Search Results for: blog an aggressive form of breast cancer you need to know about

Waste Not

My mom spent years battling stage II breast cancer, three of my aunts died from the insidious disease, and I am long overdue for a mammogram. I keep ignoring my doctor’s suggestion to make an appointment and potentially save my own life, yet I refuse to eat unopened yogurt that’s been in my refrigerator even one day past its expiration date for fear of getting sick. How’s that for irony? And by irony I mean stupidity. My senseless thinking hurts my budget as much as it does my head.  What’s more, I take little solace in the fact that studies … Continue reading →

Unthinkable

It’s easy to see why parenting and paranoia go hand in hand. Between bullying, natural disasters, stranger danger, and suicide, parents have a lot to contend with when it comes to protecting their offspring from the world’s perils. However, just when you thought you’ve reached your capacity for worrying, along comes yet another reason to fret. The latest concern for parents with young children: being diagnosed with cancer… just nine days after your spouse is given the same news. It seems unthinkable, right? Wrong. Just ask Nathan and Elisa Bond, who made headlines recently when they were both diagnosed with … Continue reading →

Worrying is Eternal

Thank you to everyone who sent prayers and well wishes to my family in Hawaii and Japan in the hours following the massive earthquake and tsunami which flattened most of Miyagi and Fukushima Prefecture. Despite the dozens of earthquakes, tsunamis and tsunami warnings that I have lived through growing up on the Big Island of Hawaii, including a 7.2 earthquake in 1975, which generated a tsunami that claimed multiple lives, I’d be a fool to underestimate the power of Mother Nature’s wrath. Being jaded doesn’t pay. My heart goes out to the displaced families in Japan and to all of … Continue reading →

Taboo Topics

A question was raised by a female reader regarding my recent post, “Teaching Kids About Cancer.” She asked whether or not I thought it was appropriate to speak to young children about cancer if no one in the kids’ inner circle had been affected by it. My answer is simple: Your child, your rules. My family has been directly affected by the insidious disease, so my daughter and my brother’s young children have all received a crash course on cancer. So, to answer the reader’s question, I do think it is appropriate to speak to young children about cancer, regardless … Continue reading →

Teaching Kids About Cancer

I’m not one of the lucky ones. Or maybe I am. I was forced to teach my daughter about cancer well before she could even spell the word… but with knowledge comes power. In 2004, I gave birth to my first child; a healthy baby girl with a mound of electrocuted jet-black hair. She was the first grandchild on my side of the family and instantly became the end-all, be-all of my parents’ existence. My mom especially doted on her first grandchild, spending every waking moment rocking, singing, hugging, kissing and cuddling the newest member of our family. My daughter … Continue reading →

Gyms Catering to Members with Health Issues

Are you getting the most out of your gym? When my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer a few years ago her doctor recommended she follow a regimented fitness program. She started going to a run-of-the-mill gym in her very small hometown and worked out with a trainer. However, she never quite felt comfortable with the exercise routine and she ended up canceling her gym membership less than a year later. I always thought that had she found a better gym (unfortunately there are only two gyms in the city she lives in) she would have stuck with the program. … Continue reading →

Why You Might be Getting a Phone Call from Ellen DeGeneres

The next time your phone rings and you hear Ellen DeGeneres’ voice on the other end don’t hang up. It’s not a joke. (Unless you have a crazy cousin who likes to impersonate the comedienne.) DeGeneres has teamed up with vitamin maker One A Day to record a series of phone messages urging women to fight back against breast cancer. The messages can be delivered by online request to concerned loved ones who may or may not be at risk for the deadly disease. The popular daytime talk show host says her goal in recording the messages is to encourage … Continue reading →

Stars Coming Out for Cancer Telethon

It’s not a major Hollywood awards show, it just looks that way on paper. Meryl Streep, Forest Whitaker, Charlize Theron, Hilary Swank, America Ferrera, Danica Patrick, Josh Brolin, Scarlett Johansson, Jennifer Aniston, Masi Oka and Lance Armstrong are just a few of the A-list celebrities slated to appear on the upcoming three-network telethon to raise money for cancer research. As I mentioned in a previous blog the hour-long “Stand Up To Cancer” will air live and commercial-free on ABC, CBS and NBC on September 5 and feature performances by big name musicians and emotional appeals from actors, athletes and journalists, … Continue reading →

Cool as a Cucumber Vegetable Juice and a Super Summer Salad

Fresh fruits often get top billing during the hot summer months, but let’s not forget the power of vegetables. When my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer a few years back our entire family got a crash course in Nutrition 101. Her doctors recommended that she revamp her diet and add more vegetables. The following recipe for Vegetable Juice was given to her by a dietician, who told her that if she drank one glass each morning it would be the equivalent of eating two huge dinner salads. So, if you are looking for an efficient and effective ways to … Continue reading →

Tony Snow Loses Battle with Cancer

The insidious disease that has affected nearly all of us in some way, shape or form has claimed yet another life. This time it’s Tony Snow. A 53-year-old husband and father of three children, who rose to fame on national TV as a Fox News anchor and then as President Bush’s press secretary. According to reports, Snow died of colon cancer early this morning. The tall and lanky Kentucky native served as the first host of the television news program “Fox News Sunday” from 1996 to 2003. He later left that job to replace Scott McClellan as press secretary in … Continue reading →