Welcome to Day 2 of the Blessed to Be 60 Blog Hop....my birthday and first Blogaversary celebration. If you just happened by please stay and join in on the fun! We'd love to have you. And while your here check out
day one if you haven't already done so! There is so much great talent and some blog candy along the way.
Today is about Cancer education and awareness. It's not a popular subject but one that has touched everyone at one time or another. According to the most recent statistics (2008) approximately 745,180 men and 692,00 woman will be diagnosed with cancer each year. These numbers do not include the many thousands of individuals diagnosed with simple skin cancers.
Women Men
26%Breast Prostate 25%
14%Lung & bronchus Lung & Bronchus 15%
10%Colon & rectum Colon & Rectum 10%
6%Uterine corpus Urinary Bladder 7%
4%Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma Non-Hodgkin lymphoma 5%
4% Thyroid Melanoma of skin 5%
4%Melanoma of skin Kidney & Renal Pelvis 4%
3%Ovary Oral Cavity 3%
3%Kidney & renal pelvis Leukemia 3%
3%Leukemia Pancreas 3%
23%All Other Sites All other sites 20%
Deaths: Woman: 271,530 Men: 294,120
The numbers are staggering but as every day passes research brings us closer to many cures. Cancer is cured/controlled much easier if it is caught early thus fast action is always the best policy. Know the importance of your yearly physicals and more important GO . Listen to your body...you know it best. Ladies get your paps and mammograms and urge your husbands to have their prostrates checked . As inconvenient colonoscopies are GO....colon cancer is easily detected! Taking care of our bodies is not selfish....we owe it to ourselves and most importantly those who love us!
It was Black Friday, 2005. I was 350 miles from home shopping with my granddaughter in Buffalo, NY. It was 7:30am when my cell began ringing. First my boss, than my boyfriend (now hubby) both the the same message...."a Dr. is looking for you". I had had a CAT Scan the evening before Thanksgiving due to some "minor" abnormalities in blood work, There as big as life was a tumor in my right kidney. A rather small but aggressive intruder. Almost all tumors of the kidney are cancerous and mine was no exception. I had no symptoms. I had been dieting for 6 months and had lost a lot of weight. That is what prompted my Dr. to do the blood work. Many kidney cancers are "incidental findings" meaning that they are found while looking for something else, Renal Cell Carcinoma (Kidney cancer) is not responsive to radiation. There is a certain type of chemo )HDIL-2) that is given to stage 4 patients however you have to be very strong and in good health, It is successful in 15-20% of patients and is considered the only "cure" when surgery is unsuccessful. Science has blessed us recently with several drugs that prolong life but not cure.
Possible signs and symptoms....pain in in the right of left flank(side)....or a lump in the right or left flank-blood in the urine-weight loss, unexplained fever-fatigue. Unlike most cancers renal cell does not live up to the 5 years cancer free-cured rule. It can reoccur years later without warning.
However.......I am a almost 6 year survivor and I plan to say the same thing in 20 years!
Thus the subject of my project!
I am down one kidney but I am healthy. I must remain vigilant. I am scanned frequently.I have learned not to take life for granted for nobody is guaranteed another tomorrow. If you know someone who has Kidney Cancer or if you want more information on the subject visit the
Kidney Cancer Association, or visit their
Facebook page. They have a phenomenal support network ready to help you or your loved one. I am also available to anyone who needs information or support. Please feel free to share my information.
I would like to give back in celebration of my 5 bonus birthdays therefore I am offering a chance to win a Gypsy with all the trimmings including two Cricut Cartridges-all for a $3.00 donation to the Kidney Cancer Association, Click here for all the details.
Don't forget the blog candy sponsored by Emma from MY CREATIVE TIME. There are a few steps you must take to be eligible to win.
*You must visit and follow all of my dedicated participants in my hop both days.
*You must leave a comment with your contact information on my blog.
*For an additional chance come back at the end of the hop and tell me you are following all of the participants.
*You must have a Canadian or USA address due to high shipping costs.
The winner will be chosen Monday,October 24th by Random.Org.and announced here Now I am going to ask you to vist
Kari who has a heartfelt story of survivor-ship!
Just in case you lose your way :
- Kathie: http://kathleessnippitsncricuts.blogspot.com
- Kari: http://purplefuntastickcreations.blogspot.com/
- Debbie: http://scrapbydebbie.blogspot.com/
- Carla : http://racincrafts.blogspot.com/
- Kathy: http://kathyand3kids.blogspot.com/
- Heather: http://craftymamaof2heve.blogspot.com
- Vicki: http://mawmawsthoughts.blogspot.com
- Tisha: http://tishascraftcove.blogspot.com
- Jessie: http://edoggsugarlipsandprincessbuttercup.blogspot.com
- Amy: http://www.love to crop.com
A special thank you to the sweetest most talented ladies I know-my blog hop participants: Kari,Carla,,Kathy, Heather, Vicki, Tisha and Debbie. A special thank you to my dear friend AMY who made my beautiful Blog Hop button and to Jessie who jumped into this hop on a 24hr notice. (Confession here-I forgot her, she wasn't on Facebook)Jessie you are a real TROOPER! What an angel! Please be sure to stop by their blogs and leave them LOTS OF LOVE as they all deserve it!
Wishing you all many years of good health. Thank you so very much for sharing in my celebration!
Blessings,
Kathie aka Kathlee
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