LUNGevity Mental Wellness Interview

Friends and Family,

Genevieve and I are part of a LUNGevity mental wellness project that I want to share with you. Four of us were interviewed and recorded for this series.

My interview with Angela James is the first of the four to be released (one per week). I was asked about what it means to thrive with cancer, coping skills for dealing with the inevitable fear and grief, communicating with people about your cancer, and more. Angela made it easier to be vulnerable, so much so that I get choked up just watching the replay. I hope you find it valuable.

You can find the video at https://egfr.lungevity.org/egfr/video-library.

Genevieve’s video will be about her journey as a care supporter and will be released sometime in the next three weeks. I’ll post the link when that happens.

Love,

Dann

Thriving With Cancer Minute # 28: Being Your Own Advocate

Friends and Family,

I wouldn't be alive today if I hadn't done this one thing: Being my own advocate. Here's the story.

Love,

Dann

Thriving With Cancer Minute #27: Being a Cancer Bad Boy Feels Good!

Friends and Family,

I know the right things to do to help my body fight cancer. Sometimes I break all the rules, and I feel good about it! It’s great to be a Bad Boy sometimes! How does this make any sense? Here’s how:

Love,

Dann

Thriving With Cancer Minute #26: Say Yes More Often

Friends and Family,

It can be easy to let your world shrink and get in a rut, especially if you have cancer. Here’s an idea for spicing things up.

Also, you can help fight lung cancer by joining the Lung Love Run/Walk Portland this Saturday, June 22nd, or by donating to support lung cancer research. Here’s the link:  https://lungloverunwalkportland.yournextstepisthecure.org/

My team is Live Lung and Prosper.

Love,

Dann

Thriving With Cancer Minute #25: Secret Weapon for Kicking Cancer in the Keister

Friends and Family,

Survivors like us will try every trick in the book to kick cancer in the keister. Here is one of the most powerful tools I know:

It’s almost that time! The Lung Love Run/Walk will be on Saturday, June 22nd in Laurelhurst Park in Portland. If you would like to join our team (Live Lung and Prosper) or donate to support lung cancer research, go to https://lungloverunwalkportland.yournextstepisthecure.org/.

Love,

Dann

Thriving With Cancer Minute #24: Loving Yourself

Friends and Family,

Giving and receiving love are the most healing things we can do for ourselves. The real challenge is in loving yourself.

Here are some thoughts.

Also, you can help fight lung cancer by joining the Lung Love Run/Walk Portland on June 22nd, or by donating to support lung cancer research.

Here’s the page to join my team, Live Lung and Prosper:: https://lungloverunwalkportland.yournextstepisthecure.org/

Here’s the page to donate: https://lungloverunwalkportland.yournextstepisthecure.org/Dann?tab=MyPage&fbclid=IwAR2SILQAlxxumko_3ZV47l9Usk25rqjwnVexCPwCcFtq5EO58LrEhvcDdw0

Love,

Dann

Thriving With Cancer Minute #23: Saying Yes to Help You Don't Believe In

Friends and Family,

Sometimes you may say yes when someone offers help, even if you don't believe what they are offering. When does that make sense? Here are my thoughts:

Love,

Dann

Thriving With Cancer Minute #22: How to Say No to Unwanted Help

Friends and Family,

Well-intentioned people with good hearts offer all kinds of help when you have cancer, but not all of it may be a fit for you. How do you decline without hurting someone’s feelings? Here are some tips.

Love,

Dann

Thriving With Cancer Minute #21: Removing the Cancers from Your Life

Friends and Family,

A lot of the "cancers” in this world aren’t inside our bodies, but they can do incredible harm. Here are some tips for dealing with them:

Love,

Dann

Thriving With Cancer Minute #20: How do You Handle Survivor Guilt?

Friends and Family,

It can be really uncomfortable knowing you’re doing well, while others may be struggling. That can make it hard to share your successes with other survivors. Here’s another way to look at Survivor Guilt:

Love,

Dann

Thriving With Cancer Minute #19: What Kind of Story do You Want to Have?

Friends and Family,

When you share your cancer story, what do you emphasize? What difference does that make to not just the people you tell, but also to you? Here are some ideas.

Love,

Dann

Thriving With Cancer Minute #18: Making it Easier to Talk About Cancer

Friends and Family,

It can be awkward for some people to talk with you after you have cancer, and that gets in the way of having the conversations that are meaningful. Here are some tips for making it easier.

Love,

Dann

Thriving With Cancer Minute #17: When Your Body Image Takes a Hit

Friends and Family,

If you go through cancer treatment, your body image is going to take a serious hit at LEAST once. Here are some thoughts for how to deal with it.

Love,

Dann

Thriving With Cancer Minute #16: Talking About End of Life

Friends and Family,

Here’s a tough topic made easier. We're all going to die at some point, but the people around us often do everything they can to avoid the topic. Here are some tips on how to have this go the way you want.

Love,

Dann

Thriving With Cancer Minute #15: Cancer is a Team Sport

Friends and Family,

If you have cancer, it's not just you that is affected. It's everyone you know and care about, and the impact goes both ways. Here's something to think about:

Love,

Dann

Thriving With Cancer Minute #14: Why Some People Thrive With Cancer, While Others... Not so Much

Friends and Family,

Watch this short video to see the biggest difference between people who thrive after a cancer diagnosis, and those who are defeated right from the start.

Love,

Dann

Thriving With Cancer Minute #13: Expectations About How Long We Might Live

Friends and Family,

 How we feel about how long (or short) we might live has a lot to do with perspective. The comparisons in my brief vid are a bit novel :-)

Love,

Dann

Thriving With Cancer Minute #12: Getting the Most out of Every Day

Friends and Family,

How do you get the most out of every day, even when you're going through tough treatments? Watch this short video for some ideas.

Love,

Dann

Thriving With Cancer Minute #11: Short Shelf Life / Lasting Impact

Friends and Family,

If people don’t expect you to live long, they listen differently. How can you make the most of this time? Here are some thoughts:

Love,

Dann

Thriving With Cancer Minute #10: Responsibility, Guilt, and Control

Friends and Family,

Issues with responsibility, guilt, and control are not a great way help your body fight cancer, are they? Here are some tips for dealing with these issues:

Love,

Dann