Healing Power of Touching; Clinic Offers Alternative Therapy for Low-Income Cancer Patients

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That sense of suffering just stops at the door," says Wai Chee Leung, one of some 200 patients at the clinic. "In here I feel so well taken care of, so well-received."
Another patient, Karen Holly, agrees. "It is almost magical," she says, "because the healing happens not only with the therapy, but it happens in the entire environment."
All the patients here have one thing in common: They are low-income women with cancer. "This disease," says patient Arie Lathuras, "can turn your life upside down in every possible way — financially, emotionally, spiritually and physically."
The clinic offers pain relief in the form of alternative therapies: acupuncture, a form of meditation known as visualization therapy, herbal medicines custom-mixed on site and massage. All services are provided free of charge by some 120 volunteers.
"It's just a really direct way to help people and to feel like you're making a difference," says massage therapist Eleanor Martineau.
Human Touch Has Powerful Impact
And certainly, the power of human touch does make a difference to these women, many of whom are living alone in poverty, sometimes in homeless shelters. The clinic's co-founder, Barbara Burns, says that can make the fight against cancer almost unbearable.
"Most of the time," says Burns, "you can't go into a shelter until the evening. So if you go to get an infusion of chemotherapy, you're on the sidewalk until the shelter opens at night."
But at the clinic, the women can find a welcome respite from that other world of radiation and chemo. "You get the doctor taking care of you on a medical basis," says Karen Holly, "but what you don't get is the loving hand that you get here."
That loving hand is offered at every turn, from the hug each patient receives upon arriving to the full body massage they could never possibly afford on their own. The clinic was named for Charlotte Maxwell, a social worker who died of ovarian cancer in 1988. She believed alternative therapies greatly enhanced her quality of life in her last years. And she wanted to make those therapies available to women who were less fortunate.
The clinic works with oncologists by monitoring patient care and sharing information about changes in treatments. There are social workers on staff to help obtain financial aid and housing. They are hopeful they can find a place for Juanita Kindley, who has stage-four ovarian cancer and, as of the end of this month, no place to live.
"I'm really scared about it," says Kindley, choking back tears. "I don't have a lot of money."
The clinic itself depends on charitable donations and grant money, and right now it receives only enough to operate three days a week. But no one here acts as though they are impoverished, neither the volunteers nor the patients. At least you'd never know by the big smiles and friendly hugs

Possible Link Found Between Virus and Colon Cancer

NEW YORK Nov 15, 2002 (Reuters Health) - A common type of herpesvirus may play a role in the development of colorectal cancer, preliminary research suggests.

The virus, called cytomegalovirus (CMV), is widespread and normally causes no problems in healthy individuals. As many as 90% of US adults may carry CMV, which in most cases remains dormant.

However, some research has suggested CMV infection can help promote heart disease, possibly by causing long-term inflammation in the body. Now the new study hints at a potential role in cancer of the colon and rectum--although, the lead author told Reuters Health, it does not prove the virus helps cause the cancer.

Sharon Osbourne: The Next Oprah?

Sharon Osbourne, who is fighting colon cancer, may regret her hit MTV series but she's still fond of television, reportedly signing up as host of a syndicated talk show.

check out the pictures of ;
The Colossal Colon is a 40-foot long, four-foot high replica of a human colon. Visitors who crawl through the colon, or look through the viewing windows, will see healthy colon tissue, colon disease, polyps and various stages of colon cancer. The Colon was modeled after a real colon taken from colonoscopy film footage, and was built by Adirondack Scenic, known for their building of Broadway theatre sets and theme park sets

http://www.preventcancer.org/colossalcolon/

iv added code,from www.haloscan.com,so anyone can add comments to the Colon Cancer Survivors Blog

There were a lot of us colonites, at least 6 at the same time,on yahoo cancer chat this afternoon;some new ones, Msmoonsoon,Sam or ‘shornesq’ ,my regular pals, ‘duskrover & Lindy,I_comp, all of us struggling with this disease

For comic relief ; I think of cancer like it’s dirty politics, "There are sinister forces at work here..."

My Onc says bone scan normal,wants to wait till december for another CEA test(since its been going up since may) .....................so still in limbo........one test at a time