Wellness Before, During and After Cancer

A simple cheek swab, with what looks like a Q-tip mean the difference between life or death for someone needing a bone marrow transplant. If you want to sign up for the National Bone Marrow Registry to potentially save a life - there's a great event coming on Saturday.

Sarah Lewis, Cancer Guide of Mayo Clinic Health System and Shannara Faupl, R.N joined the show to talk more about a Mayo Clinic Health System event called "Wellness Before, During and After Cancer."

FSCG: "Wellness Before, During and After Cancer":

10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, April 1

Oakwood Mall, near Mayo Clinic Health System kiosk

FREE

Information: 715-838-3717

Free blood pressure checks, 11 a.m. salad demonstration highlighting the benefits of sprouted grains, products for people in cancer treatment; lots of great cancer information and resources, free prize drawings & MORE!

Bone marrow drive (7th year):

o For patients diagnosed with leukemia or lymphoma & other diseases, a marrow or cord blood transplant from an unrelated donor may be their best or only hope of a cure.

o Most patients (about 70 percent) do not have a matching donor in family.

o Be the Match matches unrelated donors to those in need

o To join the Be the Match registry, you must be:

§ Between the ages of 18 and 44

§ Willing to donate to any patient in need

§ Meet health guidelines

§ Get a simple cheek swab for tissue type-testing - DEMONSTRATE

o Fill out some simple paperwork, and get swabbed at the Mayo Clinic Health System "Wellness Before, During and After Cancer" Event! (DEMO)

Advance Directives - Important to have this document in place before you actually need it. Written statement of a person's wishes regarding medical treatment, often including a living will, made to ensure those wishes are carried out should the person be unable to communicate them to a doctor.