World Pancreatic Cancer Day is 15 November. Pancreatic cancer is one of the world’s deadliest cancers. More attention, awareness and progress is needed to help patients fight and survive this disease. Visit this website for more information.

Breast Cancer Awareness Month is an annual campaign to increase awareness of the disease. During the month of October, Joiful Health will be donating 10% of all sales (appointments and gift certificates) to the East County Relay for Life.

Now is a great time to schedule some "Me Time" and also jump start your holiday shopping while supporting a great cause!

Last weekend I participated in the East County Relay for Life held at Cuyamaca College. It was such a fun event for attendees while serving a noble purpose. Teams participated in competitions and everyone got into the spirit of the themed walks. I surprised myself - didn't know I had the 15 miles in me that my watch recorded.
The money raised will:

• Help fund breakthrough research
• Give over 20,000 cancer patients free rides to chemo
• Help more than 25,000 people touched by cancer with a free place to stay near a hospital
• Provide answers and support to more than 1.3 million people who call the live 24/7 helpline
  

One of the event's most touching traditions is the Luminaria Ceremony. During this ceremony, participants represent everyone touched by cancer with a luminaria. Each light represents a life—a life taken by cancer, a survivor of cancer, or a support for a person still fighting the disease. It's a powerful demonstration that gives people the opportunity to grieve but also offers comfort and hope. There are many people in my family who have died from cancer and some who are fighting it now. It was an honor to light luminarias and walk for them.

Cancer has affected so many people I know and love. That's why I've learned how to provide safe oncology massage for those who need it. It also has inspired me to join a team with my colleagues from EmbroidMe La Mesa in  the Relay For Life in El Cajon. This fundraiser is a community-based event, which means no two Relays are the same, but they all support the American Cancer Society’s mission. 

In addition to walking in the relay, I'm donating two 60 minute massages to be raffled off at our booth to raise additional money for the event.

Funds raised support cancer patient programs and groundbreaking research that can help save lives. This event also celebrates over 15.5 million cancer survivors nationwide. 15.5 MILLION. That’s huge. That’s why I’d love your support.

How can you help? There are three ways that come to mind:

1. Dedicate a Luminaria to a loved one lost, someone currently battling, or anyone who has overcome cancer.
2. Make a donation.
3. Attend the event and support the booths and food fundraisers.

Here's a link to my event page:  main.acsevents.org/goto/darleneshaw
Together we can fight cancer and win!

"Giving Tuesday" is a global day of giving fueled by the power of social media and collaboration. Celebrated on the Tuesday following Thanksgiving (in the U.S.) and the widely recognized shopping events Black Friday and Cyber Monday, "Giving Tuesday" kicks off the charitable season, when many focus on their holiday and end-of-year giving.
This Giving Tuesday join Joiful Health in supporting the City of Hope. As an Oncology Massage provider in La Mesa, I've chosen to support this community by donating to the City of Hope in 2017.

City of Hope conducts cancer clinical trials enrolling more than 6,000 patients. They translate breakthrough laboratory findings into real, lifesaving treatments and cures, and manufacture them at three, on-campus facilities. 

 Joiful Health will donate 10% of all sales on this Giving Tuesday to the City of Hope. I encourage you to join me in supporting Giving Tuesday!

Ladies of La Mesa, October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, which serves the wonderful purpose of reminding us all to get our checkups as prescribed by our Doctors. According to the National Breast Cancer Organization,  "It is estimated that one in eight women, or approximately 12%, will be diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime." Free guides for early detection are available from their site.

If you've ever wondered whether stress plays a role in development of breast cancer, research shows it may. "In 2012, some research studies have shown that factors such as traumatic events and losses can alter immune system functions, and when immune functions are altered cancer cells may have an opportunity to get themselves established within one’s body. What has been shown is that it is not the fact that a major life crisis has occurred but instead how the individual reacted to this event and coped (or didn’t cope). Therefore, identifying ways to keep your stress level in check is wise."

I would encourage all women to include massage in their self-care. It can aid stress reduction for those who are in the prevention mode. It can comfort and ease symptoms in patients currently in active treatment. For survivors, it continues to be a very good component of self-care. As a trained oncology massage and Reiki provider, I urge you to seek a massage therapist trained for this specific type of massage. It is very important to have a therapist who is knowledgeable and able to adapt the massage for each individual to create the safest treatment possible.

Regardless of where you stand on your life's journey, I would love to work with you to assist you in obtaining your optimum health!

A few weekends ago, I spent three days learning how to provide safe massage to people with cancer, or who have a history of cancer. We had a very experienced teacher from the Greet the Day organization and great classmates (picture above). It was such a rewarding experience!
I learned so much about the treatment journey that people with cancer travel. I have many family members and friends who have suffered from cancer but I never knew how long and hard the treatments and side effects are. It's good to know that massage can be part of an integrative treatment plan for sufferers. On the third day, we had an oncology massage clinic and I was able to massage two lovely ladies. This was a new experience for these ladies, they had never had a massage. They were very pleased with the treatment and will be seeking massage again in the future.
Massage and other therapies such as Reiki, aromatherapy and restorative movement are various treatments that can be part of an integrative oncology care plan to help manage treatment-related side effects, and to improve the quality of life for people in active treatment, or with a history of cancer treatment. It is important that people with cancer, or who have had cancer, receive treatments like massage from an oncology-trained therapist not just during active treatment but for the rest of their lives.
I am pleased to now offer oncology massage in La Mesa. Please spread the word and let those who could benefit know!

Recently I was sharing essential oil information at a health and wellness fair. At my table, I was diffusing Frankincense (Boswellia carterii) essential oil (EO). Aside from the wonderful smell, people were asking me about its uses. I was familiar with EO users talking about its immunity support and had heard stories of cancer patients using it but had no factual data on the subject. So I went to PubMed and looked it up. I found multiple articles, many too technical for my purpose. However, I did find a study done in the UK that used aromasticks in a cancer clinic with very good results:

• 77% (n = 123) of all patients reported deriving at least one benefit from the aromastick.
• In anxious patients, 65% reported feeling more relaxed and 51% felt less stress.
• 47% of nauseous patients said that the aromastick had settled their nausea and
• 55% of those experiencing sleep disturbances felt that aromastick helped them sleep.

Frankincense wasn't the only EO that was used in the clinic. Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia), lemon (Citrus limon), bergamot (Citrus bergamia), sweet orange (Citrus sinensis) and peppermint (Mentha x piperita) were also used by patients successfully.
So indeed, factual data does exist!