Discussing Breast Cancer

I pretty much stay away political discussions. But when issues pertaining to battling breast cancer show up in the battle for the presidency, I’ve gotta chime in. Last July I posted about Thompson when he was touting his conviction to find a cure. And now I have to share this with you: making headlines today is the fact that in a recent Ohio primary, the candidates neglected to speak about breast cancer — and that’s an issue identified by 62 percent of Americans as the key health issue facing women today.

I don’t know — is this an issue that needs to be discussed in the primary? Aren’t there more (other?) deadly issues in health care that need consideration? Sure, I want a cure just as much as the next survivor, but I have to think that we’re simply beating up the presidential hopefuls if we get on them for not wearing pink ribbons and talking about what they’ll do to find a cure.

That being said, if they do start talking about what they’ll do in terms of research, I’m all ears … that’s why Thompson caught my attention last year. But the fact that they’re not discussing it, well, that hadn’t been on my radar.

What about you? Do you think the candidates should pink up their campaigns?

Some of you clearly do … check out these statistics compiled by Susan G. Komen for the Cure?

“More than 90 percent of voters want the federal government to pay more attention to breast cancer research, screening and early detection and access to quality care for all. A majority of voters (62 percent) believe breast cancer is the most critical health problem facing women today. But only one in 10 voters is aware of their preferred presidential candidate’s position on issues relating to breast cancer.”

Here’s a link to the Fox News story.

(Oh, and if you didn’t click on the Susan G. Komen link above, you might want to reconsider. It takes you to their web page about breast cancer advocacy in terms of this year’s presidential election — and on that page is a petition that might get this issue on the front of candidates minds, signed by yours truly. Will you sign, too?)

For the record … if one of these candidates started wearing a pink ribbon and talking about their support for the American Cancer Society or Susan G. Komen or the myriad of researchers working to find a cure … they’d probably get my vote.

in the 2008 bloggies weblog awards. Last year Discussing Breast Cancer was nominated for Best Health Blog but didn’t win. Voting for 2008 has begun … this blog is still in the running. If you want to see this one make it to the top, please click on the link below, register if you need to, and cast your vote!

Wow.

According to research conducted in Northern Israel … “exposure to light at night is the most powerful factor in breast cancer besides genetic defects, according to a new University of Haifa study.” Too much light at night interferes with the production of melatonin — and an arm of the World Health Organization recently decided to classify shift work as a probable carcinogen.

Let me clarify … we’re not talking small household night lights here, we’re talking about living on brightly lit city streets or factory night-shift lighting. My suggestion: if you are exposed to serious lighting at nighttime you need to investigate this study further. Start by reading the Washington Post article about the findings here.

I’ve been in Vermont for the past few days (my family took a ski vacation with another family — had an awesome trip); the entire time I was gone I went without cell service or an Internet connection. Holy cow, that’s life changing.

I can remember a time when those issues weren’t even on my peripheral. But now — geesh, did I feel disconnected from my life. I checked my iPhone as soon as we entered a cell service zone and there were hundreds of emails to sort through, several voice messages to play and a dozen or so numbers in the caller ID, people that didn’t leave messages. Welcome home, huh?

One of the emails I received had the above image in it — sent from a neighbor who recently discovered Mamasource, an online community of moms.

Mamasource is a place where you can log in to give/receive advice, referrals, support … prayers. If it’s like any other online communities, the outpouring of comfort and friendship for a woman with cancer is unsuprpassable. Also, women on forums like these almost always give/receive prayer support and research has shown that online prayer support makes a difference for cancer patients.

Coming home to this image in my inbox, well, it helped me reconnect to my neighboring community again. It made me feel cared for and uplifted and closer to humanity. It made me feel supported.

Looking at it makes me want to do that for someone else … wanna join me? Come on, it’s easy. Let’s send virtual well wishes — an email or an online card — to someone who desperately needs to stay connected.

“Every step I take brings me closer to the realization of my dreams.”

This is a passage out of a new self-help type book by motivational speaker Judi Moreo (on the right), called You Are More Than Enough Achievement Journal. I believe journaling is a smart, healthy way to process your healing journey. It’s a way to express your thoughts and feelings and hopes and wishes and prayers and fears … without having to voice them to the world. It’s almost as important as prayer in the life of a survivor … but heck, who am I to preach about the benefits of journaling! Instead, allow me to introduce you to author Judi Moreo herself in this guest post she wrote for me to share:

Life is happening so fast, there’s no time for stillness or reflection. Many of us have forgotten how to listen to the still, small voice inside of us. Writing in a journal is taking time for yourself. You are giving yourself permission to express your feelings and access your intuition. Writing a journal is a discipline…the discipline of taking care of your inner self. Discipline is the key to all success!

Journaling is how we keep track of the steps.

Thank you Judi … wasn’t that great? (Here’s another link to Judi’s site, this one specifically to her blog — there’s great reading material there!)

When I first read the excerpt that I started this post with, “Every step I take brings me closer to the realization of my dreams,” I thought … what are my dreams … how has being a survivor changed them … what steps do I need to take to get closer to them …

I realize now that my dreams are much simpler than they used to be. I don’t need to travel the world, I want to experience new places with my family wherever we all wind up. I don’t need a grand house on a hill, I want a home where we can all live happily together. I don’t need fame and fortune, I want to be truly known by the people I’m blessed to have in my life.

The first step for me has been to spend more time with people, talking, traveling, playing … living life, together.

Now it’s your turn … what are your dreams? Have they changed? What steps are you taking to realize them? Are you journaling?

cancer, breast cancer, journaling, prayer, Judi Moreo, motivation, healing, health, wellness, health and wellness, survivor, dreams

Whether or not a survivor even questions the presence of her ovaries in her body depends on the results of her pathology and the answer to one specific question: is her cancer estrogen receptive?

If she is, and the cancer in her body ‘feeds’ on estrogen, there are treatment options to consider that will either (1) suppress her estrogen production with pharmaceuticals (Tamoxifen tablets) (2) chemically stop her estrogen production (Zolodex shots) (3) remove her estrogen production (Oopherectomy).

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There are just a few things I want to share with you:

(1) I revisited and redid the categories for this site. I think you’ll easily find posts you’re looking for in each category. If you are just joining now, and you want to know my story (at least what I’ve told to date) — head to survivor stories — but scroll to the last one since the list starts with the most recent post.

(2) The spam filter here at 451 Press is blocking everything these days. On any given day I have approximately 100 comments to sift through and if I fall behind that numbers heads up to 1,000. That’s when I give up. That means real bona fide comments have fallen through the cracks. If that’s happened to yours, I’m so, so sorry. If you are trying (or have tried) to post a comment and it didn’t make it through, please let me know and I’ll search for your words!

(3) I am just now figuring out that I have an email address here at 451 press — you can always send me an email or feedback at karen dot lynch at 451press dot net.

10. More than 1.2 million people will be diagnosed with breast cancer each year worldwide (according to the World Health Organization). This site will empower those 1.2 million people.

9. Each year, 500,000 people will die from breast cancer (also according to the WHO). This site will offer support to those facing death or the death of a loved one.

8. 12.28% of women born today will be diagnosed with breast cancer at some point in their lifetime. This number can also be expressed as 1 in 8 women. This site will be a place of solace for the women who find themselves on the wrong side of those statistics.

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I’m still processing “the plan” for this site so I thank you for sticking with me the last few days.

I do have a favor to ask … can you share with me the reasons why do you visit this site? I’ve asked a question of this nature in the past, but with thousands of visitors each month I still don’t have a feel for the value I’m providing. I need that information so I can help discern the direction I need to take this.

So, if you have a minute …

Remember when I posted a few days ago about the fact that I’d yet to post my New Year’s Resolutions? I was stagnant. I went through all the usuals related to health and wellness — and a few related to personal growth and my priorities. Nothing was resonating.

Until today. Sometimes things happen that force your hand, or move you down a certain path, whether you want to go there or not. Sometimes decisions aren’t made … they just happen. That’s God’s will, don’t you think?

As of today, my resolution for 2008 is to take my writing career where God wants it to go — even if I don’t know where that is. See, I know that God gifted me the ability to write. What I don’t know is how He wants me to be using my gift. So I resolve to figure it out. I sound so Christian when I quote the bible, but from Jeremiah 29:11 … “I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. “ So, I resolve that in 2008 I will write in accordance with His plan for me. And I’ll trust that whatever that is, it is what is best for me. That’s life as a Christian woman for ya!

So … I’m still processing some of the events taking place in my professional life and I will keep you posted on where I’m going with all this!

Happy New Year!

I went away for a few days (literally) — traveling without my spouse but with my three kids over the holidays was quite an experience, let me tell you. I’ll make sure I post later today when I’ve had more coffee and/or adjust to the weird jet lag I have going on.

But I wanted to say first and foremost … Happy New Year to all of you who faithfully stop by to discuss breast cancer and to those joining the conversation for the first time today.

I’ll need to make some resolutions for my first ‘real’ post in 2008. Have any resolutions of your own to share with me while I consider mine?

KL

Before we wrap up for the year I wanted to share one more book review with you. This book is one you should have in the house, on your shelves, as a reference manual — early in 2008 take a look at a Everyone’s Guide to Cancer Survivorship: A Road Map for Better Health by Patricia Fobair (social worker at Stanford University Hospital), Holly Gautier, RN (Cancer Concierge Services Director at Stanford Cancer Center), Ernest H. Rosenbaum, MD (a top oncologist and clinical professor of medicine at the University of California in San Francisco) and David Spiegel, MD (associate chair, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Stanford School of Medicine).

This 304 page paperback was written for both survivors and health care professionals — so you’ll read lots of information explaining how and why health care professionals should treat cancer patients. But there’s lots in it for survivors and you don’t need to read it cover to cover. It’s divided into parts:

Part I: A Physician Guidance Program — including the elements of a post-therapy survival plan. Man, I wish I’d had one of these. Kudos to these professionals and those that heed their advice. “The goal is to promote wellness through health promotion and disease prevention.”

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Thought I’d share this video of my three-year old daughter putting on a puppet show for her daddy today:

Yikes … Christmas really is just three days away. Technically, my celebration begins in two days, when my in-laws show up at my door loaded down with presents for their grandchildren. Each year, within minutes of their arrival, my brother-in-law says it looks like Toys R Us has thrown up in my living room — graphic, I know, I’m sorry. But seriously — it is all about the gifts with them. My mother-in-law starts shopping the day after Christmas — and collects gifts all year as she finds them, often forgetting what she’s already purchased, anxiously awaiting the opening so she can remember items purchased months prior. And she shops every day, it’s what she does. It’s really quite unreal.

I’m just not that on the ball (well, I don’t have the means, either, but even if I did, I’m not sure I’d be that one the ball). Admittedly, my shopping is never done until the day before Christmas so this year? I’ve got two days to finish up. And very few things are wrapped … and I’m responsible for making Christmas Eve dinner for twelve. Yeah, panic is possible … but I won’t let it happen to me. Here’s what I’m going to do and what I suggest you do as well.

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