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12-18-2023 TNZ- Jason Schwartz hosts an up close and personal hour – Maui Neutral Zone EOY (end of year) Special Guest Dr. Bridget Bongaard, Medical Director of MauiCancerResources, a net organization coordinating resources in Maui County, linking the public with resources for the public to get helpful information and support that can assist in navigating a Cancer diagnosis: from Physical resource direction, education and Up Close “Day-(Re)Treats” of aspects of cancer care, second opinions, support group/s, caregiving guidance, trauma and co-ordination AND more ALL here on Maui and Free to the public.
Summary & Transcript
with Dr. Bridget Bongard of Maui Cancer Resources
- [00:00 → 06:22] Introduction and Background of Maui Neutral Zone and Guest Introduction
The program opens with host Jason Schwartz introducing the Maui Neutral Zone, a community media platform on Maui, Hawaii, accessible via radio and community TV. Jason warmly welcomes Dr. Bridget Bongard, the Director of Maui Cancer Resources, highlighting her medical background and local roots from North Carolina. Jason shares a personal anecdote about his recent health check-ups and the importance of having coordinated medical resources on Maui. He emphasizes the significance of Maui Cancer Resources as a vital community hub for cancer patients, survivors, and their families. The tone is warm and personal, establishing Dr. Bongard as a trusted and approachable expert in cancer care and support. - [06:22 → 13:06] Development of Maui Cancer Resources and Integrated Medicine Background
Dr. Bongard explains the early challenges she observed in cancer care when she arrived in Maui in 2014: supportive cancer care was fragmented, and medical navigation was lacking. She credits a $440,000 grant that helped launch the Maui Cancer Wellness Retreat in 2017, a transformative program offering nutrition education, lifestyle medicine, and supportive therapies for cancer patients and survivors. The retreat focuses on holistic health—mind, body, and spirit—and how lifestyle changes can reduce cancer risk and improve outcomes. Dr. Bongard details her extensive medical background, including 30 years in internal medicine and integrated medicine certification, and her leadership roles in North Carolina hospitals where she established integrative care clinics combining acupuncture, massage, holistic nursing, and pain control. She notes that integrated medicine programs are now present in many major medical centers nationwide, expressing excitement that Maui is benefiting from such expertise. - [13:06 → 20:40] Community Collaboration and Creation of Maui Nei Cancer Hoie (Cancer Resource Center)
Dr. Bongard discusses the collaboration among local nonprofits such as Pacific Cancer Foundation, You versus C (Youu versus Cancer), and the American Cancer Society to better coordinate cancer resources across Maui County. The group’s strategic planning led to the concept of the Maui Nei Cancer Hoie, envisioned as a centralized resource center or “gathering place” where patients and caregivers can access comprehensive services under one umbrella while maintaining each organization’s identity. She stresses the importance of cooperation between agencies to avoid duplication and ensure efficient resource sharing. The center aims to offer medical navigation, transportation, financial assistance, and more, creating a seamless support system. Dr. Bongard also highlights the importance of data-sharing and networking in overcoming barriers of privacy concerns to aid patients effectively. - [20:40 → 27:18] Services, Support, and Accessibility of Maui Cancer Resources
The discussion moves to the practical offerings of Maui Cancer Resources, including individual consultations for newly diagnosed patients to help them understand their diagnosis, treatment options, and emotional impact. Dr. Bongard provides specialized services such as non-narcotic pain control using osteopathic techniques for post-surgical patients with conditions like lymphedema and muscle pain. Importantly, all services are free and accessible regardless of insurance status, emphasizing equity in care. The program also supports second opinions and ongoing patient advocacy. Jason and Dr. Bongard touch on the fear and stigma surrounding cancer, underscoring the need for education and community support. - [27:18 → 34:57] Workshops, Survivorship Support, and Healing Trauma Series
Dr. Bongard highlights quarterly workshops that provide interactive, experiential learning, including nutrition education, art therapy, and cooking demonstrations focused on healthy eating. The workshops foster community-building and provide safe spaces where cancer survivors can share fears and experiences, similar to how veterans relate to each other. She describes a specialized “Healing Trauma and Loss” series funded by the American Cancer Society, designed to help participants process grief, trauma, and loss — including complex trauma from recent Maui wildfires and the COVID-19 pandemic. These sessions teach emotional resilience and coping strategies to help individuals regain strength and community connection. The workshops are held monthly at Ki’i Lutheran Church, free of charge, with contact information provided for reservations. - [34:57 → 43:26] Cancer Journey Guide and Community Zoom Support Group
Dr. Bongard discusses a Cancer Journey Guide developed from patient feedback and qualitative research to identify gaps (“pukas”) in cancer supportive care. This guide functions as a portable medical resource combining treatment calendars, medication logs, end-of-life planning documents, and wellness tips. It has been beta-tested locally and shared with healthcare providers statewide for refinement. She also mentions a weekly Zoom support group for cancer survivors that offers peer-to-peer problem solving, education, and emotional support. Examples include practical advice about medical procedures like ports for chemotherapy and community volunteer efforts such as meal trains and transportation assistance. The group fosters a strong sense of community and mutual aid among survivors and caregivers. - [43:26 → 52:46] Volunteer Network, Community Involvement, and Holistic Therapies
The conversation expands on the large network of volunteers who contribute to Maui Cancer Resources, including art therapists, music therapists, movement specialists (yoga, Tai Chi), and mind-body practitioners who teach visualization and reframing techniques. Dr. Bongard emphasizes the nonprofit’s volunteer-driven nature and the importance of community ownership and involvement. She also discusses the supportive and dynamic board of directors, consisting of local professionals from various industries who generously lend their time and talents to advance the mission. Jason reflects on the importance of community hubs like this, comparing it to other local organizations that foster cooperation and synergy rather than fragmentation. - [52:46 → 01:00:00] Cancer Prevention, Lifestyle Medicine, and Final Thoughts
Dr. Bongard delves into cancer prevention strategies, highlighting the role of genetics and genomics in personalized treatment and risk assessment. She stresses the power of lifestyle medicine—particularly anti-inflammatory diets, stress reduction, exercise, and sleep—in lowering cancer risk and supporting recovery. She advocates for eating fresh, whole foods rich in fiber to nourish gut bacteria that modulate inflammation, and explains the importance of vitamin D in immune health despite Maui’s sunny climate, due to most people spending time indoors. The conversation closes with Dr. Bongard inviting listeners to access Maui Cancer Resources online, participate in workshops, volunteer, and reach out for support. Jason and Dr. Bongard exchange holiday wishes, expressing hope for continued growth and impact of the Maui Nei Cancer Hoie in 2024.
Key Insights
- Maui Cancer Resources serves as a vital, centralized hub for cancer patients and caregivers on Maui, providing free, comprehensive medical navigation, emotional support, education, and integrative therapies.
- Collaboration between local nonprofits and healthcare providers is essential to avoid duplication and create a seamless continuum of care.
- Lifestyle medicine and holistic approaches are integral to both cancer prevention and survivorship, addressing physical, emotional, and spiritual needs.
- Trauma-informed care and community-building workshops help survivors process grief and build resilience.
- The organization relies heavily on community volunteers spanning many specialties, reflecting strong local commitment.
- The Cancer Journey Guide and peer support groups empower patients to navigate complex medical and emotional landscapes.
Core Concepts
- Integrated Medicine: Combining conventional treatments with holistic therapies to improve outcomes and quality of life.
- Medical Navigation: Guiding patients through diagnosis, treatment, and supportive care with personalized assistance.
- Cancer Survivorship: Recognizing all individuals with a cancer diagnosis as survivors who benefit from ongoing support.
- Community Collaboration: Pooling resources and expertise among nonprofits, health systems, and volunteers to maximize impact.
- Lifestyle Medicine: Using nutrition, exercise, stress management, and sleep to prevent and manage cancer.
- Trauma Healing: Addressing the emotional and psychological burdens of cancer and other life traumas through group healing and education.
Full Transcript
00:00
[Music] well good morning it’s December 18th I thought that was nice to hear that’s the little jingle for the neutral zone Maui neutral zone.com here on KAKU 88.5 FM in Maui Hawaii we’re also simoc cast on akaku Maui Community TV channel Channel 55 you can find this in all the rest of our shows at Maui neutral zone.com we have a directory there goes backward in time but we also have a a uh directory search where you can look at shows for the last 30 years that we’ve been doing and you’ll also see others um
00:48
being added in that are producers that have bodies of work of Maui CU we’re also um Maui Arts and Music Association mama good morning Aloha good morning I have a guest who is now going to sit in that spot and she’ll realize that that’s the camera for me that’s the camera for you and as you sit we’re live on the air on K kuu and akaku Mai Community TV simoc cast I just see this woman come in I said who is this woman and I have to put on my glasses to realize I know who you are I don’t have I I I was going to
01:29
say I I don’t have anyone walking in here especially someone as wonderful and beautiful as you I saw you here at akaku had a special program a community day and um I got a chance to sing that was fun but you were a table there um I’m Jason Schwartz I’m your host uh Scott Bushnell is out in the field and we’re going to see him next year co-hosting with me on things but I’m back to was speaking to people and this is the first people someone I met that I thought was really an important part of this
02:06
community isn’t it funny she just put on her doctor jacket and I thought to myself am I that stuck on the fact that when I see a doctor jacket I think doctor I saw this beautiful woman walk in but she wasn’t wearing her jacket and I would never have thought that was my guest doctor but I I I’m saying that because of the Bridget bongard Dr Bridget Bard bongard when I uh got a call from you I saw that you were local by way of North Carolina right and so I thought oh so she is the director director medical
02:48
director canc resources Maui cancer resources.org we’ll be talking about that you’re going to see it on the screen with contact with her um and um I was going by I really had just come by to see what was going on and they kind of wrote me in and said Jason you want to sing I said oh sure so we I didn’t ask you to sing and there I was but he was very good want you to know he’s got some Talent this well they just we have a program director she asked me to that the next Community uh day they were having here
03:26
they’re going to do a a contest and she asked if I want her to sing and I said sure so that’ll be happening again I don’t know if you’ll be there but maybe so there was a table there and I went over and started talking because the name Maui cancer resources I I had recently done a a test because I have a pacemaker coming Wednesday I got 13 to 15 more years on battery let’s I do with the rest of this gear but I should have excellent um assistant to make make my heart um pump the way it is and have its electrical I
04:05
have what they call a bad electrical problem not Plumbing so it’s like a bad marriage the top was not telling the bottom hey your turn come on go hey and so now I have one that’s there almost 100% of the time and they’re they’ve checked me Kaiser has been a blanket for me that’s been great because all their information is in one place and I’ve been with them since I got here on Maui so and when when they do they I guess everyone gets a chance because of some algorithm to say oh look at that arose
04:37
that means you you should see this doctor it’s really a blessing so there many people don’t have that kind of a blessing there are people that have among others hmsa and ohare Medicare we but to find a place that coordinates Under One Roof for me uh in this way so they had this test among the blood test that was so out of line and I thought well I I don’t really I don’t have cancer I saw the guy at K Kaiser and he said but a second opinion especially from a resource organization would be a
05:15
valuable thing so that’s how I ended up going over to the table and Dr bongard was generous in in pointing out about a a major place in New York Sloan kering and I sent off to their research Department my request to ask them how could this reading be so off when all the indicators are otherwise are perfect and so I’m waiting to see that but I thought you know our whole Community should know that there’s a resource center here and I don’t know the difference between a resource center and
05:44
going to the doctor but I imagine as soon as I stop talking you’ll get a chance to know what it’s about and say hi um hello I’m a little bit wound up this is our Christmas New Year show because Monday Monday not the song from the masas and the Papas but the next one is Christmas the next one is New Year so this is our last show of 2023 so very important and I thought I’d bring on someone who’s really a resource and could bring in our new year with positive spirit and I met this gal I
06:22
thought excuse me this doctor and I I I know it’s I am a respectful I hope I hope I’m not being disrespect respectful but um I meet people where they are when I meet them and this is a very um approachable and and really terrific lady thank you for joining me here oh I appreciate it thank you Jason well you know I wanted to sort of talk about the resource piece but even back in the bus up so to speak when I first came to Ireland in 2014 um cancer care cancer supportive care resources were in multiple
07:05
different locations and we really didn’t have U medical navigation so if you were to go to a center anywhere in Mainland or even at queens and some of the other uh larger hospitals you would have a nurse Navigator or a medical navigator that would be able to answer medical questions and uh we are blessed to have Pacific Cancer Foundation here who has done a stellar job in uh community service and Community navigation but the piece for medical navigation and um medical support for Cancer Care wasn’t
07:47
developed so initially when we came uh someone gave me a $440,000 grant to start um Maui Cancer Wellness retreat to where we would bring people together for three days take them out of their environment put them up for three days food lodging and educational programs and we would teach them nutrition we teach them lifestyle medicine to improve outcomes because you get a 40 to 50% reduction in risk of cancer also in risk of metastatic disease if you have a healthy clean lifestyle so your retreat is for people that are
08:34
anywhere on the spectrum of cancer none and have it well back then in 2017 this was this was the first go at at Medical navigation and providing these services and so the people that had they currently were cancer survivors anybody who has a diagnosis of Cancer all the way through treatment is called a survivor okay because we want people to be positive and there is so much more hope now than ever before because of the science in treatment all the different immunotherapies and the development of
09:14
vaccine therapies and the advanced surgeries the robotic surgery I mean it’s just fantastic what we have now versus what we had in the 1960s 7s even 80s so it’s really become a huge advance so back to Maui cancer wellness retreats we started as a just to see how this would go and it was so impactful it was just lifechanging for people when they finally were able to focus on themselves really drink from The Well of knowledge and way of Education what do I need for my body to beat the odds how
09:53
their attitude improved and gave them do you look at that as part of it that the their improved attitude is that oh yeah well I mean not only that there so you know it’s minded Body Spirit type thing as well I mean you know you have to take care of your physical body but fantastic we do know that the risk of hcer increases with chronic stress levels high stress levels so what we did was we actually showed them the science showed people the science behind that and then gave them modalities to really reduce
10:28
stress look at fear-based thinking how do I change my belief systems not my values but my belief systems and my patterns that were negative you know what and so I had the opportunity to go to your website so I feel a little bit energized because I saw you know you’re hearing someone talk about it here on radio and TV but this is Doctor that’s why I laugh when I saw you walk in and say oh I wouldn’t have thought this woman is if I read her credential to you it’s almost like a who’s who in in
11:04
medical science um and uh I think it’s important to realize that what you’re saying has a lot of weight of experience yeah so thank you um I was the chief of integrated medicine I did I my board certified internal medicine and practiced that for 30 odd years and then um became really fascinated with how people become ill and how people become well and so I took the fellowship in integrated medicine with Dr Andrew wild back in 2003 to 2005 completed the fellowship and our Hospital CEO uh
11:40
Phyllis wingett Jones uh was an exemplary um leader and so she created eight service lines for our hospital and asked me to be the chief for the last service line which was integrated medicine so we did um I had a clinic that had acupuncturist and a massage therapist in it um I also trained holistic nurses uh integrative chaplain we that program all of these programs are still going there in North Carolina and I also did a consult service for non-narcotic pain control um people who were stuck in in
12:26
the hospital because of anxiety or depression I would go in there and use the integrated modalities to help them move forward and uh it was so successful that we actually designated we trained a nurse to become an integrative nurse specialist for the whole hospital so in other words a specialty that then it is it’s a Subs specialty is it something that goes out have you been able to share that with other places to have uh integrated specialists at different hospitals so integrated medicine uh is in 27 major
13:06
medical centers in the country okay okay and probably more than that the last time I looked it was a couple years ago I’m sure it’s more than that but there are now um programs to train family practice and Internal Medicine in integrated medicine and some of the major medical centers tied back to Dr Wild’s original program so it’s it’s you got here to Maui what a blessing for Maui oh thank you I imagine you have a very vital team you mentioned Pacific so Pacific Cancer Foundation is
13:39
its own entity it’s a nonprofit here that served the island beautifully for 20 years we’ve been here since 2017 and the exciting news is that we also have a new nonprofit called you versus C youu versus cancer and so I’ve been working with the state U for the Hawaii cancer Consortium committee um to look at the quality of life and survivorship across the Hawaiian Islands what is it that we can do what programs can we develop and so we had a strategic planning meeting at the state in
14:18
Honolulu on September the 15th and um invited Pacific Cancer Foundation to come I invited you versus C to come the American Cancer Society was there and um we had a a what would you call her she’s fabulous uh kahal Matsumoto she’s sort of a representative for all the survivors and because she’s had cancer five times and she’s a social worker she’s fabulous and so she sat on our committee and we looked at what the needs were here in Maui County and we realized that well we have great things here
15:02
great but we need to pull it all together so there’s a resource so we came up with a term Maui Nei cancer hoie and this would and so we’re working to um actually create a Cancer Resource Center so that anybody who comes can can get an evaluation and say oh well you need help here okay this is where you go to get this resource we’ve got it right here and so I’m hoping to pull together or all of us are hoping to pull this together and I’ve just contacted the hospital as well and should be having a
15:40
meeting with them soon about this project so it’s it’s pretty exciting and um you know as I’m hearing you I’m you’ve just met me on the street so to speak here at akaku but um it’s exciting to hear that in your specialty cancer and the support needed for it and I think of it how I have viewed solutions to Maui since I got here in ‘ 88 I have an organization called Mama Maui Arts and Music Association and another name Papa people aligned in positive action together are
16:23
Dream Makers so one of the components is having central place like Maui Arts and Music I’m by example where people can go to and then spread out from there sort of I want to say a brain that’s what you’re talking about I watch the FEMA people come I’m I’m just giving you my quick hit of they have a federal program they have a a house thing at the airport for homeless and when you ask the people there this person didn’t qualify for you because they weren’t in the burn Zone
16:55
but they were do you have this connection do you no that’s not part of our agenda all agendas need to coagul on any issues and start coopera it is a hub and a hoie um it it’s a gathering it would be a Gathering Place for cancer resources and everyone keeps their own identity and but yet they co-operate in such a way to make it greater than if they were splintered and people can literally that that is corre come to the whole and it’s it is sharing resources and it’s conserving resources as well so
17:28
there no there’s not really duplication and there are strong um programs in each one of these um nonprofits that are really wonderful and synergestic so for instance if someone comes to me for medical navigation but I see they have a need for uh Transportation or help with other things then I send them straight to Stacy manise at Pacific Cancer Foundation and she has a fabulous assistant and Andria BOS amazing amazing um Community Navigator I can’t see enough good about what they do and
18:10
um if there’s a financial concern and such like that then I’ll call up Candace John’s at U versus C and we’ll see what we can do um if I have uh a particular like someone needs to go to Hope Lodge um we can make that recommendation through the American Cancer society and I can pick up the phone and call Hope Lodge and say hey I’ve got a patient who needs to go to aahu for this specific uh therapy do you have a place at Hope Lodge so what we’re doing is we’re really coordinating and bringing
18:44
together the resources that’s so terrific and so I think this would be a part of the oncology service line that the hospital would be developing when they and you know they’re getting their brand new uh CEO in or president in Lyn Fulton in January the 1st so I’m very excited um to be able to meet and work with that team there to make this a seamless um program for our community you know I’m looking out into the camera now and I see all of you beautiful people first of all you can
19:22
see why I have a very eloquent and qualified guest here um we all support on your blessings and love so is the season if uh wherever you want to give I hope that that giving spirit and helping each other really kind of surfaces we have it on Maui for fire victims but I I personally know that people that were outside the burn Zone like we renting that now have rents that are going through the sky because the government is willing to pay the next 12 months of rent and vacation rental people to be
20:03
able to House people burned and the inequity going on in this we all have to help each other and I hope that thought of whether you have money or not that if you see a need and you feel you can feel it please do and if you see a beautiful resource the value of having people that can help and share their ability to help you know that funny thing between um may this may or may not even be important but people are afraid to share their information between people and agencies and there all this thing about
20:40
being private with our information but an information Hub or a source Hub like we’re talking like I talk about Kaiser I’ve been umbrella anyone looking for cancer to be able to come to Maui cancer resources.org have a conscious ear listen and help you and and place you with organizations and not necessarily place you maybe but uh be able to network it together gives us the power especially here on Maui to be equal to everywhere in the world to be able to have the resources that are well and
21:16
that’s exactly that’s exactly what we’re trying to do is to um so that you don’t have to fly off Island you can get Cancer Resource you can get understanding you can get health education you can get um advocacy to so for instance in two years ago when I first joined the quality of life action team and I realized there wasn’t really a survivorship manual um to help people as sort of like a portable medical resource for themselves a portable medical record but having all kinds of uh health and
21:57
wellness and nutrition specifically what you could do to keep yourself healthy and strong going through all this treatment so um at one of our day treats so we started out as a three-day Retreat for 17 18 and 19 and then CO’s here and we changed them to one day Retreats four times a year to be able to get more impact and support more people and out of one of these what we call treats or dayong workshops that we had um I canvased the cancer patients and said tell me where are the pukas in cancer
22:40
supportive care and from that I developed a qualitative research piece that actually looked in detail at where the needs were in other words A needs assessment yeah and from that um with six or seven cancer patients and some of our staff we developed a cancer Journey guide that’s great it’s I’m I’m pretty excited and it was just a start okay and so we sort of beta tested it here um on Maui then I showed it to the state and now I’m taking it to stra hospital uh Dr Francisco con is the um head of their survivorship
23:24
program and Dr Kai is weighing in on it I’ll take it to Christy fujinaga who is the uh nurse navigator at Queens I’ve taken it to one of our local enologists uh and so we’re getting sort of a three and then of course our beloved Kow um who was a social worker and also five-time uh breast cancer survivor so wow we’re really getting a 360 look at making this a very easy to use use um cancer Journey guide for going all the way through diagnosis treatment and then beyond as well as resources for
24:11
end of life discussions pulst which is a portable uh living um will document so to speak that you can have taking it to the hospital or putting on your refrigerator if you’re ill at least everybody knows what you want and those are your wishes and the family doesn’t have to just second guess and um so a lot of that just really kind of clears the air and also allows you to have your personal dignity and your personal wishes so we even included that in the cancer Journey guide along with medication sheets and
24:53
calendars where you can put your treatments on it and know what’s coming up and know when you started know when you finished so it’s a it makes it a very succinct uh document but it’s portable is it does it exist now yeah yeah yeah and we’re and so we’re redoing it now we’re on the the second evolution of it with all these people I’m telling you about and also our quality of life action team in Honolulu how are you funded donations people who want to pay it forward people who want to see this
25:26
come into being private donations uhhuh we also fortunately were G given a $20,000 Grant by the Atherton foundation for medical navigation so I do one-on-one consults so for instance If someone becomes diagnosed and they’re uh they’re anxious they’re they don’t know they don’t understand what’s going on the doctors told them this this and this and they just have a lot more questions around that what does this really mean what is this going to mean to me short short term and long term it’s affecting
26:00
my relationships I need help come come come come I’ll do a one-on-one or I do one-on ones for non-narcotic pain control say breast cancer patient um has had an operation now they have lymphadema and they’re have decreased range of motion and we have wonderful physical therapists on this island but not everybody can get to one okay and I was trained at the Tucson osteopathic Foundation to do um strain counter strain which shortens the muscles and relieves pain and discomfort in breast cancer patients head neck patients any
26:41
patients that have gone to surgery where muscles are tight and uh in spasm I can help relieve those and also decrease pain prostate cases the whole nine yards so it’s really I love doing that um and that’s just one of the one-on-one services and consults that we that we do offer well you know I when I hear all that the first thing that hit me was what about people that don’t have money well it’s a nonprofit maybe they have a way our services are free so that means anybody that has issue whether they
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prevention of cancer conditions that can help our world what number is cancer in people dying probably high on the list right it is MM heart disease is first cancer second so we all know that you know that whole thing about garbage in garbage out those are the different kinds of shows but it’s nice to see that in speaking to someone who centralizes this information someone that is thinking about it all so whoever you are out there whatever your persuasion this is a really important resource for us
28:24
all to recognize take quick state break but I don’t think we break stations here we’re on Ka ku ka KU 99 a half no 99.5 you can’t find the half on a radio FM in Maui Hawaii simal cast on akaku Maui Community television media cable 55 Channel I uh you know it’s that’s what happens when time goes on I I just know we’re up there in for the world to see I I’ve had some unusual gu I had one guest that was in Pakistan uh 911 he was a pilot and after he spoke out about the pilots and that
29:09
they couldn’t this and they weren’t qualified and they couldn’t and it would in other words I guess you call him he wasn’t a conspiracy theorist he was a pilot who by understanding what was going on had opinions that were outside I I’ve had all kinds of people that find us here here I mean I think it’s to me interesting that we’re a little show in Maui Hawaii but the good that we do and the good that you’re doing we are a beacon to the world when we do something like you’re doing we’re I want to say a
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pilot project they’re probably millions of or hundreds Bunches of people doing these kinds of things but what we do here has the Excellence of someone that’s coming all the way across here living in Maui now and we in Maui have that benefit so you here who are listening locally that’s really where I’m focusing but the whole world is listening and looking so please take advantage of these uh resources uh from Dr bonard Maui canceres ources dorg is there a way people should be contacting
30:17
you guys what’s the best way yes yes they can go on our website which is ma cancer resources.org and you can actually book a consultation there um we also um have uh workshops quarterly and anyone can sign up for that we give lunch during that and have coffee tea and little snacks and such like that but those are experiential it’s not just a talking head it’s it’s we present a concept and then we all get down into the concept and we could even sometimes we’ll do art therapy sometimes we’ll do
30:52
um cook offs like chopped without without the Terrible pressure believe me it is so much fun to watch people uh gather up in teams open the mystery basket and cook a healthy um lunch so to speak it was absolutely adorable and hilarious and people learned how just how good fresh clean food really is and then they had fun with their TBL mates and such like that and we build community and that’s another thing part of what we also do is people can really talk about their fears you know when you’re it’s almost
31:39
like being a veteran when you’re a vet you don’t talk to non vets do you about what went on in Afghanistan try not to share your War because people and because people inadvertently uh they say they understand but the vet or the cancer survivor feels but I you don’t understand unless you’ve had it yeah you know you’re walking in those moccasins right homeless and and so there’s a lot of trauma a lot of grief a lot of loss that can be shared during these workshops as well and we now have
32:19
developed a whole series of workshops called healing trauma and loss there’s your camera healing CH okay yep and so the American Cancer Society gave us a grant to do this and this was specifically designed because of the uh trauma that came from the wildfires it’s already Tough Enough when you have trauma growing up and everybody’s had trauma some sort of trauma there’s big trauma big tea and little te everybody’s had something or I don’t think they’re telling the truth you know and uh so
32:56
anyway it’s how you deal with it and how you get the emotions out you identify the emotions and really work with those emotions and be able to move Beyond and grow beyond that situation because you’re so much more than whatever happened to you and so we actually help people sort of find their own strengths in this we don’t go over every detail of the trauma that’s not necessary but what is important is what you felt moving forward from the trauma so trauma as a kid trauma as young adult trauma as a a
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a a full-sized adult so to speak a mature adult uh then you have covid and all the changes that came there and now all of this that we’re experiencing on Maui has created a lot of complex trauma loss and grief and when I say loss even be or where are they going to be pardon where are these going to be so right now these are at keii Lutheran Church and it’s once a month the next one is on um we just had one on um uh December the 13th and it was fabulous and then the next one will be January the 17th
34:19
and then the last one is February the 14th I hope you guys you can watch this show again or or she’ll say it again here but yeah if you call the number you’ll be able to get so it’s yeah January uh so it’s January the 17th is our next one is free and then I uh we actually talk about what is trauma how do you get through grief um how do you get through loss and how do you what are the what are the pillars of resilience how are people uh creating that resilience that they can yes this horrible stuff happened to them
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but yet they can get back to who they truly are as a as a soul and a strong person and and then and gather their Community together and move on and move forward grieve together and move forward and build POS that’s at the Ki Lutheran Church it is do you have to have reservations or you just um please yes if you would if you would just um why don’t you say the number for those that are on radio okay they can call 808 866 6155 808 866 6155 good or they can contact me through the website or uh drb at Maui cancer
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reses ources toorgle for you happy people that are seeing this on the web or on TV but on radio we’re glad we gave you that this is a terrific thing um I know that I when I go to these shows I can ask questions that go all wherever but I know that when a guest comes on especially someone that has uh a public agenda they are important things that you want to be sure that you mention or people and situations that you anything special that you want to be sure to mention that I give you some space for
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it um I would just like to salute all the Maui cancer resources people that have come and actually become community we do a zoom every Thursday cancer survivorship zoom and this isn’t and this is a problem solving session so if someone is stuck and they can’t see the way through a problem the cancer survivors share their experience okay is that kind of info up on your side Pard yeah yes it is yes it is cuz that’s a really V well oh it was it’s incredible like for instance we had
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one gal who was going to get a port you know what a port is right yeah and so not the wine it’s like they’re putting something in so they can put something into your body yeah like chemotherapy okay yeah or get blood or whatever or even draw blood through Port so it really saves the peripheral veins and this is a central Repository that’s so easy I speak sometimes a little bit plain only because we have an audience that may or may not know that’s why yeah yeah yeah so this is part of
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explaining things medically too we can take it down to any level and um help people understand what’s going on Fast Forward here we are in the zoom meeting and this gal is like oh I don’t know I’m going to get a port and a couple girls on went Oh you mean like this and they showed him the port and it just Stripped Away a lot of the fear and dread um and then they talked about what it was like going through it and how much uh nicer it was after receiving the port it made things a lot easier in the
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way of their care but you know it was that’s just an example and of of uh what we kind good things that happened from and or if somebody’s going to surgery then we’ll we might set up a meal train to help them well that’s nice yeah or if they didn’t have a ride to the hospital one of us would volunteer and do that and I which I did recently for a gal undergoing a bilateral mastectomy I took her to the hospital and picked her up and took her home made sure everything was all done and set and
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her meds were right there and whatever she needed had food in the refrigerator so I mean those are the important things that people can do to pay it forward and help um other people who are walking that path I’m excited that I met you here at akaku because Maui Community media this center right here is to me that there are people like yourself who thought were right here you’re really a very important resource for our community oh thank you thank you yeah this place is too you know it sometimes
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people don’t realize because we’re Public Access that means if you’re the public you can access this Media Center to use you have to be trained a little bit but you have an access to a media center that if you have ideas you can be here today there are students here that are visiting and seeing as you walk in all these people that’s what’s happening we are a happening part of the community and I think it’s good that you were here today you might smile on them on the way out oh I appreciate I appreciate sharing
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and I appreciate uh being able to um show that we are really working hard to make this community better to bring more resources um to elevate the medical supportive care here so I I so appreciate being able to share this with the community and if anyone would like to volunteer for Maui cancer resources they’re welcome to do that and share so like for instance we have during our day treats we have um art therapists who might volunteer or we have um and that would be Beth Marcil uh we have a music therapist um
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um Melinda Carroll who actually helped us create a song with the cancer survivors you guys got to go on the website and this song will just melt your heart is it the one that you have on your website on the website it will it will melt your heart and just inspire you um we also have um Carl Powell and Claudia M who come in and do movement exercise as well as yoga and ta Chi and Chong uh we’ll mix that up as part and we have Wendy McDonald who’s fabulous and Wendy does a lot of our mind body
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work and teaches people how to go inside and revision and see what the problem is and reframe it and come up with their own positive solution these are all different locations yes no these are people who volunteer and out of the community to our workshops you have a building or no well we were at St Teresa’s now we’re at St Anthony’s Okay so you have an off an office if someone wants to oh my the office for uh Maui cancer resources is at the in my home at the so I’m reason I’m bringing this up is look at this
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network of people that make up the Maui can resources.org Team yeah that are people in our community all over the island that are part of this that’s why I keep talking about my idea you know outside of medical about resources talking and sharing why the Fed don’t talk to the state don’t talk to the county don’t talk and yet you even have a person that had cancer numbers of times that’s involved in your and with in our Zoom Dena Jackson fabulous fabulous fabulous individual cancer survivor life coach
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massage therapist and so every every Thursday she and I are whoever shows up for the survivorship meeting that that’s another one of our volunteers her daughter Taylor um is also a volunteer she’s a wonderful photographer we have another person that’s working with us Cassie poly uh who has been a longtime top level uh photographer and an artist an incredible artist see how amazing and some of these people have cancer some don’t some are volunteering and it’s our community that’s why I take I like to
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take this stigma out of the word cancer for those that don’t have it know we have a great resource center but imagine the Goodwill that can happen through all these different programs and all of us being aware of all of each other that’s what akaku Maui Community television really in my mind has been all about is about sharing with our community both Broad and close about some of the wonderful people that we have here and all the good spirit and good things we can do as we co-operate you know oh yeah
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yeah I agree I mean we’ve got some other projects I mean we hope in the near future to get a cancer fighting kitchen up and start developing that so that when we get the Maui Nei cancer hoie that can be a part of it um uh so there’s just a lot of good things that are and it’s it’s the people it’s the energy just like you’re mention it’s a community it’s that Pride it’s our Ohana you know that’s why we serve isn’t that a beautiful thing because we’re all volunteers right in our at
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Maui Cancer Resource we’re all volunteers we’re 501c3 we’re a nonprofit and so you know people who the money that you get provides services is really right exactly like the American Cancer Society giving us a grant we put in for a couple more grants um but Atherton supporting us um the padulla foundation who gave us the original large grant to get this launched I mean I can’t I can’t thank them enough and we just put we just put it straight into Services well and you’ve been able to
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attract good people to uh to put their time and energies up yeah our board members our board members are fabulous we have Jennifer Gerard from Swinton who’s um in construction they have a huge construction company and and she is busy busy busy there but still takes time to to help us we have marce Simpson who is the Project Director and manager for the ridge I used to be loner Ridge now it’s the Ridge and uh Mars is an amazing amazing woman she’s been with us from the get-go we have Mary Dungan uh I
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can’t say enough about she’s a the uh chairman of or the president of the pink paddlers and so I’m a pink paddler so we we support each other but Mary’s on our board and she um has just been magnificent we have sherry Hallstead who runs seven other businesses but still finds the time to do our finan bus seven other businesses no kidding she’s a Dynamo and then yeah Carol Langer so we we just have a really strong incredible board you found these people through other people or how that’s a I mean
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that’s quite a team it is a team it is a ro team so it each one passes to each other yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah you know people who want to share their gifts and their talents um you we welcome them well I’m really happy to hear that I I know that these things that you have coming up are important events I just thought that it was important for our public to hear and and see if you’re lucky enough to watch on TV that um Maui is deep in care that there are people here who care yeah and that if we can
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all what do they say what is a net we all hold hands together uh you know if we don’t hold hands we have nothing but if we hold hands we have a really strong net to catch the water which we’re hoping to catch to be able to solve problems takes a level of cooperation that when I hear this I what I said earlier about we are have comparable care here because of people that work together that have talents like yourself and others so if you have challenges with cancer or know someone that does or
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you’re curious sounds like or even caregivers so for instance um one of our last Retreats not the hoie that we just had but the one in October at St Anthony’s was all about caregiving oh all right cuz all of us are careg what what made me think about that was your um metaphor about the net and so we are the net we are the strands of the net we do weave together we do bind together and that is our strength and so in caregiving that can just be exhausting and we have to have help people find
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balance balance for themselves balance for the uh the job that they’re doing and helping to care for for someone else and same with the person who has the illness and I we prefer to look at cancer is illness because you can get rid of your illness okay sure but you know it’s something that people will always be affected by it can be in it can be in control you can have cure but sometimes people don’t so some people have to live with their illness and we teach them how to live with their
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illness and be the full fullest person they can be and that’s what Maui Cancer Resource that’s another thing that Maui cancer resources does well you know I I think that’s just terrific I you know I’m uh I can always fill up time with words but when I I like to slow down a little bit because just the word cancer you know meaning it’s something that’s grown in a different way for whatever reason and you could be a emotional could be stress or trauma but there’s something physical
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could be something well it’s also genetic it has a genetic component to it a lot of times that the beauty of what’s Happening Now in cancer research and cancer treatment is the discovery of genetics and genomics so we can actually look at the genetics of or genomics of the tumor and now we can take treatment and direct it also too if cancer runs in families we can look at the genetic in that right by different food chemicals exactly you can I mean you can have prevent we we all should have
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preventative strategies because the environmental stressors and toxins that we’re exposed to if you look at the lahina situation if you look at 911 there was a 16% increase in cancer 5 years after for those on ground zero now having said that let’s prevent it okay let’s maximize an anti-inflammatory diet what does that mean come talk to me I’ll be happy to tell you because this is what my husband and I do I mean we’re very conscious about this so that um you met my partner that yes yes that’s the reason I you
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know I’m 104 you would never know it no but it’s true that that’s really important then right continue yeah so [Music] James whoops calling me so any rate um what I want to do is to really help the community get some um preventative strategies going and that is part of Maui cancer resources are those preventative strategies we know that there are certain things that actually prevent inflammation which drives the genetic predisposition or the development of cancer I’m not worry about this those
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predisposition the fact that when you know someone has it historically in their genetics right in their family um you can do something about it through diet do you also use chemicals sometimes or well I don’t I don’t know that chemicals is I chemicals is the right word yeah different foods have different well so food you know like Andy wild Dr wild used to say you know your food is your Pharmacy now having said that heck no you’re going to if you need medication you take medication right integrated medicine if
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you look at your gene pool and your mother your grandmother your sister your brother all had cancer something right so reducing stress and getting rid of your fear-based thinking is number one along with proper treatment of the body exercise movement even just if you move you damn you uh you know go swim you paddle you whatever you know get moving because that actually reduces Risk by you know 30% or more wow no it’s powerful it’s powerful and um Obviously good sleep because if you don’t get into a deep
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sleep you your body doesn’t have a chance to rejuvenate and you stay stressed so we teach people how to get into deep deeper sleep um so those are some of the main caveats in lifestyle medicine if you most people don’t need I mean uh don’t need vitamins and supplements if they have a really good balanced diet so it it’s actually in the medical literature that um supplements and general are not helpful unless you have a deficiency but how do people know they have a deficiency right
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so I would just say another another smart thing to do is when you go visit your doctor is get your vitamin D levels checked and you may laugh and think H we’re in Maui get out but answer is where are you most of the time indoors no sun that’s how Vitamin D is is converted in the skin okay it’s by sunlight and so vitamin D is not just for your bones it’s actually a pro hormone that works with your immune system as well as reducing depression it’s fascinating you know I’m I’ve been
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blessed to be with my partner who you met Ariel for 30 years what a blessing and so I’ve been eating well and using the things that we’re talking about anti-inflammatory diet and keep learning and keep growing the power of what we put in to create and create all kinds of stuff like you talk about things that are precursors things that when you eat them they create an environment in your body to solve a lot of these problems there’s so much that we can learn and you’re exactly right so I’ve got to make
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a pitch for fiber here because fiber are we eat so much processed foods we don’t have a lot of the fruits and vegetables you should be eating one cup of Fruit and at least one to two cups of vegetables a day having said that why because not only you you can’t just get it in a powder you know a nutritional powder it’s it’s a different compounds that are tied to the fiber and in the fruit and vegetables that actually the body can utilize in multiple different ways and so it’s really important to eat
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fresh whole food as much as possible and you’ll feel the difference in your body when you do that but fiber is critical fiber actually feeds the little back bacteria in your gut which are the sort of The Gatekeepers for inflammation in your body if I had to put it um in general terms you know I am as I’m listening you could listen like I could listen to our doctor here for a while but we only have a minute left and I want to make sure that we recap Dr Bridget bongard you’ve been a great
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guest I hope you’ll come join us again and also if you have others you think might be important and V to be here on the air please bring them forward all these shows you can listen to them again and share them Maui neutral zone.com you’ll see them all listed there um drct thank you for coming and sharing your valuable time and information everyone that’s watching can see Maui cancer resources.org and the phone number and anything that you need you can always contact us it’s really been a pleasure I
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really don’t know how to put it into thank you so much and I look forward to doing another show with you and also having the community of involved to create this Maui Nei cancer hoie and contribute what they can contribute and pay it for for health and wellness well we all want to wish you a Merry Christmas and happy New Year cuz this place has closed the next two shows of ours Christmas and New Year which is a blessing hopefully for everyone God bless you we’ll see you in 2024 aloh alo
