The Power of One "Plus" and Creating the 10 to Thrive eBook



Click here for link: 10 to Thrive eBook 



According to the Livestrong Foundation, one in three people will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime and three out of four families will provide caregiving to a loved one with cancer.[i] 

The Power of One+...

By Tambre Leighn, MA, CPC, ELI-MP (guest blogger)

One of the most common issues cancer survivors and caregivers face is isolation. Often you feel alone because cancer has changed your lives in so many ways you no longer relate to the one you were living before the experience.

The emotional journey of cancer is complex. Many survivors and caregivers avoid asking for help out of a desire to not burden others or equate asking for help as a sign of weakness.

The reality is no one gets through the experience of cancer on his or her own. It requires the support, cooperation and coordination of a relatively wide circle of people from treatment through into survivorship.

It requires.....

The power of one +.      We're in this together....and we can't do it alone.

As a caregiver, I learned this the hard way. So earlier this year when Nico Juber, one of the founders of Thrive/Survive Los Angeles (link: www.thrivesurvive.org) and I were discussing the huge impact cancer has for young adults in survivorship we created an idea for an eBook…and then we asked for help.

We reached out to the cancer community including medical professionals, health and wellness experts and founders of other cancer non-profits. Would they contribute a list of the top ten insights, resources and action steps in their area of expertise to help survivors take practical action steps to increase their quality of life?

Almost every invitation to contribute was accepted and it was only due to conflicting schedules that anyone took a pass. What does this say about people? This experience and other past evidence as well as the outcomes my clients have shared when they’ve learned to reach out for help is that people, in general, have a strong desire to make a difference for others.

Asking simply creates an invitation for them to choose, or not, whether they have the resources to assist. If I had attempted to undertake an eBook project of the size and scope of 10 to Thrive, it simply wouldn’t be in existence right now. Nico and I couldn’t pull together that much expertise in several life times to write on all ten areas. This project required a team approach.

The experience of co-creating the 10 to Thrive eBook with Nico and the long list of amazing contributing authors models the power of what can be done when you dig into your contacts list and then have the courage to invite people to help. If they can’t, they can’t. But that opens up the chance to ask them if they know anyone they can recommend. 



Tambre Leighn, MA, CPC, ELI-MP



Whether you’re writing an amazing eBook to help AYA cancer survivors, going through treatment, caring for a loved one or struggling with survivorship challenges, building a team makes a major difference in the journey and the outcome. We cannot know, do and be it all in life. To read more about building a team, check out Strength in Numbers (link: http://wellbeyondordinary.com/strength-in-numbers)

Meanwhile, if you or someone you know could benefit from a free copy of 10 to Thrive: a comprehensive, easy-to-use guide to life after cancer for young adults please go to www.thrivesurvive.org/10toThrive or pass this link on to someone you know is struggling. Completely free because we believe in…

The Power of One+!

For more insights, tips and resources go to:

http://www.WellBeyondOrdinary.com

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[i] Lance Armstrong Foundation Annual Report, 2004.

This blog post is part of the Resource Roundup series sponsored by Cancer Blog: Lots To Live For! in which the spotlight is shined on a resource that can help improve the journeys of cancer patients and caregivers. Past Resource Roundup stars have included the Annie Appleseed Project and Caring Bridge.

Cancer Survivors Who Beat the Odds – Attributes of Survivors Who Became Thrivers

by Tami Boehmer, Guest Blogger
Learn how to win a copy of Tami's book at the end of this blog post.

I was first diagnosed with breast cancer at age 39 in 2002 after finding a lump during a breast self-exam. There was no history of breast cancer in my family, so I was shocked, to say the least. Two weeks later my father died. My daughter was three, and my husband and I had been married less than five years. It was a devastating time, but I was heartened when my doctor told me I had no lymph node involvement and my prognosis was excellent.

After five years, chances are slim cancer will return. But again, I learned you can’t pay attention to statistics. In February 2008, I found a lump in my armpit, and after a series of scans, I learned it had returned as stage IV cancer. I went to a world-renowned cancer hospital only to be told I would certainly die from breast cancer. Luckily I turned it into a challenge to prove the doctor wrong.

I spent my career in healthcare public relations, and always loved writing patient success stories. I already knew my friend Buzz Sheffield, who was told five years earlier he had months to live. (Today, eight years later, he is alive and well.) I also read Bernie Siegel’s wonderful book, Love, Medicine and Miracles, which talked about Exceptional Cancer Patients and how the worst thing doctors can do is to give death sentences.

So I started my search for more incredible people who beat the odds of terminal cancer for my book, From Incurable to Incredible. I was searching for answers. It was an extremely personal journey. As someone facing a Stage IV breast cancer diagnosis, you could say my life depended on it.

My biggest question was: What sets people apart who beat the odds of a terminal or incurable prognosis? As I was putting the 27 stories together, I noticed many similarities among survivors nationwide who shared their stories. Rather than passively accepting their circumstances; they decided to transform them by:

• Refusing to buy into statistics and the death sentences many of them were given.

• Never giving up, no matter what. They may have had down times, but were able to pull themselves together and do what they needed to do.

• Relying on support from family, loved ones, or support groups. These connections gave them a reason to carry on.

• Choosing to look on the bright side and see the gifts cancer brings.

• Giving back and making a difference in other people’s lives, whether it was fundraising, lobbying, or supporting other survivors.

• Having a strong sense of faith. Even if they didn’t believe in God, they believed in something larger than themselves.

• Being proactive participants in their health care.

• Viewing their lives as transformed by their experience.

I continue to share stories of amazing cancer survivors on my blog, www.MiracleSurvivors.com, and continue to see these common threads. But I’ve found there are people in the cancer community who are offended by these observations. “Are you saying that people who didn’t make it weren’t positive enough?” Absolutely not! Cancer is complex, and I do know people who possess all of these qualities and still succumb to this awful disease … two of them whose stories are in my book. There are no absolutes or guarantees. In the midst of dismal statistics for people with late stage cancer, my purpose is to help show there are possibilities. There is always hope, and there are ways to live life to the fullest … with purpose and joy. As Deb Violette, a lung cancer survivor and advocate featured in my book shared, “This little voice in my head said, 'Why are you focusing on the 90 percent of people who didn’t make it; why don’t you focus on the 10 percent who do?'" She was diagnosed in 1998 and is very alive and well today.

No one should put a period where there should be a question mark.

Tami Boehmer is a speaker and an award-winning blogger and author. From Incurable to Incredible is available on Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com and via Tami’s blog, www.MiracleSurvivors.com.

If you are interested in reading the inspirational true health stories of cancer survivors who beat the odds, you can purchase the book from Amazon by clicking in the box below. Win a FREE copy of the book by visiting the Lots To Live For, Inc. facebook page by 10/7/12 by clicking here.


www.facebook.com/LotsToLiveFor  - To enter the raffle to win a free book "like" the page and "like" the blog post. Comment if you feel inspired.

To learn about and purchase products that can help reduce and relive the unpleasant and uncomfortable side effects of chemotherapy and radiation visit www.LotsToLiveFor.com. You will find solutions for: radiation burns, radiation dermatitis, dry mouth, mouth sores, nausea, sensitive and compromised skin, hair loss, and more.

Cancer Coach - Trained to Help Cancer Patients Along Their Journey - Could a Cancer Coach Help You?

BREAST CANCER. A CO-ACTIVE COACHES JOURNEY
by Sue Bock (guest blogger)

Breast cancer. When I first heard the words, I was stunned. The earth dropped out beneath my feet. As time passed, my feelings evolved, the roller coaster ride of emotions from high to low became more of a child’s ride. I went from craving knowledge to how will I carry myself through the journey of treatment and after. I was already a trained co- active life coach, now how will that help me?

A Co-Active Coach trained at the The Coaches Training Institute uses a “tried-and-true approach that provides a powerful process for engaging with others and is supported by current scientific research. Our program is built on the cornerstone that we are all naturally creative, resourceful and whole and that we all possess the capacity for knowing what is best for ourselves. From this place, the Co-Active Coach comes from a place of authentic being, listening and encouragement, to uncover the best in oneself and others.” This is where I started. Now I help other breast cancer survivors transition from breast cancer treatment to breast cancer thriver. Leading a fulfilling life is possible after breast cancer. After the dust settles and the “normal” life returns, a Wellness Coach partners with the client to pave a path, so to speak. The client makes choices to answer the burning question of, “what is next?”

There are many hurdles to jump after breast cancer, and a Co-Active Coach is there to soften any bumps along the road. Often after breast cancer, women (and there are some men) find themselves at a loss. No longer is the support the same. The medical team is less a part of their lives and it may feel like they are alone in their quest to find answers. Coaching is a way to creative problem solve in a positive and safe environment.

In The International Journal of Interdisciplinary Social Sciences, Pam Schmid shared the following testimonial:“Coaching made lasting, positive changes in the cancer survivors’ llives. Instead of being stuck, they have a partner to start moving ahead to be their best,” said Schmid. “As one survivor told me, ‘This is not like anything I’ve experienced. It’s given me a pathway out … I need to move forward to do the things I know I need to do to be my best’.”

I inspire women to dream, change, and live life’s adventure courageously. Breast cancer doesn’t define you. It frees you to arrive at different choices.

Cheers

Sue Bock

You can visit Sue's Courage to Adventure Coaching website by clicking here

For products that can help reduce and relieve cancer treatment side effects visit: http://www.lotstolivefor.com/