Mammograms a la Federal Task Force

The other day I listened to a report on the news about the Federal Task Force’s “findings” regarding screening for breast cancer and that it is not really necessary until women are at age 50 – and even at that point, we only need to have them every other year. This news scares me, it scares the daylights out of me for that matter ... and top that off with a little bit of pissing me right the hell off! And to add insult to injury – they announce that screening for cervical cancer should wait a little while longer as well (and not be as often).

I’m going to keep it as clean as I can, but are you freaking kidding me?! Their recommendations include that females should wait until they are 21 to begin screening for cervical cancer. At a time in our history, where girls become sexually active in their teens, this panel thinks it’s better to wait? Instead of having a pap smear every year, it should be every other year? This little announcement got tucked away a couple days after the announcement of the most stupid, idiotic, pathetic – holy shit Batman announcement, that ‘Women should wait until they are 50 before being screened for breast cancer; and they should only be done every other year after that.’

According to this panel’s finding, mammograms and some other screenings are unnecessary – deforming biopsies that are performed, testing, women becoming upset with wrong initial readings. Maybe, just maybe, the imbeciles on this panel haven’t lived through the experience. Maybe those numbers on sheets of paper that they analyzed and crunched through some stupid algorithm that brought them to this outrageous announcement were thrown together by a bunch of twits who have had a few beverages. Someone said to me, well, you know this is radiation that they use for mammograms. Really? Yes, I know, this is radiation. I also know that there are toxins in the air that I breathe everyday that can be as harmful or more harmful to me.

I have had many people in my life, many that I have loved near and dear – affected by cancer. To date, breast, colon, prostate, lung, bone, brain and stomach cancers. To date, the NUMBER ONE type of cancer in my world of family and friends, has been breast cancer. Nineteen women – 19! Out of those 19 women, only 1 found out after the age of 50. The youngest, was about 25. Six of them, have died. One third of the women that I know that have had breast cancer have died because of it.

Maybe, this batch of imbeciles just got done snuggling up in bed with the insurance companies that are going to run away with these findings. Think of the probably billions of dollars they can save for denying these useless tests. This situation that they have created by this announcement will give a boost to the health care conglomerate that already doesn’t give a rat’s ass if I live or die – let them control one more thing of my life because of where the hash mark falls in their statistics. Afterall, I’m just a number.

Maybe now is the time that this particular panel should be plopped down in the middle of a Strides AGAINST Breast Cancer – or a Run for the Cure. Bring ‘em on! This is my life – my children’s lives – and my friend’s and family’s lives that they are messing with … DON’T Go there! Unless you are finding a cure, don’t you dare take center stage away from early detection – and give it to the insurance companies who can play with our lives even more.

Warm & Comfy Cozy

Perfect comfort – there’s nothing like it! Being that this is my favorite season, it made me think, what brings me that perfectly comfortable feeling. It grew into a Letterman Top Ten list, probably no drum roll though because they just all seem to bring that same type of feeling … warmth and peacefulness, and lots of contentment.

Cross-country skiing at Pineridge Ski Center on a day after a beautiful snow. If Norman Rockwell were around, he’d be painting there. Gi-normous trees covered with just the right amount of snow, fluffy white snow to ski on, and the right amount of hills to make us laugh as we wipe-out, if our skis go in the opposite direction that our brain is telling them to go.

Being at the ocean. From the rocky coast of Maine down to sweltering Florida, give me some good books, sand to run my hands through as I’m reading (very weird but I do it all the time … maybe because I’m think of ‘like sands through the hourglass, so are the Days of Our Lives’).

Sitting on my front porch, first thing in the morning, or at night, in my wooden rocker with a Mary Higgins Clark book (all books are acceptable, she’s just my favorite). When we had our house built, I wanted to have a wooden porch with rockers on it so I could literally curl up with a good book and a cup of coffee. Autumn nights are the best!

Reconnecting and reminiscing with friends. Lately it seems like a lot of paths cross have made me reminiscent of some really wonderful memories. And even though lives have taken us in different directions, sometimes it’s just good to have that coming home feeling.

Movie nights with my daughters. Get me any old chick flick or tear-jerker movie, or even a comedy, throw in some Homestyle popcorn, a glass of Zinfandel (hot chocolate for my daughters) and plop myself on the couch.

Taking a walk on a crisp autumn day in the evening, after the leaves have started to fall. I enjoy walking. I take walks everyday, just a peaceful time to think, sometimes just about nothing. The association with the autumn and leaves probably is because I get transported in time, and I can see my brother and our friends, jumping into huge piles of leaves … and even more fun seeing my kids play in the leaves.

The smell of cinnamon or the smell of sauce cooking. Really, simply just that – the savory aromas. Those two scents can make my mouth water and make me feel relaxed. There are some days, when I need to smell that scent – so it’s time to bake (or cook). When all else fails, Yankee Candle comes to the rescue.

Thanksgiving morning. We celebrate Thanksgiving at our house with both families. I do all the prep the day before, so Thanksgiving day is normally just putting things in the oven. But the aroma of the turkey and other foods cooking, while I’m watching the Macy*s Thanksgiving Day parade and making my plan of attack for Black Friday brings me feeling of comfort.

Christmas Eve. The traditions, family, friends. In my family, Christmas Eve has always been the big celebration of Christmas. Christmas Day was a different type of celebration. Christmas Eve is spent with the whole family – dinner, mass and gift exchange. There isn’t a single year that has gone by that I don’t that feeling of, ‘yes, this is exactly where I want to be.’ Even with all the exhaustion of activities leading up to the day and activities of the day, it’s just a homey comfortable feeling.

And the number one feeling peacefulness, warmth and contentment?

Big hugs. I’m from a family of huggers – it’s in the blood.

How far is too far in competition?

It is safe to say that I am a big sports fan – with the two most favorite sports being soccer and basketball. Rec soccer through travel soccer, Varsity soccer, college soccer, Pro and National team – male and female – have seen and followed them all. We have traveled to see games all around the northeast and as far Washington, DC. My kids have met and had photos taken with members of the Women of ’99 – the US Women’s Soccer team that won the World Cup and brought soccer to a new level. My kids have played on every soccer field in the Capital Region, they have played travel soccer since they were in 2nd and 1st grade. It wasn’t just that I wanted to be a supportive soccer mom, I just really love the game!

On any given night when a soccer game is on TV, it’s on in the house. My husband is even more of a soccer fan than I. Last week he came home to talk about the female player from New Mexico who went overboard in a soccer game. I point out overboard because in soccer, elbows fly, slide tackles happen, occasionally, you’ll see the ‘accidental’ body collision … it’s part of the game. Turned on the TV, and there it was being covered on CNN and on ESPN. For those who may not have seen it, this is the video clip of what is not acceptable on the soccer field. It was incredibly disturbing to me to watch. I go to a lot of RPI college hockey games and seen less disturbing acts of aggression (and the hockey game motto is, I went to a fight, and a hockey game broke out). Because of her loss of control, she is now banned from playing for the college – which most likely means a loss of scholarship money as well.






A couple nights later, in Rhode Island, another act of stupidity happened in a high school game. It obviously wasn’t enough that the players had to fight on the field, but when the awards were given out at the end of the game, the parents and fans broke out into a fight.





This just brought back a memory of when my youngest daughter was 6 years old and it was tournament day for Rec Soccer. She has always approached sports with a give all attitude, and as her mom, I say she’s talented athletically. Anyway, it’s tournament day – 5 and 6 year olds are playing micro soccer (3 on 3 plus a goalie). Due to illness, there were only 5 players for her team that day. She scored 3 goals before the 1st half. The coach from the other team (a soccer mom) went ballistic. She started screaming at her players to, “Take her out! GET HER!” (picture screaming and getting red faced with the force of the scream) Wait a minute, WHAT?! You’re talking about my daughter! Apparently, her players listened to her, on a run down the field, one of the boys went after my daughter, started to pull her down from behind. In her own defense, Adriana grabbed the boy’s shirt from behind and beat him in the pull down. It was her first “yellow card” (and I think only to date, she’s now in high school).

Competition is part of the game – and everyone plays to win. I’m just so sad to see these acts of stupidity on the field. As skier A.J. Kitt said, “You have no control over what the other guy does. You only have control over what you do.”

Freedom is not Free Slide Show

Freedom is not Free

“Freedom is not Free” … today seems like a perfect day to reflect on this quote – yet it should be realized every day. There are so many things that people take for granted, our freedom is one of the most precious. Take the time to honor veteran.

Originally names Armistice Day during WW I, to honor the end of hostilities of “The Great War: the war to end all wars,” was renamed Veterans Day after WW II. For we all know too well, many wars followed. The Korean War, Vietnam, Gulf War, Afghanistan and Iraq. Service men and now women have fought and continue to fight to defend our freedom. We may not agree with the thoughts of war – but hopefully can all agree to respect these men an women on the ultimate sacrifice that these people have paid or are willing to pay.

Each visit to Washington, DC is never complete without a visit and time of reflection to the war memorials. I’ve included some of the photos that I’ve taken through the visits. I can honestly say, each one, each time, still gives me the chills and a humble feeling.

Take the time to thank and honor a veteran, today or any day. I was sent this video clip a while ago from a friend, and thought it is worthy of sharing – the Gratitude Campaign.

National Parks Service
Battle of Iwo Jima during World War II
World War II Memorial
Korean War Memorial
Vietnam War Memorial
Arlington National Cemetery

My Wish

This week, my daughter Victoria needed to explore a place that she’s never been before for a photography project. She shot a role of film at the RPI Approach and another one at the ‘Black Bridge’ (all you Green Islanders can appreciate and reminisce). The focus of the project was the objects, to see things through the lens that you’ve never seen before, or look at it in angles that you’ve never seen before. Through the course, she hasn’t been able to photograph people.

What would I ever do if I was told, I couldn’t photograph people? Anyone who knows me, knows that my camera is almost a natural extension of my hands. I love photography, and I love being able to capture moments in time. Vacations, sporting events, silly moments, and milestones – they are all saved away in both a digital archive and photo album. When I say I have thousands and thousands of pictures, it is probably an underestimate.

Every year, the senior graduating class at my daughters’ school has a senior photo shoot. For the Class of 2008, I had the honors (and I do consider it an honor) to be the photographer. Don’t be shocked by looking at the photographs, this did indeed have the entire class at the shoot! My daughter graduated with 13 kids in her class, one of which was our exchange student who lived with us. It’s not a normal class size for our school, we normally have a much larger class average of 20!

They selected Lake George, NY, as their location. We set off for there one glorious autumn day – and it really was a perfect day. Goofiness, fun and a lot of laughter and smiles. Some posed, some caught off guard, but probably my favorite day I spent with them. What I saw through the lens that October day was a great group of kids, with enormous hearts. Not perfect by any means, but just a wonderful group. Each with their own unique qualities that were endearing. As I look back on their album, their class song (My Wish by Rascall Flats) becomes the soundtrack in my head.

My wish for each of them is that life becomes all that they want to. For their dreams to stay big, and their worries stay small. And when their out their getting where their getting to, that they know somebody loves them and wants the same thing to. I consider myself blessed to have been part of such a great group of kids.