By Dr Laurence Magne  »  For most of us, just hearing the word “cancer’ sends a chill up our spine. The thought of receiving such a diagnosis causes spiraling thoughts of funeral plans and decisions about who will raise our children. For most, it’s a wake up call to begin living differently. It makes life rich when you get that the party is going to be over at some point. 

By Lynn Roodbol  »  Picture yourself walking down the street where you live. Everything looks normal, but you have a feeling that something is not quite right. 

Suddenly there’s a rumble and the road buckles up around your feet. You struggle, unable to move forward. Your thoughts become erratic and scattered, just when you need clarity. People come to help you, but that sinking feeling remains and something is telling you that your life will never be the same.

By Dave Balch  »  When the breast cancer diagnosis first came down, we both went into shock. The first thing we were sure of was that we weren't sure of anything, and that we had no idea what was coming. How serious was it? Will she have to go through chemotherapy? Will she lose her breast? How long will all of this take? What's next? Is she going to die? 

In retrospect, the "not knowing" was the most frightening thing of all, so my advice as a caregiver is to take charge and learn as much as you can about your situation; and do it immediately.

By Carin Hansen  » During my personal journey through cancer, now over 13 years ago, I made an interesting emotional observation. This observation led me to coin a term I call "a sick mentality". For anyone who has even been very sick and/or fought a deadly illness or disease such as cancer you will identify with either having or fighting this mentality. It starts with accepting that you are not in perfect health and that, in itself, is not bad. In fact, for simple life preservation, many times it is imperative that you change things about your lifestyle, actions and attitudes.

By Jayne Hutchinson  »  Often when you are focused on taking care of a loved one with cancer, you forget about yourself. It's easy to think of everything your loved one might need or what might make them feel better. It's just as easy to lose track of yourself. To maintain your own health, you need to focus on yourself, even if it is for just 15 minutes a day.

By Betty Hoeffner  » Once a year, every May 4, many people around the globe gather to enjoy World Laughter Day. After all, laughter has been proven to reduce stress, improve heart health and aid in weight loss. What could be a better reason to get your laugh on than that? How about helping people with cancer.