Breast Cancer Awareness Month..Early Dection Is The Answer..See Your Doctor..Get Your Mammogram

Early Detection Is The Answer

http://www.nationalbreastcancer.org/About-Breast-Cancer/Breast-Self-Exam.aspx

You may have noticed a lot of pink around campus lately. West Virginia University has changed its website from Gold and Blue to pink. The football team will soon be sporting pink ribbons on their helmets.

The pink ribbon is used to signify National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, an important, month-long reminder to raise awareness of the second-most common cancer among women in the U.S. and around the world.


The National Cancer Institute estimates 207,090 women will be diagnosed with the disease in 2010, claiming the lives of 39,840. I do not have these figures world wide. In any event such numbers are troubling, and are a disturbing reminder of this terrible condition.


To help raise awareness, the WVU community is playing its part. Already, free examinations have been given at the Mary Babb Randolph Cancer Center. The Cancer Center will hold a fashion show Oct. 25 with local designers and stores at Lakeview Resort.


Athletic teams will also contribute to the cause. The volleyball team will host a "Dig Pink" game against Georgetown, with the crowd encouraged to wear pink.

The Christ the Redeemer statue is lit up in pink at night for Breast Cancer awareness in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and the list of supporters goes on.

Breast cancer is a tumor that grows in one or both of the breasts, according to the National Breast Cancer Awareness Month website. The cancer typically develops in ducts, lobules or milk-producing areas of the breast.

The American Cancer Society recommends women 40 and older should have a mammogram every year, continuing to do so "as long as they are in good health."


Women in their 20s and 30s should have a breast exam administered by a health expert every three years.


Women in their early 20s, and throughout their lifetimes, should perform self-examinations.


Trouble signs include: lumps or swelling, skin irritations or dimpling, nipple pain or nipple turning inward, unusual redness or scaliness of nipple or breast skin or a discharge other than breast milk.


Medical experts agree early detection can save thousands of lives a year. By combining regular screening and self-examination, the number of those falling victim to the disease should drop.


"The majority of women diagnosed with breast cancer live a long life," Dr. Jame Abraham, chief of hematology and oncology at the WVU School of Medicine and medical director of the Mary Babb Randolph Cancer Center, told WVU Today. "Early detection and effective treatment offers great help and will enhance their chances for survival."


Awareness is the key to eliminating breast cancer once and for all. Simple techniques at home, coupled with money raised, can help rid the world of a senseless killer.

Foods That Look Like Body Parts That They're Good For! Put a Little Fun Into Teaching good Nutrition. Here are some Teaching Tips that you will love! Wine & Blood? Ginger & Stomach? Sweet Potato & Pancreas?

Red wine, which is rich in antioxidants and polyphenols, including powerful resveratrol, looks like blood. "When you drink it, you're really loading up on the healthy stuff that protects against destructive things in the blood, like LDL cholesterol, which can cause heart disease," says Somer. "There's also a blood-thinning compound in red wine, so it reduces blood clots, which are associated with stroke and heart disease." Photos by iStockphoto

Anyone who's ever reached for a glass of ginger ale when they’ve had a stomachache knows about the antinausea effects of ginger. So it's fitting that the herb somewhat resembles the digestive organ. According to Dr. Moulavi, "gingerol, which is the ingredient responsible for ginger's pungent scent and taste, is listed in the USDA database of phytochemicals as having the ability to prevent nausea and vomiting." Photos by iStockphoto

The oblong sweet potato bears a strong resemblance to the pancreas, and also promotes healthy function in the organ. "Sweet potatoes are high in beta-carotene, which is a potent antioxidant that protects all tissues of the body, including the pancreas, from damage associated with cancer or aging," says Somer. Photos by iStockphoto

Foods That Look Like Body Parts That They're Good For! Put a Little Fun Into Teaching good Nutrition. Here are some Teaching Tips that you will love! Citrus & Tomato? Breast & Heart??

The similarity between round citrus fruits––like lemons and grapefruit––and breasts may be more than coincidental. "Grapefruit contains substances called limonoids, which have been shown to inhibit the development of cancer in lab animals and in human breast cells," says Dr. Moulavi. Photos by iStockphoto and 3D4Medical.com

Slice open a tomato and you'll notice the red veggie has multiple chambers that resemble the structure of a heart. "Studies have found that because of the lycopene in tomatoes, there is a reduced risk for heart disease in men and women who eat them," says Somer. And, she adds, if you mix them with a little fat, like olive oil or avocado, it will boost your body's lycopene absorption nearly tenfold. Photos by iStockphoto and 3D Clinic

Thank You Wendy

Thank You for becoming a Carlsvilleproject Contributor.

I consider Wendy to be a friend, although we have never really met. She continues to reach out  with her messages, to touch people as she can, and to find her own way as her present recovery from cancer promises to be a long, arduous journey.
Never-the-less with pauses in her communication and the support of her many friends she continues to maintain a positive and wonderful spirit. Wendy is full of humanity and provides a kind word for anyone who would be in need of support. She lives the following definition of "life" which is: “The purpose of life is a life with purpose.” In the spirit of this creed we have published a portion of Wendy’s most recent post.
Carl

Wendy:
Just finished watching the movie Prairie Giant, a made-for-TV movie about the life of Tommy Douglas. Wow, what a great movie! Every Canadian should watch this film, and probably every North American, come to think of it.

When Baptist preacher Tommy Douglas (Michael Therriault) takes up his new post in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan in 1930, he's dismayed by the injustice he sees. Soon, his desire to address the problems drives him to take his message beyond the pulpit. This drama tells the true story of how the beloved Canadian reformer went from being a parish pastor to leading the first socialist government in North America (as premier of Saskatchewan).




Tommy Douglas (1904 – 1986) is the founder of Canadian Medicare. Tommy's daughter is Shirley Douglas, Shirley married Canadian actor Donald Sutherland, and their famous son is Kiefer Sutherland.


Prairie Giant is a wonderful chronicling of the political fight Tommy pursued to ensure all Canadians had access to free health care. He was a Baptist pastor, but had to resign when the denominational heads told him he could not be a pastor and a politician simultaneously.

Contrast that with Michael Moore's movie, Sicko. Moore's documentary focuses on the greed of the HMOs - Health Maintenance Organizations - and the absolute misery they allow to happen to their members.


Of course, Canada and the States have very strong ideas about each others' medical systems. Americans seem to hear horror stories about Canadians and their socialized medicine, while Canadians hear the sheer awfulness of their victimized neighbors-to-the-south and the despicable practices of these health insurance companies. Any Americans or Canadians care to comment below or clear up some of the myths surrounding either system?

I, for one, will forever go on the record as being grateful for socialized medicine. Even though there are many obvious flaws in our system, and even though doctors in Quebec in particular do not get anything close to a fair deal from our provincial government, I cannot tell you what an enormous relief it is to be receiving free health services at such a time as this.

“We are all in this world together, and the only test of our character that matters is how we look after the least fortunate among us. How we look after each other, not how we look after ourselves. That’s all that really matters, I think.”

Tommy Douglas

It is bad enough to be faced with constant health concerns, without having to worry about bills, payment deadlines and the like.

And so, while Kiefer Sutherland is a famous actor and gets lots of notoriety, it's his grandfather tonight that I am celebrating, and tonight I am thanking God for His humble, persistent servant Tommy Douglas, who took pity on the plight of the sick and the dying and who, at great personal cost, pushed for Medicare until he saw victory in the political arena, and saw Medicare established on a federal level. From the bottom of my heart, thank you, Tommy!
Sincerely,
Wendy

To contact Wendy or read Adventures With Wendy click near the arrow at the top of this post or find it on the blog roll on this site.