healthy summer CLIENT SPOTLIGHT HEALTHY TIPS In fall 2011, jazz singer Cynthia Layne felt a burning sensation in her left breast. Layne thought she should get a mammo- gram. Her sister, grandmother and two cousins had died from breast cancer. But with no health insurance, her options were limited. “You weigh, do I pay rent this month or do I get a mammogram?” she said. “It was not high on the priority list.” Layne used to drive past the Little Red Door offices every day. She would notice the St. Vincent mobile mammogram unit that would stop by every few months. Thinking she wouldn’t qualify for a free mammogram, Layne waited nine months to call Little Red Door. “I never thought I would qualify,” she said. Three weeks later, she got her mam- mogram. She had gotten mammograms regularly until she lost her health insurance after her divorce, and it had been three years since her last one. Despite the abnormal pain, Layne still thought her results would come back normal. She was diagnosed with stage-one breast cancer. Her surgeon told her that they caught it “very, very early” and that she would survive. But Layne worried how she would pay for the subsequent treat- ments. The surgeon told her, “The folks at Little Red Door will take you through this process.” Client navigator Lashell Moses, whom Layne has called her “guardian angel,” navigated Layne through the Medic- aid enrollment process, which covered her treatment and breast reconstruction surgeries. Now, more than a year after her mammogram, Layne is cancer-free. She hopes to spread awareness about LRD ‘s services through speaking engage- ments that encourage others to get the help they need. When asked about what she would have done had she not qualified for a free mammogram, Layne replied, “I probably wouldn’t have gotten one.” • One of our SUPER FOODS is to- matoes! Tomatoes are full of lycopene, which can help lower your risk for cancer. Watermelons and grapefruit are also good sources of lycopene, so add those to your summer diet! You can find in-season tomatoes and wa- termelons at your local grocery store or farmer’s market. • Get outside this summer and try out our SUPER MOVE, Zumba! You can practice Zumba at your local gym or stop by on July 13 for Big Red Bash where we will Zumba our way to a world record! Adults need 150 minutes of exercise a week and kids need 60 minutes every day. • Melanoma is one of the most common kinds of cancer so make sure to protect your skin! Use a liberal amount of sunscreen, reapply it every two hours and put it on even if it’s cloudy. Talk to your doctor if you think you need a skin test. • One-third of cancer deaths are tobacco-related even though tobac- co use is the single most preventable cause of death. If you or someone you know is ready to break away from tobacco, call 1-800-QUITNOW. It’s free and connects you with the pro- fessional support you need to help you quit. To make healthy meals, make sure you have a range of colors on your plate. It’s an easy way to get a variety of nutrients! Jazz singer Cynthia Layne performs at the Jazz Kitchen in Broad Ripple. A Little Red Door client, Layne was diagnosed with breast cancer in May 2012. 3 2 NEWSLETTER Summer 2013 NEWSLETTER Summer 2013
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