Monday, January 23, 2012

"Hope is no small thing"

by guest blogger Terri Orr

My heart is so heavy right now, having just read some posts about a couple of little boys facing a rather imminent death from cancer. I don't want ANYONE to die from it, but how it hurts when children are involved! I had already made tentative plans to go this weekend to a fundraiser for another area child fighting a cancer battle. Even with all the strides that have been made in the battle against this horrible disease, there is still so much needing to be done.

I don't want to sound like a broken-record, boring "advertisement"...but THIS is why I "Relay". I was pulled several years ago into The American Cancer Society's Relay for Life locally by my friend, Cheryl, when she very sweetly told me she was buying a luminary bag in my honor for that year's Relay. I was floored, because it had been so many years since my cancer ordeal--to have MY name on that track as part of an effort to raise money to help with all the people who were currently going through chemo, and radiation, and fear, and surgery, and worry, and heartache, and the tremendous great "unknown" that comes with a cancer diagnosis--it was overwhelming.

I was talking with a friend's mother just yesterday about Relay. She is a breast cancer survivor--her battle was years after my mother died from it. My mother was violently ill when she went through her chemo treatments--that was a large part of the reason she chose to stop them when she did. By the time my friend's mom had her chemo, the medical community knew how to give anti-nausea drugs to prevent the wretched, disheartening side-effect that made my mom feel worse than the cancer ever did. ACS Relay dollars helps to fund the kinds of research that make these breakthroughs--new medicines, new protocols, new treatments, new means of prevention, new HOPE.

I am not good at asking for anything. I would have been a terrible salesperson. But I AM an advocate for Relay for Life and the American Cancer Society. The Relay event itself for Whitfield County is May 18 at the Fairgrounds. There are so many ways you can participate, help, contribute. Relay is a powerful, life-affirming event. We get together--we celebrate survivors, we remember the ones we've lost, we spend a whole night walking, talking, laughing, playing....and sometimes shedding tears of both sorrow AND joy--as those of us on the Relay teams work hard to make sure that...well, that less mothers and fathers will be sitting in hospitals watching their child die. No matter HOW overly-dramatic that might sound, I can assure you it's NOTHING compared to actually experiencing it.
Luminaria spell out Hope the night of Relay

Please, please. Join us for Relay. There will be games, and food, and fun from 7:00 p.m. and then literally all night long. We would love to see you there at the Fairgrounds, but you can help without even being there. Naturally, all donations are welcome. But I particularly love the luminaries and can only TRY to explain how much it means to someone to know their name is there. We'll make a luminaria for YOUR loved one--to honor a survivor, or remember one who has passed-- for $10.00, and their light will shine out in the night, like a beacon of hope.

Here's a link to my Team Phipps Relay page--you can sign up for a luminary (there's a purple toggle button in the middle of the page just for luminaria) and pay online, if you want. It doesn't take long; it's only $10.00 per luminary. But it's a priceless way to honor someone you love....and to help another loved one --or someone you will never know-- beat this awful, dreadful, wretched disease.

Monday, January 16, 2012

The Mack Gaston Community Center grand opening celebration - January 16, 2012



We have an exciting new Community Center on Frederick Street in Dalton, Georgia!  I sat in a crowd of several hundred folks today for the dedication of the facility, tears welling in my eyes for the strength of a community coming together with a purpose.  No better day than Martin Luther King Jr. Day, 2012 to show what the collaboration of city, county and community can accomplish.


The many men and women who made the old center a focal part of east Dalton and those who made the new vision of service to the whole of the city and county a reality were honored today. And they were out en force, smiling, swelling with pride for a dream come true.
Director Tom Pinson receives "the key to the building" for his service and commitment to the center.














This beautiful center will serve kids, families, seniors, clubs, EVERYONE.  If you havent seen it, I urge you to visit it soon, take a walk around the indoor walking track, shoot some hoops, shake some hands and say hello to Tom Pinson!




Admiral Mack Gaston talks about his uncle and namesake who was responsible for the original community center being built here.






For more info: http://daltondailycitizen.com/local/x2019122783/Time-to-play
 





















































Monday, January 2, 2012

Kicking off Relay for Life 2012 - guest blogger David Haas


Happy New Year friends! Team Phipps hopes you all had the best of holidays! This time of year we are reminded of our blessings of the past year and our hopes and commitments for the new one.  I was recently contacted by another person passionate about help for cancer patients and hope for survivors.  David Haas will be a guest blogger here on Shay's Picks as Team Phipps starts our educational promotion for the 2012 Relay for Life event.

How Much Does Exercise Benefit Cancer Patients?
by David Haas, Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance Guest Blogger

It has long been proven that more active adults are less likely to develop health problems over time; exercise and physical activity every day can lower the risk of developing immune diseases, heart attacks, and other complications from aging. But can exercise also affect those who have just been diagnosed with cancer or who are in remission from it? Recent research suggests that yes, healthy, active adults are much less at risk for developing certain kinds of cancers than others and that regular exercise for patients undergoing treatment and after treatment ends can have positive effects on the health as well.

While the link between exercise and rare cancers like malignant mesothelioma hasn’t been explored as extensively, the link between exercise and colorectal, breast, and endometrial cancers have been reported on. Specifically in regards to colon cancer, physical activity has been known to positively affect metabolism, insulin regulation, and energy in active adults.

According to one study by The National Cancer Institute, exercise has been found to be beneficial for cancer survivors after treatment. The effects of exercise after treatment and into recovery for these common cancers has been positive, with many patients who are physically active being much less likely to have a recurrence or to die from complications afterwards.

Maintaining a healthy lifestyle after diagnosis is important in regards to quality of life. The benefits to the body are numerous, as well as benefits to one’s emotional state and self-perception. Exercise can improve mood, reduce fatigue brought on by treatment, and generally bolster self esteem as recovering patients become stronger again. All of these things can influence how a patient recovers and lives during and after major illnesses.

Patients must be careful not to overdo exercising. But if recovering patients are able, taking small steps just after recovery can set up good habits for continuing the exercise in the future. For instance, walking longer distances every day or taking the stairs instead of the elevator in buildings are small things one can do to add exercise into a daily routine. However, all patients and healthy adults alike should remember to consult a doctor before starting a new exercise regimen.

The link between exercise and the risk of certain cancers has been studied extensively in the last ten years. With guidance, any patient’s quality of life can be improved with regular exercise.

Read more of David's blogs at http://haasblaag.blogspot.com/ and http://www.mesothelioma.com/blog
Visit my Relay for life page at http://main.acsevents.org/goto/shayrul