by Bag It Team | Mar 10, 2026 | Educational Articles
Facing a health issue—whether it’s cancer or another serious diagnosis—can quickly feel overwhelming. Between medical appointments, new information, and emotional stress, it’s easy to feel like you’re navigating it all alone.
That’s why building a support team can make such a meaningful difference.
A support team may include healthcare professionals like social workers, patient navigators, nurses, and doctors, as well as family members, friends, caregivers, or community organizations. Each person may play a different role—helping you process information, attend appointments, manage daily responsibilities, or simply offering emotional support.
Support teams are valuable for anyone navigating a health challenge, not just cancer. Having trusted people around you can help reduce stress, improve communication with providers, and make it easier to focus on your health and well-being.
Many people also find support through peer communities—connecting with others who have faced similar experiences.
Types of Support That Can Help You
Support often comes in several forms, and each can play an important role during a health journey.
Emotional support—Having someone who listens and understands can help reduce feelings of stress, fear, or isolation. This might be a friend, counselor, social worker, or support group.
Practical support—Daily responsibilities like meals, transportation, childcare, or household tasks can become more difficult during treatment or recovery. Accepting help with these tasks allows people to focus their energy on healing.
Practical support—Daily responsibilities like meals, transportation, childcare, or household tasks can become more difficult during treatment or recovery. Accepting help with these tasks allows people to focus their energy on healing.
Medical information can sometimes feel complex or overwhelming. Trusted educational organizations, healthcare professionals, and patient communities can help people understand their options and feel more confident asking questions.
While support may look different for everyone, even a small network of trusted people can make navigating health challenges more manageable.
Simple Ways to Start Building Your Support Team
Creating a support system doesn’t require a large group of people. Often, it begins with small steps:
Bring a trusted person to medical appointments to help listen and take notes
Write down questions before appointments so you feel prepared
Accept help with specific tasks like rides, meals, or errands
Ask your healthcare team about social workers, patient navigators, or local support services
Connect with organizations and communities that provide education and peer support
Support needs can change over time, and your support team may grow or shift throughout your health journey. What matters most is knowing you don’t have to navigate it alone.
Additional Resources
Readers looking to learn more about building support during health challenges may find these resources helpful:
Cancer Support Community—Free support groups, educational resources, and navigation services for patients and families. These organizations offer tools and information that can help individuals and families feel more supported during a health journey. These organizations offer tools and information that can help individuals and families feel more supported during a health journey.
Bag It Cancer Resource Center—Bag It can serve as your first stop when you are searching for reliable, respected, researched and updated information available on a wide array of topics related to cancer. Topics include: Caregiver & Family Resource, Insurance, Legal Rights, Hospice, Supportive Care and much more.
by Bag It Team | Jan 13, 2026 | Educational Articles
Consider Health Goals That Meet You Where You Are
January often brings messages about transformation—new habits, new routines, new expectations. For many people impacted by cancer, those messages can feel overwhelming or disconnected from reality.
Health doesn’t look the same for everyone, and it rarely follows a straight line. Treatment, recovery, caregiving, and survivorship all come with their own rhythms. Some days are about strength and momentum; others are about rest and simply getting through.
Rather than focusing on traditional resolutions, this season can be an opportunity to think differently about health—through smaller, more compassionate intentions. These intentions aren’t about fixing or improving yourself; they’re about noticing what you need and responding with care.
That might mean:
- Listening closely to your body and honoring rest without guilt
- Letting go of expectations about what health “should” look like
- Asking for support sooner, even when it feels uncomfortable
- Choosing movement, nourishment, or connection in ways that feel gentle and supportive
- Giving yourself permission to move at your own pace
For many people impacted by cancer, health goals are shaped by things outside of their control—treatment schedules, energy levels, emotions, and the needs of loved ones. In that reality, traditional goal-setting can feel unrealistic.
That’s why compassionate health goals begin with listening. Listening to your body, your emotional capacity, and what feels sustainable right now. These intentions allow for flexibility, rest without guilt, and adjustments when energy changes—while honoring mental and emotional well-being alongside physical health.
Health is not meant to be navigated alone. Support—from people, healthcare providers, and community organizations—plays an important role. At Bag It Cancer, our Bags are designed to be small reminders that care and connection can show up in simple, meaningful ways.
As the year unfolds, consider checking in with yourself often. Your needs may change, and that’s okay. Health intentions don’t need to be big or visible to matter. Sometimes the most meaningful steps are quiet ones, taken one day at a time.
Caring for yourself in ways that feel realistic and kind is always enough.
by Bag It Team | Apr 7, 2025 | Educational Articles
Why It Matters & How Bag It Can Help
March is Records Management Month—a perfect time to assess how you organize and manage your healthcare records. Whether you’re navigating a new diagnosis, managing a chronic condition, or simply keeping up with routine checkups, having your medical records organized can save time, reduce stress, and empower you to be an active participant in your care.
Why Keep Your Healthcare Records Organized?
Medical records contain essential details about your health history, including test results, treatment plans, medications, and doctor’s notes. Keeping track of these documents helps you:
- Ensure accurate and consistent care – Having records readily available helps healthcare providers make informed decisions.
- Prevent duplicate tests and procedures – Access to past test results can save time, reduce costs, and avoid unnecessary procedures.
- Monitor progress and advocate for yourself – Tracking treatment plans, medications, and symptoms allows for better communication with your medical team.
- Prepare for emergencies – Quick access to records can be crucial in urgent situations, especially when visiting new doctors or specialists.
How a Bag It Bag Can Help
At Bag It Cancer, we understand that managing medical information can be overwhelming. That’s why every Bag It bag includes a My Companion Guidebook, a simple and effective tool designed to help patients and caregivers organize their healthcare journey. Inside, you’ll find:
✔ Tabbed sections to sort medical records, test results, and insurance information.
✔ Prompted pages for recording doctor visits, questions, and treatment details.
✔ Resources to help you understand your diagnosis, treatment options, and survivorship care.
Whether you’re dealing with cancer or another serious health condition, staying organized gives you confidence and control. This Records Management Month, take the time to gather, review, and organize your healthcare records. And if you or someone you know could benefit from a Bag It bag, visit [Bag It Cancer’s website] to learn more.
For more tips, read this story from our April 2022 Newsletter.
Be Empowered. Be Engaged. Bag It!
by Bag It Team | Mar 12, 2025 | Events
By Ingrid, Bag It Bag recipient and volunteer
The 2025 Cologuard Classic by Exact Sciences
March 2 – 9, 2025
Three rounds of golf were played on March 7, 8, and 9 at La Paloma Country Club and The Westin La Paloma Resort & Spa in Tucson, Arizona. It’s a beautiful Jack Nicklaus-designed course. The purpose of the Cologuard Classic golf tournament is to bring awareness to colon cancer, the importance of early detection, the available treatments, the innovations in detection and treatment, the prevention, recognize those affected, and to answer the huge number of questions that people have about colon cancer. What an exciting and busy weekend! Much walking was involved. Thank you to the Tucson Conquistadores and Exact Sciences and many others for coordinating this event.
Seventy-eight PGA champion golfers were paired with colon cancer patients/survivors. I was one of those survivors who had the honor of being paired with a golf pro. He wore a blue ribbon with my name on it on his cap, and he played in my honor. We got to meet our pro and chat for a few minutes before they teed off. Then, we could walk as much of the course as we wanted or were able. We could follow the golfers on several well-placed giant televisions inside and outside.
We were able to attend and participate in some fun and informative activities in the “Advocacy Expo Area”, yummy food was readily available in Survivor Central and other areas, there was some TV coverage of the opening ceremonies on the Today Show, there were some workshops/presentations inside the main hotel about treatment options, diagnoses, giving our feedback about our cancer experiences, and treatment innovations. I would like to have been able to attend more because they all sounded very interesting. Some of us touched base with fellow survivors and had personal conversations. I was able to give one of the new CRC (Colorectal Cancer) Bag It Bags to a lady from South Carolina. She and I went to her room and I gave her the guided tour of the Bag. She was extremely grateful to receive the bag. The look of gratitude on her face was rewarding. We exchanged contact information and we’ll stay in touch.
The third and final round was played on Sunday. It was fun sitting, chatting, eating and watching the golfers at the 15th green, Survivor Central with other survivors/loved ones. Individuals representing 17 different cancer advocacy groups were in attendance and bringing awareness to colorectal cancer. There was a 15th hole walk by many of the survivors/loved ones to show awareness and a play-off between the top two players to cap off the tournament. The winner of the trophy was Steven Alker; he came in 12 under par for all three days.
I found out that there were 361 colorectal cancer patients, survivors, caregivers and loved ones from 36 states and Canada who attended this year’s Cologuard Classic.
It was definitely a weekend well-spent.
Important Reminder: Get screened for colorectal cancer! Screening is vital in detecting cancer early. Learn more about Cologuard®.
by Bag It Team | Dec 9, 2024 | Educational Articles
The holiday season can be exhausting for anyone, but cancer-related fatigue is a unique challenge. This type of fatigue goes beyond ordinary tiredness. It’s a deep, persistent fatigue or exhaustion that doesn’t improve with rest or sleep, often leaving you feeling unable to carry out your usual activities.
Cancer-related fatigue is a very common issue and can result from several factors, including:
- The cancer itself or other medical conditions.
- Treatments like chemotherapy, radiation, or surgery, and their side effects.
- Medications you’re taking.
- Changes in blood counts.
- Lifestyle factors, such as sleep disruptions, poor nutrition, or inadequate hydration.
- Emotional or mental health struggles, which fatigue can worsen.
You Don’t Have to Endure It Alone
Share your symptoms with your healthcare team so they can identify possible causes and suggest medical and non-medical treatments to help you.
Let loved ones know how you’re feeling—they often want to help but may not know how. Work together to adjust holiday traditions—whether it’s scaling back on celebrations, delegating or sharing tasks like decorating or cooking, or simplifying shopping. Focus on the activities that matter most to you and bring joy.
And yes, naps are absolutely allowed!
Self-Care Strategies for Cancer-Related Fatigue
These tips can help manage fatigue during the holidays and beyond:
- Set priorities. Choose manageable goals, establish routines, and let go of less important tasks. Don’t hesitate to ask for help.
- Balance activity and rest. While conserving energy is essential, staying physically active—even with gentle movement—can boost energy. Ask your healthcare team about safe exercise options.
- Take breaks. Schedule rest or relaxation time during the day, and don’t wait until you’re overtired.
- Improve sleep quality. Follow a bedtime routine to support better rest at night.
- Eat well and stay hydrated. Aim for a balanced diet. Meeting with a registered dietitian or nutritionist can help you to manage treatment side effects, maintain energy, address weight changes, and create tailored meal plans to support overall health and recovery.
- Care for your emotional health. Spend time with people who uplift you, and communicate your feelings—whether happy, sad, or tired. Alternatively, if you need solitude, it’s okay to set boundaries. You decide what feels right.
- Explore complementary therapies. Discuss with your healthcare provider options like acupuncture, massage, yoga, Tai Chi, Reiki, or stress-reduction techniques, which may help with fatigue or stress.
With thoughtful planning and support, it’s possible to navigate the holidays in a way that prioritizes your well-being and still allows you to enjoy what’s meaningful.
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