Change is Good!

Hello to all of our amazing family and friends! As you can see, there are some small changes I have made to Rach's Blog. I believe these changes are vital in order to accomplish a few things:
- The need to shift the focus to a more informational and inspirational theme vice a sad and heartbreaking theme.
- The need to make this more about her and how her story can save the lives of others by educating them.
- The ability for those using Google and other search engines to find her blog, enabling us to help others.

I really wanted to take any of the focus off of me, the author and her husband before she lost her battle to melanoma, and place it on where it needs to be - on her. I encourage those of you who have just found this blog to read it from the beginning (Nov/Dec 2009) and read it the entire way through to the end. I promise you, you will get something out of it. For those of you who are familiar with this blog, take the time to revisit some of the entries. I do from time to time; it provides me with inspiration and strength!

This past January, we passed three years since Rachel lost her battle with malignant melanoma. For some of us, it is still fresh in our minds and hearts. In the three years since her death, there have been some extremely important happenings in the areas applicable to malignant melanoma, tanning regulation, and cancer research. I will mention a few of these below.

Melanoma Treatment 2011 - A year of Milestones

Key Melanoma Issues

State & National Melanoma Issues

Some "educational" videos for you and those you love. Please pass it on! Oh, and check out a few of my blogs I follow on the left - these are written by folks who have been in the same fight we have. The videos:





I hope you enjoy the changes and the new attitude "Team Rachel" will be bringing to the fight against melanoma! I will soon start adding information for this year's American Cancer Society's "Relay for Life" - Team Rachel to be held in mid-May! God bless!

~Rich

The Great Effectiveness Of Cancer Survivor Networks

A great write-up and guest post from a new friend of mine; a teammate in the fight against cancer. Thanks to Mr. David Haas; please enjoy!

Cancer survivor networks are a wonderful resource for anyone who has been affected by cancer. This goes from those who have just left the doctor with a diagnosis of a rare cancer like mesothelioma to the families of those who are in remission and hoping to stay that way. The American Cancer Society hosts a survivor's network for anyone who has been afflicted.

However, any survivor's network can offer beneficial information to patients and families who are looking to cope with the diagnosis or learn to live after cancer. Another form of network helps families and patients to deal with the cancer and treatment.

For example, not only does the ACS (American Cancer Society) have a survivor's network, but they also have a resource library for those who are fighting the disease right now. There are so many items to consider. Patients have to know how to deal with the side effects of treatment, physical activity during treatment, and even how to eat properly during treatment.

These resources are useful for the families who must take care of cancer patients because nutrition and physical activity are often left up to the family and not the patient. Moreover, knowing all of this extra information can help to make the treatment easier to bear.

Taking this information from a network of family members and patients may offer insight into treatment options that may not have been discussed with a physician. Learning from another family or patient about certain treatment methods can open up new options to patients who are currently having a hard time with treatment. This is also a wonderful way to find referrals for good doctors in your area. Sometimes, the best referral comes from someone who is dealing with cancer and currently working with the doctor they are referring.

Finding all the tools necessary to deal with cancer, help a patient in need, or learn to cope with life after cancer should be done through a network that brings patients and survivors together. Sharing information is one of the best ways that we can fight this insidious disease. Working together can help patients and families from around the globe battle cancer with dignity and grace.

Thanks again David! More guest posts and posts from me to come! God bless all of you fighting the battle against cancer and my prayers to the caretakers and family and friends of those who are fighting!

Melanoma News, Videos, and Links, etc.

I have found so much information in the last few years that helped me do what I could for Rachel. There are many websites and blogs that provide information, statistics, news, and support regarding melanoma. I will be from time to time doing what I can to share some of these with you. I will offer a bunch of links at the bottom of the post for you to check out...

One of the most interesting and similar cases of melanoma I have found is the story of Claire Oliver, a young woman who was diagnosed with melanoma at the age of 22 and died at the age of 27. Like Rachel, she tanned when she was younger. Like Rachel, she was a very beautiful young woman. Like Rachel she died five years after her initial diagnosis. Below is a short video that could have been shot from Rachel's hospital room or our living room at home. I can't lie to you, it is sad, and is bound to arise emotions in you. It is not long; maybe thirty seconds long or so. But it is powerful. I originally saw this in a post on Miss Melanoma's blog, which itself is one of my favorite resources. Check it out:


I know that has to scare some of you, and it should. No tan is worth dying so young.
Here are a few links for you to learn about melanoma and I will post more as I find them:

Melanoma Patients' Information Page (MPIP)
Melanoma Research Foundation
Melanoma International Foundation (MIF)
Rachel's Memorial on the MIF website (Thanks Lisa!)
National Council on Skin Cancer Prevention

This is just a short list of links; do a Google search on Melanoma or Melanoma Statistics and you will find literally thousands of pages.

One thing I do have to say in closing is a warm and heart-felt thank you to all of Rachel's caretakers at UPMC (Hillman Cancer Center and Shadyside), including her oncology team; Dr. Tarhini, Dr. Appleman, Jan, and Pam, Chuck and the nurses of CTRC; also the fine nurses over at 5-Pav; the Lindas, the Lauras, Faith, and of course Diana. Rachel's mom and I made a trip down there today to tell them how thankful we were for the treatment, the care, the work, the love, and the compassion all of you showed Rachel. You all truly became family to us.

I will be posting more in the near future talking about home health care, Hospice, and the amazing folks that work for those companies. They are people who are not normally thought of until it is too late. Hospice to many means a death sentence; it is not. But they are such a special group of indiviuals that make the job of family caretakers so much more managable. God bless you Linda(s) from UPMC Jefferson, Pam, Sabrina, Danielle, and all of the fine folks at Southern Care.

I will also be posting a few tidbits about lymphedema, a very much unknown condition often brought on by cancer treatments and surgeries. There are very special people like those at TuDor Physical Therapy that assist those that are aflicted with lymphedema.

Keep checking this blog for more stories, memories, education, warnings, and other things I think Rachel would want me to get out to all of you. Lately, my friends and family are trying to get our story put out on a nation and even international forum, like talk shows and news shows. Please, pass the word of our story and her struggle. The more people we can save through Rachel's life and death, the better!