Clean Slate for 2008

Dear Blogger Family & Friends,

Happy New Year to one and all! Welcome to the Pink Crusader blogspot where we are handing out the first cyber-hugs of the new year! Grab a glass of bubbly, make a little noise, and read on...

"Every man should be born again on the first day of January. Start with a fresh page. Take up one hole more in the buckle if necessary, or let down one, according to circumstances; but on the first of January let every man gird himself once more, with his face to the front, and take no interest in the things that were and are past." -Henry Ward Beecher

The month of January is named after the Roman god Janus, who was always shown as having two heads. He looked back to the last year and forward to the new one. And now that we've officially jumped off the 2007 merry-go-round, it's time to turn our back on one chapter and move forward to the promise of another....complete with 365 blank pages to fill-in as we go along.

The beginning of each year offers us a clean slate on which to collect our thoughts, make our resolutions and direct our energies in positive ways. With a little planning and a lot of hope, we'll all be off to a better start and increase the odds of reaching our goals over the next twelve months.

Okay my little babies....we are off and running! Raise your glass and make a toast that all our hopes, wishes and resolutions will be within reach during 2008....including those last 10 pounds! Cheers!
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SURVIVOR UPDATES:

Angie Elliott (update per Colin Elliott) January 2, 2008

First of all, Happy New Year to everyone. We pray that 2008 brings all of you and your families good health and happiness. We want to thank you for all of your continued thoughts and prayers.

It's been a couple days now and they've been pretty special. Angie did, in fact, make it out to a party on New Years Eve with me. She spent a couple hours sacked out in a spare bedroom, but she came out to ring in the new year and toasted with a cup (they were out of glasses) of champagne. I will mention here that champagne doesn't taste quite the same out of a plastic cup as from a glass champagne flute, but when you're with friends after an ordeal that we've had recently, it doesn't really matter.

We arrived at the party with Angie all dressed up riding in her rented wheelchair and me pushing her wearing a rainbow afro wig. Not sure what possessed me to wear it (and I wore it almost all night), but it kept my head warm amid the falling temperatures that evening. We had a good time and were happy to be out of the house with friends.

The house continues to get painted, and I understand that they might actually be done with everything by this Friday. Excellent. It'll take a few more days for the fumes to dissipate, but it definitely looks much warmer. It really is amazing what a coat of paint can do to the over all feel of a home. I've posted a picture in the photo gallery for you to see the new colors. The house is still a disaster, but things have started to get in a bit more semblance of order. We've dusted most of the house, trying to get rid of the aftermath of having new wood floors.

My asthma has flared up with all of the construction dust and fumes, and it's a good thing I got my inhaler filled up last year. I'd've been in the hospital myself if I didn't have those. Darn childhood asthma rearing its ugly head.

Anyway, Angie continues to gain strength and is remembering (sometimes through me) things that went on over the past six weeks. It hasn't always been easy as some things are better forgotten, but when things come up in conversation, it makes you face them sooner rather than later. Lymphadema continues to be an issue, especially with her having had a blood clot in the right arm which she is now on a blood thinner injection twice a day. She continues to get up and move around a bit and tries to do more (or at least the same amount of) activity every day.
Her strength is inspiring. She complains about being out of breath and needing to rest after two flights of stairs, but so do some "healthy" people who have come by our house to visit.

We're still trying to get her back to being able to be more self sufficient, but that will take time. We have to continue to be patient (something which a certain person we know and love sometimes has some troubles with being...)
Our love, Colin & Angie
http://www.carepage.com/ The page name is AngieElliottsCarePage
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Michelle Amos

Good luck to Michelle as she recovers from recent surgery. ************************************

Cheryl P. Donlin

Thoughts and prayers remain with Cheryl and her family as she prepares for surgery this week.
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Janice Duplessis

MAY GOD BE CLOSE WHEREVER YOU ARE AND BE YOUR GUIDE. LIKE THE CHRISTMAS STAR. MAY HAPPINESS BE YOURS TODAY AND ALL YEAR LONG. THIS IS MY PRAYER FOR YOU. - Janice
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FYI:

From Sandra Gomez:

A VERY VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU! I KNOW THIS YEAR WILL BE FABULOUS FOR EVERYONE.

THE ART SHOW FOR THE BOOTS "KICKING CANCER OUT OF TEXAS" INFORMATION WILL BE HELD ON JANUARY 10. SEE WEBSITE FOR MORE DETAILS: http://www.cancercounseling.info

LOTS OF LOVE ! SANDRA
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From Jane Weiner:

The Staff of Hope Center would like to wish you all a blessed & wonderous entrance to the NEW YEAR!!! Wishing you all health, happiness, good lessons, love and compassion for 2008!!!!We continue to pray for PEACE. Thank you for being a part of HOPE CENTER!!

LAST CALL (I promise) for TV sets-----
We move into the Theater tomorrow…so if you want to get rid of your TV set that is collecting dust in the garage…..bring it by Hope Center studio today (we will be there from 2 p.m-9 p.m.)…we especially want smaller ones now. 713-526-1907
Tax receipts available….know you are making art!!!!

Also, Reminder to purchase your tickets for the world premiere of "See Me," choreographed by Jane Weiner.
Tickets- http://www.hopestoneinc.org/ ½ price tickets- http://www.stubdog.com/
713.526.1907 ext. 3
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From Emma Jacobs:

Late Nite Catechism 2 opens this weekend at Houston's Stages Repertory Theatre. The tickets are normally $25-30 but if you use the code HEAVEN, you can see it for $10. Call quickly as tickets will go fast. - Emma

THE NUN-STOP LAUGHS CONTINUE IN LATE NITE CATECHISM 2!
Blessed with all the wit, wisdom and wackiness that made the original
an international hit, this follow-up to Late Nite Catechism really turns
up the heat - and the humor! Armed with a dizzying array of banners,
filmstrips, mimeographed handouts, historical facts and hysterical
insights, Sister sets out to conquer sin and conduct her class into
convulsions of laughter. Don't miss the latest installment in this
wildly popular series!

REMINDER:
The new musical Unbeatable is coming to town in September 2008 in a World Premiere production produced by Houston’s acclaimed Stages Repertory Theatre. To get a sneak peak, visit http://www.unbeatablemusical.com/

This brilliant new musical follows the true story of a strong-willed woman and her life-changing confrontation with Breast Cancer. It will touch the hearts of so many people, not only the ones who are in the struggle of their lives but those of you who have been affected by Breast Cancer. This musical will inspire and empower people whilst they laugh, cry and understand better what such a journey is really like.We are currently raising funds to support this ground-breaking event and by making a year-end donation you can be a huge help.

Here are some levels of support to consider:

$10,000 A Table for Eight to the opening night Gala
Eight Seats to the opening night performance
Eight invitations to a private cocktail party with cast and creators
Eight seats for the arrival party (when the cast comes from Phoenix)
An invitation to the first rehearsal
A signed copy of the script by cast and creators
A signed copy of the marketing poster by cast and creators

$5,000 Four Seats (1/2 table for the opening night Gala
Four Seats to the opening night performance
Four invitations to a private cocktail party with cast and creators
Four seats for the arrival party (when the cast comes from Phoenix)
An invitation to the first rehearsal
A signed copy of the script by cast and creators
A signed copy of the marketing poster by cast and creators

$2,500 Two Seats to the opening night gala
Two seats for the opening night performance
Two invitations to a private cocktail party with cast and creators
An invitation to the first rehearsal
A signed copy of the script by cast and creators
A signed copy of the marketing poster by cast and creators

$1,000 and above
Eight seats for the arrival party (when the cast comes from Phoenix)
Eight seats for first preview
An invitation to the first rehearsal
A signed copy of the script by cast and creators
A signed copy of the marketing poster by cast and creators

$500
Four seats for arrival party
Four seats for first preview
A signed copy of the marketing poster by cast and creators

$250
Two seats for the arrival party
Two seats for first preview
A signed copy of the marketing poster by cast and creators

$100
Two seats for first preview

$1.00 from every ticket sold must go to support a breast cancer care/research or housing facility in Houston. For those of you who have already donated you qualify at the level of your donation or you can increase your donation to qualify at a higher level. Thanks to your support we are well on our way to our goal of bringing Unbeatable to Houston!

Checks made payable to the Emma Jacobs Breast Cancer Foundation, 206 Terrace Drive, Houston, Texas 77007. OR, If you would like to make your donation via credit card you may contact Emma via the Pink Crusader (thepinkcrusader1@aol.com ) for additional instructions.

Thanks for your support, Emma Jacobs. Portions of your donation to the Emma Jacobs Breast Cancer Foundation (a 501c3 organization) may qualify for tax deductions under the laws of the State of Texas.
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From Cheryl Donlin:

I've attached an article that your readers might find of interest. You probably wish I'd quit reading the paper for a while, but for some reason (and it's a good thing!) there have been lots of good b/c articles running recently. Three cheers for awareness! - Cheryl

Study: MDs Mum on Breast Cancer Options
Fri Dec 21, 2007 12:42 AM EST
Marilynn Marchione, AP Medical Writer

Most doctors don't talk about breast reconstruction with women before cancer surgery, depriving them of key information that can sway their decision about whether to have the whole breast or just a lump removed, new research suggests. Only one-third of the roughly 1,200 women in the study said surgeons discussed cosmetic remedies with them in advance. When the topic did come up, women were four times more likely to choose the more drastic operation, mastectomy.

That could be because they liked the breast reconstruction options, which include implants that are not available for fixing odd-shaped defects left after lumpectomies. But mastectomies can be a dubious choice because breast-conserving lumpectomies usually suffice.

"Our point is not to say that one decision is better than another, but that women need to know all their options," said Dr. Amy Alderman, the University of Michigan plastic surgeon who led the study. "There are positives and negatives to both. We shouldn't be paternalistic and tell patients, 'This is what you need.'"

Dr. H. Kim Lyerly, a breast surgeon and director of Duke University's Comprehensive Cancer Center, agreed.

"This is an important issue," he said. "We clearly need to be better at it."

The study was published online Friday by the journal Cancer and will be in the Feb. 1 issue.
It is the second report in recent days to call attention to the often-neglected cosmetic consequences of cancer surgery. Studies at last week's San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium highlighted some of these, including the limited options for millions of women left with dimpled or cratered breasts after lumpectomies.

Doctors say the latest study, done in more than 100 hospitals in the Detroit and Los Angeles areas, may overstate the doctor-patient communication problem, but they acknowledge that one exists.

"I would bet that we have been so obsessed with treatment that this quality-of-life issue is one that we just haven't focused on," said Dr. Otis Brawley, chief medical officer of the American Cancer Society.

Breast cancer is the most common major cancer in American women. More than 178,000 new cases are expected this year in the U.S., and more than 1 million worldwide. For cancer that has not widely spread, most women have a lumpectomy, but some need or prefer a mastectomy. Alderman studied whether knowing about breast reconstruction swayed which treatment women chose.

Researchers surveyed 1,178 women three months after breast cancer surgery, from 2001 to 2003. Two-thirds said reconstruction never came up in discussions with general surgeons before their operations. Younger women were more likely to have had this talk than older ones (the average age was 56 for those who did versus 61 for those who did not). More educated women also were more likely to discuss it. Who brought up the topic — patient or doctor — was not asked. The National Cancer Institute paid for the study.

Women who see breast specialists rather than general surgeons may be more apt to get plastic surgery consultations, Lyerly said. Many women want to conserve breast tissue, and a surgeon must make sure that medical issues are not outweighed by body image concerns.

"If we provide too much information, that's also not the more effective way of communicating either," he said. "It could be that they're so fixed on other issues that two sentences on breast reconstruction totally was not heard."

However, treatment guidelines do not spell out what doctors should say and when, so "this study is likely to get some traction for that very reason," Brawley said.

Dr. Sameer Patel, a reconstructive surgeon at the Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia, said some doctors are too focused on the medical part of the decision about what operation to have.
"They're trying to take care of the cancer, and that (cosmetic impact) takes a back seat," he said.

Debbie Horwitz, 35, of Raleigh, N.C., encountered that attitude three years ago, when she found a cancerous lump. Her mother had died of breast cancer and her grandmother also had the disease, so when tests showed she had a mutated gene raising her risk of future tumors, she had a double mastectomy.

"I was really frustrated to find out there were no process pictures of what the reconstruction process would be like," she said. "It's a months-long process. There were a lot of before and after pictures, but there's a lot that happens in between."

She formed a support group and wrote a book featuring more than a dozen photos graphically depicting her own reconstruction — "Myself: Together Again" — sold on Amazon and other outlets.

If doctors do not discuss reconstruction options in advance, "it's unfair and I think it's unethical," she said. "If you were going to take off somebody's arm, or a leg had to be amputated, you would talk to them about prosthetics. I don't understand how doctors can leave that part out."

© 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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From Donna Fong:

News Release For immediate use: Dec. 20, 2007

Hormone may be new drug target for preventing lymphedema, tumor spread

A hormone secreted by cells throughout the body and known to play a role in cardiovascular disease and other cell functions is also critical for proper formation of the lymphatic system in mice, according to research from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine.

By targeting this hormone, called adrenomedullin, researchers may be able to treat the more than 100 million people worldwide affected by lymphedema, a condition that causes painful swelling in arms and legs.

“Our research also may lead to therapies to prevent cancer cells from traveling through these lymphatic vessels to infiltrate other parts of the body,” said Kathleen M. Caron, senior study author and assistant professor of cell and molecular physiology and genetics at UNC.

Adrenomedullin is a powerful vascular peptide that can widen existing blood vessels and even promote the growth of new ones. But it also has many more functions, such as helping control metabolism, heart rate, thirst and appetite, stress response, antibacterial activity and nerve signal transmission.

The study, published Dec. 20, 2007, in the Journal of Clinical Investigation, demonstrates that this peptide is necessary for yet another function in our bodies: without it, our lymphatic system – an important part of the body's immune system – does not form normally. The lymphatic system includes lymph nodes and a network of thin tubes that transport fluid and immune cells that have leached out of tissues back into the circulatory system. These tubes branch, like blood vessels, into all the tissues of the body. Between two and three liters of the almost colorless fluid called lymph go through the lymphatic system in a day.

If this system fails to function properly, excess fluid collects and swells in tissue, causing lymphedema. In rare instances, the condition is inherited through genetic mutations. For two to three million cancer survivors, it comes as a consequence of early treatment, as the surgical removal of lymph nodes and radiation therapy creates damage to the lymphatic system that lasts a lifetime. But the most common cause, affecting up to 120 million people worldwide, is a parasitic infection. “Lymphedema is a very serious problem,” Caron said. “Not only does it limit your mobility, but it can be quite painful and disfiguring.”

The only current treatments for the condition – using low-compression stockings and other garments, and massage – are not much help, Caron says. Before now, only a dozen or so genes had been implicated in the formation of lymphatic vessels, or lymphangiogenesis, and none of them have yet yielded an effective therapy. But through this study, the researchers have described three new targets, adrenomedullin and two of its partners in the cell, which together hold true promise for a pharmaceutical treatment for lymphedema.

Caron and her team of researchers discovered the importance of this hormone in the formation of the lymphatic system after genetically manipulating mice so that they completely lacked either adrenomedullin or its related cell partners. They found that these mice looked a lot like other mice with impaired lymphangiogenesis. Careful examination showed that the lymph sacs that normally take up excess fluid from the tissues were much smaller than they should be, and the sacs without adrenomedullin were made up of fewer cells than normal.

By increasing adrenomedullin within the cells of the lymphatic system, the researchers believe that they can encourage the lymph sacs to proliferate and take up more fluid. Not only could this approach provide a new treatment for lymphedema, but it may also prove useful in preventing the spread of cancer because invasive cancers sometimes penetrate the lymphatic vessels and metastasize to distant sites.

“In cancer treatments of the future, patients suffering from these aggressive cancers could be identified early and could be treated with a drug to inhibit the growth of the lymph vessels that transport the cancerous cells, thus keeping the cancer in check,” Caron said.

The research was funded in part by The Burroughs Wellcome Fund, the National Institutes of Health and the American Heart Association.

Study co-authors are Kimberly L. Fritz-Six, William P. Dunworth and Manyu Li, all of the UNC School of Medicine. School of Medicine contacts: Les Lang, (919) 843-9687 or llang @med.unc.edu or Stephanie Crayton, (919) 966-2860 or matilto:scrayton@unch.unc.eduUNC News Services contact: Clinton Colmenares, (919) 843-1991 or clinton_colmenares@unc.edu
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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 at http://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!

ASK THE EXPERT - M.D. Anderson Cancer Center
Would you like to talk to an M. D. Anderson expert about Nutrition and Cancer?
Dena Norton, Senior Clinical Dietitian at M. D. Anderson, joins Ask the Expert January 7-11 to answer patients' and their caregivers' questions about nutrition and cancer. Ask the Expert, Anderson Network's online message board, allows cancer patients and caregivers to submit questions to M. D. Anderson experts on specific topics. Subscribe or log on to the board at www.mdanderson.org/asktheexpert to submit questions January 7-11, 2008 or to view past topics archived on the site. These topics include lymphedema, clinical trials, fatigue, cancer prevention, patient safety, exercise and bone health, as well as site-specific questions and answers.

ROSEBUDS II MEETING
January 10th, 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.
Future Meetings: JANUARY 24, FEBRUARY 14 & 28, MARCH 13 & 27

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 CenterNote: 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 14th, 2008.
The Rose, 3400 Bissonnet.
Contact Amy Rigsby, Technical Director of The Rose, 713-660-6675.

ROSEBUDS MEETING
January 15th, 5:45 - 7:30 pm
Breast Cancer Support Group Meeting
Open to all Breast Cancer Patients/Survivors
1st and 3rd Tuesday of each month
The Rose, 3400 Bissonnet
Future Meetings: FEBRUARY 5 & 19**, MARCH 4 & 18
** The Rosebuds 17th Birthday Party

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 15th, 2008.

PINK RIBBONS PROJECT FUND RAISER
St. Thomas High School vs. Westside High School, 6 P.M., Saturday, February 2, 2008
St. Thomas High School - Hotze Field (in Granger Stadium), 4500 Memorial Drive $5.00
Proceeds from the day will benefit Pink Ribbons Project, in motion against breast cancer, and St. Thomas High School Rugby.

ROSEBUDS 17th BIRTHDAY PARTY
6:00 p.m - Tuesday, February 19, 2008
At our annual birthday party we recognize those who have attained a 5 year,10 year, 15 year, etc. anniversary of diagnosis/treatment during the past year. If you are one of these people, please advise Donna Fong. 713-681-7716 or donnafong5948@yahoo.com
Refreshments will be provided.
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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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"Should auld acquaintance be forgot and never brought to mind? Should auld acquaintance be forgot and days of auld lang syne? For auld lang syne, my dear, for auld lang syne, we'll take a cup of kindness yet, for auld lang syne."

- Robert Burns, Auld Lang Syne

Until next week stay strong, stay well and keep on dancing into the future.

Love, Josie
The Pink Crusader
thepinkcrusader1@aol.com