“Does anyone know how to do a self-breast exam?” wasn’t what most people expected to hear from the young man whose were arms covered in tattoos and was wearing a black T-shirt that had a band’s name scrawled across the front.
This was Skate 4 Cancer, and the man had just finished announcing the winners of the most recent skateboarding competition earlier that day at the Forks skate park in Winnipeg, Manitoba. With the sun beating down hard as a local band set up on stage behind him, he called the teens and young adults to come closer to the stage and listen as he pulled up a younger girl in bright purple tank top, and long, blonde funky hair sticking up in all directions.
She began to demonstrate and explain to the audience the simple steps to checking for breast lumps and abnormalities. Acting sexy? No, trying to save lives.
When Skate 4 Cancer founder Rob Dyer set off on his first skate tour at age 20, he had no idea what his dream would become. Seeing all the important women in his life suffer from cancer, he decided that he wanted to help out, and since skateboarding was what he knew best, he picked up his skateboard and threw on his skate shoes and planned a skate tour to raise funds.
Only a few months before he was to begin his tour, he lost both grandmothers, one to stomach cancer, and the other to brain cancer. He was devastated, but that only brought more motivation. Then, as if he needed more reason to raise money, his mother passed away from a type of brain cancer similar to her mother’s.
Now, as Dyer skates his third tour since the beginning, first crossing New Zealand and then following up with Australia, he hopes to bring his message to the rest of the world. With every push of his board, he hopes that kids of all ages will
hear what he has to say, that while raising funds is fantastic and extremely helpful, he believes that “Knowledge is the Cure” and the best way to prevent cancer is to become educated on the subject, and to lead a healthy lifestyle.
Even if you never plan on going to a Skate 4 Cancer event, the message that it sends applies to all of us. Cancer affects us all, and the more we know about it and how to lessen our chances of this predatory disease growing in our bodies, the more time we’ll have to do the things we love.
A few months after the concert, I had the privilege of sitting down with one of the most inspiring women I have ever come across: Hildy Janzen not only fought –and beat- cancer twice –ovarian the first time, and breast cancer the second - but also lost her husband to prostate cancer in between her own illnesses, and somehow managed to keep her chin up throughout. I asked her a few questions about her experience, and she gladly shared her knowledge.
One of the most important issues that she pressed was to get to know your body and to visit your doctor as soon as you notice anything unusual.
Ignoring abnormalities in your everyday health can prove to be fatal if they are not looked after right away, often decreasing your chances of beating the disease. The longer cancer sits in your body, the more it has the chance to spread.
Performing regular self-examinations and going in for screenings are major factors in detecting cancer early. Though it is most often women that are subject to breast cancer, it’s important that men know how to do a self breast exam as well, not only so they can detect it in their partners, but also in the rare chance that they themselves might have it.
“The way my doctor showed me to do [a breast exam] is to take the flat of your fingers and starting from the top, touch all the way around your breast. Also, don’t forget to feel under the armpit,” Janzen said.
It is important to get to know your breasts and learn how lumpy they are, because some women have naturally lumpy breasts, whereas others don’t, and if you know what type you are, you will be better able to detect anything out of the ordinary, she said. Performing this check often, at least once a month is one way to be sure that you can catch any changes.
Along with keeping up to date with screenings and vaccinations, living a healthy lifestyle contributes greatly in reducing your risks of any kind of cancer. According to the Mayo Clinic website, maintaining a healthy weight and getting regular exercise are among the top ways of lowering your risks. Being physically active for as little as thirty minutes at least three times a week is a good start if you are not normally active. Something as simple as going for a walk after dinner can help tremendously. Don’t be afraid to talk to your doctor or physiotherapist if you’re not sure how to start and need help coming up with a safe exercise plan for yourself.
Regular exercise also helps reduce stress, something that Janzen believes deeply affected the onset of her cancer. But don’t let that be an excuse to stay in a severely stressful situation, she advised. Mull over your situation and ask yourself, “Is this worth getting sick over?”
“The year I got sick, I was the fittest I have ever been,” Janzen told me. “They tell you to eat right and to exercise, which I think helps to an extent, but I believe if the cancer cells are [in your body], then they are there and in my case, not getting out of a stressful work situation when I should have contributed to my decrease in health.”
Battling cancer once isn’t easy on anyone, never mind twice. “The will to live [helped me beat this],” she told me. “I don’t like when people feel sorry for me. Whenever I cried, I did it alone. Around people, I put on a brave face. Singing in the church choir whenever I could. Music is such a powerful healing tool.”
Here’s the most important bit of advice Janzen gives to anyone who is suffering with cancer and going through chemo:
“You know yourself better than anyone. Don’t be afraid to tell the doctors if you can’t handle it anymore. Doctors know statistics, but you know how much you can take. I stopped my chemo at twenty-five out of thirty sessions because it was just too much for me. I’m pretty sure that if I had gone on, the chemo would have killed me.”
“People will always give you advice, which is nice to an extent, but ultimately, you are the one who has to deal with it, so make sure you listen to your body and know when to speak up for yourself.”
The cases of Hildy Janzen and Rob Dyer’s family attest to the importance of getting to know your family’s disease history. Talking to your doctor about your medical background can help you learn to spot when trouble is brewing, hopefully before anything life-threatening occurs.
So the next time you see a “punk skateboarder” rolling down the street and showing off his tricks, use it as a reminder. Remember Rob Dyer’s mission, and the message behind it. None of us is invincible, no matter how old or young; and remember: the cure is knowledge.
- Karis Funk
Friday, June 4, 2010
Saturday, April 10, 2010
What's the big deal, Twitchy McGee?
One thing I've been dealing with and have slowly began to come to terms with is the fact that i suffer from anxiety. I think it's something that's been going on in my life for longer than i realized, i just really had no idea what anxiety was - that it was actually a problem that other people dealt with besides me - until i witnessed a friend of mine at hair school battle with anxiety issues.
In the past few years since i began to realize what was actually going on with me, i've had my ups and downs. It used to come in phases, staying away for a month or two at a time, and then hitting me hard. Especially when i was under a lot of financial stress and decided to take up 3 part time jobs, working back to back, with only sundays off (and sometimes even working then). I would wake up with anxiety, go to sleep with anxiety... dream anxiety. it was too much and my body was exhausted. so, after a breakdown at one of my jobs one day, i realized it was time for me to quit one of my jobs, to take better care of myself and not put so much stress on my body - i needed rest.
i started to notice things that i never had realized before. Simple things like driving home from work, when a sudden, overwhelming happiness came over me, giving me a feeling of extreme ecstasy, as though i was high on drugs - for no reason at all. My heart would race. i would let out a scream of excitement. Some days i would get super antsy and HAVE to do something NOW, my friends would think i was nuts when i sat there bouncing like a 5 year old as they sat around drinking coffee and having conversation "LETS GO DO SOMETHING!! LETSGOLETSGOLETSGO!!! a few hours later, i would crash. "you're hyper," people would say, but this was different, i could feel it. Not that i dont enjoy being overly happy, but when your mood swings from intense happiness ("good anxiety") to intense fear or dread, where i hyperventilate, shiver uncontrollably as though i'm cold, and/or begin to cry ("bad anxiety," as i call it) it tends to become overwhelming and not so fun.
While I've been working to control my anxiety lately, (i've stopped drinking caffeine and alcohol, i exercise more regularly, i eat healthier, and i balance my work schedule better, to name a few), i've found that nothing has really helped me tremendously. I dont get night attacks often, which is phenomenal, as those, i find, are the worst, since sometimes when i'm having an attack during the day, i go have a nap to calm down, so that's one improvement. however, i still get attacks almost daily.
I, honest to God, hate medication. i dont even take painkillers for my headaches, that's how much i hate it. i take whatever medication i absolutely MUST take. But sometimes, you gotta know when to ask for help. As much as i hate to take meds, i feel like this is one thing i haven't tried yet, so it's something that i probably should talk to my doctor about.
There's so much taboo surrounding antidepressants and anxiety, it seems, which really does not help the person suffering. As soon as you say "i'm on antidepressants" people think you're a suicidal nut. It's one reason i haven't talked to my doctor about it, when in reality it's been on my mind for the past 7 years.
it's really unfortunate, i think, that people who have never suffered from anxiety have no idea and dont understand "what the big deal is" when someone tells them they had an anxiety attack. It honest to God, feels like you're gonna die. Your heart races. your mind races. Your whole body shakes uncontrollably. You feel helpless in your own body. It's different for everyone, but i think many symptoms are the same. I have a friend who gets it so bad that it looks as though he's having a heart attack.
One piece of advice i'd like to offer those of you who have never experienced an attack before, if you are ever in the company of someone who is in the middle of an attack, what do you do? Telling them to relax will probably stress them out more. Offer them a glass of water, a warm blanket, a cup of herbal tea. Something soothing. If they are hyperventilating, give them a paper bag. Tell them some jokes. Apparently you cannot laugh and hyperventilate at the same time. Try to be understanding, not demanding and/or impatient. Everyone is different in how they cope with their anxiety, so feel free to ask them "what can i do to help you?" While they might be too panicked to know what will help, some people know quite well, the strategies that work to calm themselves down, whether they can do it on their own, or whether they need your help. Don't be afraid to ask them, and to let them know that you are there to help, though try not to show too much worry or stress on your person, as those vibes tend to carry on to the victim.
My last words to anyone suffering with anxiety: don't be afraid to ask for help. whether it's from your doctor, or a friend who suffers as well, or something as simple as looking up solutions online. Though there are worse things in life, anxiety and depression are difficult things to live with, and even more so when you have no idea whats going on or how to properly deal with it. Just remember that you are not alone.
In the past few years since i began to realize what was actually going on with me, i've had my ups and downs. It used to come in phases, staying away for a month or two at a time, and then hitting me hard. Especially when i was under a lot of financial stress and decided to take up 3 part time jobs, working back to back, with only sundays off (and sometimes even working then). I would wake up with anxiety, go to sleep with anxiety... dream anxiety. it was too much and my body was exhausted. so, after a breakdown at one of my jobs one day, i realized it was time for me to quit one of my jobs, to take better care of myself and not put so much stress on my body - i needed rest.
i started to notice things that i never had realized before. Simple things like driving home from work, when a sudden, overwhelming happiness came over me, giving me a feeling of extreme ecstasy, as though i was high on drugs - for no reason at all. My heart would race. i would let out a scream of excitement. Some days i would get super antsy and HAVE to do something NOW, my friends would think i was nuts when i sat there bouncing like a 5 year old as they sat around drinking coffee and having conversation "LETS GO DO SOMETHING!! LETSGOLETSGOLETSGO!!! a few hours later, i would crash. "you're hyper," people would say, but this was different, i could feel it. Not that i dont enjoy being overly happy, but when your mood swings from intense happiness ("good anxiety") to intense fear or dread, where i hyperventilate, shiver uncontrollably as though i'm cold, and/or begin to cry ("bad anxiety," as i call it) it tends to become overwhelming and not so fun.
While I've been working to control my anxiety lately, (i've stopped drinking caffeine and alcohol, i exercise more regularly, i eat healthier, and i balance my work schedule better, to name a few), i've found that nothing has really helped me tremendously. I dont get night attacks often, which is phenomenal, as those, i find, are the worst, since sometimes when i'm having an attack during the day, i go have a nap to calm down, so that's one improvement. however, i still get attacks almost daily.
I, honest to God, hate medication. i dont even take painkillers for my headaches, that's how much i hate it. i take whatever medication i absolutely MUST take. But sometimes, you gotta know when to ask for help. As much as i hate to take meds, i feel like this is one thing i haven't tried yet, so it's something that i probably should talk to my doctor about.
There's so much taboo surrounding antidepressants and anxiety, it seems, which really does not help the person suffering. As soon as you say "i'm on antidepressants" people think you're a suicidal nut. It's one reason i haven't talked to my doctor about it, when in reality it's been on my mind for the past 7 years.
it's really unfortunate, i think, that people who have never suffered from anxiety have no idea and dont understand "what the big deal is" when someone tells them they had an anxiety attack. It honest to God, feels like you're gonna die. Your heart races. your mind races. Your whole body shakes uncontrollably. You feel helpless in your own body. It's different for everyone, but i think many symptoms are the same. I have a friend who gets it so bad that it looks as though he's having a heart attack.
One piece of advice i'd like to offer those of you who have never experienced an attack before, if you are ever in the company of someone who is in the middle of an attack, what do you do? Telling them to relax will probably stress them out more. Offer them a glass of water, a warm blanket, a cup of herbal tea. Something soothing. If they are hyperventilating, give them a paper bag. Tell them some jokes. Apparently you cannot laugh and hyperventilate at the same time. Try to be understanding, not demanding and/or impatient. Everyone is different in how they cope with their anxiety, so feel free to ask them "what can i do to help you?" While they might be too panicked to know what will help, some people know quite well, the strategies that work to calm themselves down, whether they can do it on their own, or whether they need your help. Don't be afraid to ask them, and to let them know that you are there to help, though try not to show too much worry or stress on your person, as those vibes tend to carry on to the victim.
My last words to anyone suffering with anxiety: don't be afraid to ask for help. whether it's from your doctor, or a friend who suffers as well, or something as simple as looking up solutions online. Though there are worse things in life, anxiety and depression are difficult things to live with, and even more so when you have no idea whats going on or how to properly deal with it. Just remember that you are not alone.
Friday, February 26, 2010
Growing Up Karis
It’s funny how we think we’ve grown so much over time, and we think, “finally, I am getting somewhere. I’m coming into myself.” And then shit happens, you deal with it, you laugh, you cry. You grow apart from old friends; you meet new ones. You travel the world.
I cannot digress how much I have changed over the past few years. Sometimes for the worst, and others for the best. But I think finally, after 4 years of not having a clue, of trying to figure out “what is the point?” I think I’m finally progressing in a direction that I am more than proud of.
I’ve written about my weight loss in previous entries, so I won’t go into too much detail about that. I’m still working on it, and even though I’ve had some set backs, I know that I can do it and reach my goal to leading a healthier and more energized life.
That is just one of the many ways I have been working toward my ultimate life goal – genuine happiness with myself as a person and where I am in each moment of my life.
This has probably been the hardest for me to achieve, as I’ve been dealing with some form of depression and anxiety for as much of my life as I can remember. I always found it so easy to just feel sorry for myself, no matter what the situation, and to sink into a pool of self-pity.
When I was in my first year out of high school, I had the unfortunate experience of being sexually assaulted when I was at my lowest point in my faith with God, and met a guy online who seemed to be interested in my thoughts as he himself claimed to be a pastors child (P.K. for future reference). I always found growing up a PK difficult, because I felt that perfection was projected on me, as my behaviors would illuminate the kind of person that my father was outside of the Sunday morning church services. So when this guy offered to share experiences and help me sort out my issues with the church and with God, I figured, why not.
Long story short, he ended up just using my vulnerability, naivety and trust in humanity to his own benefit, and to the misfortune of mine. Though luckily I did have the courage to get out before things got too far.
That was my first encounter with the so-called “Real World,” the world outside my sheltered Mennonite life. I let that experience affect so much of how I thought of myself, so much of whom I was. I didn’t know anything anymore. My whole world was shaken.
From then on, I felt insecure about men; I felt that attention from guys that I knew deep down I was “way better than” (for lack of a better term) was how I needed to deal with my insecurities. The relationships I’ve had since then have only dragged me down and made me feel worse and worse about myself. Having days –weeks even- that a situation with guy would make me feel so worthless that I would lay in bed, moping all day long and eating away my emotions.
Well, my friends, there is a point to my rambling little sob story. It is that shit happens. Bad experiences are part of life. It’s how we learn, how we grow. As hard as these experiences were for me to deal with, they have helped shape me into someone I am finally proud of being. I am finally able to stand on my own two feet and say “This is who I am. This is what I want, and this is what I deserve.” And I will settle for no less.
After the last ordeal with a guy I was seeing gone completely wrong, I somehow felt different. I was able to put my foot down and say, “you know what, no. I can do far better than this.” I finally realized that we are dealt certain cards and how we play them out and what we make of the outcomes are up to us. We make our own happiness. We can choose to whip out the worlds smallest violin and play a sad song for ourselves, crying the days away. But people get sick of that. No one wants to willingly be around a person who drags him or her down.
I decided I was going to learn to make the best out of all the situations life throws me in. And you know what, I think the people around me have noticed this. Before, I always felt as though I had no friends, and suddenly, they surround me. People mean so much more to me now that I respect myself, and their opinions don’t hinder me like they once did. I love my life, and I am not only excited for the future, but I am truly enjoying living in the present.
There’s not much else I can say. I am growing every day, and will till the day I die. I’ll have my fallbacks. As long as I have my friends and my family to support me and remember that life is so much more than moping about. There is a whole world out there, and I want to experience all of it, grinning from ear to ear.
I cannot digress how much I have changed over the past few years. Sometimes for the worst, and others for the best. But I think finally, after 4 years of not having a clue, of trying to figure out “what is the point?” I think I’m finally progressing in a direction that I am more than proud of.
I’ve written about my weight loss in previous entries, so I won’t go into too much detail about that. I’m still working on it, and even though I’ve had some set backs, I know that I can do it and reach my goal to leading a healthier and more energized life.
That is just one of the many ways I have been working toward my ultimate life goal – genuine happiness with myself as a person and where I am in each moment of my life.
This has probably been the hardest for me to achieve, as I’ve been dealing with some form of depression and anxiety for as much of my life as I can remember. I always found it so easy to just feel sorry for myself, no matter what the situation, and to sink into a pool of self-pity.
When I was in my first year out of high school, I had the unfortunate experience of being sexually assaulted when I was at my lowest point in my faith with God, and met a guy online who seemed to be interested in my thoughts as he himself claimed to be a pastors child (P.K. for future reference). I always found growing up a PK difficult, because I felt that perfection was projected on me, as my behaviors would illuminate the kind of person that my father was outside of the Sunday morning church services. So when this guy offered to share experiences and help me sort out my issues with the church and with God, I figured, why not.
Long story short, he ended up just using my vulnerability, naivety and trust in humanity to his own benefit, and to the misfortune of mine. Though luckily I did have the courage to get out before things got too far.
That was my first encounter with the so-called “Real World,” the world outside my sheltered Mennonite life. I let that experience affect so much of how I thought of myself, so much of whom I was. I didn’t know anything anymore. My whole world was shaken.
From then on, I felt insecure about men; I felt that attention from guys that I knew deep down I was “way better than” (for lack of a better term) was how I needed to deal with my insecurities. The relationships I’ve had since then have only dragged me down and made me feel worse and worse about myself. Having days –weeks even- that a situation with guy would make me feel so worthless that I would lay in bed, moping all day long and eating away my emotions.
Well, my friends, there is a point to my rambling little sob story. It is that shit happens. Bad experiences are part of life. It’s how we learn, how we grow. As hard as these experiences were for me to deal with, they have helped shape me into someone I am finally proud of being. I am finally able to stand on my own two feet and say “This is who I am. This is what I want, and this is what I deserve.” And I will settle for no less.
After the last ordeal with a guy I was seeing gone completely wrong, I somehow felt different. I was able to put my foot down and say, “you know what, no. I can do far better than this.” I finally realized that we are dealt certain cards and how we play them out and what we make of the outcomes are up to us. We make our own happiness. We can choose to whip out the worlds smallest violin and play a sad song for ourselves, crying the days away. But people get sick of that. No one wants to willingly be around a person who drags him or her down.
I decided I was going to learn to make the best out of all the situations life throws me in. And you know what, I think the people around me have noticed this. Before, I always felt as though I had no friends, and suddenly, they surround me. People mean so much more to me now that I respect myself, and their opinions don’t hinder me like they once did. I love my life, and I am not only excited for the future, but I am truly enjoying living in the present.
There’s not much else I can say. I am growing every day, and will till the day I die. I’ll have my fallbacks. As long as I have my friends and my family to support me and remember that life is so much more than moping about. There is a whole world out there, and I want to experience all of it, grinning from ear to ear.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
No, I'm not ready for a hell hell no, for a hell hell no!
I have never had epiphanies at a concert so much as i had tonight when i saw Tegan and Sara live for the first time. Something about this show just felt different than usual. Normally, when i go to a concert, i dance like i've never danced before and sing along at the top of my lungs, but today, i just felt like listening and watching, soaking in every word and every note played.
At one point, Sara shared a story about when she was 8 or 9 and got to see the New Kids on the Block, and just the awe that she experienced, the overwhelming feeling that there was someone famous, who she looked up to and loved in the same building as her.
This got me to thinking; i love singing more than pretty much anything else on this planet. One of my top goals on my Bucket List that i've been working on the past few weeks is to start a band and go on tour, and do what i love and spread what i have to say to all who will listen. Thinking about this, i looked out into the crowed below me (we sat up in the balcony) and at all the people around me, and thought, wow, if my dreams are so big, i wonder who else has similar dreams, or even bigger dreams. Maybe this girl sitting beside me will be the girl who cures cancer. Maybe that guy who's got his arm up in the air, singing his heart out down in the 4th row, maybe he's gonna win a gold medal for Canada. Or the young girl dancing like an idiot, who knows, maybe she's the next Picasso, Van Gogh... maybe there's a Bach out there, a Coco Chanel.
What i'm getting at, is that everyone has dreams. Whether they realize it at this moment or not, everyone wants something more from their life. Everyone wants to make something of themselves. And everyone is good at something, AMAZING even. Next time someone shuts you down and tells you that you will never be able to do what you dream of doing, be who you dream of being, whatever it may be, listen to a band you love. watch some paraplegic basketball. someone told them once they couldn't make it, and look at what they've accomplished. you can do anything you set your mind to, and if you want it bad enough, determination and hard work and learning from criticism - good or bad - will get you there.
So Shine, little star, I believe in you.
Yes, you.
At one point, Sara shared a story about when she was 8 or 9 and got to see the New Kids on the Block, and just the awe that she experienced, the overwhelming feeling that there was someone famous, who she looked up to and loved in the same building as her.
This got me to thinking; i love singing more than pretty much anything else on this planet. One of my top goals on my Bucket List that i've been working on the past few weeks is to start a band and go on tour, and do what i love and spread what i have to say to all who will listen. Thinking about this, i looked out into the crowed below me (we sat up in the balcony) and at all the people around me, and thought, wow, if my dreams are so big, i wonder who else has similar dreams, or even bigger dreams. Maybe this girl sitting beside me will be the girl who cures cancer. Maybe that guy who's got his arm up in the air, singing his heart out down in the 4th row, maybe he's gonna win a gold medal for Canada. Or the young girl dancing like an idiot, who knows, maybe she's the next Picasso, Van Gogh... maybe there's a Bach out there, a Coco Chanel.
What i'm getting at, is that everyone has dreams. Whether they realize it at this moment or not, everyone wants something more from their life. Everyone wants to make something of themselves. And everyone is good at something, AMAZING even. Next time someone shuts you down and tells you that you will never be able to do what you dream of doing, be who you dream of being, whatever it may be, listen to a band you love. watch some paraplegic basketball. someone told them once they couldn't make it, and look at what they've accomplished. you can do anything you set your mind to, and if you want it bad enough, determination and hard work and learning from criticism - good or bad - will get you there.
So Shine, little star, I believe in you.
Yes, you.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)