Stand Up To (2) Cancer

        Do you know anyone who has been diagnosed with cancer?  Did you know that 1 out of 3 women will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime…1 out of 2 men.  So unless you are a family of one, with no friends and you are the luckiest person in the whole wide world…cancer is going to touch someone you care about, at some point.  If you haven’t had to deal with the enemy cancer yet…consider yourself blessed beyond reason.  There is a movement afoot to Stand Up To Cancer.  It doesn’t matter if it is breast cancer, colon cancer, blood cancers, brain cancer,ovarian, or any other kind of cancer…it is a destroyer and needs to be eliminated.  Please join forces to battle a plague on the world that we live in…help fight cancer.

        The goal is to Stand Up To Cancer and understand it…take it apart…so that we can more efficiently battle it and WIN!  That is the end goal.   Cancer is the enemy…it is a thief…it has stolen enough, artists, doctors, mothers, muscians, pilots, cab drivers, babies, teachers, clerks, lecturers, fathers, students, writers, researchers, husbands, factory workers, miners, fire fighters, sons, nurses, daughters, child care workers, politicians, sisters, waitresses, brothers, lecturers, speakers, wives, caregivers, grandparents, role models, athletes, neighbors, librarians, friends, social workers, police men & women, military men and women, designers, dancers, clergy, you get the idea…Cancer is not picky about who it chooses to invade and try to destroy. 

          It could be you next, or someone you care about.  Cancer claims one life a minute each day!  Can you believe that?  One person a minute per day is too many loses! That is 1,500 deaths per day… that is unacceptable.    Protect your health best way that you can, eat right, exercise, protect your environment, take your vitamins, stay away from contaminants, be aware and educate yourself.  Honor those who have fought with everything they have…help out someone in a health crisis with cancer…be a supporter to someone in need. 

          Once cancer strikes…there are many needs, physical,spiritual, medical, emotional, financial, transportation, and daily care needs.  Do what you can to lift someone up!  Life is precious.  Will you make a commitment to be a force to be reckoned with and help make an impact in the fight against cancer?

         For us to win the war on cancer it requires courage, support, awareness, education and funding.  The television networks are joining together to bring those tools to the public and try to create a historic event that will hopefully rev up the odds of winning.  http://abcnews.go.com/Health/StandUp2Cancer/  There are many celebrities who are adding their voice and their talents to the project.  They have a wonderful website that you can view here that will explain more.  In the meantime, look for the program to hit the networks on Sept 5th, at 8 pm.  You can go to the website and read up on the idea here:  http://www.standup2cancer.org/  Let’s not be idle and let others do the fighting…there is something that we all can do…what are you willing to do to help?  Let’s envision a future without cancer!!!

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Should Pharmacists (or Store Owners) Be Allowed to Refuse To Sell Products?

        A big controversary in the last year or two regarding pharmacists or store owners refusing to sell certain products.  It has once again come to the table of public opinion as many pharmacists are refusing to sell items such as condoms, alcohol, cigarettes, pornography, birthcontrol, etc.  Some people are outraged that they are being denied the convience of purchasing said items at the stores of their choice. 

           What is your opinion about this issue?  Should owners of their own business be allowed to decide what they want to sell to the public?  Should customers complain, patronize the competitor, or sue to get what they want, where they want to get it?  What do you think about this subject.  Should a business owner be forced to sell something that goes against their religious beliefs just because the customer demands it? 

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Suicide On Demand-Washington Tries To Make It Legal

      There are people who wish to die everywhere around the world…they each have their reasons…some actually make it happen.  Those people are often desperate, sick, experiencing financial, emotional or physical difficulties which can cloud, or influence their decision to take their own life.  My concern is, that in those moments of desperation or depression, having the stamp of approval from people approved by the state legitimizing the option of suicide will only reinforce their hopelessness.

     The state of Washington is trying to get 225,000 valid voter’s signatures before July 3rd so that they can get an initiative on the November ballot called Death with Dignity.  If they can accomplish this goal…in November, voters will have the chance to create a new law condoning suicide in certain circumstances.

        If a person has been diagnosed as having a fatal disease; and has less than 6 months to live, and two seperate doctors are in agreement about that diagnosis; the patient will then have the option of submitting a request to receive a perscription for a medicine combination that will cause their death.  When making their verbal request to receive that medication, they must request it twice, 15 days apart; they must also submit a written request, witnessed by two other people who are not their doctor, family or friends who will not benefit, legally or financially, from the death of that person making the request.  It all seems so logical and thought out; however, it doesn’t take into account the possibly opposing wishes or moral convictions of the patient’s loved ones.   What about religious beliefs…suicide goes against the grain of most religious beliefs…and family members who are left behind struggle with their feelings and emotions at the complex blend of rejection,fear,anger and loss..not to mention guilt about being unable to prevent the suicide.  At the end of that person’s life…offering the option of suicide can cause great distress, at a time when support is what is needed most!  I think great harm can come from this with regards to having emotional conflicts between the patient and the people closest to them.  What do you think about this issue?

       Washington state is and will always be my second adopted home state.  I have many loved ones there; I would hate to think that anyone i loved could choose to leave the world in this way.  Every life has value…and is precious…every day is a gift of time with each other.  http://www.save.org/ or http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org/ or http://www.afsp.org/

       

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Asthma Sufferers In Distress

         I just read something that is going to make asthma sufferers very distressed and somewhat fearful.  The Federal Drug Administration has said that by the end of the year that inhalers made with CFC’s will be banned.  CFC is Chlorofluorocarbons; and, they deplete the protective ozone layer around the earth.  So, by December 31st of 2008 the inhalers, that operate by using CFC’s to push the medication out of an inhaler and into the lungs of a patient, will no longer be available.  These inhalers are life savers.  Without an effective way of getting the medication into the lungs of a person with asthma they could suffer ill health or die.

         There are new inhalers that use hydrofluoroalkanes to administer the medicine.  The new inhalers don’t have damaging chemicals to hurt the earth’s ozone layer.  The ozone layer is important because it protects earth and it’s people from harmful ultraviolet radiation.  Green practices in our everyday lives is important…but it seems to me that there could be other areas of cutting back that don’t endanger people’s lives.

         It is important to protect the ozone…but, not at the risk of individual asthma sufferers well-being.  Most asthma patients know that changing medicines take time for the body to adjust…this could mean more trips to the doctor or the hospital while their bodies adjust to the new inhaler.  They will want to discuss this issue of inhalers with their doctor soon…so that they can find an effective treatment that works for them.

          The problem here, is that the new inhalers don’t work in the same way.  Therefore, many people are concerned about the health of the people they love being able to breathe the way they need to.  The medicine is not delivered efficiently through the new inhalers.  It seems that they tend to clog up more and the cost is higher for the new inhalers.  People need to learn the new way of using the inhalers, to get the best results.  This could be dangerous if not done properly.  People do die from asthma if it isn’t properly managed.  Patients will need to talk to their pharmacist and/or physicians to get accurate information.

          Many are feeling a bit of panic about this because it is going to happen no matter what.  This is about people’s life and health.  There is no room for error when it comes to asthma.  It is distressing to think that these inhalers are being forced on patients when the asthma sufferers aren’t sure that they will work just as well as the old inhalers for them.  What do you think about this issue? 

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