When my sisters and I first designed our Original Healing Threads we included a pant for those people who preferred an “ensemble” as opposed to wearing their own street pants with our lovely tops. As so often happens, though, I started thinking about my own radiation for melanoma experience. I then thought, “what happens if you have a melanoma somewhere on your leg? Would you have to go pantless while being radiated?” To me that was yet another indignity in a long list of indignities cancer patients may have to endure! So, we created the break-away pants! Have a melanoma on our leg that has to be radiated? No problem, slip on our break-away pants, and break away the side to expose the melanoma which needs to be radiated!
Since we started selling these break-away pants, a funny thing happened. We received and continue to receive all sorts of calls and e-mails re using our break-away pants for those people with all sorts of leg ailments! For instance, they are very useful for those with joint replacements, especially knees! How much more diginifed and modest to visit the doc w/o having to take pants off and then on again! Just un-hook and loop and voila, there is your incision, ready for inspection! One woman who ordered our break-away pants said these pants made her feel dressed and safe while in a rehab hospital. She had no fear of exposing what would normally be unexposed! I guess that is one of the many benefits of our clothing; they look so much like “normal” clothes, that no one would know you were in the middle of a medical situation! And don’t we all just want to be treated as “normal”, ill or otherwise ??!
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I am sure that especially since it has been around for so long that the meaning of “do no harm” was to not harm a patient physically e.g. unnecessary surgery, making an ill person more ill somehow, etc.. However, I think that in this day and age we should expand that to include “do no harm” psychologically, spiritually, emotionally!
We have all heard stories of docs with awful bedside manners. I have experienced these misfits as well. They think because they are “the doctor” and they have the secret for curing you of your ills, that that is enough. People who are undergoing medical crises need to feel that someone CARES about them. And how does one show care? By listening, by placing a hand on a shoulder, by looking the patient directly in the eye, and by smiling and addressing the person the way the person wants to be addressed (Carol or Ms Smith?). All these things convey care and interest in the patient as a PERSON, someone with a mind AND a body AND a spirit! When I went to my “2nd opinion” (melanoma) doc he greeted me in his office, he at his desk and me in the subservient guest chair. He wanted me to know he was IN CHARGE. He had my charts that had been sent to my “1st choice” doc. We discussed what Dr. H. suggested and why he thought it was or was not the way to go. His suggestions as to treatment were the same as Dr H. I started asking him questions. After the first query, he put his hands up in a “stop” signal and said, “Oh, we know all about you, you are a Tough Cookie and want to know everything about everything. Well, leave it up to me…..” Needless to say this man was the epitome of how NOT to treat people coming to you for counsel and advice, and yes, reassurance. Every question I asked him he took as a personal attack.
When I first met Dr. H, my 1st choice doc, he exuded comfort and care. We shook hands and he asked how my husband and I would like to be addressed. He looked at my incision, palpitated lymph nodes, and asked us questions. He took the time to explain to us what his interpretation of my slides was, what protocol would be the best in my particular circumstances. He gave me a brief overview of what he expected the sequence of events would be, how long each protocol would take, what side effects may present themselves, what collateral tests or scans had to be done, etc., etc.. He made us feel that we were in the most capable hands we could be in. He treated us with dignity and humanity and professionalism.
I cannot imagine how psychologically devastating the “2nd doc” would have been to me if I had decided to switch to him. Minimizing my comments and eagerness to learn all I could about MY disease and MY body and MY spirit and MY mind; degrading my spirit with his tough cookie comment; treating me not as an individual, but as just one more cancer patient who will need his brilliant mind to get her through the process. So, “First, do know harm?” If this doc had taken the oath, he is not following it. Not in the least.
...]]>Chemo, scans, radiation, tests do not stop because it is the festive Holiday Season. The holiday season is a bittersweet one. People can get very depressed at the same time they are very happy. Remember those people who are suffering with an illness such as cancer. The best so-called cancer gift is a gift of selflessness. When baking or cooking, make enough for your friend suffering and bring over. I will tell you, they do not feel like cooking and baking for themselves, even though they may have for years before! I know when I was fighting my cancer during the holidays in 2002, the best cancer gift I received was the knowledge that certain people important in my life did not pass me over when it came to invitations or cards or thoughtful phone calls. Even though they knew I was not "up to" going to parties or other events, they let me be the one to decide whether or not I would attend. Treating the person as the same person they were before the illness struck, that is the best "cancer gift" one could ask for!
...]]>When a loved one has been diagnosed with cancer it is important to shower them with love and support. We also want to help in any way we can. Giving a cancer gift that enlightens, comforts and provides peace of mind can brighten their day. We have searched for many recovery gifts to carry that would fulfill this need and have found some that go well beyond the traditional get well gift of flowers and can actually help speed recovery and lift spirits.
Books can encourage you, make you laugh and offer valuable information in a time of need. Crazy Sexy Cancer is a great gift. In this book, cancer patients and survivors share tips that helped them get through the difficult times during thier battle with cancer. Author Kris Carr, a cancer survivor, will make you laugh as she shares tips to survive the journey with cancer.
Soothing music can reduce the stress associated with an illness such as cancer. The Healing Journey is a CD filled with relaxing sounds that can bring a peace of mind to your loved one with cancer. The musician, Tami Brigss, played her music along the bedside of patients in the hospital and found it to help speed the recovery process.
The Healing Threads garments make wonderful gifts for cancer patients. One of our customers called the garment their emotional protection. Wearing a garment that keeps your modesty while undergoing medical treaments is important. Having to wear a johnnie can make you look and feel sick; who wouldn't want to wear a hospital gown that looks stylish and is functional? The Healing Threads patient gowns provide pockets for drainage bags so you don't have to feel uncomfortable in public.
We also found a skin care line that is made for cancer patients. The lotion, face wash and body wash is made for the most sensitive skin. When you have chemo or radiation the skin because extremely sensitive. Lindi Skin care will sooth and protect their skin.
So, if you are looking for cancer gifts, Original Healing Threads has a variety of uplifting and thoughtful gift ideas. Our staff will wrap them in love using the beautiful gift packaging available on our gift page.
Share your ideas! What are some gifts you found to be uplifting during a loved ones journey with cancer?
...]]>Dressing is not easy especially while under going a surgical procedure. There is a way to dress comfortable, look stylish and be ready to go to Physical Therapy or any medical recovery setting. Original Healing Threads Break-Away Pants fit your recovery needs!
Break-Away pants make it easy to dress around leg casts, bandages, boots and braces. The hook and loop closures on the outside of each leg open and close to the upper thigh. The material is made of soft micro fiber that is stain resistant. They are extremely comfortable to wear and provide easy access for medical professionals and caregivers. The leg can be examined while retaining patient dignity.
...]]>She did consent to go with me to get a second opinion. It was October 17, 2008, a week before she breathed her last. The second opinion confirmed what she already knew; the tumors were aggressive and inoperable. They wanted to do the biopsy and the PET scan and make an appt with a DFCI doc. She said no to it all. I took her home, gave her a hug, told her I loved her and that she could call me whenever she needed to. I spoke to her Saturday morning and Monday morning, each time ending the conversation with, “I love you” and she would say the same. I received an e-mail from her family on Thursday morning telling me that she was much worse and if I wanted to visit with her I should come right over. Of course I wanted to see her and I did go right over. I was able to spend about 80 minutes with her. She was pretty much comatose, but every once in awhile she would open her eyes and stare right at me. Each time I would stare back at her and say something funny, and I would laugh for us both.
She died the next morning, Friday, October 24, 2008 @ 9:00 AM. She died the way she wanted to, with her sons and husband at her side. The fast progression of the disease was unbelievable. None of us who knew her so well can believe she is gone.
Claire is a much loved person who touched many lives. She will be remembered by all who knew her as a kind, gentle, soft-spoken woman who loved to laugh and have a good time. We will also remember her as a wonderful business woman who ran a successful business for 30 years. She carried her philosophy of life into her business, donating time, money, expertise, mentorship to many people of all ages.
Claire may be gone physically, but she will leave on in my heart and mind forever.
I have now had the experience of losing someone I loved dearly. My sister Claire died after a 3 year battle with cancer. Now my friend Claire has died in a very short time. I wonder which way I would prefer to leave the planet? Slowly or quickly? Do you have an opinion or a similar experience? I would love to hear it.
People often ask me how I reacted when I was told I had cancer. Well, let’s see. I had had a biopsy on a Wednesday in July, 2002 of a pimple-looking growth on my upper left arm. I had first noticed it in the spring, but knew I would be going to my bi-annual “full body dermatology exam” in July, and it was just a pimple, and I really did not have the time for an “extra” body exam, so I let it slide.
I was told that they would have the results of the biopsy on the following Monday. I forgot about it and went to the beach for the weekend with my husband and our good friends, Neil and Nancy. After all the dermatologist had said, “don’t worry, it is not melanoma”. She indicated it was probably something that would necessitate Mohs surgery but that we would worry about that when the biopsy results came in. I believe she thought it was DFSP or something like that.
Monday afternoon I had a meeting planned witha CEO Roundtable group that I had belonged to for a number of years. I had stayed at thebeach until Monday morning and drove to the meeting directly from there. This particular meeting we spoke of goals and personal philosophies and mottos and words we lived by and what we wanted out legacy to be.
I returned to my home at about 6:00 and listened to my voice mail. There were 5 messages from my doc. Uh oh, this can’t be good was my thought. The last 2 messages said, “We need to talk, please call me at home” and gave me her home phone number. Now I knew I was in deep trouble.
I called her every 30 minutes from that time on, asking her to call me back. She called a bit before 9:00 pm. My husband was with me. After exchanging pleasantries she said, “the biopsy shows that you have malignant melanoma, you MUST have it excised as soon as possible. I have already made an appointment with a plastic surgeon for tomorrow afternoon.” I was stunned. I took the information, thanked her, hung up the phone and just sat there on the edge of the bed. I had written “melanoma” on a piece of paper so my husband knew what I was listening to. And then I cried, and I cried and I cried. It was too late to call anyone by this time and I needed time to let it all sink in. We eventually went to bed, but neither of us slept very much. My thoughts were all over the place.
Naturally my first thought was that I was going to die, and soon. My son and his wonderful fiancé had plans to get married September 6, 2003. I would never see that day. I tried to figure out when in the next few weeks they could get married so I could be there. My daughter was graduating from college in May, 2003. I would not see that either and I didn’t think I could arrange a sooner ceremony. Then I began a mental list of everything I would miss: grandchildren, Matthew and Meaghan going forward in their lives and careers, growing old with my husband of 31 years, watching my nieces and nephews grow and experience life, I would have to sell my interior design business and who would take care of the clients I was working with? All negatives, of course. But that of course is the natural process when first told, “You have cancer."
Some Helpful Suggestions as to What to Say Advice From the Above Resources:
Perhaps Even More Important than What You Say is How You Say It:
Suggestions on How to Treat the Diagnosed Person:
The definition of wellness is “mental and physical soundness”. It does not include any phrases having to do with size or shape or gender or any other qualifiers of a person.
We at Spirited Sisters talk quite a bit about wellness and the mind-body-spirit connection. We have seen people thrive when that connection is solid and have seen people improve their mental and physical health as they become more connected to the whole person concept of mind-body-spirit.
There have been numerous responses that have surprised us as we help people on their way to wellness. One is the positive reaction we have to our plus size hospital gowns. We get congratulated and thanked by numerous people for providing plus size hospital gowns. A few people have told us their experiences with the 2-johnnie method of hospital gowns (you know what I mean!).
What makes the medical world think that wearing two hospital gowns would make anyone feel positive and cared about, two major components necessary to achieving wellness? This mode of dress (or undress) does not encourage happy or positive thoughts at all; as a matter of fact, it insults one’s sense of self and encourages negative feelings. People of all shapes and sizes need to stand up for their right to decency and modesty and not take it anymore. The profession that is dedicated to “first, do no harm” should include harm done to self image and subsequent ability to heal and recover when instructed to don two ill-fitting paper gowns as opposed to being offered plus size hospital gowns made for their body.
Many people are, by now, familiar with the story of how Spirited Sisters came to be, but this video gives a brief but powerful overview of our lives as sisters, friends and business partners. From childhood to adulthood, family photos tell our story while I narrate. The video is a quick glimpse into how a devastating cancer diagnosis inspired us to design hospital gowns and adaptive clothing that help women heal, treat and recover from illness with dignity, grace and style.
The Original Healing Threads hospital gowns and pants are designed to keep you looking put together throughout your day—from home to work to hospital to the store—without making the entire day revolve around a doctor’s appointment. You do not just have to “roll over” and accept that you are now a “cancer patient;” you are a person, the same as you were the day before, and these adaptive clothing styles will help remind you of your true identity.
The video shows all the unique features of the hospital gowns and really highlights what makes the collection stand out, not only as fashionable adaptive clothing, but as a way of asserting yourself and taking control over your disease and your treatment.
For more information on the Exceptional Woman Award, please visit the Magic 106.7 website. You can also watch my acceptance speech online.
I never fully understood the challenges women of certain religions face when entering a hospital setting. In the spring of 2007 an article in In Focus newspaper, a Muslim periodical based in
I imagine the Hasidic Jewish population faces similar challenges. How does a woman stay covered and modest, following the principles of her religion, while undergoing medical treatments; delivering a baby must be especially challenging for all involved. The article does cover this particular dilemma with various suggestions. It brought to light once again that the most advanced Western medicine has to offer is available here in the USA, but we are still wearing the odious hospital gowns that have not changed style or design in decades, if not centuries!
The question of modesty and dignity while in a medical setting is one that has perplexed, frustrated, and annoyed many women and men for decades. Our patient gowns, the Original Healing Threads are the perfect hospital gown to offer modesty and dignity while undergoing treatments, healing, and recovering. The Grace patient gown in particular fits the requirements of various religious sects. It has a high collar, long sleeves, and falls from the shoulders to mid-calf. It is washable and dryable, is soft and feels wonderful on the skin. It has ingenious openings that expose only what body parts that need to be exposed and nothing else.
Have you ever experienced being in a situation where your culture and/or heritage clashed with the American culture? I would be very interested in hearing from you.
...]]>There is actually a line of adaptive clothing that is stylish, functional and comfortable! Not to mention the material is made of 100% micro-fiber that feels wonderful on and is stain resistant! Dress with ease and look good. There are no buttons or clasps that can be difficult especially for arthritic conditions. Wear our break away pants while going to therapy if you had a knee, hip, leg or ankle injury. Recover at home or in a rehabilitation center in style and never have to worry about embarrassing moments. The Original Healing Threads line of personal patient apparel will keep you covered as well as stylish.
Self-image was not such a big concept when I was a pre-teen. I am a Boomer, having been born in 1949. However, by the late 60’s and into the 70’s self image was becoming a huge concept, especially among young women. Thin was in--not quite as outrageously thin as models are these days, but still--along with mini skirts, bell bottoms, Edwardian clothes, boots, tie-dyed everything; you get the picture! I can remember being hyper-critical of my body; it seems my whole life many women my age have been discontented with the look of their bodies. Self image can be powerful and energizing, but at the same time, an often debilitating concept.
When diagnosed with a life-threatening illness such as cancer (and I don’t care what any professional says, the majority of us, upon hearing those 3 words, think, “I am going to die”) the last thing anyone thinks about it their self-image during recovery. But wait a few weeks, after the tests and surgeries and endless waiting for results, etc…image and recovery soon matter. I always prided myself on the way I presented myself to the world. Now, after the diagnosis and then surgery I was feeling weak, gray, discombobulated, and definitely not myself.
I eventually got out of the Pity Pool and went back to work at my interior design firm. It helped me tremendously to think of something or someone besides cancer and what was ahead of me. The fact I could wear my clothes, put some makeup on, and get on with my life that helped me cope with all I was going through. When I looked into the mirror I saw a woman I recognized. So what that I now had a scar on my arm where the melanoma had been? No more sleeveless tops. So what that there were circles under my eyes from constant fatigue? That's what concealer is for. When I started to think like that, I felt better. Yes, the fatigue was still there, but the fact that I looked pretty much the same was comforting, and encouraging and I began to feel better about myself.
Just as I was putting everything in prospective, I started radiation. At the first meeting with my radiation oncologist I was instructed to put on the dreaded hospital gown. No way, I said, the tumor was on my upper arm, why must I disrobe for radiation? They eventually agreed and I went out and bought a dozen sweater sets. The hospital gowns were not helping keeping my image and recovery on the positive side.
I saw this as a challenge to my creativity and desire to help women empower themselves when faced with such dire circumstances and know that image and recovery are important. It can start with saying “No” to wearing a humiliating hospital gown; you have a choice of what to wear during recovery! What have YOUR experiences been with the horrible fashion-less, demeaning and degrading hospital gown? I would love to hear your stories! The Drama of the "Hapless Hospital Gown" to be continued...