Taking The Fear Out Of Cancer is a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) charitable
volunteer organization created specifically for people dealing with cancer.

We are dedicated to cancering with a proactive approach!

Our goal is to take the fear out of a cancer diagnosis by:

• Providing cancer awareness and education to those
  who do not have cancer;
• Offering cancer information and resources to those
  who do have cancer; and
• Encouraging people to take an active role in their
  cancer experience.
  

Through the publication of our newsletters, people are prepared for a cancer diagnosis, and not a death sentence.

We are funded entirely by tax-deductible donations and subscriptions.

Our Services,   Our History
Meet Ottie!  Meet Can-Do!  Meet Murphy!
Disclaimer,  Privacy Policy,   Other

Our Services

Website - www.takingthefearoutofcancer.com
Our website was created to allow those visiting us the opportunity to access a great amount of cancer information from one location.

Newsletter - Taking The Fear Out Of Cancer
Our 8-page newsletter is issued quarterly and offers the following:

• Information, resources and suggestions for taking an active role in your cancer experience,
• Cancer awareness and education regarding risk factors, symptoms, and screening methods for early detection,
• Encouragement and motivation to others, and
• Support to all people dealing with cancer.
  

Our History

Our first year, Taking The Fear Out Of Cancer was personally funded by the owner. Newsletters were distributed throughout Palm Beach County, Florida, free of charge. But, we grew, so....

Our second year, ad space was sold in the newsletter to help cover printing costs, and on the website to help cover hosting fees. The newsletter distribution continued to spread within Palm Beach County, Florida. Distribution began in Martin County, Florida, as well as to parts of Broward and Dade Counties in southeast Florida. And so...

Our third year, we became a tax-exempt, nonprofit organization in order to achieve our ultimate goal - distributing the newsletter throughout our nation, and abroad.

Our fourth year, we continue to distribute our newsletters throughout our nation... Montreal and Toronto... and New South Wales.

Meet Ottie!

I'm Ottie the Owl.

I am here to help see you through your cancer experience. We will "get wise" together!

Knowledge is power! To be forewarned is to be forearmed, and that's just what you want to do first before you do anything else - arm yourself with knowledge and information. Lots and lots of it!

Find out as much as you can about your particular cancer and carefully weigh ALL your options. Don't take anything for granted and don't assume anything. Question all literature and gather as much information on yourself as possible. Find the best healthcare team for you and take charge!

Did you know that large eyes are typical of owls? They are. This will be a distinct advantage for us, as there will be lots of information for us to read before we can go "cancering" together. My big eyes will help you take it all in.

I am here to help you. We will do this together!

Let me introduce you to my good friend, Can-Do...

Meet Can-Do!

I'm Can-Do the Crab.

Did you know that cancer is the Latin word for crab? It's also the name for malignant tumors, sort of.

Hippocrates, the Father of Medicine, first used the terms carcinos and carcinoma. The Greeks referred to the hard swellings of cancer as karkinos; as opposed to the regular swellings they called oncos. The suffix oma meant tumor, so that karkinoma was a malignant tumorous growth. Eventually, oncos was used to refer to any tumors, and cancer replaced its predecessor (karkinos).

The use of derivatives of the word crab to describe malignant tumors came about because large veins often feed a tumor, and as some cancers spread they grow arms, that resemble the legs of a crab.

So, based on my ancestral history, you probably won't be "pleased to meet me." But, I am a good crab and I am here to help Ottie the Owl help you.

I am here for support. I represent your spirit and your positive attitude. I reinforce this with my name - Can-Do! As in "you can do it!" You can, and you will!

Meet Murphy!

I'm Murphy.

Just about everyone in some way has been touched by cancer. Maybe you know someone directly who has cancer, or maybe you know someone who knows of someone who has cancer. Maybe you lost a relative to cancer before you were even born. How does that touch you? It's a loss. You were deprived of ever knowing them in the first place. It is very rare today to find someone who has not been touched by cancer in some way.

On my father's side of the family, I had an aunt who died of leukemia before she was 25, another aunt who had a brain tumor removed in her fifties, and more recently -- early in 2004 -- another aunt who died from breast cancer. I have an uncle currently living with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

My mother's mother died of liver cancer and my mother had a pre-cancerous condition in her early thirties.

My mother-in-law died of lung cancer.

I am familiar with the inconveniences of being sick and having disease; although my own health problems have not been cancer related.

Being no stranger to cancer, I worked as a volunteer in a major medical cancer research hospital in the northeast as a patient-visitor volunteer many years ago. I did this for several years and came in contact with hundreds of cancer patients. I would encourage them to do something for themselves, like taking a walk around the halls of the hospital, in an effort to get a little exercise and exert a little control over their environment. Sometimes they were too weak to walk, but would like it if I'd push them in their wheelchairs - anything to get up and out of the room! Other times I would escort them to the recreation room or bring them books from the library. Mostly, we'd just sit and talk. Well, they'd talk and I'd listen.

What I heard each time I visited with these cancer patients was their fears. Their fear of dying of cancer and leaving loved ones behind. Their fear of living with cancer and what it would bring. Their fear of losing their hair and possible disfigurement. Their fear of the treatment itself, of being sick all the time, of being unable to take care of themselves, of being unable to afford treatment. Their fear of recurrence, of being in pain, of missed opportunities in life. Their fear of never seeing their children complete grade school, graduate from high school, attend college or get married. Their fear that they wouldn't see their grandchildren grow up. Their fear that another test would confirm they would need more chemotherapy or another round of radiation instead of hearing that the cancer was gone. Fear!

It was the main theme in all their conversations. It paralyzed them from within and debilitated them. It choked the words in their throats. It was rampant in everything they felt. It cried out from every inch of their being. Fear!

Because I have been touched by so many with cancer, I wanted to do something for people to help take the fear out of the cancer experience. When people hear for the first time that they have cancer, they should be afraid. It's normal to be afraid. Cancer is a frightening disease. But, you don't have to be afraid to the point of being incapacitated. There are things you can do to help yourself alleviate that fear that's so immobilizing and rivets you in place. There are many people and organizations out there ready and willing to help you so you don't have to feel so alone.

Disclaimer

Taking The Fear Out Of Cancer does not engage in offering medical or psychological advice. The information contained in the newsletters and on the website are not intended to be a substitute for diagnosis or treatment. Please see your healthcare professional if you have any health concerns. Sources are quoted when applicable.

Privacy Policy

Any personal or private information will not be released to any entity - commercial or otherwise. Survivor stories are submitted with the understanding that they will be featured in the newsletter. We do not subscribe to or sell to mailing lists!

Other

Should we do any advertising as a way of accepting donations,
advertisers do not have any input into newsletter or website content.