Breast Cancer: There’s a Cure, and We’ll Find it!

I met a woman who is a breast cancer survivor who devoted her life to helping find a cure for the millions women who will be or already have been diagnosed with the disease, including her own daughter. This mother works with the Indiana University Department of Medicine, and she says researchers are making great strides in the fight against breast cancer. Today, I’d like to introduce you to Barbara Fetta.

A Breast Cancer Survivor’s Story: Turning Pain into a Positive

I’ve met quite a few breast cancer survivors, and I asked them all the same question: what would you say to someone who is going through what you’ve been through, someone who just learned they have cancer? All of the answers were fantastic, but one really stayed with me. Sheila Hebenstreit says there is something positive to learn from having breast cancer. So here it is. Here’s what Sheila learned as only she can explain it.

A Survivor's Story: Whatever it Takes to Live

Breast cancer forces you to make decisions--decisions you never dreamed of ever having to think about. Some of the women I’ve had the honor of meeting knew whatever conclusion they reached, it would change their lives forever. But one survivor said it best: “whatever it takes to save your life, I say do it.” Here’s Nancy Yvonne Milton’s story as only she can tell it.

Reality Check

This morning, I got upset over something so very trivial. Then I logged on to an internet job site that also covers news. I noticed an obit that shook me to my core. It was for a television news anchor who lost her battle with breast cancer yesterday. All of sudden everything that bothered me this week--everything that consumed my thoughts: all the worries I had about covering the election, feeling sad about my boss taking a new job, wondering what his departure meant for me, pondering if I should throw my hat into the ring for the promotion. I was totally consumed with my own issues that seemed so monumental. Then I read the article and watched the video about Heather Pick’s war with breast cancer which included two battles. I read about her two children and her husband who will now go on without her. I read about how she helped others and made her battle very public in hopes of inspiring others to fight. All of my issues felt so small. I forgot whatever I was angry about and decided instead her family had the right to be angry, upset, sad--whatever they felt like. Cancer had come like a thief and stole their loved one away from them. Heather Pick was just 38 years old. While she made her battle very public, sharing it with her viewing audience, many others who share her battle you will never hear about, but she represents them all. Here’s Heather’s story.

http://www.wbns.com/live/content/station/stories/2008/11/07/heather_pick.html?sid=102

Live Election Results for Women on the Go (WOGO)

Election 2008: We are witnessing the next pages that will be added to history books around the world. This 2008 Presidential election has gotten people interested in politics who didn’t care before. It’s gotten people to register to vote who have never cast a ballot before in their lives. It’s ignited a fire in people’s bellies like I’ve never seen before. We are now ticking down the final days, hours, and minutes before we know if Senator John McCain or Senator Barack Obama will be the next President of the United States. Women on the Go and CBS News are bringing you live election returns, updated every 60 seconds.

NEWS VS. ENTERTAINMENT

The lines between news and entertainment are even more blurry these days. “D.L Hughley Breaks the News” debuted on CNN Saturday night. Yes, I did say CNN. I watched the entire thing, and all I could think of was: “This should really be on Comedy Central.” Is CNN really the place for comedians to be talking about pimps, b!@#$%s, and thongs? Should CNN really be using its experts and reporters to appear on a less-than-successful knock-off of Comedy Central’s fake newscast the Daily Show. Doesn’t that affect the journalist’s credibility and CNN‘S for that matter? Meantime, news is breaking about anchor and reporter Anne Presley dying of her injuries after being attacked, and all the National news stations are in non-news programming, including CNN. Oh wait, CNN just broke in with a 15 second update on it! Great thanks! I am a journalist, and I would have to say yes, we put some things in the show that are just fun to know--water cooler stories, but this--to me as a journalist--takes us a few steps back. Agree/disagree? Let me know.

A Breast Cancer Survivor's Story

It’s not a death sentence. That’s the message many breast cancer survivors want to share with others who just learned they have the disease. It’s been a short time since Patty Rich got the devastating news. She shares with us the drastic measure she took to keep the cancer from coming back, who helped her through her ordeal, and advice for women just starting their fight against the disease. Here’s Patty’s story as only she can tell it.

A Survivor's Story

Every year, tens of thousands of women get news that changes their lives forever. They learn they have breast cancer. Paula Martinez got that news several years ago and has been fighting the disease ever since. I’ve met a lot of survivors over the years, and they all affected me in different ways. Paula’s raw emotion reminded me of the struggles my mother went through battling breast cancer. So here is our second “Survivor’s Story” as only Paula can tell it.

A Survivor's Story (Breast Cancer Awareness)

I’ve had the honor of meeting some phenomenal women. They were diagnosed with a devastating disease: breast cancer. They fought it; they won; and now they share their stories to help others who are going through the same thing. Today, we hear Judy’s story, as only she could tell it.

An Introduction: Breast Cancer Awareness Month

A decade is a long time to wait to tell a story, but that‘s what I did. The only way I can explain myself for depriving you of such an inspiring tale of courage and strength is to say the story is so important to me, I’ve been eager yet gut-wrenchingly terrified to put it in black and white simply because I’m not confident what I will write is strong enough to do it justice. I’m not sure a page or two in a blog could begin to scratch the surface of the devastating events we lived through and triumphed over.

More than ten yeas ago on Thanksgiving Day, I nearly lost my mother to massive heart problems. By the grace of God, doctors were able to bring her back to us. It was a long road to recovery, but my mother got back on her feet, only to be knocked down again by another devastating blow: breast cancer. It was the one-two sucker punch of life that we never expected. No one in our family had ever suffered from this illness. Beyond that, hadn’t this woman gone through enough? It was time to don the armor again and fight the next battle that had made its way to our doorstep whether we were ready for it or not. My mother’s battle with cancer opened my eyes to the fight millions of women had gone through before her and millions more will undergo in the years to come. My sister and I helped her through everything this terrible disease does to the body, mind, and spirit. We were there to dress her wounds after her surgery. We went with her to the radiologist. We went with her to survivor fundraiser fashion shows, events we hoped would give her back the self-esteem the disease stole from her. Across the country, millions of women have something in common with my mother. They too have fought breast cancer and won. I’ve had the honor of meeting some of them. These are amazing, courageous women. I will share all of their stories with you over the next few weeks as we raise awareness of this disease.

Vice Presidential Debate

Alright ladies...sound off. Who do you think won last night's VP debate?

Update on the post "Not Enjoying the View"???

UPDATE TIME UPDATE TIME UPDATE TIME UPDATE TIME

Okay ladies, we have an update on our post from yesterday about “The View”. Some comments from Sarah Palin touched off yet another heated debate on the show today, and wow, Elisabeth Hasselbeck couldn’t get a word in on this one. This time it was Palin’s remarks about the age of Democratic Vice Presidential candidate Joe Biden. Take a look at this clip, and then read further.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GPA2lQek5Cs
“The View” discussion was about Palin’s explanation of the comment during an interview with Katie Couric. Joy Behar ripped Palin apart, saying her remarks to Couric were ridiculous, even stupid. (Behar later chose a different way to word the “stupid” part.) Hasselbeck tried to jump in, but Whoopi Goldberg was a little quicker (and louder) on the draw. She sided with Behar. So, I wonder how long they needed in the “chill out” room after this show? I’m still waiting on the video from the show to come down. Soon as I see it, I’ll post a link.

Not Enjoying "The View"????

Okay, so it's not our normal super-serious content, but we could use a break. What do ya say?

Have you heard about this? Could the face of ABC’s “The View” be changing again? Fox News and the Chicago Sun-Times are reporting the youngest member of The View crew is very upset with two of her co-hosts. Apparently, the conservative Elisabeth Hasselbeck feels the more liberal Whoopi Goldberg and Joy Behar are picking on her during their political discussions. The debates have gotten so heated, show creator Barbara Walters has reportedly created time for Hasselbeck, Goldberg, and Behar to chill out. One fellow blogger suggests Hasselbeck is considering leaving the show, but I haven’t seen anything official on that. I'll keep you posted.

Bailout Bill Bombshell

It’s no secret the American economy is in turmoil. It’s all newscasters are talking about, even though there‘s a major gas shortage in the Southeast. It’s all women and moms in living and dining rooms across the country are talking about. For days, lawmakers have been telling us the worst action is inaction. Yet today, that’s exactly what the House did…nothing. They ignored dire warnings from President Bush and congressional leaders in both parties and struck down the bailout bill many said was not perfect, but it would keep the economy from continuing its downward spiral. The bombshell sent shockwaves throughout Washington, D.C. and sent the Dow plunging nearly 800 points, a history-making number. So if this is the best way that lawmakers can come up with to rescue the economy, why did it fail in the House? Apparently some Republicans didn’t like a critical statement House Speaker Nancy Pelosi made about President Bush near the end of the debate on the bill. House Minority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio, even went so far as to say the speech “poisoned” Congress. You be the judge. The part of Pelosi’s speech that most people are quoting is this: “for too long, this government, eight years, has followed a right-wing ideology of anything goes, no supervision, no discipline, no regulation." So let me get this straight: many on Capitol Hill agree this bill is the best thing they can do for the economy, but since someone rubbed Republicans the wrong way, they voted against it? I’m sorry, that sounds a lot like a child who decides to take his or her marbles and go home after a spat on the playground. That’s a sentiment shared by frustrated House Financial Services Chairman Barney Frank, D-Mass, who said: “Because somebody hurt their feelings, they decided to hurt the country…Give me those 12 people's names, I will talk uncharacteristically nicely to them." One analyst said it best…we just embarrassed ourselves today.

So how will this affect women and moms? The answer: just like everyone else. The crippled economy is affecting our ability to get loans for homes, small businesses, cars, even college. Analysts say our jobs are on the line--yours and mine. I read an e-mail from someone today who said a lender was about to foreclose on his father’s home because he hasn’t been able to pay. I read an article that said all these folks who are losing everything and are going to need help from charitable organizations may not be able to get it because the charities themselves will suffer from a lack of donations from corporations.
http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/09/28/financial.philanthropy.ap/index.html?iref=newssearch
There’s much more to come on this in the days ahead. These are historic times we’re living through.

National Breast Cancer Awareness Month

We’re approaching a very special and important time in the year. October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. It’s a time we remember those lost, honor those who fought the disease and survived, and raise awareness of early detection; treatment; and the support that out there. This isn’t just something that I write about because it’s coming up. It’s something that’s dear to my heart. My mother is one of the two and a half million breast cancer survivors across the country.* She’s been cancer free now for nearly ten years, but I’ll never forget the day she told me. I’ll never forget cleaning her wounds from surgery. I’ll never forget the part of her body that will never be the same again because of the surgery and radiation. I’ll never forget the wonderful people we met along the way, patients and doctors. So all next month, I will share with you the stories of seven courageous, strong, and inspirational women who touched my life. One of them is my mother. The others are women I met during the Race for the Cure, where the above photo was taken. I would be honored if you would share your stories on this site as well. Here’s to you and to the hundreds of thousands of women who will be diagnosed this year and the tens of thousands who will fight the battle, but won’t make it.

Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month

Many states are observing Ovarian Cancer Awareness month right now. There are events planned to raise funds to fight the disease. For an event going on in your area, log on to:
http://www.ovariancancer.org.

Our Family's Growing!!!

Check it out. We're growing. Our companion site is about to get up and running for all of you Moms on the Go (MOGO). http://momsgo.blogspot.com/ will be your place to talk with other moms. Share precious moments in your babies' lives. Exchange photos. Talk about the latest health reports and recalls. Disccuss issues that are important. Found a great product that helped you through your pregnancy and beyond? Tell other moms all about it. Have a tip that makes your life easier, I'm sure other moms can't wait to hear it! Join the conversation at http://momsgo.blogspot.com/.

About this blog

Women are beautiful, sensational creatures. We are the ultimate multi-taskers. We are wives or girlfriends, sisters, mothers, career women, caregivers, and friends. To put it plainly, our lives are hectic. This blog is a tribute to all women. Here we will share our challenges and triumphs. This is also a place for us to discuss our thoughts and feelings. It’s a place for us to bring up issues and help each other with problems. It’s a place to share time-saving tips and tricks to help us create a little more time for ourselves in our busy schedules. It’s a place where we can let our hair down and be ourselves among people who understand. It’s a place dedicated to Women on the Go.