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Really, American Cancer Society?

The American Cancer Society emailed me concerned about my absence and asking for my help in completing a short survey about what cancer issues I want to support.

I replied that I’m a little concerned, too, ACS, because nowhere in the survey is lung cancer even mentioned on the list of issues.  There’s breast cancer right up there at the top. Colorectal cancer. Skin cancer.  But no lung cancer.

The #1 cancer killer is lung cancer.  More people die from lung cancer than the next three deadliest cancers combined: colorectal, pancreatic and breast. 1

Not. Even. Mentioned. The message seems to be “Lung cancer? We won’t even mention it because everybody knows only smokers get lung cancer.”

Yeah, tell that to all the people who have lung cancer who’ve never smoked.

You don’t have to smoke to get lung cancer.  Geez, you’d think somebody there would know that by now.

 

1 https://www.lungcancerfoundation.org/about-us/lung-cancer-facts/

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Pressing Questions

I have two pressing questions today.  The first most of you will relate to; the second, maybe not everyone.

Question One:  I’d rather take a bloody beating, but I have to buy a new washer. I wash a lot of human and animal bedding, so large capacity, at least 4.7 cu.ft. Got that part.

Why do I wash a lot of  bedding?  Because I made the huge mistake earlier in my life of accumulating a working zoo of animals in my house, all of whom appear to be immortal and all with varied hair lengths. While I’m happy to have them sleep on the bed, I don’t want to share their hair and the unidentified schmutz they pick up when they go outside 50 times a day to see what that noise was, and then deposit on the day quilt and comforter.  Also cat butts.

So I need your help. Maytag? Whirlpool? Another brand?  Not too high end. (Remember, the chances of me being around another 3 to 5 are slim to none.)

Agitator? Impeller (aka HE)?

I need an answer from some smart people because there are apparently none who work at the one local, independent appliance store in my town. We have a Lowe’s and a Home Depot, but I prefer to support local businesses when I can. I may have to rethink that commitment.

Unfortunately, this store’s primary sales strategy for selling washing machines seems to be blaming (alternately) the Democrats/Obama and the government for tromping on our god-given rights by regulating how much water we can use. Oh, absolutely. Because we all know we can trust millions of other people to be as responsible as we are – if the government would just leave us all alone.

Question Two:  Probably not kosher blog etiquette to ask this, but having cancer makes you not care what you say anymore, so here goes:  Anybody know what happened to Victo Dolore of Behind the White Coat? She just stopped blogging and her WordPress account is now private.  Also, Grandma Lin at Breathing Space? No posts since December. I know she follows this blog, so just wondering if everything’s okay.

Pressing. Questions. Get back to me ASAP.

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The Boss of Everything

Youngest grandson, seven, called me this afternoon and wanted to know would I come pick him up “now or later, whichever is best for you” and take him to Game Stop to buy a Skylanders figure (pricy video game paraphernalia,  don’t ask).

Seems his older brother was invited to a friend’s house for the day and since he wasn’t invited and didn’t have anywhere to go it was only fair that he get a toy to compensate for this cruel injustice.

I asked him what Mom thought about this scheme and did she know he was calling me.  He said, “Well, Didi, since you’re really the boss of everything, you can tell Mommy what to do.”

Just wanted to let y’all know in case you thought you were the boss of everything.

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Just in case

She clips the coupon for the HoneyBaked Ham,
just in case

And puts it in her purse,
just in case

At Target, she buys sweet candy and colorful baskets,
just in case

She dyes eggs, makes potato salad, arranges flowers
just in case

She tries to smile,
just in case

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Goodbye, Stephen Hawking

I’ve mentioned before that I use this blog mostly as a repository of things I want to remember since, you know, chemobrain. Here’s an example.  I don’t know a black hole from a pot hole, but I know it mattered that he did.

An extraordinary human (and fellow atheist) left us today.  Thank you Stephen Hawking for your beautiful mind, your amazing work, your humor and your hope.

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And now for my thoughts on guns…

Just kidding.

My opinion is worth about two cents, so unless it would result in some real change, I won’t add to the debate except to say that change will never happen as long as the NRA owns the U. S. Congress. More power to the Parkland kids, though.  I hope they don’t give up.

Two notable links this morning:

— El Jefe at Juanita Jean’s has this thoughtful piece called “The Tipping Point on Gun Violence.”

— The Thoughts and Prayers Make-up Look.  (H/T to YouCallThatArt)

Hope to post more regularly soon, but I probably won’t. Real life seems to get in the way, and I just can’t seem to focus anyway.

There.  Aren’t you glad I kept my opinion to myself?

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Monday Notes

Dear Maizie:

I hope you, Emma and Ellie are running through some soft, high grass and stopping to discover new smells. I hope the sun is shining on your velvet head.  I hope you are eating those little cheese chunks you like and taking long naps under an old oak tree on your Coolaroo bed.  I hope you are looking at the moon and remembering me.

Speaking of the moon . . . the sky this week was worth a deep breath in and long look up.

********

If only you could be a little bit more positive.  The marketing gimmick that just won’t die and the pressure cancer patients can do without it. Not just cancer patients, anyone who’s struggling with disease.

*****

Research news.  Possible new approach from researchers at MIT for LC patients with a KRAS-driven genetic mutation, like mine.

*****

Cancer heroes.  Nice profile in the Washington Post on immunotherapy pioneer James Allison and Padmanee Sharma, their work at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center (shout out!) and their unlikely life together.  Kinda cool when I’m there knowing these two are on some floor above me working to cure cancer.

*****

National education hilarity Betsy DeVos schools us on what it’s like to be really, really smart and stuff.

*****

If you missed Ken Burns’s and Lynn Novick’s The Vietnam War on PBS, all episodes will be streamed until October 15th.  Don’t miss it.

*****

Perspectives.  There is no breathing room with lung cancer (no pun intended). Make it through treatment, mark an anniversary, maybe two, contemplate making it to the next one, hope some new drug comes along to make it even further.  If you’re lucky, only a few minutes of every day are spent wondering when when the cancer will come back.

Truth.  “He who is cruel to animals becomes hard also in his dealings with men. We can judge the heart of a man by his treatment of animals.” — Immanual Kant