Archive for the ‘Cancer’ Category
I had the pleasure and privilege to work with several wonderful women on this year’s KaleidoscopeDE Cancer Conference which was held at the Embassy Suites Hotel in Newark, DE.
The KaleidoscopeDE Cancer Conference was the brain child of Nicolle Surratte founder of NspiredD.com. Nicolle is also a five year cancer thriver who has been working tirelessly with many other cancer organizations in and out of the state of Delaware and she has even appeared on nationally televised commercials for the Cancer Treatment Centers of America. The purpose of the KaleidoscopeDE Cancer Conference was to Empower Survivors – Mind, Body and Spirit.
Raising funds for the Cancer Conference was a monumental task, we sold tickets, solicited donations from local businesses, held a Flapjack Fundraiser at Applebee’s and on Friday night hosted a “Cocktails and Comedy” Show. The show featured comediennes who are all cancer survivors and you can read more about this great show on my blog by clicking here.
Grateful to the many volunteers who came out early Saturday morning to assist us with the set-up, check-ins, vendors arrangements and moderators.
Everything including the presentations made this a very successful conference and for that we are all very thankful.
Workshop presenters included:
Liz Brown, PCC, CACP, CWC, owner of Be Well Life Coaching in Centreville, DE – www.bewelllifecoaching.com
Wendy Fulford, Certified Natural Health Professional – www.holisticeagleeye.com
Liz Abel, Licensed integrative functional nutritionist – www.freeandabel.com
Amy Marshall, Certified Integrative Nutrition Health Coach – www.creatinghealthyroots.com
Anastacia Monguelluzzo, LMT – Licensed Massage Therapist in Delaware
Dr. Susan Silberstein, PhD – Founder and Educational Director or www.BeatCancer.org
Sue Palmer, LMT, Licensed Massage Therapist
The 2016 KaleidoscopeDE Cancer Conference began at 8:00 am with registration, vendor exhibits and light breakfast snacks. The welcoming greeting and schedule of the day was presented by Sherani then Nicolle welcomed everyone before the the first Empowerment Session which began promptly (not quite) at 9:50 am.
Empowerment Session 2 started at 11:00 am and with the layout of the rooms at the Embassy Suites everyone was able to get from one session to the other with ease.
There was a wonderful lunch buffet before the final Empowerment Session at 1:20 p.m. The last session ended at 2:20 and the closing included Raffle Drawings, Door Prizes and Giveaways which ranged from an Invicta and Apple Watch, to a 3-day 2 night stay at a resort in Virginia.
Each attendee received a very nice Tote Bag donated by Tanger Outlet and it contained a lot of informational sheets and other goodies. Among the many vendors on hand were Alternative Therapy, BeatCancer.org, BeautyCounter, Black Nurses Association of Northern Delaware, Delaware Chiropractic at Louviers, Health Care Solutions Delaware Valley, Life Changing Hands Massage, MedExpress and Pamper Perfect Mobile Spa, iasoTea, Fusions Taster’s Choice and authors Viviane Philmon and Dr. Nat’e Guyton.
It was a wonderful day and I am looking forward to working with Nicolle again next year on the 2017 KaleidoscopeDE Cancer Conference.
We have all been touched by cancer and together we are working for a cancer free world.
Will you be participating in any Cancer Awareness walks or activities this month?
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Last Friday night the 2016 Kaleidoscope DE Cancer Conference kicked off with a Cocktails and Comedy Show at the Embassy Suites in Newark, Delaware.
Belynda Cleare, a member of the Kaleidoscope planning committee as well as a world renown comedian was the host and she along with 6 other comediennes entertained a packed crowd in a sold out house.
Kaleidoscope DE Cancer Conference was the dream child of Nicolle Surratte and the Cocktails and Comedy show kickoff wasn’t simply a way to raise funds and awareness to women living with all types of cancer. The Cocktails and Comedy Show was a way to get your laugh on with comics who are also cancer survivors.
There were no actual alcoholic “cocktails” served at the show, however, cancer meds and chemo treatments are often referred to as “cocktails” hence the play on words. I thoroughly enjoyed the show and was glad that hubby was also able to attend as he too had a great time.
Laughter is oftentimes the best medicine and because the comedians could laugh and share their cancer stories in a humorous manner made it easier for others to do so as well.
The comics for the evening were:
Evelyn Butts
Phil Porter
During the evening I posted several videos on my Facebook page and a lot of pictures to my Instagram page. I highly recommend that you check out each of the comics either there or on YouTube as they are all hilarious!
The 2016 Kaleidoscope Cancer Conference is going to become an annual event in Delaware so make sure you follow along and don’t miss it in 2017.
Next week I will share some of the highlights from this year’s conference as well as the presenters who came out to educate and empower cancer survivors, mind, body and spirit.
If you would like more information, please feel free to reach out to Nicolle Surratte, CEO/Founder of NspireD who is also a 5 year cancer THRIVER – 610-812-9997 or www.nspiredbynicolle.com
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What the fart? Why passing gas is good for you! 😂
I remember when my grandmother was alive, it seemed like every time she stood up she would pass gas. It wasn’t a stinky fart, just loud and what I thought was inappropriate. I would give her the side eye and then moan “mom”, she would turn and look at me like “WHAT?”. 😒
The boys were young and they would crack up laughing, but if we had visitors I never thought it was funny and would give them that “don’t you dare” look. 🙅 Years have since passed on and so has she, which by the way, she was 98 when she passed! I have only recently learned that passing gas is actually good for the body.
If you have been reading my blog for a while then you know that my hubby was diagnosed with small intestinal cancer and although he never had any symptoms, he always did have gastrointestinal concerns. So much so that he started getting colonoscopies in his early 40’s.
It was very difficult for him to eliminate waste and when he did it was oftentimes very painful! He had used every over-the-counter and prescribed stool softener and laxative on the market but nothing helped. 💩😰💩
After each annual colonoscopy the diagnosis was the same, “you just have a slow digestive system, no blockage or reason to be concerned”. Little did we know that cancer was growing inside his small intestines.
We are not sure if the years of gastrointestinal problems caused or was a catalyst for the cancer, however, we were fortunate that his new GI specialist decided to perform an endoscopy which ultimately revealed it.
Hubby passing gas yet not being able to poop has always been a concern for him. However, walking past me and farting has always been an irritant to me.
I am not sure what prompted him, maybe it was my nagging, but he decided to do a little research online where he found an article that stated that passing gas was actually good for the body.
I still give him the side eye when he does it ! 😒
According to an article in Medical Daily, farting…fluctuation…or simply passing gas can indicate healthy gut bacteria. Farting is a natural part of the human digestive process. A person would have to consume nothing but refined sugars to avoid passing gas and we all know that is definitely not healthy!
So are you or your spouse a farter? If so, there is now no need to feel badly about doing it even if you never did. 😉
Fart on my friend and stay healthy!
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I hate the battery in bed with us!
I hate the sound that pouch makes all through the night…the pumping of the poison
I hate the battery in bed with us!
I hate the position on his back he must lay…the pumping of the poison
I hate the battery in bed with us!
I hate he’s up and down all night, losing sleep just to pee…the pumping of the poison
I hate the battery in bed with us!
I hate he can’t shower for two days, bird baths in the sink…the pumping of the poison
I hate the battery in bed with us!
I hate that his bones ache and he can’t touch his feet, cold chills, numb fingers and lack of sleep…the pumping of the poison
I hate the battery in bed with us!
I hate I can’t scratch his back or rub his neck to relax…the pumping of the poison
I hate the battery in bed with us!
I hate he can’t do the things he loved or be amongst a crowd…the pumping of the poison
I hate the battery in bed with us!
I HATE CANCER!
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Today I had my youngest son take his father for his bi-weekly chemo treatment at the Helen Graham Cancer Center. Why? Because he’s selfish…no not my husband…my son. It’s all about him…me…me…me and at the age of 19 he needs to understand that life is more about others and less about him.
Next week he will be leaving to start his Sophomore year at Bowie State University where I hope he decides to really buckle down and take his education seriously, unlike his first semester as a Freshman.
Who do I blame for his selfishness…my husband and I. He wasn’t born selfish but because of or in spite of the fact that our oldest, his brother is intellectually disabled perhaps we were too lenient…yes, we were too lenient in allowing him to “get away” with way too much as a child.
Unfortunately, there is no “How To Be A Great Parent” manual, otherwise it would be on the New York Times Best Seller list. And there definitely isn’t a manual on “How to raise two sons when the first born is disabled and you are the caregiver to an elderly grandparent, and oh by the way, your sister gets killed in a car accident and you’ve been married for less than 5 years”
The title to that manual would be, “For Better of Worser” which you could find an excerpt of it here.
So how did my son do? I don’t know…let me go ask him…be right back.
Okay, this is what he said, “I was a little nervous, but it was alright”. I guess having that iPhone growing out of his hand gave him a sense of security…whatever works.
I do hope that as the days and weeks go by, he will not only think of and care about his father’s health, but also that of others especially of those whose lives have been drastically changed by this selfish and uncaring disease! #ihatcancer
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Now that hubby is cancer free (thank God) and his digestive system seems to be back on track, it’s time to switch up our bathroom routine and Pamper His Bum! Yes friends, ladies and babies aren’t the only ones who enjoy a clean bottom our men do as well. Have you seen the wonderfully diverse #LetsTalkBum TV commercials for Cottonelle Bath Tissue and Flushable Cleansing Cloths?
Yesterday after work, I stopped at CVS on Route 202 and used the $1.50 off coupon for the purchase of a dispenser of Cottonelle Fresh Care Cleansing Cloths and Clean Care Toilet Paper. To pamper hubby’s bum I put the Cottonelle products in the hall bathroom so that he and our sons can enjoy the softness of the dry wipe followed by the freshness of a wet wipe.
‘”Sharing is Caring” so I’ll put extra rolls of Cottonelle TP and a dispenser of Flushable Cleansing Cloths in the Powder Room, so tomorrow as we are celebrating our son’s graduation, guests will have an opportunity to experience the wet+dry system for themselves.
If you want to pamper your bum this holiday weekend, head to the local CVS and use this money saving coupon to save on Cottonelle Clean Care Toilet Paper and Flushable Cleansing Cloths, your Bum with thank you!
Now let’s talk bums, do you think you would like the Cottonelle wet+dry system?
This post is sponsored by Cottonelle, but my love for their fresh care flushable cleansing cloths is all my own! #LetsTalkBums
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“I was a senior in High School when my father was diagnosed with cancer”
Most of us has read or at least heard this statement, or you may have even said it yourself, I just never thought my youngest son would be uttering these words…
Yes, my husband of 23 years was recently diagnosed with Colon Cancer, actually, the cancer is located in his small intestine. Small intestinal cancer is an uncommon cancer that comprises about 1% to 2% of all gastrointestinal cancers. As you read this post, he and I are meeting with the physician who will be performing the surgery.
Ironically March is Colon Cancer Awareness month and although it is recommended you start having a colonoscopy at the age of 50, I ask that you consider beginning it earlier, especially if you have any symptoms. My husband never smoked, drank or ate “bad” foods, he stayed active and continues to workout on a regular basis but cancer doesn’t care!
He started having colonoscopies at the age of 45 and although he had many of the symptoms it was only recently diagnosed with a endoscopy. I trust and believe that the surgery will remove all of those cancerous polyps and ask that you pray for him and our family. I will keep you posted as more information is gathered.
Stay Blessed – No Stress in 2014!
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