how to save a life.......

I recently learned of something called Give Love Give Life.
http://givelovegivelife.org/

It was a benefit concert held in February for ovarian cancer research and awareness. Musician/actor John Trudell founded the campaign. His longtime partner Marcia Labertrom came up with the idea for a concert to raise money and awareness. She fought ovarian cancer for seven years, and died just a few weeks before the concert. John's mother also died of ovarian cancer. He was only six years old at the time.

John, along with his good friends Jackson Browne and Willie Nelson starred. 2007 was the second year for this concert. They plan to continue yearly. One hundred percent of the net proceeds from the concert is given to the Cedars-Sinai Women's Cancer Research Institute.

Every seven minutes, a woman in the United States is diagnosed (usually after losing precious time to a misdiagnosis) with a gynecological cancer--200 per day--over 80,000 per year. The American Cancer Society states that over 80 women a day die from such cancers--over 30,000 per year.

Increasing research and awareness will lead to better detection and treatment and ultimately save many women's lives.

What can You do about this? Spread the word- pass on your knowledge. Every time we do that, we raise awareness. And by raising awareness, you might just save a life.....

b9 b9 B9

My sister called today. She was finally able to go for a little walk outside, and is starting to feel much better..

It didn't hurt that she received some very good news;

All biopsies were negative for cancer............

beating the odds...

In a little under eight hours, my sister's odds of getting ovarian and/or breast cancer in her lifetime went from 80% to 2%. I would guess the ovarian part has really dropped to 0% considering there are no longer ovaries just sitting around waiting to become cancerous..

She is home now and resting as comfortably as can be expected (which is not comfortable at all).

Everything went according to plan. One by one the surgeons came to us when their part of the dance was finished and told us there were no complications and this was a very intelligent decision for her to make.

out damn spot............

Life takes so many twists and turns...

I recently read an article in my local paper that the AP had picked up. It said that doctors and scientists are agreeing now that the symptoms of Ovarian Cancer aren't really silent after all.. Something victims of this horrible disease have been saying forever. I am sure that not every doctor in the world read this little article, so women still need to be speak up- jump up and down and scream if you have to- when it comes to your own health. If your doctor doesn't listen, find one who will...

Since I last wrote here, a cousin was told she had kidney cancer, another was told she had thyroid cancer, an Aunt, her daughter, and her grandaughter are undergoing chemo together for breast cancer... My beloved Aunt was told she had ovarian cancer and resolved herself to being 'the next one' in our family.

And my dear sweet sister found a lump in her breast.

If you've read here you know that we were never tested for the gene mutation that causes ovarian and breast cancer.. Sis and I just decided that someday soon we would take care of the dangers ourselves. Many women are having prophylactic mastectomies and oophorectomies (removal of ovaries) because of strong family history of cancer.
She went to her doctor, ready to argue her point. Many doctors still think it's crazy to remove 'healthy' body parts for preventative purposes.
To her amazement her doctor suggested it before she asked.
So this Thursday she will undergo an 8 hour operation for a total hysterectomy, and to have her breasts removed, and reconstructed..
If you pray please say one for her..
They will biopsy the lump after the surgery. It is said that 80% of all lumps are benign.. we're praying of course that hers is.

After Thursday she will still have the normal worries that most people have, but when it comes to breast and ovarian cancer she will no longer have the fear of - as she says- WHEN- not if...