Cancer Genes

Hi everyone,

There is more evidence supporting the need for breast cancer individualized care in this study published yesterday in Nature.  I suppose the increased combination of mutations possible for breast cancer is true for all cancers.  Interesting.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/05/120516152349.htm

Be Well,

Another Day in the Life of Me

I’m homebound after another reconstructive surgery on Wednesday.  Ahhh, just another day in the life of me… the drains, the military showers, the meds, and catching up on Bill & Giuliana. 

On last week’s episode Giuliana has a double mastectomy.  I’m watching- laughing out loud and crying at the same time.  I know I said this on my last post, but I relate to her in many ways.  Her parents are there and heartbroken to see their little girl dealing with cancer.  They are Italian and outwardly love with everything always family first!  Bill, the great husband is emotional, funny and sincere.  Pre-surgery Giuliana gets versed (the best cocktail ever!) to relax her.  I confess I have honestly looked forward to this little concoction with all my past procedures.  Oh, how it makes all my troubles disappear!  Giuliana is loopy and starts slurring her words, so Bill cuts the camera off.

After a successful surgery, Giuliana shows us her drains and her bloated stomach.  I’m laughing again as I sit here complaining of my drains and bloated stomach.  But, she has such a positive spirit and never dwells on her hurdles.  It is the reminder I need to hear to be thankful this Sunday morning.  So I tell myself "praises in the storm, praises in the storm" and think about what I am thankful for.

 

           Sunday morning thank you:

 

Thank You St. Luke’s Hospital for putting the small prayer in the bathroom that I read right before my surgery this week.

Thank You Dr. Reisman for being another parental figure for Brett and I, always putting our best interest first.

Thank You Brett for being my nurse, comedian, nanny, chauffer and roommate even after all the drug induced locomotive snoringJ.

Thank You Mom, Dad, Kathy, James, Tina and everyone who helped make our family work this week.

Thank You Angels for hovering over me, your wings were extra loud this week and gave me peace and comfort. 

The episode ends with B & G finding out that a surrogate is pregnant with their child.  I’m crying again as I remember the yearn for children and the joy that came with every milestone towards that miracle.  God is Good!

Be Well, I’m off to eat blueberries!

B & G

Bill and Giuliana Rancic are the couple behind a reality show Giuliana & Bill which is entering its fifth season on the Style Network.  http://www.mystyle.com/mystyle/shows/giulianaandbill/index.jsp

B & G were married in 2007 and have since struggled with infertility.  Last year as the couple was starting a new round of IVF it was discovered that Giuliana had breast cancer.  She had a double lumpectomy and then a double mastectomy.  The show has followed her through this new storm- through triumphs and struggles.  It’s an amazing, raw chronicle of her fears, grace and solid relationship with her husband Bill.  Oh Bill, what a great husband you are! 

I relate with Giuliana on so many levels and respect her for her forthcoming words and letting us get a glimpse into her world.  Yes, it’s a reality show with a lot of great editing, but there sure is a lot of truth to B & G.  I made Brett watch the show with me last week and I think every cancer husband should watch this show.  I’m thankful for my husband and the road traveled with me, it has made us stronger and given us a yearn for balance and health.

Be Well,

Antianxiety

Hello Everyone,

I’m writing here from New York where I am celebrating my birthday.  I was listening to the sounds out on the busy streets this morning and heard several fire trucks zoom by.  It reminded me of 911 and I imagined what traumatic sounds must have been coming from the NY streets that day.  I wonder if those who experienced the sounds have post traumatic stress disorder triggers when they hear sirens of any kind. 

If any of you have experienced anxiety or traumatic stress, you know that emotional doom that can overwhelm your spirit and body.  For cancer patients, the ongoing doom might come from a new body pain that won’t subside, or a nagging cough, or a lump under your skin, or an abnormal blood test.  Nothing compares to the doom I felt when Dr. Reisman told me I had cancer.  I remember his words crystal clear and I remember the feelings that followed and followed and followed…

Anxiety and stress try to creep back into my life often and I imagine it will be this way for a while.  For the most part, distraction works as a good coping mechanism for me, but oh my! it sure does take work.  When I am anxious, distraction might come in the form of walking into another room, praying out loud, listening to music, yoga, putting my face in the freezer or visualizing something empowering.  I might inhale deeply and exhale through pursed lips.  Or, call my mom or meet with some golden friends to talk it out, which always helps.  Bottom line, figure out what works for you when you are anxious.  We cannot let “C” overwhelm our spirit.  Damn you Cancer!

Be Well, I’m off to celebrate some more at www.candle79.com!         

All Good Things About FOUR

A four leaf clover, The Four Seasons, four great elements- earth, water, fire and wind, petit fours, friends 4-ever, Four Christmases, PlayStation 4, the four gospels- Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, four heart chambers, four-wheel drive, iphone 4, Final Four, 4^th of July, four-letter words??, 4 by Beyonce, four calling birds, and drum-roll please…….. Next week marks my fourth year from being diagnosed with the Big C.  March 20^th to be exact.  The date really should be much earlier because I discovered my lump months before.  I’ve often wondered when the angiogenesis started- only God knows. 

Anyway, here I am in 2012 almost about to turn 4-0!  This is a sweet year for me.  I love birthdays and getting older.  For me, it means that I have lived, lived to see family milestones, lived to see progress in cancer fighting research and lived to see my cancer fighting friends LIVE!  (love you girls xoxo)  Next year my chances of recurrence will significantly go down and then I will look towards year 10 J. 

This brings me to an exciting and upcoming clinical trial at MD Anderson.  This summer, 120 cancer patients will be recruited from the Nellie B. Connally Breast Center to test the premise that comprehensive integrative oncology, including certain lifestyle and behavior changes, may strengthen the body’s defenses against cancer.  The trial will test whether conscious efforts to strengthen the body’s natural defenses against cancer can make a difference, specifically exploring whether improving patients’ diet and nutrition, levels of physical activity, stress management and social engagement can help them avoid a recurrence and increase survival. (taken from MD Anderson’s Network publication). 

I’m looking forward to seeing these results.  Longevity friends, longevity!  Don't forget to eat your leafy greens, try some yoga, take deep breaths, pray and spend time with your golden friends and family.

Let’s Be Well,  I'm off to ski! 

Praises in the Storm

Brett and I had the privilege of hearing the brother of David Servan-Schreiber (author of Anticancer: A New Way of Life) speak last week at MD Anderson.   Franklin Servan-Schreiber spoke on the legacy of his brother, particularly his last months of life and the process of dying from cancer recurrence.  

Warning:  I’m going to talk about death

I left the event humbled with many mixed feelings.  BIG questions on my life plan crept up again- “What is God’s plan for me?” “How long will I live?” “What if it’s back?”  Of course, these are all the questions and fears that I shouldn’t dwell on.  But jeez, how’s a cancer patient supposed to completely clear the morbid thoughts forever?  I decided (once again) I would embrace life, the entire cycle of it- caterpillar, butterfly and all.  If you know me, you know I speak openly about living and dying.  Brett knows small details about the planning of my funeral like...  I want to have “On Eagle’s Wings” sung at my funeral.  And…  I would really like the have the young girl from our church sing it.  His response is always “you had better tell someone else, because you are going to outlive me”.  Okay, okay.  I am planning to live a really, really long time, isn’t everyone?  It just so happened that I have had to think a little bit sooner about death than most.  Cancer or not, we should all be prepared.  “Prepared”- hmmm, and what does that mean.      

David wrote Not the Last Goodbye in the few months before his death.  It was published in June 2011 and went straight to the best sellers list.  He died 8 weeks later in a small hospital in Normandy, France.  It’s a beautiful story on his life explaining his recurrence from brain cancer and his process of dying.  He writes on hope and reminds his audience of the measurable data out there on living an ‘anticancer way of life’.  He writes:

“There is no miracle cure against cancer, no 100 percent success rate, even in conventional medicine, which is extremely effective.  However, there are ways to maximize our natural defenses by taking care of our bodies both physically and mentally.  There’s no doubt that these methods, which are accessible to everyone, reinforce the potential of our natural self-defense systems.  Numerous research studies have delivered conclusive proof, and fortunately, there are physicians and hospitals that recognize it.  In my case, I am convinced that these approaches have considerably improved my life, both in terms of its span and its quality.  I was first diagnosed with a brain tumor nineteen years ago.  The fact that I have lived all these years with such an aggressive form of cancer- 99 percent of people with this cancer do not live longer that six years- is enough to support the idea that it is within my power to contribute positively to my health.” 

I don’t know about you, but this sure does give me a kick in the behind to start living better.  Not just nutrition, but to work on my stress management, be more aware of the chemicals surrounding me, see my longevity and golden friends more.  Thankfully today, I get to go on a weekend retreat with one of my golden friends.  How timely is that! 

During his speech, Franklin told us that his brother often turned to Psalm 23, psalm of David.  I will remember this always.

Psalm 23

A psalm of David.

 1 The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing.

 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures,

he leads me beside quiet waters,

 3 he refreshes my soul.

He guides me along the right paths

   for his name’s sake.

4 Even though I walk

   through the darkest valley,

I will fear no evil,

   for you are with me;

your rod and your staff,

   they comfort me.

 5 You prepare a table before me

   in the presence of my enemies.

You anoint my head with oil;

   my cup overflows.

6 Surely your goodness and love will follow me

   all the days of my life,

and I will dwell in the house of the LORD

   forever.

Be Well,

The Year of the Dozen

Hi Everyone,

It’s been a while since my last post.  I have been treading above water with the Christmas season, New Year, a home remodel, and a nasty sinus infection.  And, did I tell you that we have been in an apartment since July?  But….  I’ll take it!  (One of my mottos).  I’ll take anything other than CANCER!

So, it’s the year of the dozen, 2012.  To start I have been reflecting on the past dozen months, going through cancer-related studies, news, emails and articles that I keep in my blog file.  Looking back over 2011, it appears that the world has made strides in cancer prevention and treatment.  However, we have so far to go.  I repeat, so far to go! 

Here is my list of intriguing anticancer news of 2011:

January 2011

Imad Shureiqi, MD, at M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Department of Clinical Cancer Prevention reviews curcumin, an Indian spice used for thousands of years for its medicinal properties.  Curcumin has antitumor, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.  Do a search on the internet and you will find clinical trials looking at the relationship between curcumin and all kind of cancers including multiple myeloma, breast, pancreatic and colon cancer to name a few.  Curcumin is responsible for the yellow color in turmeric, which can be found in grocery stores with the spices.  There are many ways to use turmeric including my favorite as part of salad dressing.  Mix some turmeric with black pepper (helps with absorption) and let sit for a few.  Then add fresh garlic, some fresh squeezed lemon and hint of salt.  Mix everything with some organic cold pressed olive oil (balsamic vinegar if you want some sweetness) and voila you have a light dressing with a kick of spice!  Once you start creating your own salad dressings you will have a hard time going back to store bought- they will taste too sweet and salty!

February 2011

Melinda Irwin, PhD of Yale School of Public Health and her colleagues report that aerobic exercise of 3 hours or more per week has mortality benefits for post-menopausal women, decreasing risk of breast cancer recurrence.  This is common sense to me, but it’s good to see it in writing.  Come on ladies, let’s get moving!  The measurable benefits of exercise are all around us. 

March 2011

I celebrate 3 years of being a breast cancer survivor- thank you God and all the angels hovering over me.  It’s been a year of deep breaths, fear, gratitude and smiles.  Bring it!  (I stole that from Tony Horton)

April 2011

Jose Russo, MD, director of the Breast Cancer Research Laboratory at Fox Chase Cancer Center finds that omega-3 fatty acids (abundant in fish) can be a safe and beneficial booster for tamoxifen therapy.  The drug tamoxifen (which I take) starves cancer cells by blocking estrogen.  Estrogen positive tumors (ER+) thrive on estrogen, so the less estrogen the better- for ER+ cancer that is….  Low estrogen has many annoying and persistent side effects on the female body and I’m TOO YOUNG to be experiencing them!  But….  I’ll take it!

May 2011

American Institute for Cancer Research summarizes cancer risks of red meat and grilling.  A diet high in red meat (more than 18 oz. per week) and any amount of processed meat, such as hot dogs, are factors that increase colorectal cancer risk.  Read more at http://preventcancer.aicr.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=20590&news_iv_ctrl=2303.  And really, the world does not need hot dogs!  If you search for common hotdog ingredients, you will find that hot dogs are high in fat and salt and have preservatives sodium nitrate and nitrite, both believed to cause cancer.  Speaking of meat, my husband and I have gone vegetarian for the New Year.  I already ate mostly vegetarian, so it has been easy for me.  Brett on the other hand has had a couple (okay more than a couple) of slips starting with bacon on New Year’s Day!  Ugh…  let’s give him some encouragement.  Since the ‘bacon slip’, he has done very well!  It’s really not about the meat (okay, maybe it is), but rather being cognizant of what we put and don’t put into our bodies.  And go Sellers family!  My sister and her husband are eating vegan- they are super committed.

Also in May, Forks and Knives hits the big screen.  Dr. T. Colin Campbell, a scientist at Cornell University and Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn, a surgeon at the Cleveland Clinic present a profound documentary on nutrition and disease.  Through years of study and practice, they both found that ‘most, if not all, of the degenerative diseases that afflict us can be controlled, or even reversed, by rejecting animal-based and processed foods’.  Forks and Knives is a must see for everyone, particularly for those who deny the data out there on the relation between animal products and disease.

June 2011

Rick Perry, governor of Texas signs Henda’s Law.  This legislation was the brainchild of Henda Salmeron of Dallas who was diagnosed with stage 2 breast cancer at age 42.  She found a lump in her breast that had not shown up in several years of mammograms due to the density of her breasts.  Had she known this, she would have pushed to have further screening which probably would have detected her cancer.  Henda’s Law educates women by creating awareness about their breast density, and that supplemental screening in addition to mammography may benefit them.  I might add that a 2007 New England Journal of Medicine study showed women with dense breast tissue are four to six times more likely to develop breast cancer as those with regular breast density- yikes!  And, mammograms may miss up to 40 percent of tumors in women with dense breast tissue.

Also in June, MDAnderson reviews the benefits of cinnamon and the many anticancer benefits.  Cinnamon extract was shown to inhibit the growth and spread of cancer in laboratory cell cultures of various types of cancer including lymphoma, melanoma, cervical and colorectal cancer.  Eat your cinnamon!

http://www2.mdanderson.org/cancerwise/2011/06/cinnamon-common-spice-takes-a-stand-against-cancer.html

July 2011

I celebrate the life of my friend Theresa who loses her battle with breast cancer.  I will remember her as a young, vivacious artist with a contagious smile.  Sometimes when I am anxious, I visualize God’s angels hovering over me.  She is always one of them! 

I also remember David Servan-Schreiber, a scientist and doctor who survived brain cancer for 19 years.  Dr. Servan-Schreiber confronted traditional therapies and went on a crusade for healing mind, body and soul.  He died in a hospital in Normandy, he was 50.  He is my hero who wrote the bestselling book AntiCancer: An New Way of Life. http://www.amazon.com/Anticancer-New-Way-Life/dp/0670021644/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1327421655&sr=1-1

I recommend this book all the time; it’s a staple to have in your library and great to give as a gift.  If you are in Houston, Dr. Servan-Schreiber’s brother and Dr. Lorenzo Cohen of the Integrative Clinic at MDAnderson will be speaking this Thursday on the research detailed in AntiCancer: A New Way of Life.  This should be great!   http://www3.mdanderson.org/calendar/event/Living_the_AntiCancer_Life_The_Legacy_of_David_ServanSchreiber_MD_PhD_16278.html

August 2011

School starts, moms everywhere are struggling to create nutritious, tasty lunches for their kids.  More than ever, it is crucial to start paying attention to what we and the schools feed our kids.  Diabetes, high cholesterol and yes the “C” word are all related to diet and folks, it starts young.  A friend of mine sends me a post of a mom who chronicles the lunches she makes for her son.  Take a deep breath before you open this, rid the mommy guilt and just think ‘balance’!  Its food for thought….  http://www.flickr.com/photos/mslil65/sets/72157601755804789/

September 2011

September is prostate cancer awareness month.  According to the American Cancer Society, one in six men will get prostate cancer and one in thirty six men will die.  Do a search online and you will find a pattern of recommendations for prostate cancer prevention.  It’s all sounding too familiar!  Eat whole grain, plant based, eat your beans, avoid processed foods, avoid high sugar, avoid soft drinks, exercise and drink in moderation.  A study out of UCLA finds that drinking 8 ounces of pomegranate juice a day has a significant effect on levels of prostate-specific antigen (PSA), lowering the risk of cancer.

October 2011

Waltz Warriors and Butterfly Kisses participate in the inaugural Pink Ribbon Parade in Houston.  Life size pink ribbons, all decorated differently, tour the city to bring a visual awareness to breast cancer.  We raise over $10,000 for the Breast Health Collaborative of Texas and Pink Ribbons Project!

November 2011

The American Institute for Cancer Research adds a section to its website called AICR’s Foods to Fight Cancer.  This new tool is full of evidence based information on the protective role certain foods play in fighting cancer.  Woo-Hoo!  Anti-cancer Amy loves this! http://www.aicr.org/foods-that-fight-cancer/

The American Cancer Society also revises its guide on colorectal cancer prevention.  Colorectal cancer is the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths.  Forty-five percent of new cases could be prevented by following healthy habits of: avoiding processed and red meat (aka hotdogs, bacon, lunch meat…), exercising regularly (atleast 30 minutes of moderate/rigorous physical activity for 5 or more days a week), maintaining a healthy weight and limiting alcohol consumption (1 drink per day for women and 2 per day for men).  I think I may have surpassed this consumption over the holidays- New Year, here I come! 

December 2011

The American Institute for Cancer Research publishes an article on adolescent girls and how their lifestyle increases or decreases the risks of breast cancer later in life.  Wow, what an interesting article, especially since I have girls.  Basically, the report states that adolescence is a vulnerable time for breast health stems.  “Cells are dividing at a quicker pace and any carcinogen that cells are exposed to puts them at a greater risk” –Lindsay Frazier, M.D. at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.  She goes on to say that it’s possible that nutrition can protect a cell from acquiring a genetic mistake during this time.  Dr. Frazier and her colleagues are looking at fiber and vitamin D and how they protect the body in relation to breast disease.  They will also examine the effect of red meat and milk on breast disease.  Look for more information in 2012.

Happy New Year and Be Well!!!