Join us in the fight against breast cancer

Waiting......

I did call my doctors office yesterday afternoon. I thought it is best just to call and find out instead of just waiting for them to call. Well the results are in BUT the doctor has not reviewed it. They asked that I call back today. So back to waiting.......

Teach us, O Lord, the disciplines of patience, for to wait is often harder than to work. - Peter Marshall

Those who do not hope cannot wait; but if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it

Today is Friday and it is going to be a super day. Time to get busy with the day.

Print Your Coupon and Save On Your Next Purchase of CARNATION® BREAKFAST ESSENTIALS™

My Son does not like to eat breakfast when he first gets up in the morning, but he enjoys a glass of chocolate milk. So every morning he gets a glass of Carnation Breakfast Essentials chocolate flavor sugar free. I know he has gotten a good nutritional start to his day.

Print Your Coupon and Save On Your Next Purchase of CARNATION® BREAKFAST ESSENTIALS™

Also, if you like their facebook page they are offering a coupon as well. This may be a limited time offer.

halloween - AllYou.com

One of my favorite Magazines is AllYou. Here are some Halloween snacks under a $1, while you are there take a look around their site.

halloween snacks - AllYou.com

Creative Halloween party ideas


Homemade Halloween Costumes

Still Waiting for Results.....

The results are still not in from last Thursday's follow up. So, will today be the day? Seems like when you have these follow up appointments your life comes to a halt while you wait. You play calm, stay busy, try anything to keep your mind off of it. But there is no way to avoid the thoughts that race thru your mind and has you wondering "is it back". Ultimately you know either way "it is what it is" and you have to deal with it. So, I have to prepare myself mentally and know that today is a good day.

To get up each morning with the resolve to be happy is to set our own conditions to the events of each day. To do this is to condition circumstances instead of being conditioned by them.
Ralph Waldo Trine

Happiness is an attitude. We either make ourselves miserable, or happy and strong. The amount of work is the same.
Francesca Reigler

"You must not allow yourself to dwell for a single moment on any kind of negative thought."
Emmet Fox

Cherish each hour of this day for it can never return. Og Mandino

"Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear — not absence of fear."
– Mark Twain

Get A Mammy

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month. I personally know several beautiful women that have been diagnosed with Breast Cancer. Early detection may save a life.

Get A Mammy

I love Mornings

Mornings are so beautiful to me. A new day full of new opportunities. Each day I awake I am so excited to see what this day holds.

With the new day comes new strength and new thoughts.
Eleanor Roosevelt

This is the beginning of a new day. You have been given this day to use as you will. You can waste it or use it for good. What you do today is important because you are exchanging a day of your life for it. When tomorrow comes, this day will be gone forever; in its place is something that you have left behind... let it be something good.
Author Unknown

This bright, new day... complete with 24 hours of opportunities, choices, and attitudes… a perfectly matched set of 1440 minutes.This unique gift, this one day, cannot be exchanged, replaced or refunded. Handle with care. Make the most of it. There is only one to a customer.
Author Unknown

Every morning is a fresh beginning. Every day is the world made new. Today is a new day. Today is my world made new. I have lived all my life up to this moment, to come to this day. This moment--this day--is as good as any moment in all eternity. I shall make of this day--each moment of this day--a heaven on earth. This is my day of opportunity.
Dan Custer



“Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, today is a gift of God, which is why we call it the present.”
― Bill Keane

To face the day it is so important that we have the right attitude, we need to be excited about THIS day!

I, not events, have the power to make me happy or unhappy today. I can choose which it shall be. Yesterday is dead, tomorrow hasn't arrived yet. I have just one day, today, and I'm going to be happy in it.
Groucho Marx

“Yesterday is a canceled check; tomorrow is a promissory note; today is the only cash you have - so spend it wisely”
Kay Lyons quotes

Today is the greatest
Day I've ever known
Can't live for tomorrow,
Tomorrow's much too long....
~Billy Corgan

When I am anxious it is because I am living in the future. When I am depressed it is because I am living in the past. ~Author Unknown


I need neither future nor past, but to learn to take today not too fast. ~Jeb Dickerson

Don't let yesterday use up too much of today. ~Cherokee Indian Proverb

If you have one eye on yesterday, and one eye on tomorrow, you're going to be cockeyed today. ~Author Unknown

So stop waiting until you finish school,
until you go back to school,
until you lose ten pounds,
until you gain ten pounds,
until you have kids,
until your kids leave the house,
until you start work,
until you retire,
until you get married,
until you get divorced,
until Friday night,
until Sunday morning,
until you get a new car or home,
until your car or home is paid off,
until spring, until summer, until fall, until winter,
until you are off welfare,
until the first or fifteenth,
until your song comes on,
until you've had a drink,
until you've sobered up,
until you die,
until you are born again
to decide that there is no better time than right now to be happy...

Author Unknown

Take Time

Take Time
by Author Unknown
TAKE TIME to think;
it is the source of power.
TAKE TIME to read;
it is the foundation of wisdom.

TAKE TIME to play;
it is the secret of staying young.

TAKE TIME to be quiet;
it is the moment to seek God.

TAKE TIME to be aware;
it is the opportunity to help others.

TAKE TIME to love and be loved;
it is God's greatest gift.

TAKE TIME to laugh;
it is the music of the soul.

TAKE TIME to be friendly;
it is the road to happiness.

TAKE TIME to dream;
it is what the future is made of.

TAKE TIME to pray;
it is the greatest power on earth.

Vocalpoint - Trick or treat safety

Vocalpoint - Trick or treat safety

Vocalpoint - Be The First to Know

Vocalpoint - Be The First to Know

Vocalpoint - Be The First to Know

Vocalpoint - Be The First to Know

Crowdtap - Where Consumers and Brands Collaborate

Crowdtap - Where Consumers and Brands Collaborate

Today a day I have to pick myself up

Everyone that knows me knows I am a very positive person, but every now and again I have a day that I have to pick myself up. Usually I notice I am get like this when I am getting sick or just tired. Which it could very well be a combination of the two. Since the 3 grandbabies have come to live with us I don't get much sleep at night. They generally wake up around 3 in the morning. Today, my husband got up with them and cooked them breakfast so I did get to sleep in a bit this morninig. Today is one of the days I wake up in pain and it is slow to get started.

I start to think of all my dreams, goals, etc and now they are so different from before I was diagnosed with cancer. I have found it very difficult to pursue anything like I have done before except now to just live and see my youngest son grow up. Cancer does so much to a person, it robs them of everything. The only good thing that has come out of this is knowing that everything here on earth is temporary. Life is a precious gift we need to enjoy now. We should never assume we have all the time in the world, are time is NOW.

I am so thankful that I have made it thru all the treatments and am here now. Just when ever you go in for that follow up appointment and have to wait for the results knowing the test might not have picked up everything weighs heavy on your mind.

Just finished fixing lunch for the little ones. Going to organize my coupons and go to the store. Boy, that will get my mind off everything.

Get out and enjoy your day, pick your battles. In the end is it really worth getting upset over or is it better to take your loved ones in your arms and enjoy the time you have with them. Anger will also rob you. Don't let it still you days away.

My Follow up appointment

Well yesterday I had to go for my follow up appointment, the one we all dread, yes, the pap smear. Every 3-4 months I have them. This is the only way to detect cervical cancer. I just would like to take a few moments and remind you to have your annual exam if you have not had one. As I have previously shared I had stage 3B that has a 5 year survival rate of 40-60%. I also feel I need to share again the importance of having endocervical cells present in your pap. Sometimes it is very hard or impossible to get these cells during your pap. If your last pap did not have these cells present discuss with your healthcare provider why there were no cells present and what can be done to make sure they get them on your next pap. If you wait till you have abnormal bleeding as most will tell you, in my opinion, you have waited to long and survival rate chances are reduced. You want to catch it before you have symptoms. Once you have symptoms (and have to wait for your healthcare provider to diagnose you properly) the cancer has already progressed. I have also sent an email in regards to National cervical Screening Health explaining how I disagree with some of their guidelines. We have to be knowlegdeable. I wish I had been more knowledgeable instead of trusting my healthcare providers with my health. I had never heard of endocervical cells until my cancer. When I now go back and look at my pap results the one in 2004 had endocervical cells present all the ones after said no endocervical cells present. I feel the healthcare provider should have noticed that right away and been more precautious. But, as we all know they are too busy and in a hurry to see the next patient. If your healthcare provider is like this, fire them and find one that will listen to your symptoms and take time to explain. I am so thankful I found a doctor that finally listened to my symptoms.

Now it is the waiting game to see what how the results come in. Also, not a real for sure test now. When a person has radiation they usually have stenosis. I now have cervical stenosis, so the pap cannot get all the cells needed. There has been patients that have had recurrence that does not get detected by pap and it has again progressed past the first stage. Then the only way to detect is by a PET scan. This is something else you need to be knowledgeable about. Do not be afraid to ask questions and stress your concerns.

Remember none of us are promised tomorrow, today is our day let's make it count. Live with a purpose and live life to its fullest.

My Version

I bought some Pumpkin Pie Spice yesterday to make a Pumpkin cake. It is a neat looking cake in the shape of a pumpkin, I found the recipe in a magazine. Anyways, this morning I made my coffee and thought, I wonder how that would be in my coffee? So, I sprinkled some in along with Coffee Mate Caramel Natural Bliss. I was impressed I had a myskinny version of a Pumpkin Spice Coffee. Reason I say myskinny it wasn't as rich as the one I purchase while I am out.

Free Sample of NESCAFE Peppermint Mocha Coffee

Like Coffee - try this one for free while supplies last Nescafe Peppermint Mocha .

Free Sample of NESCAFE Peppermint Mocha Coffee

Poll: Which women’s magazine in your opinion consistently provides lifestyle and/or service content that are both useful and actionable?

Poll: Which women’s magazine in your opinion consistently provides lifestyle and/or service content that are both useful and actionable?

Walmart.com: Feature: Layaway

Layaway is back from 10/17/11 - 12/16/11


Walmart.com: Feature: Layaway

Preventing cancer by eating right

By Bev Bennett, CTW Features

A typical brown bag lunch, such as a ham sandwich, salted chips and a soft drink could put you at greater risk for cancer, according to a recent scientific report looking at food, nutrition, lifestyle and cancer prevention.

Processed meats, including lunch meats, bacon and sausage, are linked to colorectal cancer. If you add a bag of salted chips, you're getting sodium, which is associated with stomach cancer. Caloric soft drinks can pack on the pounds, another red flag in the cancer war.

Stage 3B Endocervical Cancer

Our local newspaper featured this article on me and my Journey. January is Cervical Health Awareness Month
Tue Jan 04, 2011, 04:27 PM EST

Karen B of Lake Park knows firsthand about cervical cancer which about 11,000 American women will learn they have this year, and nearly 4,000 will die from an advanced form of the disease.

“I was diagnosed with stage 3b endocervical cancer in April 2010,” she said. “My life has completely changed. I have gone through radiation and chemotherapy. I believe no woman should ever have to go through what I have been through. I also have a 5-year-old son (Carter). So I am very passionate about wanting to help other women who do not know they are at risk and how important it is to (have) check-ups.

“... When I received my diagnosis, I became a member of the NCCC (National Cervical Cancer Coalition) for information and support. There was a lady on there that was such an encouragement to me; she had been cancer-free two years. In July 2010 her cervical cancer was back; she died this past week due to this horrible disease,” Karen e-mailed on Dec. 2.

In an interview Monday at The Valdosta Daily Times, the Tampa, Fla., native talked about the trauma she has been through in battling the disease:

“I thought my symptoms began in November 2009 with low back pain. At 3 in the morning, I would wake up with excruciating pain.”

Karen had two doctor appointments the following month and was diagnosed with IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome).

“I wasn’t satisfied because when I looked that up ... it wasn’t my true symptoms,” Karen said.

She and her family went on vacation last January to Myrtle Beach, S.C.

“The trip was horrible because I had to spend most of the trip in the bed because I was in such pain. We ended up leaving earlier than we needed to. By this time, my symptoms have gotten worse. I had abnormal bleeding and constantly felt like I had to go (use the bathroom) but couldn’t.”

Around Jan. 19, she went to a walk-in clinic in Valdosta.

“I was in tears (because) I was in so much pain. They thought I needed to go to a gyn (gynecologist). I made an appointment for Jan. 22, but five minutes before my appointment, they had to cancel. At that point, I was ready to quit seeking out medical care, but it didn’t get any better. It got worse.”

On Jan. 26, Karen returned to the walk-in clinic, and the physician sent her straight to the emergency room at South Georgia Medical Center.

“They did all the right tests ... pelvic ultrasound and MRI. After being there most of the day, the doctor diagnosed me with degenerative arthritis,” she said, breaking down into tears.

“I questioned her (about) the bleeding and urgency, and she said I would need to follow up with a specialist — a urologist. Needless to say, she is no longer there (at the hospital).

“The MRI showed a bulging disc in the same spot as the tumor. At that point, I believed that was probably what the problem was based on the testing and MRI.”

Karen compared her pain to a “raw sore on the inside ... pain such as if you cut yourself and have a raw sore.”

“I took the medicine prescribed, and I tried to on with my everyday life, and still I couldn’t,” she said.

Karen made an appointment with her family doctor, but he wasn’t available and she saw his wife, Dr. Nirmala Padhiar.

“She was the first person who actually sat down and listened to me and asked questions,” Karen said. “After we talked, she came to the conclusion I needed a pelvic exam. When I went back for my results (in February), I was told it was abnormal. She took up additional time explaining what treatments could be done. She said I would have to go to a gyn. She made sure my mental state was good before I left.”

Karen had no insurance, but Dr. Padhiar had told her that was no reason not to get treatment. Karen learned of Breast and Cervical Cancer Programs (BCCP), screening programs for women age 40-64 who are uninsured or under-insured to detect early cancer and pre-cancers of the breast and cervix. Trained nurses and nurse practitioners provide clinical breast exams and PAP smears. Referrals for mammograms are made to local providers. In the event of positive or questionable findings, women are referred to their choice of local providers. To help defray the cost of treatment of breast or cervical cancer, Women’s Health Medicaid can be obtained if eligibility requirements are met. This program lowers the death rate from breast and cervical cancer by early detection.

“I applied for the program but they couldn’t do my colposcopy (another test to see if it’s truly cancer) until April 13. It was February. I went ahead and made an appointment with a gyn, and they basically reviewed my hospital results with me. They truly did not believe I had cancer.”

Karen called the health department and asked if she could be seen sooner than April 13, but they were booked up. They called on April 8 and said they would pay for her to see her own doctor the next day. But her doctor couldn’t do the colposcopy because of the irregular bleeding, but she could do an endometrial biopsy (taking a small sample of the lining of the uterus (endometrium). The sample is looked at under a microscope for abnormal cells.) Again, there was a complication.

“She wasn’t able to do it because of the severity of my pain, but she did get endocervial cells. On April 15, I got the call it was cancer,” she said, breaking down into tears.

Karen was 44 years old at the time.

“I was told if you are going to get diagnosed with cancer, this is the cancer you want because it is a slow-growing cancer, and they could probably take care of it by doing a hysterectomy. At the gyn practice, I had not seen an M.D. yet. When I saw the medical doctor, she was going to schedule me for a cone biopsy. I told her, ‘No one has taken me seriously. I can’t function on a daily basis with the pain I have.’ The M.D. said she would like to do her own exam. Upon her exam, she determined I didn’t need anything, but to be sent to a specialist. She was to schedule me for a CT scan here, and in Savannah with a gyn oncologist.”

Several days went by and no CT was scheduled. Karen said when she called, she was told she would have to pay upfront for the CT because she had no insurance.

“I told them they needed to call SGMC to schedule it, and they did.”

Karen’s message is, “You need to take control of your own health and not wait on anybody.”

On April 29 she went to Savannah and saw the gyn oncologist.

“He knew exactly what kind of cancer I had ... It was endocervical cancer. He said it was Stage 3b which means it had spread to the pelvic wall. Surgery was out of the question because they could not get a clear measure of what it encompassed.

“Come to find out, I’ve had the cancer for years,” she said, even as early as 2004.

Karen stressed the need for getting copies of Pap smear reports and making sure endocervical cells are listed. Endocervical cells are located high in the T-zone of the cervix, she said, and aren’t always collected in a Pap smear. In other words, a Pap smear could come back normal, and the woman could be carrying endocervical cancer as she had been, she said.

The American Society for Colposcopy and Cervical Cytology (ASCC) patient management guidelines recommend a repeat pap test in 12 months for women if the pap test is negative but lacks an adequate endocervical component.

Karen learned she was pregnant in 2004, and miscarried two weeks after her exam.

“The weekend I miscarried, I got a letter in the mail saying I had an abnormal Pap smear. So I have a biopsy done. Because my cervix didn’t match my Pap, he took two biopsies, and they came back normal. Several Paps after, they were normal. I changed doctors.

“No one explained to me about endocervical cells ... On your Pap, make sure it says endocervical cells were present (for examination). If not, the next year you need to mention it to your healthcare provider because it is through the endocervical cells that endocervial cancer can be detected.

“I admit I was at fault,” said Karen, saying she had failed to get a Pap smear from July 2005 until February 2010. “There was no excuse. I was too busy. Cancer didn’t run in my family; heart disease did. I was actually going to the doctor for that.”

Back in Savannah when the gyn oncologist diagnosed her cancer, staged it and told of the treatment plan of chemo and radiation, Karen said she sat there “bawling.”

“This can be cured,” the physician assured her. “This can be healed.”

To which she replied, “You don’t get it. I wanted surgery (because if you have a hysterectomy, you can’t get cancer in that area again, but he couldn’t do that because it had spread).

“It’s so important that women know you have to take your health into your own hands,” she said, noting that her cancer was staged in April two months after the abnormal Pap, and her treatments didn’t start until the end of May, a whole month of waiting.

“When you go through cancer, your mental state is so important. Walking out with that treatment plan, (I determined) ‘OK, I do this and I will be cured.’ You couldn’t let the ‘what-ifs’ come into your mind. I had to make it: I have a 5-year-old at home,” said Karen, also mother to Christina Shealey, 24, and Chris Byrley, 21.

“Fighting cancer is like putting on your boxing gloves and running shoes and not stopping until you’re through. The treatments are very hard,” she added.

Karen was given radiation and chemo treatments at the same time: five rounds of chemo and 29 outpatient and two inpatients implants at SGMC.

“We have an awesome cancer center ... from Yolanda (at the reception desk) to the radiologists and lab techs of their staff: They are so encouraging and empowering. There is no room for negativity. I couldn’t have had a better doctor than my chemo doctor, Dr. (Nagender) Mankan.”

Stage 3b endocervical cancer has a 35 percent survival rate, she said.

“As of today, I am cancer free,” she said after a recent check-up.

But every three months during the first year, she must go to Savannah to be checked. After the first year as a precautionary measure, she must get a Pap and chest X-ray every four months. And then there’s the five-year window of being cancer-free before she can rest easily.

Despite everything she’s been through, Karen said, “I feel like I have been blessed beyond measure. I ended up with a cancer (with treatments) funded by the state (and one that was curable). If I had discovered the cancer earlier, I would have had a hysterectomy and wouldn’t have my 5-year-old son. My husband (Wayne), who lost his (construction) job this summer, was able to stay home and take care of me and our 5-year-old.”

Karen, who is self-employed, also noted she lost her largest-paying client, but her family was able to weather the financial storm.

Chiquita® - Selecting and Handling Ripe Bananas

Chiquita® - Selecting and Handling Ripe Bananas

Earn extra money with your computer

I consider myself to be pretty resourceful and believe where there is a will there is a way. I have joined several Survey company's. I have found that most require alot of time with little reward or takes forever to earn. My most recent find - something that I think you will like. The company's name is YouData (youdata.com). They are trying to convince consumers like us that we should be the ones controlling our own data and selling our own attention, not third parties like broadcasters, newspapers, and spammers. By creating a MeFile at YouData.com, I now control what ads I see and when I see them. Best part - I am selling my attention directly to interested advertisers, for real money. That's right, I get paid for giving them my attention. I can use the funds to buy music and video online, donate to charities, give to my favorite blogs and websites, or keep the change myself and do whatever I want with it.

It's real. They pay. The first Friday I received an email from Paypal that I had a deposit, grant it, it wasn't much but I was excited because I had only visited once (because I was skeptic).
Click this link to sign up http://www.youdata.com/join/medbilso. My MeFile ID, medbilso, in the "Referral Code" will tell them I sent you. Make sure you complete your profile so you will receive more adds.

Another one I found to be fun is Crowdtap and I have already earned a little and actually enjoy it. Here is a link you can sign up with http://bit.ly/r6nM5P you have nothing to lose.

Superpoints is fun I am close to receiving my first gift card. Will be great for Christmas. To join http://superpoints.com/wrpgs/easksb

Feel free to share your experiences or any others that you may recommend.

Just tried a......

Pumkin Spice Latte from Starbucks this morninig. My oldest Son kept telling me that I have to try one. Well my favorite is the Iced Caramel Macchiato and everytime I visit Starbucks I could not resist to order my favorite instead of trying something new. Well this morning I ordered a Venti Pumkin Spice Latte and I had made a good choice. As I was driving I thought this is like having a slice of warm pumpkin pie but only in a drink. So if you have not tried it yet, on your next visit give it a try.

Diet Supplements Don't Help and May Harm Older Women, Study Says - ABC News

Diet Supplements Don't Help and May Harm Older Women, Study Says - ABC News

Have you tried

Activia Select French Yogurt Fruit Bites on the Bottom??? I just did and very very good. It gets even better - And don’t throw out the lid! Enter the under-the-lid code before 12/31/11 at http://www.cupsofhope.com/ and they will donate $.20 to The National Breast Cancer Foundation, up to $1.5 million.

Free Clinical Breast Cancer Screening.

Free Clinical Breast Cancer Screening - Oct 13, 2011 5-7pm Pearlman Cancer Ctr. To register visit sgmc.org and click on "classes & Events" or call 229-333-1074. Schedule yours today!!!!! Early detection is so important, it could save your life!

If you are not in this area, contact your local hospital or health department and see if they are sponsoring a Free Screening.

U.S. News - Rankings - MD Anderson Cancer Center

U.S. News - Rankings - MD Anderson Cancer Center

Yoga - MD Anderson Cancer Center

Yoga - MD Anderson Cancer Center

womenshealth.gov

womenshealth.gov

Ford Drives Box Tops Sweepstakes

Do you collect Box Tops for your School? If you do the link below will be of interest to you.

Ford Drives Box Tops Sweepstakes: Click to learn about this historic partnership and how you can earn Box
Tops with Ford. Register on the site and you'll be automatically entered into a
Sweepstakes for 250,000 bonus Box Tops. Every time you clip or click to earn
makes a difference!

Steve Jobs: How to live before you die | Video on TED.com

Be encouraged today...


Steve Jobs: How to live before you die | Video on TED.com

6BWH3JW6UC2D

Cooks.com - Recipe - Easy Oatmeal Cookies

The kids and I had been talking about making some Oatmeal Cookies. So we decided we would make them. They were excited and I wanted simple and easy. So those that know me, know I google everything. I searched for "easy oatmeal cookies" and there it was a very simple recipe with very few ingredients. I had the 3 of them around the table with the smallest one (23 months) in with Papa. They each got to mix each ingredient and then place the cookie dough on the baking sheet. While the cookies baked, my First Grader completed her homework. When the cookies were done I told them before they could have one they had to let Papa sample one. So they eagerly took one to Papa and he had to tell them how yummy they were. They then sat down and enjoyed their cookie. They were so excited that they made them and they were so good.

So here is the link and also the recipe, enjoy....

Cooks.com - Recipe - Easy Oatmeal Cookies

EASY OATMEAL COOKIES

Read more about it at www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,1710,146184-243203,00.html
Content Copyright © 2011 Cooks.com - All rights reserved.

1 c. sugar
1 c. butter
1 c. flour
2 c. Quick Oats
1 tsp. baking soda (sifted with flour)

Preheat oven to 350°F.
Mix with hands -- form small balls and flatten on ungreased pan.

Bake for 8-12 minutes (depends on size of cookies made).


Variations: add 1 tsp. vanilla, applesauce, mashed bananas, cinnamon, raisins, cranberries, chopped nuts, etc. Agave syrup or honey can be substituted for sugar, if desired.

Celebrity Breast Cancer Survivors - Celebrity Breast Cancer Survivors | Parade.com

As someone who has personally gone thru cancer I know one of the first things I did was seek out cancer survivors. Great encouragement. So with that said ...

Celebrity Breast Cancer Survivors - Celebrity Breast Cancer Survivors | Parade.com