Once your child has been diagnosed with cancer and the treatments have begun, it is not often that they get to do “normal” things. Going on the internet can be informative for you and fun for them.

The doctor has told you that your child has cancer. You are processing the information and begin your search on websites, with organizations, doctors and anything else that can give you the information you need to begin treatment and get through this very difficult time. What you don’t think about is “you.”

Although this is next to impossible to consider, if you do not take care of yourself, you will not have the strength or fortitude to do what needs to be done. Once your child is diagnosed, the most important thing for them to have first and foremost is you. Here are some tips to help you so that you can help them:

Ever hear the expression, "An apple a day...?" Of course you have and it may be truer than you think.

It turns out that consuming Red Delicious Apples - the skins in particular - can even slow the generation of cancer cells. That's right! Apples!

The key is in the skins of the Red Delicious.

Now look, there are many fruits that contain antioxidants. Frankly, apples are not even among the highest producers of antioxidants of the fruits we consume most. But studies have shown that Red Delicious apple skins contain more of the antioxidant known as polyphenols than seven other kinds of apples.

"So what," you may be thinking, right?

Depressed, anxious, afraid, angry, helpless, alone.

These are just a few of the feelings you may experience during your cancer treatment. It's normal. These feelings can adversely affect your appetite and personal life and any of the basic day-to-day activities you enjoyed previously.  

There are many things you can do to cope with your feelings during treatment.  Here are some ideas that have worked for other people.
Eat your favorite foods on days you do not have treatment.  This way, you enjoy the foods, but they won’t remind you of something upsetting.

Relax, meditate, or pray.  Activities like these help many people feel calm and less stressed.

It is very possible you can. Bone Marrow and Stem Cell donation are a unique opportunity to give someone the gift of life. More than 10,000 children and adults each year rely on the generosity of these donations to save their lives.

What are Bone Marrow and Stem Cell donation?

• A majority of bone marrow donations are done using a non-invasive procedure where blood is taken out of a donor, the stem cells are removed, and the remaining platelets are re-injected into the donor's body. This is called a peripheral blood stem cell donation. To increase the number of blood-forming cells in the bloodstream, medicine injections are given for five days. The procedure generally requires two outpatient stays in the hospital.
  
  
• The other, less common method consists of liquid marrow being collected straight from the bone via a hollow needle. It is done under anesthesia and the donor may experience some discomfort afterwards, but this is usually temporary and does not cause any long-term side effects.
  
  
• Expectant mothers can choose to donate umbilical cord blood. No blood is taken from you or your baby, only from the umbilical cord itself after your baby is born. Your labor and delivery are not affected.