Every year in June we celebrate Cancer Survivorship Month. Having worked in Acute Care Oncology as a Nurse, Clinical Nurse Specialist and/ or Nurse Practitioner for over 41 years, I find it is a Special Month to Celebrate the life of all those 18+ million brave and courageous people who live each day knowing that they have not only survived cancer, but they have a second chance!! This month, as...

September is the Granddaddy of Cancer Awareness Months!!!!  This month highlights Childhood Cancer, Mesothelioma, Gynecological Cancer, Leukemia/ Lymphoma and Mulitple Myeloma, Ovarian Cancer, Prostate Cancer and Thyroid Cancer!!   October is Breast and Liver Cancer Awareness Months There are so many researchers, non-profits,  and Breast Cancer Survivors who have been working for years to...

April in Massachusetts is so exciting for many reasons…spring is arriving and new life is being birthed, the snow is beginning to depart, days are longer and beginning to get warmer…time to start planting the seeds for the years veggie garden!  One of the most fun and exciting events though is the annual Boston Marathon!!  This year was special because it was the 3rd Anniversary of the...

June is a special month first because of Father’s Day, a day to honor the important role and connection that Dad’s have  in the lives of their children and also because it is Cancer Survivorship month! One of the people that I most admire in this area is my Uncle Jack…he was found to have a Coarctation of the Aorta when he was 19 years old, in 1958, he had open heart surgery at Children’s...

This month, we turn our attention not only to Breast Cancer Awareness Month but to all those who are surviving breast cancer, those who are newly diagnosed and those with metastatic disease.  It turns out that of all those with cancer, 18% have children under the age of 18!!  This month, I wanted to share with you two moms who are amazing role models for other women but, most importantly, their...

The Holiday Season is always extra busy for moms and dads.  There are special meals to plan for and make, parties to attend, gift lists to make, shopping to do, and presents to buy and wrap.  During the Holiday Season we often think of the “things” that we need to give and this can add to the stress of the season which is meant to be rich with tradition, good cheer and memory-making.  Wonder if...

This is my daughter when she was about 12 years old! She had been learning yoga in elementary school and we would practice together with a Gaia Kids Yoga Video that I had at home.  While this brings back many happy memories with my daughter, one of the most important messages that I want to share with our parenting community is that practicing yoga, mindfulness meditation, tai chi or Qigong...

June is a Special Month.  We get to Celebrate Cancer Survivorship Month!  Our world is in the process of transformation, I am sure that you have noticed and can feel it too!!  There is so much energy on this planet now.  It is in transition so not all of it feels comfortable but it is changing and is moving towards a new Paradigm that is even better!  We are developing newer treatments to help...

As a Mom and long time Clinical Oncology Nurse/ Nurse Practitioner, one of my most passionate goals, as a parent, is to keep my daughter healthy and cancer free for the Long Term.  I know that I only have the most influence in the first 18 years of her life but I also know these are some of the THE MOST IMPORTANT TIMES FOR LONG TERM HEALTH!!  What we eat in childhood, the exercise habits that we...

This month I would like to share with you one example of someone with an amazing story about her process of healing from breast cancer by incorporating the W.E.L.L.N.E.S.S.© practices we have just been sharing these last 6 months. Julia Chiappetta was first diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 44. She was training for a triathalon at the time and leading a very busy life that included...