NatiaCares Blog

Supporting a Parent with Cancer

Tue, 01 Mar 2022 09:00:03 GMT

S upporting a Parent with Cancer

So, your Mum or Dad has been diagnosed with cancer. No matter your age, their age, or the type of cancer, your world likely feels as if it’s been turned upside-down.

We’ve put together a list of 10 things to remember after a parent is diagnosed with cancer. Many of the points apply to supporting any family member, so keep reading even if your loved one didn’t raise you!

1) No one’s story is the same

There are over 100 types of cancer, and each type might have two or three (or more) ways of being treated. On top of this, each person who is diagnosed with cancer is an individual, with a unique body and their own way of being in the world.

If one of your parents is diagnosed with cancer, it can be tempting to jump online and start Googling symptoms, treatment options, and anecdotes from other people who have been diagnosed. Whilst the internet can be a helpful source of information and support, it’s important to remember that everyone’s experience with cancer is different, and cancer care is evolving all the time. Experiences and information posted years ago might not reflect the experience of someone diagnosed today.

With that in mind, it’s important to remember to take anything you read online with ‘a pinch of salt’. The best people to ask for information are healthcare professionals (especially those who are working with your parent), or your parent themselves.

2) They are still your parent

When someone is diagnosed with cancer, their sense of who they are can feel threatened. Suddenly, they’re a patient. They have a whole new part of their identity thrust upon them… and it’s all anyone seems to want to talk about!

One of the best ways to support your parent is by treating them exactly as you always have. Yes, you may have to talk to them about their health and needs, but keeping conversation as ‘normal’ as possible can do the world of good.

3) This is a fantastic opportunity to learn about who they are

How well do we really know our parents? Regardless of their expected health outcome, you can both process the situation in a meaningful and healthy way by talking about their life. If they’re open to the idea, why not come up with a few questions to ask them about their younger years? The questions can be as serious or as silly as you like.

Then, on a day where they have the time and energy, use your phone to record an interview with them.

-Learn ab out their family

4) Make sure they have space when they need it.

Cancer diagnoses are often accompanied by an influx of people asking “how are you?”. While this is always meant with the best of intentions (and usually is appreciated), when combined with all the other changes cancer can bring, it can be tiring. Sometimes, the kindest thing you can do for someone with cancer is ask them whether they actually want to see anyone today!

Everyone needs a bit of space sometimes, and that doesn’t change because of cancer.

5) There will be a change of roles.

Most of the time, a parent is a child’s primary caregiver. They do their best to meet the needs of the child, caring for them and helping them to navigate through life. When cancer comes into the family home, the balance of responsibilities can shift.

This can feel disempowering for parents and disconcerting for you as their child - even if you haven’t lived at home for years.

It’s helpful to have a frank, open discussion with your parents and the rest of the family, so that you can all decide who is responsible for what.

6) Most people won’t know what to say (and that’s okay)

Whatever your parent’s cancer experience - regardless of what treatment they have and how successful it is - most people just will not know what to say.

They may become awkward, uncomfortable, or try to steer the conversation onto more familiar ground. Try not to take this as an indication of disinterest or a lack of care. Cancer is such a taboo subject that people often avoid saying the wrong thing… by not saying much at all.

7) On that note, you don’t have to talk if you don’t want to

You are never under any obligation to talk about your feelings or experience with anyone. Having a parent with cancer is an intensely personal and emotional experience.

People might want to help, and might ask you to tell them ‘how you really feel’, but if you don’t feel comfortable saying anything… don’t. You don’t owe anyone anything.

8) But… it’s important to process your emotions.

No, you don’t have to talk to anyone if you don’t want to, but you do owe it to yourself to get your thoughts out of your head.

If you feel up to it, it can be great to talk with an understanding friend or a counsellor about what you’re going through.

If not, why not try journaling? Writing out how you feel can be an incredibly cathartic experience - it helps you to untangle and address all the thoughts and worries rushing around your head. Consider treating yourself to a new notebook, or try the journal section on our app!

9) Get help

This one’s similar to the last point, but it deserves its own section.

When your family is affected by cancer, life gets hard. Things change, and you will likely spend a lot of time worrying about the future. So it’s absolutely essential that you seek out both practical and emotional support - right from the point of diagnosis.

Here’s a list of resources dedicated to supporting cancer caregivers:

The NatiaCares app . It’s specifically designed to holistically support the wellbeing of everyone affected by cancer, including caregivers. Take a look at the cancer-specific meditations, yoga, and music, and listen to the conversations between people who have been affected by cancer, which are available on the app.
Penny Brohn aren't just for people who have been diagnosed - they support cancer caregivers as well. Call their support line or attend one of their online sessions.
Macmillan has lots of helpful advice and support resources - make sure to take a look at this page !
Government institutions often have many helpful resources for caregivers. Here’s a link for people in the UK , and one for people who are living in the US .
Cancer Research UK has collated resources for the children of people with cancer. The collection is especially focused on supporting young people, but some of the resources will be helpful for people of any age.
Riprap is a website specifically for teenagers whose parents have been affected by cancer. It offers advice, support, and helpful ways for young people to express their emotions.
Many cancer advocacy organisations provide tailored advice for caregivers based on the specific type of cancer. Check out Mesothelioma.net's advice for caregivers if your loved one has been diagnosed with Mesothelioma.

10) Pay attention to the good stuff!

A great way for you to improve your wellbeing is through gratitude. It’s a form of mindfulness, and it helps you to ensure that there is some positivity in your life. When you’re going through a tough time, it’s easy to focus solely on the negatives. But, even in the worst situations, we can always find things to be grateful for.

Consider writing a list that acknowledges the day’s happy moments or the things you appreciate your parent for, before you sleep. Or, just make a commitment to complimenting one person today or to taking more pictures of your surroundings. Whatever you do to become more mindful of the good things in life will help.

And for more conversations and loads of helpful cancer support, download the NatiaCares app today!

-Don't forget to appreciate life

2020: The Year of Progress of Understanding Cancer

Thu, 04 Feb 2021 08:00:02 GMT

2020: The Year of Progress in Cancer

(12 Minute Read)

Today is World Cancer Day, an international day marked on 4th February every year to raise awareness of cancer and to encourage its prevention, detection, and treatment. This past year has been a strange year for many of us due to the Covid-19 pandemic, with a lot of negative news circulating on a daily basis. Everything has also been solely focused on Covid-19, with developments, advances and stories of progress in other fields overshadowed.

However negative 2020 has been, there have been multiple causes for celebration, particularly in science. The year will be remembered for its advances in rapid disease testing and vaccination creation. However, progress in cancer research and treatment has also been a cause to celebrate. 2020 has been a significantly important year for understanding cancer with hope for 2021 being one of the best years for progress for research, detection and treatment yet.

2020 saw incredible developments, including, but not limited to:

Developments in Data and Prevention

Google Health announced an AI platform aids oncologists in breast cancer screenings. A study was published in Nature, with findings indicating that Google’s AI model spotted breast cancer in de-identified screening mammograms with greater accuracy, with less false positives and false negatives than experts. This study was significant as it marked the potential in using AI alongside and supporting standard clinical care for cancer. Once AI is in use to support the work of physicians and radiologists, AI-supported tools will save time and increase capacity of diagnosis facilities with the potential to alleviate the pressure on low- and middle-income countries with less to spend on cancer services.
Biomarker-driven treatment approach opens the door to personalised care for metastatic pancreatic cancer. The use of biomarker-treatment has the potential to bring greater accuracy to Europe's healthcare systems.
Long-term data shows that vaccines against human papillomavirus are reducing cervical cancer risk in real-world settings.

New Understanding of Cellular Processes

A phase I/II trial of 11 patients with relapsed or refractory CD19-positive cancers finds that most patients respond to CD19-targeting CAR natural killer (NK) cells and show a few major toxicity effects. This trial illustrates the therapeutic potential of CAR expression of non-T cells and suggests that genetically engineered allogeneic NK cells could be used as an ‘off the shelf’ cancer therapy.
A study published by Stand Up To Cancer, Cancer Research UK and Lustgarten Foundation Pancreatic Cancer Dream Team showed a step towards using immunotherapy treatment options successfully in people with pancreatic cancer. The study published results to show that MYC - a family of regulator genes and proto-oncogenes that code for transcription factors - locks cells in a tissue injury phase which causes immune cell changes, including the expulsion of T cells from the tumour. So, by inhibiting MYC it has the potential to reverse the tumour’s progression restoring the normal architecture of the tissue, including key immune cells.

Better Life Saving Therapies

Growing number of targeted therapies are offering hope for more patients with difficult-to-treat cancers. This includes progress made in hormone therapies, signal transduction inhibitors, gene expression modulators, immunotherapies and many others.
2020 was the year for the refinement of surgical treatment of cancer . This is important as through refining surgery it reduces the risks of having an operation. Advancements in systemic treatments (ones that travel through the body to treat cancer cells), include chemotherapy, targeted therapy and immunotherapy, have allowed for many people with cancer to have more limited surgical procedures, or avoid surgery completely. For example, some pancreatic cancer tumours cannot be treated with surgery, but now a tumour can be treated first with a systemic therapy to shrink it and then surgery can be attempted. By tailoring treatment plans to use new systemic therapy, more people with cancer can be effectively treated with surgery.
First-in-class drugs reduce the need for transfusion in patients with lower-risk myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). Patients with MDS often have anemia which results in being treated with red blood cell transfusions and erythropoietin-stimulating agents and often require transfusions for longer periods of time. However, not all patients are able to tolerate these treatments, so these drugs can help increase blood cell counts to increase the likelihood of the patient being able to tolerate the treatment.

Over the last decade, we have seen a continuous decline in the cancer death rate due to advances being made in cancer healthcare. Researchers have understood more about how to prevent, diagnose, treat and survive cancer. The success of immunotherapy and precision medicine has contributed to these advances. We have stepped away from a ‘one size fits all’ rhetoric in terms of cancer treatment. Researchers have highlighted the importance of palliative care in early cancer care treatment, with trials showing that when received simultaneously with medical treatment it can control their symptoms better, patients have less anxiety and depression and patients experience a better quality of life. Also, a greater understanding in health equity has led to reducing health disparities on cancer outcomes.

We have seen developments in cancer research and understanding come on in leaps and bounds and more is yet to come. Although these are incredibly challenging and difficult times for us due to Covid-19, there is hope that we will be out of this in the very near future. Try to focus on the positives and remind yourself that the situation is getting better for so many reasons, including cancer development and research. I leave you with my hope that our unyielding pace of progress in understanding cancer will lead to better outcomes for all those affected by cancer.

Gigi Aulsebrook

Overcoming Isolation by Sharing Experiences

Thu, 03 Dec 2020 17:54:47 GMT

Overcoming Isolation By Shared Experience

(10 minute read)

Featuring Helena Traill, founder of 100 Stories of Cancer

Social connection has long been recognised as a fundamental part of what it means to feel fulfilled. However, now more than ever, people who have been affected by cancer are struggling to access the social and emotional support they need. As one breast cancer patient , who was diagnosed in February, has said,

“I was getting so much help and support… then it all just stopped. It's like a double hit. You’re already feeling isolated and your whole world is turned upside down, then with COVID‐19, it doubles the feelings of isolation and vulnerability. I was really overwhelmed with everything happening so quickly, my worries with my treatment and what might happen if I contract COVID‐19”

I had already completed two other projects (one about ADHD and one about epilepsy) and found that by exploring narratives and health issues through design, I was helping both myself and other people. I found it cathartic, and when I showed others, I heard things like “these are things that have affected me - that summed it up better than a hospital leaflet ever could”.

So, when I decided to tackle the subject of cancer, I knew that I had to tell the stories of other people who had been affected by it. The 100 Stories book is a collection of a hundred moving, hopeful and authentic stories from people who either have or have had cancer or are caregivers. No two stories are alike, just as no two people are alike. But they move towards the same goal: sharing and connecting.

As stories were shared, the conversation grew until it became a community of voices, all working together for one shared purpose – to normalise speaking about cancer. For too long, society has created shame around the illness. But not anymore .

100 Stories is breaking that apart, telling people it’s okay to talk, to share, to connect.

Today, the 100 Stories community contains many hundreds of voices, and is constantly growing as the momentum continues. As well as the 100 Stories Book , there is now the 100+ Podcast , the 100 Stories Blog , and a thriving internet community.

It has become a platform that facilitates the sharing of stories, working to make people feel less alone.

Through my design practice, I learnt how powerful storytelling can be; stories connect us. In the new age of social media and during the current pandemic, cancer patients have formed new methods of emotional support. They can tell their own stories and be comforted by the stories of others through platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.”

The Value of Sharing Experiences

Stories do, indeed, connect us. As research shows , discussing shared experiences can foster a sense of connection between sufferers, because “anyone who has not shared a similar [experience] simply cannot comprehend what they have to deal with”. We need to feel that there are people out there who we can relate to, especially when we live through something as traumatic and isolating as being affected by cancer.

Hearing about what other people have gone through and how they have coped can encourage those of us who have had similar experiences to feel validated in our thoughts and actions. This is especially important when it comes to topics such as cancer; the sensitive nature of such subjects means they aren’t often spoken about, which leaves those affected without an idea of what a typical experience or understandable reaction looks like. Consider for a moment the unnecessary and additional pain this can cause. Unfortunately, due to stronger cultural taboos, this reluctance to talk about cancer disproportionately affects communities of people who are black, Asian, or from mixed ethnic backgrounds. When we think about how best to encourage healing through talking, it’s especially important to make sure that the solutions are accessible to everyone.

This is why, regardless of the pandemic, in-person support groups may not always be enough. As we know from our previous conversation with Toral Shah , people from ‘BAME’ communities are underrepresented in these settings for a variety of reasons. Luckily, research illustrates how such discussions can be just as helpful in an indirect setting, like the one 100 Stories offers. As Sue Ziebland and Sally Wyke state in their literature review on the subject,

“Having an illness, facing a health issue, or being a family caregiver can challenge one's personal identity, and some people may feel embarrassed or even stigmatized by their condition. Knowing that others are tackling similar problems and learning how they deal with difficult issues can reduce these feelings of isolation, bringing a sense of belonging to a group and reassurance that one's experiences and reactions are ‘normal’”.

As Ziebland and Wyke also note, the act of sharing experiences doesn’t have to come in the form of a conversation. Rather, simply reading or hearing about what others have gone through can help us to adjust and feel less isolated, and can provide inspiration for how to cope – both practically and emotionally.

Whilst the internet and social media offer an increasing number of communication channels and web pages dedicated to the stories of people who have been impacted by ill health, there are numerous benefits to be gained from reducing the time we spend looking at a screen. That’s why we created ‘Conversations’ – one of the main features of the NatiaCares App . The section provides our users with a curated selection of discussions about cancer – from diagnosis, through treatment, to survivorship and life as a caregiver. Download it today to see how NatiaCares can help you.

Yet, increasingly, there is something special about having a physical object to refer to. In the way that film photographs can feel more valuable than digital ones, and for the reason that vinyl records are currently the fastest growing area of music sales , some words are simply meant for print.

When Helena created 100 Stories, she knew this:

“Throughout the creation of 100 Stories, physical design was at the core of its messaging. Alongside each written story is a pixelated portrait, created using the Cancer On Board symbol. The symbol is a unifying design tool, demonstrating how each person involved in the project is connected through their shared experience of cancer. As you flick through the book each portrait gets clearer. This clarity is in correlation with the amount each person says, e.g. the more words the clearer the image, relating back to my aim of open conversation.

I always knew that these stories wouldn’t be shared online. The size and weight of the book is a physical manifestation of how many people have dealt with cancer. By holding something with such weight, it creates an initial emotional experience that reading stories online can’t.”

If you’d like to get your hands on Helena’s amazing book, you can use the exclusive discount code NATIA20 to buy 100 Stories with a 20% discount! Order before the 11th December to get it in time for Christmas.

As always, thank you for reading this article. We hope you have a lovely day!

Overcoming Inequalities in Prostate Cancer: the Role of Clinical Trials and Meditation.

Thu, 26 Nov 2020 11:56:05 GMT

Overcoming Inequalities in Prostate Cancer: the Role of Clinical Trials and Meditation.

(10 minute read)

Summary:

What can black men do to improve their health and wellbeing, and why are there racial differences in prostate cancer rates? Here, we look at the role of clinical trials and yoga for cancer in reducing these inequalities, and find out how to get more #menonthemat!

Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in the UK. In the UK, over 11,500 men, trans women, and nonbinary people die from prostate cancer every year, and 1 in 8 will be diagnosed with the disease in their lifetime.

However, this likelihood isn’t the same for everyone. In fact, black men in the UK are 2-3 times more likely than white men to develop the disease, with Prostate Cancer UK calculating that 1 in 4 black men in the UK will get prostate cancer. What’s more, according to the latest available figures published by the National Cancer Intelligence Network , 30% more black men than white men in the UK die from prostate cancer every year. As the same report notes, increased risk cannot entirely account for this inequality. These figures are especially harrowing when coupled with the serious inequalities that black and Asian people, as well as people from mixed ethnic backgrounds, face throughout the cancer experience.

In this post, we aim to answer two questions:

Why are black men at greater risk of prostate cancer?

What can be done to improve outcomes, given these risks?

Biology

There is some evidence that black individuals with African ancestry have a higher genetic risk than their white counterparts for developing prostate cancer. Further, some research suggests that 5-alpha reductase (which is believed to be a key component in the development of prostate cancer), is more active in black men than in white men . This may account for why young black men are far more likely than young white men to be diagnosed with the disease.

Access to Healthcare

In the UK, our healthcare system is free at the point of access, and studies have shown that there are no differences between white and black men’s ability to access their GP . So, what’s going on?

A big issue is the persistent myth in healthcare that prostate cancer is something that only affects older men. Although the median age of diagnosis is 68 , black men are far more likely to develop the disease at a younger age than men who are white. Because of this, all black men over the age of 45 are entitled to receive a blood test for Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) – all they need to do is ask their GP.

Unfortunately, despite this guideline, some men are refused this life-saving test due to a ‘lack of symptoms’, and others are not given follow-up tests despite having elevated levels of PSA. If you meet the criteria for this test, you must insist that you be given it. If your GP continues to refuse, a sk for the refusal to be formally documented in your medical records . If you are given a test, make sure you ask your doctor what your PSA levels are. If they are even slightly above baseline levels, request a follow-up . For more self-advocacy tips, click here .

Awareness

As the report ‘ Hear Me Now. The uncomfortable reality of prostate cancer in black African-Caribbean men ’ by BME Cancer illustrates, despite black men’s increased risk of developing and dying from the disease, they are between 5% and 7% less aware than white men of how common prostate cancer is.

Image from: 'Hear Me Now. The uncomfortable reality of prostate cancer in black African-Caribbean men'

Reducing inequalities

There is much work to be done at the institutional level to raise awareness about prostate cancer amongst the entire male population, and to ensure that men are referred for testing the first time they visit their GP with concerns about the disease. However, there are things that men – especially black men – can do to improve their chances and reduce the suffering that accompanies a cancer diagnosis:

Raising awareness

Talk to each other. Share articles like this on social media, text a friend, bring it up when you’re on the phone to your loved ones... whatever you do, let the men in your life know:

How common prostate cancer is
That early-stage prostate cancer doesn’t usually cause symptoms
That you have a higher risk developing of prostate cancer if you are black
The symptoms of prostate cancer , which include any changes in urination or sexual function.

Treatment

Prostate cancer can be treated in a number of ways, and the good news is that with early detection, diagnosis, and treatment, most men go on to live for many years after diagnosis. In fact, in the UK, prostate cancer survival has tripled in the last 40 years!

However, there are some ethnicity-related differences here, too. Studies show that although there are no differences in the numbers of white, black or Asian men who undergo radiation therapy, significantly fewer black men than white men have surgical or hormonal treatment.

This is especially concerning when considered alongside research from the US which shows that in men with metastatic prostate cancer are treated with newer hormonal therapies, African-American men live 20% longer than those who are white!

Clinical trials like this are vital for optimising the treatment of high-risk populations such as black men. However, matching a patient to a study has historically been a lengthy process. When coupled with the increasing demand placed on the NHS, the result is that a small minority of patients will ever hear about clinical trials from their doctors. Further, people from ‘minority groups’ are consistently under-represented in clinical trials , which means that breakthroughs like the one above aren’t happening at the rate they should be.

This is where tools like Ancora.ai come in. All you need to do is visit the website (which is free) , enter your condition and location , and you can easily find relevant clinical trials happening near you. If you are black, Asian, or from a mixed ethnic background, and you choose to take part in one, you will be actively contributing to the diversification of medical research. By doing this, you will be helping to ensure that medications and treatments developed in the future will be safer for everyone.

What else can black men do to reduce the impact of prostate cancer?

Like all cancers, prostate cancer has emotional, physical, and mental effects that can extend far beyond the treatment window. It is common for the people it affects to feel scared, angry, frustrated, and as if their sense of self has been changed or taken from them. The treatment can cause mood swings and a loss of energy, and can result in physical changes such as a reduction in strength and an increase in weight.

At Natia, we are dedicated to reducing this suffering in everyone affected by cancer, through our app, NatiaCares . We deliver interventions such as yoga and meditation, which are clinically proven to improve the ‘side-effects’ of cancer.

However, although these tools can help everyone, not everyone uses them. Recent studies from the US show that almost 90% of people who practice yoga are both female and white, and the same can be said of the vast majority of people who engage in meditation . Why is this, and what can be done about it?

We asked Mario Austin, yoga teacher and founder of MARIOM Yoga , for some reasons behind this lack of diversity in wellness, and some ways in which men can start to benefit from yoga and meditation. Click here to see what he had to say!

This post is the first half of the NatiaCares and Ancora.ai Movember collaboration, a project aimed at providing insight into the racial inequalities in both prostate cancer and its management. Movember is all about men’s health, and at Natia and Ancora, we are dedicated to helping men make the most of the health and wellbeing opportunities available to them.

NatiaCares Self Advocacy Tips

Wed, 25 Nov 2020 12:10:05 GMT

NatiaCares Self Advocacy Tips

Although you are responsible for your own health and wellbeing, getting what you need usually means a trip to the doctors, meaning that your care depends upon the conversations you have with medical professionals. Follow our self-advocacy tips below to make sure that you get the most out of your time in the hospital or doctor’s office!

Don’t be afraid to ask your doctor questions. If you don’t understand something, ask them to explain again.

Ask for information to be written down.

If you are refused a treatment or further investigation, or your concerns are dismissed, ask for this decision to be formally recorded in your medical records.

Stay calm . Try cancer-specific meditation practices like the ones on the NatiaCares cancer support app before your appointment, so your head is clear.

Come prepared. Do your research and keep all your medical notes in a folder that you take to every appointment. Keep a personal glossary in it.

Keep a journal of what you and your doctor have spoken about.

Have we missed anything? If you think of any more self-advocacy tips, please contact us via email: info@natiacares.com.

Thank you for reading – hope this helps!

Preventing and Addressing Inequalities in Cancer Care: An Interview with Toral Shah.

Fri, 06 Nov 2020 13:31:40 GMT

Preventing and Addressing Inequalities in Cancer Care: An Interview with Toral Shah.

(12 Minute Read)

Picture this:

You are at your first appointment after your cancer diagnosis, when you meet your oncologist. They begin to explain what treatment you’ll need, why you’ll need it, and what precautions you might need to take during treatment. However, you soon realise that 20 minutes have gone past and you are even more confused now then you were at the beginning.

What do you do? Do you ask a question? What is the response?

The oncologist then calls another colleague in to discuss your care.

Are you involved in the conversation they’re having, or do they talk about you as if you aren’t there?

As the below discussion shows, the answers to these questions may have a lot to do with your ethnicity – specifically, the colour of your skin.

In the UK, our healthcare system is free at the point of access to every citizen. However, what happens after this point – and how long it takes to get there – depend largely on a series of factors that are outside of our control, such as class, postcode, and ethnicity.
Whilst the impact of these factors on people’s health and wellbeing needs to be addressed at the governmental and institutional level, there are many things that people can do to help themselves.
Here, we talk to nutritional scientist and functional medicine practitioner Toral Shah about health inequalities in cancer care due to systemic racism, the need for inclusive awareness campaigns, and the power of nutrition and self-advocacy. As a two-time breast cancer survivor, Toral is passionate about reducing the number of people who lose their lives to cancer every year. Her work in nutrition and functional/ lifestyle medicine lives through her brand The Urban Kitchen , through which she provides one-to-one consultations, consultancy for brands, and delicious, healthy recipes. Nutrition is a major element of cancer prevention, and Toral’s work goes to show how tasty, easy, and colourful it can be to eat for your health!

NatiaCares: Hi Toral! So, you recently gave a talk on health inequalities, and your Instagram posts include some really insightful discussions about racism in health and wellbeing. Was there a particular event that made you so passionate about this topic?

Toral: I’ve been really passionate about health inequalities – particularly in black and brown people – since 2008. I became aware once I was over treatment and getting more involved in breast cancer fundraising that BAME (Black, Asian, Minority Ethnic) groups have poorer outcomes. I’ve been saying this to cancer charities since 2009, but no one’s really been listening until now! With the Black Lives Matter movement and COVID pandemic, these inequalities became much more apparent. This situation gave me the opportunity to really start talking about health inequalities in a bigger context, particularly with cancer, and how health inequalities aren’t just due to socio-economic position and education or genetics. A lot of them are based on structural and institutional racism – one of the backbones of how our country is set up. Black Lives Matter meant more people were listening, which meant that what I had to say about health inequalities started to be heard. But even within this context, we still have a long way to go before the necessary changes are made.

NatiaCares: What’s the situation for people here in Britain who aren’t white, when it comes to cancer treatment and care, and why do you think this is?

Toral: So, in the UK currently, 13% of the population describe themselves as being a member of the BAME (black, Asian, and ethnic minority) community. This is projected to rise to 20% by 2026, meaning there will be more people who are not white in the UK. The likelihood of getting cancer varies significantly throughout this group, but we know that the risk for black men is comparable to that of white men.

However, there are big inequalities throughout various stages of the cancer experience:

Awareness:

Members of the BAME community have less awareness about the signs and symptoms of certain types of cancer than the rest of the population, on average. For instance, South Asian and black women have much lower breast cancer awareness than white women, yet, of those people who have breast cancer in the UK, black women are almost twice as likely to be diagnosed with advanced breast cancer than white women! Early detection is absolutely key in preventing secondary breast cancer - the earlier you’re diagnosed, the more likely you are to have a better outcome. So, you can see how health outcome and awareness inequalities are connected. Additionally, more black women develop triple negative breast cancer (breast cancer that’s oestrogen, progesterone, and HER2 receptor negative) than white women.

There are lots of different barriers as to why people don’t know more about cancer. Not knowing about the signs and symptoms of cancer may be because of stigma attached to the disease, which causes people not to talk about these things in their communities or families. Awareness campaigns – whether by charities, public health organisations or healthcare institutions – often don’t feature south Asian and Black people. For us to change our behaviour, we need to see what we’d like to change, and how we’d like to behave. If black and Asian people don’t see campaigns that feature them, then they may not feel like it’s applicable to them.

We also know that that the lower the socioeconomic group a person belongs to, and the more poverty there is, the less likely people are to be aware of cancer symptoms , and this will affect their outcome in the long term. Sadly, many people in lower socioeconomic groups are from BAME groups.

Screening and diagnosis:

There is a lower uptake of the NHS breast cancer screening programme among black women in the UK, and uptake of screening generally is much lower in BAME groups than people from the white population. This has serious implications for health outcomes on its own, but black women also have to go to their GP at twice as many times as white women to get a cancer diagnosis. In fact, a Macmillan report has shown that 15.8% fewer black patients than white patients felt they were seen as soon as necessary by their GP before going to hospital in 2017.

Treatment and care:

There are some really disturbing statistics regarding treatment and care of BAME patients with cancer from the same survey . 13.9% fewer patients of mixed ethnic background felt that their test results were explained to them in a way they understood. That means that many people from BAME backgrounds felt that they didn’t really understand what was happening to them and didn’t understand the results of the tests that were done. Imagine how upsetting and stressful that must be! We know that stress can impact our overall health in many ways.

16.6% fewer Asian patients than white patients felt positive about the length of time they had to wait for their test, and, when in the hospital, 11.4% fewer Asian patients said they could find someone in the hospital to discuss their worries and fears.

Patients from mixed ethnic backgrounds were much more likely than white patients to report that staff were talking about them, not too them, during their cancer experience (42.1% and 19.2% respectively). Also, during treatment, people with cancer who are black or Asian are 41 – 48% more likely than those who are white to say they were only partially involved in decisions about their care and treatment.

Finally, we must consider clinical trials, which are often lifesaving or life-prolonging for cancer patients. We know that people who participate in these have better outcomes than the rest of the population, but people from BAME groups are less likely to be invited to participate, and less likely to accept. Barriers to participation may include cultural stigma, fear, lack of knowledge about medical trials, and a very real mistrust of the medical system.

When it comes to different experiences in the hospital, we need to ask why this happens. Is this due to language barriers, cultural or religious issues or due to the unconscious bias of health care professionals who may assume that certain groups of people won’t understand, so their cancer isn’t explained? Bias is hardwired in our brains ; when we were hunter-gatherers, we needed to know who we could trust quickly to protect ourselves. Our brains understood those who looked most similar to us as being most trustworthy, so this is how we relate to people of our own ethnicity. Whilst we all need to examine our own bias and privilege, it is even more important for healthcare professionals to do so as this affects BAME groups health outcomes.

Support, mental health, and end-of-life care:

Having cancer takes a real toll on all aspects of your life, but there’s a distinct lack of physical, mental and emotional support for BAME people.

For instance, support items such as lymphoedema sleeves and wigs often are not provided for women of colour. Although lymphedema sleeves now come in colours other than light pink-beige, this was not the case for a long time and they still are not provided in some areas in the UK. There are so many women, particularly black women, who have been offered wigs that are for white women .

BAME people are less likely to attend cancer support groups, possibly because they don’t know about them, don’t feel welcome, or there aren’t any that cater for their needs. It’s wonderful to see is that there are more and more dedicated groups appearing for particular demographics. For instance, Leanne Pero started Black Women Rising , which is a phenomenal organisation supporting black women with breast cancer. There are also lots of Asian cancer support groups, but these are all organisations started by the communities and patients themselves, rather than charities or health organisations.

People from certain cultures are also unlikely to talk about their emotional and mental needs with GPs and other doctors, and, similarly, may feel unable to discuss cancer, treatment and diagnosis with others in their communities because of cultural stigma. Education, and creating appropriately trained staff in charities and health organisations who understand the cultural, religious, and other issues is key to changing this.

There is also a lower uptake of palliative care amongst people from BAME groups than white people. There are several reasons for this, including a lack of referrals, a lack of knowledge, hospices being located outside of cities, and varying cultural perceptions around death and dying.

NatiaCares: How else do these issues need to be dealt with?

Toral: It’s clear that there is no ‘one size fits all’ approach to cancer care and treatment, and this needs to be reflected in policy and action from cancer institutions. Information needs to be disseminated in different ways to ensure that different groups are reached. This may include creating awareness campaigns that feature a diverse range of people, adverts in different publications serving different communities, information in different languages, and anti-racism and diversity training within charities and health organisations

We also need to be paying specific attention to how we can increase the uptake of various resources. For instance, I’m working with a brand called Ancora to find out how we can diversify clinical trials, because it makes such a difference to outcomes. It’s clear is that we need to personalise care and not group patients. As healthcare professionals, we need to be aware of both our unconscious bias and the cultural factors that can create these inequalities.

NatiaCares: So, what can people do for themselves and those around them?

Toral: The first thing is being aware of the signs and symptoms of cancer. This isn’t just personal – people need to make sure that they remind their friends and family to know what to look out for, to keep checking, and to go to the doctors for screening or if something doesn’t seem right. We all have a responsibility to have these conversations and look out for each other.

Then, there is being aware of risk reduction behaviours. Good nutrition, regular moderate or vigorous exercise, not drinking alcohol and not smoking are all very important ways that people can change their lifestyles to reduce their risk of getting cancer.

For people who do get ill, support groups – whether online or in people’s local communities – are something that more people should be aware of and able to access. There’s a wealth of these groups on social media (Instagram or Facebook) for people from every demographic and with any type of cancer, and it’s often worth checking online to see what’s available in your local area. For those who don’t see the right group for them, it’s always worth considering starting one!

Holistic interventions such as meditation and yoga through programmes like the ones available on the NatiaCares app are also proven to help people cope with some of the effects of cancer and its treatment. With the COVID-19 pandemic, many support organisations such as Penny Brohn and Breast Cancer Now have taken their services fully online.

Finally, people should educate themselves and others about various self-advocacy techniques, such as asking questions and making notes during appointments, keeping a journal, and doing some pre-appointment research. Using these techniques can help people to have more input in decisions about their care and treatment. There are some new apps to help with this including Vine Health and Owise.

Thank you Toral!

Toral and NatiaCares will soon be working together again to discuss some of the risk reduction and self-care behaviours detailed above. Watch this space!

And, as always, thanks for reading.

Wellbeing Workshop 1: Growing your Own Gratitude

Tue, 27 Oct 2020 09:00:02 GMT

Wellbeing Workshop 1: Growing your Own Gratitude

This is the first instalment of our new series, ‘Wellbeing Workshops’. Here, you’ll find everything you need to know about wellbeing, including what it is, what the science has to say about it, and – most importantly – what you can do to improve it. This week’s theme is ‘gratitude’, which has been shown to directly influence a person’s feeling of wellbeing . (1)

Have you ever been told to ‘look on the bright side’? Ever tried your hardest to feel thankful for what you had, and, whilst on one level you were, on another you were left with the pervasive feeling that ‘things could definitely be better?’. Us too. And, we’d be willing to bet, many other people have felt the same.

It’s not easy to see the positives when the negatives are loudly making themselves known. Often, we’re only aware of what we had when time and reflection grant us their own unique perspective. We feel most grateful for our health when we are ill, for our loved ones when we miss them, and for our everyday freedom when we are forced to isolate.

But sometimes, when we’re better, when our days look the way we wished they would when we were down, we forget. Sometimes the mundanity of life causes us to lose sight of how lucky we are to be loved, and free, and healthy. How do we change that?

There is a common misconception that gratitude is something that just… happens. If we’re good, happy people, we just walk around all the time feeling thankful. Like in the movies, life’s beauty just hits us when we’re least expecting it. Repeatedly. Whenever something good happens. Yeah, right!

In fact, we’re hard-wired to notice life’s challenges over its gifts (2). After all, if humanity had spent its existence paying exclusive attention to what it did have instead of what it didn’t – to the beauty of a situation rather than its danger – we wouldn’t have survived, much less prospered.

If we are to begin to experience gratitude as a daily, perhaps involuntary state, we have to train ourselves. We have to rewire our survival-orientated brains.

It starts with indulging consistently in a simple, deliberate exercise. As Michelle Fredman writes here , an essential part of moving forward – of improving and maintaining our wellbeing – is acknowledgement.

Start with a pen and a piece of paper.

Seat yourself somewhere comfortable; wherever you can get to that inspires a sense of serenity, love, or pride,

and think.

What are you grateful for?

What do you have now that you didn’t before? What have you learnt?

What do you have that others don’t? What would someone from 10, 100, or 1000 years ago be amazed that you could do?

When you’re done, read over your list. Then, put it on your fridge, on your mirror, or by your bed, and every day (at a similar time of day) add something to it.

The way to be more grateful, and ultimately to start to improve your wellbeing, is to train yourself to pay more attention to life’s positives. Only then will they start to make themselves obvious.

If you found this exercise helpful, then please let us know via one of our social media pages (we’re on Instagram and Facebook ). We love to hear about how you’re doing!

Thanks so much for reading, everyone. Have a lovely day!

Bec

References:

1.) Alkozei et al, 2018. Gratitude and Subjective Wellbeing: A Proposal of Two Causal Frameworks. Journal of Happiness Studies . 19: 1519–1542. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs10902-017-9870-1

2.) VeryWell Mind, 2020. The Negativity Bias. https://www.verywellmind.com/negative-bias-4589618

Let’s Talk About Evidence: Mindfulness

Wed, 02 Sep 2020 17:39:05 GMT

Let’s Talk About Evidence: Mindfulness

Mindfulness has been shown to support cancer survivors, warriors, and their caregivers in a number of ways. Although it is by no means a cure for cancer, the art of centering the mind and body in the present moment is an important part of any holistic plan for living with and treating the disease. Like all of the interventions we teach on our app, mindfulness can help everyone affected by cancer, and is perfect for complementing traditional medical treatment. Here, we lay out the evidence, to show you why mindfulness meditation is so beneficial for anyone whose life has been impacted by cancer.

Stress Reduction and Other Mental Health Benefits

The stress that cancer causes can feel all-encompassing. Like a wave that begins to swell at diagnosis, it threatens to crash down upon us at the slightest provocation – which, after a certain point, can be pretty much anything! It is well known that stress is detrimental to our wellbeing, but it is especially important to engage in stress-reducing activities when embarking on the road to recovery. This is because stress can negatively affect the process of healing from cancer by slowing down and reducing immune system function ( 1 ) and has the potential to increase the likelihood of a tumour’s metastatic spread (as has been shown in animal models) ( 2 ). Luckily, mindfulness has proven stress-reduction and other mental health benefits that have been specifically shown in people affected by cancer:

Four separate studies assessed the effect of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction techniques such as mindfulness theory, meditation, yoga, and problem solving on the mental and physical wellbeing of people with an active cancer diagnosis ( 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 ). Together, they showed a dramatic reduction in stress, anger, anxiety, depression, and confusion symptoms, as well as a significant improvement in coping capacity and immune response. Two of the studies ( 5 , 6 ) also showed increased ‘post-traumatic growth’ in the participants!

Another study assessed the efficacy of Cognitive-Based Compassion Training (CBCT) for adults who had been diagnosed with breast cancer in the last fifteen years, but who were cancer free and not on active treatment. The participants exhibited a significant improvement in self-awareness and self-compassion , and CBCT was shown to be effective in reducing stress caused by fear of cancer recurrence ( 7 ).

Adult patients with any cancer diagnosis (early stage or recurrent) other than brain cancer participated in an eight-week Mindfulness-Based Art Therapy (MBAT) . The results showed that MBAT significantly improved the patient’s depression scores, sense of coherence , health-related quality of life, and spiritual well-being ( 8 ).

Another study tested the impact of mindfulness meditation practice, when undertaken during one session of active chemotherapy administration , on the cortisol (stress hormone) levels of cancer patients. More than twice as many patients in the mindfulness group versus the control group showed a rise in cortisol. Chemotherapy is known to ‘blunt’ the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, which is responsible for cortisol production and regulation. Although we normally associate higher cortisol levels with increased stress, the ‘stress response (the release of cortisol from the HPA axis) is actually responsible for the speed and degree to which we intellectually, emotionally and physically respond to internal and external triggers. Too little of it can cause you to feel mentally ‘foggy’, and even stop you from getting out of bed in the morning. Excitingly, the results of this study suggest that mindfulness practice during chemotherapy can reduce HPA axis blunting in cancer patients ( 9 ).

A study involving premenopausal women with breast cancer found that those who took part in a Mindful Awareness Practices (MAPs) intervention group experienced reductions in stress and depression symptoms , as well as decreased proinflammatory gene expression and inflammatory signalling ( 10 ). These latter two are significant because increased and long-lasting inflammation is strongly linked with the growth of tumours ( 11 ).

Immune System

Our immune systems are integral to our survival, and looking after them as much as possible is especially important when treating cancer. As you’ll likely know, many traditional cancer treatments can compromise this system, so it is necessary to do whatever possible to strengthen it. Mindfulness can be an important tool with which to do this:

A large study evaluated how a Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program affected the blood levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines (which trigger the immune responses of sick people) in breast cancer survivors when compared to a ‘usual care’ (UC) group. TNFα and IL-6 increased during the follow-up period at a higher rate for the mindfulness group versus the UC group, which the authors commented was indicative of MBSR promoting superior immune restoration ( 12 ).

Similarly, another randomised controlled trial which assessed the immune recovery of post-treatment women with breast cancer found that women who undertook an MBSR course exhibited a faster and more sustained immune response than those in the control group ( 13 ).

Cancer-related Pain:

As Mehta et al ( 14 ) state, ‘ pain occurs in 20% to 50% of patients with cancer, and approximately 80% of patients with advanced-stage cancer have moderate to severe pain’. This pain is typically treated with painkilling drugs that are either administered orally or via a spinal injection, which, although usually effective, can have unpleasant side effects ( 15 ). Although there isn’t much you can do about taking these drugs (and it is very important to take them if your doctor has recommended that you do so), an intervention that can reduce pain without producing negative side effects is a big bonus, right?

129 women with breast cancer took part in a Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) course. The effect of the course on the pain intensity of the women was assessed. The results, which were compared to a control group, indicated that MBCT elicits a statistically significant improvement in pain intensity, improved self-reported quality of life, and a reduction in non-prescription pain medication use .

Cancer-related Fatigue:

Fatigue is a common reality for people who have been diagnosed with cancer , and it can affect life in many ways. Not only can this inescapable exhaustion stop you from getting out of bed in the morning and make it harder to do the things you used to do , but it can also rob you of your concentration, clarity of mind, and the enjoyment you previously found in your interests and hobbies.

The fatigue-reducing effect of mindfulness has been shown through a series of pilot studies, wherein breast and colorectal cancer survivors with moderate to severe fatigue were randomly assigned to either mindfulness or psychoeducation/support/wait-list control groups ( 17 , 18 , 19 ). Amazingly, the mindfulness patients were more likely to report cancer-related fatigue as moderately to completely improved ( 17 ), reported less fatigue-related disruption to their lives ( 18 ), and demonstrated significantly greater improvements in cognitive function tests ( 19 ) than their counterparts.

Cancer-related cachexia (extreme weight loss/’wasting away’):

Weight loss is a fairly common – and extremely distressing – effect of medical cancer treatment. It is caused by a combination of metabolism changes and reduced appetite and has unfortunately been linked to poorer treatment outcomes compared to patients who retain their weight ( 20 ).

In a 2015 randomised controlled trial, patients who showed cachexia signs were placed in either a ‘usual practice’ group or a group that participated in a series of mindfulness-based workshops which focused on both diet-based and psychological interventions. There were considerable differences between the two groups’ outcomes, with the latter showing a significant improvement in body weight, emotional function, and fatigue levels, as well as relief from some digestive disorders . Both groups completed the World Health Organization–European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (WHO-EORTC) questionnaire for quality of life at the beginning of treatment, and one and two months after treatment commenced. The mindfulness group’s scores showed a dramatic improvement when compared to the control group ( 21 ).

Cancer-related Sleep Disorders :

Problems falling and staying asleep, difficulty staying awake , and restless sleep are part and parcel of the cancer experience. Worries about the future, post-traumatic stress, and the side-effects of treatment can wreak havoc with one's sleep pattern, making coping with the rest of cancer’s effects even harder. Luckily, mindfulness has been shown to help those who suffer from sleep disorders!

Two studies have assessed MBSR’s effects on sleep in breast cancer patients and survivors. One demonstrated that MBSR can increase the time that a survivor spends asleep and reduce the number of times they wake up in the night ( 22 ), and another has shown that the intervention can significantly improve sleep quality ( 23 ).

Caregivers

The effects of cancer on the people who love and look after those who have been diagnosed with it are often overlooked. It is important to note, however, that between 10% and 50% of caregivers have or develop mental health problems . This is a number intimately linked to the nature and severity of their loved one’s diagnosis. Not only that, but according to Pitceathly and Maguire ( 24 ), ‘ carers are less likely than patients to disclose their concerns and worries and only half of those with serious psychological problems will seek help’. It is therefore extremely important that caregivers have access to – and are encouraged to use – mental health resources that can be done individually, in their own time and on their own terms.

One study used a mindfulness-based intervention known as Mindfully Optimizing Delivery of End-of-Life (MODEL) to train people with advanced-stage cancer and their caregivers in mindfulness practices, mindful communication, and Advanced Care Planning. The authors found that MODEL enhanced patients and caregivers’ ability to respond to the emotional challenges that advanced cancer brings and reduced the psychological barriers to advanced care planning which patients and caregivers face ( 25 ).

Another study, which compared Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction interventions and ‘usual care’ techniques in lung cancer patients ‘failed to show a positive impact on caregivers although the significant benefit of intervention was noted in patients’ ( 14 ). However, the authors stated that this may have been because the caregivers in the study were more focused on their loved ones’ wellbeing than their own ( 26 ).

We hope we have shown how useful mindfulness can be for everyone affected by cancer (and let’s be honest here, most other people too). You may even be wondering how you can start to practice some of the interventions that we’ve talked about in this post! If you are, then great; you’ve come to the right place . Our app is specifically designed to help absolutely anyone affected by cancer access mindfulness-based practices from the comfort of their own home. The best part? It’s absolutely free right now! Head on over to the Apple App store now and download Natia Cares .

If you don’t have an iPhone, that’s fine. We have loads of mindfulness-based content on our website as part of our ‘14 days of Kindness’ series, and a special section called the Natia Cancer Journals, where we help you to express your emotions (a very important part of coping with cancer) through writing.

Many of the studies used in this post were collated by Mehta et al (2019) ( 14 ) in their independent review of the use of mindfulness techniques for the treatment of cancer. Some studies have been omitted, and we urge you to view the open-access paper.

Bibliography:

1.) Marshall, G. D., & Agarwal, S. K. 2000. Stress, Immune Regulation, and Immunity: Applications for Asthma. Allergy and Asthma Proceedings; Providence 21 (4) 241-246. https://search.proquest.com/openview/b0c20c0f6bfef23c5c0a50a937a57065/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=28636

2.) Ben-Eliyahu, S.; Yirmiya, R.; Liebeskind, J.; Taylor, A. N.; Gale, R. P. 1991. Stress increases metastatic spread of a mammary tumor in rats: Evidence for meditation by the immune system. Brain, Behavior, and Immunity. 5 (2). 193-205. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/0889159191900164

3.) Sarenmalm, E.; Mårtensson, L.; Andersson, B.; Karlsson, P. & Bergh, I. 2017. Mindfulness and its efficacy for psychological and biological responses in women with breast cancer. Cancer Med. 6(5):1108-1122. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28421677/

4.) Calson, L.; Ursuliak, Z.; Goodney, E.; Angen, M. & Speca, M. The effects of a mindfulness meditation-based stress reduction program on mood and symptoms of stress in cancer outpatients: 6-month follow-up. Support Care Cancer. 9 (2): 112-123. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11305069/

5.) Victorson et al, 2016. Feasibility, acceptability and preliminary psychological benefits of mindfulness meditation training in a sample of men diagnosed with prostate cancer on active surveillance: results from a randomized controlled pilot trial. Psycho-oncology. 26(8):1155-1163. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27145355/

6.) Zhang et al, 2016. Randomized controlled trial of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) on posttraumatic growth of Chinese breast cancer survivors. Psychology, Health and Medicine. 22(1):94-109. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26853191/

7.) Gonzalez-Hernandez et al, 2018. Cognitively-Based Compassion Training (CBCT ®) in Breast Cancer Survivors: A Randomized Clinical Trial Study. Integrative cancer therapies. 17 (3). 684-696. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29681185/

8.) Meghani et al, 2018. A Pilot Study of a Mindfulness-Based Art Therapy Intervention in Outpatients with Cancer. The American journal of hospice and palliative care. 35(9):1195-1200. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29514486/

9.) Black, D.; Peng, C.; Sleight, A.; Nguyen, N.; Lenz, H. Figueiredo, J. 2017. Mindfulness practice reduces cortisol blunting during chemotherapy: A randomized controlled study of colorectal cancer patients. Cancer. 123(16):3088-3096. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28387949/

10.) Bower et al, 2015. Mindfulness meditation for younger breast cancer survivors: a randomized controlled trial. Cancer. 121(8):1231-40. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25537522/

11.) Rayburn, E.; Ezell, S. & Zhang, R. Anti-Inflammatory Agents for Cancer Therapy. Mol Cell Pharmacol. 1(1): 29–43. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2843097/

12.) Reich et al, 2017. A Randomized Controlled Trial of the Effects of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR[BC]) on Levels of Inflammatory Biomarkers Among Recovering Breast Cancer Survivors. Biological Research for Nursing. 19(4):456-464. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28460534/

13.) Lengacher et al, 2013. Lymphocyte recovery after breast cancer treatment and mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) therapy. Biological research for nursing. 15 (1). 37-47. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22084404/

14.) Mehta, R.; Sharma, K.; Potters, L.; Wernicke, G. & Parashar, B. 2019. Evidence for the Role of Mindfulness in Cancer: Benefits and Techniques. Cureus. 11(5): e4629. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6623989/

15.) Cancer Research UK, 2020. Treating cancer pain. https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/coping/physically/cancer-and-pain-control/treating-pain

16.) Johannsen, M.; O'Connor, M.; O'Toole, M.S.; Jensen, A.B.; Højris, I. & Zachariae, R.J. 2016. Efficacy of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy on Late Post-Treatment Pain in Women Treated for Primary Breast Cancer: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Clinical Oncology. 34(28):3390-9.

17.) Johns et al, 2016. Randomized controlled pilot trial of mindfulness-based stress reduction compared to psychoeducational support for persistently fatigued breast and colorectal cancer survivors. Support Cancer Care. 24(10):4085-96. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27189614/

18.) Johns et al, 2015. Randomized controlled pilot study of mindfulness-based stress reduction for persistently fatigued cancer survivors. Psycho-oncology. 24(8):885-93. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25132206/

19.) Johns et al, 2016. Randomized controlled pilot trial of mindfulness-based stress reduction for breast and colorectal cancer survivors: effects on cancer-related cognitive impairment. Journal of Cancer Survivorship: Research and Practice. 10(3):437-48. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26586494/

20.) Fearon et al, 2011. Definition and classification of cancer cachexia: an international consensus. The Lancet. Oncology. 12(5):489-95. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21296615/

21.) Focan et al, 2015. Dietetic and Psychological Mindfulness Workshops for the Management of Cachectic Cancer Patients. A Randomized Study. Anticancer Research. 35(11):6311-5. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26504068/

22.) Lengacher et al, 2015. The effects of mindfulness-based stress reduction on objective and subjective sleep parameters in women with breast cancer: a randomized controlled trial. Psycho-oncology. 2015 Apr; 24(4):424-32.

23.) Andersen et al, 2013. Effect of mindfulness-based stress reduction on sleep quality: results of a randomized trial among Danish breast cancer patients. Acta Oncologica. 52 (2). 336-344. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23282113/

24.) Pitceathly, C. & Maguire, P. 2003. The psychological impact of cancer on patients’ partners and otherkey relatives: a review. European Journal of Cancer. 39. 1517-1524. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0959-8049(03)00309-5

25.) Cottingham et al, 2019. Addressing personal barriers to advance care planning: Qualitative investigation of a mindfulness-based intervention for adults with cancer and their family caregivers. Palliative and Supportive Care. 17 (3). 276-285. https://doi.org/10.1017/s1478951518000354

26.) Schellekens et al, 2017. Mindfulness‐based stress reduction added to care as usual for lung cancer patients and/or their partners: A multicentre randomized controlled trial. Psychooncology. 26(12):2118-2126. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/pon.4430

Can Meditation and Mindfulness Make Your Mental Health Worse?

Wed, 26 Aug 2020 13:07:28 GMT

Can Meditation and Mindfulness Make Your Mental Health Worse?

By now, you’ve almost certainly heard of the many mental and physical health benefits of mindfulness and meditation . You may even know about the ways these practices can specifically improve the lives of people who have been affected by cancer ! If not, then don’t worry - we’ll be publishing a post that collates the evidence for this second claim very soon. However, there is a small but growing body of research that calls into question the idea that there are no potential downsides to meditating or focusing the mind on the present moment.

Earlier this month, this research benefited from a new contribution. Miguel Farias , Everton Maraldi , Karl Wallenkampf and Giancarlo Lucchetti conducted an extensive literature review which examined every relevant study about meditation and mindfulness. It showed that around 8% of people who engage in meditation experience adverse psychological effects such as increased anxiety and depression as a result of the practice. The article is gaining traction on the internet, and for good reason : it is incredibly important to consider both the benefits and potential disadvantages of any wellbeing-focused activity , so that the people who practice it are fully informed. Here, we take a look beyond the headlines, and examine some of the reasons for the results of this study.

There are several factors that could account for the rates of adverse effects reported in Farias et al’s literature review, such as the type of meditation that the participants engaged in. For instance, one of the largest studies , which accounted for 1462 of the 6703 participants, found that the chances of experiencing unpleasant effects were 65% higher in people who only engaged in deconstructive practices such as Vipassana/insight meditation, compared to those who only engaged in practices like loving kindness meditation.

The setting of the meditation matters too. In the ‘experimental’ studies, where participants were given mindfulness or meditation sessions by trained psychologists , a total of 68 participants out of 2649 experienced adverse psychological effects (3.7%) . It is also important to note that none of the three studies included in this research which specifically studied people affected by cancer produced any adverse effects .

The 4054 participants in the observational and case studies were usually asked about their experiences with unguided meditation in uncontrolled environments , such as at home on their own, or at certain intensive retreats (think lengthy silent meditation retreats with little intervention from teachers). 37% of these participants reported adverse effects . The authors note that a lack of guided interaction may account for the increased rates of these experiences in these latter groups.

Katie Sparks supports this when she argues that ‘[Farias et al’s research] doesn’t mean people should stop trying the technique … but instead should opt for guided meditation sessions, led by a teacher or an app with a recorded narration’. Interviewed by New Scientist just after the article was published, the psychologist underlines the physical and psychological benefits of meditation, and expresses her concern that the findings of the study “could stop people participating in something which can be of benefit in the right context ”.

However, Farias and his team go on to note that the use of apps may contribute to the numbers of people experiencing adverse effects . When considered alongside the rest of the research, this makes perfect sense ! Apps typically do not give users the ability to report or discuss unpleasant or unexpected psychological events in the way that face-to-face meditation does, nor do they usually offer pre-session information about the possibility of such issues. However, in the NatiaCares App we pride ourselves by contextualising our meditations with an "Arrival and Setting the Scene" introduction and a "Discussion" session with a clinical psychologist.

That’s why we have also decided to build a reporting feature into the next version of our app , which will be available in a few months. When the update is rolled out, our users will be able to rate each completed session and note any thoughts or feelings they experience as a result of the meditation . These responses will be sent back to us, and we will endeavour to address any of these experiences in the appropriate way. Most of our meditation sessions are mediated by trained psychologists too, so our users can have absolute peace of mind that their wellbeing is being looked after.

However, it is important to remember that, as the American Buddhist teacher, Shinzen Young puts it:

“It is certainly the case that almost everyone who gets anywhere with meditation will pass through periods of negative emotion, confusion, disorientation, and heightened sensitivity … for some duration of time, things may get worse before they get better …. This phenomenon, within the Buddhist tradition, is sometimes referred to as “falling into the Pit of the Void.” It entails an authentic and irreversible insight into Emptiness and No Self. … In a sense, it’s Enlightenment’s Evil Twin…In some cases it takes months or even years to fully metabolize , but in my experience the results are almost always highly positive .”.

Meditation is, like many other things in life, a journey . It should always be embarked upon with the understanding that it may bring about some unpleasant experiences , but that these events can provide an opportunity for greater emotional and spiritual development with the right guidance . At NatiaCares, we strive to provide our users with as much help as possible in their holistic practices, so that they may reap each intervention’s benefits whilst developing and accessing the tools to deal with any negative thoughts or emotions that may arise from it.

If you have any feedback on how we could do this better, please feel free to email us at info@natiacares.com , or download our app now for free from the Apple App Store and contact us via our social media channels - we’re on both Facebook and Instagram . We are always looking for ways that we can help improve the physical, psychological and spiritual wellbeing of those affected by cancer.

-Bec

A Letter to my Younger Self

Wed, 19 Aug 2020 08:15:00 GMT

A Letter to my Younger Self

Hello my lovely friends,

I hope this blog finds you well. I doubt I am alone when I say that much of this year has felt like a strange and surreal dream and that it’s pretty hard to fathom that it’s almost September. The trees lining the streets of my North London neighbourhood are already beginning to shed their leaves and the evenings have subtly started to grow cooler. It’s been around 6 months since the world changed and despite the easing of global lockdown restrictions and the slow relaxing of stringent rules, things are far from ‘normal’.

This past weekend I spent a lot of time at home, reflecting on the past year of my life. This was prompted by the fact that on Saturday I celebrated my one-year rebirthday. A rebirthday, in my case, is the day I got a new immune system and a second chance at life. It’s hard to believe that just over 365 days ago I was laying in hospital, having my sisters stem cells pumped into my veins. How incredibly comforting to be able to look back now and acknowledge how much healing has happened. A year ago, I was too weak to even walk. Now, I feel stronger and healthier than ever. All this reflection has got me thinking about my younger self and how I wish I could go back and reassure that scared, tired girl that everything would be ok.

I bet one day in the future we’ll all find ourselves wishing we could return back to this point in time and tell ourselves it’s all going to be ok. That everything will work out, even if it feels insecure and uncertain right now.

If you could go back, what would you say? What period would you go to? What would you want to tell yourself?

Let’s try a journaling exercise. Take out your journals and write a letter to your younger self. Thank yourself, compliment yourself, comfort yourself. Then pick another age and do the same thing. As always there are no rules to this. Through the simple act of writing to our younger selves we can connect with a parts of our psyche that we might have neglected or forgotten.

Here’s an excerpt from mine:

Dear Michelle (age 8)

I am so proud of the way you move through life. You are so adventurous and wild and carefree. I love how you climb every tree and swing from monkey bars and run around barefoot. I love how you stay up past your bedtime, reading books under the covers. I love your natural curiosity, your hunger for adventure and your love of the outdoors. You might think this adventurous spirit of yours will dissipate with time and age but it won’t, it’s going to stay with you forever.

-Me at age 8

Dear Michelle (age 19)

You’ve just officially left home to embark on your gap year. I love that you aren’t following the conventional rules of life. I love that you’re brave enough to leave behind everything and everyone you know and travel the world. I love that you’re still so innocent and naive yet, like most 19 year olds; you think you know so much. I wish you could see how beautiful you are right now. I wish you could love yourself the way I love you now. I wish you could see the boy you are so in love with is just a boy, he will break your heart but you’ll grow stronger for it. You will learn how to value yourself after this first heartbreak and it will change you. (Also… do me a favour and call your mum and tell her how much you love her.)

Dear Michelle (age 22)

I know you’re scared. I know you’re afraid. I know you have to deal with way more than the average 22 year old and it’s overwhelming. But I promise you it’s going to be ok. This illness will change your life forever and make you so much stronger.

Dear Michelle (age 24)

You’re amazing, did you know that? Look at you. You just survived cancer and now you’re back traveling through South America on your own. Do you know how brave you are? You still have such a curious, wild spirit and it’s going to take you so far. You’re about to have some of the most meaningful experiences of your life. Enjoy every moment.

Dear Michelle (age 26)

This is you from one year in the future. I know you’re exhausted. I know you don’t feel like yourself, I know life has been really hard but guess what? One year from now you’ll be healthy and cancer free and so independent again. One year from now this will all be just a memory and your hair will have regrown and your body will be strong and your mind calm and clear and everything is going to be ok. I promise!

Love Michelle (age 27)

Now, what if you could send a message to your future self, what would you say?
What would your ideal situation look like 5, 10 years from now? Where would you be living, what type of work would you be doing, who would you want to be sharing your life with?

For the final part of this exercise, write a short note to your older self.

Dear Michelle (age 35)

Hi future me. How are you? I can’t wait to meet you, although I’m not in a rush. I really just hope that wherever you are and whatever you’re doing, that you’re healthy and happy. I hope you are living with someone you love, someone who really loves every part of you, who challenges you and encourages you to grow. I hope you have spent the last few years of your life exploring the world. I hope you are writing for a living. I hope you still have that curious adventurous spirit (I know you do).

I am so immensely proud of you.

I love you, I love you, I love you.

xxx

If you fancy sharing your journal entry with us, you can direct message them to Natia on Facebook or Instagram or send them via email to conversation@natiacares.com by clicking the button bellow.

I f you want to receive email updates when the next journal prompt is available, sign up for our NatiaCares Cancer Journal Email list below.

Reflection on Adversity: Acknowledging our Resilience

Tue, 28 Jul 2020 09:03:12 GMT

Reflection on Adversity: Acknowledging our Resilience

Welcome to the second part of the Natia Cancer Journals.

This week’s theme is centred around the process of acknowledging how far we have come. We do this through a process of cataloguing all the difficult moments we have survived in our lives and recognizing just how much we have overcome.

Why look back?

Sometimes instead of looking back on everything we have been through; it feels a lot easier to try and forget about all of the painful stuff and focus our attention on what’s ahead. Looking back has the potential of unearthing some uncomfortable, traumatic memories.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m a big advocate of not dwelling in the past. But I also feel strongly that recognizing our stories and everything we have been through is an essential part of moving forward. Often, we so easily become overwhelmed with life and all the new hurdles it presents and forget just how much we truly have survived to get here.

Personally, I love this exercise because it has helped me to cultivate a practice of self-love and kindness, something I’ve been particularly focused on during this year of healing whilst living alone in lockdown.

Societally, self-love can sometimes get a bad rap. It’s seen as self-indulgent or even vain. And yet, for me, learning to be kind to myself, to forgive myself and to be proud of myself has been one of the greatest tools I have learnt during my cancer recovery.

Before my initial diagnosis at age 22, my relationship with myself was one of deep-seated disconnect and even contempt. I didn’t value myself or my body, and this was reflected in the relationships in my life and in my own destructive behaviours.

It was only after going through cancer, that I started to understand the importance of loving myself and treating myself as I would a best friend. Now, I am constantly giving myself pep talks. I speak to myself like I would speak to my favourite person in the world. I love myself, scars and all.

The perspective I have now, as a 27-year-old, two-time cancer survivor, is one of love and deep pride. How could I possibly speak badly about a body that has carried me through so much? How can I hate a mind that has overcome so much psychological trauma and difficulty? How can I dislike this beautiful soul of mine that weathered so many storms and stayed resilient throughout it all?

-Portrait of me taken by a friend in the midst of treatment

I think this quote really hits the nail on the head:

“Nothing is better for self-esteem than survival.”

― Martha Gellhorn, Travels With Myself and Another

If there is any reason in the world to hold your head high and be innately proud of yourself, it is being a cancer survivor / warrior. And yet, often when we are struggling with our appearance, with changes to our mood and to our physical bodies, we forget all we have endured.

That’s why this particular exercise is so powerful:

Take your journals out and think back to the beginning, right back to your childhood. Now start listing out all of the difficult things you have faced and overcome, right up until now.

These can be smaller things like falling down and cutting your knee as a kid, breaking your arm or moving house, or big things like your parent’s divorce or finding out you had cancer. Whatever comes up, simply write it down. You can write everything, or you can just write down the memories that feel the most pertinent.

It doesn’t matter if you compile this as a list, a paragraph, a mind map or as unfiltered prose. With journaling the form is never important, what matters is the process of acknowledging your story.

Seeing it all down on paper, all the things you’ve overcome, it truly is a poignant and powerful exercise in realising your strength. It’s also a precious gift to give yourself on those days when you feel unworthy or that you are strong enough to make it through. All you have to do is revert back to this piece of paper, take a deep breath and remember.

You got through all of that and you will get through this too.

-Michelle

If you fancy sharing your journal entry with us, you can direct message them to NatiaCares on Facebook or Instagram or send them via email to conversation@natiacares.com by clicking the button bellow.

If you want to receive email updates when the next journal prompt is available, sign up for our NatiaCares Cancer Journal Email list below.

Natia Cancer Journals: Music and Nostalgia

Thu, 09 Jul 2020 08:22:45 GMT

Natia Cancer Journals: Music and Nostalgia

W elcome to week 1 of the Natia Cancer Journals. If you’re reading this, guess what? You are alive. You have survived heartache, grief, joy, sorrow, illness and love, all to arrive at this moment, right here, right now.

Isn’t that incredible? Furthermore, the fact that you’re reading this means you’ve committed yourself to an exciting new path of healing from the past.

This week I’ve been thinking a lot about the past. I suppose that’s because it’s been almost a year since I had the stem cell transplant that saved my life. Anniversaries have a way making us feel pretty nostalgic, don’t they?

From Greek, the word nostalgia means, quite literally, “a pain to return home”. When we feel nostalgic, we often feel a mix of sadness and happiness at the same time, which is odd because one might think that these are conflicting emotions. But often, upon reflection, the most painful moments of our lives turn out to actually be the most poignant. Which reminds me of a quote that I’ve always loved:

“One day, in retrospect, the years of struggle will strike you as the most beautiful.”

– Sigmund Freud.

Sometimes I even feel nostalgic for the period when I was severely ill in hospital. Which is strange, because at the time I was suffering so much and yet I also felt so acutely alive. I feel nostalgic when I think back to being 19 years old and traveling around the world with just an oversized backpack and an insatiable thirst for adventure in my body. I feel nostalgic for the comfort of my late mothers’ arms, knowing I’ll never be able to access somewhere quite as safe as that again.

But nothing induces nostalgia in me more than music. To me, there’s nothing as powerful as playing a familiar song and being instantly transported back to a certain time or place in your life.

Whenever I want to write I put on an old record or a playlist and instantly I feel neuropathways in my brain opening up and words just start to pour out of me.

Music can be such an incredible tool for healing.

So, for our first exercise we are going to purposely induce the feeling of nostalgia.

How?

I want you to choose 5 different periods in your life . It can be a moment or an age. No need to overthink it. Just pick 5 and write them down.

When you have them in front of you, you’re then going to pick 5 songs to go with each period . Songs that you feel align with that specific moment.

Don’t think too much about it, just pick a song that comes to mind for each period.

Now play the song and start writing . Write a paragraph about what was happening in that moment and how you felt.

Write until the song ends and play it again if the words keep coming. Let the music unearth the memories. See what comes up.

I’ll share what I wrote:

Photo Credits: Angus and Julia Stone

1. “Just a Boy” - Angus and Julia Stone.

I am 19 and in love with a boy with blonde hair and blue eyes. We have known each other for a few days in person when we meet at the airport in Buenos Aires after talking online for months. I am listening to this song repeatedly, thinking of him, my nerves consuming me.

I see him walk through the arrival gates. My heart feels like it will explode in my chest.

“I met you once and I've fallen for your notions

I don't know why, I don't know why

One kiss from you and I'm drunk up on your potion

That big old smile is all you wore

Girl, you make me want to feel

The things I've never felt before”

Photo Credit: Carl Lender (Flickr)

2. “Daughter” - Louden Wainwright III.

I am 20 years old and living in Colombia. My dad is back home in South Africa about to undergo an operation to remove his cancer – riddled oesophagus. I can’t be there but this song, about a father’s love for his daughter connects me to him.

“That's my daughter in the water

Every time she fell, I caught her.

Every time she fell.

That's my daughter in the water,

I lost every time I fought her.

I lost every time”

Photo Credit: Luis Fonsi (via IMDB)

3. “Despacito” – Luis Fonsi. Ft Daddy Yankee

I am 23 and back in South America. I am recovering from 6 months of chemotherapy. My hair is short, wild and curly. I came back here after a tough year to try and find the same happiness I felt when I was 19. The song of the year is “Despacito ”, it plays in every single club and bar and forever will remind me of being young, barefoot, tanned and happy. Of riding in the back of crowded chicken buses, of a gleaming Caribbean Sea.

Of cold beer and flirting and freedom.

“Despacito

Quiero respirar tu cuello despacito

Deja que te diga cosas al oído

Para que te acuerdes si no estás conmigo"

Photo Credit: MrStitch2305

4. “A New Day Has Come” - Celine Dion.

I am 25 years old and living in London now. My dad phones me to tell me my mother has just passed away. I walk to the park near my university where I lie down and sob into the grass. I stay there for several hours in the sun, playing the song over and over. Mum loved Celine Dion. Her passing aches in my chest and at same time feels like a relief. I am happy she is free now; dementia had taken her away a long time ago.

I walk to St Pauls cathedral and light two candles, one for my mother and one for our family dog who also chose to leave the world on that day. There are miracles all around us.

“Hush now

I see a light in the sky

Oh, it's almost blinding me

I can't believe I've been touched by an angel

With love

Let the rain come down

And wash away my tears

Let it fill my soul

And drown my fears

Let it shatter the walls

For a new sun

A new day has come”

Photo Credit: The War on Drugs

5. “Thinking of A Place” - The War on Drugs

I am 26 and lying in a hospital bed, hours before having a stem cell transplant that will save my life. I am puffy and frail from a week of intensive chemotherapy. The climb up the mountain has been long and heavy, and finally, I am at the peak. The song transports me out of the hospital, out of the pain I feel in my body, out of this earth. I am all of the younger versions of myself, 19 again, hitchhiking along the Pan-American highway, 23 years old, dancing to reggaeton on the beach.

I am the girl crying in the park, aching for her mother. I am 26, strong and fierce and alive.

“I’m moving through the dark

Of a long black night

And I'm looking at the moon

And the light it shines

But I'm thinking of a place

And it feels so very real

Oh, it was so full of love!”

And there you have it. Don’t feel any pressure to write as much as me. (I tend to get carried away). Just try it out and see how you feel. It might prove to be pretty powerful.

If you fancy sharing your journal entry with us, you can direct message them to Natia on Facebook or Instagram or send them via email to conversation@natiacares.com by clicking the button bellow.

I hope you enjoyed this week’s exercise.

Until next time,

Michelle.

If you want to receive email updates when the next journal prompt is available, sign up for our NatiaCares Cancer Journal Email list below.

Natia Cancer Journals

Wed, 01 Jul 2020 08:29:38 GMT

Natia Cancer Journals

Welcome.

The Natia Cancer Journals is an open space for those affected by cancer to connect through prose, poetry and self-reflection.

The Project:

Our ability to reflect on our life experiences and express ourselves through writing is a uniquely human quality and a powerful tool to stimulate social connection and promote healing.

The point of this project is to cultivate an online forum where we can write about our experiences, share our stories and process our pain, together.

Every two weeks we will publish a short blog containing a writing prompt. The prompt will follow a theme and will invite you to write and reflect on your own experiences with cancer. You can write as little or as much as you like and it’s entirely up to you if you want to share your work.

If you do submit a piece, we will publish them on the Natia blog for fellow community members to read. If you prefer not to share your own writing but rather a piece of poetry or prose related to the theme, that is also entirely welcome.

There are no strict guidelines, rules or expectations. The aim of the project is simply to forge connection in this period of social isolation and create community.

A bit about me:

If you’re wondering who I am and why I felt compelled to start this project, my name is Michelle and I am a writer and two-time cancer survivor. My own cancer journey begun back in December 2015 when I was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma. I was 22 years old.

Having chemo, 2016.

My life up until that point had been pretty normal. I grew up in North London, with my older sister and artist parents. At aged ten my family emigrated to South Africa and I spent the formative years of my life in the beautiful city of Cape Town.

After graduating from high school, I set off on a gap year, which turned into intrepid backpacking expedition across South America. I hitchhiked through Chile and Bolivia, worked in a Peruvian surf hostel, painted murals in Ecuador and sailed from Colombia to Panama, before finally returning to South Africa to study English literature at the University of Cape Town.

Traveling South America, 2017.

As I was approaching the final year of my studies, I discovered a small, painful lump in my neck. Leading up to this I’d had all kinds of strange symptoms from fatigue to drenching night sweats, but I passed these off as indicative of my fast-paced lifestyle. The idea that I could possibly have cancer just didn’t seem plausible.

Yet there I was, ten days later, lying in a hospital bed with plastic tubes coming out of my body. The next six months unfolded in a blur of fortnightly infusions, nausea and dreaded hospital visits. In the midst of all the pain and confusion of my diagnosis, I began to write about my experiences.

Growing up I would scribble profusely into dog-eared journals. But never did I feel such a burning compulsion to write as when I was sick. It was as if through pain, I found my voice. I wrote about losing my hair, about my struggles with body image, about falling in love with a musician whose father was also dying of cancer, about pain and self-love and my newfound appreciation for life.

I realised that no matter what this disease took from me, it could never take my voice.

By the end of 2016 I had reached remission and finished my degree, and so I set off, once again, for the rugged mountains and glittering oceans of South America. The truth is, I just wanted to get as far away from the hospital ward and everything I had come to associate with being ill.

After a year of volunteering in the Amazon jungle and teaching English, I moved to the UK to begin a graduate degree in journalism. Then, one month into my course, the unthinkable happened. Another lump, another bout of biopsies and to my horror, a relapse. I was 25.

Relapse, 2018.

Instead of taking a leave of absence, I chose to continue my course while undergoing chemotherapy. This time however, chemo didn’t seem to work and after 6 months of worsening scans, I started to lose hope. During this period, devastatingly, my mother also passed away from dementia. The loss was overwhelming. I remember feeling as if my entire life was falling apart.

I truly believe writing saved me from the darkest depths of despair. I wrote through the pain, through the grief, through the moments of confusion and emptiness. I was placed on a clinical trial, which gave me access to immunotherapy, a miracle drug that finally begun to shrink my tumours. In August 2019, a year after my relapse, I underwent a bone marrow transplant using my sisters stem cells, a procedure which saved my life.

My sister and I on the day of our transplant, 2019.

Despite surviving cancer for a second time, I remember feeling like it all would have been a lot easier if I’d had a stronger support network.

When I met John, a fellow cancer survivor and the founder of Natia Cares, we bonded over our mutual desire to help those struggling with this illness.

Hence the idea for an online project that would bring together those going through treatment. The NatiaCares Cancer Journal is thus a communal space where those affected by cancer can connect with other like-minded souls, through the written word.

We so look forward to connecting with you and hearing your incredible stories of survivorship.

Listen to Michelle's Conversation

Michelle sat down with John and spoke about her experience as well as the way poetry has helped her

Let’s talk about evidence….

Fri, 10 Jan 2020 09:21:49 GMT

Let’s talk about evidence….

NatiaCares was inspired by our personal experiences of cancer and from listening to the needs of people living and working with cancer.

Each individual story reflects the statistics. With 17 million new cases of cancer diagnosed globally in 2018 ( cancerresearchuk.org ) and with medical advancements continuously improving cure and survival rates for many common cancers, there are growing numbers of people living with the physical, psychological, spiritual, social and financial consequences of cancer. In the UK alone, it is estimated that the number of cancer survivors is growing by 1 million people every decade, projected to reach over 5 million by 2040 (1). In the US the statistics are more striking, where more than 15.5 million Americans with a history of cancer were alive on January 1, 2016, and the number of cancer survivors is expected to increase to 20.3 million by 2026 (2).

Recent expert consensus (European Society for Medical Oncology position paper 2018) concluded that cancer patients’ holistic needs are not currently being met and that Quality of Life (not just cure and survival) is of paramount importance in ensuring that patients and families are supported to adjust and rehabilitate to life with and/or after cancer. Physical symptoms such as pain and fatigue, along with psycho-social problems such as anxiety and depression continue to affect many people after cancer treatment, with associated - but often hidden - costs to families, health services and society. ( Cancer’s Unequal Burden: the reality behind improving cancer survival rates Macmillan 2014)

In addition to family caregivers, there is a need to address the wellbeing of healthcare professionals working in oncology and palliative care settings, which demand high and often unacknowledged levels of emotional labour, and can lead to disengagement and burnout (3).

My yoga classes are full of healthcare professionals looking for ways to unwind, de-stress and resource themselves to keep going. As I know too well from my own practice as an allied healthcare professional, it is very hard to find what I call the balance between “loving and losing” (because, yes, healthcare professionals care very much about their patients – it’s the system that grinds them down).

Integrating complementary therapies into care

Near half of cancer patients in the UK and US are using complementary approaches to support their wellbeing during and post treatment (4)(5), but there is still a lack of clear, evidence-based guidance to help patients, families and professionals integrate their use into conventional medical care.

“We know that the scientific evidence base is growing for the use of some CT in cancer care. However, we would like to see more high-quality research in order to support patients, health professionals and commissioners to make informed decisions on the application of these therapies (April 2016 Macmillan Cancer Support)

Many people I’ve met through my music and yoga therapy practice who are living with and beyond cancer have told me of difficult conversations with doctors who – unless they are personally interested in, for example, nutrition, yoga or spirituality – may be dismissive of aspects of health and illness that they see as unrelated to treatment goals. This attitude, thankfully, is changing rapidly here in the UK and in the US, and there is now more acknowledgement of and access to legitimized complementary support via a growing number of Maggie’s Centres and similar US based charities that have changed the landscape and language around wellbeing and cancer.

However, I have run workshops and seminars in the UK for both cancer patients and healthcare professionals, revealing a lack of knowledge about and confidence in the uses of and recommendations for complementary and wellbeing approaches. Some people are skeptical about the “fluffy stuff” (until they experience the calming and steadying effects of yoga or the expressive potential of music, art or poetry) and some may be overwhelmed by the plethora of interventions, apps and websites on offer. Many people during and post-cancer would like to try meditation, yoga or music therapy but do not have the resources to pay for sessions or cannot access charitable complementary support delivered by properly trained therapists because there are no services available in their locale. So there remains not only confusion around the benefits of various complementary therapies, but considerable inequity of access to these across the country. One of our core missions at NatiaCares is to offer affordable, high-quality complementary support that can be used by people who need it, anytime and in the place of their choosing, thereby reducing this inequality.

But how can people distinguish between what is genuinely safe, helpful and effective, and what John Diamond described in his 2001 book of the same name as “Snake Oil”?

At NatiaCares, we are very keen not to overstate the potential benefits of our programmes. A recent scoping review of publicly available apps for cancer survivors included 151 apps, concluding that many of these exaggerate claims to empower patients, change their lives and even cure disease. More controls and guidelines are clearly needed to manage this burgeoning market. We look forward to developing research collaborations and gathering evidence about the effects of the NatiaCares programmes and sharing this with our users and readers, as time goes on.

As a starting point, and in this blogspace, we will discuss the evidence and rationale for each of our programmes, and signpost to relevant sources on our website for users to explore.

Yoga

Here are some quotes from people who attended Mindful Yoga courses I ran for a cancer support charity once a week over 6 weeks:

I feel human again – was very isolated and sedentary

I’ve become more aware of my body and breath

Very helpful in recovering from cancer treatment in coming back into balance after the huge shakeup

The practice of stillness and silence to take away with you and the confidence that you can use it to face whatever lies ahead

Being caring to yourself and not self-critical

What is being described are subtle, positive changes that are extremely hard to evidence statistically. I do not know of any outcome measures that can be applied pre and post a yoga programme that could capture the delicate shifts in feeling and relating that these people describe. One of the core and most popular yoga texts, the Bhagavad Gita , describes yoga as “the journey of the Self, through the Self, to the Self”. This deep and archetypal journey often begins when we are challenged by suffering, loss or illness, and we see something of this gentle process in these people, most of whom had never tried yoga before.

But is there any “hard” evidence?

The NHS has published a guide to yoga https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/exercise/guide-to-yoga/ and in the US, recent guidelines on complementary therapies for breast cancer patients endorses yoga to support wellbeing https://ascopubs.org/doi/10.1200/jco.2018.79.2721 .

Recently, a Cochrane Review (7) special collection on yoga was published which includes a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials on yoga for patients with breast cancer including over 2,000 participants (8). This concluded that yoga can help reduce sleep-related problems and fatigue. It also showed that compared to other psycho-social interventions, yoga improved quality of life and was beneficial for anxiety and depression. There is also evidence for pain and relief of lymphedoema symptoms in women post breast cancer surgery (9) with themes of increased embodiment and body-acceptance from yoga post-treatment (10). At the present time, the majority of high quality, randomised-controlled trials in yoga for cancer are in breast cancer, post treatment. However, there are studies showing improvements in quality of life, fatigue, anxiety and distress in other cancers including lung, prostrate, gynaecological, colorectal, lymphoma and for reducing stress and anxiety during hospital treatment for childhood cancers.

I think an important point to raise is that there is no evidence to suggest that yoga taught by qualified therapists with a knowledge of cancer, causes adverse effects or harm to people with cancer, of any type or stage.
It is also important to clarify that “yoga” is not one sequence of movements or approaches, and that although the philosophy and intention of yoga at its core is the same, practices and schools of yoga will differ. However, some yoga classes are extremely physically challenging and more about strength and conditioning than what the ancient sage Patanjali describes as the goal of yoga – to calm the fluctuations of the mind (Sutra 1.2)

There is a great difference between a yoga class in a gym to which anyone can turn up, and a 1:1 or small group yoga therapy session delivered by a therapist with knowledge of cancer and therapeutic yoga to suit. A gym yoga class may include 20 or more students, of whom the teacher may not have any knowledge. Yoga therapists, however, will have in-depth training in the application of yoga practices (including postures, breathing, meditation, relaxation and other lifestyle modifications) and will spend time getting to know students and their needs, before designing a safe, personalised yoga programme specifically designed to support them during their illness and treatment.

At NatiaCares, we have looked at the evidence for yoga in cancer populations and at the protocols (this means the specific types of yoga practices, sequences and programmes delivered in each study) where they have been published. We have based the sequences we offer on these, and on clinical experience of teaching yoga to people going through treatment, post-treatment and in palliative stages of cancer. We have also borne in mind the needs of caregivers, both familial and professional.

We hope you will enjoy trying these safe, gentle and compassionate sequences, but also recommend - if you have any concerns whatsoever - that you check with your doctor before starting the programmes.

We will write about the evidence base for meditation and music therapy for people affected by cancer in a future blog. We look forward to hearing your thoughts on Natia Yoga, and are delighted to answer any questions you may have.

With warm wishes

NatiaCares (written by Kate Binnie, Yoga teacher, Mindfulness teacher, Music Therapist, Palliative Care MSc, Academic Researcher in School of Medicine, University of Bristol)

[1] Maddams, J., Utley, M. & Møller, H. Projections of cancer prevalence in the United Kingdom, 2010–2040. Br J Cancer 107, 1195–1202 (2012) d oi:10.1038/bjc.2012.366

[2] American Cancer Society, Cancer Facts and Figures 2019

[3] Trufelli, D. , Bensi, C. , Garcia, J. , Narahara, J. , Abrão, M. , Diniz, R. , Da costa miranda, V. , Soares, H. and del Giglio, A. (2008), Burnout in cancer professionals: a systematic review and meta‐analysis. European Journal of Cancer Care, 17: 524-531.

[4] Posadzki P, Watson LK, Alotaibi A ,Ernst E (2012) Prevalence of Complementary and Alternative Medicine-use by UK Cancer Patients: A Systematic Review of Surveys. J Integr Oncol 1:102. Doi: 10.4172/2329-6771.1000102

[5] Hyeongjun Yun, Lingyun Sun, Jun J. Mao 2017 Growth of Integrative Medicine at Leading Cancer Centers Between 2009 and 2016: A Systematic Analysis of NCI-Designated Comprehensive Cancer Center Websites

[6] Adam R, McMichael D, Powell D, et al 2019 Publicly available apps for cancer survivors: a scoping review BMJ Open 2019;9:e032510. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2019-032510

[7] A Cochrane Review is a systematic review of research in health care and health policy that is published in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. Cochrane Reviews base their findings on the results of studies that meet certain quality criteria, since the most reliable studies will provide the best evidence for making decisions about health care. Authors of Cochrane Reviews apply methods which reduce the impact of bias across different parts of the review process,

[8] Cramer H, Lauche R, Klose P, Lange S, Langhorst J, Dobos GJ. Yoga for improving health-related quality of life, mental health and cancer-related symptoms in women diagnosed with breast cancer. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2017;1(1):CD010802. Published 2017 Jan 3. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD010802.pub2

[9] Loudon A, Barnett T, Piller N, Immink MA, Williams AD. Yoga management of breast cancer-related lymphoedema: a randomised controlled pilot-trial. BMC Complement Altern Med. 2014;14:214. Published 2014 Jul 1. doi:10.1186/1472-6882-14-214

[10] Roanne Thomas et al., ‘Beyond the Body: Insights from an Iyengar Yoga Program for Women with Disability after Breast Cancer’, Holistic Nursing Practice 28, no. 6 (December 2014): 353–61

An app designed to support cancer patients, ‘thrivers’ and their families and caregivers.

Mon, 18 Nov 2019 19:20:22 GMT

An app designed to support cancer patients, ‘thrivers’ and their families and caregivers.

Looking for holistic support

Every week, in my community, I run groups for people living with cancer where we practice mindful yoga together. Some are in limbo from a recent re-diagnosis and preparing for medical treatment, others are in the middle of treatment cycles and recovering from chemo or radiotherapy, or surgery. However, the majority attending are people who have finished active treatment and are “out of the system”, yet they may not be fully “out of the woods” and are looking for gentle support for body and mind.

"I used to be wary of yoga as I thought I’d never be flexible or tuned-in enough to benefit. Since joining the mindful yoga class I have found that yoga doesn’t have to be about forcing oneself into difficult positions. The integration of meditation, reflection and gentle movement has been a great solace to me in difficult times”
(Cancer patient post-treatment, aged 70)

Living beyond a cancer diagnosis

The number of cancer survivors/thrivers is growing worldwide as diagnosis and treatment for many common cancers becomes more effective. Yet alongside this success story there is an associated hidden burden for individuals, families and health services. A significant number of people who are through their treatment continue to live with pain, fatigue and other complex emotional symptoms including anxiety and depression. For many, it’s just not a case of “getting back to normal” because dealing with cancer has been life-changing in subtle ways that may not be obvious even to loved ones, and the “sword of Damacles” (fear of return) hangs over their heads, and those of their families, forever.

Jo’s story

One of my students, Jo, had been diagnosed with breastcancer. Jo had undergone surgery and chemotherapy that ended with a mastectomy, partial reconstruction, and infections that brought her in and out of hospital. In her 40’s with two young teenagers, and working full-time, the diagnosis and treatment schedule was very difficult physically and emotionally. During and after the treatment period, Jo went through a lot of stressful experiences and, not uncommonly, she felt angry - angry at the cancer, the hospital, and the constant nerve pain that did not go away long after her treatment should have ended. Drugs didn’t seem to touch this pain, and she was subsequently misdiagnosed with depression, a diagnosis that she rejected as a brush-off. Jo was understandably frightened and exhausted – she was carrying a huge load of responsibility for her family and herself.

It was during these three challenging years, while Jo was on and off work, that she started a mindful yoga practice at my class in a local Maggie’s Centre, which is where we met. When Jo was not working, she attended the yoga classes regularly, sometimes managing to simply lie on the floor wrapped in a blanket breathing with the group and at other times, moving through standing sequences, enjoying her ability to balance on one leg, raise her arms and salute the sun.

When Jo went back at work, she stopped attending the classes until recently when she came back to class on a precious day off. After that first class back, Jo and I spoke, and she explained that she had recently learned that she has a very rare post-treatment condition that was causing the nerve pain she was experiencing. Jo said, “I’ve just got to live as well as I can with it, and yoga needs to be part of that .” She went on to say how yoga had helped her stay steady during the difficult times when she felt she had to be strong for her family and herself. Jo explained that mindful yoga had been a flexible tool that she used to accommodate her changing energy levels and emotional needs. She found in particular that the breathing exercises helped her to remain present in the “now” because that is all you can do .

Jo was one of the NatiaCares user test group. She provided valuable feed-back, which we used to create the NatiaCares programmes that she tested and helped develop and, continues to use.

NatiaCares offers support

NatiaCares was born of this simple idea: to support cancer patients, as well as their families and caregivers, with the complex and difficult experiences such as those faced by Jo and her family. We wanted to offer a choice of high quality, evidence-based, body-mind, creative and therapeutic programmes that we - the core NatiaCares team - had either found helpful as patients, carers or professionals. And we want these programmes simply and accessibly delivered to as many people as possible via digital means. With an upsurge in popularity for mind-body practices over the last ten years and with an even more recent explosion of digital therapeutics, we felt the time was right to co-design, develop and deliver an app that would speak to and support people living with the consequences of cancer from pre-diagnosis onwards.

We understand that using an app can’t change cancer, affect treatment outcomes or magically remove difficult feelings and symptoms. But what we do believe - and hope - is that the NatiaCares app will become a catalyst for people affected by cancer, so that they may begin to compassionately care for themselves and to find emotional, physical and spiritual nourishment for the body-mind, whatever their story or situation. At the same time, we want to create a kind and compassionate community that welcomes everyone touched by cancer. As Jo says, the reality is that cancer is often very lonely.

the NatiaCares app has already been recognised by Maggie’s Centres as a complementary tool. ( https://www.maggies.org .

Dame Laura Lee, CEO Maggie’s Centres, said:

“ NatiaCares is the first digital therapeutic app we have seen that is 100% aligned with Maggie’s aim of helping cancer patients, their families and caregivers. ”

We are delighted to offer this blogspace where over the coming weeks and months, we will be sharing evidence base for the Natia approach, stories from our users and development team, plus the rationale behind our yoga, breath and meditation sessions that we have created to support people with the mental, emotional, physical and spiritual challenges of living with and beyond cancer. We will also not shy away from challenging issues, including return of disease, palliative care and grief.

We hope that you will try the NatiaCares app and let us know what you think. If you have or have had cancer, if you are supporting someone with cancer as family caregiver or professional, we would love to hear your thoughts about Natia and how we might improve to meet your needs.

With warm wishes
NatiaCares

Written by Kate Binnie , a music and yoga therapist, academic researcher, and part of the NatiaCares creative development team.

The Kindest Cancer App

Tue, 12 Nov 2019 18:50:51 GMT

The Kindest Cancer App

Kindness defined

At Natia, our aim is to create the ‘kindest’ app for people diagnosed with and living with cancer and for their families and caregivers. But what does kindness mean? According to the Cambridge Dictionary and the American Dictionary ‘kindness’ is defined as the quality of being generous, helpful, and caring about other people, or an act showing this quality. And according to Wikipedia, ‘kindness’ is a behaviour marked by ethical characteristics, a pleasant disposition, and concern and consideration for others.

Kind people; kind companies

We all know kind people and certainly many people who purposefully embrace kindness in their day-to-day living. The Dalai Lama commented ‘My religion is very simple. My religion is kindness.’ And not so far from the Dali Lama is Lady Gaga, who said ‘I've been searching for ways to heal myself, and I've found that kindness is the best way.’ If you happen to be from Pittsburgh (or depending your age, anywhere in America), you will certainly know of ‘Fred Rogers’. An article recently told a story that Fred was described by a woman who worked for him as ‘Christ-like’ in his kindness and that ‘he was going to like you if you liked it or not.’ [1]

It is likely that we also know at least one kind organisation. One example is the company called ‘Audible’. Donald Katz, the CEO, is as interested in helping the city where Audible is located, Newark New Jersey, as much as he is the business of Audible. Through a lottery, twenty Audible employees are selected to receive one year of free rent if they sign up for a two-year lease within the city of Newark. This helps the Audible employees and the city of Newark. There are many examples of corporate kindness and the trend for conscious companies is growing. A personal example for NatiaCares can be seen in our recent collaboration with Maggie’s Centres. Maggie’s Centres, a cancer charity, is supporting NatiaCares’ development by, among other ways, providing us with the findings on the acceptance of certain phrases and words by cancer patients and their families and caregivers. Maggie’s has also included us in Maggie’s media and other events. They have done so without expectation of benefit in return. We are grateful for their kindness, and proud to be working with them.

But what about an app? At NatiaCares, we are passionate about creating the ‘kindest’ cancer app available. But how do we that? Can an app be kind?

Kind apps start with purpose

We believe it starts with our ‘purpose’, or intention. Our purpose is to reduce cancer-related suffering. This means everything we do should move us in the direction of reducing cancer-related suffering, including creating a kind app.

One of the discussions between Bodhipaksa, a Buddhist teacher and author, and Lesley Howells, a cancer specialist clinical psychologist, included in the NatiaCares Mediation Foundation Course is regarding our shared human condition. This means that at our core, every one of us has issues and problems that we deal with from time to time. As Albert Einstein said: “Our separation from each other is an optical illusion”. We are all struggling beings and this is a shared human experience. Pausing and recognising this in ourselves and in others is a great place to start to begin to develop individual kindness. With a regular practice of mind body techniques, such as mediation and yoga, this recognition of a shared human condition can help guide and lead us through the continuum from personal consciousness to corporate consciousness and, eventually to becoming core to the essence of our app.

There already exists substantial research and literature stating that companies can be operated as conscious organisations. And when done so, all stakeholders of such a company benefit. I recently met with Timothy Henry, co-founder of Conscious Capitalism Inc., and the co-author of The Conscious Capitalism Field Guide. According to Timothy, the four core principles underpinning the Conscious Capitalism approach to building and leading businesses are: higher purpose, stakeholder orientation, conscious leadership, and conscious culture. Already many companies worldwide are engaging in this approach and this has formed the basis of NatiaCares since our inception.

So, what can we do to include ‘kindness’ within every aspect of the individual-to-company-to-app continuum? Some of what we are doing is mentioned in this article, but there is much more to do. Reflecting back to our purpose of reducing cancer-related suffering, perhaps one of the key things we can do to be a kind app is to deliver on our intention to advocate and share best evidenced ‘integrative’ oncology’ practices. Although there are several definitions of integrative oncology, one accepted definition is as follows: “Integrative oncology is a patient-centred, evidence-informed field of cancer care that utilizes mind and body practices, natural products, and/or lifestyle modifications from different traditions alongside conventional cancer treatments. Integrative oncology aims to optimize health, quality of life, and clinical outcomes across the cancer care continuum and to empower people to prevent cancer and become active participants before, during, and beyond cancer treatment.”[2][3]

Quite openly, we do not yet have the answer on how to be the kindest cancer app. We do, however, commit to the learning behind this and to the spirit of kindness. Another quote from Albert Einstein highlights our intention:

“The ideals which have lighted my way, and time after time have given me new courage to face life cheerfully, have been Kindness, Beauty and Truth”

In this spirit, we invite you to share your thoughts on ‘app kindness’ or ‘kindness’ generally with us either by commenting or writing direct to info@natiacares.com .

We would love your thoughts on this. We need more kindness in the world at the moment!

NatiaCares

[1] Chris Rodell: Fred Rogers was the kind of weirdo we should all aspire to be; Pittsburgh Post Gazette

[2] Claudia M. Witt, Lynda G. Balneaves, Maria J. Cardoso, Lorenzo Cohen, Heather Greenlee, Peter Johnstone, Ömer Kücük, Josh Mailman, Jun J. Mao, A Comprehensive Definition for Integrative Oncology, JNCI Monographs, Volume 2017, Issue 52, November 2017, lgx012, https://doi.org/10.1093/jncimonographs/lgx012

[3 ] Note that notwithstanding the definition of ‘integrative oncology’ cited above including ‘natural products’, NatiaCares has not and does not include the use of natural products within the techniques offered on the app.

NatiaCares Blog

Supporting a Parent with Cancer

S upporting a Parent with Cancer

1) No one’s story is the same

2) They are still your parent

3) This is a fantastic opportunity to learn about who they are

-Learn ab out their family

4) Make sure they have space when they need it.

5) There will be a change of roles.

6) Most people won’t know what to say (and that’s okay)

7) On that note, you don’t have to talk if you don’t want to

8) But… it’s important to process your emotions.

9) Get help

10) Pay attention to the good stuff!

-Don't forget to appreciate life

2020: The Year of Progress of Understanding Cancer

2020: The Year of Progress in Cancer

Developments in Data and Prevention

New Understanding of Cellular Processes

Better Life Saving Therapies

Overcoming Isolation by Sharing Experiences

Overcoming Isolation By Shared Experience

Featuring Helena Traill, founder of 100 Stories of Cancer

Overcoming Inequalities in Prostate Cancer: the Role of Clinical Trials and Meditation.

Overcoming Inequalities in Prostate Cancer: the Role of Clinical Trials and Meditation.

Summary:

Biology

Access to Healthcare

Awareness

Image from: 'Hear Me Now. The uncomfortable reality of prostate cancer in black African-Caribbean men'

Reducing inequalities

Raising awareness

Treatment

What else can black men do to reduce the impact of prostate cancer?

NatiaCares Self Advocacy Tips

NatiaCares Self Advocacy Tips ﻿

Preventing and Addressing Inequalities in Cancer Care: An Interview with Toral Shah.

Preventing and Addressing Inequalities in Cancer Care: An Interview with Toral Shah.

Picture this:

NatiaCares: Hi Toral! So, you recently gave a talk on health inequalities, and your Instagram posts include some really insightful discussions about racism in health and wellbeing. Was there a particular event that made you so passionate about this topic?

Awareness:

Screening and diagnosis:

Treatment and care:

Support, mental health, and end-of-life care:

Wellbeing Workshop 1: Growing your Own Gratitude

Wellbeing Workshop 1: Growing your Own Gratitude

Let’s Talk About Evidence: Mindfulness

Let’s Talk About Evidence: Mindfulness

Stress Reduction and Other Mental Health Benefits

Immune System

Cancer-related Pain:

Cancer-related Fatigue:

Cancer-related cachexia (extreme weight loss/’wasting away’):

Cancer-related Sleep Disorders :

Caregivers

Can Meditation and Mindfulness Make Your Mental Health Worse?

Can Meditation and Mindfulness Make Your Mental Health Worse?

A Letter to my Younger Self

A Letter to my Younger Self

Dear Michelle (age 8)

Reflection on Adversity: Acknowledging our Resilience

Reflection on Adversity: Acknowledging our Resilience

That’s why this particular exercise is so powerful:

Natia Cancer Journals: Music and Nostalgia

Natia Cancer Journals: Music and Nostalgia

1. “Just a Boy” - Angus and Julia Stone.

2. “Daughter” - Louden Wainwright III.

3. “Despacito” – Luis Fonsi. Ft Daddy Yankee

4. “A New Day Has Come” - Celine Dion.

5. “Thinking of A Place” - The War on Drugs

Natia Cancer Journals

Natia Cancer Journals

The Project:

A bit about me:

Let’s talk about evidence….

Let’s talk about evidence….

NatiaCares was inspired by our personal experiences of cancer and from listening to the needs of people living and working with cancer.

Integrating complementary therapies into care

Yoga

But is there any “hard” evidence?

NatiaCares Self Advocacy Tips