Putting others first is always a good philosophy. It shows kindness and interest in your family, friends and co-workers.

But how long can you do it, before you feel like you are not appreciated?

It is natural to want people to recognize your efforts to do the right thing. When you try hard and you treat others well, it would be nice to be recognized for your effort. But you may not feel that you are being given any credit and like it or not, you may feel that being the “nice guy” gets you no-where fast.

Don’t be so quick to throw in the towel. Your kindness is being noticed by more people than you see. The seeds you sow with your good deeds lay a foundation that you may not see for a while. Don’t give up or give in. Putting others first teaches others to do the same. Kindness knows no limits. “Now let’s get going.” xo Sally

The importance of sharing…cannot be underestimated.

We live in a time where there is a great deal of competition. There are many people who will fight for the opportunity to get that next raise or promotion, at the risk of throwing their co-workers “under the bus.” We have met people like that. Those people rarely end up well. Somewhere down the line, disaster of one form or another seems to find them.

A philosophy that has served me well is: the more people you help become successful, the more successful you become.

Don’t think that you will miss out on something when you help another person. Your good deed will be multiplied many times, and you will receive many blessings for the good things that you do.

Share your thoughts with others. Share your information with others. Promote teamwork. Your spirit will be humbled and your load will lighten! “Now let’s get going.” xo Sally

Your challenge today is to recognize when you are ready to say or do something that may be interpreted as “mean” or “aggressive” and switch gears.

So many times people use excuses for their behavior. I really believe that the only thing we can control is what comes out of our mouth.  (That includes what we send out via email...remember that thoughts are things.) 

You may be faced with a situation that requires an unpopular response, but think through what your message needs to be, and the outcome you are striving for. You will have more success and be able to turn people around with a solution that people can identify and relate to, as being a possible way to solve a problem.

Most people are looking for resolution of problems, not a lot of talk that amounts to things staying the same. Solve a problem today. Choose your words wisely. Embrace positive thinking.   “Now let’s get going.” xo Sally

We all get stuck; at least we can feel stuck. Whether it is in our job or in a relationship, it doesn’t feel good to be told or believe that where you are is where you are going to be…or worse…where you are going to stay.

Your own courage has to get you to believe beyond that. When you feel that you are going in circles and your gut tells you that “it just isn’t right.” You need to listen to your gut. It isn’t easy to turn a page, even if it is in your own story. It may not be easy, but it certainly may be worth it. How will you ever know if you don’t take that chance? How will you learn more about yourself? The simple truth is that unless you turn that page, you won’t know, you won’t grow and you will stay stuck.

Some of our stories contain chapters that we know we would not want to re-live. That’s okay. The idea is to unlock the potential for the book that your personal journey is about. What will your next chapter be? How about the next page? Get unstuck and discover. “Now let’s get going.” xo Sally

There are many resources available for patients and caregivers dealing with cancer. The treatments for the management of Cancer have taken many different routes, and are more specific than ever before, depending on the type of cancer, its location and other variables.

I believe that fear is our biggest enemy, when it comes to dealing with the complexity of these disorders. Anticipation of the worst surely brings everyone’s spirits down. The best management tools that I have found focus on two things; healthy nutrition and healthy thinking.

Getting excited about eating when you feel lousy is a challenge, so I would make these suggestions to improve nutrition:

Eat small amounts of food every two hours, and avoid the negative feelings that come from facing a full plate of food.

Lose the “three meals a day” logic and just keep track of what you are eating, to make sure that you are consuming enough calories to keep you going strong.

Supplement meals with some of the sports drinks that are out there; Gatorade, Powerade, etc… to keep you hydrated and consider some of the protein-type mixes that you can use as a base to make some “home- made smoothies” that taste better than the ones that are “nutritional drinks” filled with preservatives.

If you have the added complication of needing to limit the amount of protein you can tolerate; Naturade makes a Weight Gain Powder that I use with a number of my patients that can greatly increase the volume of calories a person takes in, when used as a base for a smoothie that you can add fruit, frozen yogurt and other things to. If you want to find a resource for the powder, let us know and we can help you find it locally.

Healthy thinking is another challenge. Going to support groups is helpful for the patient and the caregiver. If you have difficulty finding a support group near you, let us know and we can help locate some resources in your area.

Read positive books. Exercise to tolerance. Any movement helps. Meditation, deep breathing, and any type of activity that moves you to focus on establishing positive energy is the goal.

Surround yourself with positive people. Send us a message and let us know how we can help! xo Sally

September is Blood Cancer Awareness Month as well as Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. Both of these areas are so important to review, that I hope you will look for additional information on the internet, to stay on top of the changes that are developing daily.

Blood cancers affect the production and function of your blood cells. Most of these cancers start in your bone marrow where blood is produced. Stem cells in your bone marrow mature and develop into three types of blood cells: red blood cells, white blood cells, or platelets. In most blood cancers, the normal blood cell development process is interrupted by uncontrolled growth of an abnormal type of blood cell. These abnormal blood cells, or cancerous cells, prevent your blood from performing many of its functions, like fighting off infections or preventing serious bleeding.

Source: http://www.hematology.org/Patients/Cancers/

There are primarily three different types of blood cancers:

Leukemia

1) Leukemia is a type of cancer that occurs in the bone marrow (where blood is made), and in the blood itself.  There are two different types of leukemia.  Each type involves a large number of white blood cells.  One type, called lymphocytic leukemia, involves a large number of white blood cells called lymphocytes.  The other type, called myelogenous leukemia, involves a large number of white blood cells called granulocytes.  White blood cells are important to help our bodies fight infection.

Leukemia can be acute or chronic. Acute leukemia develops quickly and means the body is producing a large number of white blood cells that are underdeveloped and so they cannot do their job correctly.

Chronic leukemia develops slowly and means the body is producing a large number of white blood cells that are functioning normally.  Having too many white blood cells does more harm than good.

Lymphoma

2) Lymphoma is a type of cancer that develops in the lymphatic system.  The lymphatic system keeps the body fluids clean and free from infection.  It is made of groups of lymph nodes (tissue masses that filter out infection-causing organisms) and vessels connecting the lymph nodes.

There are two general types of lymphoma: Hodgkin lymphoma and non-Hodgkin lymphoma.  In Hodgkin lymphoma the cancer spreads from one group of lymph nodes to another in a certain order.  In non-Hodgkin lymphoma the cancer spreads from one group of lymph nodes to another in a random order.  There are many different types of both Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

Myeloma

3) Myeloma is a cancer that causes the plasma cells to form a tumor in the bone marrow.  Bone marrow is a soft part of the bone where blood cells (red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets) are made.  Plasma cells are white blood cells that make antibodies.  Antibodies fight infections from things like bacteria, viruses, and chemicals.

Myeloma is usually found in multiple places in the body.  When this happens, it is called multiple myeloma.  Sometimes, myeloma is only found in one place.  This is called solitary myeloma, and is rare.

Source: http://www.ucan.cc/Cancer%20Education/Blood_Cancer_FAQ/how-many-different-types-blood-cancers.php

My mother died due to Aplastic Anemia, which falls into the spectrum of the blood disorders, so this topic is close to my heart. There are many resources available to learn more information about the various classifications of these conditions and if you or a loved one is interested in more information, the following websites are good references:

The American Society of Hematology: http://www.hematology.org/

The American Society of Clinical Oncology: www.asco.org

A note to people undergoing treatment:

As with any disease process, how you choose to manage the condition and the treatment depends on a number of things. Whether the treatment causes significant side effects or limits function for a certain number of days after treatment, it is important to focus on the goal.

You have to surround yourself with people who have conquered the condition and are leading full lives. In other words you have to stay mentally strong. If you can find the resources to feed your positive thinking, you can handle more than you think.

There are challenges with energy primarily, and you want to focus on using energy conservation techniques to help you store your energy resources. For example; sit to shower, sit to do meal preparation when possible and allow people to give you a hand.

Learn to be gracious and say thank you. No one expects you to be your normal self during the treatment of your condition. Send us an email or a message through contact us and let us know how we can help you. xo Sally

Do you have a relationship with yourself? What does that mean? Do you know what you think? Are you clear in your own mind where you draw the line between right and wrong? Do you stand up for what you believe is right?

At the core of our confidence are the beliefs that we hold true. Those beliefs should lead you down productive pathways and challenge you to be the best you can be.

If you are not finding yourself making progress or you are not happy with the way your life is going, take some time to re-evaluate how you are spending your time each day. Are you choosing to surround yourself with family members and friends that build you up and encourage you to make your dreams a reality? If not…you need to find some new family members and friends to spend time with.

You have the power. When problems and challenges surround you, it is the relationship you have with yourself that pulls you through. You have to be your biggest cheerleader. You have to believe that you have what it takes to live your best life. Never underestimate yourself. Believe in yourself. You are amazing. “Now let’s get going.” xo Sally

How about spending the next few days over the long weekend…not worrying about things…but getting something accomplished?

You can find problems in the news, around the world, and in your own backyard. We can be aware of the issues that can cause us some stress, but choosing to focus on an activity that will help us release some stress or energy is a great way to develop some positive energy.

So whatever job you are dreading at home; lawn work, that mess of a garage, or working on developing your resume to get the job of your dreams…do it. Everything else can wait for a few days. Do something for you. Reinforce something positive within you.

Believe that you have what it takes to reach the objective! Life will continue with its own level of craziness…if you take off a few days to accomplish something that you will be proud of…everything will be ok. I promise. What will you do for you? Plan to do something for you! “Now let’s get going.” xo Sally

How often do you “look back?” All of us have periods in our lives that did not turn out the way we expected. Whether it is because you put up with a bad relationship too long, or you didn’t finish school, or you “wasted too much time” at a job that you thought was going to turn into a better experience…and it never happened…you learned lessons.

Whether you believe it or not, you have continued to move forward from all of the experiences you have had. Good, bad or indifferent, your experiences have made you evolve into what you have become today. If your progress can be measured by the fact that you have had hard experiences, but those experiences have taught you never to go down those roads again, that IS progress.

Never underestimate the power of experience, and never think that you cannot go back to your original goals. As long as you wake up, you can get up. Each day has the potential for you to move forward, and become better at what you choose to improve. How far have you come? More than you give yourself credit for… “Now let’s get going.” xo Sally

We have to refuel our “motivation tanks” daily. (Sometimes more than once a day). It has to come from within. We have to be responsible for finding that one “thing” or that one “dream” that re-energizes us.

People you work for don’t care if you are motivated to reach your goals and dreams…they’re too busy having you work on their goals and dreams.

Don’t let someone else’s goal be your objective for 8 hours a day. What do you see in your future? What can you develop to leave your mark on this world? You are amazing, and have so much to offer! Believe it! “Now, let’s get going!” xo Sally