Magic Hour

 A remarkable video about a woman with stage 4 cancer and her dream trip to Paris.
 http://vimeo.com/57648966

Take 10 :Tamoxifen for a decade?

For younger women with ER+ breast cancer, five years has been a magic mark. After five years you are done with Tamoxifen, you can go have that baby, or just not take a pill. Now a new study shows a substantial benefit to 10 years.

Good news/bad news? Both?

More from the AP via the Washington Post

The Beauty of Research: The Pink Jalk Project

Way back in the early 90's I worked at the Clinique counter at Macy's Herald Square. We were considered something of a "showcase" counter and we would get visits from company executives from time to time.

One day a woman walked up to me and said,"Hi I'm Evelyn Lauder, tell me about what you are doing."

Lauder, of course, was at the top of the corporate ladder, Clinique being a subsidiary of Estee Lauder. I can't remember the specifics of our conversation, but the way she interacted with me left a lasting impression.

People who are truly great treat everyone's contribution with respect.

It sounds like a cliche, but it was a lesson that I carried with me through my time at Clinique and into my career in television.

Little did I know, that our lives would intersect decades later.

I would become a breast cancer patient at a facility that was named for Lauder, who also was the key patron of the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

I was at a talk at the 92nd Street Y a few weeks ago when Dr. Larry Norton talked about Lauder's relationship with the BCRF.

He said she appreciated the beauty of cancer research, meaning she could see a value beyond the medical. She could appreciate its creativity and elegance.

That creativity and elegance can also be seen at a unique fundraiser for the BCRF.

For the past three years SUITE New York has held a design challenge to raise funds for BCRF. Each year designers are asked to re-imagine a classic modernist chair.

This year's event is called the Pink Jalk Project.

The Jalk is featured in MOMA and was designed by a woman. Maria Sepulveda and Kris Fuchs' showroom features a wide variety of Jalks ranging from the blinged-out to fancifuly simple.

All are being auctioned online right now at charitybuzz.com.

So what does all this mean to a patient like me?

It would be easy to sum up the project as a colorful effort to raise money for a good cause, but after seeing the chairs and meeting many of the designers at a reception last week, the project impressed me as something more profound.

Just like cancer researchers, designers use their imagination to create something new. Sometimes it works, sometimes it is an interesting failure. But it's gratifying to see these talented innovators using their skills to help save the lives of women like me.

One of the most show stopping efforts is by David Rockwell. His chair keeps the simplicity of the original's exterior, but has an underneath lined with a riot of pink crystals. Something about the pairing reminded me of the spirit of the women fighting this disease.

Darrell Carter transformed the Jalk from furniture to sculpture. His work actually made me think of the many survivors and bloggers who want to remind the world that there is nothing easy, pink, or twinkly about cancer.

Stephanie Gotto told me she finished her chair in silver to reflect back at the world, and lined in pink leather to reflect the curves of a woman's body.

These chairs and many more can be bought through the online auction which runs through the end of October.

80% percent of the proceeds of each chair go to the BCRF. There is something for every taste, and you will have a conversation piece that helped save lives.

I also want to thank Kris Fuchs for inviting me to the reception last week. She extended her hospitality to a random chick with breast cancer who contacted her on Facebook.

It was the sort of gracious gesture that reminded me of my encounter with Evelyn.

Pink you can believe in

Call it Pinktober, call it Breast Cancer Action Month, or call it "Wake me when it's over," it is October 1st and I would be one crummy BC blogger if I didn't post something.

The funny thing is I find myself more filled with contentment than dread. Sure I have seen some icky stuff benefitting bogus charities, but then I saw this.

Bestill my heart, fresh lettuce benefitting my charity of choice, The Breast Cancer Research Foundation!!!

OK, someone out there might complain it's not organic, but we have come a long way from the pink pimp cup I saw at the store, or pink guns, or what ever the worst possible product you can think of is!

I am also in a really good mood, because the community where I worked as a news anchor until well, today, had a really successful Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk. The area was hit hard by a flood three weeks before last year's event, raising money here is tough, so I guess this October 1st, I am seeing the world through rose-colored glasses!

Pickler's Buzz Cut

So former American Idol contestant and sassy broad Kelli Pickler shaved her head to support a friend with breast cancer.

The gesture is lovely, but I always wonder, if women really want these gestures.

I think if it were me, I might not want to be reminded of cancer every time I look at my friend.

But to each her own.

Both ladies do still look really pretty.

Your thoughts?

http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/gossip/kellie-pickler-shaves-head-support-cancer-stricken-best-friend-summer-holt-miller-article-1.1152412

Photo from NY Daily News

Cancerversary #3

O.K. I am actually a day late on this which is perhaps some sort of progress, I actually mixed up what day my cancerversary falls on.

Just for laughs here is my post from the first year.

http://www.breastcancerloop.org/2010/09/happy-cancerversary-to-me.html

This time of year is such a time of transition, back to school, summer to fall, political conventions, hurricanes, the US Open, even the Zydeco festival in Opeselousas, Louisana.

So here is what I remember.

Somehow in my first two weeks as a cancer patient I made it to Louisiana, California, and the US Open in Queens.

I came back from the national SPJ Convention in Indy on Sunday, took a day to recover on Monday, and went for my follow-up mammogram on Tuesday, which turned out to also be an ultrasound and the "area of concer" bomb.

Biopsy Wednesday. Ouch!


Thursday I decided it was now or never on Louisana, booked a ticket, Flew to Louisiana  Friday, Danced my rear off and ate everything in sight Saturday, got home Sunday, no memories of Monday, cancer call first thing Tuesday.

Some poor radiologist, comes back from Labor Day weekend and gets the job of calling women to tell them they have cancer. That's gotta suck. How many times a day does he have to make that call?

Sorry, cancer cells in biopsy, you'll need a PET scan and MRI ASAP. Talk about upselling!

Somehow I made it out to the US Open that next week and I set off the nuclear radiation detectors following my PET scan.

I was running on adrenaline.

I went to a wedding in California that weekend, and due to rain delays even made it to the final to see Juan Martin del Potro win the men's championship over Roger Federer the next day.

It was a crazy, improbable victory, and at the time that is what I needed to see at the time. I remember a group of Argentines dancing for joy.

I realize this is sounding more like a moldy version of Tennis Magazine than a breast cancer blog, but here is the thing, I never go to the finals, too rich for my blood, but that year I went because I thought I might never have another chance.

Fortunately I did.

New York now has a breast density law

The radiologist didn't recognize my face, but I knew what would trigger her memory.

"Remember me, really dense breast tissue lady?"

She lit up with recognition.

Apparently I had some of the densest breast tissue this side of the Mississippi. Getting a wire in me was an exceptional ordeal.

I believe my surgeon said dealing with my breasts was like "sawing into concrete."

New York State now has a new law requiring mammogram patients to be told if they have dense tissue. The density can make mammograms less conclusive and indicate higher risk.

I know women who fought for this bill, one who believes she might not have metastatic disease had she  been warned.

It's a done deal.

http://www.silive.com/news/index.ssf/2012/07/gov_cuomo_signs_legislation_to.html

Give Komen (or me) credit

Way back in April of '10 I wrote a post about the Komen/KFC kerfuffle.

http://www.breastcancerloop.org/2010/04/which-came-first-chicken-or-cure.html

I suggested the charity start looking for some partners who would get them positive PR, and create some good will with health-conscious survivors.

Specifically I mentioned getting busy on some cute pink ribbon wrappers for fresh produce.

Then today I saw this!

Good job. Were they reading this blog? I doubt it, but it's the right idea. Promotions that encourage healthy habits.