The Frozen Pea Club

While researching other health care blogs, I recently came across the inspiring tale of the Frozen Pea Club. In case you haven't heard, a Virginia woman thought she had a good idea when she applied a bag of frozen peas to her breast following a needle biopsy to alleviate the swelling and pain. "Ice packs are hard and heavy," Susan Reynolds wrote on her blog. "As much as I try to be a good sport I'm not into having a brick sitting on my chest. That bag of peas added a touch of lightness to what could have been a sad and serious tale."

It turned out to be a great idea.

Reynolds shared her idea on her blog and included a photo of the bag of frozen peas peeking out from underneath her camisole. Word quickly spread and others who had found out about her diagnosis through the Internet began creating pea-themed photos in a show of sympathy.

According to the Washington Post article:

The frozen peas not only have sparked messages of support for Reynolds, 59, but have become the emblem of an online community of people sharing their experiences with cancer.

One online friend came up with the idea of donating the equivalent of the cost of two bags of frozen peas, about $5, to cancer research. That led Connie Reece, another online friend, to establish the The Frozen Pea Fund. As of early this week, the fund had raised more than $30,000.

It's a wonderful story. And a great example of how technology and social networking is transforming charitable giving. But what really intrigued me was how Reynolds says connecting with her online support group has helped bring "lightness" to her treatment.

Having worked with the braVo! art bra project here at LifeBridge Health, I saw first hand how a creative idea can unite a community of people from all walks of life behind a deserving cause. braVo! is a unique display and sale of handcrafted artwork using a woman's bra as the canvas. All proceeds from the sale of braVo! materials go to benefit the braVo! Financial Assistance Fund. This fund helps patients at the Herman & Walter Samuelson Breast Care Center at Northwest Hospital and the Alvin & Lois Lapidus Cancer Institute at Sinai Hospital obtain supplemental services not covered by insurance, such as breast prosthesis, wigs, massage therapy, certain medications, and transportation to and from treatment.

So ... has social networking helped you or someone you know cope with a cancer diagnosis and treatment? What pitfalls should cancer patients be careful to avoid in posting private health information online?