Countdown to Launch Party

Dear Blogger Family and Friends,

Mid-summer greetings to each and every one of you! The Pink Crusader welcomes you with smiles, hugs and a kiss on your sun-drenched cheek!

"Fly free and happy beyond birthdays and across forever, and we'll meet now and then when we wish, in the midst of the one celebration that never can end."

-Richard Bach

LAUNCH PARTY UPDATE:
The invitations are out and the official countdown to the Launch Party has begun; Only 7 weeks remain until the public debut of The Faces behind Breast Cancer! Keep an eye on your mailbox for your ticket to one of happiest events of the year! Seating is limited, and by invitation only, so please return your RSVP as soon as possible. The Pink Crusader will continue to provide party updates on a weekly basis as things move forward. We will also post listings for media coverage and future book-signing events. The excitement is building and we want you to come along for the ride!

Invitations
We gratefully acknowledge and thank Laura Chandler for creating and donating the gorgeous invitations, which are "suitable for framing" (per Rosemary Herron) and, I agree! In addition to Laura's artistic philanthropy, I must also thank the dynamic team of ladies who donated their time and lovely penmanship to hand-address each and every invitation: Rosemary Barr, Laura Chandler, Cheryl Donlin, Donna Fong (and her magic pen), and Rosemary Herron. Thank you all so much....especially for maintaining steady hands in the midst of a Tornado Watch!

Waiting List
Because this Launch Party is also a fund-raising event for M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, our goal is to accommodate everyone who would like to attend. For those of you who expressed interest in attending the party, but did not receive a formal invitation, please contact me if you feel there was an oversight. In addition, we have a "Waiting List" which we will refer to, as seats become available due to cancellations. We ask for your patience and understanding as we go through the process.

Out of Town Guests and Participants
Hotel AccommodationsWhen you RSVP for the party, please remember to book your hotel room as well. There are a limited number of rooms still available at the $69 rate for Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings and $149 rate for Monday. The discount code is FBBC. Cut-off date for these rates is August 10th (unless the rooms are sold out first).

Some folks informed me that they were having problems with the Marriott toll-free number. If that is the case, I would suggest you contact the Houston Marriott Westchase directly to book your room at 713-978-7400.

Transportation
There is shuttle service (Super Shuttle) available from George Bush (IAH) Airport to the Marriott Hotel at a cost of $28. The Marriott Hotel provides free shuttle service from its premises to the beautiful Galleria area of the city.

Pre-Orders
The Faces behind Breast Cancer
Now that the book has gained national attention, we must print additional copies to meet the growing demand. If you think you may miss the opportunity to purchase a book, we strongly encourage you to pre-order. By pre-ordering your copies, it will allow us to raise additional funding to underwrite increased publishing costs.To pay by credit card go to www.pinkcrusader.org
or, refer to the top of this blog post for other options.

O.K. my babies, time to go shopping for something pretty! The "Pink Crusader" will now magically transform into "Super Shopper!" Coupons in one hand....credit card in the other! I'm off....I'm running...Watch me fly!

This Week's Written Contribution is by Lynn Hathaway:

July 3, 2007

I have begun a journey
On a trip I never planned
But on the way were others
Who took me by the hand.

They said "We are your sisters"
I thought, "How can this be"?
And yet it wasn't long
Till the kinship I could see.

Although sometimes I am afraid
And the way seems to be long
Someone says, "I'm here for you"
And once again, I'm strong.

So blessings come from adversity
And strength can come from fear
And sadness melts with these few words
"Don't worry, we are here."

Thank you, my new sisters,
Lynn Hathaway
Copyright 2007
lynnh61@yahoo.com

Personal Note:Many thanks to Lynn for sharing her poem with The Pink Crusader and allowing us to share it with all of you.

FYI
From Cheryl P. Donlin:

I am a breast cancer survivor, I had a mastectomy and I support this petition (see below). I've been involved in efforts to make women aware of this issue for some time. Thank you for caring!Work. Create. Grow. Give.
Cheryl P. Donlin
Pink Ribbons Project, in motion against breast cancer
www.pinkribbons.org

MASTECTOMY HOSPITAL BILL in Congress

A mastectomy is when a woman's breast is removed in order to remove cancerous breast cells/tissue. If you know anyone who has had a mastectomy, you may know that there is a lot of discomfort and pain afterwards. Insurance companies are trying to make mastectomies an outpatient procedure. Let's give women the chance to recover properly in the hospital for 2 days after surgery.

There's a bill called the Breast Cancer Patient Protection Act which will require insurance companies to cover a minimum 48-hour hospital stay for patients undergoing a mastectomy. It's about eliminating the "drive-through mastectomy" where women are forced to go home just a few hours after surgery, against the wishes of their doctor, still groggy from anesthesia and sometimes with drainage tubes still attached.

Lifetime Television has put this bill on their web page with a petition drive to show your support. Last year over half the House signed on. PLEASE!! Sign the petition by clicking on the web site below. You need only give your NAME, ZIP CODE and EMAIL. http://www.lifetimetv.com/health/breast_mastectomy_pledge.html

This takes about 2 seconds. PLEASE PASS THIS ON to your friends and family and, on behalf of all women...THANKS!!

From Penny Andrea-Einmo:

From a nurse: "I'll never forget the look in my patients eyes when I had to tell them they had to go home with the drains, new exercises and no breast. I remember begging the Doctors to keep these women in the hospital longer, only to hear that they would, but their hands were tied by the insurance companies.

"So there I sat with my patients, giving them the instructions they needed to take care of themselves, knowing full well they didn't grasp half of what I was saying, because the glazed, hopeless, frightened look spoke louder than the quiet 'Thank You' they muttered."

Please send this to everyone in your address book. There's a bill called the Breast Cancer Patient Protection Act which will require Insurance Companies to cover a minimum 48-hour hospital stay for patients undergoing a mastectomy. Lifetime Television has put this bill on their web page with a petition drive to show your support. Last year over half the House signed on.

PLEASE!! Sign the petition!

http://www.lifetimetv.com/breastcancer/petition/signpetition.php

Personal Note: All of us at The Pink Crusader will keep Penny in our thoughts and prayers as she undergoes bilateral surgery on Monday, July 9th. We wish her a speedy recovery and look forward to seeing her happy face at future Rosebuds II meetings as well as the Launch Party.

DAILY REMINDER:
"Fund Free Mammograms"

Go to The Breast Cancer Site at http://www.thebreastcancersite.com/tpc/EEB_0115_BCSm
and help fund free mammograms for the homeless, working-poor, and un-insured women. It costs nothing to you, except one daily click on the pink "Fund Free Mammograms" button. You can even request automatic reminders via e-mail. Please make your free click now, and thanks for your continuing support! The Breast Cancer Site, One Union Square, 600 University Street, Suite 1000, Seattle, WA 98101
Phone: 1-888-811-5271

UPCOMING EVENTS: Mark Your Calendars and Save the Dates!

ROSEBUDS II MEETINGS
(For those who have had or are at high risk for recurrence
and/or metastasis)
2nd and 4th Thursday of each month 5:45 - 7:30 p.m.
JULY 12 & 26 AUGUST 9 & 23
SEPTEMBER 13 & 27 www.RosebudsSupport.org

ROSEBUDS MEETINGS
Open to all Breast Cancer Patients/Survivors
1st and 3rd Tuesday of each month 5:45 - 7:30 p.m.
JULY 17 AUGUST 7 & 21 SEPTEMBER 4 & 18

The Alice Thomsen Lymphedema Awareness Group of Houston
Meetings are scheduled on the 3rd Tuesday of every other month at the American cancer Society Building,6301 Richmond (between Hillcroft and Fountainview) at 7:00pm. The 2007 dates are July 17th, September 18 and November 20th. For further information call 281-546-6438.

2007 Komen Survivor Party
August 22, at The Houstonian
Details to be announced in future posts.

"The Faces behind Breast Cancer" Launch Party
Sunday August 26, at 1:00 pm.
Marriott Westchase, Houston
Details posted in May 27th blog and web site www.pinkcrusader.org

Living Fully with and Beyond Cancer
M.D. Anderson Network's 19th Annual Patient and Caregiver Conference
September 6-8 2007 Registration begins June 11
Marriott Westchase - Houston, Texas
For more info call 1-800-345-6324 or visit www.mdanderson.org/patientconference

Tour De Pink 2007
Pink Ribbons Project
September 9, 2007
at Prairie View A&M University
www.tourdepink.org

2007 Susan G. Komen Houston Race for the Cure
The Susan G. Komen for the Cure Houston Affiliate
Saturday, October 6, 2007
Sam Houston Park- Downtown
Race Day Schedule
7:45 a.m. Opening Ceremonies & Memorial Birds
8:00 a.m. Family Walk and Kids K by ConocoPhillips
8:15 a.m. 5K Coed Timed Competitive Run
8:25 a.m. 5K Coed Non-Competitive Run
8:35 a.m. 5K Coed Walk
9:15 a.m. Runners' Awards Ceremony
10:00 a.m. Awards Ceremony and Survivor Celebration
For more Information: Phone: (713) 783-9188 Fax: (713) 783-9187
http://www.komen-houston.org email: info@komen-houston.org

2007 Breast Health Summit
The 2007 Breast Health Summit will be held on October 18, 2007 at the United Way in Houston. Please pass this information on to others who may be interested. Additional information will be sent out later by both e-mail and postal mail. If your mailing address has changed, please be sure to forward the updated information to Pat Dames at pdames@the-rose.org
The Rose
12700 North Featherwood
Houston, TX 77034
281-464-5150
Fax 281-484-7083
www.the-rose.org

"Sharing is Caring"
As always, The Pink Crusader welcomes your comments, stories, poems, and events. Posts are updated every Sunday. Please send your written contributions to thepinkcrusader1@aol.com.

"Dance till the stars come down from the rafters. Dance, Dance, Dance till you drop."
-W. H. Auden

Until next week, stay strong, stay well and keep on dancing with a giggle in your talk and a wiggle in your walk....ooh baby, great balls of fire!

Love, Josie
The Pink Crusader
thepinkcrusader1@aol.com