How to Heal

When researching Heal Magazine, a magazine for cancer survivors, I thought about what topics I would want to be informed about if I were a cancer survivor. Given that I am a young adult at the age of 21, I would most likely find myself in the minority of the population of cancer survivors age-wise. Many of the online sites meant to inform and support, and promote survivorship have pictures of middle-aged men and women and talk about topics that might interest an older generation. Not only would I want to be informed, but maybe even talking to other people my age would be an effective way for me to become involved with my survivorship.

While researching the net on cancer survivorship programs, I did seem to find two websites that were youth-based. I found www.stepsforliving.org and www.realtimecancer.org. Both of these are appealing to a younger generation, one that might not have very many immediate friends of their age who they can relate to. I would suggest to Heal Magazine to possibly put these websites as sidebars, and to definitely create their blog to be user-friendly for all ages.


Also, I suggest that Heal Magazine put a sidebar on their blog regarding survivor programs to become involved with. When I was a sophomore in high school, I had a friend whose mother had been in remission from breast cancer for 8 years. During Thanksgiving, she felt ill again and found out her cancer was back full force. She passed away before New Year’s. She hadn’t seen a doctor in 8 years. Many cancer survivors are afraid to go to doctors once they reach remission because of the emotional and physical pain they go through with the disease and the treatments. However, I think that regularly being able to talk to a doctor and feeling comfortable visiting a doctor is an essential part of staying in remission. Programs to help to promote survivor clinics would be amazing to see on the blog. Two examples are: http://www.danafarber.org/pat/surviving/default.html, and http://www.mdanderson.org/departments/lacc/.

Third, since celebrities are so over-exposed these days, gaining celebrity support for the blog would be a good idea as well. For example, Lance Armstrong is a testicular cancer survivor. He writes in his own blog regularly through his “Live Strong” website at http://www.livestrong.org/site/c.jvKZLbMRIsG/b.594849/k.CC7C/Home.htm. Also, at http://www.thecancerblog.com/2006/06/19/sheryl-crow-talks-about-how-cancer-changed-her/, Sheryl Crow talks about how breast cancer has changed her life forever through the American Cancer Society. Because celebrities are looked up to for their talents and they are widely known, involving celebrity cancer survivors would be vary appealing to a large audience.

Since there are cancer survivors of all ages, it’s important for Heal Magazine to be conscious to all ages when creating the blog. Also, the blog should be inspirational. I am not a cancer survivor, but I do think that inspiration is always wonderful for anyone to endure.