Lessons from famous cancer people

Just because someone is rich and famous and survives cancer, it doesn't mean they can invent a new way to cure cancer. There are a few I would like to mention here. I have nothing against these women at all but am concerned about the weight their name carries and how many followers they have simply because of their fame.

Suzanne Somers - she has a book out on chemo free treatment of cancer based on interviews with doctors. I'm sorry but there is no way to globally dismiss or prescribe any type of cancer treatment without a one-on-one conversation.

Farrah Fawcett declined conventional, FDA approved cancer treatment which would have required major surgery and resulted in needing a colostomy bag for life and went to Germany for a different treatment. Which unfortunately was painful and did not work in the long run. This reminds me of the families who went to Mexico for Laetril treatments in the 1970s. If its not approved here, there may be a good reason for it. And running overseas may not be a good idea.

In a recent article in AARP, long time friends, Melissa Ethridge and Sheryl Crowe talk about their cancer treatment successes. While I found the article interesting, I was not too thrilled with the last image:

Melissa 'turned off' her BRCA gene by eating better. And Sheryl meditates so that her cells function at a higher level.  I'm sorry but you can't turn a gene off. Its part of you. And maybe meditation helps you but it doesn't mean it can cure cancer. Being healthy can help you reduce your risk of cancer but don't think daily meditation will keep you healthy.

I can go on. These four women are ones who first came to mind. If you are rich and famous you have access to the best care and the best types of supplemental treatments from personalized workouts, professional chefs, and expensive organic food and personal doctors. But that doesn't mean your treatment is going to work for anyone else. And please be clear on that to your fans and followers.

Cancer causes

Let's see how I do on this one.  The American Association for Cancer Research just announced the preventable causes of cancer in the US.

1. Tobacco - I quit that a few years back
2. Cancer made me fat. I wasn't fat until breast cancer treatment.
3. I have no idea about cancer causing pathogens.
4. I go to the gym 3x each week and get 1 hour of cardio each time followed by 30 minutes of weights, machines, and stretching.
5. Fruits and vegetables every day. A minimum of two pieces of fruit by noon followed by salad and/or green vegetables with dinner. 
6. I have never been to a tanning salon but do go to the beach. I don't remember the last time I got a sunburn.

So let's go back to the 'why me?' question.... No let's not. Anyhow more discussion on this can be found here. I'm doing the best I can.

Germs, germs, germs, and more germs

Germs are everywhere. We need the good germs to build our immune systems. I am not a germaphobe..... You will not find me using hand sanitizer unless there are absolutely no other choices. I do practice the basics. I wash my hands regularly and especially when cooking, before and after the gym, after using the bathroom and all that. But 100% germ killers aren't good. They kill the good and bad germs.

 With my immune system I am told that I should avoid sick people and blah-blah-blah. I ignore that part and live my life. I refuse to live under a rock. I go out in public. I don't hang out with people with a cold.

But there are a few germs which concern me. The flu so I get a flu shot. Maybe I'll get a pneumonia shot as well. I also have gotten the booster for whooping cough and the others. I am concerned that if Ebola got here, we would have problems. That disease that is affecting children all over the Midwest is not a good thing.

We need to have ways to get rid of the bad germs but keep the good germs in life.

Living a better life

I have decided I need to take steps to improve my life (well our lives because this includes my husband). This has taken some thought to get here but I have come up with these:

1. We need to eat better. I talk about it. I try to but not there yet. I can tell this because of my bulging waistline. My husband has a similar problem. More vegetables and grains. Less fats, etc. You know all of that but there is always room for improvement.
2. We need to do more things together. Last weekend we on a day trip adventure to an ocean front state park in New Hampshire, just over an hour away. We walked on shady trails, sat on the rocks and watched the ocean roll in and admired the view of the offshore islands and closer lighthouses. Then we went for a late lunch, a little shopping and home. I have already planned our next trip in a few weeks. We need time at home this weekend to get some things done. Besides it would be less fun if we went on a day trip every weekend.
3. I need to take better care of my appearance. I get regular hair cuts and get my nails done. But I dress like a slob I have decided. A casual top and dockers does not a fancy outfit make. I used to work in Boston in an office where wearing a suit was considered suitable. I stopped working in the city 7 1/2 years ago by choice and have gotten very casual. I actually went clothes shopping and bought some tops that push my boundaries of being a little dressier and even bought a dress(!). Today is the first day of new attire at work. We'll see how it goes. My husband does dress nicely every day in a button down shirt and sometimes even a tie so he is not a problem here.

That's it for now but I think its plenty.One step at a time. I have found being sick allows me to get more casual. Who spends time on their appearance when you feel like crap? Also, business offices where I have worked have gotten more and more casual over the years. Where I work now, jeans do appear on co-workers.

This is part of living a better life. I need to do other things but I'll get to them. Getting together more often with friends. Going out more socially than I have been doing. Step by step we can live a better life.

But I'm not that sick (or I didn't think so)

Yesterday I had lunch with a friend. She is someone who has had breast cancer twice, two mastectomies and every complication on the planet. We talked about all sorts of things, including our health. We had a 'healthy' meal of Chinese food. Not to say that Chinese food in general is bad for you but we ate the unhealthy things like fried egg rolls. And we gabbed about all sorts of t hings.

At the end of lunch we parted with the intent to get together for lunch in a month or so again. She said to me 'take care of yourself' in a way that made me realize, she really meant it. I guess she thinks my health is really that bad.

I don't think of myself as that unhealthy but I guess I am. I have to schedule my life in such a way that I allow down time to basically crash for a few hours.

I do have some health concerns plus a few worries on the horizon. But I go to the doctors - many of them - in the first week of October where these will start to be addressed. I am not discussing any of them until my doctors and I get to discuss them and decide on next steps. (Its my blog and I get to decide when I will discuss them.)

But I'm really not that sick (or I didn't think so). I'm not about to drop dead at any time soon. But I will say its hard to develop healthy behaviors when your health is regularly going in the wrong direction.

That sucks vs. I'm sorry

One thing that drives me crazy is when I say something about my health and I get the reply of "I'm sorry". I always think, WTH are you sorry about? I don't want your pity. Its my life and I'm living it as best I can.

Yesterday I went to the gym which I love and is full of dilapidated people like me, and worse. There are people that come in with oxygen tanks, one leg, club foot, orthotics, lymphedema sleeves, you name it and its a fashion statement there. Everyone is there with the goal of getting healthier. That is everyone but me. 

I am there to prevent losing more health - the basic things like flexibility, balance, and strength. A year ago I could do a lot more than I can now due to my RA and fibromyalgia. If I try to work harder, I end up regretting it for a few days after. I maintain my workout, going every other day, and slowly inch up increases. Then, inevitably something happens, flare, get sick, vacation, and I get set back and slowly start working my way up again.

The gym also runs different programs and 'contests' a few times a year. Things like a team weight loss challenge where the team losing the largest percentage of weight wins bragging rights. They get to sell extra training as a money maker for them. Anyway, I got to the gym yesterday and the young woman working the desk asked if I was I was interested in joining their 8 week fall fitness program. You get an assessment on your abilities to do whatever - planks, crunches, reps, etc - and then work with a trainer weekly for six weeks and get another assessment. At the end the team with the biggest increase wins bragging rights.

I was asked if I would like to join. I said that due to my RA and fibro I am not looking at increasing my work out but maintaining what I do without set backs. Her response was "well that sucks". My response was "Exactly!"

I was very happy not to hear another lame "I'm sorry". That made me feel better.

In the parking lot in the gym there is a shrubbery with a hole in the side. Now apparently it has two cute, furry residents.

Cancer causes

Let's see how I do on this one.  The American Association for Cancer Research just announced the preventable causes of cancer in the US.

1. Tobacco - I quit that a few years back
2. Cancer made me fat. I wasn't fat until breast cancer treatment.
3. I have no idea about cancer causing pathogens.
4. I go to the gym 3x each week and get 1 hour of cardio each time followed by 30 minutes of weights, machines, and stretching.
5. Fruits and vegetables every day. A minimum of two pieces of fruit by noon followed by salad and/or green vegetables with dinner. 
6. I have never been to a tanning salon but do go to the beach. I don't remember the last time I got a sunburn.

So let's go back to the 'why me?' question.... No let's not. Anyhow more discussion on this can be found here. I'm doing the best I can.

Over-Awareness, Focus, Hype and Expectations

The media did a damn good job about making sure we all knew about Angelina Jolie's double mastectomy. She went public, if I recall correctly, to raise awareness about the BRCA gene. I respect this decision and congratulate her on a brave decision to take something very personal and make it public.

In a recent survey, three quarters of us did know about her surgery and decision. Considering that it happened less than a year ago and and was much less significant than a war, earthquake, typhoon, etc 75% is a pretty good number.

I would also like to point out that all those years of breast cancer awareness and pinkification have allowed this to become a major news topic and not get buried under the carpet or something. However the information stops at awareness.

Only 10% of those asked in the survey knew about Angelina's BRCA diagnosis and why she had the mastectomy. I think I am okay with this. If you are not embedded in the breast cancer world you can't be expected to know chapter and verse about the genetic causes of breast cancer.

For example, I know there is some family genetic trait that leads to Huntington's disease and don't really feel I need to know more about it because it does not affect me directly. If it did, I would be up on it and have read all the research.

I think we have reached a level of breast cancer awareness that is overdone. But I do not think we need to expect that all American's know the great details of a breast cancer diagnosis and all its risk factors. There are many other diseases and ailments that deserve more awareness and shouldn't be hidden behind a pink curtain of over-hype and over-awareness.

I do think Americans need to embrace overall awareness of a healthy lifestyle and not focus on a few diseases at a time - the ones that are closest to them and causing them the most problems.

Germs, germs, germs, and more germs

Germs are everywhere. We need the good germs to build our immune systems. I am not a germaphobe..... You will not find me using hand sanitizer unless there are absolutely no other choices. I do practice the basics. I wash my hands regularly and especially when cooking, before and after the gym, after using the bathroom and all that. But 100% germ killers aren't good. They kill the good and bad germs.

 With my immune system I am told that I should avoid sick people and blah-blah-blah. I ignore that part and live my life. I refuse to live under a rock. I go out in public. I don't hang out with people with a cold.

But there are a few germs which concern me. The flu so I get a flu shot. Maybe I'll get a pneumonia shot as well. I also have gotten the booster for whooping cough and the others. I am concerned that if Ebola got here, we would have problems. That disease that is affecting children all over the Midwest is not a good thing.

We need to have ways to get rid of the bad germs but keep the good germs in life.

Living a better life

I have decided I need to take steps to improve my life (well our lives because this includes my husband). This has taken some thought to get here but I have come up with these:

1. We need to eat better. I talk about it. I try to but not there yet. I can tell this because of my bulging waistline. My husband has a similar problem. More vegetables and grains. Less fats, etc. You know all of that but there is always room for improvement.
2. We need to do more things together. Last weekend we on a day trip adventure to an ocean front state park in New Hampshire, just over an hour away. We walked on shady trails, sat on the rocks and watched the ocean roll in and admired the view of the offshore islands and closer lighthouses. Then we went for a late lunch, a little shopping and home. I have already planned our next trip in a few weeks. We need time at home this weekend to get some things done. Besides it would be less fun if we went on a day trip every weekend.
3. I need to take better care of my appearance. I get regular hair cuts and get my nails done. But I dress like a slob I have decided. A casual top and dockers does not a fancy outfit make. I used to work in Boston in an office where wearing a suit was considered suitable. I stopped working in the city 7 1/2 years ago by choice and have gotten very casual. I actually went clothes shopping and bought some tops that push my boundaries of being a little dressier and even bought a dress(!). Today is the first day of new attire at work. We'll see how it goes. My husband does dress nicely every day in a button down shirt and sometimes even a tie so he is not a problem here.

That's it for now but I think its plenty.One step at a time. I have found being sick allows me to get more casual. Who spends time on their appearance when you feel like crap? Also, business offices where I have worked have gotten more and more casual over the years. Where I work now, jeans do appear on co-workers.

This is part of living a better life. I need to do other things but I'll get to them. Getting together more often with friends. Going out more socially than I have been doing. Step by step we can live a better life.

Lessons from famous cancer people

Just because someone is rich and famous and survives cancer, it doesn't mean they can invent a new way to cure cancer. There are a few I would like to mention here. I have nothing against these women at all but am concerned about the weight their name carries and how many followers they have simply because of their fame.

Suzanne Somers - she has a book out on chemo free treatment of cancer based on interviews with doctors. I'm sorry but there is no way to globally dismiss or prescribe any type of cancer treatment without a one-on-one conversation.

Farrah Fawcett declined conventional, FDA approved cancer treatment which would have required major surgery and resulted in needing a colostomy bag for life and went to Germany for a different treatment. Which unfortunately was painful and did not work in the long run. This reminds me of the families who went to Mexico for Laetril treatments in the 1970s. If its not approved here, there may be a good reason for it. And running overseas may not be a good idea.

In a recent article in AARP, long time friends, Melissa Ethridge and Sheryl Crowe talk about their cancer treatment successes. While I found the article interesting, I was not too thrilled with the last image:

Melissa 'turned off' her BRCA gene by eating better. And Sheryl meditates so that her cells function at a higher level.  I'm sorry but you can't turn a gene off. Its part of you. And maybe meditation helps you but it doesn't mean it can cure cancer. Being healthy can help you reduce your risk of cancer but don't think daily meditation will keep you healthy.

I can go on. These four women are ones who first came to mind. If you are rich and famous you have access to the best care and the best types of supplemental treatments from personalized workouts, professional chefs, and expensive organic food and personal doctors. But that doesn't mean your treatment is going to work for anyone else. And please be clear on that to your fans and followers.

Am I that bad off?

These days it seems that people who know me are constantly asking me how I am doing. Hmmm.... Am I that bad off? I know I do have a fair number of ailments but I don't think I am that bad off.

• I know yesterday I was driving to work and realized that I forgot to bring a wrist brace to work, so I stopped and bought another one. My arm was already hurting on the way in so I knew I need one to get through the day.
• I did two craft shows this weekend and people were telling me on Sunday and Monday that I looked and sounded tired.
•  am going to the gym after work tonight and my husband has instantly assumed that he will have to cook dinner. 
• I don't seem to be expected to do as many things with others as I might have in the past because I might not be up to it.

It has taken me a few years of telling people that I am not always up for things because I need to rest or take it easy and now it seems to have gone too far in the other direction. I almost feel like I am being coddled.

But then I watch people doing things that I used to do and cant any more - downhill skiing and getting airborne off the moguls, cross country skiing through the woods - up and down the hills and dodging trees, winter hiking in the mountains - and think maybe I am not as capable as I used to be. Crap.

I'm trying for remission - from RA that is

There really isn't such a thing as remission for solid tumor cancers like I have had. You can get to remission from systemic cancers like lymphoma or leukemia. With solid cancers basically there is just no evidence of disease, or NED.

But I do want to get to remission from Rheumatoid Arthritis. This is supposed to be the goal of RA treatment. It is not very common. The rates range between 5-50%. How optimistic.

True remission is defined as no symptoms, and xrays show the disease is stopped, joints are no longer being damaged. I could live with that. Clinical remission means you feel better but joint damage continues. And near remission means your symptoms have been reduced and your day to day functioning is improved. I could live with either the last two either.

I need to talk to my rheumatologist about this when I see her next - whenever that is. I have no brain. Being healthy is my goal..... Some day.

Do I have to be an adult all the time?

Do you remember as a child when there was a monster in the closet? You could close your eyes very tightly and hide under the blankets and it would go away.

Wouldn't it be nice if it worked as an adult. Sometimes I wish I could just walk away from it all - like a vacation from all my health issues. The problem with health issues is they go on vacation with you. How annoying.

Sometimes I wish i could be a child and climb a tree, hanging up side down. Or run and jump into the pool - the jumping is the hard part. (Also being a chicken about cold water doesn't help.)  Or being double dared to ride your bike down the hill, no hands. Or chasing the boys out of the no boys allowed club (we had one).

But I digress. I need a vacation from ailments too. Not just a tropical beach. But a healthy body on a tropical beach. Or a hike in the mountains where I can go a decent distance, and even carry a pack. Skip that, I'll have a sherpa to carry the heavy stuff but I still want to walk.

As part of having the ailments, they follow you everywhere. They lurk in the background in that little corner of your brain saying 'whats that next test or visit going to show'? Its really hard to turn that part of your brain off. And most of them aren't going away, ever.

So the monster lives in the closet in your brain that you can squish your eyes shut and hide under the covers from it. Damn.

I don't want to be an adult all the time. It takes all the fun out of everything. Maybe I need a second childhood.