Don't be scared of tests

My aunt just told me her aunt has been diagnosed with Stage 3 colon cancer. At 58 years old, her aunt would have been diagnosed sooner if she had done a colonoscopy earlier as told by the doctors.

The question arises: Why are people so reluctant to just get tested for certain types of cancers?

Well, there are several reasons. One of the reasons is people think that since only one distant relative in the family had a certain cancer, there’s really no reason to get tested. This is complete nonsense.

Whether your mother or great-great grandfather had cancer or even another disease, you should get tested to make sure you are not at risk. If any disease has a genetic factor, then it can be passed down to any descendant.

Or if there’s an environmental reason and someone close to you, like a neighbor or relative you’re living with gets cancer, then you should get tested. For example, if a local factory or mill has been shown to cause cancer via the chemicals, it can affect anyone in that community.

Some people may also believe that insurance companies will not pay for these tests if you are either “too young” for a certain disease or that your family history does not dictate any problems.

Technically, all insurance companies should allow you to take tests and either pay partially or the entire bill. Even if you have to pay $100 for a mammogram, it would be well worth it to know the results.

But the main reason I believe people do not take these tests is because people are scared. People are scared of the discomfort of the test, which is understandable if you have no idea about the procedure. I was nervous about having my colonoscopy, but my uncle reassured me that with the drugs administered before, I would be so out of it, I wouldn’t notice anything.

The worst part of the colonoscopy that I found was just drinking that disgusting, salty contrast prior to the procedure. Then the doctors gave me a drug that knocked me out. Afterward, I felt nothing and honestly asked, “Did you start yet?”

People are also scared of the possibilities. What if I do have cancer? Am I going to die? What about my family? Not knowing the unknown is pretty scary. But I think it would be scarier to never be sure and to wake up one day to find out you are dead.

For people who are about 70 years old, they may think that they have lived their life the best they can and what is the point of expanding pain for another five years hooked up to IV tubes.

But for younger people like me, who have their entire lives in front of them, it is almost a necessity to get tested. If detected early enough, most cancers and diseases can be beaten and the survivors can live a full, long life. As for me, if I was warned two years ago to get tested, I would have jumped at the chance.

So as my warning to you all in hopes for a good, long life of either no disease or a quick recovery, talk to your doctor and insist that you get tested if there is any question of family history of cancer or any disease.

Inspirational Pittsburgh-area teen dies of cancer

Inspirational Pittsburgh-area teen dies of cancer

Associated Press - August 19, 2008 11:53 PM ET

PITTSBURGH (AP) - John Challis, who inspired professional athletes with his battle against cancer, died Tuesday at his parents' home in suburban Pittsburgh.

Challis made national headlines when he threw out the ceremonial first pitch at a Pittsburgh Pirates game against the New York Yankees in June. He left the Pirates this motivational message on their message board:

"Have fun," he wrote to the Pirates. "It's the reason we play ball."

The 5-foot-5, 93-pound teenager was diagnosed with terminal cancer when he was 16.

He spoke candidly about his initial fear of death and then his determination to achieve his goals before succumbing to the cancer that had spread to his liver, lungs and other parts of his body.

Yankee All-Star Alex Rodriguez was 1 of the athletes touched by Challis. He called the young man: "very smart. He had a huge heart. I was just proud I got to spend a whole day with him."

John Challis was 18.

Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Personal update

Well, I got a call from Dr. Wang (my oncologist) this morning - he had the results of my CAT scan.
Basically, the cancer spots in my liver have not reacted to my current chemotherapy treatment. They have not shrunk, nor have they increased in size or number.
So I will continue to do chemo, but with different drugs. I will no longer have the nerve sensations (where my body and throat react to cold drinks and food), but I will have more stomach symptoms, such as nausea and diarrhea.
I will have another update next Tuesday.

You've got a friend in me

I have a large extended family, but none of these family members are genetically linked to me. Instead we are linked by our hearts.

When I attended Sacramento State in the fall of 2004 as a transferring junior, I had no idea that the people working at the State Hornet newspaper would become so close to me.

Over the years, relationships strengthened, some developed and some even re-emerged. We would have family dinners on Monday nights, help each other through impossible college essays and talk about topics that we could not discuss with our actual families.

Those days were the one of the best days of my life and I know the sentiment is mutual across the board.

But I never really knew how close we were until I first let my friend (and fellow Citizen writer) Linda know about my condition. Within hours, she sent a MySpace bulletin informing everyone on our friends list about the cancer.

That Sunday my hospital room was so full of supporting friends that people coming to see me would only have to follow the noise and laughter to find my room.

Ever since March, my friends have really been my crutch, particularly since there has been some family drama. When some family members either could not handle the emotional situation or simply gave up on my chances of survival, my friends have been there with a hug and a smile.

Every month since I was diagnosed, we have once again brought around the family dinners, only at restaurants instead at the press office. Those who can not make it either send me text messages or e-mails just to check up on me.

While they do not express vocally that they know I will survive this disease, they say it with their eyes and huge, long hugs.

Some friends and I have even resolved old issues. My friend Andrew came to my house after a trip to Argentina and we talked for more than four hours. This was the longest conversation we ever had since the fall of 2004. During our talk, we apologized for the way we acted when I was Photo Editor and he was Assistant Photo Editor. We blamed all the fights on bad medication and no experience in teamwork.

Some friends even take time away from work to help drive me to and from Kaiser South Sacramento on chemotherapy days. My friend Nika drove all the way from Manteca to help me out and to also tease me with promises of her mother’s Filipino cooking.

Another friend (and fellow Citizen writer), Gama, takes time from work and basketball practice to drive me. He also suffers through my Peter Brady voice every other Tuesday (a result of chemotherapy).

Some friends also feed me, like Holly, a teacher from Sac State. Only her food comes in the form of frozen, dead animals, like salmon, elk and deer. Full of protein and calories, this food (once I get a smoker) will definitely get my weight back up.

Some friends even make me cry, although they do not mean it. When I first went into the hospital, Josh, a friend since high school, sent me one of the sweetest notes I ever read. Essentially, he said I am like a sister to him and that he will always be my friend. He also gave me a rubber dart gun to use against any annoying nurse.

But I have to say my fiancé has been my best friend during these months. Besides the fact that he did not run when he heard the word “cancer,” he has been my rock to lean on. He has always been there with a hug, a kiss and a smile. He even proposed to me after I got out of the hospital and we bought a house together last month. I do not need any more evidence that we are serious and that he is truly my best friend.

I know that without any of my friends, I would not have made it this far in my treatment. But I do not have to worry about what might have been, because I have been blessed with the best friends anyone could ever have.

Olympian inspires cancer victims

Even though I can't stand the Olympics and would rather paint the rest of my house than to watch the Olympics, there is an Olympic athlete with testicular cancer who still competes. He's not doing this to raise money for cancer - he actually is putting off treatment to compete, despite the fatigue and pain from the growing cancer.
While I don't agree with Eric Shanteau's decision since he's 24 years old and the quicker he gets treatment, the better his chances of survival are, you have to admire what he's doing.
Check out the story at http://sports.yahoo.com/olympics/beijing/swimming/news?slug=ap-swm-shanteausjourney&prov=ap&type=lgns.

The Truth about Rumors

Last week a friend sent me a forwarded e-mail telling about a connection between plastics and cancer. The e-mail sourced Dr. Edward Fujimoto, the Wellness Program Manager at Castle Hospital, as saying by either freezing water in plastic bottles, microwaving fatty food in plastic containers or microwaving food covered by saran wrap, dioxins within the plastics are released. These dioxins would then increase the risk of cancer, particularly breast cancer.

Now when I read this, I immediately became skeptical. I have been freezing water in plastic bottles and microwaving food in plastic containers ever since I have had a microwave, along with millions of Americans. If this story was true, then millions of Americans and people around the world would have cancer.

So I googled the good doctor – lo and behold, the story is a bust.

According to TruthorFiction.com, there is a Dr. Edward Fujimoto who is the manager of the Wellness and Lifestyle Medicine Department at Castle Medical Center in Hawaii. However, when I look on the hospital's web site, there is no Dr. Edward Fujimoto there.

He claimed he has researched and observed that dioxins are released when fatty foods are heated in a microwave in plastic containers. However, his research has never been published, according to the web site.

Fujimoto also said Japanese residents are aware of the dioxin danger and mostly cook with glass cookware.

Now Fujimoto never addressed the issue of frozen water bottles. This eRumor has been linked to singer Sheryl Crow (who had been diagnosed with breast cancer) talking with either Ellen DeGeneres or Oprah Winfrey. Again no truth can be found.

While dioxins are real and natural (practically everyone is exposed to a small amount of dioxins every day), the effect can be disastrous.

While most tech-savvy people usually discard these new-age chain letters as just trash, some people may actually take these rumors seriously.

If everyone believed these rumors, people would be afraid to breathe because the ozone layer could cause lung cancer or the dust from Fido or Fluffy could cause prostate cancer.

The oncology nurses at Kaiser South Sacramento have told me one in three people will contract cancer by age 70. There may be environmental factors that cause cancer, such as cigarettes or local factories.

But there are other factors to consider: genetics by heritage, freak genetic mutations (in my case) or what I like to call the luck of the draw. Some people are dealt good cards and others are dealt garbage. It just happens to be chance.

So should we avoid cooking food in microwaves? If that is all that you have available, then go ahead and cook with plastic.

Should we avoid tobacco products? This is a personal choice. Check your family background to see if lung cancer is a family factor. Then decide on your own if you wish to smoke or chew. My grandmother smoked for 40 years until the California public school system brainwashed me into believing that by smoking one cigarette, she was going to die.

However, the cancer only attacked her colon. Despite having asthma, living through the Mount St. Helens disaster and living in Sacramento pollution, she really did miss smoking. But by quitting, she probably lived an additional five years.

Am I regretful of living in a small town with a paper mill that may (not proven) have released dioxins into the ground and ground water?

No way. I love Fort Bragg and always will. Many happy memories were created there and that small town will always hold a special place in my heart.

What is my point? Do not be afraid of living the good life. Go travel, eat your favorite foods in either plastic or glass cookware and breathe the good air. Do not let the media scare you into living in a plastic bubble. We only have one life each and we should make the most of it.

• The American Plastics Society's take on the plastics rumors
• The U.S. FDA's take on plastics and microwaves
• The U.S. FDA's research on dioxins
  

Stand Up To Cancer

I found this out on Yahoo! Stand Up To Cancer is having a benefit show to raise money for cancer research. Set your TiVos and DVRs for 8 p.m. EDT/PDT on Sept. 5 on NBC, ABC and CBS. The shows will also be simulcast in HD. To view the entire story, visit http://www.standup2cancer.org.

Stars from film, television, sports, journalism and music
come together for September 5th prime time television event
to raise funds for cancer research

May 28, 2008 – NEW YORK, NY/LOS ANGELES, CA: Stand Up To Cancer www.standup2cancer.org), a new initiative to raise philanthropic dollars for accelerating ground-breaking research, launches today through an unprecedented collaboration uniting the major television networks, entertainment industry executives, celebrities and prominent leaders in cancer research and patient advocacy. ABC, CBS and NBC will donate one hour of simultaneous commercial-free primetime for a nationally televised fundraising event to air on September 5, 2008 (8 pm EDT and PDT), aimed at rallying the public around the goal of ending cancer's reign as a leading cause of death.

Network evening news anchors Charles Gibson, Katie Couric and Brian Williams will announce the initiative together during live appearances today on ABC's "Good Morning America," CBS's "The Early Show," and NBC's "TODAY show."

"For people struggling with this disease, or those who will be diagnosed, scientific breakthroughs can be a matter of life or death -- literally. We want everyone to know that they can make a difference in this fight," said Couric. "Television is a notoriously competitive business. For the three major broadcast networks to join forces is a wonderful example of the power of working together, and we're very grateful to have the opportunity to reach people all over the country through this show."

"As a motion picture and television producer, I've learned how incredibly powerful these mediums can be in generating public discourse, sometimes almost overnight. Our goal with this initiative and TV show is to ‘tip' the conversation in this country about cancer – to get people riled up, so they want to do something about the fact that it still takes so many lives," said Laura Ziskin, who will produce the September 5th broadcast. Ziskin is a cancer survivor. Her film credits include the Spider-Man trilogy, As Good As It Gets, and Pretty Woman, and she also produced the 74th and 79th Annual Academy Awards.

The Stand Up To Cancer special will feature live performances by legendary recording artists and stars from film and television who will perform as well as present filmed content giving viewers insight into cancer. Various screening tests will be demonstrated in novel and entertaining ways. "Katie, Charlie and Brian will report on potentially life-saving research, speaking with both patients and scientists. We hope to entertain you, educate you, move and inspire you," Ziskin said.