The truth about cancer

Why are people still dying from cancer?

That's the question Linda is asking. She's returning to the Boston hospitals where her husband Larry (who died from lung cancer) received his care. It follows patients like Jamie, who's fighting metastatic pancreatic cancer who receives some bad news or Vinay, a medical student with leukemia. Following their stories makes cancer personal, even to those who are lucky enough to never have experienced cancer. They make you care and hopefully think about cancer and ultimately get involved in the fight against cancer (I hope).

One of the oncologists mentions Lance Armstrong and the fact that people now believe that if they fight hard enough and be strong enough, they could beat metastatic cancer. And that those people wouldn't understand that Lance Armstrong "won the lottery".

Not everyone will survive, but that's exactly the point. We need people who inspire us, people who beat the odds, who are still with us even though their prognosis wasn't very optimistic. And we need to tell other people about those inspirations, educate people about early detection and self-exams. Most of all, we need to talk about cancer, bring cancer to the news, and get more people involved in fight against cancer.

The easiest way is to donate as little as $5 to a cancer foundation, talk to your friends/families/co-workers/neighbors, etc. about cancer, visit cancer patients in your community and offer them a smile or some cheering up- or just the chance to talk. There are numerous ways to get involved and pick your fight with cancer. Every little step helps, so please consider donating some of your money or some of your time and make a difference.

As Melissa Sileo from the LAF staff wrote on the Livestrong Blog: "Although watching this film won’t cure cancer, it has the possibility of reaching more people, educating more people and inspiring more people to become invested in the war against cancer."

Metastatic cancer doesn't stop- it spreads and spreads and spreads... and that's exactly what we need to do- spread the knowledge about cancer- spread and spread and spread....

If you didn't catch the show, you can watch it online at: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/takeonestep/cancer/video-ch_01.html

Thanks for reading!

Curse of the new Yankees stadium... well, almost!

As a Red Sox fan, you can probably imagine my "relationship" with the Yankees. But this is just too funny!

A construction worker planted a Big Papi #34 Red Sox jersey in the new Yankees Stadium and thus planned to curse it. Team officials learned of this rather creative way of making the new stadium unique and then decided to have construction workers jackhammer through the concrete and pull out the jersey. 5 hours of drilling- the jersey in shreds, but it will be sent to the Jimmy Fund, a charity affiliated with Boston’s Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and auctioned off. So, the Red Sox fan actually did a good thing in the fight against cancer!
Let's just hope Dice-K and the rest of the guys will take that as some extra-motivation to nail his third victory and end the series on a high note!
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Okay, Michael, as I would've been very disappointed if you hadn't mentioned the Cubs-Cardinals rivalry, I'll agree on the I-55 series as one of the greatest rivalry in baseball. Just like Buzz Bissinger said, "it's about geography and territorial rights". Let's just skip the first part of the quote ;-)

Cathy Bueti: Breastless in the City

"Life can be a wild ride, taking us places we'd rather not go. What differentiates us is how we handle the bumps and jolts, and what we learn from them."

I first got to know Cathy Bueti through her myspace page- we became friends through the side and exchanged comments and thoughts. When the Crazy Sexy Life Forum was introduced, I found her profile there as well, so we started communicating again. I always meant to read her book, but somehow couldn't buy it (long story), and she was kind enough to send me one.

The moment it arrived, I dug into it and couldn't make myself stop. Her story seems to be a never-ending series of challenges, starting with her dad being an alcoholic, her becoming a widow at the age of 25, and being diagnosed with breast cancer around 30. She leads us through that part of her life, about the struggles to make the right choices about her treatment options, not feeling comfortable with your own body and having low self-esteem, loosing your hair... and in the midst of it all, starting to date again. You wouldn't believe the guys she met- unless you read about it, of course. Let's just say, this book will probably make you cry at times, but it'll also make you laugh out loud when you read about experiences you've gone through, as well.

Cathy shares her own fears, weaknesses, and triumphs. The reader follows her to everything from doctor appointments and her blind dates to her first day back at work as an OT, when suddenly she is not the patient anymore.

Today, Cathy is inspiring young cancer warriors, raise awareness for Breast Cancer and is involved in the I'm Two Young For This! Cancer Foundation

If you would like to read more about Cathy, please go to her website CathyBueti.com
and check our her book!