Halloween in Pittsburgh

Its cold, wet, and dreary, but my son and I still ventured out this morning for a halloween parade a couple of neighborhoods over from ours. We didnt expect a big fancy parade, but the lure of candy and some folks in costumes seemed to be enough. Who would have thought that at the end of the parade, Franco Harris would come walking along. My son was so excited- we were able to get their picture together. Even halloween in Pittsburgh is Steelers-related!

No BRICKS or cancer news today, just wanted to wish everyone a happy halloween!

Planet Cancer Roadshow is coming to Pittsburgh!

If anyone reading this blog works at UPMC, West Penn or Children's Hospital, its your lucky day! Staff and Crew from Plant Cancer will be in town this week to talk about young adult cancer and what we can do about it, and theyre coming to you. More info below from the Planet Cancer website:

Planet Cancer is taking our young adult cancer Advocacy Roadshow on the road! Starting in fall 2009, we’re hitting cancer centers across the country to spread the word about young adults and cancer.

Planet Cancer staff - alongside our amazing doctor friends who’ve already drunk the young adult Kool-Aid - will be talking young adult cancer survival rates, clinical trial stats, psychosocial dilemmas, and what your docs can do about it. If we’re headed to your institution, please tell your medical care providers to come see the Planet Cancer presentation at their center's Grand Rounds.

What to expect at the Planet Cancer Roadshow:

-The latest in young adult cancer research
-Inside the world of a young adult with cancer
-Why our unique needs aren't being met
-What docs, hospitals and care teams can do about it
-Resources and the future of young adult oncology


Planet Cancer will be in town Wednesday & Thursday, so talk to your docs and make sure they're in attendance!

Pittsburgh Walk- Light the Night

Help the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society raise money for research, patient financial assistance, and education about blood cancers.

Pittsburgh Walk 2009

Thursday, October 1, 2009

Heinz Field
Pittsburgh, PA

Walk Distance: 2 miles
Registration/Pre-walk Celebration including food, music, & kid's activites: 5:30 pm
Walk Start Time 7:30pm

For more information, click here:
Pittsburgh Walk

BRICKS now listed on Be Well!

Yesterday I got a very happy email from my friend Jude Vachon, the hardworking lady behind the Be Well! zine, letting me know that BRICKS for Young Adults had been added to the Cancer Resources section of the Be Well! website.

Be Well! was started in 2005 in Pittsburgh, and is a resource guide offering a wealth of information for individuals who are un- or under-insured. Everything from dental care, to womens health, to resources for the recently unemployed are available in both the print version of the booklet and the web site.

Bar crawl for Lymphoma

Im not really one to endorse these sorts of events (bar crawls, that is, not charity events!), but if any of you readers feel like wandering around the South Side this weekend, heres an opportunity to do so for a good cause.

Fill the Mug Charity Bar Crawl

Saturday, May 16, 2009, from 4-11 PM

Starting at Shootz Café, 2305 East Carson St.

Touring Pittsburgh's Historic South Side

Have a Great Time While Helping a Great Cause!

Proceeds Benefit the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society

There is so much work to do....

In trying to organize my thoughts about what it is I hope to accomplish, I realize that there is far more need than I can address on my own. Luckily, I have had the good fortune of meeting some real experts in various areas of young adult cancer, health care advocacy and good old fashioned DIY getting things done.

My first goal, albeit an ambitious one, is to assemble and print a resource guide for young adults diagnosed with cancer. My hope is that it can be something doctors give their patients early on, that helps connect young adults to resources both online and in our community. Rick and I spent hours trying to piece it together- if our work can save someone else some time and energy, I would be elated.

This project is HUGELY inspired by the amazing work of my friend Jude and the Be Well! zine. In a moment of absolute crisis we turned to the Be Well! and found a program to help us get some of Rick's medication for free- a program even his oncology nurse didnt know about. I am forever grateful to Jude and her hard work, determination, and passion for helping the uninsured.

In addition to providing information on living with cancer, I want to be sure to address the possibility of dying from it. It seems that there is so much fear to talk about end of life issues, but I know first hand how important it can be to talk about while you're well enough to make your own decisions about it. I know that everyone wants to stay optimistic and cheer for recovery, but dying is an inevitable part of living, and one that I think a lot of young adults need help thinking about and planning for.

Of course I have lots of other lofty goals (wouldnt it be great if I could quit my job and focus on ONLY this?) but I'll save them for the future. If you would like to volunteer to help with the resource guide in any way, please let me know.

Building Resources In Cancer Knowledge & Services

or BRICKS for short.

My name is Charissa, a lot of you know that already, but for those of you who dont allow me to introduce myself. Im a 33 year old mother, women's healthcare worker, sometimes photographer and music maker, and perhaps most importantly- a widow. My husband Rick passed away on March 17, 2009 of Hodgkin's Lymphoma at the tender age of 31.

In the 3 short years I spent with Rick I learned a lot about cancer, the injustices of our healthcare system, and how few resources are dedicated to addressing the basic needs (and ultimately the survival rates) of young adults diagnosed with cancer in their 20s and 30s. After Rick's passing I knew that we had worked too hard for too long for me to keep all the little bits of knowledge I had learned to myself. My desire to help young adults with cancer did not end when Rick's life did, but rather was fueled by it- I knew that now more than ever I needed to dedicate the exhausted and frazzled remains of myself to fighting this fight, and that by doing so I could make something positive come out of this experience. One key lesson that I learned from my husband was that every experience, even the negative ones, had value. They can all teach you something if you let them. This is to be no exception.

And so, over the last 6 weeks and 3 days, BRICKS was formed.

The name probably matters only to those of us who knew Rick, and maybe even fewer of us who were privy to the stories of his childhood. He liked to tell a story of how one summer he spent the days moving roughly a ton of bricks from one side of his parents yard to the other. It seemed like a tedious task, laboring in the sun, brick by brick, back and forth. He could see no real reason for the task, yet still felt accomplished at its completion. Maybe thats the lesson for those of us who are faced with a cancer diagnosis- there may be no reason why, but the dedication to seeing it through is the ultimate accomplishment. Maybe it is only later that we realize the lesson we were to learn.

So, now begins my task- brick by brick building a structure to support young adults in my community. The details of my goals and objectives will be discussed over the next several weeks, and I hope that you will stick with me. I look forward to the great potential in this effort, and know that through my actions I am making my husband immensely proud. There is so much work to do, and I only hope to rise to the challenge.