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October HNC News

The temperatures are dropping, and the holiday season is right around the corner. We hope that you and your loved ones are happy and healthy as the seasons change. Whether you’re a newly-diagnosed patient looking for support or a friend or family member searching for ways to support your loved one with HNC, here are some great tips and tools to thrive this fall. 

Delicious Fall Recipes 

Healthy eating is critical when you have an HNC diagnosis, and this website is updated with delicious new ideas for you to try. Some of the picks that would be perfect for fall include:
  • Peanut butter and pumpkin smoothie
  • Lentil sliders
  • Macaroni and cheese muffins
The website also contains a variety of tips for dealing with a variety of HNC-specific challenges, like dry mouth, trouble swallowing, constipation, fatigue, and appetite loss.
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Dating and New Relationships: During and After Cancer

A cancer diagnosis can immediately impact every aspect of your life, including your romantic relationships. How do you talk about your diagnosis with a partner? When do you tell someone you’ve been dating about it? How do you adapt typical date-night activities to meet your needs? This article guides you through a variety of strategies for dating after your diagnosis, having a conversation with your loved ones, and what intimacy might look like.
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Through Children’s Eyes: Understanding Illness and Helping Them Cope 

Children are amazingly resilient, and they can face their fears and cope even with scary prospects like a parent’s cancer diagnosis. However, the way that you talk to your children about cancer can have a big effect on their perception of the situation and their ability to find support.
In this informative piece, the experts at the Penn Medicine Abramson Cancer Center share their tips for talking about cancer with your children and helping them cope. In the piece, they walk through tips for telling different age brackets of children the news, including toddlers through teenagers. Additionally, you can browse their online resource and book lists for more information and support.
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A University of Chicago Study

A study by the University of Chicagos School of Medicine found that 69% of head and neck cancer patients relied on one or more of the following lifestyle-altering cost-coping strategies to manage their spending:
  • savings (62%)
  • borrowing money (42%)
  • selling possessions (25%)
  • having family members work more hours (23%)
The study also identified a more subtle disruption of patients' lives, that of perceived social isolation which they defined as a lack of social support coupled with increased loneliness.  For some patients, this social isolation means more days of missed medication, more missed appointments, and longer inpatient hospital stays. The study's findings on social isolation may apply to other cancers, but head and neck cancer is unique in the side effects that come with therapy and that affect quality of life.  Effects that make a return to normal” impossible and the creation of a new normal” essential for long-term survival and quality of life.

Michaela’s T-shirt and Tote

Artist and 9114HNC founder Cookie Kerxton took a photo Michaela’s mother, Celia Battle, sent her of Michaela wearing an outfit Celia made her on the first day of school (seen below) and gave it an abstract interpretation. Everyone fell in love with the abstract interpretation so Cookie created Pulp Paper and collaged versions, and now this T-shirt and tote bag version! Michaela is the granddaughter of Phil and Kathy Stevens. Michaela is now 28, has a degree in Physical Therapy, and is a beautiful young woman.

All proceeds from the sale of the t-shirts and totes go to 9114HNC (Help for Head and Neck Cancer) a 501(c)3 granting money to patients with HNC needing financial help.

Help Us Help Head and Neck Cancer Patients

911 4 HNC relies on your kind donations to help head and neck cancer patients receive the treatment that they need to survive and thrive. If you found the research and information in this newsletter to be useful and want to help us reach even more patients and families, please consider making a donation or purchasing some of our merchandise. Don’t forget to follow our updates on Facebook to keep up with the latest HNC news.
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Our mailing address is: 911 4 HNC 4550 N. Park Ave Suite 506 Chevy Chase, Md 20815 USA.
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