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.

Give love, and let it come in

"The most important thing in life is to learn how to give out love, and to let it come in." Morrie Schwartz

Did you ever have one of those really bad or frustrating weeks where you think, My God, can it get any worse? You’re late for work, you had an argument with someone, you burn the meal or your car breaks down? Last week, was just one of those weeks with me, starting with a bit of a battle between my daughter and I, my car broke down over 50 miles from home, and I had to get 5 people home, and then, there were those moments of just stupid frustrations. That hit me all in one day. As one thing led to the next that Sunday, my frustration level grew.

After a long day, I got home flicked on my computer to check messages and Facebook. It was then, that reality hit me with a huge slap in the face. A family that I’ve been friends with all my life had organized, attended, and posted pictures of a neighborhood event that they had for their neighbor, a young boy who has been battling cancer for 3 years. Though you saw a picture perfect day, and smiles ~ by the sheer sight of this poor child, and the notes and messages that were posted, I knew, that the prognosis was the unfathomable. Here I was getting myself worked up over what really was nothing that mattered the next day … and this little boy was battling a disease that the largest and bravest of men and women cannot always win.

I first heard of this boy, Ben, when our family friend’s 5-year old daughter decided to have a lemonade stand last year to raise money for her friend, Ben. That lemonade stand got some pretty awesome press in this article, and in this one, because it raised over $10,000 – that’s not a type-o, that was indeed, over ten thousand dollars. Young Aiva learned at a very young age, what Morrie Schwartz lived, “The most important thing in life is to learn how to give out love, and let it come in.” From all accounts, she loved her very special friend and he loved her too.

This past weekend, my daughter’s college soccer team dedicated their soccer game to an 8-year old boy battling cancer. He wasn’t able to be at the game because he was having a treatment. Fans from both sides willingly bought up bracelets that had been made for this young boy. He isn’t as famous as LiveStrong ~ but ShellStrong’s impact on a team of girls and the fans, was as powerful. None of us sitting in the stands ever want to know what it’s like to have a child take on this battle.

Sadly, Ben lost his battle yesterday afternoon. How can hearing about the tragedy of someone I’ve never met snap me back into the reality of, ‘is this problem that I’m experiencing that terrible? Will it matter tomorrow?’ Not that I didn’t hug my kids tight, but I hugged them a little tighter and wanted to protect them a little more. This horrible disease discriminates against no-one - gender, religion, nationality or age. Show your support – give out your love, and let it come in, it is a beautiful gift.

I do promise to find a brighter and cheerier topic for my next blog.