MS Maze

Barbie is known for her long, flowing hair that can be styled again and again. But what if Barbie was bald? And what if she was bald due to cancer treatment?

There’s an online movement to encourage Mattel to create a “Cancer Barbie,” and it’s gaining supporters who see it as a good way to help children cope with cancer.

Read it: What if Barbie had Cancer?

For many social media lovers this is going to fall under the category of “too much information.”

Are you ready to step on your bathroom scales and have your weight automatically uploaded to the internet? If you’re so inclined, the wireless scale will make it easy to Facebook, tweet, and shout your progress, or lack thereof, to the world. The scale monitors weight and body fat information each time you step on the scale and can keep track of multiple users.

Fitbit introduced the Aria Wi-Fi Smart Scale to the world at the Consumer Electronics Show 2012, and it’s all about motivation. For some people, that kind of motivation might be just what they need. If it takes a village to achieve your weight goals, this is one way to go.

Read it: Ready to Tweet and Facebook your Weight?

Did you know there’s such a thing as blood shortage season? The beginning of a new year means that donations are low and blood centers need your help.

January was declared National Blood Donor Month back in 1970 for a perfect storm of reasons. People have full schedules through the holidays, the weather takes a turn for the worse in January, and cold and flu season make many potential donors ineligible, if only for a short time. But even though donations are down, the need for blood is not.

Read it and see the video: It’s Blood Shortage Season

I’m not a big fan of New Year’s Resolutions. They’re easy to make, but not so easy to keep. Last year was a real eye-opener for me, clarifying what I always suspected. Happiness can be found in simplicity.

“What is the good life? In my view, you can find it by following a startlingly simple path. The ‘pleasant life’ might be had by drinking champagne and driving a Porsche, but not the good life. Rather, the good life is using your signature strengths every day to produce authentic happiness and abundant gratification. This is something you can learn to do in each of the main realms of your life: work, love, and raising children.”

– from the 2002 book, Authentic Happiness by Martin E.P. Seligman, PhD

Read it: New Year’s Resolution: Seek Happiness in Simplicity

As we close out 2011 and welcome in 2012, it’s a good time to take stock of life. I’m not a new year’s resolution maker, but I do like to think about the previous year and where I hope the next year will take me. 2011 was a bittersweet year, one of tremendous highs and lows.

When we welcomed 2011, I wondered if I’d be around to see 2012. As it turns out, I look and feel healthier than most people I know. Aside from my still faint eyebrows and eyelashes, and my boyish haircut, there is no clue that I survived triple-negative breast cancer and ten months of very aggressive treatment, or that I have multiple sclerosis. Life is funny that way. Despite the difficulties of the year, I am truly grateful to have lived it — life is a roller coaster and I’m happy to take another turn on the ride in 2012.

Wishing you and yours all the best in the new year.

The Buzz about Secs!
No More Secs! was previously available in Nook format on Barnes & Noble, who recently added the paperback version. They listed it at a price quite a bit lower than Amazon’s list price and — not to be underpriced by anyone — Amazon has matched it. No More Secs! in paperback is now available for $10.76 at both chains. Both still carry the eBook version at $6.99.

Did you catch my first-ever podcast appearance earlier this month? I had a lovely time speaking with Trudy Thomas about living life to the fullest despite serious health issues.
Living with HOPE (Host: Trudy Thomas) 12/9/11

I’ll be visiting with Dr. Cecile Forte on January 16 on her show called, “Who You Calling Old?” Certainly no one would call me old…
Who You Calling Old (Host: Dr. Cecile Forte) Scheduled: 1/16/12

For a woman who considers herself to be an introvert, I’m certainly getting out there these days!

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When that last drop of New Year’s Eve champagne is gone and the Christmas ornaments are packed away, many people enter a state of post-holiday blues. The anticipation and planning that begins with Halloween ends when you open your eyes on the second day of January. It’s winter; the parties are over and it’s back to the daily grind. But you can beat the post-holiday blues.

Read it: 10 Ways to Beat the Post-Holiday Blues

How many acts of kindness do you carry out in a day? As you go about your busy life, you probably perform more random acts of kindness than you think. That’s what I realized when I read Linda Cohen’s 1,000 Mitzvahs: How Small Acts of Kindness Can Heal, Inspire, and Change Your Life.

In a chapter cleverly titled “Change the Toilet Paper,” Linda discusses how the little things you do can make a big difference is someone else’s day.

It’s so easy to make a difference! Find out how: How Small Acts of Kindness Can Heal and Inspire

Would you like to win $3,000? Easter Seals, supported by Google SketchUp, is hosting its second annual Sketch-A-Space contest to draw attention to the employment needs of people with autism.

Easter Seals is calling on you to use the free Google SketchUp 3D modeling software to design a space that represents your dream job, career interests, or plans for future employment.

The competition offers people with autism, those interested in learning more about autism, or those who have someone in their lives with autism an opportunity to celebrate the unique contributions people with autism make to our nation’s workforce.

Read it: Easter Seals and Google Team Up for Autism Awareness

Wonder Woman’s breasts are a real attention-getter, that’s for sure. That’s one way to promote breast cancer awareness. Throw in Catwoman, She-Hulk, and Storm, and you’re bound to get people talking.

That’s the intention of a breast cancer awareness campaign launched in Mozambique. If these powerful heroines take breast cancer seriously, you should, too.

See the images and read the story: Wonder Woman Checks Breasts for Cancer

I haven’t had much to drink. I can hold my liquor. I can still drive safely. That’s what a lot of people say right before they get behind the wheel of a car. Unfortunately, a lot of them end up dead, taking innocent victims along with them.

More people are likely to die in alcohol-related traffic crashes during the holidays than any other time of year. Statistics from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) show that during Christmas and New Year’s, the death rate for alcohol-related crashes is two to three times higher than other times of the year.

Read it: A Crash Course for Christmas

Photo Source:PR Newswire/National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health

Holidays got you down? Are you stressed about gifts and parties, and financial and social obligations to the point where you just wish you could skip the holidays altogether? Even worse, does the holiday season make you feel depressed?

If so, you’re not alone, but you might want to take a cue from Ebenezer Scrooge.

Read it: Beat the Holiday Blues: Be Like Scrooge

Are you longing for Christmas past? ‘Tis the season for reminiscing, after all. If you’re feeling nostalgic for the good old days and an old-fashioned Christmas, you’re not alone. But is all that nostalgia good for you?

The sights and sounds of the holiday season can reawaken memories and relationships, according to nostalgia expert Krystine Batcho, PhD, a professor at Le Moyne College in Syracuse, NY. Getting in touch with family and old friends reminds us of special times.

Read it: Is Holiday Nostalgia Good for You?

On the Living with HOPE podcast with the very gracious Trudy Thomas.

What is the single most important thing you can do to prevent the spread of germs this cold and flu season?

Read it: Tips to Prevent Colds and Flu (video)

Aside from a physical exam, does your doctor touch you?

By touching, I mean does your doctor look you in the eye and treat you as a whole human being? Touch your hand…perhaps even offer a hug when the situation calls for one?

After my cancer diagnosis last year, I experienced first-hand the value of the human connection in medicine.

Read it: Does Your Doctor Touch You?