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. 

"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.

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.

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!