Dental tips during chemotherapy

This is a really important subject….  I posted about this subject about a year ago and feel it so important, that I will probably repeat this post every six months or so….

(this info will not only save your teeth, but save you a bundle in major dental work down the road)

Luckily I had a dental cleaning scheduled just before I had my first chemotherapy treatment and my dentist gave me a lot of great advice on how to take care of my gums and teeth during my chemotherapy treatment to treat my breast cancer.

He explained that chemotherapy can be very hard on our gums especially due to many of the chemotherapy drugs causing dry mouth.  Dry mouth can lead to a host of dental problems including gum disease if dry mouth is left untreated!

I also found that my teeth and gums became VERY sensitive during chemotherapy treatment and unfortunately this lasted for several months after I completed chemotherapy.  Fortunately, there are many things you can do to treat dry mouth, sensitive teeth and gums, and to improve dental health ……..

There are specifics on products I found to be very helpful during my treatment that you can read about by clicking below:

Click here to read more specifics on Dental tips for chemotherapy treatment

 **Join our FREE private Breast Cancer Financial Help and Resources – Cancer Butterfly Facebook Group to ask questions, share info, and get in the info sharing first hand 🙂

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The December 5th Fund

This is an amazingly inspiring fund that we stumbled across.  Created to honor his wife who battled breast cancer for two years…  this fund gives families of a cancer patients “one great day”.The December 5th Fund was created to give families a chance to be a family again and to give them a great day full of wonderful memories that they can treasure long after the burden of cancer is gone.”

For the founder of this fund and his family, December 5 was a great day that they were able to spend as a family and have many small memorable moments.  Down the road that special day is what launched his idea of “The December 5th Fund”.

Giving one day to a family dealing with cancer so they can just be a family and enjoy!  The December 5th Fund team plans out a day full of fun small memorable moments for a family dealing with cancer.

While the family is out enjoying their day, their team of local volunteers and businesses across the city of St. Louis will make sure the family comes home to a pleasant and stress-free surprise.

It could be yard work completed, a spotless home,  or household projects completed.

 **Join our FREE private Breast Cancer Financial Help and Resources – Cancer Butterfly Facebook Group to ask questions, share info, and get in the info sharing first hand 🙂

Click the compass below to check out all of our other FREE resources:

 

 

Dial 2-1-1 for Local Resources & Assistance

Here is another great resource!  Dial 2-1-1 A free confidential service that offers information and support across North America and many parts of Canada!

2-1-1 is a free confidential referral and information helpline and website that offers help relating to financial, domestic, health, or disaster related issues.

2-1-1 can be reached either via phone or computer.  Help is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

They offer information and support relating to:

  • supplemental food and nutrition programs
  • shelter and housing options and utilities assistance
  • emergency information and disaster relief
  • employment and education opportunities
  • services for veterans
  • health care, vaccination and health epidemic information
  • addiction prevention and rehabilitation programs
  • reentry help for ex-offenders
  • support groups for individuals with mental illnesses or special needs
  • a safe, confidential path out of physical and/or emotional domestic abuse

Thousands of people call or visit 2-1-1 everyday seeking resources and assistance.

Call 2-1-1 and speak with a live, highly trained service professional in your area from any cell phone or landline. All calls are private and confidential.

**Join our FREE private Breast Cancer Financial Help and Resources – Cancer Butterfly Facebook Group to ask questions, share info, and get in the info sharing first hand 🙂

**Looking to save $$$ on your out of pocket cancer treatment medical costs ???  Click here to check out our FREE complete Cancer Butterfly Foundation Grant List 

Click the compass below to check out all of our other FREE resources:

 

New Grant Foundations for spring!

Happy Spring time!  We have run across some new grant Foundations that may be helpful to you!  The Foundations are not new, we just newly became aware of them.  So we wanted to be sure to pass on the information on these Foundations right away…..

Everything from Foundations that offer non-medical cost-of-living help, transportation, home care and child care costs.  Grants for help with outstanding medical bills, mortgage payments, tuition assistance and providing financial assistance for vacations!

My motto is apply for any that you may qualify for …..the worst they can say is “no” 🙂

***Here is the list of Foundations that have been newly added to our Cancer Butterfly Foundation List (go down the list and start applying today!):

The Pink Fund  A non-profit breast cancer organization that provides 90-day non-medical cost-of-living to breast cancer patients in active treatment for breast cancer, so they can focus on healing, raising their families, and returning to the workplace.

Apply thru website:  https://www.pinkfund.org/

The Pink Fund

P.O. Box 603

Bloomfield Hills, MI  48303

By Phone:  877.234.PINK (7465)

The Pink Fund partners with The Mary Herczog Fund for Metastatic Breast Cancer Survivors  The Mary Herczog Fund for Metastatic Breast Cancer Survivors was launched in her honor to provide six months of financial support to women in treatment for metastatic breast cancer. Metastatic survivors diagnosed under 40, as was Mary, and awaiting Social Security Disability, may qualify under The Pink Fund’s guidelines. Check back to our site on March 31, 2018 for the official launch, including details on qualifications and applications.

Apply thru website:  https://www.pinkfund.org/2018/03/26/partners-address-metastatic-breast-cancer-community/

The Pink Fund / The Mary Herczog Fund for Metastatic Breast Cancer Survivors

P.O. Box 603

Bloomfield Hills, MI  48303

By Phone:  877.234.PINK (7465)

Cancer Care  The Financial Assistance Program helps with treatment-related costs, such as transportation, home care and child care.  The Co-Payment Assistance Foundation helps with insurance co-payments to cover the cost of chemotherapy and targeted treatments.

Cancer Care

275 Seventh Avenue

New YorkNY  10001

By Phone:  800‑813‑HOPE (4673)

Call to apply:  Call 800-813-HOPE (4673) and speak with a CancerCare social worker to complete a brief interview.  They can be reached from 10 a.m.–6 p.m. (ET) Monday through Thursday, and 10 a.m.–5 p.m. (ET) on Friday.

The Angela Andrade Foundation  Grants have ranged from paying outstanding medical bills, mortgage payments, tuition assistance and providing financial assistance for vacations.

You are eligible to apply to the Angela Andrade Foundation if:

  • You are a patient with metastatic breast cancer
  • You are receiving treatment within the United States
  • You are a permanent resident of the United States

In order to apply for a grant, an applicant must mail a completed application to the address indicated below.

Download the application here:  https://angelaandradefoundation.blogspot.com/p/srchttpsdocs.html

Grants will be given in $1,800 increments. Grants will be given on an as needed basis. Recipients are selected monthly and must wait a year before applying for another grant from The Angela Andrade Foundation. The applicant must submit a completed application including confirmation from a healthcare provider (through a sealed letter). When possible, all grant payments will be made directly to service providers on behalf of the individual recipient. In some instances recipients may be eligible for reimbursement, but they must provide receipts prior to expense reimbursement.

The Angela Andrade Foundation 
The Dallas Foundation
Reagan Place at Old Parkland 3963 Maple Avenue, Suite 390
Dallas, Texas 75219
(214) 741-9898
Email:   angelaandradefoundation@gmail.com
American Cancer Society  Breakthrough research. Free lodging near treatment. A 24/7/365 live helpline. Rides to treatment.  And much more!
Call to see what all they can help YOU with for your specific situation.  
Cancer Help line:  800-227-2345

American Cancer Society Road to Recovery Program

The program is intended to assist with cancer-related appointments.  Patients must provide a 3 business day advance notice, not including the first date a ride is needed, when making requests.  All arrangements must be made through the American Cancer Society Patient Services department. Patients should NOT contact volunteer drivers directly to request rides. 

American Cancer Society Patient Services department must be notified immediately if a patient’s plans change and a ride is no longer needed.  The program is subject to volunteer availability.  A request will be submitted to determine if drivers are available.

Patients will be notified no later than one business day before the scheduled appointment to provide a status update on the request and if a driver was found. (Patients may be notified sooner than this.)  If a volunteer driver is found, patients may be contacted by the driver the night prior to the appointment.

Please feel free to call the American Cancer Society’s Patient Services department with any questions. Our toll-free number is 888-227-6333.

American Cancer Society – Hope Lodge  Each Hope Lodge offers cancer patients and their caregivers a free place to stay when their best hope for effective treatment may be in another city. Not having to worry about where to stay or how to pay for lodging allows guests to focus on getting better. Hope Lodge provides a nurturing, home-like environment where guests can retreat to private rooms or connect with others. Every Hope Lodge also offers a variety of resources and information about cancer and how best to fight the disease.

Check out webpage for more info:  https://www.cancer.org/treatment/support-programs-and-services/patient-lodging/hope-lodge.html

**Join our private Breast Cancer Financial Help and Resources – Cancer Butterfly Facebook Group to ask questions, share info, and get in the info sharing first hand 🙂

Click here to check out our complete Cancer Butterfly Foundation Grant List 

Click the compass below to check out all of our other free resources:

 

 

Join our Private Facebook group!

Join our “Breast Cancer Financial Help & Resources – Cancer Butterfly” Private Facebook Group!

This is a private facebook group where we share information and resources that will help you save money on your out of pocket cancer treatment costs from the comfort of your own home!

This is a group created by a Breast Cancer Survivor (Danielle Rivera) to help other Breast Cancer patients navigate through the financial side of cancer.

I was diagnosed with breast cancer 8 years ago at age 40 and had two young daughters at the time. I found the financial end of cancer to be very stressful and it caused me a lot of worry wondering how we would pay for my out of pocket cancer treatment expenses.

As I went through treatment I uncovered several ways to get help with my out of pocket cancer treatment costs and my hope is to help others who are burdened by this horrible disease and help ease their mind about the financial end of treatment.

I was able to save over $4,200 on my out of pocket cancer treatment costs by applying for Cancer grants and financial assistance that is available for cancer patients and I can show you how you can save too! This group is created so that cancer survivors and patients can share information with each other in order to help each other through the financial side of cancer….Welcome 

Please feel to join and ask questions in our private facebook group – “Breast Cancer Financial Help & Resources -Cancer Butterfly”