Cancer Survivors Head for Everest!

What an inspiring story!
I want to give the reporter props for the nice writing and production.
http://www.kcci.com/r/27351722/detail.html

Fear itself

FDR's famous quote came to me when I read this next article. I'll be honest I didn't think it would say anything new, until I read the end.

I sometimes wonder what the barrier is to good aftercare. My YSC chapter just started separate groups for women who are done with treatment, and that made me happy, it's a step in the right direction.

I dream of opening a post-oncology clinic that focuses on physical therapy, primary care, emotional support, all the things we need post treatment.

Your thoughts?


http://scopeblog.stanford.edu/archives/2011/03/fear-of-recurrence.html

Woman's dog sniffs out her breast cancer?

Love this story. Woman claims her dog found her breast cancer, saved her life.
Give him a bone for all of us!
 
http://www.11alive.com/News/Health/184044/13/He-saved-my-life-dog-sniffs-out-owners-breast-cancer

My first post that's not about breast cancer

O.K. so this post breaks all of the Loop rules. It's about a man and it's about boxing, but it's also about a cancer patient fighting to live his dream.

Charles won't go down without a fight

By Kevin Iole, Yahoo Sports

Anyone who has followed boxing for any length of time knows that fighters just can’t quit. There is something in the ethos of the sport which brings them back.
Joe Louis. Muhammad Ali. Sugar Ray Leonard. Floyd Mayweather Jr. They quit, and then they came back. As if lured by a Siren’s song, they always come back.
The latest exhibit is Nick Charles, as tough a fighter as there is. Charles can’t find it within himself to quit, to give up, to stop chasing the dream.

Read More

Kat blogs about Lymphedema

When I was diagnosed with early stage breast cancer I got a lot of great medical support, and hope for a cure.

Lymphedema, not so much.

Sadly many breast surgeons seem in denial about the risk and just how much the condition impacts our quality of life.

Heck my spell checker doesn't even recognize the word!

Sorry to whine, but it's been tougher than cancer in a lot of ways.

Anyhow I happened upon this blog when the author posted a comment in a really great new series in the New York Times. I'll post about that soon.

She seems to really like to write about shoes as well...but still it's the first lymphedema blog I have come across.


http://nummyz.wordpress.com/

Breast cancer comedy made me LOL

So I was able to check out Pam Murphy's "The C Word" in New York City on Friday evening. The show was at the popular Upright Citizen's Brigade Theater in Chelsea.

When I hear "one woman show about breast cancer," I get a little nervous. But Pam's show was really, really funny, and went by almost too quickly.

My favorite moment was when in about 2 minutes summed up the challenges of choosing surgery. Describing bi-lateral mastectomy with implants, she channeled a car salesman-like character saying, "One, Two, buckle my shoe it's titty time!"

Like "Seinfeld" Pam's play has no hugging and no learning. The show is not exactly a window into her soul. However she does find a way to bring the awkward, ironic, humorous moments in her "journey" to life.

Some breast cancer women love to find the comedy in their situations, others take offense. I have even gotten criticized in the Twitter-verse for having the occasional silly headline. It's not so much that cancer is funny, but there is humor in the abrupt way our lives are changed.

I give Pam a lot of credit for being honest and open enough to share the funny moments in her unique perspective. Her riff on trying to explain her fertility situation to an imaginary date is a perfect example.

What was so impressive was that most of the audience was young people including a lot of men. Pam is able to take her experience and do more than preach to the choir. She is able to take a touchy subject and make it universal.

As much as I enjoyed it, the play still felt to me like a work in progress. The ending felt slightly abrupt, and compared to the other play it was paired with, it seemed a bit short. On the other hand she incorporates the song "Love Train" which is always a good thing.

Pam did mention to me she hopes more survivors get a chance to see the show. I can't imagine anyone who has been though this not enjoying it and getting a much needed laugh.

There are some links to her venue information in the previous post.

Suzanne

Viewer Mail

Here is a piece of viewer mail that caught my eye!


Hi there!

I found you through Save the TaTa's site.  I'm a comedian and a breast cancer survivor, so a wrote a funny, frank show about it that I perform in NYC and I'll be performing it in LA this month.  It was named The Best Solo Show of 2010 by Time Out NY magazine and I was nominated an ECNY (Excellence in Comedy New York) award for Best One Person Show. (I'll find out on Monday, if I won!)  I would really love for other survivors to come to the show.  I'm really trying to get the word out to them.  I was hoping you could post something on your site.  

here's a link to the NY show page which has reviews and a short clip of the show

http://newyork.ucbtheatre.com/shows/2524

here's the LA show page

http://losangeles.ucbtheatre.com/shows/2524

I saw the show tonight...it was really really funny. The audience was not really cancer people either, so it's great that Pam is reaching a larger audience. I will write more soon.

Suzanne

Breast cancer husbands suffer higher rate of depression

 It's not easy to be the well spouse. A new study shows our spouses suffer a higher rate of depression.

http://www.lex18.com/news/spouses-of-breast-cancer-patients-suffer-higher-depression-levels

"Lottery Ticket" proposed to raise money for breast cancer

I kind of like this idea from Floriday..people are going to play the lotto, why not have some of the money help women with breast cancer.

 http://www.wtsp.com/news/health/article/178519/12/Proposed-lottery-ticket-to-fight-breast-cancer

Kimberly Estrada's Big Pink Wedding

I was just watching "My Fair Wedding" and was touched by the episode.

Vice-Principal Kimberly Estrada was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer, at the age of 30,  and wanted her experience reflected in her big, pink, rose filled wedding.

I give her a lot of credit, I'm not sure I would have been comfortable with breast cancer awareness as the theme of my wedding, but she is a great spokesperson for the fact that breast cancer happens to young women.

I really did tear up as during her vows, she talked about her treatment and how her love is the reward for all the pain she went through.

Another moving moment was when arrived at a wig store to get a really lovely new wig. I am guessing that she was one of the women who never gets back all her hair after chemo, since she says that she is six years out from treatment.

WE TV has a nice page about breast cancer including links to information on depression and employment rights.

http://www.wetv.com/fitness/breast-cancer.html

Kimberly and her husband and now pursuing surrogate motherhood. Here is her website.

http://www.ourroadtosurrogacy.com/

Kylie Minogue tells it like it is

In the 80's Kylie Minogue was the Britney Spears of Great Britan. Australia as well.

Now as a breast cancer survivor she shares her struggles in a different way from almost any other celebrity with an early stage diagnosis.

It often seems that celebrities often talk about breast cancer in a way that I don't recognize. Perhaps they had an easy time with their treatments, or maybe they are putting up a brave front.

I mean Martina Navratilova played doubles in the French right around when she had radiation for DCIS.  More power to her, but that's not my experience.

So Kylie my dear, cheers for letting it all hang out and not being afraid to show it's hard.

http://www.monstersandcritics.com/people/news/article_1624016.php/Kylie-Minogue-cries-while-talking-about-cancer-battle