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Bag It News
October 2023
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9 Tips To Understand Information At Your Medical Appointments You’ve likely experienced a fast-paced doctor’s appointment where lots of new and unfamiliar information came at you that was hard to grasp, especially when you were not feeling well. Health information can be complicated and confusing —even for the most highly educated people with advanced literacy skills. Although many doctors are well-practiced at translating medical jargon (referred to as "doctor speak") into understandable language for their patients, others may not be as skilled. If you and your healthcare provider come from different backgrounds or cultures, it can also make communication more challenging. Misunderstandings in medical settings or not having important knowledge about your health and care can lead to bad health outcomes. You might miss out on:- Understanding your diagnosis and treatment options to make informed decision
- Knowing what symptoms and side effects to expect and how to manage them
- Taking the right medications in the correct way and at the right times
- Following instructions for home care and follow up care
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| Bag It News |
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Welcome to our new team members
Crispin and Mikey We are thrilled to have two new team members join us this month. Crispin & Mikey will both be wonderful additions to the Bag It team and have hit the ground running. If you attend the Bag It Breakfast on Oct. 26 be sure to welcome these two women who will be in attendance, Crispin all the way from her home in New York.
Crispin Goytia's connection to the cancer journey, stemming from her role as a caregiver for a family member, led her to join Bag It, where she's committed to offering vital resources to those facing cancer's challenges. With nearly two decades of experience, she has actively engaged in a range of stakeholder-involved and clinical research projects. A significant portion of her research has been concentrated on stakeholder-engaged and community-based participatory research, especially within diverse populations. Crispin’s experience plays a crucial role in defining the approach to engaging healthcare providers in Bag It's mission. During her free time, Crispin loves reading, photography, exploring historical sites, and the newest addition to her family, Rocky, a Catahoula Leopard Dog.
Mikey Shock (she/her) is pursuing her undergrad at The University of Arizona with a double major in Psychology and Gender & Women's Studies with a Trans emphasis and minoring in Spanish. Mikey also has extensive experience in clinical psychological research from the University of Arizona in the Psychosocial Research Oncology (PRO) Lab under the direction of Dr. Heidi Hamann. After receiving her Bachelor's, Mikey plans to attend graduate school to earn her doctorate (Ph.D.) in Clinical Psychology, focusing on gender-affirming care.
As a cancer survivor (Hodgkin's Lymphoma) this past year, Mikey understands the importance of self advocacy and support through a diagnosis like cancer. When Mikey started chemo treatments, she received a Bag It Bag that helped her through the overwhelming journey of diagnosis and treatments. Since Mikey was at college, all of her support was from family who were 2,000+ miles away. Bag It helped Mikey navigate her cancer journey, and continues to help her through survivorship after remission. Mikey is extremely excited to be part of a cause that supports and guides people through their cancer journey as it has done for her. |
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| 20 Years of Bag It Impact |
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 "My story with Bag It begins 20 years ago, shortly after Sherri created the organization. I was invited to a small gathering introducing Bag It to friends and members of the community. After hearing the stories, and meeting all the wonderful people at the event, and most importantly how the bag was such an empowering tool, I knew I wanted to be involved. A small group of us met soon after to begin planning the first annual fundraising event for Bag It. And we were off to the races. My appreciation for Bag It’s mission only increased with more involvement and meeting all the amazing individuals contributing their time, talent and efforts to Bag It, and that continues today. Special gratitude to Anne, Stan, Don, Sandra and of course Sherri for making my connection to Bag It so special and meaningful for me in those early years." ~Corey Arvizu
Thank you to all those who joined us to honor 20 years of guiding those diagnosed with cancer. It was wonderful to have people who helped put together bags in Sherri's kitchen 20 years ago sharing their stories with our newest volunteers. We long for the day our resource is not needed, but in the meantime, we are beyond grateful for all of you who help Fight the Fear of Cancer.
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| Making A Difference |
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You can help Bag It raise $20,000 as we celebrate 20 years of empowering patients.
You can:
1. Make a donation: Thanks to the Zuckerman Community Empowerment Fund all donations will be matched up to $10,000 to raise $20,000 total to provide Bag It Bags.
2. Purchase a ticket or table for the October 26th Tucson Breakfast. More details here.
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| Did You Know? |
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  In honor of 20 years of Bag It we are going to have a trivia question each month so take a few minutes to explore the website and see if you can find the answers.
Where were the bags initially put together? And what about now? Submit your answer by Friday, October 27th at 12pm AZ/3pm EST to be entered into the drawing (correct answers only) for a Starbucks gift card.
Previous answers:
July - Do you know which doctor distributed the first Bag It Bag? Dr. Donald Brooks
August - Where did the idea of a Bag It Bag come from? Sherri Romanoski created the Bag to help provide survivors with reliable information so they can be their own best advocate.
September - How many people have been helped by receiving a Bag It Bag? 93,322
Congratulations to our September winner, Barbara!
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| Share Your Story |
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5 minutes of your time for an Amazon Gift Card
By sharing how the Bag It materials have helped you in your cancer journey, you can help others. Send us a short video or written testimonial on how a specific resource at Bag It has impacted your life. Your testimonial may be used for a social media post that inspires and empowers others on a similar path. For more details, email info@BagItCancer.org. Or simply fill out our feedback form.
Share your thoughts and be entered into a quarterly drawing for a $25 Amazon gift card.
Congratulations to our quarterly winner, Dori from AZ "The resources such as the scheduling pages and areas for important contacts have been very useful. My diagnosis was unexpected and we have been experiencing a whirlwind. It has really helped to have a pre-prepared/organized form rather than having to create my own. All I have to do is jot down the information for quick reference. I also enjoy the suggestions for resources and the binder. They both help me to remain organized and keep me from feeling completely overwhelmed."
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| Mark Your Calendar |
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Facebook Live Wellness Wednesdays - 11:30am (MST) - Join us once a month as we share tips for healthy living and overall wellness. Watch Live or On Demand.
Basha's and Food City Charity of the Month (Arizona)All October longDonate at the register of any Basha's or Food City location and Bag It will receive a part of those donations. Shop J McLaughlin and Support Bag It (Tucson)Saturday, Oct. 14, 10am-6pm Shop at J McLaughlin (7039 N. Oracle Rd) on Saturday October 14th and Bag it will receive 15% of purchases. You can also call in an order from anywhere (520-492-7710). It's never too early to start your Holiday shopping. You can give back while taking care of your early Holiday shopping. Fill a bag for Bag It!
SAVE THE DATE: Thursday, October 26, 2023, 7:30-9:30am (MST) Community Foundation Campus - 5049 E Broadway Blvd.
Celebrate Bag It as it has been educating, supporting and empowering those with cancer for 20 years.
Monday, October 30, 2023, 5:00-6:30pm (MST) AnCan is presenting a free webinar with Triage Cancer and Tucson Medicare Broker, Kim Umphres. Register to attend and to be sure you receive a link to the recording. The presentation will largely focus on people renewing rather than an introduction to Medicare. That said, Triage Cancer has excellent materials on its website.
Monday, January 1st, 2024 RUN, WALK, OR JOG! A great fitness run, with music, entertainment, games, delicious food at the finish line, and activities that will delight the entire family. Register today and join the Bag It Team.
Check out our 2022 podcasts that provide tips, tools, information and inspiration for anyone touched by cancer from those touched by cancer. Check out all 12 episodes of the Bag It podcast on Spotify, on Apple Podcasts, or here.
Our website shows all the upcoming Bag It hosted events and events where we will be exhibiting.
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| Spread The Word |
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Strike a conversation about Bag It
by wearing our logo!
Order your favorite styles on
Cloz Talk. |
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Bag It Educates, Supports, and Empowers those impacted by cancer.
We help patients, caregivers, and cancer advocates to Fight the Fear of Cancer through our two key programs: the Bag It bag and Escape to THRIVE. The bag helps anyone with any type of cancer to cope with their diagnosis and become active members of their treatment team. Escape to THRIVE is a national leadership conference to support cancer advocates.
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