Walk at the Waterfront

Join the Cancer Caring Center for a

WALK AT THE WATERFRONT

Sunday, October 10 at the Waterfront in Homestead

The Top Ten Fundraisers will be guests at a luncheon
at the Lemont hosted by Honorary Chairs
Yonka and Ryan Clark (#25 of the Pittsburgh Steelers).

Register online at 3WS!

Download a Registration form!


Cancer Caring Center
Don't Confront Cancer Alone

Dedicated to providing free emotional support services to cancer survivors,
their friends and loved ones since 1988.

http://www.cancercaring.org

Tuesday at Gilda's Club

From our friends at Gilda's Club:

Gilda’s Club Western PA
2816 Smallman St
Pittsburgh, PA 15222

412-338-1919


Come join us Tuesday, Sept 28th from 6-8pm for a Young Adult Networking Group Dinner/Lecture on Late Effects with Patricia Crist, Ph.D. OTR, FAOTA from Duquesne University.

While the research priorities for cancer have focused on viable interventions for the acute phases of this disease, the impact of late effects experienced by cancer survivors has received a paucity of study. The foremost consideration with cancer is to save an individual’s life, despite the toxic cost resulting in possible long term and late effect consequences. Late effects are different than the long term effects. Long term effects are chronic, lingering problems occurring during or near the cessation of cancer interventions (radiation, chemotherapy, bone-marrow transplantation, etc.). Late effects experienced by cancer survivors are seldom forewarned by health care providers as a result of delayed problems occurring months and more likely up to 15 or 20 years after treatment.

Participants will learn about late effects to increase awareness of this condition and learn advocacy when interfacing with future health care providers, even family.

B&C 3!!!

(not our logo, but look at that thing! amazing!)


Hey all,

Just a quick heads up to mark your calendars for BLOOD & CUPCAKES 3, which will be held on Saturday, November 6, from 9am til 3pm. Thanks to the kind folks at Modern Formations Gallery we will be holding the blooddrive in the same location as last year, which worked out really well for everyone.

This will serve as a replenishing blooddrive to benefit Central Blood Bank. For more information on donor qualifications, please click here. In a couple of weeks we will provide more information on how to sign up for a donation time slot. All donors receive special gifts from us at BRICKS for Young Adults, entries into our donor raffle, and all the cupcakes you can eat. Oh and the warm fuzzy feeling you get from knowing that your life saving blood donation means the world to so many people.

Im really looking forward to this year's blooddrive and have set a goal to collect 50 units of blood. Please spread the word, and plan to attend. If you are unable to donate blood, please come by and show your support (and eat cupcakes). We are also looking for donations of items or services for the donor raffle, as well as bakers to donate cupcakes. Contact me at BRICKSpgh at gmail dot com with any questions, and look here for more information soon!

Spokes of Hope

Last week I got to meet Patty, a representative of Spokes of Hope, who told me about this great event happening next weekend. Saturday September 11 Spokes of Hope will be in Pittsburgh sponsoring bike related events.

What is Spokes of Hope? From their website:

The mission of Spokes of Hope is:

• Display passion for life as a testimony that there is life beyond cancer

• Build awareness throughout all communities of the number of lives touched by this wretched disease

• Advocate for the support necessary to beat this disease

• Educate everyone in how to prevent, detect and treat cancer as well as the resources available in their community



Activities will be happening at Gilda's Club as well as other locations. For more information about the event, click HERE.

"Expiration: 3-17-10 Do not double"

I've been pretty swamped with BRICKS related work lately, and Ive been lucky to have the assistance of a couple of wonderful helpers. But in my day to day life, the one where Im left figuring out how to fix things or how Im going to pay to fix something, the offers of help have waned since the days immediately following my husband's death.

In the days and weeks right after a major life changing event, people flock to you, come at you from all sides offering everything from food to housework to money. A lot of times these well intentioned offers are completely unsolicited and absolutely sincere. For me, in those first few weeks, maybe even months, I didnt know WHAT I needed. All I knew for sure was that there were things I wasnt ready to do or deal with, and that Id let people know when that time came. I didnt realize that time would be nearly a year and a half later. Back then I couldnt bear the thought of cataloguing my husband's art work or packing up his supplies. It took me months to pack up his clothes and even to this day some of his things remain exactly where he left them.

With so much time gone by, I feel as though those offers of help may not be redeemable. Sure, people still care about me and my situation, but I often feel like those not living with the loss in the way I am probably dont understand why Im not "all better" or "back to normal" by now. They probably cant comprehend how absolutely immobilizing approaching some of these tasks may be. Can I paint the kitchen ceiling by myself? Sure. Can I do it without remembering Rick on a ladder patching the hole in it? No. Do I need someone to say "Todays the day we paint this ceiling!"? Maybe.

My question to you, dear readers is: When you offer to help someone, does that offer ever expire? Do you offer out of obligation or sincere willingness to help when needed? Do you feel like people dealing with a loss, diagnosis, or other life altering event lose their right to cash in the help coupon after a certain period of time?

To those of you on the same end of this situation as me, what has your experience been with this? Have you found areas where you realized you needed help well after your life changing event? How have you reminded people they offered help once, and have you been successful in receiving it?

Please share your thoughts on this, Id love to hear from everyone!