GUIDE TO RESOURCES
WEB SITES
American Cancer Society https://www.cancer.org/
Dedicated to helping people who face cancer. Learn about cancer research, patient services, early detection, treatment and education at cancer.org.
CancerCare https://www.cancercare.org/support_groups/
Find a support group, read publications, or connect with counselors and education workshops.
National Cancer Institute https://www.cancer.gov
The National Cancer Institute is part of the National Institutes of Health, which is one of eleven agencies that are part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
OneDavid https://www.onedavid.com/
Answers on diagnosis, treatment, and side effects in FAQ-format. Offers personal stories and timelines to give you a sense of what's ahead.
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LOCAL RESOURCES
LOCAL FREE OFFERS
We appreciate the compassion shown by local businesses in donating their expertise or products to cancer patients. If you know of a company we overlooked, please email us so we can add them.
Cleaning Services
CLEANING FOR A REASON, non-profit organization, partners with residential cleaners in Las Vegas and throughout the country to help women battling cancer. They focus on house cleaning so you can focus on your health. For free house cleaning services locally, type in your zip code at: http://cleaningforareason.org/
Exercise & Wellness
The YMCA of Southern Nevada has partnered with the LIVESTRONG Foundation to help cancer survivors begin the journey towards recovery. They offer a no-fee 12 week program with twice weekly 90 minute sessions. This program focuses on physical and social activities for strengthening the whole person. It includes exercise as well as activities for wellness and stress reduction. The requirements are to have completed treatments and surgery (though you may still have a port) and attending an intake session with a coach to verify your physical readiness. Sessions rotate locations. The next session begins in February. Call Jamie Maginness at 702.839.4914 for more details. https://www.lasvegasymca.org/
Haircuts
GREAT CLIPS Salons provide complimentary clipper cuts to customers facing hair loss due to cancer treatments. Their program is called “Clip of Kindness.” (https://www.greatclips.com/about-us/giving/clips-of-kindness). They say, “It’s a small gesture in the big fight against cancer and it’s our way of trying to make things just a little better for customers and their loved ones.” Find Great Clips locations throughout the Valley on their website: https://www.greatclips.com/
Also, they offer a free haircut and styling to those wishing to donate hair to “Wigs for Kids.” Hair needs to be healthy, uncolored, and 12” or longer. https://www.wigsforkids.org/
Headgear
WASSA WEAR BOUTIQUE in Town Square (http://baobabstage.com/wassawear-is-african-fashion-2/) donates new scarves to patients undergoing cancer treatment in the Las Vegas area. Please email us (contact button) to request a scarf. We will either mail one to you or make arrangements for you to pick up at the boutique, whichever you prefer.
Quilts
PIECEMAKERS in Henderson. This group of quilters includes volunteers from several local churches. They meet together weekly to pray for cancer patients and sew quilts. Uplifting Bible verses are added to each quilt. To order a comfort quilt for a patient in chemo treatments, include their full name and address in an email to: piecemakers15@gmail.com. Contact person is Judy Chaney. There is no charge for the quilt. We certainly give a shout out to “Piecemakers” for their compassion!
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Las Vegas Support Groups
Comprehensive Cancer Care Centers offer a link for local breast cancer support groups. https://www.cccnevada.com/patient-resources/helpful-information/breast-cancer-support-group/
The Caring Place, part of the Nevada Childhood Cancer Foundation, provides support groups. See their calendar for details or call 702. 871.7333. http://nvccf.org/the-caring-place/
Local Services
The Southern Nevada American Cancer Society (ACS) offers cancer patients several services. They have resource centers in Las Vegas, Henderson, Boulder City and Pahrump. Their “Road to Recovery” program partners with Las Vegas Lyft to give transportation assistance for those in the Las Vegas area seeking a ride to treatment. Based on eligibility, they provide patients with other services. Call 702.891.9009 or visit their website: https://www.cancer.org/about-us/local/nevada.html
The “Look Good Feel Better” program provides skincare and make-up classes each month. There are several locations throughout the Valley including four at Comprehensive Cancer Centers. Pre-registration is required: 702.891.9009.
The Caring Place offers art classes, stress-relief beading, meditation, nutrition lectures, gentle Yoga, and more. http://nvccf.org/the-caring-place/
Local Financial Assistance
The Orion Cancer Foundation, part of the Nevada Childhood Cancer Foundation, accepts applications for the ORION Cancer Grant. There are limited grants available to assist with living expenses such as rent or health insurance. If you are eligible and approved, patients may receive $1000 to $1500 in a 12 month period. You may download a grant application at: http://nvccf.org/patient-assistance/
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NATIONAL OFFERS
Knitted Prostheses
“Knitted Knockers” offers free knitted prostheses as a replacement for silicone after mastectomy. According to their website, “Knitted Knockers are a light comfortable knitted prosthetic that when placed in a bra has the shape and feel of a real breast, and are more comfortable than silicone prosthetic breasts.” Request your free knitted knockers at: http://knittedknockersusa.org/free_knockers.13.htm
Support Pillow
“Hope and Hugs” offers free port pillows for any cancer patient to help provide cushion and protection while riding in the car. These provide an effective way to avoid irritation from the seatbelt. To request your free handmade port pillow for yourself or someone you’re caring for, visit the website. http://www.hopeandhugs.com/hope-hugs-port-pillow-project/
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READING LIST
NON-FICTION
OUR FEATURED FAVORITE: Forks Over Knives: Flavor! By Darshana Thacker. (Delicious, Whole-Food, Plant-Based Recipes to Cook Every Day. October 30, 2018.)
The Art of Happiness by His Holiness The Dalai Lama and Howard Cutler, M.D. (The Dalai Lama tells us how to defeat anxiety, anger, and discouragement. He maintains we can train ourselves to achieve happiness by being compassionate toward others and having a grateful attitude.)
Being Mortal by Atul Gawande (Dr. Gawande is a surgeon writing on medicine and what matters in the end. This book was on the New York Times Bestseller List for over a year, changing the national conversation on aging.)
A Breast Cancer Alphabet by Madhulika Sikka (Beginning with “A is for Anxiety,” Sikka presents an A-Z guide. She was an executive producer for NPR’s Morning Edition when she learned she had breast cancer. Her tour through Cancerland is practical and personal.)
Chicken Soup for the Surviving Soul by Jack Canfield (An uplifting read about conquering.)
Daring Greatly by Brene Brown, Ph.D. (Dr. Brown explains how vulnerability is both the core of difficult emotions and the birthplace of love and joy, She says vulnerability is not weakness but our most accurate measure of courage.)
Everything Changes: The Insider’s Guide to Cancer in Your 20’s and 30’s by Kairol Rosenthal (A cancer survivor chronicles the experiences of 25 different young people diagnosed with cancer. Gives advice on real-life issues.)
The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch (A Carnegie Mellon professor, diagnosed with cancer, was asked to participate in a lecture series of what one would say as a “final talk.” His now-famous lecture inspired the book.)
The Problem of Pain by C.S. Lewis (A scholarly and theological analysis of how a “good” God could allow suffering.)
Radical Remission, Surviving Cancer Against All Odds by Kelly A. Turner, Ph.D. (Dr. Turner researched unexpected cases of remission. She presents nine common themes she believes may help some patients. Her themes include eliminating sugar and avoiding stress.)
Superfood Smoothies by Julie Morris (This cookbook offers nutritional information and recipes for 100 easy smoothies made with fresh fruits, veggies, nuts, and seeds.)
What Cancer Cannot Do: Stories of Hope and Encouragement by Phyllis Ten Elshof (Very short book with uplifting quotes and verses; suitable as a gift.)
When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi (The memoir of a neurosurgeon who was diagnosed with lung cancer at 36-years old. He struggles with the question of what gives life meaning.)
Narrative Non-Fiction
A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail by Bill Bryson (With his offbeat sensibility, his eye for the absurd, and his laugh-out-loud sense of humor, Bryson recounts his confrontations with nature at its most uncompromising.)
FICTION
Humorous Fiction
A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman ("A light hearted, deeply moving novel about a grumpy but loveable curmudgeon who finds his solitary world turned on its head when a boisterous young family moves in next door. This quirky debut is a thoughtful and charming exploration of the impact one life has on countless others—and an absolute delight." --CBS Local)
Less by Andrew Sean Greer (A struggling novelist travels the world to avoid an awkward wedding in this hilarious Pulitzer Prize-winning novel full of "arresting lyricism and beauty"—New York Times Book Review).
Elinor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman (NY Times #1 Best Seller. Beautifully written and incredibly funny, it is about the importance of friendship and human connection. Hilarious and moving." —People)
Mr. Penumbra’s 24 Hour Book Store by Robin Sloan (A Winner of the Alex Award. “Part love letter to books, part technological meditation, part thrilling adventure… Eminently enjoyable, full of warmth and intelligence.” ―The New York Times Book Review)
Memoir
The Glass Castle: A Memoir by Jeannette Walls (For two decades, Jeannette Walls hid her roots. Now she tells her own story. Jeannette Walls grew up with parents whose ideals and stubborn nonconformity were both their curse and their salvation.)
Uplifting Fiction
The Five People You meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom (One by one, Eddie's five people revisit their connections to him on earth, illuminating the mysteries of his "meaningless" life, and revealing the haunting secret behind the eternal question: "Why was I here?")
The Next Person You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom (“An enchanting Sequel.”)
Journey of Souls: Case Studies of Life Between Lives by Michael Newton, PhD. (Dr. Newton claims to present proof that our consciousness survives by using hypnosis to reach the hidden memories of 29 subjects who recalled their experiences between physical deaths.)
Voice in the Wind by Francine Rivers (The first book in a trilogy, it brings readers back to the first century and introduces them to Hadassah. Torn by her love for a handsome aristocrat, this young slave girl clings to her faith in God for deliverance from the forces of decadent Rome.)