Women of Wonder: June 2012

Women of Wonder

Women of Wonder is a charitable group operating under the auspices of the University Park United Methodist Church that provides opportunities for women with metastatic cancer to fulfill their bucket list wishes.

All of the women of WOW are in stage four cancer in various stages of treatment. Stage four means that cancer has moved to different parts of their bodies. Metastatic cancer is not curable; however, many live with hope of a bright future when it is curable and try to live each day to the fullest.

Many of our members are challenged financially because they are not able to work and need outside help in their daily lives. Each woman has a "bucket list" or a list of experiences they would love to have while well enough to enjoy them. WOW provides the funds for women to fulfill these wishes. WOW sponsors outings based on the women's bucket lists. WOW provides a much needed break from life and death routines.

Thursday, June 28, 2012

On our last outing we visited Multnomah Falls. We explored the beautiful waterfall and scenery and had a nice lunch at the lodge. As you can see, we had some of our children with us.

Monday, June 11, 2012

I just found an interesting website called Living Well With Cancer: http://livingwellwithcancer.com/index.html
It has some basic information about cancer, side efffects, etc. But it also has a health journal you can download, a coloring book for children with cancer and a wellness packet you can order. I think this website is worth a look.

Thursday, June 7, 2012

Day in Seattle

Our last WOW trip was a day in Seattle. We took AmTrak and had a fabulous lunch at Elliot's and then spent time at Pikes Market. We had a great day.

What is Cancer?

Cancer is a group of more than 100 different diseases. They affect the body's basic unit, the cell. Cancer occurs when cells become abnormal and divide without control or order. Like all other organs of the body, the colon and rectum are made up of many types of cells. Normally, cells divide to produce more cells only when the body needs them. This orderly process helps keep us healthy.

If cells keep dividing when new cells are not needed, a mass of tissue forms. This mass of extra tissue, called a growth or tumor, can be benign or malignant.

Benign tumors are not cancer. They can usually be removed and, in most cases, they do not come back. Most important, cells from benign tumors do not spread to other parts of the body. Benign tumors are rarely a threat to life.

Malignant tumors are cancer. Cancer cells can invade and damage tissues and organs near the tumor. Also, cancer cells can break away from a malignant tumor and enter the bloodstream or lymphatic system. This is how cancer spreads from the original (primary) tumor to form new tumors in other parts of the body. The spread of cancer is called metastasis.

When cancer spreads to another part of the body, the new tumor has the same kind of abnormal cells and the same name as the primary tumor. For example, if colon cancer spreads to the liver, the cancer cells in the liver are colon cancer cells. The disease is metastatic colon cancer (it is not liver cancer).

Women of Wonder

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Women of Wonder

Thursday, June 28, 2012

Monday, June 11, 2012

Thursday, June 7, 2012

Day in Seattle

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