You can #MakeItPersonal
Some Tips for Participating in TurningPoint Breast Cancer Rehabilitation’s #MakeItPersonal Campaign As we celebrate TurningPoint Breast Cancer Rehabilitation’s 15th anniversary this fall and into 2019, we are inviting and welcoming you to tell your individual stories regarding your respective journeys with breast cancer. The ultimate goal of the #MakeItPersonal campaign during this milestone is to increase awareness for TurningPoint, both for those supporting and battling breast cancer. If this effort builds significant momentum, we will be making a difference for years to come in metro Atlanta and beyond. It is the moving, inspiring stories of our patients, staff, volunteers and supporters that do the best job of capturing the essence and uniqueness of TurningPoint. Additionally, such stories often describe the many benefits TurningPoint provides for the women and men served. We invite you to tell your story through videos, photos, and or writing and ask that you limit your videos to 1 minute 30 seconds. We would love to share your inspiring journey and how TurningPoint helped play a role in it on whatever social media platform you feel most comfortable with—be it Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, etc. In doing this, we ask that you address any aspects of your journey but with specific reference to TurningPoint’s role in your journey. ∞ ∞ ∞ In responding to this query, will you please consider answering the following questions? How and why are you involved with TurningPoint? What was the thing you value most from your association with TurningPoint? What made your experience at TurningPoint unique to your journey? Can you talk about the staff and the specific help they provided you and your family? How did TurningPoint impact your physical abilities and the return to participating in activities you did prior to learning about your breast cancer diagnosis. When you tell your story via video, here are some important tips to keep in mind. Find a quiet, comfortable place to record without any distractions; minimize the potential for disruption You don’t need a script but have a pretty good idea of what you’d like to say before you record. This will make the process go faster and more smoothly. Be authentic/be yourself as we want to know how TurningPoint most impacted your journey. If people understand how TurningPoint affects a breast cancer patient or the loved one of a TurningPoint patient, it helps on multiple levels, including increasing awareness to patients, caregivers, and doctors in the entire breast cancer community. When you post by way of relevant social media, we ask that you reference the official hashtag #MakeItPersonal (note M, I and P are all capitalized to help read it more easily) and TurningPoint’s handle @TurningPointBCR Feel free to also reference other hashtags such as #breastcancer, #physicaltherapy and #cancercare Also, be sure to follow TurningPoint on Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/TurningPointBCR/ and share posts you see pertaining to #MakeItPersonal. Here are 9 examples of sample verbiage to use (please attach some image, video, or link to accompany this as the visual element of social media is so powerful and compelling.) * During my breast cancer journey @TurningPointBCR served an invaluable role helping me become cancer free. I will never forget the indelible impact the organization left on me and my family during the peaks and valleys of my experience. I’m forever grateful. #MakeItPersonal * I didn’t know what steps to take following my treatment plan for breast cancer three years ago. Fortunately, I came across @TurningPointBCR & its compassionate staff and will never forget the tears, smiles, screams and laughs that helped in my recovery. #MakeItPersonal * I will always consider my time as a patient with @TurningPointBCR as the most important part of journey beating breast cancer. Without the love and support of their amazing staff and fellow patients, I don’t know that I would have found the strength to survive. #MakeItPersonal * I always think about @TurningPointBCR for the game-changing support helping me in my battle against breast cancer. I would not be here today without TP’s extraordinary staff helping me with physical and massage therapy. #MakeItPersonal * It wasn’t until I went to @TurningPointBCR where I regained strength and was able to lift my ## year old child again. I will remember the real warmth and support every member of the staff showed toward me and my family. I wouldn’t be here today without it! #MakeItPersonal * For anyone battling breast cancer you should learn about @TurningPointBCR. It’s a unique nonprofit in metro Atlanta focused on survivorship, helping one with breast cancer feel better faster and fully return to engage in activities enjoyed before the bc diagnosis. #MakeItPersonal * @TurningPointBCR supports women and men of all backgrounds on the way to a full recovery, providing services such as physical & massage therapy. #MakeItPersonal * What stands out the most about my experience with breast cancer is the time I spent @TurningPointBCR. The organization helped me feel better mentally, physically and psychologically and brought me back to my family. Everyone with breast cancer needs to know about this hidden gem. #MakeItPersonal * If I didn’t learn about @TurningPointBCR while battling breast cancer, I don’t know that I’d be here as a survivor today. The nonprofit’s genuine and skilled staff brought me back to being myself again for my family and friends. And now I have a new lease on life! #MakeItPersonal Thank you so much in advance for your support and help boosting the critical work and mission of TurningPoint!
Evidence Update: Impact of Aerobic and Resistance Exercise in Overweight Breast Cancer Survivors
Research supports the benefits of exercise to help improve physical function, reduce fatigue, improve overall well-being, and reduce the risk of recurrence during and after breast cancer treatment. Studies also indicate that being overweight or obese during and after breast cancer treatment can negatively impact treatment outcomes, physical functioning, and quality of life. A study completed by Dieli-Conwright, et al, was initiated to better understand the influence of physical activity on physical fitness, bone health, and emotional / social well-being during the early survivorship phase occurring 4-8 months after completing chemotherapy and/or radiation treatments. The study included 100 ethnically diverse female breast cancer survivors who reported being physically inactive and were either overweight or obese, https://phenadip.com. The women were randomized between an intervention group, which received a progressive prescribed exercise program that included 150 minutes of aerobic activity and 2-3 days of resistance exercise training each week and the control group of usual activity. The results of the study showed that the exercise group reported less depression, decreased fatigue, better muscular strength and slight increase in bone mass. These findings support the importance of early initiation of a supervised exercise program for women who have completed breast cancer treatment. Dieli-Conwright, CM , Courneya, KS, Demark-Wahnefried, W, Sami, N , Lee, K, Sweeney, FC, Stewart, C, Buchanan, TA, Spicer, D, Tripathy, D, Bernstein, L and Mortime, JE; Aerobic and resistance exercise improves physical fitness, bone health, and quality of life in overweight and obese breast cancer survivors: a randomized controlled trial. Breast Cancer Research (2018) 20:124.
Evidence Update: Suffering Can Lead to Positive Changes
Suffering Can Lead to Positive Changes The concept that suffering can be a source of positive personal change is referred to as Post Traumatic Growth (PTG). The first researchers, Richard Calhoun and Lawrence Tedeschi, more than two decades ago (Calhoun, L.G & Tedeschi R.G,1995) stated that two criteria must be met to satisfy their definition of post traumatic growth: 1) the individual must struggle with a life changing event; and 2) that struggle then leads to profound growth and change. A recent 2016 study titled “Post Traumatic Growth in Women Survivors of Breast Cancer” found that PTG was evident in varying forms through positive changes in the women’s perspective towards life, a better understanding of self, closer and warmer relationships, and richer spiritual dimensions of life. Study participants had an increased appreciation of living life in the present to the fullest capacity and in looking after one’s own negeds in making one’s self a priority while engaging in meaningful activities. The women in the study had an increased ability to empathize and shifting perspectives about the role of destiny. Some people may find, after enough time has passed, that living through or with cancer has helped them to make some positive changes in their lives. Barthakur, MS, Sharma, MP, Chaturvedi, SK, Manjunath, SK. Posttraumatic growth in women survivors of breast cancer. Indian J Palliat Care. 2016 Apr-Jun; 22(2): 157–162.
Atlanta Braves Diamond of Hope Award Honors Stephanie Scalise
Stephanie Scalise, TurningPoint patient and advocate, describes the Diamond of Hope award ceremony: The Atlanta Braves 2017 Breast Cancer Awareness Day was September 23 and started with a get together on the Plaza, filled with great energy and camaraderie. After a fun time introducing my girls to 80’s music with the cover band, the ceremony began. Just being in the presence of these amazing breast cancer survivors, or as I call us, ‘thrivers’, is an amazing feeling. The added bonus of being presented the Diamond of Hope award by two of the Braves players, made it that much more special. Once the award ceremony was done, the thrivers all headed to the tunnels by 3rd base to walk onto the field in a balloon release after the national anthem. During this time we got to meet new people and share our experiences with each other and exchange contact information. I was invited to join others in a monthly fun outing, help serve with the USO with another Diamond of Hope recipient and I was able to invite other thrivers to the 2nd annual Strides for Survivors walk on February 24, 2018, which benefits TurningPoint. Stephanie Scalise 2017 Diamond of Hope award recipient
