Daffodil Days

I went to the Wellness Center last week and was presented with a small bunch of daffodils. Someone had donated heaps and heaps of bouquets to the center and in turn they were handing them out to their visitors and members.

Every year, during the two months before the first day of spring, cancer societies across the globe sell daffodils. Daffodils were chosen because they are one of the first flowers to bloom in the spring and are a "message of hope." The daffodils are sold to individuals, businesses, schools and organizations. Many are donated to cancer treatment centers that in turn give them to their patients. The funds raised are used to help people facing cancer get testing and treatment, push for laws toward access to screening and health care for everybody, as well as fund research to find causes and cures.

In the northern hemisphere, daffodil orders are collected in January and February. In the southern hemisphere, they are taken in May and June. Growers are usually near the equator - if their spring weather stays mild and allows a longer growing season, then orders might be taken for a few extra weeks into the next month. Anyone can sell as well as buy daffodils. Below is a list of participating societies.

American Cancer Society

Australian Cancer Society

Canadian Cancer Society

Irish Cancer Society

Marie Cure Cancer of Care of The United Kingdom

New Zealand Cancer Society

Please tell me if there are other countries with cancer societies that sell daffodils and I will add their links to my list. Thanks!

Chemotherapy & Low White Blood Cell Count

Chemotherapy works by killing fast-growing cancer cells. Unfortunately, chemo drugs can’t tell the difference between cancer cells and fast-growing healthy cells, including white blood cells. A side effect is a low white blood cell count which means the body cannot fight off infections, even small ones from a simple cold.

The day after your chemo treatment, you will have to return to the doctor to receive a shot because you are suddenly quite vulnerable to infections. If you catch a cold, the doctor will make you check into the hospital. It's that serious. The shot is that important. My shot was called Neulasta. It was kind of stingy and hot feeling but it went away quite fast, thank goodness.

Here are some ways to protect yourself from infections:

• No mall, grocery store, schools, restaurants or other public places. Best to stay home a week and see how your next blood count check comes out. You will get your counts taken once a week. Once the doctor says your white count is good, then you can quote MLK - "free at last!"
• Have your kitchen and bathroom wiped down and sprayed often with something that kills bacteria, germs and viruses. Someone else should do this, not you.
• Wash your hands with warm water and antibacterial soap often - when you get up in the morning, after you get dressed, before and after every meal, after working with dishes or laundry, after doing any cleaning. Follow up with a leave-on anti-bacterial sanitizer.
• Bathe and shampoo daily.
• Get a super soft toothbrush. I got myself a baby's 1st toothbrush. You need to avoid bleeding gums which sometimes happens after brushing.
• Use lotion to help prevent cracks in your skin. Make sure your cuticles get some.
• No manicures or pedicures at public salons. Never cut cuticles or pull hangnails.
• Wear gloves to prevent cuts and scrapes. Better yet, let someone else handle knives and garden equipment. If you do get a little cut, wash it well with warm water and anti-bacterial soap, put on some triple antibiotic cream and cover with a bandaid. Keep it dry until a good scab has formed. Of course, call the doctor for anything beyond "minor."
• Use an electric razor instead of a blade for shaving.
• Avoid bad fitting shoes or any activity that could cause blisters on hands or feet.
• No raw food at all. This includes seafood, meats, unpasteurized milk, and all fruits and veggies! Opt for canned fruit rather than fresh. Cook food thoroughly to kill infection-causing bacteria that may be in raw food.
• Watch for signs of infection - redness, swelling, hotness, streaking, fever, weakness, pus.

Call your doctor immediately if you have:

• Fever higher than 100F. Take your temperature every morning, afternoon and night.
• Chills
• Sneezing, runny nose, cough or sore throat
• Loose stools/diarrhea
• Changes in urination or a discharge that isn't "normal" urine
• Mouth ulcers or sores in the throat. One of your chemo drugs might cause these. Open sores in the mouth area are extra susceptible to infection.
• Hemorrhoids or sores near the rectum
• Unusual vaginal discharge, burning or itching
• Redness, swelling, or sores anywhere on the skin or in the mouth
  

My mom cleaned my bathrooms for me using clorox bleach and wipes and did the cooking that first week after each treatment. I wore gloves that went to my elbows while in the garden and told my neighbor I could not prune her roses anymore (I usually took care of them for her). I stayed indoors for a whole week after each treatment. I washed my hands and used sanitizer a lot. I was incredibly healthy during my four months of chemo. About a month after my last treatment I caught a wicked cold - it's as if my body knew to wait until I could handle it. I did have a "friend" at chemo who ended up in the hospital for 2 weeks because she caught a simple cold.

How To Do A Breast Self Exam

The best time to do a self-exam is when the breasts are not tender or swollen, so avoid "that time of the month." Most experts suggest checking your own breasts once a month but every weekend is better. You need to get to know what's "normal" for your breasts.

All women over 20 years old should examine their breasts whether they are natural, have implants, are pregnant or are nursing. If anything is unusual, make a doctor appointment for the same week. Most of the time, it's nothing to worry about. But if it is cancer, an early find and fast response can make a difference in how far it spread and whether you have to have mastectomy or lumpectomy, and whether you can to go through chemotherapy.

Breast cancer is not restricted to "old people." There is a growing group of women in their 40's getting it. It is also linked to high hormone levels due to the Pill, hormone replacement therapy and pregnancy. Hereditary breast cancer can strike at any age.

In the "old days" it was recommended to do examinations while standing in the shower. Nowadays laying on your back is the recommended way because the breast tissue spreads more evenly across your chest which makes it much easier to feel all the breast tissue.

Use the finger pads of the 3 middle fingers on your left hand to feel for lumps in the right breast. Use the right hand to check out your left breast. Make overlapping circular patterns with your finger pads to feel the breast tissue. Do this once lightly, again with medium pressure, and then a third time with firm pressure so you can feel down to your ribs.

Do the entire "circle" of your breast, in between them (sternum/breast bone) and all the way up to your collar bone. Your breast is actually teardrop shaped and goes up pretty high. Also check your sides up into the arm pit.

While standing in front of a mirror with your hands pressing firmly down on your hips, compare them for changes in size difference or shape. Check the skin for dimpling, redness, scaliness, orange peel textures, dimpling, inverted or changed nipple appearance. Use a hand mirror to examine the undersides.

Examine your underarms while upright and with your arm only slightly raised so you can easily feel in this area. Don't raise your arm too high because this makes the skin and muscle real tight which makes it harder to find changes.

These self exams are very important. I found my lump this way - it was very high toward the collarbone and too high to be captured in mammogram pictures. Mammograms alone are not enough. You must do both.
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