Tuesday, January 28, 2014

Above and Beyond Award from Stony Brook University Cancer Center 2014





From us to you – a memento of the Stony Brook Cancer Center Above and Beyond Celebration. Hearing your stories, about how you have made a difference for cancer patients and their families, warmed up a cold winter evening. Let me offer to you, again, a heartfelt thank you for your commitment to serve our community. Your dedication to our patients and their families is making a difference in many lives. Be well, and let’s continue to work together to make the Stony Brook Cancer Center the place where patients receive the most effective treatment and compassionate care.


Yusuf A Hannun, MD
Director, Stony Brook Cancer Center
Vice Dean for Cancer Medicine
Joel Kenny Professor of Medicine
Stony Brook University


"Coming together is a beginning,
keeping together is progress,
working together is success."
~ Henry Ford

Monday, January 27, 2014

Like our FB page for great information - updated daily...

If you have not liked us on FB - please do - this page is updated daily with great information, recipes and uplifting stories.  




We are celebrating our 11th Wellness Retreat on February 8-9 at the 
Hyatt Windwatch, Hauppauge.

Check back for a recap, and share with survivors that might want to join us 
in April or September 2014.


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The USDA has extended the deadline for comments while it weighs whether or not to approve the first GMO apple. It's time to tell them how you feel! 

TAKE ACTION: NEW DEADLINE JANUARY 30: Tell the USDA You Don’t Want a GMO Apple: http://orgcns.org/1bksOIZ

Photo: The USDA has extended the deadline for comments while it weighs whether or not to approve the first GMO apple. It's time to tell them how you feel! 

TAKE ACTION: NEW DEADLINE JANUARY 30: Tell the USDA You Don’t Want a GMO Apple: http://orgcns.org/1bksOIZ


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and apropos for these cold days....





Saturday, January 25, 2014

The cardinal visit....

A cardinal is a representative of a loved one who has passed. When you see one, it means they are visiting you. They usually show up when you most need them or miss them. They also make an appearance during times of celebration as well as despair to let you know they will always be with you. 



Photo: A cardinal is a representative of a loved one who has passed. When you see one, it means they are visiting you. They usually show up when you most need them or miss them. They also make an appearance during times of celebration as well as despair to let you know they will always be with you. Look for them, they'll appear.


Look for them, they'll appear.



“Death leaves a heartache no one can heal, 
love leaves a memory no one can steal."
From an Irish headstone
~Richard PuzThe Carolinian




Friday, January 24, 2014

Lung Cancer.....Prevention, Symptoms & Detection

Were you aware that lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death and the second
most common cancer among both men and women in the United States? 

Today we will touch on ways to prevent lung cancer, symptoms of lung cancer and how to detect it.

Prevention:
As many of you may know, the most important thing you can do to lower your lung
cancer risk is to quit smoking AND avoid secondhand smoke. Smoking accounts for
80-90% of all lung cancers. There are great resources to assist in quitting, calling 1
(800) QUIT-NOW is one option. 

Acupuncture, Hypnotism and even taking Tai Chi can help kick the habit. A recent study conducted at the University of Miami had participants take one hour Tai Chi classes, three times per week for twelve weeks and nearly 60 percent had stopped smoking.

The second leading cause of lung cancer is radon, a naturally occurring gas that comes from rocks and dirt. The gas can get trapped in homes and buildings causing the level to be higher then the EPA recommended limit. 

Go to http://www.health.ny.gov/forms/doh-2247.pdf to print out an order form for a reduced cost radon kit. One kit allows you to test up to 2000 sq. feet and is only $8.50 through this program. Instructions for the radon testing emphasizes testing basements and kitchens, if you have a granite countertop. You can also contact a certified radon professional for testing an mitigation. A good resource is AARST, this organization has qualified members on their website at www.aarst.org.

Other causes of lung cancer are air pollution, genetics and asbestos.

Symptoms:
One fourth of all people with lung cancer have no symptoms when diagnosed. These
are usually found accidentally via a chest X-ray being preformed for another aliment.
The other three fourths do develop some kind of symptom. Some symptoms are cough,
coughing up blood, fatigue, unexplained weight loss, hoarseness, wheezing, shortness
of breath, and/or recurrent respiratory infections.


Diagnosis:
There are basically two types of lung cancer, non-small cell lung cancer and small cell
lung cancer. Non-small cell lung cancer accounts for about 85 percent of lung cancers.
Small Cell Lung Cancer accounts for the remaining 15 percent and results from
smoking even more so than non-small cell lung cancer. It grows more rapidly and
spreads to other parts of the body earlier than non-small cell lung cancer, but it is also
more responsive to chemotherapy. Most lung cancers are not found until stages III and
IV.

A chest X-ray may not show an abnormality, a better test is a CT scan or MRI which can
show much greater detail than an X-ray.

A sputum test is used if the patient is producing thick mucus during a cough. The cells
in the sputum can be examined to see if they are cancerous, this is called a cytologic
review.

Bronchoscopy is an endoscopic test that is used to view the lungs. If a tumor is
detected the physician can collect samples to be tested.




"To insure good health:
 Eat lightly, 
breathe deeply, 
live moderately, 
cultivate cheerfulness, 
and maintain an interest in life." 
~William Londen 

Tuesday, January 7, 2014

"Out of suffering...." ~ Kahlil Gibran

"Out of suffering have emerged the strongest souls; 
the most massive characters are seared with scars." 

~Khalil Gibran


The Japanese have an art form called Kintsugi. It’s the art of mending ceramics and it refers to the art of fixing broken ceramics with a lacquer resin made to look like solid gold. Chances are, a vessel fixed by kintsugi will look more gorgeous, and more precious, than before it was fractured. The belief is that the object is more valuable and beautiful with its history revealed.

Imagine a world where we could embrace our history, in other words, our wounds, and find ourselves and each other more beautiful?