I Am LiveSTRONG

I usually tend to stay away from sports news and controversy on this blog but after reading some comments and listening to news reports about Lance Armstrong and the LiveSTRONG Foundation, I feel I need to share my thoughts with my readers. 

Was Lance Armstrong wrong to dope? Yes. Was he wrong to lie about it? Yes. Am I disappointed in his actions? Yes. 

Do I still support the LiveSTRONG Foundation? Yes. Why, you ask? Unless you are a cancer survivor you may not understand this but I am LiveSTRONG and so is Brian, Katie, Crissy, Ron, Kendall, Henrike, Cindy and thousands of other survivors and caregivers. 

Let me explain.  Make believe you are Clarence, the Angel, from It’s a Wonderful Life ( My favorite movie). You go back in time and show me what my life would be like without my experiences with LiveSTRONG. 

If I didn’t attend the very first LiveSTRONG Survivors Summit Austin Texas in 2006 I would not be the cancer advocate I am today. You would not be reading this blog. Attending the Summit gave me the confidence that I could make a difference in the lives of other ovarian cancer survivors. 

If I had not attended the Summit there may not be a Gynecologic Cancer Support Group at my cancer center. Part of my action plan after the Summit was to establish a cancer support group specifically for gynecologic cancer survivors at my cancer center. With the support of my gyn-oncs and the center’s social workers the group was created. It is still in existence today almost 8 years later. 

If I wasn’t a representative at LiveSTRONG Day in 2007 I would never had learned how to advocate for increased support for cancer research and survivorship issues with members of Congress and my local officials. 

If I had not attended the LiveSTRONG Survivors Summit in 2008 I would not have presented a workshop on Advocacy at the Cancer Support Community- Central NJ ( CSC-CNJ) .  

If I had not met other cancer survivors from around the country at those Survivor Summits I would not have been aware of opportunities to raise awareness of ovarian cancer and survivorship issues. Thanks to Katie, I applied and was accepted as a Research Advocacy Network - Focus on Research Scholar and attended the Annual ASCO meeting in Chicago in 2011. I shared my experience at ASCO on my blog and presented two workshops on Understanding Cancer Research at CSC-CNJ. 

If I had not walked the Philly Livestrong Challenge raising funds for LiveSTRONG I might not have helped other survivors. 

So you see LiveSTRONG made a big difference in my life. It is not about the bike it is about hope and knowledge and uniting with other survivors.  I will continue to LiveSTRONG. 

Dee

Every Day is a Blessing!

NEWS: PapGene potential, Stem Cell factors

Yesterday in the journal Science Translational Medicine scientists from Johns Hopkins Medicine reported on the use of a test using cervical fluid and cells in detecting endometrial and ovarian cancers. Similar to a pap test used to detect cervical cancer, the cells are checked for specific gene mutations found in ovarian and endometrial cancers. This study included 46 women, 22 with ovarian cancer. The results predicted 40% of the ovarian cancers.

Just an idea from this research advocate: If you looked back at Pap tests done on women who were diagnosed with OC a few months later would their tests show some aberration or oddity with some cells?

Sources:
Press Release Johns Hopkins includes a link to journal article.
Media report MSNBC 


On January 7th Yale researchers reported in the journal Cell Cycle that they found a link between specific stem cell factor Lin28  and BMP4 a signaling protein. While stem cell factors can fuel the growth of tumor cells the microenvironment may also be a factor in cancer growth. The link may help explain the recurrences experienced by OC patients and offer new areas of treatment.

Sources:
Yale University 
Cell Cycle journal article

Dee
Every day is a Blessing!

I'll be a Panelist at e-Pharma

I am very excited to have been invited to participate in the 12th Annual e-Pharma Summit in NYC as part of a panel discussion session titled " Social Media for Pharma: A Match Made in Heaven or Hell?". The panel is made up of health activists like myself who use social media to raise awareness of illnesses. We will be discussing whether or not the educational social media programs of pharmaceutical companies actually affect health outcomes. 

The 12^th annual ePharma Summit, takes place on March 4 – 6 . ePharma is attended by pharma folks and the content includes interesting case studies and  keynote presentations. This year the Summit includes insights into healthcare reform and its effect on pharma and a panel on Electronic Health Records. Industry leaders including Dan Lyons, formerly of Newsweek and Fast Company and Chris Frank of AmEx and author of Drinking from the Fire Hose: Making Smarter Decisions without Drowning in Information are among the speakers.

What’s unique about the Summit's format is its' collaborative nature . This means the better the quality and diversity of the audience, the better the conversation and more valuable the outcome for all those attending. 

If you are interested in attending please Click here to visit the website and my personal discount code for 20% off the registration rate is XP1806SPKDS . 

Dee
Every Day is a Blessing!

Taking a Ride

This post is dedicated to Theresa, Matthew and Alycia who have given me the opportunity to "take a ride". 

Ever since my daughter started college in Carlisle, Pennsylvania  back in 2000, I have had the pleasure of visiting my children and my niece in seven different states. 
Blacksburg , Virginia 
Columbia South Carolina
El Paso, Texas
Lawton, Oklahoma
Richmond, Ky
Manhattan, Kansas
Auburn, Alabama

Many people would not necessarily call these locations travel destinations.  But I know that they are wonderful places to visit and get to know. I've enjoyed eating where the locals eat and seeing how each location celebrates the Christmas holidays.  I've visited museums, art or history,  in most places they have lived.  And let's not forget the marvelous zoos. Or how the stars just seem to sparkle brighter in the night sky in Kansas and Texas. 

Road trips have allowed me to see some beautiful states on the way to these destinations. The mountains of western Maryland and West Virginia are breathtaking. The miles of farmland in Indiana, Illinois and Missouri are a wonderful site in the summer time. North Carolina , Georgia, Louisiana and Mississippi give you the opportunity to meet some friendly folks and taste some delicious sweet tea. I am amazed at how delicious and varied the  pulled pork and BBQ is in the different states. 

This Christmas when we were traveling out to visit Theresa and Andy, I heard a song by Jason Aldean called "Fly Over States".   The lyrics speak eloquently of those states I've had the pleasure of visiting.

"Fly Over States" Jason Aldean
(http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/jasonaldean/flyoverstates.html)

A couple of guys in first class on a flight
From new York to Los Angeles,
Kinda making small talk killing time,
Flirting with the flight attendants,
30, 000 feet above, could be Oklahoma,
Just a bunch of square cornfields and wheat farms,
Man, it all looks the same,
Miles and miles of back roads and highways,
Connecting little towns with funny names,
Who'd want to live down there in the middle of nowhere,

They've never drove through Indiana,
Met the men who plowed that earth,
Planted that seed, busted his ass for you and me,
Or caught a harvest moon in Kansas,
They'd understand why god made those fly over states,

I bet that mile long Santa Fe freight train engineer's seen it all
Just like that flatbed cowboy stacking US steel on a 3-day haul
Road and rails under their feet
Yeah that sounds like a first class seat

On the plains of Oklahoma
With a windshield sunset in your eyes
Like a watercolored painted sky

You'll think heaven's doors have opened
You'll understand why god made
Those fly over states

Take a ride across the badlands
Feel that freedom on your face
Breathe in all that open space
Meet a girl from Amarillo
You'll understand why god made
You might even want to plant your stakes
In those fly over states

Have you ever been through Indiana
On the plains of Oklahoma
Take a ride.

You might be wondering why I am posting about road trips in my blog about life as an  ovarian cancer survivor. I am not sure how many other survivors feel the same way but since my diagnosis I would rather make memories by experiencing things  such as spending time with family and friends and visiting places than buying things. I value everyday ordinary things and do not want to rush life.  Rather I want to take the slower route by car visiting "The Fly Over States" and in the process experience the  joy of seeing some very beautiful parts of the country. 

Dee
Every Day is a Blessing!

2013 - A New Year Begins

Well here I am celebrating another New Year.  I am truly blessed.

Back in 2007 I had a conversation with Andy, my then future son-in-law, about his interest in the US Army Foreign Area Officers Program. He told me he could possibly move to this program in 2013. I remember thinking to myself that 2013 seemed so far off. And I really was not sure that I would be healthy or even around to share it this new stage of his career.

But here it is the first day of 2013 and guess what happens in June this year? My son-in-law, daughter and grandson will be moving to Monterey California so that Andy can begin a language course to become a member of the Foreign Area  Officer. I am thrilled for all of them.

So what will I be doing in the year ahead?
I will try to stay healthy by being active .
I will advocate for ovarian cancer research.
I will continue to work with my dog Amber as she becomes more comfortable doing agility.
I will paint and crochet more.
I will visit my daughter and family in California and my son in Alabama.
I will experience life with its' ups and down.

What are you looking forward to in the year ahead?

Dee
Every Day is a Blessing !

The Love of Christmas

I just realized that I have not posted anything to this blog in 10 days. Sorry about that. But the Christmas Holiday season has pulled me away from blogging to spend time with others.

I love the Christmas Holiday season. I love getting together with family and friends. And I am blessed that I have been able to do that. I loved stopping by a new neighbor to drop of a gift and staying for tea and cookies.  I loved going out to dinner with my cousins and having some fried zucchini flowers. They reminded me of my Aunt Dora who I miss so much. I loved seeing my brother-in-law and catching up on the latest news. I loved seeing so many beautifully decorated homes especially in the snow. I loved seeing my niece and her family. I feel my sister present when we play with my 2 year old great nephew.  I loved that my husband and I were able to spend time with my son, daughter, son-in-law and grandson. My how JT has grown.


But the best part was celebrating the birth of Christ at Vigil Mass singing with my family - "Joy to the World"!


Dee
Every Day is a Blessing!

A pathway and chemo resistance

Continued research by Dr. Joanne Weidhaas  has resulted in  a recent journal article that further establishes the KRAS gene mutation as a predictor of poor outcomes and chemotherapy resistance for women with epithelial ovarian cancer. 

Let's step back a bit. 
The KRAS gene  is the "v-KI-ras2 Kirsten rate sarcoma viral oncogene homolog". So glad they use the KRAS abbreviation. It is also know as an oncogene because a change in its makeup can cause a cell to become cancerous.

The KRAS gene produces the KRAS protein which controls cell division. It is a  part of the signaling pathway RAS/MAPK . The protein signals whether or not the nucleus should divide or not.The KRAS protein acts like an on off switch . It is turned on when it binds with the molecule GTP. When it converts GTP to GDP  it is turned to an  off position . 

In the article
 "A KRAS variant is a biomarker of poor outcome, platinum chemotherapy resistance and a potential target for therapy in ovarian cancer" 
The authors found that post menopausal women with the Epithelial Ovarian Cancer and this gene mutation were more likely to be platinum resistant and to die from the disease. This information  certainly opens the door to developing new treatment options for women with the mutation.


Dee
Every Day is a Blessing!

Sources :Genetics Home Reference a service of the US National Library of Medicine