Cancer Care Bag

A girl scout group is designing a cancer "care" bag for anyone going through cancer treatment.  This is such a delightful idea. Cancer treatments  are at different stages: surgery, chemo, radiation, hormone therapy, side effects of any of these. To keep it generic here are feel-good suggestions:

1. a fun (self made?) tote bag with some of these:
2. peppermint essential oil
3. 4 fl.oz of massage oil, e.g. apricot kernel oil, almond oil, coconut oil 
4. eye pillow with lavender scent 
5. CD with relaxing music
6. a journal and pens/pencils
7. stress toy
8. a fancy scarf
9. IOY for cooked meals, shopping, cleaning, mowing, etc...
10. gift card for Amazon or iTunes  

The Mermaid

A great exercise for shoulder mobility and reducing or preventing swelling is the Pilates exercise "The mermaid".
This is a slow moving exercise without static holds.

Sitting on the floor with feet tucked by your side, hold onto your ankle and arch over to that side. Then place the other hand on the floor or on a foam roller to arch over to the other side. Next "thread the needle" with the arm reaching underneath the arm that is anchored to the floor and look through. With a foam roller you can the place both hands on the roll and use core strength to roll out and in keeping the neck in alignment with the spine.

An easier alternative: sit cross legged.

1. arch over the foot

2. arch over the roll

3. thread the needle

4. roll out and in