Song for the Lonely

Dear Blogger Family & Friends,

Welcome to the Pink Crusader blogspot where hugs are free and conversation comes easy. We're glad you stopped by to give us some company. No one is going to rush you, so make yourself comfortable, enjoy the visit and read on.....

"Isn't it funny that at Christmas something in you gets so lonely for...I don't know what exactly, but it's something that you don't mind so much not having at other times."

- Kate L. Bosher

Memories and traditions are the reasons we love the holidays...the food, the lights, the smells and sounds. Year after year, we do our best to recapture all the "feel-good" moments associated with the season, often averting our eyes to underlying social issues in the process.

While much of the holiday cheer may be influenced by our pre-determined expectations, we can't deny that another aspect of Christmas pleasure comes from a more spiritual source.....namely, turning our attention towards the needs of the less fortunate and opening our hearts and homes to other human beings. If ever there is a time to reach out and empathize with our fellow man, this is the perfect time.

Let's face it, by now we've ventured far enough into the yuletide season to decide whether or not we are committed to reaching out to a troubled teen; reassuring an overwhelmed single parent; running an errand for an incapacitated elder; remembering loved ones in the armed forces; or consoling a grief-stricken friend. By providing a little extra comfort to the hungry, the homeless, the sick or the poor, not only will we gain a deeper appreciation for the true meaning of giving, but we will also provide a sense of healing and harmony that will bring us all closer together in the holy name of Christmas.

So, go ahead and dig a little deeper...there is always a friend in need...and one gesture of kindness may be the most beautiful gift they'll receive this year.
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SURVIVOR UPDATES:

Angie Elliott (update per Colin Elliott)

12/15/07 - It's now nearly 3pm on Saturday and I recently got a call from my mother in law asking about an update. I mentioned the other day that time doesn't really exist here, so please forgive the delay. As always, please keep in mind that she's still on a ventilator in the ICU and in critical condition. I relish the thought of being able to write that we're out of the proverbial woods, but that won't be any time soon. So, here's the update...

Thursday afternoon I noticed that Angie looked like she had gotten into a fight sometime in the previous day as there was a dark bruise forming under her eyes. I thought it was probably due to the mask she wore to help her breath before the breathing tube, but I didn't really ask anyone. We also noted that she was passing some blood in her urine, but again no red flags were raised (so to speak).

So, when I showed up Friday morning and saw that the bruises were a bit worse, I thought nothing of it. Then she opened her eyes. Whoa! She must have gotten into a nasty bar brawl; the white part around her eyes were red in a number of wide spots. I must admit that the first thing that came to mind was that something had happened with the night nurse. I was relieved to find out that the bruising was due to her low platelet count.

The eye specialist stopped by this morning and agreed that was the problem and that her eyes are otherwise just fine. It should clear up in time, so there is nothing permanently wrong that they can see at this time. The best part is that is really the worst thing that's happening with her. She continues to cough some, and it has been productive at times but generally she just has irritation. When holding her back when she wants to sit up, I can feel the congestion in her chest, whether from phlegm or fluid. I'm not a doctor, but it seems to be getting slightly better over time. The x-ray shows the we're stable in the lungs, and that whatever infection she had has either gone away or is stabilized. Either way, they still see breathing difficulties and those are being caused by the cancer infiltrate.

One of the nurses decided to put her hair up in a top knot and it seems to fit her pretty well. They normally wouldn't done a pony tail, but since she's laying down all the time, the top knot is a better choice. The nurses are having an easier time managing her with my constant presence in the room from Wednesday afternoon. They can confine her less and I can react much more quickly to keep her comfortable. When you've been in bed for this long, your backside gets sore from all the laying around, and she's been known to squirm quite a lot trying to get comfortable unless I'm in here and being proactive.

What else? Hmmm... they're expecting to be able to give her the next dose of chemotherapy on Monday as her blood counts have been a bit low recently. They want to wait until her counts are higher before they administer the next dose. One other piece of good news is that they reduced the maximum pressure the ventilator was forcing into her lungs from 29 to 28. Small steps, but small steps in the right direction are very good.

I'm doing ok also. It's very taxing emotionally and physically to be here all day, but since I was told I could bring in my laptop, I'm doing much better with passing time. There's probably a ton of things I'm forgetting right now, but I'm sure I'll catch up on those in the next post. - Colin
http://www.carepage.com/ The page name is AngieElliottsCarePage

Please Note: For those interested in providing meals, Angie’s friend Cindy Wingo is organizing meals for Colin and family members. If you are interested in providing a meal or gift cards for gas, groceries or take-out, please call Cindy at 713-927-4910

For those who would like to donate money, a bank account has been established at Wachovia Bank to pay for meals, groceries, unexpected medical costs, etc. You can make a check to either Colin Elliott or the Colin and Angie Fund and send it directly to our liaison at Wachovia Bank. She will be keeping track of the checks and depositing them directly into the account. Patti Lapp, Wachovia Bank, 2800 Post Oak Blvd., Suite 3400, Houston, TX 77056
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Susan Robertson

We continue to send our get-well wishes to Susan who is doing much better following recent surgery, and moving forward to the next phase of treatment.
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Cheryl Donlin

We received a cheery note from Cheryl this week thanking everyone for their concern and reassuring us that she is determined to enjoy the holidays in spite of impending treatment after the first of the year. She will keep us posted.
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FYI:

Cheryl Donlin:

Here are links to two really good articles: one on chemo and one on oncotyping for chemo.

Work. Create. Grow. Give. - Cheryl

1. http://www.everydayhealth.com/publicsite/ShowArticle.aspx?IsP=news/610/news610842.xml&dp=2007/12/13&q1=Breast%20Cancer&Breast%20Cancer&cen=

2. http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=3997482
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From Donna Fong:
Donna has not as yet viewed this web site, but thought you may find it beneficial.

A New Web Resource for Breast Cancer Patients with Brain Metastases
Most drugs that help control metastatic breast cancer elsewhere in the body are not able to penetrate into the brain. So, as improved treatments extend survival, increasing numbers of women with metastatic disease face a diagnosis of brain metastases. Learning breast cancer has spread to the brain is frightening. Patients may not realize that some women can live for years after getting brain metastases, with good quality of life. For more information on BrainMetsBC.org, including information for the newly diagnosed, as well as the very latest on research and treatment, visit: BrainMetsBC.org

Also from Donna Fong:

Scientists discover how BRCA1 gene causes cancer
Mon Dec 10 15:50:08 UTC 2007
By Julie Steenhuysen
CHICAGO (Reuters) - Mutations in the BRCA1 breast cancer gene appear to be linked with the loss of a protein important for putting the brakes on cell growth, a finding that could lead to new therapies, researchers said on Sunday. The breakthrough could lead to more effective therapies for women with an aggressive and especially deadly cancer known as triple-negative that does not respond to current advanced drugs, the researchers said.

"It doesn't have a good target for therapy at this point," said Dr. Ramon Parsons of Columbia University Medical Center in New York, who worked on the study.

Scientists have known for more than a decade that women with certain alterations in the BRCA1 gene were at high risk for breast cancer. What they have not understood is exactly how a mutation in this gene leads to cancer. Researchers at Columbia, working with at team at Sweden's Lund University, now believe mutations in the BRCA1 gene can leave cells incapable of repairing routine DNA damage. When such damage occurs in a protein called PTEN, which regulates the growth of cells, cell growth is unchecked and tumors form.

Women with faulty copies of BRCA1 or BRCA2 have a 50 to 85 percent chance of getting breast cancer. Mutations in these genes account for 5 to 10 percent of breast cancer cases. Most breast tumors are called estrogen-receptor positive, because they are fuelled by the hormone estrogen. About 20 percent are HER2-positive, because a protein called HER2 is involved. A third type is driven by the hormone progesterone.

These types of cancer have good treatments. Then there are basal-like or triple-negative tumors, so named because they lack estrogen, progesterone or HER2 receptors needed for most breast cancer drugs to work.

UNCHECKED GROWTH
"The basic idea is that BRCA1 is a repair enzyme that is involved in coordinating the repair of double strand DNA breaks," said Parsons said in a telephone interview.
"When it is mutated, it is no longer present in a cell. If a cut occurs in PTEN, there is no way for this cell to fix it," said Parsons, whose study was published in Nature Genetics.

"It is like cutting the brake cable on a car," he said. "If PTEN is broken, you turn on a pathway that tells the cell to grow. It tells the cell to start dividing. It tells the cell, 'don't die.'"

Parsons said loss of the protein PTEN is how breast cancer gets started in women who have inherited the BRCA1 gene mutation. His team made the connection between BRCA1 and PTEN by searching for chromosome breaks within the PTEN gene.

They scanned 34 biopsies taken from women with BRCA1 tumors. The PTEN gene had been split in two, but inadequately repaired in about one-third of the cancers. In some cases, entire sections of the gene were missing. They said these chromosomal mistakes trace back to the tumor's lack of BRCA1, which is charged with cell repair. He estimates that about 50 percent of BRCA1 breast cancers harbor mutated PTEN.

"These tumors have very high frequency loss of the PTEN protein," Parsons said. In breast cancers from women with normal BRCA1, they rarely found large mutations in PTEN. "A lot of drug companies are working on this. There is reasonably good hope that this approach will improve therapy for patients," Parsons said.

Basal-like breast tumors are also found in 10 to 20 percent of women whose cancer was not caused by BRCA1 or another gene. The researchers found PTEN is lost in most of these breast tumors as well. (Editing by Jackie Frank)
© Copyright Reuters 2006All rights reserved. Users may download and print extracts of content from this website for their own personal and non-commercial use only. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters. Reuters and the Reuters sphere logo are registered trademarks or trademarks of the Reuters group of companies around the world.
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Diane Balma - Susan G. Komen for the Cure Advocacy Alliance:

Great news! Thanks to the efforts of Champions like you, Congress has passed legislation to extend the Breast Cancer Research Stamp four more years, through 2011. The House of Representatives passed the bill on Tuesday, and the Senate followed suit last night. The bill now awaits signature by President Bush.

This victory would not have been possible without the dedication and tireless efforts of more than 50,000 Komen Champions for the CureTM who let Congress know how important the stamp is through petitions, letters, and phone calls.

Now, let's thank Congress for doing its part. Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX) and Representative William Lacy Clay (D-MO) spearheaded the effort in Congress to extend the life of the Breast Cancer Research Stamp.

The Breast Cancer Research Stamp is the top-selling commemorative stamp of all time. Since the program started in July 1998, more than 785 million stamps have been sold, raising more than $58.3 million for breast cancer research. The extension of the stamp will allow Americans to continue contributing to the fight against breast cancer and raising awareness about the disease. Thank these legislators for their leadership! Send your thank you note now.

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From Victoria at Feminine Living:

Ladies, Happy Holidays to all... I have a wonderful class and event calendarfor you this December... including offering my new line of FEMININE LIVINGGIFT PRODUCTS. Make your holidays stress free and joyful by joining me thisseason with the calming, peaceful energy of FEMININE ENERGY! I hope to see you here! Blessings and holiday cheer, Victoria
For details visit: http://www.feminineliving.com/calendar.html
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From Destini Jordan:

Please tell ten friends to tell ten today! The Breast Cancer site is having trouble getting enough people to click on their site daily to meet their quota of donating at least one free mammogram a day to an underprivileged woman. It takes less than a minute to go to their site and click on 'donating a mammogram' for free (pink window in the middle). This doesn't cost you a thing. Their corporate sponsors/advertisers use the number of daily visits to donate mammogram in exchange for advertising. Here's the web site! Pass it along to people you know. http://www.thebreastcancersite.com/

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From Beth Irvine:

What mother doesn't want to give her daughter the gifts of health and well being? This workshop is for mothers and their teen daughters who have an interest in finding techniques to bring balance into their every day life. In this weekend workshop we will use the tools of yoga emphasizing breathing and body awareness, quieting the mind through meditation, and creative self expression with pen and paper. All of these techniques shared with your daughter as well as plenty of time to take in the restorative spa treatments in the beautiful and serene Texas hill country. For more information visit: healthymotherhealthychild.com
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From Jane Weiner:

Hope Center is pleased to announce and unveil (officially)Our New website: http://www.hopestoneinc.org/ We need a few more young artists here at Hope Center.....If interested please call the office and we can sign up your child for classes in dance, music, theater and martial arts. We still have a few more scholarships!

Plus: Our First ever HopeWerks Showing. This semester we offered FREE rehearsal space to the Cassandra Shaffer Dance Ensemble to help promote their work. On December 22nd, 3 p.m. Cassandra and her dancers will present works in progress, The Mad Scene & "baby". 3 p.m. showing @ Hope Center, $5.00 donation @ the door....and you know there is chocolate involved!! Jane Weiner: hopestone@sbcglobal.net 713.526.1907
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DAILY REMINDER #1:

"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

DAILY REMINDER #2:

Help eliminate Breast Cancer with a daily click athttp://breastcancer.care2.com/ebc-about.html You'll be one of the first people to participate in the largest virtual mountain climb in the world! With every click, (or "step") you generate a donation to eliminate the environmental causes of breast cancer--for free. Sponsors pay for your click and fund The Breast Cancer Fund's programs focusing on environmental links to breast cancer. It only takes a second! The Breast Cancer Fund is the leading national organization focused on identifying – and advocating for the elimination of – the environmental and preventable causes of the disease. For more details on the organization’s work, visit http://www.breastcancerfund.org/

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UPCOMING EVENTS: Mark Your Calendars and Save the Dates!

VICTORIA'S DECEMBER EVENTS AND CLASSES
Enjoy Reiki Treatments, The Winter Solstice Celebration, Chocolate & Shopping at Victoria's Feminine Living Calendar Viewing. To register call Victoria at 713-849-3535 or visit http://www.feminineliving.com/
December 1st - 31st - Reiki Treatments - by appointment
December 15th & 16th - and December 22nd & 23rd
Chocolate and Shopping 1-6 pm
December 22nd - Winter Solstice - 7:00

HOPE STONE
Sugar Cookie Week - A Sweet Deal at Hope Center
Monday Dec. 17-Sat. Dec. 22

FACES BEHIND BREAST CANCER BOOK SIGNING EVENT Come and meet the author and participants for a special holiday book event on Tuesday, December 18th, from 11am - 3pm at Appearances Boutique, located in the Mays Clinic at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, 2nd Floor. We encourage everyone to invite friends, family and co-workers since this will be the last book event of the year.

ROSEBUDS MEETING
December 18, 5:45 - 7:30 pm Breast Cancer Support Group MeetingThe Rose, 3400 Bissonnet. Open to all Breast Cancer Patients/Survivors1st and 3rd Tuesday of each month

JOIN US FOR A SPECIAL HOLIDAY TEA!
Sat. December 22nd, at Serenitea Tea Room and Gift Shop.13889 Southwest Freeway Sugar Land, TX Share the joy of the holiday season over a cup of steaming hot wassail and spiced pecans along with a delicate assortment of finger sandwiches; gingerbread with honey nut cream cheese, egg salad with watercress, spinach and pimento stack-up, ham and pear with walnuts, and the classic cucumber sandwich. You will also enjoy classic English scones with a twist, chocolate chips and orange. And for dessert try the mini traditional rum fruitcake, chocolate-dipped shortbread biscuits and grapes. Add a pot of tea...your choice from the Tea Selections menu. Plus, a special gift for everyone, compliments of Serenitea! By Reservation Only. Phone: 281-491-4588 Cost is $30 per person + Tax and Gratuity http://www.sereniteatearoom.com/

ROSEBUDS II MEETING
December 27th, 5:45 - 7:30 pm
Breast Cancer Support Group Meeting
For those who have had or are at high risk for recurrence and/or metastasis, 2nd and 4th Thursday of each month The Rose, 3400 Bissonnet. Open to all Breast Cancer Patients/Survivors Future Meetings: January, 2008

HOPE STONE
World Premiere of "See Me"
just hit our sweet new website (http://www.hopestoneinc.org/ ) go to the MONEY MATTERS tab and buy yourself some tickets for a good ole fashion art date! Hey, you can even buy one or two for a deserving child.....they make handy holiday gifts as well! Come early to see photographer Simon Gentry's silent no more photo exhibit in the green room (doors open 6:15 p.m.)Vitals: Jan 10 & 11, 2008, 7:30 p.m., Cullen Theater, Wortham Center
Note: SEE Me Tickets so on sale! http://www.hopestoneinc.org/
http://www.stubdog.com/ (1/2 price tickets...great for tight holiday budgets!)

KNOCKOUT ROSES
A support group for women diagnosed under 40. 2nd Monday of each month, at 5:45 pm, January, 2008 The Rose, 3400 Bissonnet. Contact Amy Rigsby, Technical Director of The Rose713-660-6675.

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. Next scheduled meeting is Januaruy, 2008.
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"SHARING is CARING"As always, The Pink Crusader welcomes your comments, stories, poems, events and photographs! Posts are updated each week. Please send your written contributions to thepinkcrusader1@aol.com .
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This is a song - for the lonely
Can you hear me tonight?
For the broken hearted, battle scarred
I'll be by your side
And this is a song - for the lonely
When your dreams won't come true
Can you hear this prayer?
'Cause someone's there for you

- Song for the Lonely, Music & Lyrics by Steve Torch, Mike Taylor and Paul Barry, Universal Music Publishing Group

Until next week stay strong, stay well and keep on dancing for the weary, the weak and the broken-hearted.

Love, Josie
The Pink Crusader
thepinkcrusader1@aol.com