“The worst was losing my hair and being so tired, yet we believe all things are possible like the Word of God reminds us in the Bible.”
If your appetite is suppressed, if you need to build up muscle, if you need to put weight on, or if you are worried about insufficient protein.
4ozs (100g) plain tofu (silken tofu makes a smoother drink)
1 pink (500ml, generous 2 cups) soya milk
2 bananas
2 tablespoons organic maple syrup
1 tablespoon slippery elm powder
2 teaspoons vanilla essence
Whizz together in a goblet blender or food processor until smooth and creamy
If you have difficult drinking from a glass, use a teaspoon and eat it from a small bowl like dessert, or add more soya milk to thin it and use a pretty straw.
Try any of these additions or flavour variations
2 tablespoons ground almonds
2 tablespoons cooked brown rice/millet/oats
Any fresh fruit – try mangoes for a real treat
Soaked or cooked dried fruits
1 teaspoon honey or concentrated apple juice
1 tablespoon organic, sugar-free preserves
THANKS TO DR ROSY DANIEL, WHO HAS GENEROUSLY SHARED THE CANCER LIFELINE RECIPES WITH US. THIS RECIPE IS FOR THE TOUGH TIMES, FOR USE WHEN YOU ARE VERY ILL, DURING TREATMENT, WHILE THE APPETITE IS POOR AND THE WEIGHT LOW.
Let’s normalise a few things right now:
Blog by Clare Manicom, Oncology Social Worker
First up, let’s be clear that our precious family members and our special friends cannot be our therapists. The honest ones among them will tell you that they really don’t want to be our counsellors either – they just want to be their normal selves – mom, friend, cousin etc.
Then, while we’re being honest – most of us try to protect the people we love from the ugly, ungrateful, hurtful, or dark thoughts that we have around the topic of cancer, its treatment or an uncertain future. Which makes it hard to truly share with any one person exactly what we’re thinking or feeling.
So suddenly it’s very clear that actually, it’s pretty tough chatting through our deep emotions with people who are important to us. We might not have the words to say what we’re feeling, we might not know what to think. We usually don’t even know where to begin with our emotional “stuff” that we’re told we have to “deal with”.
And that, very simply, is why it is so helpful to meet with a neutral, objective, trained and skilled person when you’re feeling scrambled, low, overwhelmed or plain pissed off. It is a huge relief to offload on someone whose job it is not to judge you, but to listen to you. Their job is to calmly provide a safe space where you can say what’s on your heart, cry or rant without hurting anyone’s feelings.
There will be times when that professional needs to challenge your opinions or perceptions, or may need to provide you with clear information that will help set you on a better path. There are times that your listener may probe a little deeper, or may ask you questions that make you think and reflect more carefully – all this is part of your healing journey.
Seeing someone for emotional support might mean having a few sessions to examine different issues or concerns, or practice new skills in between sessions. You will not always come away from a session smiling and jumping for joy – sometimes we need to have a “heavy session” that may include tears or rage, as a catharsis. What you should feel every time is that you have been heard and acknowledged as an individual. Often you will feel a sense of relief or lightness that you’ve been able to speak your mind – you’ve been brave and honest enough to express yourself and that is an important beginning point…
A social worker with medical or oncology experience will be able to provide emotional support with an understanding of the psychological impact of cancer and its treatment, as well as having insight into some of the practical challenges that people face. Most State oncology departments employ social workers, and some private practices offer this service as well – ask your oncologist and ask again if you’re not given names to contact!
Some people are keen to join a support group when facing their illness and treatment. As these groups are run in different ways by different organisations, ask your local clinic about what may be available in your area. Remember that groups run for the purpose of sharing information are not designed to provide in-depth emotional support, so make enquiries about the purpose of the group, and about who runs it to help you decide whether it’s a comfortable place for you to be or not.
Social media may also be a source of general support but it’s advisable not to risk your in-depth personal emotions in a public forum, or to take advice from people who may not have the professional skills or training to provide psychological support.
Blog by Clare Manicom, Oncology Social Worker
Another recipe for the tough times. This is pure comfort food for when you feel like nothing else.
500g potatoes, peeled and chopped
a generous cup of celeriac, peeled and chopped
1 small parsnip, peeled and diced quite small
1 small chopped onion
1 clarge carrot, peeled and very thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg, and the same of black pepper
1 teaspoon low salt stock powder
Soya milk to cover
Bring to the boil and simmer until the vegetables are very soft. Drain and mash or blend to a smooth puree.
Pile into an oiled, overnproof dish, splash with a little olive oil and soy sauce and bake in a hot oven (200 deg C) until golden.
Serve hot, sprinkled with parsley or chives.
Yummy!
THANKS TO DR ROSY DANIEL, WHO HAS GENEROUSLY SHARED THE CANCER LIFELINE RECIPES WITH US. THIS RECIPE IS FOR THE TOUGH TIMES, FOR USE WHEN YOU ARE VERY ILL, DURING TREATMENT, WHILE THE APPETITE IS POOR AND THE WEIGHT LOW.
Creamy rice porridge
Delicious, nutritious and comforting. Traditional oat porridge is good too but try this one for extra food value. It is well worth the investment in a small ‘slow cooker ‘as it will be perfect at breakfast time. It keeps for 2 or 3 days in the fridge. Re-heat with a little extra soya milk or enjoy it cold with maple syrup, a chopped banana and a sprinkle of sesame seeds.
2ozs (50g, generous ½ cup) brown rice
2 pints (1 litre) soya milk
Handful of dried fruits (optional)
Cook overnight in an electric slow cooker. If you do not have an electric slow cooker then just bring to the boil in a nice heavy casserole, lower heat to barely simmering, cover and cook for 2 ½ hours. You may need to add a little more soya milk. You can also pop it into a low oven for about 3 hours.
Serve with a little maple or date syrup or compote of fruit.
You can add any dried fruit you like – it is especially scrumptious with apricots or dates.
We’re on a mission to help you to live an active and healthy life during cancer treatment, to empower you actively to cope with the cancer journey.
The recipies we are sharing are part of that, and here is a great list of things to do (and not to do) to make your journey easier.
If your operation site becomes red, inflamed, or painful, or there is a fluid (discharge) leaking from your wound site, you may have an infection. Contact your surgeon or breast care nurse immediately. If you have an infection, you will need antibiotics to clear it up.
Sometimes fluid continues to collect near the wound after your wound drains have been taken out. This is called a seroma. It causes swelling and pain and can increase the risk of infection. The fluid usually goes away on its own. Sometimes a nurse needs to drain the fluid off with a needle and syringe. They may need to do this a few times.
For some women, the fluid takes a long time to go. It can take up to a few months after your surgery.
You may have numbness or tingling in your upper arm, particularly if you had your lymph nodes removed. This is normal and happens because some nerves are cut during the operation and need to repair themselves. It can take a few weeks or months to go. If it continues, get in touch with your breast care nurse or surgeon.
You may have some swelling in your arm or hand after your operation. This is normal. But it should start to go away as you do the exercises (see below) to get back the movement of your shoulder and arm.
If you continue to get a lot of swelling, heaviness, pain or tenderness in your arm or hand, let your breast care nurse or surgeon know as soon as possible. After surgery or radiotherapy to the armpit, there is a risk of developing permanent swelling called lymphoedema. Once you have lymphoedema it can’t be cured but early treatment can effectively control it. Look at the information about lymphoedema page for ways of preventing lymphoedema.
Some women develop scar tissue in the armpit (axilla), which forms a tight band. This can happen 6 to 8 weeks after the operation. The scar tissue is called cording or banding and can feel something like a guitar string. Cording is harmless but can be uncomfortable. It can get better after some time if you massage the area of the scar tissue. Your specialist nurse or a physiotherapist can teach you how to do this.
Over the next couple of weeks, we will be posting a series of recipies that will help you as you go through treatment. The Cancer Lifeline recipies are divided into three phases:
The recipies have been created by celebrity chef and nutrition consultant, Jane Sen, for the nourishment and healing of people with cancer. The recipies are part of the Cancer Lifeline Kit by Dr Rosy Daniel, which she has generously shared with us.
Do you have a story to tell? Watch this video to discover just how powerful this initiative is. Click on this link to submit your photograph and story. We want to hear from you. And – by telling your story, you will be adding your voice to the collective shout in raising the national and international awareness that is needed to shake the truth from the trees: South Africa’s people urgently need an equitable and effective breast health policy!
ABC - Advocates For Breast Cancer: South Africa 
