|
Dee
Every Day is a Blessing!
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Celebrate Culinary Arts and Support NOCC
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Endometriosis and Ovarian Cancer
A study published in The Lancet Oncology on February 22, 2012 (Association between endometriosis and risk of histoligical subtypes of ovarian cancer:pooled analysis of case-control studies ) showed that women with endometriosis had a significantly increase risk of low grade serous, endometrioid and clear-cell ovarian cancers. Researchers reviewed data from over 23000 women in 13 different studies who reported endometriosis. Other subtypes ( high grade, mucinous etc ) did not show the association. The study did not show a cause-and-effect relationship. The study recommends future research to understand how endometriosis is transformed into a malignant condition.
Additional information may be found here.
Dee
Every Day is a blessing!
Monday, February 27, 2012
PTSD and Cancer Survivors
I attend a support group. We talk a lot, just ask Julie our social worker. Sometimes we laugh when we think about parrots and Topotecan treatment and sometimes we cry. We also share information with each other. My friend and OC survivor,Pam, recently sent me a link to the Mayo Clinic blog Living with Cancer blog written by Sheryl Ness, RN about Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and Cancer survivors. You might think of PTSD as an anxiety disorder that occurs only in combat situations or when your life is threatened in a natural disaster or a physical assault. You can learn more about PTSD on this PubMed Health page.
But studies have found PTSD may also occur in cancer patients. We experience a life-threatening medical diagnosis. We experience shock in hearing our diagnosis and as cancer survivors live longer our lives may receive repeated threats as we face recurrences. The NCI has a excellent section on its site dealing with PTSD.
"PTSD in cancer survivors may be expressed in these specific behaviors:
- Reliving the cancer experience in nightmares or flashbacks and by continuously thinking about it.
- Avoiding places, events, and people connected to the cancer experience.
- Being continuously overexcited, fearful, irritable, and unable to sleep.
To be diagnosed as PTSD, these symptoms must last for at least one month and cause significant problems in the patient's personal relationships, employment, or other important areas of daily life. Patients who have these symptoms for less than one month often develop PTSD later. "
To read more please Click here for the NCI section.
If you have the feelings described above or you are a caregiver of a loved one who is expressing these behaviors please speak to your health care provider.
Dee
Every Day is a Blessing!
Saturday, February 25, 2012
The Loss of Another Teal Sister- Nicole
Just about a year ago I wrote the post It Really is About the Attitude . It was about Nicole Christison , my friend Larry's niece. I met her at his son's wedding. Nicole was battling ovarian cancer. Ovarian cancer like mine but at the same time different. Instead of the serous epithelial type I had, Nicole had the small cell subtype. Small cell Ovarian Cancer is a rare disease which accounts for about .1% of all the ovarian cancers diagnosed.
Today I learned that Nicole lost her battle with cancer.She was 29. What a courageous battle she fought.
It is hard to explain how I feel right now. I am sad. And I am angry. Angry that another young vibrant life has been lost to this disease. Angry that we don't have a better understanding of this subtype. Angry that because the subtype is so rare that novel treatments and clinical trials to test those treatments are scarce.(Oncology review)
What can I do ? What can you do? Together we must raise awareness of all types of Ovarian Cancer and just as important we must fund research into all subtypes of the disease.
I will do this for Nicole.
Rest in Peace Nicole.
Dee
Every Day is a Blessing!
CSC -CNJ Embrace Hope Luncheon
Embrace Hope Luncheon
A Luncheon to Support Cancer Support Community Central NJ
Tuesday, April 24, 2012 at Hamilton Farm Golf Club
Featuring Motivational Speaker
Deborah Morosini, MD
sister/sister-in-law of the late
Dana & Christopher Reeve
Event Cost: $100 per person (includes lunch and valet parking)
| For tickets and more information http://www.cancersupportcnj.org/embrace-hope/ | |
|
Friday, February 24, 2012
Missing Her Since 1995
On Monday, I read a post on the blog The Pink Underbelly titled "Blindsided". The author wrote about running across a hospice booklet she had received in 2005 when her mom was dying. She described being blindsided by the grief she felt.
On this gray and dreary day in NJ as I sat making out a check, I stopped to look at the date on my calendar - February 24th. I said out loud " Today would have been Bert's birthday" and I started to tear up. I didn't think my husband heard me but he came in from the study and gave me a big hug and I cried. It seems that you don't even need to find things to have the loss of someone touch you in amazing ways years later.
Roberta, who I called Bert, died in 1995 after fighting breast cancer for five years. I so wish that I could pick up the phone and talk to her like we used to. Except in addition to talking about our children we would talk about our wonderful son-in-laws and adorable grandsons. And we would laugh about how I went north instead of south on the Turnpike today.
Dee
Every Day is a Blessing!
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Teal Tea- May 6,2012
Ready for a fun way to raise funds for ovarian cancer research. Then join me on May 6, 2012 at the Teal Tea in Princeton, NJ. Wait till you see what table decorations I have planned for this year.
Click here for more information about the Teal Tea Foundation and the Tea!
Dee
Every Day is a Blessing!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)