By Sarah Ellery

Monday, October 24, My Hope Bag traveled to United Aviate Academy in Goodyear to meet with some of their staff and students. United Aviate Academy trains future pilots with United Airlines. We had a delightful time with them while they assembled 50 bags for our future use. They also bagged the bracelets for the bags, bagged thank you cards, and assembled Thrive Causemetics into Thrive Causemetics cosmetic bags which also went into the bags.

A big thank you to Sherri who coordinated the event. Thank you also to staff members Carmen and Pam as well as students DeAnna, Isabelle, Brittney, and Jinhua. The ladies assembled the bags with all contents in a little over an hour.  One suggested we bring 200 bags next time. I said, “Done!”

Their generosity saved My Hope Bag hours of assembling bags on an as-needed basis. Thank you again, lovely ladies. We had a great time and sure look forward to future events with you.

Our Hope Sisters are an integral part of My Hope Bag. Every single one has a different story. A few of our Hope Sisters share: How it started Vs How it’s going, and what they’ve learned about themselves along the journey!

Kim McCauley:

During Chemo and current wrote in vacation in  New Orleans.  What I learned about myself?  That I am stronger than I ever thought possible. And I am thankful that I truly believed it would get better. Cause I did!!!

Mandi Pokorney:

– I was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2016 after going in for my first mammogram screening at age 40. I had elected to get the 3D mammogram screening which picked up some irregularities. My diagnosis required several rounds of chemo and I elected to have a double mastectomy. After 2 years of treatment, I beat breast cancer! I was absolutely overwhelmed and grateful for all of the support, love, and encouragement I received from family, friends & co-workers during my treatment.  My healthcare provider team was outstanding and helped me every step of the way. All of the support from friends, family, physicians, and co-workers allowed me to stay focused on my fight against breast cancer and overcome!

– Preventative screenings and early detection result in better outcomes and longer lives!  Don’t put off your preventative mammography screenings! For those survivors out there, please share your story whenever possible, it’s so beneficial for women going through treatment and fighting cancer to see survivors living with vitality and optimism!

 

Kay Sinclair:

Been fighting for almost four years and always will unless a miracle happens since I am stage 4 and systematic.  I have learned to let faith take over this journey and not to have fear!  And to enjoy one day at a time by exploring your buck list and going with the flow that days give you.  I give thanks and blessings for each day so am given.

By Lizzy Ellery, MHB Vice President

In the world today, we are overloaded with an exhausting list of options when it comes to our health. From the recommendations for which diet plan to follow, how many minutes a week to exercise, and the things we should do versus the things we shouldn’t do. It can just be very overwhelming. Especially when you have cancer on the mind.

According to American Cancer Society, “For most Americans who do not use tobacco, the most important cancer risk factors that can be changed are body weight, diet, and physical activity. At least 18% of all cancers diagnosed in the US are related to excess body weight, physical inactivity, excess alcohol consumption, and/or poor nutrition, and thus could be prevented.” (Cancer.org, 2022)

At this point in time, there isn’t a way to fully ensure you prevent cancer from occurring. There are many, many factors that contribute to the development of cancer, not to mention the genetic aspect. Even though we may not know for sure, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that lifestyle will in fact help prevent cancer, it couldn’t hurt to at least adopt some of those lifestyle changes (just in case). There are many resources that indicate lifestyle changes can yield positive outcomes. Here are a few resources to review when you consider what you can do to make these changes in your own life if you choose.

Achieve and maintain a healthy weight throughout life.

Keep your weight within the healthy range and avoid weight gain in adult life.

Be physically active.

Adults: Get 150-300 minutes of moderate-intensity or 75-150 minutes of vigorous-intensity activity each week (or a combination of these). Getting to or exceeding the upper limit of 300 minutes is ideal.

Children and teens: Get at least 1 hour of moderate or vigorous intensity activity each day.

Limit sedentary behavior such as sitting, lying down, watching TV, and other forms of screen-based entertainment.

Follow a healthy eating pattern at all ages.

A healthy eating pattern includes:

Foods that are high in nutrients in amounts that help you get to and stay at a healthy body weight

A variety of vegetables – dark green, red, and orange, fiber-rich legumes (beans and peas), and others

Fruits, especially whole fruits in a variety of colors

Whole grains

A healthy eating pattern limits or does not include:

Red and processed meats

Sugar-sweetened beverages

Highly processed foods and refined grain products

It is best not to drink alcohol.

People who do choose to drink alcohol should have no more than 1 drink per day for women or 2 drinks per day for men.

We all fully support the idea of living your best life! Don’t dwell on the unknown, rather enjoy your life and adopt the healthy habits that are meaningful to you.

Additional resources to consider:

Breast Cancer Resource Foundation – Nutrition Care for Breast Cancer Patients