American Cancer Society More Birthdays Blog

Mother’s Day Memories from our Blogger Friends

American Cancer Society — Sat, 12 May 2012 12:00:53 +0000

At the American Cancer Society, we like to think of Mother’s Day as a birthday too, because it’s a day to celebrate another year with the women who have touched our lives in so many ways. When we fight for less cancer and more birthdays, we also fight for more Mother’s Days. Another year with our mothers, and another year as mothers.

In reflecting on this sentiment, we asked the members of our Blogger Advisory Council (BAC) to share their most memorable Mother’s Day stories with us. Their words are thoughtful, heart-warming and heart-breaking. Truthful emotions conjured up from memories that will never be forgotten.

Karen Zgoda, a doctoral student at the Boston College Graduate School of Social Work, shared a childhood memory of Mother’s Day that still leaves her feeling “warm and fuzzy.”

“Growing up with a single mother, Mother’s Day was very special. As a little girl it was a time to just hang out with my mom, have fun, and try to make her feel nice. My favorite was when we went to the local McDonald’s that had an amazing playground I would enjoy for hours. For Mother’s Day, they always served a special pancake breakfast so moms could hang out there with their kids. I just loved spending that time together with her there!”

Darryle Pollack, a writer, TV journalist, artist, cancer survivor and mother, wrote an incredibly moving blog post about why Mother’s Day matters to her and how it started to matter before she even had children.

“I was a freshman at Cornell. One day that spring my father called my dorm out of the blue to arrange a Mother’s Day surprise for my mom. She had just gone into the hospital for a back problem – and he wanted me to fly home and surprise her, just for the day…”

Read all of Darryle’s Mother’s Day post here.

Jim Lin, a marketing professional who blogs about life as a dad shared some beautiful memories of his mother’s love, captured in the everyday moments of life.

“I grew up in an environment that incinerated my self-confidence on a daily basis. I won’t go into details, but let’s just set the stage a bit: only Asian kid in a working-class east coast suburb in the mid-eighties. Unfortunately, when confidence ebbs, self-doubt and loathing quickly move in to fill the void. But a mother’s love can too. When I was sure being Chinese was a license to be ridiculed, she’d speak to me in Chinese in public. And nobody laughed. When I was too chubby for the cool army pants I just bought, she’d cut a piece from the hem and expand the waistline a little bit. And nobody noticed. And when I was all grown up and graduated from college, but too overwhelmed to pack up my apartment to move to California, she showed up with packing tape, and a snack. My mom has made every birthday of mine another year to reflect on what her unconditional love has meant to me. And I wish her more birthdays ad infinitum, so that she can enjoy the love that her grandkids, grown-up kids and extended family give back to her every day.”

Do you have a memory of Mother’s Day that has always stuck with you? Share your story in the comments below.

Why Acting Like a Kid Can Help You Slim

American Cancer Society — Wed, 02 May 2012 17:13:13 +0000

By April Daniels Hussar, Cross-posted from HealthySELF

Have you had your playtime today? Yes, we’re being serious, even if it’s been decades since your last play date. According to a recent survey by the American Cancer Society (ACS), women are 10 percent less likely than men to engage in physical activity that we consider fun, and it’s taking a toll on our productivity, health and happiness. Meaning … it’s time to step away from the computer and get your hula hoop out!

That’s not to say that women aren’t on the move at all — 60 percent of women report that in general, they make time to “play” once a week or more. But the bad news is that 40 percent of women report that they take part in physical activity they enjoy or consider to be fun less often than they did a few years ago. Playtime is declining! And yet, 40 percent of women said they would be more physically active in their free time if it felt less like work and more like play.

“Being active is an essential element of maintaining a healthy weight and helping to reduce your cancer risk, but sometimes getting motivated to go to the gym is a lot easier said than done,” says Colleen Doyle, MS, RD and director of nutrition and physical activity at ACS. “We all need a little inspiration sometimes to incorporate physical activity into our lives, and one of the easiest ways is by doing something that feels less like working out and more like fun.”

As a result of these stats, this May, ACS is encouraging women to “choose play” and get active with their 100,000 Acts of Play Challenge. They’re calling on women across the U.S. to get playing and to log their acts of play at ChooseYou.com/Play — with the goal of reaching 100,000 acts of play by month’s end. Here are some of their ideas for your playtime — hopefully you’ll be inspired to think of even more!

1. Office Volleyball! That’s right — grab a blow-up beach ball and some co-workers, and spend 15 minutes being way more productive than you ever would be in a monthly planning meeting.

2. Kickball or dodgeball with your family or friends. Other fun group ideas: freeze-tag, soccer and volleyball.

3. Hula hoop. Make like Michelle Obama and shake your hips! Other fun, old-school ways to get moving: hopscotch, jump rope and hoppity hop balls (those fun bouncy balls you bounce around on).

4. Go for a bike ride. Remember being a kid, streamers flying from your handlebars, a bottle of water in your basket and no place in particular to go?

5. Dance party! You can do this all alone or with a friend — put on some great music and twist away.

6. Work in the garden. Fresh air, beautiful results and a happier body — what more could you want?

When it comes to deciding how to “play,” Alpa V. Patel, PhD, Strategic Director of Cancer Prevention at ACS, tells HealthySELF that the best thing you can do is “find something you enjoy and find ways to include it in your everyday life.”

According to ACS, “Play can be anything that gets you breathing harder and your heart beating faster, from riding your bike to gardening. All types of activity count, as long as you’re doing them for at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity each week.”

Dr. Patel says anything that gets your heart rate up is worth doing. ”Ideally, you want to do the activity for at least 10 minutes at a time. If you don’t have too much time at once, do 10-15 minutes in the morning, 10-15 minutes at lunch and 10-15 minutes before you go to bed.”

And if you’re really feeling playful, may we suggest a little “Dance Walking?”

CURE Magazine Celebrates More Birthdays in its 10th Birthday Issue

American Cancer Society — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 20:24:34 +0000

CURE magazine is celebrating its 10^th birthday this year – 10 years of sharing free information with cancer patients, survivors and caregivers along their cancer journey. We are proud to serve as an ongoing resource for CURE and to also contribute to CURE’s Cancer Resource Guide, which features practical information on making treatment decisions, navigating the health care system, and coping with a cancer diagnosis.

It’s only fitting that to mark its 10^th birthday, CURE would celebrate the milestones and more birthdays of six people who were featured in its inaugural year of publication, 2002. Cancer was – and is – a defining moment for these people and we were moved by their experiences. Read below for an excerpt from Doris Lemonier, a breast cancer survivor who took part in a clinical trial with a drug Herceptin and is now living cancer-free with her friends, colleagues, and family in Louisiana:

In January 2002, Doris Lemonier, a 51-year-old elementary school French teacher in Lake Charles, La., received a breast cancer diagnosis. When her doctor recommended a clinical trial at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Lemonier sought counsel from family. “My colleagues are my family,” Lemonier says today, still teaching elementary French at T.S. Cooley Elementary Magnet School in Lake Charles. “My principal and I started on the same day in 1996 and had become close friends. She said I should go to M.D. Anderson.”

Lemonier, a single mother of three grown children, wanted to do everything she could to ensure more time to enjoy her three grandchildren, so she took part in a clinical trial that added a new drug called Herceptin (trastuzumab) to her chemotherapy. By April, the doctor told her that her tumor was 99 percent gone. She finished chemotherapy in July and had a mastectomy in August.

For Lemonier, who is now cancer-free, it has been a decade of enjoying family—her grandchildren, who now number eight—and her colleagues.

Herceptin is a drug that has turned one of the deadliest forms of breast cancer into one of the most treatable. During his early years of research, founder Dr. Dennis Slamon received a kick-off grant from The American Cancer Society that was instrumental in Herceptin’s eventual approval by the FDA in 1998. To learn more about how the American Cancer Society supports cancer research and has played a part in almost every cancer breakthrough, visit us at cancer.org/research.

And to celebrate more personal stories like Doris’ in the 10^th birthday issue of CURE today.

Happy Birthday, Simone I. Smith!

American Cancer Society — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 20:15:31 +0000

Birthdays are something very special to us at the American Cancer Society. One thing we understand is that birthdays can mean different things to different people — how we acknowledge, celebrate or even when we mark the date (or dates). You’ve shared some incredibly moving stories about your birthdays – from the way you mark your survivor birthday to your overall philosophy on living and loving life day to day. Today, we’re going to share one of those stories with you.

Today is Simone I. Smith’s birthday, and we would like to pause to celebrate with her. You may know Simone as an entrepreneur, a style icon and the wife of legendary artist LL Cool J; We know Simone as a survivor, an inspiration and a friend. Simone teamed up with the American Cancer Society in May of 2011 when she designed “A Sweet Touch of Hope” as the signature charity piece for her jewelry line. Recently, we talked with Simone about the inspiration behind the piece. In this video, Simone tells us how she celebrates life, not just on her birthday, but every day.

Join us in saying Happy Birthday to our friend Simone I. Smith! May you celebrate more birthdays for many years to come.

Do you have a special birthday story to share? Tell us in the comments below.

Global Death Toll from Tobacco Use on the Rise

American Cancer Society — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 18:10:52 +0000

When you think of a world with more birthdays, do you think of a world with less tobacco use? We certainly do.

Despite efforts made around the world to decrease tobacco use (many of which the American Cancer Society spearheads and supports), research revealed last week that tobacco use is the single most preventable cause of death in the world – accounting for more than 15 percent of deaths among men and more than 7 percent of deaths among women.

The study also showed that smoking rates are increasing among women, particularly young women, in many countries. And women and children account for 75 percent of the deaths caused by secondhand smoke.

What does this global death toll mean? In 2010, there were 6 million deaths from tobacco, while the top 6 tobacco manufacturers earned a staggering $35 billion profit. That means the tobacco industry receives an annual profit of almost $6,000 per death caused by tobacco.

These alarming statistics were released last week at the 15^th World Conference on Tobacco OR Health by the American Cancer Society, along with our colleagues at the World Lung Foundation, in the fourth edition of The Tobacco Atlas, a publication that provides user friendly graphics and data showing the global tobacco burden and potential solutions that could save millions of lives.

Watch this video to learn more about how to help curb tobacco trends worldwide from the authors of The Tobacco Atlas, 4th Ed.

Also, check out these blog posts from members of the American Cancer Society on the global tobacco burden:

Dr. John Seffrin, CEO of the American Cancer Society, talks about his attendance at the conference in Singapore and the importance of the newly issued Tobacco Atlas in his post: Fighting Tobacco is a Global Endeavor.

American Cancer Society Chair, Dr. Cynthia LeBlanc, talks about how tobacco is one of the greatest threats to women in developing countries in her blog post: Big Tobacco’s Newest Most Vulnerable Victims – Young Women.

For more information on The Tobacco Atlas, visit tobaccoatlas.org and follow #TobaccoAtlas on Twitter.

What is your reaction to these global tobacco statistics? Let us know in the comments below.

Show Your Support for More Birthdays with New Facebook Timeline Covers

American Cancer Society — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 15:32:46 +0000

Looking for the perfect image to represent your artistic flair and your support for the American Cancer Society on the new Facebook Timeline?

We can help!

Show your support for More Birthdays by uploading an inspiring cover photo from the American Cancer Society. Choose from five different images, including two that were created by our famous More Birthdays artists – Kari Moden and Masha D’yans.

Not only will you be showing your support for More Birthdays, you’ll also be spreading the word about what we do to help save lives: from fighting to provide millions of women with cervical and breast cancer screenings to fighting for smoke-free communities across the country.

Here’s a quick “how-to” to get your own American Cancer Society Facebook Timeline cover photo:

Click here to view and select your photo.
Once you’ve chosen your favorite, simply click on the image for the full-sized version.
Right-click to “save image as” or click “download” from the star dropdown menu in the upper right corner.
Save or download the image to your computer.
Go to your Facebook Timeline and hover over the lower right corner of your current cover photo and choose “Change Cover” then “Upload a Photo.”
Finally, choose your American Cancer Society cover photo from your computer to upload and enjoy!

What do you think of our new cover photos? Let us know in the comments below.

Cross Post: Rock N Roll New Orleans Half-Marathon race report

American Cancer Society — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 19:34:49 +0000

by Renee Ross cross-posted from My Life in Motion

I woke up bright and early on the morning of the race after having a wonderful night of sleep. Highly unusual for me but since this was my last race in my series of three half-marathons in two weeks I really wanted to give it my best. I met the DetermiNation team at the headquarters hotel where we had some light refreshments before walking as a group to the start line.

me, Tammy and Tammi of Team ArkanSassy

At 5:15 we were given a police escort over to the start line. It was like being in our own parade! Since it was a couple of hours before the start of the race, we spent our time waiting in the DetermiNation tent. There were snacks available, tattoos, and garbage bags to keep us warm (it was quite windy) and the best part? Our private porta-pottys! This is a big deal generally at races because the lines tend to get long but surprisingly at this event, the restrooms were abundant!

Hanging out in the DetermiNation tent before the race

Members of the DetermiNation team before the race

As we waited to move over to the race corrals, I had a chance to catch up with some members of DetermiNation. One member of team ArkanSassy wore Jeff’s cape. It was a visual reminder of why we were running and it was just a powerful powerful statement (his memorial was the evening before the race).

I also had a chance to see some of my running friends from Atlanta. My friends Chiquita and April were running their very first half marathons and it was great to be able to give them encouragement before the race.

Me and Chiquita

me and April

At around 6:45 it was time to head to the start line. I was in corral 14 – there were 25 corrals in total and started the race at about 25 minutes after 7 (it was a staggered start which was great to keep the flow of the crowd moving efficiently).

I started the race at a pretty good clip. I knew the course was flat and wanted to take advantage of that in the beginning of the race. Although I know of many cautionary tales of starting out too fast, I decided I wanted to just test myself and figure out the best method for me during races. This is all brand new for me, I call myself a “meanderer” and don’t “run” races I typically jog. But I wanted to do better this time out. My first few mile splits were about 9:30 not too fast but not slow and I figured I was making up time that I was bound to lose at the tail end of the race. And although I wanted to “Do Well” I still took time to “enjoy the mile I was in” and take pictures along the way. I was particularly inspired by the firefighters running in FULL gear – even oxygen tanks. Not only was I inspired but motivated – my competitive spirit kicked in, no way were firefighter carrying close to 100 pounds of gear goig to beat me! So I caught up with them, snapped a few pictures and continued my race – ahead of them!

Around mile 5 there was a champagne stop set up by members of the community (sorry the photo is so dark). And if you know me, you know I run for drinks so of course, I stopped for champagne! It was New Orleans after all and I could not resist both the story and a little fun and festivity along the way!

Just a sip and about a half-mile up I also stopped for water – had to stay hydrated!

As is par for the course at all Rock n Roll events, there were bands at every mile or so. I kept my pace fairly steady, averaging about a 10 minute mile or so for the duration of the race. I have to say the last mile or so was pretty hectic. A museum was ahead of me and I “thought” it signified the end of the race – I’m pretty sure I saw a sign that said Mile 13 but it CLEARLY was in the wrong place because that .1 felt like a full mile! Anyhow, after running through the historic French Quarter, passing more drink stations (I did not stop for alcohol) and enjoying the race, I finally hit the finish line ! I crossed it with a smile on my face, obtained my lovely finishers medal and proceeded to look for the DetermiNation tent.

I was welcomed to the tent with cheers and cowbells! It was such a moving experience!

And of course, the best ending to my birthday celebration was finishing the race with a personal best time of 2 hours 18 minutes and 30 seconds! I ran with DetermiNation, in honor of Susan and I was TRULY happy!

I told Coach Jeff how his mantra – “enjoy the mile you are in” carried me during the race and of course seeing his smiling face when I entered the finish line tent was priceless!

There was food laid out for all of Team DetermiNation and ice packs to ease sore muscles. I failed to mention how I had to stop along the way to put bio-freeze on my achy calves and was limping for my efforts but I rode the pain and ran my best so that is all that matters!

Overall, I have to say that this was one of my favorite half-marathons. I enjoyed the course, the entertainment and of course being an honorary member of the DetermiNation team. I highly recommend running withDetermiNation. The support from everyone was amazing and of course joining in the fight against cancer for More Birthdays is icing on the cake of a personal victory of running an endurance event.

You can find a complete listing of the DetermiNation events on the website and I can tell you if you aren’t ready to run this year, I think NOLA Rock n Roll is a perfect event for you next year! I KNOW I’ll be there!

Introducing – Insights from our Bloggers!

American Cancer Society — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 17:30:11 +0000

As a supporter of the American Cancer Society and our work to create more birthdays, you understand the importance of sharing our message with others to help grow the movement and advance our work (you help us do it every day!). What you may not know is that we couldn’t reach so many new eyes and ears if it weren’t for the help of our Blogger Advisory Council (BAC).

The BAC is a group of 14 smart social media influencers, bloggers, and strategists who share an interest in living healthy, fighting cancer, and using their talents to help ACS put an end to this disease. They are volunteers from all across the country who represent a diverse range of backgrounds, interests, and ethnicities. This amazing group includes Amie Adams, Leticia Barr, Tracey Clark, Kelley Connors, Jim Lin, Demetria Lucas, Catherine Morgan, Julie Pippert, Darryle Pollack, Lorraine Robertson, Renée Ross, Elena Sonnino, Karyn Watkins, and Karen Zgoda.

We’re excited to share the wisdom of this group via a new ongoing blog series called “Insights from Bloggers for More Birthdays.” In this monthly column, BAC members will share their thoughts about topics trending in our world and in the blogosphere relevant to our fight to create more birthdays.

Today, in honor of International Women’s Day, we at the American Cancer Society are fighting for a WORLD with more birthdays by spreading awareness of the impact of women’s cancers globally. We also asked our bloggers to tell us what they are doing to recognize this day. Here are five suggestions from our Blogger Advisory Council for easy actions women across the globe can take:

1. Take the time to use your voice and your story to inspire other women. CiaoMom.com’s Elena Sonnino believes that International Women’s Day is a time for us to use our voices for collaboration. She notes: “To me, International Women’s day is a reminder of the power of collaboration, community, and the power of each of our voices…[Act on this reminder] to tell your story, to show kindness, and to show love, whether it is helping a neighbor or helping someone on the other side of the world.”

2. Put your health first…and celebrate many more birthdays. Julie Pippert of TheArtfulFlower.blogspot.com is committing to putting her health first in 2012 by eating right, exercising, and following as many good habits as possible to help ensure she has many more birthdays ahead. Julie shares “…I’m doing the best I can to be as healthy as possible…I eat right, I exercise, and follow as many good habits as I can. I hope to have a lot of birthdays ahead. [For example] I’ve taken to leaving things upstairs that I’ll need throughout the day to force myself to get up and trot up the stairs at regular intervals. It perks me up. [I also will] skip the high calorie coffee and save my change for a donation to American Cancer Society at cancer.org.”

3. Spotlight your female heroes to inspire action. Karyn Watkins of TheFabulousGiver.com writes: “I’ll use March 8 to blog about some of my health prevention/promotion(s) heroes!” Use the symbolism of the day as a catalyst to recognize the women in your life and their stories to help inspire action.

4. Lead by example and issue a call to action. Also from Elena Sonnino: “[On my blog I will] announce the fact that I will be leaving the classroom to hopefully use my voice in a more global way through writing and advocacy with a call to action to close the post: ‘What will you do this year to use your voice for good?’” Lead by example by doing something and ask your networks, friends and loved ones to do the same.

5. Pay it forward to another woman. One of the greatest actions you can take is to give. Julie Pippert recommends: “Turn a kind hand to someone in need. Take a casserole to a neighbor, send a card to a friend, call a relative, donate some food – whatever your gift or ability, one of the greatest things you can do is give. Best gift ever.”

What about you? How will you recognize International Women’s Day? Tell us in the comments section below.

The Bliss of More Birthdays: Part II

American Cancer Society — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 17:37:50 +0000

We just returned from our trip to Nashville, where we talked about what More Birthdays mean in the fight against cancer with hundreds of passionate bloggers at the BlissDom 2012 blogger conference. We left for BlissDom with some big goals and expectations, but the bloggers didn’t disappoint – the event was a huge success! It was pure “bliss” meeting so many influential women wanting to use their voices to help fight for a world with less cancer and more birthdays.

Hundreds of women stopped by our booth to talk and learn about how to create More Birthdays and to share how cancer had touched their lives (nearly everyone had a story to tell) and how the American Cancer Society was there to help them through their cancer journey. And nearly 100 women expressed themselves and their stories by participating in our photo-booth, telling us why they thought More Birthdays are blissful.

Want to take a closer look at our team in action at BlissDom? Check out this news clip from the CBS affiliate in Nashville – they stopped by our busy booth and chatted with one of our blogger allies, Julie Pippert, who spoke about the American Cancer Society’s presence at BlissDom and what she does as a volunteer in the fight for More Birthdays.

Thank you to everyone who stopped by our booth, shared your story, and helped us spread the word about our fight for more birthdays – we couldn’t do this without you!

If you couldn’t make it to BlissDom this year, tell us in the comments why YOU think more birthdays are blissful!

The Bliss of More Birthdays

American Cancer Society — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 14:25:26 +0000

We often hear from our community that birthdays – whether they’re the date marking an actual birth or a celebration of cancer survivorship – conjure up many emotions. Some feel joy, some somber reflection. Others remark on feeling thankful for another year. At the American Cancer Society, birthdays mean everything to us. We fight for more birthdays – more days to celebrate, more days with family and friends, more days to love and live life. To us, a world with less cancer is a blissful world with more birthdays.

Bloggers who have joined in the fight for More Birthdays have even shared their sentiments on their own birthdays:

From Julie Pippert at Using My Words, on her birthday in November:

“I am truly grateful to get to celebrate another birthday … Grateful this birthday is one more for me, one more for my family. A day to celebrate, instead of miss. Lucky. So, so lucky.”

From Darryl Polluck at I Never Signed Up for This on her favorite way to celebrate her birthday:

As a cancer survivor, the key to every birthday and my favorite way to celebrate– this year and every year—is to think about how lucky I am to be here.

From Liz and Kristen at Cool Mom Picks:

“For so many people, the birthday itself is the gift.”

From February 23-25, the American Cancer Society will be attending BlissDom 2012, a conference for women who find and express their bliss by sharing their stories online. Our team (including members of our Blogger Advisory Council that help us fight for more birthdays) will be attending to spread the word to this community of influential women about what we do to save lives. While there, we’ll be asking women attending the conference to give us their interpretation of, “More birthdays are blissful because ________.”

Do you have a blissful birthday story to share? Help us fill in the blank here: More Birthdays are blissful because ________. We look forward to continuing our work together to help save lives and create more days of bliss for all.