Living With Cancer
This chronicity of the disease is developing in the last 20-30 years, due to the large variety of treatments offered to cancer patients, including chemotherapy, radiation therapy, immunological and biological therapy and surgery. Such treatments are becoming more and more popular, especially psychological treatments that are important for the patients no less than the pharmacological ones.
A lot of research is being done on coping mechanisms and learning how to live with the disease. The idea of suddenly being sick can be devastating for patients and their families and requires attention from the medical staff. Consulting with a social worker or psychologist can be very helpful and many physicians refer the patients very early to receive treatments that help cure the soul recover, not only the body.
Talking about the disease is also a key component in dealing with daily life. Not all patients have strong support systems they can rely on and so it is a good option for them to talk to other patients, share experiences and thoughts, get new ideas on how to make life with cancer easier. Some patients report that physical activity, including yoga and other 'relaxing' methods are very helpful.
Others find comfort in alternative medical treatments. It is important to inform the patients that despite the possibility of improving their quality of life with such treatments, they are by no means a true alternative in curing the disease. Another major aspect in allowing somewhat normal living with cancer is providing anti-pain treatments. Pain is one of the most debilitating factors in the patients' lives, and one of the main goals of treatment should be avoiding as much pain as possible. A wide variety of analgesics is available for treating cancer patients, including treatment with medical cannabis in some countries. Patients living with cancer should definitely try everything possible in order to make their lives a bit easier on the way to recovery.
I have about 6 of this style of apron now, but this is my first patriotic one! I thought it would be really fun to have a red, white and blue one for the 4th of July! All of your fabric can be purchased at The Ribbon Retreat. Check out the wonderful selection of beautiful fabrics. The fabric used in this apron is American Valor for Timeless Treasures. To start out you are going to cut out your main pieces.
To make the straps you need to cut 2 pieces of fabric that are about 4 inches wide and that are 45″ long. I do this with the same fabric that I am doing my ruffle in, so in this case it was the red and white polkadot. Folding the straps so that right sides are together, sew the length of your straps and turn them and then press them nice and flat. For the neck strap you need a piece that is 4″ wide by 22″ long.
Fold it with right sides together, stitch the length of it and turn it. Then press it flat. For the ruffle, cut out 2 strips that are 45″ long and about 7-8 inches wide. To make this long enough to create your ruffle, you need to sew these to strips together in the middle so that you end up with a piece that is about 90″ long. You won’t use the whole thing, but you will use a lot of it. And then fold it in half with right sides out and press it nice and flat.
Now, put your 2 pieces of apron together with right sides touching. Get your straps in place. They need to be tucked inside the apron in the spots that you want them. For the neck straps put them at the top just about 1/2 inch in from the edge of your apron on either side. Pin them in place. Make sure the side straps are at least 1/2 inch down from the corner (see below).
Now you get to make your ruffle. Make sure your main fabric is on top. Working from the spot where you just put your side strap and making sure to put your ruffle piece in FRONT of your strap, start with the hemmed side. Lift your top fabric out of your way just a little so that you can work and get everything in place: (raw edge of the ruffle is out). Do them about every 1-2 inches. You can measure if you are a perfectionist.
