So now my mission is to remind all my sisters, relatives and friends to GET AN ANNUAL SCREENING MAMMOGRAM!  Do not put it off!  Recently we created a MAMMOGRAM REMINDER video which we put on YouTube (you can find it by searching on YouTube for “Mammogram Reminder Video brought to you by Healing Threads”).  Please check it out and give us some feedback.  Help us spread the word by passing a link to the video along to your girlfriends, sisters and friends. Also, please consider adding a link to our video to your Facebook page so you can help us spread the word to as many women as possible. Thank you.

We would love to know how you remember to schedule your annual screening mammogram.  Please leave us a comment and let us know your thoughts about this.

To this end, and in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month this October, Hologic, Inc. has launched a “Promise To Me” website with the hope of empowering women across the world to take ownership of their health.

On the site, there is an opportunity for you to make the “I Promise to Take Care of Me” pledge and to pass it on to your girlfriends so they too can make The Promise.

Then, for every 10 girlfriends you ask to make the “I Promise to Take Care of Me*” pledge through the website www.PromiseToMe.com, Hologic, The Women’s Health Company, will donate $1 towards a mammogram for an uninsured woman* (* See website for details – donation program is in effect for the month of October 2009 only).

Spirited Sisters, Inc. believes that empowerment is a powerful thing!  So as a fellow “spirited sister,” please consider making The Promise and then passing it on.  Because we want to live in a world where ALL our “sisters” in the world are empowered to take charge of their health and their lives.

Joan Leanos

Vice President, Spirited Sisters, Inc.

There are medical situations we encounter in which we may have a choice as to what we wear. Just because we are technically labeled a “patient” does not mean we want to look sick. Take for instance how we at Spirited Sisters like to “dress up” for our annual mammogram screenings. For us, our fashionable and comfortable “mammo-glam” outfits as we like to call them, feel more dignified than having to wear an unflattering, generic hospital Johnny for the procedure!

In the spirit of patient empowerment, the women who work here at Spirited Sisters like to take their own stylish Original Healing Threads garments with them when they get their annual screening mammograms. Peg wears the Elegant top so she can wear it to and from the appointment without having to change at the imaging facility. She usually receives compliments on the lovely top and people are surprised to find out that it has special hidden features that allow it to be easily opened for the procedure.

Trish and Joan both like to bring their attractive, wrap-around, spa-style Lilly Treatment Robes and change into them while they are at the appointment. Both women enjoy the comfort of the cozy micro fiber fabric, and both women like the fact that they are in control of what they wear, and are able to choose the right size for the sake of modesty.

Indeed, we at Spirited Sisters see there is a “fashion revolution” taking place in the field of patient recovery wear, and patient comfort and fashion are becoming hot topics. Harvard Medical Alumni Bulletin’s “”Fashion Issue” (Winter 2007, Volume 80, Number 3) had an article written by Ann Marie Menting entitled, “Sidebar: Johnny Come Lately, A short history of breezy backsides” which discusses the history of the hospital Johnny and showcases a couple medical centers that have redesigned their patient gowns for greater patient dignity and modesty. We were thrilled that our Original Healing Threads story was also included in this article.

What do you think? Would you rather own your very own mammography gown and bring it with you to the appointments or would you prefer to use the standard generic gowns that most facilities provide? Also, we’d love to know if you’ve had an exceptional experience with a fashionable garment at a mammography facility. And lastly, what do you think of the concept of “The Fashionable Patient?”  Would you like to own your own patient gown?

Reiki is ever more popular because of its energetic balancing technique that works to bring harmony to the physical, emotional, mental and spiritual bodies. The word is derived from two Japanese words REI for universal and KI for life force energy. Universal Life Force Energy flows through all living things and is what keeps us alive. The natural healing energy that flows through the hands of a Reiki practitioner is very powerful and concentrated and activates the recipient’s natural ability to heal itself. Reiki goes to the deepest level where many illnesses originate. Some physicians believe that illness is caused primarily through the mental and emotional states of a person. Reiki helps to create a state of balance.

I personally have practiced and received Reiki treatments and have found them to provide feelings of profound relaxation and sense of well being. So my thought is why is the MEDICAL COMMUNITY reticent about boldly announcing and rejoicing in this and other complimentary modalities?

Joan Leanos, Vice President
Spirited Sisters, Inc
Home of the Original Healing Threads

What Makes The Pants Unique?

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.

Whether you just had surgery, have a disability, or find it hard to move for any reason Original Healing Threads can be the adaptive clothing you are looking for. Yes, I have come across many lines of patient apparel, alternative hospital gowns and other recovery wear. Unfortunately, some designers think teddy bears, floral patterns and unflattering waist lines have to be part of their recovery line.

What A Concept!

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 claps 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.

Why do patient care apparel designers feel the need to have unflattering waistlines and patterns that look childish? What would you rather wear during recovery?

The definition of wellness is “mental and physical soundness”. It does not include any phrases having to do with the size of 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 come 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 recovery wear.

We also get congratulated and thanked by numerous people for providing plus size patient gowns. A few people have told us their experiences with the 2-johnny method of hospital gowns (you know what 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 modestly 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 gowns as opposed to being offered plus size gowns made for their body.

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 regarding using our break-away pants for those people with all sorts of leg aliments! For instance, they are very useful for those with joint replacements, especially knees! How much more dignified and modest to visit the doctor without having to take your pants off and then put them on again! Just un-hook and loop and voila, there is your incision, ready for inspection! One woman who ordered out 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 garments; 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??!

Some Helpful Suggestions as to What to Say Advice From the Above Resources:

“I hope you are doing well”

“What can I do to help?”

“I have heard that you have a challenge ahead of you and just want you to know that I am here for you”

“I am sorry you are going through this”

Perhaps Even More Important than What You Say is How You Say It:

People learn from your tone of voice and your facial expression; make them supportive and comforting.

Maintain eye contact to the best of your ability

Smile

Touch them as you normally would; a hand on a shoulder, a hug, a pat on the back

If you have been through a similar experience, offer the name of a doc or medical establishment or complimentary therapy that helped you. If you have NOT been through this experience, do not offer any advice.

Suggestions on How to Treat the Diagnosed Person:

Include this person in any event or experience that you have before their diagnosis

Continue to call and visit as you normally would

Understand that the person will have fits and starts of energy, if they are receiving treatments chances are they will be fatigued. Adjust your arrangements with them accordingly, accepting the fact not bemoaning it.

Send funny cards and books, cartoons, etc; there is nothing like laughter!

Do not make this about you. When I was first diagnosed, if his grief, my husband blurted out, “But what are we going to do without you??!!” My first thought was I was not going anywhere and the second thought was, “When did this become about YOU and our adult children??”