Lutheran Medical Center's annual Pink Hat Tea event invites all those affected by breast cancer to celebrate survivorship and cultivate awareness through educational discussions and fun activities this Saturday. Dedicated to "brewing a stronger you," survivor, author and ESPN correspondent Shelley Smith will be the keynote speaker, one of the many programs throughout the day to promote being active throughout breast cancer diagnosis, treatment and into remission.
Held at the Arvada Center, you must pre-register, the tea is one of Lutheran Medical Center, Cancer Centers of Colorado's most popular events. Along with Smith's speech, there will be a panel discussion and presentations on health and fitness including yoga and Zumba demonstrations.
"The current data shows that being active, even thirty minutes a day, along with a healthy balanced diet helps reduce your risk of breast cancer or recurrent (cancer)," Janette O'Brien of the cancer services department at Lutheran Medical Center said. "No matter what age, it's never too late to get active."
Based on a community needs assessment, the cancer services department discovered that women needed more information on breast cancer prevention and survivorship. Many women go through treatments and make it to remission without having a community to bond with.
Breast cancer survivor Peggy Nolder first heard about the Pink Hat Teas in 2010 when she began attending a Lutheran Medical Center support group after her diagnosis. She's attended every Pink Hat Tea since, and has recruited new members along the way.
Her daughter, who was in high school during Nolder's mastectomy and the recovery thereafter, now attends for education and awareness.
"My daughter participates and she sees how people have survived this, including me," Nolder said.
The event aims to educate all women about preventing, treating and surviving breast cancer.
"We open the event up for survivors and their guests to educate everyone on current screening guidelines and how they can reduce their risk of breast cancer," O'Brien said. "We are able to educate both audiences."
The pre-registration will include some general questions gauging the attendees' knowledge of breast cancer and prevention. This gives O'Brien and her team an idea of what panel discussions and informational sessions need to include. Then, at the end of the day there will be a follow-up questionnaire to measure what guests learned.
"It's a great tool because you can really know that you're impacting people's knowledge base," O'Brien said. "Every person you touch understands that this is important, preventable and treatable--;It's a great thing."
The panel discussion, for instance, will provide a place for guests to ask questions about treatments, medications and anything that's related to breast cancer. While the topics might be scary or sad, the mood stays positive.
"We are talking cancer here--;chemo and various treatments or surgeries --; it's pretty serious stuff," Nolder said. "but I don't leave there with any kind of gloom."
In addition to inspirational and educational speakers and panels, there will also be a market with vendors ranging from purses and jewelry to care packages you can send to patients.
Nolder also has a professional colleague who is a fellow breast cancer survivor that will be attending this year.
"I especially wanted my co-worker to come for the whole survival aspect of it," Nolder said. "It's weird, you do get a special feeling that although you wish you weren't in this special club, you are."
Both Nolder and O'Brien look forward to a noteworthy part of the program when all the survivors stand to be recognized with applause.
"The outreach and education at this event is priceless but we have a lot of fun at the same time," O'Brien said. "There's something very powerful about being a room ... and seeing all the survivors stand."
from Lakewood Sentinel - Latest Stories http://lakewoodsentinel.comhttp://wheatridgetranscript.com/stories/Pink-Hat-Tea-to-celebrate-cancer-survivors,211310?branding=15
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