Psychotherapist Therapist Shares Her Patients' 4 Favorite Boosts

This year alone, 238,000 men will be diagnosed with new cases of prostate cancer, the most common incidence of the disease. More than 234,580 men and women will learn they have breast cancer, the second most common today, according to the National Cancer Institute.

All told, about 13.7 million Americans are living with cancer or a history of cancer.*

Chances are, you know one or more of them.

"Friends, family, co-workers - they can all play an important role in helping a cancer patient's recovery simply by providing emotional support," says pioneering cancer psychotherapist Dr. Niki Barr, author of "Emotional Wellness, The Other Half of Treating Cancer," (canceremotionalwellbeing.com).

After a diagnosis of cancer, people have a greater need for social support, which has been shown to influence health outcomes, according to a National Institutes of Health report. Of the nine types of social support, the report says emotional support is among the most important.

"Even if you're not among the person's closest friends or family, you can help far more than you imagine simply by being encouraging and supportive," says Barr, who works exclusively with cancer patients and their loved ones.

"I understand people don't always know what to say to someone who's just been diagnosed or is in the midst of treatments and yes, sometimes they do say the wrong thing," Barr says. "I remind my patients often to refuse to listen to cancer 'horror stories,' so please, don't tell those!"

While everyone is different, Barr says that she's found a few things her patients consistently say benefit them:

• Sometimes saying nothing at all says everything. If your friend or loved one wants to talk about her treatments, complain about his situation, or not talk at all, being a good listener or simply a quiet presence speaks volumes. When a person complains, many of us jump to "help" by suggesting solutions. That's likely not what your friend or loved one is looking for. As my patients have said time and time again, sometimes they just want to get it all off their chest. An empathetic listener is all the help they need.

• Make your offer of help specific. "Call me if you need anything at all," puts the burden on your loved one - who already carries a tremendous burden! Instead, you might offer to make dinner for her family on Wednesday night and ask what meal everyone enjoys. Or volunteer to drive him to his doctor appointment on Monday afternoon. This makes it easy for your friend to politely accept or decline your offer, and it ensures you provide the assistance you feel comfortable providing.

• Not sure what to talk about? Follow his lead. Some days, my patients want to talk only about their illness, the treatment they're undergoing, and how they feel. Other days, they want to talk about anything BUT cancer. We all have days when we're immersed in our own lives and other days when we want to be distracted - or to just feel normal.

• If you're not sure what to say, err on the side of being positive. Don't say what you don't know - for instance, you don't know that everything is going to be just fine. But if you admire your loved one's strength or sense of humor, if your friend's attitude inspires you, tell them so. We all benefit from hearing a sincere compliment.

When a person who's going through what may be the most difficult, stressful event of their lives knows that you care, it makes a difference, Barr says.

"If you're truly at a loss for words, it never hurts to simply say, 'I'm thinking about you."

*as of Jan. 1, 2012; National Cancer Institute

About Niki Barr, Ph.D. (@NikiBarrPhD)

Niki Barr, Ph.D. founded a pioneering psychotherapy practice dedicated to working with cancer patients in all stages of the disease, along with their family members, caregivers and friends. In her book, she describes an "emotional wellness toolbox" patients can put together with effective and simple strategies, ready to use at any time, for helping them move forward through cancer. Dr. Barr is a dynamic and popular speaker, sharing her insights with cancer patients and clinicians across the nation.

I was misdiagnosed 4 times and giving a questionable doubt of survival, I know firsthand the challenges of paying bills and trying to make ends meet while enduring my Chemo and radiation. I was laid off for a year with no pay and I have a lot of decisions to make, to purchase or buy my medicines. To take a chance to go to the doctors with the little I had in my tank and arrive to my doctor's appointment with no money for my co-pay.

That when my husband and I created It's In The Genes, Breast Cancer Advocates fighting the fight against Breast Cancer. I help My Sisters, My Mothers, My Grandmothers, My Aunts, My Firends, My Community find the resources they need to survive.

It's in the Genes has partnered with Total Life Style Changes, INC. a Maryland non-profit 501 (c)3 corporation. We assist those dealing with these issues by educating, empowering and informing about Breast Cancer. We know that our help is needed if we are going to win against this fight and we are ready to Do Something! Are you?

In letter to 47 Federal Government Contractors, Senators Seek Detailed Information on Work, Cost & Deliverables Performed on Federal ObamaCare Exchange Website 

WASHINGTON - Today, Finance and Judiciary Committee Ranking Members Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) and Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) sent letters to the 47 different companies that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) contracted with to develop, implement, and operate HealthCare.gov, ObamaCare's online marketplace for the federal health insurance exchanges.  The website has been plagued with delays, errors and faulty information since its launch on October 1.

The Senators requested a detailed analysis of the work each contractor has performed to date, the cost of that work, and timelines and deliverables that the entities had to meet for CMS as part of their scope of work in the development and creation of the website.

Hatch and Grassley sent the letter to the following contractors: A. Reddix & Associates; Accenture Federal Services; Booz Allen Hamilton, Inc; CGI; Cognosante, LLC; CSC; CSSi; CSSS; David-James, LLC; Deloitte; eGlobal Interactive; Genova Technologies; George Washington University; Heitech Services; HIS; IBM; ICP Systems, LLC; IDL Solutions; Information Systems Consulting Group Inc; Innosoft; KAT Communications; MAXIMUS Federal Services Inc; McKinsey &Co; Mitre; Northrop Gumman; Noblis; QSSI;Quality Technology;Porter Novelli Public Strategies; PricewaterhouseCoopers; Relis, LLC; Leidos; Sage North America; Sentel Corp; Serco; Soft-Con Enterprices; Spherecom; Strategi; Summit Consulting; Terremark; Truven Health Analytics; TICG; Turning Point Technologies; Unicom; URS; General Dynamics IT; and Verizon Business Network Services.

A signed copy of the letter can be found HERE and the text of the letter as well as a list of contractors is below: 

As the Ranking Members of the Senate Finance and Judiciary Committees, we are writing to obtain information regarding the work your company has performed to help implement the federally facilitated marketplace (FFM) mandated by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA). 

As part of our Congressional oversight of PPACA, we are trying to better understand the roles and responsibilities of each of the contractors working on the FFM.

Specifically, we request that you provide us with the following information:

(1) Copies of all contracts awarded to your company by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) related to the design, development, implementation or evaluation of the health insurance exchanges being established pursuant to PPACA.  Please identify each contract by CMS contract number.

(2) Copies of all task and delivery orders issued by CMS to your company under contracts identified in response to (1) above.

(3) Copies of all modifications issued by CMS to the contracts, task orders and delivery orders identified in response to (1) and (2) above.

(4) Copies of the solicitations, together with all amendments, issued by CMS that resulted in the award to your company of the contracts identified in response to question (1).  Please identify each solicitation by the CMS solicitation number.

(5) If the contract(s) identified in response to (1) above was a sole source contract(s), please provide a copy of the following documents published by CMS:  Notice of Intent to Award Sole Source; Sole Source Award Notice.

(6) The names, work addresses, telephone numbers, and email addresses of all CMS Contracting Officers, Project Officers, Contracting Officer Technical Representatives, Task Order Managers, and Delivery Order Managers associated with or assigned to the contracts, task orders and delivery orders identified in response to (1), (2), (3), and (4).

(7) Copies of all invoices submitted by your company to CMS for payment pursuant to work performed and/or goods delivered to CMS under the contracts, task orders, and delivery orders identified in response to (1), (2) and (3) above.

(8) Copies of all project schedules, delivery schedules, and project timelines imposed by contract or developed and used by your company to track performance/deliverables under the contracts, task orders, and delivery orders identified in response to (1), (2) and (3) above.

(9)   Copies of all reports, memoranda, emails or any other records reflecting the results of testing performed by CMS and/or your company on the contract, task or delivery order deliverables, when the testing occurred, and the names of the CMS employees to whom the testing results were reported.

(10) Please provide a timeline for all activities related to the development and implementation of the website since the passage of PPACA.

Thank you for your prompt attention to this request and we would ask that you provide the requested information by no later than November 8, 2013.  When producing documents, please deliver production sets to Senator Hatch's Finance Committee staff at 219 Dirksen Senate Office Building, Washington, D.C.  20510, and to Senator Grassley's Judiciary Committee staff at 152 Dirksen Senate Office Building, Washington, D.C. 20510.  Whenever possible, both Committees prefer to receive documents in electronic format.

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Sincerely,

HATCH
GRASSLEY

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Nonprofit extends reach to underprivelged hearing impaired adults & children

Plymouth, MN (Grassroots Newswire) 10/24/13 -- Miracle-Ear® of Longview, Washington, a part of the nationwide hearing solution franchise,  partnered with the Miracle-Ear Foundation to give the gift of sound to Mary McDaniel.  Mary is the first adult to receive hearing aids since the nonprofit expanded its reach to provide assitance to both hearing impaired children and adults.

Mary was having extreme difficulties communicating with her family and friends in many situations. She recalls several times where she had troubles understanding people on the phone and often times would miss out on the conversation.   Her daughter would get very frustrated because she'd always have to repeat herself and speak up. Finally, Mary found it difficult to hear the music during her favorite pastime hobby, square dancing.

That's when Mary saw a Miracle-Ear TV advertisment and decided to get her hearing checked.  The hearing test confirmed she had a hearing loss in both ears and hearing aids were a viable solution. However, hearing aids were beyond her budget.  Shannon Flanagan, Miracle-Ear franchise owner, suggested she apply to the Miracle-Ear Foundation.  Upon approval, Mary was fit with donated hearing aids and gifted life-time aftercare.

In partnership with local franchisee, Shannon Flanagan and his staff, the Miracle-Ear Foundation, a Minneapolis-based non-profit organization, supports underserved adults and children across the country with their hearing healthcare needs.  The Miracle-Ear Foundation, working with Miracle-Ear centers across the country, has donated more than 6,500 hearing aids to over 4,100 individuals nationwide, including the aids donated to Mary.

"We know that hearing loss lowers the quality of life for adults at any age," said Flanagan. "When hearing loss goes undetected, it can lead to social isolation, strained relationships, and can even impact earning potential. That is why the staff at our Miracle-Ear location was thrilled to fit the very first Miracle-Ear Foundation adult, Mary, and continues to donate resources and time to enhance the lives of others within our community."

"The gift of hearing aids from the Miracle-Ear Foundation has given me the ability to hear everything clearly and enjoy my life to the fullest," said Mary. "And not only did I receive free hearing aids, but Miracle-Ear encouraged me to come in for regular follow-up care."

For more information about the Miracle-Ear Foundation visit www.miracle-earfoundation.org.

About Miracle-Ear

A trusted resource for hearing solutions for 65 years, Miracle-Ear uses state-of-the-art technology to remove the barriers of hearing loss. The Plymouth, Minn-based company specializes in customizable hearing solutions that feature discreet, comfortable products designed to meet each individual's hearing loss needs. Free hearing tests are available at all of the company's 1,200 franchised locations across the U.S.. Franchise opportunities are available for those interested in running their own Miracle-Ear business with the support of a nationwide industry leader.  For more information, visit www.miracle-ear.com.

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