Amy Marash and her “cancer is SO FUNNY” Book & Blog

This is my favorite Amy Marash cartoon which she has entitled: “WHY COLON CANCER DOESN'T HAVE A GOOD RIBBON”

If you haven’t read Amy’s blog or seen any of her other cartoons, stop reading this right now and go to: http://cancerissofunny.blogspot.com/

What you’ll find is a great visualization of the cancer emotional spectrum: from fear to anger to confusion to despair to incipient hope to sorrow to sadness to courage…and I probably missed a few.

She selected some of her drawings for a wonderful book by the same name. If you know of somebody going through the agony of cancer detection/treatment, this book might help them. It might also help a caregiver or victim’s friend or somebody just interested in how an artist can create wonderfully evocative visuals in the throes of a life or death struggle.

My one complaint about her book is that it is too short. You can buy a copy here: http://www.amazon.com/Cancer-Is-Funny-Amy-Marash/dp/0557961386/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1358553504&sr=8-1&keywords=amy+marash

10 Brain Health Predictions from SharpBrains

Here’s a link to an interesting post from the SharpBrains people about a new report that predicts massive (or at least it seems massive to me) acceptance/implementation/utilization of digital programs to improve brain health. 

The report’s rather long name is “The Digital Brain Health Market 2012–2020: Web-based, mobile and biometrics-based technology to assess, monitor and enhance cognition and brain functioning.” Here’s a link to a description of the report - http://www.sharpbrains.com/market-report/

So why am I interested in this? To me, digital brain health means online brain training programs like Lumosity – www.lumosity.com – which I use three to four times/week.

Here’s the 10 predictions that the SharpBrain folks list based on the report:

1. More than one mil­lion adults in North Amer­ica alone will take a self-administered annual brain health check-up via their iPad or Android tablet.
2. More than one million amateur athletes will better manage possible concussions by taking cognitive base­line tests via a mobile device.
3. More than 150,000 teenage and adult AAA mem­bers will access web-based brain training to become safer drivers.
4. Biometrics-aided meditation will become the next big thing in corporate and consumer wellness.
5.  iPad-based cognitive screenings will inform more diagnoses of Alzheimer’s disease and MCI than neuroimaging.
6. Patients with Multiple Sclerosis in at least 10 countries will be offered online cognitive training together with drug-based therapy to help address their condition.
7. Insomnia and depression will be first-line treated with computerized Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in at least two national health services.
8. The industry’s first brain-based bio­marker to predict depression treatment responses will be cleared by the FDA.
9. Brain training firm Lumos Labs and/or biometrics-based developer NeuroSky will file for an IPO.
10.  At least one major insurer will launch an educational campaign to help adults proactively take charge of their own “brain fitness” navigating emerging research and digital brain health tools.

My takeaway from all this is a) digital brain training is well-accepted by the larger medical community and going mainstream, and b) those of us who can benefit from digital brain health tools ought to use them instead of dithering about it.

PS - And here's a link to a cool infographic that visualizes all this: http://www.sharpbrains.com/executive-summary/

"Lotsa Helping Hands" – a great idea for brain tumor victims and caregivers

As I talk to brain tumor victims, I keep hearing that victims have two kinds of problems once friends, family and co-workers know about their disease:

1. No help whatsoever (which is hugely disappointing)
2. An overwhelming amount of disorganized help

While I don’t have any suggestions for the “no help” problem, “Lotsa Helping Hands” helps you and your family organized all the good souls who want to help you, but don’t know what your need, when you need it or how to deliver it.

According to the MyCaringLink website - https://abta.lotsahelpinghands.com/caregiving/home/ - “MyCaringLink is a private, online caregiving coordination service that allows family, friends, neighbors, and colleagues to assist with the daily tasks that become a challenge during a brain tumor journey.”

What kind of daily tasks? Well, if memory serves me right, almost everything, e.g. rides to treatments, meal delivery, babysitting (both children and the victim) “and more.”

The personal website also allows you to customize sections for posting journal entries and photos so that everybody is updated on your progress (or challenges).

Actually, Lotsa Helping Hands does a better job of explaining who they are and what they do than I can, “Lotsa Helping Hands powers online caring Communities that help restore health and balance to caregivers’ lives. Our service brings together caregivers and volunteers through online Communities that organize daily life during times of medical crisis or caregiver exhaustion in neighborhoods and communities worldwide. Caregivers benefit from the gifts of much needed help, emotional support, and peace of mind, while volunteers find meaning in giving back to those in need.”

“The Five Foods That Do Wonders for Your Brain”

Here’s a link to an article by Nina Shadi that specifies five foods that grease the wheels of brains health: http://www.2baware.net/healthy-foods/five-foods-that-do-wonders-for-your-brain/

Ms. Shadi writes that “As you may know, food and calories fuel your body each day giving it the energy it needs to functions. But you also need fuel for brain as well, and there are certain foods that are better than others. Honestly, there are foods that are simply essential for brain health and strength.  Although there are many foods that support brain health, below we will discuss five foods that do wonders for your brain.”

Her five foods that “do wonders for your brain” includes:

1. Oily fish
2. Blueberries
3. Pumpkin seeds
4. Avocado
5. Chocolate

While I like all of these, the pumpkin seeds and avocado were a bit of a surprise for me.  Read her article to find out why she chose them.

Image credit: <a href='http://www.123rf.com/photo_9979398_human-intelligence-and-brain-function-represented-by-gears-and-cogs-in-the-shape-of-a-head-represent.html'>lightwise / 123RF Stock Photo</a>