General Interest Articles

Coping With Cancer During the Holidays

Coping With Cancer During the Holidays

Holidays are traditionally viewed as a time to celebrate. Many people enjoy reuniting with family and friends, giving and receiving gifts, and celebrating religious traditions during this time. However, sometimes people with cancer and their loved ones feel “out of step” from the rest of the world during the holidays. In fact, the holiday season can prompt new questions, such as: How do I take care of the holiday rush and myself at the same time? How can I celebrate when I have so many other things on my mind? What will my life be like next year? Sharing these concerns with the people you love and who love you can help you feel more connected.

Support Online Groups Can Provide Valid Information

Support Online Groups Can Provide Valid Information

LATE AT NIGHT, when Stafford County mom Rosezella Swanson has trouble sleeping, she logs onto her computer and checks out sites that offer advice to parents of children with autism.

From a computer in her Spotsylvania County living room, Sharon Kwiecien has relied on her own cadre of online buddies to help decide whether to undergo gastric bypass surgery–and then to get through the sometimes-rocky aftermath of the procedure.

Cancer And Childbirth: Mutually Exclusive No Longer

Cancer And Childbirth: Mutually Exclusive No Longer

(The New York Times News Service) — MaryBeth Zea of Little Falls, Minn., was only 28, married but childless, when breast cancer struck in 1988.

The surgeon who performed her mastectomy told her that because her cancer was not hormone-sensitive, pregnancy would probably not make much difference to her chances of a recurrence. He told her that pregnancy was a personal choice.