Cancer-versary
I think it is SO important to acknowledge and celebrate the end of cancer treatments - to have a date to use as a go-forward demarcation point in life – the date BEFORE and AFTER Cancer.
Top Tips for Caregivers
I’ve been doing a lot of podcast interviews lately. One of the most common questions I’m asked is how to best support cancer patients undergoing cancer treatments. As a 4-time cancer survivor I’ve had more than my fair share of practice in this area! So here are my TOP THREE TIPS for how to support cancer patients while they are undergoing treatments. 1. Focus on function over inspiration We surveyed over 500 cancer patients and gift buyers to curate TheBalmBox.com product line. When we asked cancer patients what they wanted when undergoing cancer treatments, the top performing items were all...
My Love/Hate Relationship with Pink October
We are entering PINK OCTOBER… a tricky tricky month for breast cancer patients and survivors alike.
Liz Benditt on "The Top Five Things You Need to Beat Cancer"
Liz Benditt is the President and CEO of The Balm Box. She was recently interviewed by Medium as part of their "Top 5 Things You Need to Beat Cancer" series. Below is an excerpt from the article - read the entire article here. Based on your experiences and knowledge, what advice would you give to others who have recently been diagnosed with cancer? What are your “5 Things You Need To Beat Cancer? Please share a story or example for each. Treatment Plans are up for discussion — they are not a directive. Given my age and general good health,...
Survey Results: The Top Three
Prior to launching, we interviewed over 500 Cancer Patients and Gift Buyers to curate our Self Care and Gift Boxes. The survey asked respondents to rate almost 50 different items – broken down into four categories: Functional, Thoughtful, Motivational and Fun/Silly. I thought it would be interesting to dig into the Top 3 scoring items, and a little bit about WHY they scored so well. #1: Lotion Everything about cancer treatments – from surgery, to chemo, to radiation is hard on the skin. Surgical wounds are tender long after the stiches come out, chemo ports can be itchy and tender, and of course...
Newly diagnosed and not sure where to start? My (highly personal) and (totally unsolicited) advice for those facing a new cancer diagnosis.
Newly diagnosed and not sure where to start? My (highly personal) and (totally unsolicited) advice for those facing a new cancer diagnosis. Being told you have cancer is never easy. Hearing that you are ‘sick’ when you do not necessarily feel ‘sick’ is hard to process. After going through this song and dance more than a few times, below are my personal thoughts on how to handle meetings with your care team to determine your treatment plan. It goes without saying that I am NOT a physician, have no medical degree, am not offering formal advice or cures or promises...