MONDAYS AT RACINE a film by Cynthia Wade

FIGHTING CANCER CREATIVELY

“When your life is at stake, why is losing your hair so hard?”

The power of movies is amazing. Cancer representation is incredibly important and often overlooked. Mondays at Racine is a movie that really does it right! Thank you Cynthia Wade!

Click Here To Visit The Movie Website

www.thewhyfoundation.org

HOPE, COURAGE AND THE POWER OF A GARDEN

FIGHTING CANCER WITH STYLE WEDNESDAY
by Allison W. Gryphon with Amy Lane from the Garden of Hope and Courage

I remember the first time I drove into the hospital where I received a good portion of my cancer treatment. I passed a little table with two chairs and a few flowers and plants around it. It was nice, but small and just off the parking lot. I remember wondering why it was there. What the point was. That was April 12, 2011, the day of my mammogram that turned into an ultrasound which led to the biopsy that delivered the scariest news I had ever received. I had breast cancer.

The second time I drove into the hospital it was for a Breast MRI. It was then I understood why that little table, surrounded by flowers and plants, was at the entrance to the parking lot. It was directly across from the door to the the imaging center. The thought of walking through those doors, on that day, still brings tears to my eyes just writing this. That imaging center was the last place I wanted to be. I was two hours early for my appointment because of the anticipation. Seeing the anxiety all over my face, the lovely woman at the front desk invited me to have a seat in the waiting room or to go outside and sit at the little table next to the flowers. That tiny little garden saved me that day. The small bit of landscaping that I hadn't understood the night before became my emotional salvation. It was the first of many hours spent at that little table next to the flowers for which I am forever grateful.

Not long ago, it was brought to my attention that I wasn't alone in my garden escapes. In 1990 a magical woman named Jan Emfield was diagnosed with Breast Cancer. She and some of the friends she made during her cancer fight found peace and strength spending time in a local garden near her hospital. They called it their, "garden of courage." Inspired and at peace, Jan began to lay out the plans for a new garden dedicated to cancer fighters and their families. 

As Jan planned and designed, unbeknownst to her, the cancer in her body was moving. It spread from her breast to her bones and in 1994 Jan lost her battle with cancer, but her dream of the garden remained. It flourished. Jan's husband Bob understood the impact and the importance of his wife's vision and pressed forward. And his friends joined him. Together Bob, Tony Margolis and Lucio Dalla Gasperina, the men behind Tommy Bahamas, brought their talents together to fully realize the Garden of Hope and Courage for Jan. Located in Naples, Florida the garden is there, "For all who seek a place of sanctuary, a quiet place to reflect upon the beauty of life."

Where is the Garden of Hope and Courage?

The garden is located in Naples, Florida on the downtown campus of the NCH Healthcare System.

Is there a fee to visit the garden?

No.

Who is the Garden of Hope and Courage For?
The garden is meant for patients of NCH, visitors and caregivers. It is open to the public and really provides a healing sanctuary for not only patients, but for the entire surrounding community. 

What is the goal of the Garden of Hope and Courage?

To provide a place of healing, sanctuary and meditation to those that need a place outside of the hospital walls. A breathing place. A place of calm.

Jan Emfield

How much of Jan is in the garden?

The garden was the vision of Jan Emfield who passed away from breast cancer in 1994. Jan had her very own garden at home and she knew and saw the healing affects her own garden provided she, her family and friends as she battled the disease. Every piece of the Garden of Hope and Courage has Jan's touch. She had created renderings and sketches of what she felt the "Garden or Hope and Courage" should have. The Garden board took her renderings and ideas to a landscape architect in Naples who followed up on the research and what a healing garden should provide and caregivers and design in the garden in that way.

The employees of Tommy Bahama are committed to extending the relaxed, positive attitude of the Tommy Bahama brand into philanthropic efforts. The company's continued support of the Garden of Hope and Courage is an example of this commitment. There is a new Garden of Hope and Courage shirt every Spring, Fall and Holiday.

To learn more about the Garden of Hope and Courage please visit www.gardenofhopeandcourage.org

Allison W. Gryphon     www.thewhyfoundationorg

TOM THOSTRUP: MAKING LOVE THE PRIORITY

The Why? Foundation's Touchstone Thursday
by Allison W. Gryphon 

Tom Thostrup. 33. It was three years ago and he was completely besotted with his beloved Ellie. 27 years old, with a wonderful career in broadcast journalism and a smile that lit up the sky, Ellie had it all. No one saw the cancer coming. And no one knew it would move so quickly. 

As cancer does, it turned Tom’s life upside down and put everything that was important in front of him and everything that wasn’t in the past.

Ellie had an aggressive breast cancer that had spread. She was in surgery and treatment immediately. She was also in love and with the impact of the cancer bomb that had dropped on both of them, Tom realized the depth of his love too. He proposed. Ellie, fought, loved lived and married her sweetheart. She fought a good two year fight and embraced the passion of life before cancer took her.

Full of love and inspiration from the girl of his dreams, three years after her initial diagnosis Tom has started the Eleanor Rose Foundation for cancer fighters and their families. The organization was created in Ellie’s memory with the goal of connecting generous service providers and cancer fighters in need. Massages, acupuncture, movie tickets, and a nice dinner out are a few of the many gifts facilitated by the Eleanor Rose Foundation. Things that make you happy, that make you feel good and thing that make you smile, just like Ellie made Tom smile straight from the heart every day.

HOW DID CANCER COME IN TO YOUR LIFE?

Ellie was my girlfriend of a year when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. She was 27 years old.

We were given the news of Ellie’s primary diagnosis by an oddly smiley doctor and although there had been some signs in that she had to undergo more tests than otherwise, it was still a real shock to both of us, because when Ellie found the lump everyone was confident that it would be benign.

HOW DID YOUR WORLD CHANGE WITH YOUR ELLIE’S DIAGNOSIS?

The day she was diagnosed I told Ellie I loved her; I hadn’t said it before but the threat of losing Ellie made me realize how important she was to me. Ellie’s primary diagnosis was traumatic but we still hoped that the surgery and chemo would cure her and that we could leave it behind. Her diagnosis with secondary breast cancer was far more devastating as the oncologist basically told us Ellie had a very limited time left.

WHAT WAS THE HARDEST PART OF WATCHING ELLIE FIGHT CANCER?

It was tough to see Ellie in pain or feeling nauseous from the effects of chemotherapy, but it was even worse when she was upset. Ellie was always so full of life and so positive, so it was really difficult to see her having a hard time mentally when dealing with cancer got her down. 

WHAT DID YOU DO TO SHOW YOUR SUPPORT?

I tried to keep her spirits up. We did fun things when she felt up to it. Going on trips away or having nice meals out. When she lost her appetite or was trying to stick to a healthier diet I tried to cook new things that she would still find tasty. Preparing for the wedding was a positive thing for her so we would talk about that too.

HOW DID YOU GET THROUGH THE DAY-TO-DAY OF HER CANCER FIGHT?

I tried to be as positive as possible when I was with Ellie so that she always had hope. I felt it was an important part of keeping her motivated during her fight.

WHAT DID YOU TAKE AWAY FROM THE EXPERIENCE?

The whole thing feels very unfair. I know I’m biased but everyone who knew Ellie would agree that she was a truly wonderful person. It’s hard to come to terms with the fact that she didn’t get to experience so many things that she wanted to. Marriage, motherhood, further career success after having worked so hard. I feel she deserved much, much more.

WHAT ADVICE DO YOU HAVE FOR FRIENDS, FAMILY AND CO-WORKERS OF CANCER FIGHTERS?

Give them space and don’t ask them for more than they can give, but when you do see them treat them like normal human beings and be supportive. They still want to have fun and in all likelihood don’t want you to act any differently around them.

WHAT ADVICE DO YOU HAVE FOR THE MEDICAL PROFESSION?

When giving people the news of their condition it’s important to be realistic, but also to explain to people what their options are. People living with cancer need hope and part of this comes with knowing the treatment options.

WHAT ADVICE DO YOU HAVE FOR OTHER CANCER FIGHTERS?

I think people have to deal with their condition in whatever way that works best for them. They should get as much information as possible from their oncologist and if they don’t have faith in the people in charge of their medical care they should seek a second opinion. 

Eleanor Rose Jeffery 8 January 1983 – May 18 2012

HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THE FUTURE? WHAT ARE YOUR HOPES AND DREAMS?

I don’t like to think too far ahead nowadays. I can’t imagine my future without Ellie but I would like to make a success of The Eleanor Rose Foundation and leave a legacy for her that will benefit other people who find themselves in the same circumstances as her.

FOR YOU IN ONE WORD WHAT IS CANCER?

Destruction.

To learn more about the Eleanor Rose Foundation please visit www.eleanorrose.org

Allison W. Gryphon 

www.thewhyfoundation.org

WHAT DOES RADIATION LOOK LIKE?

CANCER ANSWER TUESDAY

by Allison W. Gryphon, Stage 3a Breast Cancer, Diagnosed April 13, 2011

 

Before Radiation begins each cancer fighter goes through a planning process to make sure that the radiation is targeted to exactly the right part of the body. Every cancer and every person is uniquely different. This photograph was taken on the day of my planning. I was scanned and tattooed to pin point the exact location the radiation would need to hit my body. I received 8 very small tattoos. 

Here you can see all of the pen mark-ups applied to take all the needed measurements in determining where my tattoos would be placed. This photograph was taken while I was in lymphedema therapy, which is why I have the black compression sleeve on my arm, and a short time after my first reconstructive surgery, which included fat grafting and is the reason I’m wearing compression pants.

The dots in between each of the lines you see in the middle of my chest are spots where I was tattooed. The tattoos allowed the technicians to properly line up and target my radiation treatment each day through the 30 days of treatment I received. Planning is a precise and lengthy process. I was there for about two hours and was required to remain relatively still for about an hour of the appointment. My tattoos were a quick jab with a needle. It didn’t feel good by any means, but it wasn’t awful either. I received a total of 8 tattoos.

This is the side of my body where there was no cancer. No radiation was done to this side, but my entire body was taken in to consideration in the radiation planning process to ensure they targeted the cancer and did not hit anything other than what required radiation therapy. 

In radiation treatment my body was thoroughly positioned and accurately aligned by the technicians, who then stepped out to the other side of this door to reduce the risk of radiation toward the medical team. 

This is the bed which was configured specifically for the radiation of my breast.

Lying down in the radiation treatment bed, looking straight up at the ceiling, I saw this camera and more importantly it saw me. This is how the Radiation Technician was able to watch me and the process as the radiation was being targeted.

Outside of the treatment room, the Radiation Technician had a video image of me on one monitor and the details of my treatment on two others.

Once I was situated on the table, it took between 1 and 3 technicians to line up my tattoos with radiation machine's lasers.  It is a very detailed process of lining up the body with pinpoint accuracy. It took anywhere from 5 to 15 minutes to line me up for each of my 30 treatments.

Here you can see the lasers lining up with my tattoos.

Receiving radiation took about five minutes once I was in place. I was able to breathe normally, but didn’t move. I heard the buzz of the machine, but felt nothing as it was happening. To help me get through it mentally, I was able to choose whatever music I wanted to listen to. The Rolling Stones took me through pretty much every treatment. It was surreal to say the least.

Cancer Answer Tuesdays

What can I do about metal mouth? What is a good gift for a cancer fighter? How do they do radiation tattoos? How can I prepare for surgery? What should I say to someone I work with who was just diagnosed? How am I going to get through today?

Every Tuesday, The Why? Foundation will present a small, but big cancer question and answer about fighting cancer day-to-day, hour-to-hour, minute-to-minute.

If you have a question or a helpful tip, we want to hear about it. Please email us at info@thewhyfoundation.org.

A United Front: Filmmaker Allison W. Gryphon’s Battle with Breast Cancer

THE WHY? FOUNDATION - TOUCHSTONE THURSDAY

by Derek Martin Wade

If you were to ask Allison about her bout with stage III breast cancer she would not tell you about the three surgeries, six rounds of chemotherapy or month of radiation treatments she endured. She would probably not tell you about the tattoos burned into her chest that guided the lasers to the exact location of the cancer cells but she might tell you that she didn’t have a ‘bout’ with cancer. It was not a sparring match but a dirty fight, not a skirmish or a battle but a war.  Allison W. Gryphon; award-winning screenwriter, novelist and filmmaker brought every weapon in her arsenal to cancer and now she has two more; her forthcoming film What the F@#- is Cancer and Why Does Everybody Have It? and the TheWhy?Foundation.org

In Gryphon’s new film, What the F@#- is Cancer and Why Does Everybody Have It?, set to join the film festival circuit this summer, people are asked to describe cancer in one word. In my conversation with Allison, she said that when she asked her oncologist, who was at first stumped by the question, he pinpointed it in three words, “Enemy number one.”

Allison never expected to get “Enemy number one” let alone a cancer that had progressed as far as it had. She was in an age group of women who were less likely to get cancer; she was 38 years old, well below the 45 year olds and older group who were ten times more likely to be diagnosed with the same disease. In addition, a history of breast cancer did not exist in her family. Allison was also a self-admitted pilates addict and was in excellent physical shape. She cared about her body and what she put into it. She ate a healthy diet but was diagnosed with cancer anyway.

Three days after her diagnosis, Allison sat in a coffee house drinking the best coffee she had ever had and she felt “wide awake.” Everything that mattered, mattered so much more. She would no longer live her life the same and nothing would be taken for granted. It was a wake-up call.

Allison W. Gryphon did not live her life preparing for a battle with cancer but when cancer did come she was in top fighting form. German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche said, “The best weapon against an enemy is another enemy” and Allison was about to become breast cancer’s worst enemy. Allison believes that it is her healthy lifestyle that contributed to her success and gave her the strength to carry on through the rigorous chemotherapy and the cancer cell-killing radiation. In addition, she enriched her body by redefining her healthy diet by “eating clean;” a diet of organic, unrefined, minimally processed and locally grown food including antibiotic-free and growth hormone-free meats.

Allison believes that a cancer patient has to be a cancer fighter, to be proactive in their own recovery and to ask for help. She says “Fighting cancer is a team sport.” Allison’s team includes an army of friends and the The Why? Foundation.

There are hundreds of breast cancer websites that provide information in black and white text, statistics in graphs and pie charts bordered by pop up ads selling everything pink. Websites like these are filled with the ‘whats;’ What is Cancer? What are the symptoms? What are the treatments? What are the drugs and what are the chances? Nothing in these websites, including the website for the largest fundraiser for cancer research in the world aside from the U.S government, offers support for the newly diagnosed, provides emotional support for the recovering patient and answers the question ‘why?’

Allison Gryphon’s The Why? Foundation strives to provide a place for cancer patients and survivors to find answers, seek out support, community and real help. This place is an outlet for Allison’s experience as patient and survivor offering guideposts for others as well as a place for other sufferers and survivors to share their experiences. The Why? Foundation tells the recovering patient what to expect after treatment like how the simple things in our daily lives suddenly become very difficult.

There were slightly more than 230,000 new cases of invasive breast cancer diagnosed in the U.S. in 2011 of whom Allison W. Gryphon was one of them. That year almost forty thousand women died from the disease in the U.S. alone. That’s more than all the highway deaths and almost three times the homicide rate in the U.S. Allison produced her film for those cancer patients recently diagnosed and the additional 500,000 and more who are in varying stages of treatment as a means to create a united front to combat the deadly disease.

Today Allison W. Gryphon is believed to be cancer-free, is checked quarterly and is still fighting.

www.thewhyfoundation.org

SEVEN MONTHS PREGNANT AND DIAGNOSED WITH BREAST CANCER – HOW ONE WOMAN FOUND THE “SWEET SPOTS OF CANCER”

THE WHY? FOUNDATION - TOUCHSTONE THURSDAY

by Alia Tarraf

“I felt like I was really living before I got cancer.  But now I'm living in full color.  Just yesterday I drove ten hours round trip to surprise my husband at the finish line of his 100-mile Best Buddies bike race [for children with Down syndrome] he did in honor of our daughter, Sadie.  I brought Sadie with me.  It was a surreal adventure that I would have never thought about doing before the cancer.  It was an easy decision to drive the distance just to see Todd's face when he crossed the finished line.  I'm incredibly thankful to be a girl with an attitude of gratitude.  I'm now seeing all my lemons turn to lemonade and life is so sweet.”

Heidi Virkus, a vibrant stay-at-home 39-year old mother of three, was seven months pregnant when she was diagnosed with breast cancer.  It was early in the morning.  Her mother-in-law had just arrived to help her with the kids.  Ten days earlier she had found a lump that both she and her OB thought was just her mammary glands getting ready to produce milk.  Her mother-in-law had just shut the door when the phone rang.  It was Heidi’s doctor.  Everything stopped.  Heidi quickly walked into the garage, her full belly carrying her unborn child, and came undone. 

Already fighting Crohn’s disease, Heidi had to decide whether or not to have chemo during her last trimester.  What would it do to her healthy baby?  What would it do to her family?  She decided she had to take the chance in order to live.  So she could be there for her other children, Sam (8), Sophie (5), Sadie (3), her adoring husband, Todd, and the baby on the way.

After Heidi’s fourth chemo session, she gave birth to an unscathed, perfect little baby girl named Sarah surrounded by her cheering committee.  Two weeks later, she started another four rounds of chemo.  When that ended, she had a double mastectomy.  Then later, a total hysterectomy.  And after all that, she had final breast reconstruction.  Through it all, Heidi’s faith, family and friends lifted her up and helped her fight through, especially Sadie.  Sadie acts as an anti-depressant, teaching Heidi, along with her husband and other children, more about herself than anything or anyone ever could.

WHAT KIND OF CANCER DID YOU FIGHT?

I had breast cancer. It was an isolated tumor that did not spread to the nodes.

IS THERE A HISTORY OF CANCER IN YOUR FAMILY?

My aunt has ovarian cancer and my paternal grandparents had both lung and colon cancer.

DO YOU KNOW WHERE YOUR CANCER CAME FROM?

No, possibly my dad’s side.  I lived on the edge for many years, abusing my body and mind with behaviors that could have contributed, but I'm really not sure.

DID YOU THINK YOU WERE AT RISK?

No.  I have been eating healthy for the past sixteen-plus years, meditating daily and living an anti-cancer lifestyle.

WHAT WAS YOUR RECOVERY FROM SURGERY AND TREATMENT LIKE?

The anticipation was worse than the actual treatment.  I take longer to heal because I have Crohn’s disease.  The hardest part of the healing was after the double mastectomy.  I have a high threshold for pain but the drains and wounds gave me debilitating pain.  Losing my hair and lashes was incredibly humbling, especially for someone like me who is slightly hair-obsessed.  I love hair and makeup.

DID YOU EXPERIENCE ANY SIDE EFFECTS FROM TREATMENTS OR SURGERY?

Yes.  I used and still use acupuncture for the side effects which include: sensitive teeth, numb extremities, nausea, exhaustion, insomnia, light sensitivity, joint pain and hair loss.

WHAT IS YOUR MEDICAL MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE NOW?

Visiting my oncologist and surgeons every six months.

HOW IMPORTANT DID YOU FIND DIET AND EXERCISE IN GETTING THROUGH TREATMENT AND SURGERY?

Early in my chemo treatments, I exercised but as the chemo built up in my system, and the more pregnant I became, I just didn’t have the energy anymore.  I fed my body three square meals a day, all with anti-cancer foods.  The food was fuel and medicine.

HOW DID YOU GET THROUGH THE DAY-TO-DAY OF YOUR CANCER FIGHT?

I was armed with the support of my friends, family and fellowship.  I was completely taken care of.  I surrendered to the healing process, but fought the cancer with everything I had.  I surrounded myself with positive people, asked for help, let people help me and actually enjoyed many moments.  I’ve thought about writing a book called the “Sweet Spots of Cancer” because I was so surprised that I embraced the process with looking for the good.  

HOW DID YOU FIGHT CANCER EMOTIONALLY?

My anti-depressants were my kids, especially pure and sweet Sadie.  I just had and do have so much to live for.  Even knowing that my unborn child needed me kept me going.  My hubby and I grew closer.  I continued to do as much life as I could.  Practicing my faith and belief in God helped tremendously.  I already had walked through having a special needs child. We knew we could handle cancer.

WHAT DOES BEING A SURVIVOR FEEL LIKE?

I am woman.  Hear me roar!  I am tougher than I thought.  It’s just such a huge relief. On the other hand, it’s super hard to readjust to “normal” life.  I’ve had a whirlwind of a year and during that time I had a baby too!  It’s almost like I’m waking up and saying, “Oh, wow, when did this fourth kid come and live here?”.   The calm after the storm with just gray days are actually sometimes more difficult than the high drama of the past cancer-fighting year.

WHAT ADVICE DO YOU HAVE FOR OTHER CANCER FIGHTERS?

Take good care of yourself.  Not just for you, but for the people around you.  Ask for help.  Sleep.  Write.  Shop a little.  Go on walks.  Watch TV.  Read.  Talk.  Cry.  Cry some more.  Laugh.  Eat Well.  Pray.  Thank.

WHAT ADVICE DO YOU HAVE FOR THE MEDICAL PROFESSION?

Keep an open mind to new treatments and ideas.  Anything is possible.

WHAT ADVICE DO YOU HAVE FOR FRIENDS, FAMILY AND CO-WORKERS OF CANCER FIGHTERS?

Buckle your seatbelts and put your own oxygen mask on first.  I made sure my husband and family were not completely putting their lives on hold.  Find healthy outlets.  You’re fighting this together.  It’s sometimes harder for the caregiver than even the patient.

HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THE FUTURE?  WHAT ARE YOUR HOPES AND DREAMS?

I want to live until I’m 120 years old.  I had kids a little later in life so I want to be a fully functional grandma someday.  I just want to be healthy and enjoy watching my kids grow up and make life choices that support healthy and happy living.  I have become more of a giver because of this process.  The people in my life poured money, food, time, energy and love my way when I was sick.  It’s time to give back.

FOR YOU IN ONE WORD, WHAT IS CANCER?

Life.

SMILE FOR CANCER FIGHTERS!

Click here to visit The Why? Foundation

and add your smile to our WALL OF SMILES

www.thewhyfoundation.org/wall-of-smiles/

A Tattoo to Transcend a Breast Cancer Battle

A couple of months ago, I received a message from Angelica Scott with the subject line:
"A Tattoo to Transcend a Breast Cancer Battle - Allison W. Gryphon's Story."  It stood out, especially in contrast to the tattoo supply promos and nude photos from strangers that usually flood my Inbox. I was put in touch with Allison, and indeed, she has an incredible story that is inspiring to all, even beyond those fighting cancer.

Click to read the complete article at Needles and Sins.
http://www.needlesandsins.com/2012/08/a-tattoo-to-transcend-a-breast-cancer-battle.html

11 Ways to Manage Cancer While You're Working

Know Your Legal Rights. Become an Expert on Your Cancer. Be Upfront with Your CoWorkers. Accept Help. Ignore Naysayers. Do What Makes You Feel Good. Take Advantage of Flextime. Take a Real Sick Day. Schedule Chemoterapy Strategically. Work Fewer Hours. Put the Brakes on Your Career -- For Now. Click the Link Below to Read The Full Article at iVillage.
http://www.ivillage.com/11-ways-manage-cancer-while-youre-working/4-b-459298#459295

I just opened one of my many cancer fight journals to a page that begins with, “Cancer is needing someone to put your hair in a ponytail because you can’t.” The cancer had spread to my lymph nodes, which expanded the surgery. I had a lymph node dissection, which severely limits the range of motion in your arm. It’s amazing what you can’t do by yourself. Lifting my arm at all was a challenge. Putting my hair in a ponytail myself was a fantasy. Fighting cancer is a team sport. Thank you Team! xo Allison

Full Recovery. Pain Relief. Emotional Understanding.

Karen Joubert and I met after I was diagnosed with Stage IIIa breast cancer and had undergone a mastectomy and lymph node dissection. I had poor range of motion in one arm from the surgery and was facing chemo, radiation and more surgery. Karen and "Team Joubert" were extraordinary in every way. They helped me learn more about my body and how to identify and convey what I needed to heal. It wasn't long before I had full range of motion...

www.joubertpt.com/testimonials

Pilates Plus/SPX Fitness Got Her Through Breast Cancer

October 10, 2011. Breast Cancer Survivor Allison, W. Gryphon with

Fitness Expert and Pilates Plus/SPX Fitness Founder, Sebastein Lagree.

Two Weeks After Chemo Ended and Two Days Before Reconstructive Surgery.

www.lagreefitness.com

Behind the Scenes of What the F@#- Is Cancer and Why Does Everybody Have It?

Steven H. Applebaum, M.D., Hematology, Medical Oncology explains

chemotherapy and shares his own skin cancer diagnosis.

RN Nurse Navigator Tina Ivie shares her story of being diagnosed with

Breast Cancer while working as a Breast Cancer Nurse Navigator.

Sam Kaufman shares the battle he had with Prostate Cancer.

Kristin Chenoweth shares the story of her mother’s four battles with

cancer and how her mom’s courage has changed her life.

Allison W. Gryphon mid-interview with Don Hahn.

What the F@#- Is Cancer and Why Does Everybody Have It? is currently filming and due to be completed in late 2012.

Breast Cancer Survivor’s Battle, Allison W. Gryphon

In this video, author and filmmaker Allison W. Gryphon spoke with Lisa Schneider-Cipriano, host of Breast Cancer Answers, sharing her breast cancer experience and how she battled back against the disease. Allison explains how she used diet, exercise and positive attitude to get her to where she is today, disease free.
http://www.breastcanceranswers.com/allison-w-gryphon-breast-cancer-survivors-battle/

What Is The Why? Foundation

ABOUT THE WHY? FOUNDATION

THE ORGANIZATION: The Why? Foundation is a cancer resource center being created by A.W. Gryphon as a response to her April 2011 breast cancer diagnosis.

THE WESBITE: The Why? Foundation website due to launch in late 2012 will serve as an easy-to-use resource website which offers information on all cancers in a clear and straightforward manner, the presentation and access being based on the understanding that cancer fighters and caretakers are generally overwhelmed and stressed for time and energy.

FIGHTER BAGS: As The Why? Foundation evolves Fighter Bags will be introduced. Fighter Bags will be made available to anyone with a cancer diagnosis and will include a selection of donated products intended to help each cancer fighter recipient mentally, physically and emotionally.

THE BLOG: The Why? Foundation blog is up and running. Intended to share news, inspiration and tid bits on everything from diet to research to people making a difference this is more of an informal blog open to and interested in a wide range of cancer related information.

ABOUT A.W. GRYPHON

Allison W. Gryphon is a novelist, filmmaker and breast cancer fighter with a passion for story and an undying appetite for living life to the fullest. On April 10, 2011 Allison found a lump in her breast. On April 13th she was diagnosed with stage IIIa breast cancer. On May 3rd she had a mastectomy and lymph node dissection. Allison has since been through chemotherapy, breast reconstruction, lymphedema therapy and radiation. During the process she stuck to her boot camp pilates classes, researched the foods, products and exercises that would keep her strong and continued working with minimal time off.

Allison was never sick during chemotherapy. Her recovery from both surgeries went remarkably well. Her hair has started growing at quick rate… And on a daily basis someone is coming to her wanting to know how she did it. People with cancer, friends and family of people with cancer, parents looking for new healthy habits to share with their children, people who have questions about cancer that they are too afraid to ask… the list goes on and for reasons which she can’t quite explain people are simply comfortable with Allison and want to hear what she has to say. She does her best to make time for everyone.

Allison had cancer, but her decision not to let cancer have her turned the experience into what she says is the best thing that ever happened to her. As a woman and as an artist she has become more than she ever imagined and happiness is something that she understands on an entirely new and profound level.

On the creative side, Allison’s first novel, Blood Moon, is out on shelves worldwide and her first feature film, La Cucina, premiered on Showtime in December of 2010. La Cucina won the honor of ‘Best Picture’ at both The Beloit International Film Festival and the Los Angeles Backlot Film Festival, as well as ‘Best Screenplay’ at the Bragacine Festival International de Cinema in Portugal. In April of 2010, Ms. Gryphon launched a movie and TV insider interview column called Monday Morning Hollywood at Examiner.com. In January of 2011, she began A.W. Gryphon’s Bits & Pieces, a Flash Fiction blog, which serves as an outlet for a wide array of genres and works.

Allison is currently working on the next book in her Blood Moon series as well as producing a documentary about dealing with cancer in our modern world, writing about her cancer journey, lending her body to a series of photographs documenting the breast cancer process and raising awareness for various causes, including Tippi Hedren’s Roar Foundation, where she is an active member of the Advisory Board.

ABOUT THE FEATURE DOCUMENTARY WHAT THE F-@# IS CANCER AND WHY DOES EVERYBODY HAVE IT?

I’m working to make the film I wanted to see when I was diagnosed with cancer. – Allison W. Gryphon

On April 10, 2011 Allison W. Gryphon found a lump in her breast. On April 13th she was diagnosed with stage IIIa breast cancer. Her immediate instinct was to pick up a camera and start asking questions. Not only for herself, but for all of us.

What The F-@# Is Cancer and Why Does Everybody Have It? is one cancer fighter’s journey of hope into the medical unknowns and emotional avalanche that is the cancer crisis.

What the f-@# is cancer and why does everybody have it? Perhaps dropping the f-bomb in the question and title is a bit extreme, but so is the fact that an estimated 1 in 3 people will be diagnosed with cancer in our lifetime.

What The F-@# Is Cancer and Why Does Everybody Have It? is not a film about a disease and what it is to have cancer medically speaking. This is a documentary about people. Average, ordinary and extraordinary people who were going on with their lives from day to day and then one day found themselves on the other end of a frightening diagnosis.

Through a series of interviews and shared journeys, What The F-@# Is Cancer and Why Does Everybody Have It? will take you through the facts, the questions, the unknowns, and the theories of what cancer is and why it is so prevalent in the modern world. The knowledge will unfold through the shared experiences of cancer fighters, friends and families of cancer fighters along with experts on western medicine, eastern medicine, alternative therapies and related fields.

For many, cancer is a cell under a microscope. For others it is a symbolic ribbon, a local fund raiser or a jar calling for help in the checkout line at the grocery store. For Allison W. Gryphon, cancer is a disease too big for how smart we are. It is a question that we should have more answers to.

“More personal to my experience, cancer is standing in the shower after your first biopsy all alone and having been told that keeping the scab intact is the most important thing, then pulling the tape off under the water as instructed and taking the entire scab off with it. Cancer is the horror of not knowing what to do standing in that shower all alone at six in the morning, before the doctor is in, and not trusting anyone else to tell you everything is going to be alright. For me Cancer is being closer to yourself than you ever imagined. It’s knowing who your friends, family and dedicated co-workers really are. It is a clarity, almost indescribable, about what is and isn’t important in life; enjoying a walk on the beach on a level you could have never imagined and truly tasting the sweetness of a fresh strawberry for the first time.”

Cancer is something different to each individual person going through it. It’s all relevant and understanding what cancer is to each person affected by it is just as important to the process as the cells being studied under the microscope. Cancer is about science and study and the practice of medicine, but most importantly cancer is about people. What The F-@# Is Cancer and Why Does Everybody Have It? is about understanding and celebrating those people. It’s about really hearing their voices and being invited in to those experiences in a way that will allow the viewer to walk away with inspiration, questions, hope, understanding and hopefully a desire to understand more and make things happen.

Directed by A.W. Gryphon
Produced by Alan Caudillo, A.W. Gryphon, Jackie Linder Olson, Justin Stirling

The film is currently in production and due to be completed in winter of 2012.

LIKE WHAT THE F-@# IS CANCER AND WHY DOES EVERYBODY HAVE IT? on FaceBook for updates and news about the film.