The mission of The
Wellness Community-West Los Angeles
is to ensure that all
people impacted by cancer are empowered by knowledge,
strengthened by action, and sustained by community. All programs and
services are provided free of charge.
Summer cooking is light
and cool—anything that brings relief from the heat! And if
you’re a cancer patient, you might need more relief than
others. As a cancer survivor, Chef Elisa Hunziker knows that
food doesn’t always taste good during treatment or is not
easily digested. Come to this food demo and tasting, and
learn how to customize your meals to nourish and nurture you
during the hot summer months. Space is limited.
Cancer treatment can
cause all sorts of skin concerns. But there are things that
you can do—many of them using inexpensive, home-made
skin-care remedies. Drop in to this monthly group with
doctors and aestheticians from dermatologist, Dr. Ava
Shamban’s office, trained in treating cancer treatment skin
issues, and find out how you can optimize your skin care
during and after cancer.
Dr. Shamban is the owner and director
of two practices, The Laser Institute for Dermatology and
European Skin Care in Santa Monica and AVAMD Medical and
Aesthetic Dermatology in Beverly Hills, CA. She serves as
Assistant Clinical Professor of Dermatology at the
UCLA-Geffen School of Medicine.
"When I became ill, it was necessary to find in myself
what activities made me whole and happy, and I don't think I
would have been able to find my way without Ann's help. Too
often, an unsatisfying work history can be a contributing
factor in the stress that seems to lead to getting ill in
the first place. Ann is highly skilled at helping people get
to a place where their work is consistent with their inner
desire to be fulfilled."
------- Michael Sieverts, TWC-WLA Community Member
If you've had a yearning to figure out the next chapter of
your life after cancer or with cancer or as someone whose
direction has changed as a result of caring for someone with
cancer, read on! Creative Livelihoods will help you explore
and imagine how your passion can become your livelihood—the
possibilities for success and satisfaction are boundless! In
this workshop, each person can set his or her own pace. Ann
will show you how to give grounding to your dream, to make
it a truly possible and passionate pursuit. Note: It is best
to attend all three workshops: Tuesdays, May 25, June 22 and
July 27.
Ann Enkoji is a business consultant, working with artists
and designers in Los Angeles. Her company, atmo, is
dedicated to creating and supporting original thought and
the work that results. She began her career at the office of
Charles and Ray Eames, leaving to become an exhibiting
ceramic artist in Berkeley, then learning about selling art
in New York, assisting Stanley Moss with his collection of
Old Master paintings. Her journey continued in Singapore
where she founded a spice company and then to London as
director of business development for Addison Design, the
Partners, and Citigate.
It would be an
understatement to say that a cancer diagnosis creates
tension; and in times of stress, the body tends to amplify
habits that are already set. The Alexander Technique is a
practical method for improving ease and freedom of movement,
balance, and coordination and is particularly helpful to
those in situations of stress. This introduction to the
Technique will get you thinking about your own process of
movement and help you release habits that are not serving
you. And don’t forget the mind-body connection -- the
Technique offers one of the best aids in problem solving,
decision making and heightened creativity--in other words,
mental processes that physical tension gets in the way of!
Feel more comfortable in your body and access and conserve
energy that you didn't know you had.
There will be both chair and floor work. Please bring two
towels. Space is limited!
Joanne Wills is a movement specialist who is a certified
teacher of the Alexander Technique. She teaches
neuromuscular and postural education and functional movement
training. Over the course of her 16-year teaching practice,
she has worked with a diverse clientele, including cancer
patients at Cedars Sinai Hospital, those suffering with
pain, and students at Pepperdine University.
RSVP to 310-314-2555 or
reserve a
space online. This program is full. Your name
will be added to a wait list.
ONE OPTION IN THE TREATMENT ARSENAL AVAILABLE TO MANAGE
CANCER SYMPTOMS
Friday,
August 6, 2010
12:00 pm - 1:30 pm
With Melissa Dinolfo,
PharmD, BCOP
Your
pharmacist is often the one on your healthcare team to put
things in practical perspective -- and by 'things' we mean
medications! How do I take this drug? What are its side
effects? How does it ‘fit’ with my other meds? And in the
case of medical marijuana, it is very important to know how
to incorporate it safely, appropriately, and effectively
with other medications prescribed for the treatment of
cancer. Join pharmacist, Melissa Dinolfo, from Premiere
Oncology as she guides you through the role of medical
marijuana, as well as other drugs and regimens used in the
treatment of nausea, lack of appetite, and weight loss.
Melissa Dinolfo earned her Doctorate of Pharmacy in 1981 at
the University of California, San Francisco, where she also
completed a post-doctoral residency in Clinical Pharmacy. In
2009 she became board-certified in Oncology Pharmacy,
joining only 900 pharmacists in the nation who have earned
that distinction. She has been with Premiere Oncology since
its creation in 2003. Her areas of interest include clinical
trials, drug information, pain management, and patient
education.
RSVP to 310-314-2555 or
reserve a
space online.
What is
chemobrain? Is chemobrain real? Can exercise make a
difference?
After cancer treatment, patients may experience mild to
severe memory and thinking problems. Difficulty with
concentration and a short attention span are just a couple
of the symptoms that head up a very long list. What is it?!
It's called chemobrain and the medical community now
recognizes it as a real problem. But research is discovering
that there is help. There are ways to improve the brain's
functioning after cancer. Join Arash Asher, MD, as he offers
practical information about how you can help your brain help
itself during and after cancer.
Arash Asher, MD, is the Director of Cancer Survivorship &
Rehabilitation at the Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer
Institute at Cedars-Sinai. His clinical and research
interests focus on the rehabilitation of cancer patients to
help restore their maximal functional capacity and quality
of life. Dr. Asher completed an internship in internal
medicine at the University of Pittsburg Medical Center, a
physical medicine and rehabilitation residency at the
UCLA/Greater Los Angeles VA, and a cancer rehabilitation
fellowship at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas.
He is board certified by the American Board of Physical
Medicine & Rehabilitation. Dr. Asher has written the
lymphedema summary for health care professionals for the
National Cancer Institute and his research on the effects of
exercise on peripheral arterial disease was published as
abstracts.
