Support for LateToSchool

[NYMomof2]

<p>binx, what a wonderful poem! Absolutely perfect.</p>

<p>maineparent, I love your idea. And yet, LTS did recently vault over some obstacle, ripping her trousers in the process (unless I’m imagining this part). I’m not sure if she was wearing her red heels at the time, but I like to think so.</p>

[NYMomof2]

<p>Also, on the previous posts about people who are fired because of serious illness, and the pressures on small companies to do this, this situation only reinforces my belief that health insurance should not be linked to employment. Among other reasons, small risk pools set up these awful situations. We all need to be in one risk pool.</p>

<p>LTS, I hope you have a restorative weekend.</p>

[latetoschool]

<p>LOL, no, I didn’t rip my pants, my daughter was playing with me, and yelled “mom, you split your pants open”, which of course caused me to react in the way you might expect, and it also caused a waiting room full of people to suddenly pay attention - the little imp, I should have sold her off to the gypsies when they came by that first day lol…</p>

<p>Regarding people fired from their jobs, this happens so often - even the struggling but making it long term survivor that my oncologist is treating told me that she was forced out of her job that she loved. She had managed to stay on top of her work etc. but she was still let go. </p>

<p>NYMomof2 I agree with you - I can see it from the business perspective as well, and while a large company may be able to absorb some of the costs as well as the intangible issues, smaller companies do not have such deep pockets, and they don’t have the bandwidth…</p>

[mythmom]

<p>latetoschool: I am hoping that your weather is as glorious as ours. And here’s to higher platelet counts. Enjoy your break. The most beautiful time of year.</p>

[aibarr]

<p>Sending virtual platelets and good weather your way.
Also, buying awesome red shoes.</p>

[NYMomof2]

<p>Your daughter has certainly done mischief, because the image of you leaping in your red heels, and splitting your pants, is firmly entrenched in my mind!</p>

[epistrophy]

<p>

“Kate MacIntyre Foundation Goes Online To Broaden Advocacy for Lung Cancer Research and Education”</p>

<p>The Kate MacIntyre Foundation is proud to announce the launch of its website katemacintryefoundation.org as it seeks to increase the awareness of lung cancer in non smokers. With the reach of this site, the foundation hopes to support lung cancer patient advocacy, encourage clinical research trials, mentor young professional women interested in a health care profession and raise money for this important effort.</p>

<hr>

<p>Kate MacIntyre, a respected community leader in Davidson, N.C., also was a non-smoker whose lung cancer was diagnosed in 2005. Though Kate lost her battle in October 2007, “she has a legacy; she always wanted to go on for others to have education and empowerment with knowledge and support when dealing with cancer,” said Tammy Allred, one of the nurses who offered support and care to Kate.</p>

<p>Peter Macon, who co-founded the Kate MacIntyre Foundation with his wife shortly before her death, says: “With a website and online presence, we gain the ability to reach people beyond the greater Charlotte area and the Carolinas. We can help people to learn about cancer’s number one killer and how they can help support those who are living with the disease. This is what Kate wanted.”</p>

<p>Through fundraising initiatives and online philanthropy, the foundation hopes to establish a network mentoring program for young women interested in patient advocacy careers, to offer financial support to the Lineberger Cancer Center of the University of North Carolina targeted at early diagnosis of lung cancer, and to develop advocacy programs for clinical trials and early diagnosis.</p>

<p>For more information about the Kate MacIntyre Foundation or how to make a donation, please visit [Kate</a> MacIntyre Foundation](<a href=“http://www.katemacintyrefoundation.org%5DKate”>http://www.katemacintyrefoundation.org)

</p>

<p>[url=<a href=“http://www.pr-usa.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=108974&Itemid=30]PR-USA.net[/url”>http://www.pr-usa.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=108974&Itemid=30]PR-USA.net[/url</a>]</p>

<p>(P.S. to Binx: Wonderful!!!)</p>

[NYMomof2]

<p>oaklandmom, Thank you for taking such good care of that woman. I had 4 miscarriages before S1 was born, and they were devastating. I’m sure she will never forget your kindness.</p>

[mapesy]

<p>LTS, Although I’ve never posted here, you’ve been in my daily prayers for months. You are truly an inspiration.</p>

<p>I immediately thought of you when I read the following article. It’s about a lung cancer advocacy summit aimed at finding ways to dispel the stigma of lung cancer.</p>

<p>Hope you enjoy your weekend.</p>

<p>

Lung cancer patients fight stigma</p>

<p>Advocacy group aims to help dispel the shame of the disease</p>

<p>updated 1:07 p.m. ET, Fri., May. 30, 2008</p>

<p>WASHINGTON - “I’m sorry. You don’t have breast cancer,” the oncologist told Charmaine Atkenson.</p>

<p>The 48-year-old mother of two had something far worse — stage 4 lung cancer. It had spread to her spine, bursting the bone open. It was not only a sentence of death; it was a judgment.</p>

<p>Even though Atkenson never smoked, she felt almost ashamed. “I found that I never would even say what kind of cancer I had. Or I would always start by saying I never smoked and I never lived with a smoker,” she said in a telephone interview.</p>

<p>Lung cancer patients, advocates and specialists are meeting this week in Chicago, alongside the annual American Society of Clinical Oncology meeting, to try to dispel some of that shame.</p>

<p>Atkenson is there, taking part in an “advocacy summit” — the group’s first attempt to organize a movement akin to the powerful groups that have lobbied successfully to get more funding for breast and prostate cancer research.</p>

<p>Dr. Joan Schiller of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center and the National Lung Cancer Partnership said lung cancer carries a stigma that no other cancer does.</p>

<p>“They feel ashamed of their cancer. They feel guilty about their cancer,” said Schiller, who published a study last year in the Journal of Thoracic Oncology showing primary care doctors were less likely to send lung cancer patients to a cancer specialist than patients with other types of cancer.</p>

<p>This means doctors, researchers and even patients are not pressing as hard for better therapies as they do for other cancers.</p>

<p>Deadly cancer</p>

<p>Lung cancer kills 1.3 million globally a year, according to the World Health Organization, and the American Cancer Society says lung cancer was diagnosed in 213,380 people in the United States in 2007, killing 160,390, making it by far the deadliest U.S. cancer.</p>

<p>Yet Schiller says less money is spent on lung cancer research than on other cancers. In 2006, the National Cancer Institute estimated it spent $1,638 per lung cancer death, compared to $13,519 per breast cancer death and $11,298 per prostate cancer death.</p>

<p>Atkenson’s oncologist assumed the large tumor in her spine was caused by undiagnosed breast cancer that had spread.</p>

<p>“He said, ‘But don’t worry. We know so much about breast cancer — we can really promise you a full life expectancy’,” Atkenson said. After the test results came back, the message was far different.</p>

<p>“He said, 'You have lung cancer, metastatic lung cancer and you have four to six months to live.”</p>

<p>He was wrong. Atkenson, of Hinsdale, Illinois, is still alive and well nearly two years later. Newer treatments offer better hope to lung cancer patients — including several in studies to be presented to the ASCO meeting.</p>

<p>But she finds herself explaining almost guiltily that her cancer is a mystery because she never smoked. “I even had an oncology nurse say to me, ‘How did you get lung cancer’ and I said probably because I had lungs. She never would have asked that if I had any other kind of cancer,” Atkenson said.</p>

<p>‘Nobody deserves any kind of cancer’</p>

<p>Not only does the stigma affect funding and perhaps even doctor’s attitudes — it may prevent patients from pursuing lifesaving treatments, Atkenson and Schiller both believe.</p>

<p>“I think a lot of them, when they get handed the diagnosis, they feel as if they did cause it to themselves,” Atkenson said.</p>

<p>“Smokers feel they somehow deserve it.”</p>

<p>Two-thirds of all cancer cases can be traced to lifestyle, including obesity and poor diet.</p>

<p>But no one blames breast cancer patients for their disease. “If I had had cervical cancer, nobody would have asked me 'how many sexual partners did you have?”’ Atkenson added. Cervical cancer is caused by a wart virus that is transmitted sexually.</p>

<p>Even if she had been a smoker, Atkenson said, “Nobody deserves lung cancer. Nobody deserves any kind of cancer.”</p>

<p>[Lung</a> cancer patients fight stigma - Cancer - MSNBC.com](<a href=“http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24892765/]Lung”>http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24892765/)

</p>

[NYMomof2]

<p>mapesy, Thank you for posting that. Those statistics are shocking.</p>

[epistrophy]

<p>

“Kennedy’s Illness”</p>

<p>To the Editor:</p>

<p>Re “Tears for Teddy” (column, May 24):</p>

<p>Senator Edward M. Kennedy’s illness reminded Bob Herbert, like so many families, of similar experiences and feelings. I hope that readers did not miss two sentences in this excellent column that merit repeating: “He [Chester Herbert, Mr. Herbert’s father] wasn’t ready to die when the doctors and the charts and the X-rays said he was supposed to. He fought the cancer, struggled through radiation and chemotherapy, and lived a dozen years after that awful day in the doctor’s office.”</p>

<p>I have seen this scenario repeatedly during many years consulting on medical and surgery units of hospitals. Prognoses are odds that are frequently defied.</p>

<p>Recent media coverage that are more like obituaries do a disservice to the Kennedy family, as well as the many millions of people coping with a similar situation. I recommend that the public view some of the insensitive press headlines as a way to draw attention to and sell newspapers.</p>

<p>Jeffrey B. Freedman</p>

<p>The writer is chief of the psychiatry consultation service at St. Vincent’s Hospital and president of the New York County District Branch of the American Psychiatric Association.

</p>

<p><a href=“http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/30/opinion/l30herbert.html?ref=opinion[/url]”>http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/30/opinion/l30herbert.html?ref=opinion&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

[NYMomof2]

<p>Good for Dr. Freedman! My favorite quote: “Prognoses are odds that are frequently defied.”</p>

[2blue]

<p>Here they are in red, and they are gorgeous: [Mabel</a> Pump - Red, Vince Camuto, $119.99, FREE Overnight Shipping!](<a href=“http://www.heels.com/womens-shoes/mabel-pump-red.html]Mabel”>http://www.heels.com/womens-shoes/mabel-pump-red.html)</p>

<p>I’ve lurked lots but only posted once here before. You continue to be in my prayers, LTS.</p>

[CountingDown]

<p>Wow, the red heels idea has really taken off! The red patent Mabels are gorgeous. Don’t know when I would ever have cause to wear shoes like that, but they are pretty enough to make me find a reason. Otherwise, I’m in the Sketchers or < 2" heels. </p>

<p>Binx, the red men’s shoes are a riot! All we need now is an ankle shot of Epistrophy’s, clad in that fine red leather!</p>

[paying3tuitions]

<p>For inspiration:</p>

<p>[Image:Vc46.jpg</a> - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia](<a href=“http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Vc46.jpg]Image:Vc46.jpg”>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Vc46.jpg)</p>

[mythmom]

<p>Wow. We could use Oz in our spiel.</p>

[CountingDown]

<p>ASCO meeting on lung cancer and developing treatments…
[url=<a href=“http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/29/AR2008052901766.html?hpid=sec-health]washingtonpost.com[/url”>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/29/AR2008052901766.html?hpid=sec-health]washingtonpost.com[/url</a>]</p>

[califa]

<p>Latetoschool, I just found this thread and haven’t read all the posts, but wanted to say you are in my thoughts and prayers. </p>

<p>Yes, if anyone can beat this (and there are some who have) you can. Please keep us posted.</p>

[epistrophy]

<p>

“Church investigating if [lung] cancer cure was a miracle”</p>

<p>The Catholic Church is investigating whether the curing of a Australian woman from inoperable lung cancer may be a miracle by Mary McKillop.</p>

<p>The vice postulator of Sister Mary McKillop’s case for sainthood, Sister Maria Casey, says in 1993 the woman was told she had weeks to live.</p>

<p>However the woman prayed to Mary MacKillop and 10 months later there was no sign of the cancer.</p>

<p>Sister Casey says this may be the miracle needed for Sister McKillop to become a saint.</p>

<p>“We cannot yet say if this is a miracle, it’s a cure that’s under investigation,” she said.</p>

<p>“But the fact that this is under investigation is very exciting and this means that it’s a step forward in the process towards canonisation.”</p>

<p>Mary MacKillop was beatified in 1995 for the cure of a woman from leukemia.</p>

<p>Sister Casey says a second miracle must be verified before she can become a saint.</p>

<p>“Now over the years, we have searched and looked at many cures,” she said.</p>

<p>"But not all of them have met the criteria required by Rome.</p>

<p>“This case however seems to meet the criteria and the Vatican is now looking into it in greater detail.”

</p>

<p>[Church</a> investigating if cancer cure was a miracle - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)](<a href=“ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)”>ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation))</p>

[epistrophy]

<p>Sunday, 6/1</p>

<p>[National</a> Cancer Survivors Day Home Page](<a href=“http://www.ncsdf.org/index.html]National”>http://www.ncsdf.org/index.html)</p>