine to protect against infectious diseases. They teach the cells of our body to make a protein that triggers an immune response. This immune response leads to the production of antibodies which protects us from getting infected if the real virus enters our body.
Be sure to check out this informative presentation, here!
To SIGN UP for any of our AnCan Virtual Support groups, visit our Contact Us page.
If Medicine Doesn’t Come to you, Go to the Medicine!
You know what they say about Mohammed and the Mountain …… if the mountain will not go to Mohammed, Mohammed must go to the mountain! Well it’s often like that today with cutting edge medicine – and even not so cutting edge if you live in out of the way places like Maui, HI where our Board President, Peter Kafka, resides. It’s all part of Being Your Own Best Advocate…… (rd) PS Peter has asked me to clarify, he wrote what follows – not me. But I guess most of you can figure that out!
Back in 2014 when I was first diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer, my younger son who was 38 years old at the time was in the urologist’s office with me getting the news. As I was seated on the exam table, he was standing in the corner leafing through the booklets and pamphlets about prostate cancer while we waited for the doctor to deliver the bad news. My son, holding up a booklet exclaimed to me; “Dad, this literature is older than me!” Right away we both knew we were in the WRONG place.
Unfortunately, so many men and women reside or walk into the “wrong” place when it comes to getting access to the most up to date technology in terms of treatment or diagnostic tools. Little did I know back then. I lived at that time under the illusion that the “Doctor” knew everything and would of course be up to date with the latest and greatest. Not so, as I quickly learned.
One of the great values that I have found in participating regularly in our AnCan prostate cancer support groups is the experiential reporting on all the new cutting-edge treatments and diagnostic tools that are emerging and available. Recently one of our number took advantage of the new technology of Micro Ultrasound to guide a biopsy. Apparently, this is found to be even better than the 3T multi-parametric MRI in determining just where to poke the needle and take a tissue sample, leading to a far more accurate diagnosis. It can detect small, but significant lesions within the prostate that might otherwise be missed.
The rub however, like any new advancement is that not every facility or doctor will be in the “know” or have access to such tools or treatments. Don’t I know this well, living here on the Island of Maui in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. The lesson for all of us is that we should carry a business card stating; “Have Suspicion Will Travel”. Please don’t wait for technology to come to your doorstep or for enlightenment to come to your doctor. Your life is way too important to me.
Support comes in many forms, and here at AnCan, we are so blessed to have Hannah Garrison, a fantastic MS activist, moderator for our MS Virtual Support Group, and artist.
In honor of MS Awareness Month (March) we had a phenomenal time with adaptable art of all skill levels. We used paint and old gift cards to create masterpieces. We even had adorable kids join for a family night!
Feel free to create this art project anytime (no matter what community you belong to) with the video below: (Scroll down for supply list)
Supply list:
1. Acrylic paint
2. paper plate or palette
3. old, empty gift card or old credit card – the paint will ruin it, so make sure they know it can’t be usable
4. napkins – lots!! things will get messy
5. paper – any sturdy paper – cardstock, watercolor paper, acrylic paper
6. brush – optional, for mixing colors on your paper plate/ palette
We will be offering more art related support soon, including an AnCan art gallery. If you’d like more information or have any suggestions, please email me at alexa (at) ancan.org!
For information on our peer-led video chat MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS VIRTUAL SUPPORT GROUP, click here.
To SIGN UP for the Group or any other of our AnCan Virtual Support groups, visit our Contact Us page.
Peter Kafka, our Board Chair and Lead Moderator for several of our video-chat virtual support groups, poignantly reflects this week on the meaning of 7 years living with his prostate cancer. (rd)
One subject that comes up fairly often in our prostate cancer support calls is “fatigue”. Usually in the context of dealing with physical fatigue as a side effect of various treatment drugs. But I am thinking today about a different level of fatigue that affects us mentally and emotionally. We hear a lot about this in regards to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. A year or so into it and people are crying out, “Enough already!”. But I would guess that many of you feel the same sentiment regarding your ongoing experience with a prostate cancer diagnosis.
I have reached my 7-year anniversary since my official diagnosis of prostate cancer. What is it about the number seven? Yes, it has some kind of man-made spiritual significance. The seven colors of the rainbow, the seven days of the week, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and of course the Seven-year Itch. But as I (celebrate?) this seven-year anniversary of dealing with my prostate cancer I hear myself crying out, “Enough Already!”. Fatigue is setting in.
I have done my best to look at this disease from a wide variety of angles. The friendships I have made with many of you. The increased understanding of the dynamics of prostate cancer among an ever-increasing body of men and women. The empowerment of taking on the job of being one’s own best advocate. But in honesty, prostate cancer and all the accompanying side effects of the variety of treatment modalities that I have, and continue to experience, bring on a good deal of mental and emotional fatigue.
I don’t believe that medical science graphs this fatigue factor. We read a lot about “overall survival – OS” or “progression free survival – PFS”. I guess the category of “Quality of Life” might come closest to what I am talking about, but it doesn’t quite capture the essence. I suspect that any of you who have been on this journey for any length of time know what I am talking about. I don’t have an answer, and I am certainly not selling any kind of snake oil for treatment. I know in my heart and mind that this bump in the road will pass and I will move forward. I always do.
