Get Involved and help us out

Here at Cards of Hope, we send out inspirational cards to over 500 people battling cancer weekly.  For children in our program, we mail out cards with stickers, tattoos, bookmarks and etc.  We run on purely donations.  We are in desperate need of stamps. We go through over 2,220 stamps a month.  Even one book of stamps, helps us send out 20 cards.  Please help us today by donating money to buy stamps at the following link:  https://www.paypal.me/cardsofhope or mail some to us.  Everything is truly appreciated.  We will even add your information to the sponsors page.

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It’s Cervical Cancer awareness month

Happy New Year everyone!  January marks a new year and cervical cancer awareness month.  I hope that by 2017, that will be a cure for all cancers.

When talking about cancer, there are always lots of questions about who is at risk for developing it, the treatments, the signs and etc.  I am going to try to cover some of that in today’s blog post.  Let’s first look at the risk factors of cervical cancer.

Risk factors for cervical cancer : ( via www.cancer.org)

• Having a family history of cervical cancer (a mother or sister) –chances are 2 to 3 times higher of developing cervical cancer
• Being younger than 17 at your first full term pregnancy
• Having had multiple full term births
• Infection of HPV (human papilloma virus)
• Having used an IUD (Intrauterine device)
• Long term use of oral contraceptives
• Being overweight
• A diet low in fruits and vegetables
• Those that have had a Chlamydia infection
• Those that are on  immunosuppression medications
• Those that have weakened immune systems
• Those that have been exposed to DES (diethylstilbestrol)
• Those that smoke

Just because you may have some or all of the risk factors above doesn’t mean that you will develop cervical cancer.  It just means that you have a higher chance of developing it.

Here are the warning signs of cervical cancer.  If you are having these signs, please contact our physician for a pap smear and check up.

• Abnormal vaginal bleeding (i.e. bleeding after sex, bleeding between menstrual cycles, bleeding after menopause and etc.)
• An unusual discharge from your vagina (often times between our periods)
• Painful intercourse

Typical ways for treating cervical cancer is surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy.  Depending on what stage the cancer is diagnosed at is exactly what treatment is used.

So if you haven’t had your pap smear somewhat recently, please schedule to have it done soon.

Check out this cancer warrior

This cancer warrior is showing off his card and stickers that he got from Cards of Hope.  Making cancer warriors smile and little happier is what the Cards of Hope program is all about.  Doesn’t he look happy?

 

Your donations of stamps, stickers, cards, tattoos and etc.  is what helps bring hope, happiness and smiles to those battling cancer.  Please consider donating today.  Even a small donation of a book of stamps, helps out a lot.

You can make a difference!

The holiday season is quickly approaching and you can make a difference in a cancer warrior’s life.  Believe it or not, it is really easy to do.  Cards of Hope could really use donations of postage stamps (1 book of stamps ($9.40) mails out 20 cards), holiday cards, stickers, winter crafts, gift cards, small toys and etc.  As you buy holiday cards, why not pick up an extra box of cards.  As you are purchasing stamps, buy an extra book or two for Cards of Hope.  Every bit helps, no matter how small you may think it is.  Also, please consider donating online to Cards of Hope.

One of our cancer warriors showing off her card from us…

This cancer warrior has a big smile with getting a card from Cards of Hope and a little bracelet to make her day a little brighter.  This is what Cards of Hope is all about.. bringing hope, emotional support, smiles, love and happiness.

Another smiling cancer warrior getting mail from us..

Here is another one of our cancer warriors so happy to get some hugs and hope in the mail from Cards of Hope.  Please think about donating to help us continue this wonderful program.

http://cards-of-hope.com/donations/

This is what your donations go to…

This cancer warrior is showing off a rainbow craft that she got in the mail from Cards of Hope.  This is what your donations go to, helping bring happiness to those fighting cancer.  Please consider donating today.

July is Sarcoma awareness month

Did you know that July is Sarcoma awareness month?  Here are some facts about Sarcoma:

• Sarcoma is a rare cancer.  It affects 1% of adult cancers.
• It is more common in children and it accounts for 15% of childhood cancers.
• Sarcoma is a cancer that affects the connective tissues of the body (tendons, muscles, fat cells, blood vessels, bones, cartilage, and synovial fluid (in joints)
• The term “sarcoma” encompasses over 40 different tumor types.

Here are some signs of Sarcoma:

• A lump that has grown over the past weeks and/or months
• Abdominal pain that doesn’t go away
• Black tarry stools
• Blood in stools or vomit

Keep in mind that even if you have 1 or all of these signs, doesn’t mean that you have Sarcoma.  It does mean that you should be checked out by your physician.

Another cancer warrior happy

This picture is from one of our cancer warriors.  She enjoyed getting her card and stickers.  Please consider donating to Cards of Hope, so that we can bring hope, joy and love to more cancer warriors.

Let’s talk about Melanoma..

Did you know that Melanoma is a dangerous type of skin cancer that will account for over 73,000 cases of skin cancer this year?  It can start nearly on any part of your skin, even your nail beds and areas that never get sun exposure.

So who is at most risk for this cancer?

• those that have had severe sunburns in the past
• those with weakened immune systems
• those with paler skin tones
• those that have been exposed to too much UV (ultravoilet) radiation from the sun or tanning beds
• those that have had family members with skin cancer
• those that have multiple unusual moles

Use the ABCDE approach when examining your skin for possible skin cancer.

If you have a suspicious mole or area on your skin, please have your doctor check it out.