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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Cancer Patient Bonding

       There is something special and unique about the bonding that takes place when people bond through their shared experiences.  Something that i noticed when my parents each went through their cancer diagnosis and treatment sessions…intense bonding with fellow cancer patients and their families.  That bond in those relationships was a lifeline at times.  The fear of the unknown, the medical traumas, the difficult side effects, the kindness of strangers it all blended to remind us that we were not in the situation alone.

         During hospital stays, during chemo treatments, and doctor appointments; my parents and other patients would share things about their families, about their experiences, their struggles, medical information, tips on how to overcome nausea, or how to cope with some of the side effects of the treatments.   Some patients were alone…they had no family or else their family members lived in distant places.  We would adopt them and visiting and trying to support when we could.   It was all very intense. 

        In what amounts to a, down in the trenches, fight for their lives; cancer patients bond in very intense ways.  When fellow patients would struggle…my parents would ask for prayer for them, from us.  We are blessed with a strong family unit.  We would honor the request …knowing that if we needed the favor returned…it would be given automatically by those same cancer patient friends and their families.   We were all in a fraternity; that none of us wanted to be in….but still, we were in it together.

       The losses hit hard.  The emotions were so deep for my parents and for our family.  Each loss, it was understood, could have been ours as well; but for the grace of God.  Each milestone was celebrated.  Waiting for the results of testing was, and is, filled with anxiety and fear.  It is no less worrisome to hear of others around the world who struggle with the same issues.  http://www.tnbcfoundation.org/tnbcinthenews.htm

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Breasts, Women Are Dying For Lack Of D’s

Breaking news today regarding the level of vitamin D for women with breast cancer…it seems that women with breast cancer, who have low levels of vitamin D, are more likely to have aggressive forms of cancer and are more likely to die from it.  This is staggering news.  Women are dying not for the cup size of their breasts; but, from POSSIBLY, something as simple as a vitamin deficiency.   For premium breast health women may want to add a blood test to their yearly mammogram.

Could it really be true that a woman’s survival chances could depend on how much vitamin D she has in her blood stream?  Yes, it appears that it is true.  Now, it is a little bit more complicated than swallowing a couple of supplemental vitamins.  My multi-vitamin has 400 IU’s or international units of vitamin D in it.  I have read that for women deficient in vitamin D …adding 800 IU’s can raise the blood level of the vitamin to a middle range.

Vitamin D is a vitamin that is produced in the body by a combination of the sun and a person’s skin.  The skin manufactures vitamin D when exposed to the sun.  However, as we all know, too much sun can also cause cancer, skin cancer.  It is important to note that, a woman who has been diagnosed with breast cancer should work closely, with her doctor; to evaluate all of the medical information that she needs to make informed decisions regarding her treatment.

Statistics can be overwhelming…but, it is interesting to know that women who were low in vitamin D at the time of their diagnosis were much more likely to have their cancer spread and it also increased the likelyhood of death than women who were not low in vitamin D at the time of their diagnosis.  So what does this mean?

Breast cancer cells have vitamin D receptors.  If vitamin D can inhibit or slow down the cancer cell’s aggressive tendencies, it may give a woman an effective tool to use; to help have a more positive outcome during her treatment.  Increasing some short term time in the sun may be beneficial; people who live in the northern hemisphere are have a higher incidence of cancer.  This may be in relation to being farther away from the sun and it’s effects on the body.

Can the idea of vitamin D levels prevent cancer?  Hmmmm…it is like anything else…you must have balance.  Just as low levels of vitamin D can allow the cancer to grow and spread; too much vitamin D can also have devastating effects.  Blood tests are going to become more crucial to understanding the effects of vitamin D on cancer cells.

Milk in the United States is vitamin D fortified.  Many juices and cereals are also fortified with vitamin D.  Increasing sun exposure safely will also raise the blood level of vitamin D.  If we are wise, this new information on the importance of blood levels of vitamin D can be used to improve the statistics of cancer and recovery.

Some experts say that vitamin D levels can improve the statistics on prostrate, breast and colon cancer.  It is somewhat exciting to think that something naturally occuring in the body can help defend it against cancer.  Of course, as always…a follow up with your doctor is your best source of information regarding your health issues.  See possibly related information here on Triple Negative Breast Cancer: https://writeasrain.wordpress.com/2008/03/19/triple-negative-breast-cancer/
I have moved my site to a new Url: WriteWhereYouAre if you are interested in reading more blog posts!

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