Discussing Breast Cancer

When I was in college, nothing much mattered to us students other than classes, fraternity parties and dorm life (and that list is not necessarily in order of importance). But these days it is quite common to see and hear about college students doing their part to support a cause.

I’ve posted before that I’m enamored with the students at Fairfield University — especially after they hosted a Relay for Life as part of the American Cancer Society’s Colleges Against Cancer program.

Now, check this out. The University of Toronto women’s basketball, volleyball and hockey teams are hosting what they’re calling the ‘Varsity Blues Think Pink Weekend’ in support of the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation (CBCF). It’s the first one of (hopefully) many — and it is coming up this weekend.

According to a recent press release: “The Blues have pledged to raise a minimum of $10,000 for the CBCF.”

Here are two other important details:

• Limited edition Varsity Blues Think Pink t-shirts will be available in the Athletic Centre lobby from Nov. 27-29 and will be on sale at all three Think Pink Weekend games for a $10 minimum asking price. Note that says minimum.
• All proceeds from the sale of tickets, t-shirts and other event merchandise will go towards the CBCF - Ontario region.

This is just another reason for me to be proud of my Canadian roots (for those genealogists who want to know, my maiden name is Langevin — we’re a part of the 300+ year old Roberge family who began their Canadian tour on the Ile d’Orleans in Quebec).

Anyway, I’m proud of these girls. If you’re Canadian, and I know many of you are, do your part to CHEER PINK!!!!!

Wednesday, November 28th, is another Inspire! blog talk radio program — my co-host and I are interviewing Kim Dalzell again. She’s got four things she wants to cover:

1) Why we should NOT eat healthy for the holidays.
2) The newest cancer risk in food fortification.
3) The best kind of drink and getting real bang for your buck.
4) The power of the plant: A simple and cost effective way to add this basic that every breast cancer patient and survivor MUST have for her healing journey.

Should be interesting — to say the least. I hope you’ll tune in.

We interviewed Kim on October 31st and she shared several nutritional tips for breast cancer survivors – from drink green tea to eat more fish – and I really found her insight invaluable.

I don’t know about you, but I worry about what I ingest. Some days I get downright paranoid – are the foods I consume cancer-causing? Am I doing enough to make sure my kids never get cancer? Have I done enough to make sure I never get it again?

We’re trying to change our ways here in the Lynch household, but it isn’t easy. We’ve been slow to adopt some of the changes I know we should make. We’re buying more organic foods, choosing more whole foods … but are the baby steps we’ve taken enough to make a life-saving difference?

I guess this is a topic I’m meant to be exploring because it keeps coming up in my life.

So if you’re free at 1:00 ET tomorrow – Wednesday, November 28 – give Inspire! a listen.

cancer, breast cancer, nutrition, Inspire!, wellness, blog talk radio, Internet radio

Living in the city can increase your risk of developing breast cancer. YIKES! I’m so glad I live in the freakin’ suburbs! Now’s the time to buy a house in the country!

Seriously folks … researchers in the UK have discovered that women living (and working) in urban areas are significantly more susceptible to the disease than those living in countryside. The study shows that urban women have denser breasts (and previous research suggested women with denser breasts were four times more likely to develop cancer).

Here’s the BBC/News story, but if you don’t want to go to that page and you’re wondering what can you do with this information then here’s this:

The jury is still out on why the denser breasts on urbanites correlates to breast cancer incidence but they are considering a link between breast cancer incidence and:

• the stressful lives urbanites live
• the level of air pollution in urban environments, and/or
• the body size/weight of city women (city women are thinner, but perhaps too thin; breast density is inversely related to weight).

Like I said, from what I can tell, the jury is still out.

But Dr. Nicholas Perry at the London Breast Institute, lead researcher on the study, had this to say: “Women who live in urban areas are known to have lower attendance for breast-screening programs than women in outlying areas.” If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a million times — mammography can save your life!

So if you live in the city, do you really need to search the listings for a suburban home? Not necessarily. (Although I do believe the suburban life of a soccer mom is highly underrated.) But you do need to be more diligent about your BSE and mammography screenings.

cancer, breast cancer, mammography, London, breast density

WEEK TV, an Illinois-based NBC affiliate, has caught my attention with their Buddy Check 25 program. This program is the start of something great — reminding women to conduct their Breast Self Exam (BSE) every single month — an important facet of self-care and a tool for early detection. Participating in the Buddy Check 25 program is as easy as 1, 2 … that’s it, stop at 2. It’s that easy!

1. Choose a friend or relative to be your “Buddy.”
2. On the 25th of each month, check with your buddy to make sure you have each completed your monthly breast self exam (BSE).

Here’s the link to learn more about the Buddy Check 25 program.

I know, I know … you aren’t sure what you are doing (nobody ever taught you how to feel your own boobs, right?) Well, Susan G. Komen has a great ‘tutorial’ for BSE on their website. Check it out if you’re unsure what to do.

Now start to think about who you can buddy-up with. Your sister? Your mother? Your best friend or roommate? I think a friend is a perfect choice (I’ve got a list a mile long of women I should buddy up with.) As Charlotte Richard wrote when she was keeping a relationships blog … “A friend is like a good bra….hard to find, supportive, comfortable, always lifts you up, never lets you down or leaves you hanging, and is always close to your heart.”

Buddy up!

cancer, breast cancer, BSE, WEEK TV, NBC

Dyson is committed to helping find a cure for breast cancer. Committed. A lot of companies have gotten on the bandwagon with pink products and services, but this one … well, check this out: $40 from the sale of each DC07 Pink will be donated to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation which currently funds over 100 researchers throughout the world working to prevent and cure breast cancer.

• The Dyson bagless vacuum (dust goes right into an easy-to-empty dust compartment) doesn’t lose suction while it deep cleans — that means nothing is left behind; you get a cleaner carpet when you’re done. Plus, no bags to buy. Bagless.
• With the flick of a switch you can move from hard floors to carpets with a Dyson — no need to change nozzles or adapters. Easy. So easy, in fact, your husband can do it. (Plus, he’ll want to, once he reads the Dyson story if he hasn’t already.)
• Each Dyson has a lifetime HEPA filter (here’s why you need HEPA filtration). It’s so brilliant that it is certified as ‘asthma friendly‘ according to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America. Oh, and it’s washable — no need to buy new filters over time. No need.
• The Dyson upright’s on-board tool storage means you’ll never be fishing for the attachments again. Never!

We found it really easy to assemble this vacuum. We opened the instruction manual briefly to look at the instructions and found the graphics/visuals simplified the process.

We struggled to find the sticker the manual says is under the dust compartment — to remind us when to rinse our washable filter. Eventually, I called the Dyson helpline (1-866-693-9766; 7 days a week). The nice woman on the phone explained that the sticker was obviously missing because if it was on the unit, it would be obvious. No big deal, I’ll mark the dates on my calendar, the sticker is probably superfluous.

Then my husband vacuumed. What a sweet, sweet thing to watch. I’ve said it before, this man of mine loves pink products and services more than anyone I know. He’s wanted a Dyson for a long time because he’s a technology junkie. When he found out Dyson made a pink model he nearly went out of his mind. The vacuum of his dreams. I admit, he’s the one who usually vacuums. I’ve had so many reasons to limit my lifting between having babies and having breast cancer related surgeries it just sort of happened that vacuuming is his task. Of course, now that I have this upright … things may have to change. We’ve had an Electrolux canister for the last ten years and though it has served us well, it is heavy as all be, and I just couldn’t be the one to lug it around the house. Who wouldn’t want to vacuum with this?

Bottomline? Our house is going to be cleaner. That means our family is going to be healthier. And we’re all going to smile a lot more when we are making our house cleaner and healthier. In this life? That matters. Greatly.

Thank you Dyson — for creating this fantastic vacuum and for giving back to a charity that makes a significant difference in the lives of women. And thank you Tim — for allowing me to show the world how you vacuumed our playroom in these pictures.

You can buy it at Target.com or you can buy it at Amazon.com for $399. OR, check it out on the Dyson website — under the original Dyson upright.

cancer, breast cancer, dyson, vacuum

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Not long after I posted that last post on giving thanks this Thanksgiving I came across this Washington Post article on the health benefits of giving thanks.

Seems feelings of gratitude increase well-being and decrease materialism (and this time of year we all could use a decrease of our materialism, don’t you think?).

Anyway, I don’t want to paraphrase the piece, that’s not my thing. The best thing to do is check it out for yourself. But, if you don’t want to click the above link, here’s the final word: “Be grateful for what you’ve got and appreciative of what you see around you.”

cancer, breast cancer, gratitude, thanksgiving

This year I’m hosting Thanksgiving dinner for 18 family members. Both my side of the family and my husband’s will be coming. So I’ve been preparing; shopping, cleaning, you know the drill. (Check out this countdown on Kids Dish if you are feeling overwhelmed and looking for help getting organized!)

The problem I keep running into is that I keep getting choked up.

Last Thanksgiving my mother was in the midst of chemotherapy and I was about to undergo my hysterectomy. We enjoyed ourselves with the big black cloud hanging over our heads but still, it was there. It wasn’t out best year, to say the least. This year feels so celebratory for us. And by us, I mean me and my mom. We keep talking about how blessed we are, how thankful we are … to be alive. To be spending Thanksgiving with our families again. I’ll bet that’s what the Pilgrims really felt … relief and joy at being alive. Thanking God because it was clear to them that He provided for them.

It is different for us, however, because the connection to God’s provisional care isn’t as strong. Most of us work to earn the money to buy groceries from a store. We aren’t sowing our land and reaping what we sow. But those Pilgrims … well, they knew that the land was feeding them and God created the land and they were thankful.

In the case of me and my mom … we know God provided for us. With doctors and diagnostics and caregivers. We knew and we are thankful.

This year we give thanks to God, for:

• Doctors, nurses and other health care providers
• Mammography, ultrasound and other diagnostic procedures
• Healthy breasts, healthy ovaries and healthy bodies
• Family, friends and neighbors who are both
• Flowers, fruit and gifts bestowed upon us
• Sunshine, rain and the wind beneath our wings
• Paid work, pro bono work and the opportunity to volunteer
• Children … mine, yours and everyone’s
• The gift of an earthly life and each day we are gifted to add to it

What are you most thankful for?

cancer, breast cancer, Thanksgiving

I’ve been thinking about the woman I know that was recently diagnosed with breast cancer. Her double mastectomy was this week and she’s schedule to start chemo within the next two weeks. A close friend and neighbor is coordinating her care — the meals being delivered, the rides for her kids, company for chemo trips, that kind of thing — and it brings me back to my own trials.

I’m a planner, and though I’m not as organized as I was before having three children to account for, I’m pretty much on top of things at home. I kept a master calendar when I was laid up so that I could easily see who was bringing us a meal, who was chauffeuring my kids around, who was bringing me to/from the doctor. I had my laptop with me wherever I was (couch vs. bed) and referred to it constantly.

If I’d have known about these sites! Actually, if my husband had known. Here’s an easy way for your primary caregiver to organize the information that needs to be disseminated and needs to be coordinated. Since November is National Family Caregiver’s Month, I’m happy to provide this information to all of you caregivers out there.

Speaking of caregivers … my last Inspire! Internet talk radio show covered just that — with a focus on getting through the holidays. Check that out when you have a minute.

OKAY, back to the sites I want to share with you. First, there’s CarePages — once you set up an account, you can send updates to everyone at once and limit the number of phone calls you need to make; that’s a serious stress saver. People can also easily offer you words of support — what a nice feature, to be able to read the inspirational messages that people so want to send your way. There’s a lot more to do on that site, so check it out.

Then, there’s CareCalendar — with this site it is easy to not only send updates but list needs and others can see what unmet need you have and sign up to help right online. CarePages might allow that as well, but I’m not sure … so this is the place I’d start if that’s of interest.

Oh, and by the way … if you ARE helping someone this winter by bringing a meal over, forget the overdone casseroles and pasta dishes. Make a hearty bowl of soup (try this recipe!) and bring some crusty bread over along with a fresh green salad. And don’t forget dessert!

I read about this new wb 2.0 site called Ask500People … once on the site, you register, type up a question you want asked and then wait for the results — results that come in from random people around the world.

Today I asked … “Do you think we’ll find a cure for cancer within the next fifty years?” After fielding a few questions about what kind of cancer (I specified breast cancer but it at that) — the question was asked and the results were resounding!

73% of the people said yes! That’s hope in action. I love it. Most of the people participating were from the United States. But the question did draw worldwide participation.

I chose to use 50 years because I’m 40 now, so that timeframe would be ‘in my lifetime’ assuming I live to a ripe old 90 years of age (there’s that hope again). For some of you … well, let’s just say you have a whole lot more life ahead of you than I do, so that number might be limiting. Forgive me.

I have a marketing research background so I’m intrigued by this method. Maybe next time I’ll ask a more controversial question. Like the should we have the mandatory cervical cancer vaccine for young girls. But this time … well, everyone wants a breast cancer cure and I do believe people think we are close.

Anyway, that’s it. I just wanted to share the results. (Remember, this is not scientific folks, so please don’t take this as much more than fun and interesting.)

What do you think … honestly, do you think we’ll find a cure?

cancer, breast cancer, cure, cervical cancer, vaccine, health, wellness, research

Did you know that nearly 60% of women regard hair loss as the single worst side effect of cancer treatment? I didn’t, but I’m not surprised. When I was first diagnosed one of my first feelings was terror over the fact that I might lose my hair. A close friend of mine rallied, saying she’d shave her head if I faced that reality.

I never did lose my hair. Sometimes I think my bout with cancer wasn’t real because I still have my hair (then I look at my scars and say, oh yeah, it was real).

Anyway, a woman (”hairjazz75″) commented on my site yesterday about her involvement as an ambassador for the Pantene Beautiful Lengths and Million Inch Chain program. “Together we are trying to gather 1 million inches of hair to make into wigs for women with cancer. A lot of women get really insecure about losing their hair due to chemo treatment. So we try and help them regain their confidence so they can fight this disease,” she said. I pulled her comment to post here because this is such a special thing women can do to help other women. It’s easy — hair just grows, it is up to you not to cut it until it is long enough to donate. I just spent some time poking around that site and found great link to see and share photos on Flickr — of women with their new dos and their beautiful lengths of usable hair. They make me proud.

Anyway, I’m sure you’ve heard of Locks of Love. While the Pantene program makes wigs specifically for women with cancer, Locks of Love helps children.

Hillary Swank is working with the folks at Pantene — here’s the direct link to a Q & A with her. Check out the You Tube video of her Oprah appearance last week:

Don’t you think Lindsay Lohan could get on this band wagon? Geesh … the women that could use that hair!

FYI … hair must form a ponytail that is at least eight inches long and it takes six ponytails to make one wig. Lindsay?

breast cancer, cancer, Hilary Swank, Lindsay Lohan, Pantene Beautiful Lengths, Locks of Love

Researchers have developed a new model to determine if you face an increased risk of breast cancer. They define “increased risk” as a 2 percent chance of developing breast cancer over the next five years. Taking Tamoxifen might reduce that risk for women who meet the criteria — so this assessment is worth considering.

Using data from the WHI study (Women’s Health Initiative), a 15-year research program involving 161,808 postmenopausal women and funded by the National Institutes of Health, the researchers found postmenopausal women were at an “increased risk” of developing breast cancer if they were:

• 55 years of age or older and had either had a breast biopsy at any time, regardless of findings, or had a first-degree relative (mother, sister or daughter) who had breast cancer diagnosed at any age.

The article, entitled “Predicting Risk of Breast Cancer in Postmenopausal Women by Hormone Receptor Status,” appears in The Journal of the National Cancer Institute. Here’s the reported story where I read it at Science Daily.

Once again, I feel like I’m in a quandary. I think it is important for women to consider their risk for this disease. But I HATE that studies focus on older women. Haven’t we heard enough stories of young women getting this disease to realize that we have to study the younger populations more? Didn’t the researchers read “Nordie’s at Noon”? Don’t they know that 55 is often too late to worry about risk, that women should consider their risk when they are much younger?

It’s that postmenopausal thing — they have the numbers to be included in research studies. But premenopausal women — there just isn’t great research there.

Anyway, if you are a postmenopausal woman who fits the criteria and is at increased risk, consult your doctor about the benefit of taking Tamoxifen. Weigh the risks against the benefits. If you are premenopausal … nudge your doctors to take any questions or concerns you have seriously and ask them to share with you what research they do have for women your age. Be your own advocate.

cancer, breast cancer, WHI, Tamoxifen, Nordies at Noon, Premenopausal, Postmenopausal

Remember when I suggested we read “Nordie’s at Noon”? Yes, that was September 17th. I’m averaging two months to read a book. How pathetic is that? I remember the day when I could/would read a book in one sitting even if it meant staying up to the wee hours. But now that I hit the pillow exhausted, there’s no more staying up until 2:00 or 3:00 am to gobble up every last page before turning in.

I know one of my loyal readers, Sherry, did just that when she dug into “Nordie’s at Noon”; God bless her, I imagine she no longer has kids living under her roof! Make sure you read her review when you’re done reading mine!

So “Nordie’s at Noon” … the personal stories of four women “too young” for breast cancer. (2006; Da Capo Press; Cambridge, MA; $20 USD).

Whenever I meet a breast cancer survivor, I instantly revel in our commonalities and feel a strong bond connecting us that is intangible but very, very real. It was no different when this book introduced me to the four authors: Patti, Kim, Jennifer and Jana. Even the preface included thoughts on one such commonality. They were of course talking about the bond between the four of them, but for me as a reader, it was a bond between myself and them: “our common bond was ever present: a sense that life is a precious gift and that maybe our affliction was a blessing in disguise because it made us appreciate life all the more” (pg. xvii).

(more…)

With breast cancer themed ornaments. Yes, you read that correctly. Ornaments.

Isn’t that shoe perfect? I love Radko’s … I have several of them on my tree. So I need this High-Button Blooms Breast Cancer Awareness ornament. That link brings you to Macy’s where you can purchase that beautiful ornament for $48.

From the Christopher Radko website: “High-Button Blooms represents the 10th annual ornament created by Christopher Radko that supports nationwide charities that bring awareness to the need for a finding a cure for Breast Cancer. Pink is the color of breast cancer awareness, this stylish high-button boot bursting with pink blooms serves as a reminder that we continue to search for a cure.”

I love Radko’s — did I already mention that? I hope my husband reads this one carefully!

Anyway, in case the old-fashioned look of the Radko doesn’t work for you, here’s another you can go for. The Lenox Breast Cancer Ribbon ornament:

It’s available at Macy*s online for $19.99 right now (normally $29). A portion of the proceeds are going to breastcancer.org.

O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree … how lovely are your branches!

breast cancer, cancer, Christmas, Christmas Tree, Christopher Radko, Ornaments

I just wanted to share with my readers here that an article I wrote for Fairfield Magazine (a regional glossy) now appears online at their website. It’s called, The Heroines of Breast Cancer. Here’s the link. Let me know what you think (better yet, email the editor, and let her know what you think!)

cancer, breast cancer, Fairfield CT, Fairfield Magazine