Fall 2011 - The U`ilani Fund

Marina Lee U’ilani Bermudez
Complementary Breast Cancer Treatment Fund
Fall 2011
In October of this year the U’ilani Fund will celebrate the 11th year of our existence as a non-profit organization that serves women
with breast cancer. Since our beginning in 2000 we have given almost $200,000 for complementary care such as acupuncture,
massage, Chinese herbs and nutritional supplements. As you can see from the messages in this newsletter, access to
complementary care makes a huge difference in the lives of women living with breast cancer and going through breast cancer
treatment. We want to thank those of you who have continued to help us provide this support over the years and invite you and the
new friends of the U’ilani Fund to help us continue this valuable work by donating to the U’ilani Fund. You can donate online at
www.uilanifund.org, through buying something fabulous from our partners Girls 4 Sport at www.girls4sport.com , or by mail with
the donation return form on the back of this newsletter.
Another way to support The U’ilani Fund is to participate in our fabulous and second annual “U’ilani Fund Cycling Aunties Tour
of Santa Cruz” fundraising event on October 22, 2011. This event has both “aunties” and “uncles” and everyone else riding a
beautiful course through Santa Cruz County with Hawaiian themed stops along the way. At the end of the ride we will have a
celebratory luau. You are invited to participate as a rider or as a sponsor of a rider or of the event! Find out more details and sign
up to ride by going to our website www.uilanifund.org and clicking the “Cycling Aunties” tab. Mahalo for your support!
Mindy Goldman, Suzanne Nicholas, Janet Fogel, Kate Gerwe, Hau Thi Long, Sherry Sherman, Meg Autry, Julie Porcella
Messages of Thanks from U’ilani Fund Recipients
"I am so grateful for finding the U’ilani fund as a means of supporting my alternative
"complementary" care during my treatments of chemotherapy and radiation for invasive
breast cancer. As a health and fitness professional, I was the last person on earth that EVER
thought I would be the one to have breast cancer! Once I was diagnosed, in the chaos of
figuring out how to manage the overwhelm of information and what treatments to choose,
this funding gave me the permission to take care of myself in the way I really needed, with
weekly gentle Chiropractic care for keeping my nervous and immune system at it's best.
Having a fund like this for contributing to my healing along my journey is a true blessing.
It renews my faith that we ARE all connected, that support is out there for women like me,
and that we are a tribe after all! In a culture where we often feel isolated and alone in
finding support, and then taking the courage in asking for it, I am ever grateful I found the
U’ilani fund!
‘Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our
breath away’ is the quote on my e-mail, and it holds true!”
--Kim
"I never expected so many kind people battling this cancer with me. As an eternal
problem-solver and once I found out I had breast cancer, I figured I needed something to
calm my anxiety down and lessen the treatment's side effects. I had never experienced
acupuncture before because I took my health for granted but my chemotherapy and
radiation treatments left me with unsettling nausea, hot flashes and constant fatigue. I
couldn't think clearly through the pain and anxiety. Most of the time I just wanted a break
from the treatment. Acupuncture gave my mind total peace and gave my body the ability
to calm down and the time to recharge. I was even able to sleep better as a result. I very
much appreciate all the help the Uilani Fund have given me. It really made a difference to
me."
--Sarita
The U’ilani Fund 1510 King Street Santa Cruz, CA 95060 A nonprofit corporation #77-0552444 www.uilanifund.org
Can Breast Cancer Be Prevented?
Mindy Goldman, M.D. is a
Clinical Professor at the
Department of Obstetrics,
Gynecology and Reproductive
Sciences and the Director of
the Women’s Cancer Care
Program at the University of
California, San Francisco.
Mindy is the CoChair of The
U’ilani Fund.
Many people may not be aware that there are
drugs that are actually FDA approved to prevent
breast cancer. Premenopausal women can use
the drug tamoxifen, and postmenopausal women
can use either tamoxifen or a similar drug,
raloxifene. Tamoxifen has actually been FDA
approved since 1998 and 5 years of tamoxifen in
high risk women has been shown to decrease the
risk of hormone positive breast cancer by close to
50%. Raloxifene, which is also FDA approved
as a drug for osteoporosis (trade name is Evista)
was compared head to head with tamoxifen to
see whether one of the drugs would prove better
than the other in terms of breast cancer
prevention. This large study, called the STAR
trial was completed and the most updated data
showed that five years of raloxifene reduced the
risk of invasive breast cancer by 38% versus 49%
for tamoxifen, and decreased risk of non-invasive
breast cancer by 39% versus 50% for tamoxifen.
Although mortality was similar between the two
groups, raloxifene had significantly fewer
endometrial cancers, fewer blood clot events and
fewer cataracts. Raloxifene received FDA
approval for prevention of breast cancer in
postmenopausal women in 2007.
So why don’t women use these drug more often?
Well, particularly for tamoxifen, there are many
side effects. Most of these are annoying –
particularly hot flashes and other menopausal
symptoms that often get better with time.
Sometimes tamoxifen can cause a growth of
benign ovarian cysts, growth of or uterine polyps
or fibroids and in postmenopausal women, there
are very rare cases of uterine cancer. However,
by far, women get a much greater benefit to their
breast than risk to their uterus. And, in
premenopausal women, we don’t see any risks of
uterine cancer. Raloxifene, as noted above, is
almost as effective as tamoxifen in preventing
breast cancer, and doesn’t have the risks to the
uterus.
So, should you talk to your doctor about possibly
using these drugs? Well, if you are at higher risk
for breast cancer than women in the general
population, you might want to consider
discussing with your physician. This includes
women who have had had breast biopsies that
showed atypical changes, or those who have first
degree relatives (mom or sister) with breast
cancer, or many family members who have had
breast cancer, particularly in the premenopausal
years.
In addition to drugs like these, there are many
lifestyle changes that we know are important.
Eating a heathly diet that is low in saturated fats,
minimizing alcohol, not smoking, and getting
regular exercise can be very helpful. Although
we don’t know for sure if they can prevent breast
cancer, we do know that they do help keep you
healthy and feeling good!
U’ilani Fund Major Donors
We would like to thank the following individuals for the generous support they have given during the past twelve months. Our donor
categories are named after Hawaiian volcanos to illustrate how earth-changing our donors are for the women that we serve. Mahalo from
all of us for your support! If we have overlooked acknowledging your contribution, please accept our apologies and let us know so we can
correct our error. In addition, we want to thank our supporters who give smaller amounts and those who help the U’ilani Fund by
purchasing raffle tickets and items from the Pink Store at Girls4Sport. You all make it possible for us to do the work we do at the U’ilani
Fund!
Tristi and Damon Marshall
Eric and Jackie Goldman
Mauna Kea $3,000-$4,999
Martina and Tom Murphy
Jeff and Lucie Hemmen
Eve & Ross Jaffe
Kim Ruby and Leanne Salandro
Cathy Stefanki Iglesias and Don Iglesias
of Girls4Sport
Kilauea $1,000 - 1,999
Corine Kaddouz
JoAnn Smith
Jerry and Jackie Autry
Helen Lange
Mary Starzel
Jeanette Lager
Carolyn Layne and Ezio Ciotti
Howard Swann and Anita Dyer
Victoria J. De Goff
Charles and Feralee Levin
Dee Vogel and Lin Marelick
Martine Mahoudeau
Annie Wang
Haleakala $500 - $999
Sara and Bill Mascio
Marya D’Abate
Richard Werbel
Judy Marsalis
Pilar and Lew Davies
Lynn White
Paul and Leslie Mulligan
Ann Carney Pomper
Jimon You
Suzanne Nicholas
Lawrence and Janet Fogel
Corinne Zaro
Maureen O’Brien and Marcia Quackenbush
Susan Katz-Snyder
Suzanne and Kenneth Sack
Hualalai $100-$199
Emily Kinnier
Scott Secrest
Susan Beans
Cathy R. Kornblith
Ruth Shaber
Dani Beckerman
Suzanne
S. Shaw
Richard Bedal
Kohala $200-$499
Beth
Shirk
and
Anne
Hietbrink
Puna and Jenny Bermudez
Peter and Winona Bermudez
Elmer
Skoegard
Christine Cronin
Leslie and Deidra Bernard-Pearl
Pamm Smith and Kurt Burch
Mary Cullen
Margaret Chesney
Cathy and Sandy Dean
Jane Dejarnette
Lynda Sullivan
Mary Graham
Helene Edelman
Michele Sweeney and Lucy Wohltman
Danielle Guttman
Victoria Fleishhacker
Robin Wright and Jan Graham
Karen Magee and Aimee Levine
Elaine Gillim
Nanette You
Tammy You
Breast Cancer and the Kiraku Attitude
by Kaz Wegmuller, L.Ac.
When people ask me what I consider to be the single most
important factor in dealing with breast cancer, my response
is simple: Attitude. On the one hand, this may be so selfevident as to not be worth saying (OF COURSE the better
your attitude, the better you can handle a difficult situation).
On the other hand, it may sound like I’m blaming the victim
(“if only your attitude were better you wouldn’t have gotten
cancer in the first place”). So I’d like to take a few minutes
to explain what I mean.
The fundamental core belief of traditional Chinese medicine
is that in health there is flow, and in illness there is a
blockage of flow. This “flow” refers to the flow of qi
(energy) and blood in the body. By feeling the pulse,
palpating the musculature, looking at the tongue, and asking
a lot of questions, the acupuncturist diagnoses where the
flow of qi and blood is blocked, and applies needles to
restore proper flow. This is why patients almost always feel
better after an acupuncture session: they are nudged back
towards balance, they experience less pain and discomfort,
their overall sense of wellbeing increases. This unblocking
and rebalancing allows the body to rise to the occasion and
apply its own innate healing force to confront whatever
health challenge it faces.
What are the things that can impede flow in the body?
Traumatic injury certainly can, as can exposure to
environmental toxins. Unhealthy foods “gunk up” the
system, as do drugs and alcohol. But life itself can create
stagnation. Stress, worry, chaos are some of the biggest
contributors. Stress causes the qi to stagnate, and over time,
if the stress doesn’t let up, this qi stagnation goes deeper
and turns into blood stasis, turning less energetic and more
material. Eventually the blockage can manifest as a
physical accumulation – a cyst or lump, or in the worst case
a cancerous tumor.
everyone can afford a radical fix, like quitting your job or
moving to Tahiti. But what you CAN do, right now, is take
a deep breath, let it all the way out, take a break from
whatever you’re doing, relax, get some sun on your face and
fresh air in your lungs. Sit and enjoy. Maybe chat with a
friend, have a glass of wine, share a simple meal. You may
not be able to change how the world works, but you can
change your attitude towards it.
There is a wonderful Japanese word, kiraku. Kiraku evokes
a sense of leisure and enjoyment, of taking it easy and
enjoying life. The word is composed of two Chinese
characters: the first, ki, is the Japanese pronunciation for qi,
energy or breath. The second character, raku, means
enjoyment or pleasure. In its ancient form, the pictograph
for raku depicts a drum and bells on a stand. So raku also
means “music,” as well as the pleasure produced by
listening to music. When your ki is raku, when your qi is
flowing in a leisurely way through the channels, there is
health. I imagine kiraku as the quintessential attitude of the
ancient sages, enjoying an unhurried life and appreciating
the qi pulsing in their own bodies and in all of nature. The
kiraku attitude is the antidote to modern-day craziness. I
believe that it is also the best preventative and treatment for
cancer and all other ills. My clinic in Santa Cruz is called
Kiraku-An, the “Take-It-Easy Hut” or “Qi Appreciation
Hermitage.” Maybe one day you will visit me there and
together we will enjoy the music of leisurely qi. But even if
not, that’s OK too. Because the beauty of kiraku is that it
doesn’t require a doctor, or fancy equipment, or any money:
it starts right now, right where you are, with you.
There is certainly a random element in cancer; you can do
all the right things and still get it. Nevertheless, it behooves
us to do everything in our power to fight it: eat healthy
foods, avoid bad fats, exercise regularly, sleep enough, have
loving relationships, a supportive community, and a rich
spiritual life. But the single most important factor is your
attitude, since without the positive attitude you wouldn’t do
those other things in the first place!
Another way of looking at it is that the biggest culprit here
is modern living. We have to pay our rent or mortgage, we
have to put food on the table, we have to raise our children,
go grocery shopping, pay the bills, but in order to do all
those things we have to work, and that takes up most of our
time, leaving precious little time for all the rest. Fitting it
all into a 24-hour day and a seven-day week means we get
stressed out. Getting sick on top of it all stresses us out
even more. What can you do to break the cycle? Not
Kaz Wegm uller is a longtim e friend of The U’ilani Fund
and is an acupuncturist and herbalist practicing in Santa
Cruz and Monterey. He can be reached at 831-7066125 or kazwegm uller@gm ail.com U’ilani Fund Donation Return Form
Enclosed please find:
My donation to the U’ilani Fund $___________. (Tax deductible)
Name________________________________________________________________________
Address______________________________________________________________________
City and State_________________________________________________________________
e-mail________________________________________________________________________
Please make checks payable to The U’ilani Fund.
1510 King Street Santa Cruz, CA 95060
Non-profit tax I.D. #77-0552444
Mahalo!
Don’t want to send your donation by mail? Donate securely online at www.uilanifund.org
Your donation makes a difference in the lives of local women with breast cancer . . .
“I am so deeply grateful for your support. I have thoughts of U’ilani when she was in Hawaii--wonderful
im ages com e to m ind and I im agine the soft warm breezes. Thanks to the U’ilani Fund and all of you for
m aking this possible. Being a part of your com m unity is a great com fort to m e.” -Judy
“Thank you so very m uch for your generous help! It is now two years since I was diagnosed with
inflam m atory breast cancer and was given two to three years to live. I am still on weekly chem o and
spend hundreds of dollars on alternative supplem ents. I just received the results of m y last CT Scan
and--m iracle upon m iracle--no evidence of disease. I am overjoyed and hope to be able to reduce
m y chem otherapy dose because the alternative supplem ents and daily work to prom ote health and
m y wonderful support system are healing m e. So your gift is truly life-giving.” -Inya
“As som eone who is deeply com m itted to the alternative therapies, I truly am so glad your organization exists.
Acupuncture and m y supplem ents have been costly, and this assistance has eased the financial strain and eased
m y m ind as well. Breast cancer is som ething I never in a m illion years thought would happen to m e, but this
experience is certainly calling m e to engage at even a deeper level of awareness with m y health, and com m it
even m ore fully to a holistic approach to self-care. (Since healthy younger wom en are getting breast cancer all
the tim e now.) This is why I continue to pay beyond m y m eans for the treatm ents and supplem ents that I think
will support m e in leading a long and happy life beyond breast cancer. This is also why I understand so well the
m ission of your organization: to support wom en's access to those helpful practices that are m eaningful and
im prove wom en's health and their quality of life post diagnosis. I appreciate the work you are doing.” -Jessica