WOMEN'S HEALTH ~ Caring Connections A Cooperative Health Program for Women offered by the Bangor Y and Eastern Maine Medical Center through the philanthropic activities of Healthcare Charities. Caring Connections has recently been notified the Avon Breast Care Foundation will assist Caring Connections with a supplemental grant in 2007 - the second year Avon is assisting this need program. Download ENCOREplus Newsletter March - April 2008 Download ENCOREplus Newsletter May - June 2008 If you have trouble reading our newsletter, click here to download Adobe Reader CARING CONNECTIONS Breast and Cervical Health Program Provides no-cost pap tests, mammograms, and related services to women 40 years of age and older through the Maine Breast & Cervical Health Program. Women must qualify financially and be underinsured (have insurance with a high deductible) or uninsured. Call Ro LeGasse or Robin Long at 941-2808 to learn more about this program. Early detection is your best protection. Bridging The Gap Bridging The Gap (BTG) is a program funded by a grant from Susan G. Komen for the Cure - Maine Affiliate. BTG provides breast health exams and imaging to women ages 30-39 who are at high risk or have symptoms of concern. Women in their 20's with symptoms concerning them can also receive services at no cost. Women must qualify financially and be underinsured or uninsured. If you are a woman between 20 and 39 years old, and are concerned about your breast health, call Caring Connections at 941-2808. Bone Health Information & Discussion Groups These sessions are a combined project of the Health & Fitness Department and Caring Connections. Groups meet each month. Speakers on maintaining/improving bone health are scheduled monthly. Calcium-rich food samples and recipes are also provided. These groups are for you, whether you have strong bones, osteopenia (some bone loss), or osteoporosis. Learn how to enhance both your bone health and overall health though daily lifestyle choices. Call Caring Connections at 941-2808 for meeting dates and topics or to be placed on the mailing list. Bridging Books Bridging Books is a project that provides resource and information packets to women newly diagnosed with breast cancer. Over 40 surgeons in Eastern and Northern Maine give a packet containing a foundation book and other resource materials to women on the day of diagnosis. Bridging Books is funded by the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation - Maine Affiliate. Bridging Books provided resource packets to more than 300 women in eight counties in 2006. ENCOREplus ENCOREplus is a national YWCA program designed to assist women diagnosed with breast cancer. ENCOREplus offers a safe environment of support and understanding for women with questions and concerns that accompany a diagnosis of breast cancer. ENCOREplus groups meet regularly in Bangor, see times below, and in Calais, Dover-Foxcroft, Ellsworth, Millinocket, Pittsfield and Presque Isle. Call Caring Connections for other meeting times and contact information at 941-2808. ENCOREplus in Bangor - Meetings MEETING Schedule: Wednesdays, 12:30pm Isaac Farrar Mansion on Union Street, Bangor, Swim time in the Means (warm water) Pool for ENCORE members who are interested - from 2 - 3 p.m. PLEASE NOTE! Summer Schedule for Wednesday ENCOREplus During the Summer months, the ENCOREplus Wednesday meetings will take place on the 2nd and 4th Wednesday of the month at 12:30 p.m. 2nd Tues of the month, 5:30 pm, Isaac Farrar Mansion on Union Street, Bangor ENCOREplus - the evening session (on the 2nd Tues of the month) welcomes not only women with breast cancer, but also their partners, friends, spouses, or adult children to the discussion/ informational group. For more information, call Ro or Robin at 941-2808. Dates to Remember . . . ENCOREplus Summer Picnic - Wednesday, July 23rd. Gathering site is at the home of Maureen and Paul Greene on the lake in Newport. BEACH to BEACH - Sunday, August 10th. Caring Connections' biggest fundraiser of the year! How can you help? You can swim or you can kayak as a support person. You can help out at the beach. You can make a donation. You can tell all of your family and friends about BEACH to BEACH. New option this year! If you would like to swim and raise funds for us, but have other plans on August 10th, give us a call. Saturday, August 2nd and August 9th are set aside so you can complete your swim in the pool at the Bangor Y. ENCOREplus Retreat - Friday, September 5th at 4 p.m. through Saturday, September 6th at 7 p.m. This event is specifically for women who are living with breast cancer. The Retreat is held at Camp Jordan on Branch Lake, outside of Ellsworth. Susan G. Komen for the Cure events: Race for the Cure - Sunday, September 21st, 2008. Join our community team: the ENCORE ENERGIZERS. The Team is forming now and hopes to be the LARGEST community team and the community team that is the BIGGEST fundraiser for Race for the Cure. Survivors Reception - Saturday, September 20th, 2008 Blues for the Cure - Friday, September 19th, 2008 BREAST HEALTH AND BREAST CANCER RESOURCES BREAST HEALTH Breast & Osteoporosis Center of Eastern Maine Medical Center is the most comprehensive and technically advanced breast health service in the region. The BOC offers digital mammography, breast ultrasound, computer-aided detection (CAD), screening & diagnostic bone density tests, breast biopsy services, prosthetic & undergarment fittings for women with breast cancer, and other related services. Caring Connections - at the Bangor Y. Read about our no-cost programs related to breast & cervical health. Invite us to speak at your club, group, or employment site. Call us at 941-2808 for more information or go to www.BangorY.org and read about Caring Connections under Women's Health. Maine Breast & Cervical Health Program - learn whether you can qualify for no-cost breast & cervical health screening services. Call MBCHP at 1-800-350-5180 to see if you qualify to receive these screening services at primary care sites throughout Maine, or call Caring Connections at 941-2808 x 337 or 338 Maine Breast Cancer Coalition - www.mainebreastcancer.org Read about the coalition's work and the Support Service Fund. The SSF provides financial assistance to people in Maine for breast health & breast cancer-related needs. 1-800-928-2644 or download a membership or Support Service Fund application from the website. Sisters Network Inc. www.sistersnetworkinc.org 1-866-781-1808 Susan G. Komen for the Cure - Maine Affiliate www.komenmaine.com 207-262-7117. PO Box 1626, Bangor, ME 04402-1626. Komen organizes The Race for the Cure, and it provides grants in Maine for several programs that offer breast health services. Susan G. Komen for the Cure www.komen.org This is the national website. 1-800-462-9273 BREAST CANCER Adjuvant! - The site where you can learn more about the risks and benefits of adjuvant (after initial breast cancer treatment) drugs. This is where your doctor can find a program that will calculate the benefit of various treatments in your individual case. www.AdjuvantOnLine.com American Cancer Society - a good resource for the entire family. Has Reach to Recovery, Road to Recovery, and many other helpful programs www.cancer.org Caring Connections - at the Bangor Y. To learn about our ENCOREplus support and discussion groups for women with breast cancer, call us at 941-2808, or e-mail us at CareConn@BangorY.org, or go to www.BangorY.org and look in Womens Health. Caring Connections has several programs for women with breast cancer, including the Women's Network and a Retreat on Branch Lake in September of each year. The ENCORE Energizers, a team of survivors, family, friends and supporters, is the largest community team at the Race for the Cure each year. ENCOREplus - a support, education and discussion program for women with breast cancer. ENCOREplus groups are located in Washington, Hancock, Piscataquis, Penobscot, Aroostook and Somerset counties. Groups are managed by trained volunteers. The sessions provide a time to express feelings and concerns related to breast cancer, including mastectomy and other forms of breast cancer surgery; radiation therapy, hormone therapy, chemotherapy and much more. For more information, call Caring Connections at the Bangor Y at 941.2808. Fertile Hope - www.fertilehope.org Focsues on fertility issues in women with breast cancer. Inflammatory Breast Cancer www.ibcsupport.org This site provides accurate information for patients with inflammatory breast cancer. Kids Connected www.kidsconnected.org 1-800-899-2866 Living Beyond Breast Cancer www.lbbc.org 1-800-753-5222 Living with Breast Cancer www.breastcancer.org - this site is a good overall resource. It was created by Dr. Marissa Weiss, a radiation oncologist. Maine Affiliate - Susan G. Komen for the Cure www.komenmaine.com 207-262-7117. PO Box 1626, Bangor, ME 04402-1626 Komen for the Cure manages the large fundraiser, Race for the Cure, and it provides grants in Maine for several programs that offer breast health services. Maine Breast & Cervical Health Program - learn whether you can qualify for no-cost breast & cervical health screening services. Call MBCHP at 1-800-350-5180 to see if you qualify to receive these screening services at primary care sites throughout Maine, or call Caring Connections at 941-2808 x 337 or 338 Maine Breast Cancer Coalition - www.mainebreastcancer.org Read about the coalition's work and the Support Service Fund. The SSF provides financial assistance to people in Maine for breast health & breast cancer-related needs. 1-800-928-2644 or download a membership or Support Service Fund application from the website. Maine Lymphedema Network www.mainelymphonet.org 1-800-326-8855 Mautner Project for Lesbians with Cancer www.mautnerproject.org 1-202-332-5536 Men Against Breast Cancer www.menagainstbreastcancer.org 1-866-547-6222 National Breast Cancer Coalition www.natlbc.org and www.stopbreastcancer.org A national organization focused on political and policies issues. National Cancer Institute - a very comprehensive site, with data for both doctors and patients. it lists clinical trials and is a good source of accurate, unbiased information. www.cancer.gov 1-800-422-6237 National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. www.nccam.nih.gov A good place to seek out scientific information about complementary and alternative therapies. National Institutes of Health www.nih.gov National Institutes of Health Clinical Trials www.clinicaltrials.gov National Institutes of Health - Complementary and Alternative Medicine www.ncam.nih.gov National Lymphedema Network www.lymphnet.org 1-800-541-3259 This network offers support to people with lymphedema. Sharesheret (for young Jewish women) www.sharsheret.org 1-866-474-2774 Susan Love, MD www.SusanLoveMD.com Y-Me National Breast Cancer Foundation www.y-me.org 1-800-221-2141 a national organization that is focused on support. They have a 24-hour hotline (800/221-2141) to help answer and provide direction for clinical questions. Young Survival Coalition www.youngsurvival.org 1-212-916-7667 Focused on young women diagnosed and living post breast cancer treatment. Back to Health & Fitness page.