If I could offer one piece of advice to other moms diagnosed with cancer, it would be this: Find other moms with cancer. Everything I learned about surviving and helping my family thrive through this cancer experience grew out of this one step. Friends and family members sympathized, but it was these women who had been there who truly understood.

Finding a tribe of women with similar cancer experiences improved my quality of life. Existential fears kept me up late at night, but there was always someone online, someone who’d had the same fears, to talk me back down. Every element of life was complicated by cancer, but I also had access to the collective knowledge of thousands of women who had been there before me, who were going through it with me. Increasingly, I have found opportunities to contribute my own experiences to help other women through this experience. The ability to discuss the cancer, its treatment, and its impact on every aspect of my life helped me understand that I am not alone, and it allowed me to discuss these issues, find solutions, and occasionally vent in a safe and understanding environment.

You are not alone. Your children are not alone.

I remember my first BBQ with a group of young breast cancer survivors, and watching all their bright, engaging, well-adjusted kids running around. It was the first time that I really understood that my cancer did not have to ruin my daughter’s life. These kids are growing up with cancer as part of their life, but they are growing up strong and compassionate, and every once in a while, they’re surrounded with other kids in an environment where having a parent with cancer is normal.

Once I started looking, I was amazed at how many other women were also raising young children while battling cancer. There are a number of online networks and forums where moms with cancer can share information on everything from how to tell your kids about cancer to much more practical issues, such as how to coax your little one into his car seat when you’re not strong enough to pick him up. I found my tribe at the Young Survival Coalition, which is specifically for young women with breast cancer. Planet Cancer has a several groups for moms with cancer, and is for all different types of cancer. Gilda’s Club has clubhouses across the country and is an excellent resource for anyone with cancer, and they have programs for the kids as well. Parenting with Cancer and Mothers with Cancer are both blogs that can connect you with a world of women raising children while battling cancer.

 Do you or a loved one have cancer? What has been the most helpful resource for you/them?

Judy Schwartz Haley owns the blog CoffeeJitters.Net, where she writes about raising a toddler while battling cancer, finishing a degree, and fending off ninjas. Also, she needs more coffee.

@coffeejitters

CoffeeJitters Facebook Page

Featured image courtesy of Flickr.

The post Breast Cancer: Moms With Cancer Supporting Each Other appeared first on Mom it Forward.

There are more ways to support a cure for cancer than wearing pink. At a recent MomItForward Twitter #gno party sponsored by Faces of MBC, women shared their realization and experience with breast cancer.

8 Ways to Show Metastatic Breast Cancer Support

Here are 8 of the best statistics and tips our Tweeters shared to raise awareness and show support:

• The pink ribbon to some means support, but others feel it doesn’t do enough. @mom4everandever said that the pink ribbon to her means that there are people out there to help and to care. It is also a reminder to check yourselves and be aware. @FacesofMBC took a survey of people with MBC, and found that 55% said they don’t identify with the pink ribbon.
• MBC does not have the awareness that breast cancer does. It should be included in breast cancer events. @FacesofMBC said, “We’ve heard 70% of women with MBC say even family and friends don’t understand the difference between MBC and early breast cancer.”
• Support can be shown in many ways: emails, cards, texts, gifts and hugs. @Brandie185 said it all helps, the meals, the cards, the tweets. To @tdmoore62, support is listening, driving a friend to the doctor, sending emails, calling, helping with fundraisers, giving hugs donations, and more.
• Online support tools are available for patients and caregivers of those with breast cancer. @Brandie185 suggested the #BCSM chat on Twitter. “It’s been a life saver for me,” she said.
• Awareness can and needs to be spread. To do this, our Tweeters remind people to check, spread the news and educate. “And remember, pink is not enough. Buy pink if you want to, but don’t let that be the sum total of what you do,” said @Brandie185.
• Awareness can be spread through the internet and through live events. @JoyceHarrellRN said that blogging is good but not everyone is on the internet and community events are needed.
• Give recognition to those living with MBC as well as those who have passed away because of it. According to @CJMeta, at every breast cancer event, they cheer survivors but never honor those living with MBC. “They also need a moment of silence for the 41,000 dying each year. The dead are never mentioned,” she said.
• Maintain breast health and encourage others to do so as well. @tdmoore62 said she will do this by completing a monthly self breast exam and an annual mammogram.

MBC needs the same attention that early-stage breast cancer receives. Little things can make a big difference for cancer patients. Do all you can to make a difference in their lives and take action to spread awareness.

What are some things you can do to help those battling early breast cancer and MBC?

Feature image courtesy of Flickr.

The post Health: 8 Ways to Show Metastatic Breast Cancer Support appeared first on Mom it Forward.

10 Bite-Size Ideas for Serving Actively

1.  Walk instead of drive next time you have an errand within a half-mile of your house, easing the burden on our environment a little and helping your body a lot.
2. Dedicate your participation in an athletic endurance event to the American Cancer Society through their DetermiNation program. Visit this link for details or to find a sponsored event near you.
3. Take this quiz of the American Heart Association so that they can give you a personalized walking plan.
4. Subscribe to the RSS feed of the National Wildlife Federation's Be Out There program, to get ideas for outdoor activities.
5. Think about what it'd be like to have breast cancer, then request an information brochure about an upcoming Avon Walk for Breast Cancer.
6. Take a busy neighbor's dog for a walk.
7. Contact your local Girl Scout council about doing a one-time tutorial event for a troop on skiing, geocaching, in-line skating, or another outdoor activity.
8. See how many doors you can open for someone else in one day.
9. Crumple up some pieces of paper, break out some hula hoops, and get together an indoor snowball fight with your kids.
10. Have a Just Dance, Wii Fit, or Dance Central with your kids or hubby.

How Will You Give to Others This Week?

• What other ideas do you have for serving others by being active?
• How has being active made a meaningful difference for you or others this week?
• How have others given to you this week and what difference has that made in your life?

How Else Can You Make a Difference This Season?

Make a meaningful difference this season by taking the Season of Service (SOS) Challenge. Here's how you can participate:

• Commit to do one act of kindness/service based on the week's challenge.
• Leave a comment with ideas relating to the week's challenge as well as your experience(s) performing it.
• Enter to win each week's giveaway. Check out this week's prizes from Curious George and PBS Kids by clicking here.
• Join #gno this Tuesday on Twitter to connect with other Mom It Forward moms about the challenge.

The post Service Ideas: 10 Ways to Be Active and Give to Others appeared first on Mom it Forward.

The first is an innocent memory—carrot juice. I remember my friend talking to me about how her mom was drinking lots of carrot juice. I had never heard of carrot juice before and I giggled as I conjured up the image of trying to extract juice from something as strong and juice-less as a carrot. I giggled a lot, because this was a regular occurrence at their house. My friend explained it helped her mom feel better. I wondered why my mom didn't drink carrot juice!

The second is a memory that was perhaps one of the best lessons my parents ever taught us—the spirit of giving to others. For Christmas, my parents always selected people in our community to help. One particular year, they chose this family across the street. My mom then shared her plan to do the "12 Days of Christmas" to this family. I rolled my eyes, not wanting to sing, but she explained that we would anonymously drop off a gift or gifts each day (the number of gifts would increase from 1 to 12 as the days increased). Now we were talking. What were the gifts going to be? Who was going to deliver them? How would we stay anonymous?

Our entire family played a role. We helped choose the gifts, wrap them, deliver them (that was the funnest and scariest part). We would go back home afterward and laugh and tell stories over and over of how we almost got caught. And somewhere between the tactical side of making sure our treasures made it from our house to theirs, we all felt the spirit of Christmas deep inside of us. I can't tell you what I got for Christmas that year, but I can tell you that that same spirit burns inside me every time I think of this experience.

My friend's mom ultimately died after a very long bout with breast cancer. She raised six amazing children and was an example to everyone.

How You Can Help

During the month of October, Mom It Forward is proud to support Hanes as they promote breast health and to raise breast cancer awareness.

"Brighten someone's day, by sending a little comfort their way. For each new comfort package you create and send, Hanes will donate $1 to NBCF up to $25,000."

How has breast cancer touched your life? Who will you honor the month of October to raise breast cancer awareness? What steps will you take to improve your own breast health?

The post Breast Cancer Awareness: How Breast Cancer Has Touched My Life appeared first on Mom it Forward.

You might call her a fantastic chef.

She is a Mommy, a friend and a fighter.  I call her an inspiration.

Those who inspire most deeply tend to be the people who lead by example.  Rachel from A Southern Fairy Tale does just that.  She is dedicating her blog to fighting breast cancer for the entire month of October.  As is typical of Rachel's sweet nature and wit, she is calling it Blogging for Boobs.

Last year she did a huge giveaway to drive traffic to her site to increase awareness and raise money through Ad revenue.  This year, she is stepping up her committment.  She is donating her entire site to the cause.  Come October, her blog will turn pink and she will have guest posters sharing their stories, their tributes and information.  Items have already been donated so she can do weekly giveaways - and she has set up a special page called, what else - Blogging for Boobs  where people can donate directly to the Susan G Komen foundation.

Why is Rachel doing this?  Not because she has to.  But because she knows you and I have likely been touched, in some way, by this disease - and she knows a cure is in our future - if only we can continue to fight, spread awareness and raise money.

For Rachel, it is her mother-in-law and at least three friends who's moms have been affected.  These women serve as a reminder of the pervasiveness of this disease.  And it is for them that Rachel is Blogging for Boobs.

About the Author: Danielle Smith is a mommy to two smart and sassy small people, as well as the founder and primary author of ExtraordinaryMommy.com. You can catch her hosting a brand new live show, The Spin Cycle, on MomTV.com every Wednesday at 9pmEST. She also hosts a show on Blog Talk Radio and contributes to WhyMomsMatter. Danielle is thrilled to be contributing to MomItForward as ‘giving back’ has always been an important part of who she is and what she hopes to teach her children.

The post Fighting Breast Cancer One Blog Post at a Time appeared first on Mom it Forward.

Design-her Gals is a site where you can create a "gal" who looks just like you (or in some cases just like you'd like to look!). Choose her eye and hair color, hair style, outfit, and accessories (wish I owned those shoes in real life!). You can then put your gal on a variety of products including business cards, notepads, to-do lists, luggage tags, and water bottles. But as fun as the designing is, the donating is even better because a percentage of all sales goes to the Gal to Gal Foundation.

The Gal to Gal Foundation was started by Jeanne Fitzmaurice, Design-her Gals' Go-to Gal (i.e. owner). The foundation's purpose is to help grant wishes and provide other important benefits for Stage IV breast cancer patients. The inspiration for G2G came when Jeanne learned through a friend's experience with Stage IV breast cancer just how scarce funds are for those in this critical stage, a stage when health insurance benefits may be reduced or canceled and hospice care hard to find. "We want all Stage 4 patients to make the journey to their next destination with as much style and grace as they've shown traveling through this one."

In October of last year Design-her Gals and FranklinCovey launched a collection of new products dedicated to help raise funds for the Gal to Gal Foundation. You can now carry your super cool Design-her Gals memo paper, calling cards, and perpetual calendar in a one-of-a-kind, super chic tote! Who knew you were choosing to make a difference to women with breast cancer while choosing which avatar to put on your coffee mug? Design-her Gals gives you a way to creatively express yourself and in turn you'll be giving to the Gal to Gal Foundation. Design and donate, baby. Design and donate.

The post Gal to Gal Foundation: Design & Donate appeared first on Mom it Forward.