BCCNC’s Third Annual Workshop on Wellness presents "The Art Of Healing" and a reception at the Radisson Governors Inn, Research Triangle Park, September 18^th and 19^th.  The Reception Friday evening (7:30PM - 10:00PM) will bring together breast cancer survivors, researchers, politicians and many others from across the state who are concerned with breast cancer issues. Join us for an evening of food, song and celebration of life.

Research Updates. North Carolina’s leading researchers on breast cancer, Bob Millikan (D.V.M, M.P.H., Ph.D., Investigator, UNC-CH Breast Cancer SPORE) and Susan T. Jackson (Carolina Breast Cancer Study, UNC-Lineberger Comprehensive Center, Chapel Hill) will discuss the latest findings from the North Carolina Breast Cancer Study. Also, James J. Vredenburgh (M.D., Associate Professor, Duke University Bone Marrow Transplant Program, Duke University, Durham) will update us on current and future breast cancer treatments. Participants will have an opportunity to ask questions and discuss concerns with these researchers.

Balance And Harmony In Your Life With Feng Shui. Sandra Goodall will tell us about the ancient Chinese method of arranging your home for health and happiness.

Healing With Guided Imagery. Martha Hamblin, official photographer for the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure in the Triangle, will provide a learning session entitled, "Healing With Guided Imagery".

Opening Our Hearts Through Imagery, Art & Sharing. A "hands on" program led by Glenda Cedarleaf-Orr, a Certified Clinical Social Worker who specializes in working with cancer patients.

A photo exhibit, Cherishing Our Bodies, by Martha Hamblin, will be on display during the conference.

To honor women who have survived breast cancer and in memory of those who have lost their lives, a tapestry called "Buttons of Hope" is being created.

Personally Yours Mastectomy Boutique in Durham is sponsoring "Buttons of Hope" and asks the community’s help in completing this project.

Survivors are asked to mail in a clothing button of any type or color, except pink. Family and friends of women who have lost their lives are asked to send in a pink button of any size or shape. Buttons may be mailed or delivered in person to Personally Yours, 2502 Albany St., Durham, NC 27705.

The tapestry will depict the pink Breast Cancer Awareness Ribbon on a white background. Survivor’s buttons will be sewn on the background and the pink "memory buttons" will be sewn on the ribbon.

As a voracious reader who is passionate about breast cancer, I would like to recommend two recent books for others. Both these books should be available in local bookstores or public libraries.

The first is Holding Tight, Letting Go by Musa Mayer. Its focus is on metastatic breast cancer and, since my breast cancer has not recurred, I felt anxious about reading it. Mayer writes 'from the horse's mouth' so to speak. A member of a breast cancer support group and a participant in an on-line breast cancer chat group, she learned about and discussed advancing cancer with many other women. With their permission, she has incorporated their experiences a powerful primer on how to live well with the knowledge that life expectancy is limited. My fear that this book would be difficult to read and increase my anxiety was unfounded. It was, rather, reassuring that there are ways to deal with the nightmare of recurrence we all fear, and partners in the journey. It is a book I recommend wholeheartedly.

Again this year, the Susan G. Komen Foundation and BMW of North America are collaborating to bring the Drive For The Cure to many areas. For every test drive mile, BMW will donate $1.00 to the Komen Foundation, hopefully to reach a goal of $1,00,000.

Drive for the Cure locations in North Carolina:

Raleigh on October 18^th

Charlotte on October 23^rd

Winston-Salem on October 22^nd

Chapel Hill on October 20^th

Greensboro on October 21^st

Wilmington on November 4^th

Fletcher on October 27^th

By Sara S. Williams, Chapel Hill

Well, not exactly ... but I loved telling family and friends that at age 47 I was off to "summer camp." What I did was spend the week of July 6 at Life Choices Wellness Center (LCWC) in breathtaking Saluda, North Carolina at a renewal retreat for women with breast cancer. They prefer small groups (3-8). I went with Diana (a friend I made during chemo) and Gaye (a childhood friend and my husband’s first cousin). The structured program provides a nurturing and life-affirming environment and was remarkable in its ability to meet our emotional, physical, and spiritual needs.

Here are some highlights of my week at LCWC:

Retreat facilities and staff – I give 5 stars for the comfortable and extremely well-appointed quarters and the meals (e.g., organically grown produce, lump crabmeat!) provisioned by a blue ribbon cook. Serenity abounds---whether you are enjoying the scenery while sitting on one of the decks or browsing through books in the tranquil resource room. Our facilitator, Pamela Patterson, was very effective in helping us learn and apply various concepts and skills related to healing and the meditative process. I first met Deena Talbot, the Executive Director, at Raleigh’s "Race for the Cure." She is committed, energetic, and resourceful, and LCWC is her vision becoming reality.

The Program – In addition to a structured program centered on healing, meditation, and introspection (replete with a "fire release" ceremony where you place all "negatives" into the flames!!) we each had two massages (unbelievably soothing!), did paint work with oils, and threw clay at a potter’s studio. (The potter had also made a "cancer cell" target which we bombarded with hard clay balls!)

It is an overwhelmingly positive experience, and one that I will not stop talking about and recommending for a long, long time. I’ll end with a story which has helped me throughout my cancer journey over the past ten months:

There was a little boy who longed for a pony. Every birthday he would run outside to see if a pony waited for him in his yard. He was always asking his parents for this pony. On the morning of his 8^th birthday, he woke up to see this big heap of manure in the front yard---he was ecstatic!! He ran outside and began to dig furiously through the pile. His parents eventually came running outside, screaming, "What are you doing, son?" To which the little boy replied, "I figured that with all this shit around, there had to be a pony in here somewhere!"

In April, New Hanover Regional Medical Center implemented a Coastal Care Van for cancer detection. The Van will primarily go to underserved areas for those who, for one reason or another, are unable to get their mammograms, pap smears, prostate screenings, skin screenings and general physicals. Mammogram equipment is on the Van. The Van will serve the people of New Hanover County and surrounding areas.

Source: JAMA, Jay 13, 1998.

Advocates participated in an international symposium in September 1997 to evaluate state of the art options for menopause treatment. The resulting booklet is "Menopause: Treatment Options for Women Surviving Breast Cancer or Concerned About Estrogen Replacement Therapy". To order, contact the Hormone Foundation at 800-HORMONE or www.hormone.org

While the darkest side of this disease is certainly one that the public needs to know about, it is certainly not the truest depiction of what happens after diagnosis. Surviving breast cancer is a much more common experience, especially today with earlier detection and advances in treatments. And, as we in the BCCNC can attest, thriving and blooming is also a very true aspect of the face of breast cancer!

In response, the Breast Cancer Coalition of NC decided, with the help of funds from the US Women's Open, that we'd like to launch a project that looked at "Portraits of Survival - Breast Cancer in NC." The plan is to develop a photo essay display and perhaps a video that will highlight breast cancer survivorship in our state. Breast cancer survivors of all ages, races and "experience" from all regions of NC will be featured.

BCCNC has contracted with free-lance writer, photographer, creative "Jill of all trades", Nora Streed, to work on our Portraits of Survival project. She's developed a telephone interview and will call women who completed the project interest form (each interview will be audio-taped to help assimilate all the details). The interview asks the women about:

their interests and hobbies and if they changed after the breast cancer experience,

the impact their breast cancer had on family, friends, co-workers during and after,

if there have been any surprises,

what they want people to know about them and cancer,

what they wish they had done differently before diagnosis, during the illness and since recovery.

From the 'crazy quilt' of responses to the interview, we are going to piece together some idea of who she is - who is the breast cancer survivor in NC. From there we can get a better idea of what we want the project to look
like.

If you're interested in being interviewed for possible inclusion, please complete the information on the form below and mail it to Beth Walker. Be forewarned, this may require photos, a story or both. Contacts will be made over the next few months.

Yes! I am interested in talking with you about this project.

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September 19^th and 20^th

September 22^nd through October 4^th

Saturday, September 26^th

March on Washington for continuing Congressional support for the National Cancer Institute’s funding of cancer research and programs. Duke, Bowman Gray and UNC-CH’s Cancer Centers will sponsor busses to Washington as a one day trip for around $15-30.

For information about busses from Duke, call Judy Smith at 919-667-2610; from Bowman Gray call Jenny Morris at 336-716-6807; from UNC-CH, call Dianne Shaw at 919-966-5905. Also, Rev. Thomas Walker is organizing several busses from eastern North Carolina and can be contacted at 252/446-2378.

Saturday, October 3^rd

October 4^th - 11^th

Wednesday, October 7^th

Saturday, October 10^th

Friday Center, Chapel Hill. Sponsored by Duke Comprehensive Cancer Center and the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center. This full-day symposium provides information, support, and experiences of interest to women and their families who have had a diagnosis of breast cancer or DCIS.

Thursday, October 29^th

Saturday, January 9^th, 1999.

Soy cheese is another nutrient-rich addition to the soyfoods family. Consider these good reasons to add soy cheeses to the list: low, moderate or no fat, cholesterol free, a source of soy protein and isoflavones, great taste and texture.

Finding soy cheese at most supermarkets is a little difficult right now; most carry only a few varieties, like the individually wrapped singles. But head to your favorite health or natural food market and you will be amazed at the growing soy cheese choices. According to the 1998 Soyfoods Directory, at least 12 companies make soy cheeses today. You will recognize some of the names ... White Wave, Rella Good Cheese Co., Soyco Foods and more. Companies like Tofutti are newcomers on the soy cheese scene, with their imitation cream cheese product. Here is a look at cheese varieties and a profile of their ingredients and nutritional value.

Varieties of Soy Cheeses: Soy cheeses are available in 6-, 8-, 12- or 16-ounce packages (chunks). Some are also in individually wrapped slices, just like typical American cheese. Flavors include: cheddar, mozzarella, Swiss, Monterey jack, pepper jack/jalapeno, Mexican, garlic/herb, American, parmesan, provolone, and cream cheese.

Ingredients: While regular cheeses are made from dairy milk, soy cheeses are made from soy milk and/or tofu, which is simply curdled and coagulated soymilk. Some soy cheeses have soy protein isolate added as well as some type of oil such as canola or soybean. Flavorings are added, such as red/green peppers, or spices and herbs, depending on what type of cheese it is (pepper jack, or Mexican or garlic/herb, for example). Salt and/or sea salt seems to be added to all varieties. Some have colorings added and many include an ingredient used to improve texture, such as guar gums or carrageenan. Vegetarians are advised to read all labels, as some have milk protein (caseinate) added. But all are milk sugar (lactose) free.

Serving Size: A serving of any cheese, whether dairy or soy, is one ounce according to the nutrition facts label. Picture three dice stacked one on top of the other, which is equivalent to a 1 ounce cube. Or picture one of those individually wrapped American cheese slices; those are only 3/4 ounce. It is okay to eat more than one ounce of soy cheese at a meal, since most are reasonable in calories and fat. And besides, a good toasted cheese sandwich has to have at least two slices of cheese on it!

Nutrition: Regular cheeses run about 80 to 110 calories per one ounce. Soy cheeses run 55 - 80 calories per one ounce. Scanning about 10 different packages reveals the average is around 60 - 70 calories per ounce.

Protein levels vary greatly for soy cheeses, from 2 grams to 7 grams in 1 ounce. Choosing those with at least 4 grams of soy protein will help you achieve more soyfood benefits. Regular cheese has between 6 and 10 grams of protein in 1 ounce.

Many soy cheeses have calcium added, which is a plus from my viewpoint as a dietitian, because the nutritional calcium profile is then similar to dairy cheese. Most dairy cheeses provide between 15 and 30 percent of the daily value for calcium (1000 mg). Many of the soy cheeses I checked are fortified with calcium and offer between 15 and 30 percent calcium also. Several varieties have no calcium at all, so you will have to get calcium from other foods.

Like regular cheeses, soy cheeses have a moderate amount of sodium. Sodium helps give cheese flavor, as anyone who has had to consume low sodium cheese will attest to! Dairy cheeses have 100 - 450 mg sodium in one ounce; the soy cheeses I checked had no less than 200 mg. Some soy cheese brands are fortified with about 10 of the daily value for Vitamin A and E - two valuable antioxidants.

Soy cheeses contain 0 to 7 grams fat in one ounce; dairy cheeses may contain 0 to 10 grams of fat. Saturated fat will be lower in all soy cheeses, since typically their overall fat is lower and the ingredients used are either void or low in saturated fat. Many soy cheeses are equivalent to the reduced fat dairy cheeses on the market.

Soy cheeses, since they are not an animal product, are cholesterol free. Dairy cheeses contain an average of 20 - 25 mg cholesterol in one ounce.

Melting ability: Many melt just as well as full-fat and reduced fat dairy cheeses, but some do not melt as well, so some experimentation may be in order.

Taste: You be the judge! I have found many soy cheeses to be more than acceptable alternatives to traditional cheeses. However, I doubt any cheddar cheese alternative - whether soy or reduced fat dairy cheddar - will be quite the same as a nice chunk of regular sharp cheddar!