Jul 1, 2008

HEALTH MATTERS: Breast cancer survivor's healing tools include art

By LJ Anderson / Daily News columnist

The intersection of arts and health care is on the upswing. Art therapy programs are not commonplace in the nation's 5,747 hospitals, but data from the Society for the Arts in Healthcare shows that half of the 2,300 hospitals surveyed offered an arts program. A growing body of research shows engaging in art-making activities can reduce anxiety in patients with cancer and blood disease, and increase endorphin and natural killer cell levels.

Artistic self-expression may enhance, if not replace, traditional means of treatment. More importantly, it may prevent symptoms in some disorders from arising in the first place.

Mary E. Knippel is a two-time breast cancer survivor, copywriter, and creativity mentor who uses art as a healing tool in her life and in conducting workshops for others (www.openuptoyourcreativity.com). She lives in Half Moon Bay with her family.

Q: When did you first learn that you had cancer, and what type was it?

A: Conversations in my house in October 2001 revolved around the usual high school senior concerns of my daughter: college applications, homecoming, friends and homework. In the back of my mind, I was harboring anxiety about empty nest syndrome along with details of the next Coastside Women's Club board meeting and my final edit for the CoastViews story I was working on. My thoughts never lingered on whether I'd ever be diagnosed with breast cancer. So I was surprised when my daughter voiced concern as she watched a TV public service announcement during Breast Cancer Awareness Month. A matter of days later, breast cancer moved from the periphery to a life-altering priority, and again in the spring of 2004, with the addition of debilitating vertigo.

The first surgery was done on Nov. 28, 2001, on my right breast for a diagnosis of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), the most common kind of noninvasive breast cancer. All the cancerous cells were contained in the ducts, and the doctor was confident that we had gotten everything with that surgery. I had follow-up mammograms every six months after that, and things were clear until shadows appeared in the spring of 2004.

My second surgery was on April 28, 2004. It was the same diagnosis and the same breast two inches away from the first site. I have had follow-up mammograms every six months since then, and everything has been clear.

Prior to my first diagnosis, I seemed to be in reasonably good health coping with our second major move in 10 years, brought about by my husband's employers closing their doors. Then that form letter arrived with the big red "X" indicating my last mammogram showed abnormalities. I found out that I had the primary markers of women who frequently develop breast cancer: never been pregnant, on birth control in my 20s and now in my 50s, on hormone replacement therapy.

Q: Were there other personal events that challenged you, and what were they?

A: My brother, Allen, passed away in a Burnsville, Minn., hospital in July 2002. He went in with a severe cough and somehow received insulin, although he was not diabetic. His heart stopped, they revived him, but he was brain dead because he was deprived of oxygen too long. I do not have a childhood memory that does not include him, and his senseless and unnecessary death left a void in my life and the rest of the family. We have all learned to treat each other with more kindness and not to take anything for granted.

Q: What prompted you to turn to the creative arts?

A: Recovery is an ongoing process and (in going through it), I've learned that I need to make myself a priority. We have a great deal to do with our own recovery, and our attitude is just as important as any medication we put into our bodies. Opportunities to be creative surround us, from trying a new recipe to taking a new route to work. (Apart from recovering from cancer) I turned to creative arts when I realized my main malady was stress. An MRI showed no major medical conclusion why I had vertigo episodes.

Q: How do you use art, and what do you recommend to others?

A: My favorite creative expressions are writing in my journal and making collages. A collage is a visual version of a journal page, and the only supplies needed are a glue stick and your favorite magazines. After collecting images, simply glue them down and watch what happens. The resulting collage may affirm an intention, reveal a passion, or awaken a purpose for you. In keeping a journal, no writing experience is necessary. It is a safe place to vent, a trusted friend, and a tool for healing.

The hands-on experience helps you focus your energies in the present moment, and can affect every cell in the body, changing the immune system and blood flow to organs, and creating a healing physiology. Also, there is nothing like the joy of accomplishment and the bonus of being able to wear a work of art of your own hand.

Like singer-songwriter Sheryl Crow, I share the belief that our breast cancer experience was a wake-up call to take better care of ourselves, and the reason we approach life with renewed zeal. I've stepped out of my comfort zone to share this message on the many ways that you can benefit from tapping into your creativity.

LJ Anderson writes on health matters every Tuesday. She can be reached at lj.anderson@yahoo.com.