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Fri, 02 Nov 2007 20:16:56 -0700

This article of mine was featured on Searchwarp.com I'm very proud of it, although, I think I could tweak it a bit.
________________________________________________________________________________________

I've lost. I've hidden. I admit it. Now I've rediscovered new things about myself and my life.

I hope, that in some small fraction, I can help some other woman or man out there struggling with getting diagnosed with a terrifying disease.

When I was diagnosed with breast cancer at age 25, I felt my whole world implode. My family. My friends. Everything changed so suddenly. I wasn't able to keep up. I watched mind numbing movies. Just to cope. At age 25 you've just barely discovered yourself and getting a grip on your presence.

First: I lost my footing. Then I lost my breast. I lost my self confidence. I lost my self esteem. After my mastectomy in Feb 2007, I started to heal physically. Nothing could possibly prepare me for what was about to happen next.

Chemotherapy was the single hardest thing I've ever had to endure in my entire life. There were deep dark holes that swallowed me and overwhelmed me. I went into hiding. I couldn't face the world. I couldn't face society after that.

I have been in hiding for a long time. Hiding from the scary things lurking out in the world.

I've finally admitted it. And have rediscovered myself from it all.

Anyone who has been through a terrifying diagnoses, probably experienced the same sort of things.

Losing/Loss, hiding, admittance, and the rediscovering. They always say there is a grieving process. guilt, denial, sadness and acceptance. Perhaps mine closely resembles that. But I feel that when you go through chemotherapy, there is much more.

Many don't go into the hiding part. I certainly did.

How can you get help to cope? Don't take it on by yourself. Reach out to friends and family. You have every right to explain to them that you're too tired for lectures or speeches. You'll have someone at some point tell you what you need to do. And I'm sure they mean well, they love you afterall. That is their way to cope. To give you advice and push you to make a decision.

Don't let them. It's hard...and I mean really really hard...to tell people to stop digging your grave.

A diagnoses doesn't mean certain death! Doesn't mean you should be rushed into surgery ASAP!

Because you'll get people that will want you to get a bi-lateral mastectomy two days after your diagnoses.

And although,I'm telling you what you should or shouldn't do, I'm merely setting up a pathway that others can follow.

You'll know what is right for you. There is so much information out there, it'll be difficult not to want to consume it all. In the end, it's your life and your decision.

Just know, you're not alone. That was the worst thing in the world to me. To be the only 20-something in my family that has been diagnosed with Breast Cancer. So, I reached out to other breast cancer survivors and they have become my family.

Seek out help. There are so many resources.

http://www.cancer.org/docroot/home/index.asp

http://www.hopkinsbreastcenter.org/

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/cancer-diagnosis/HQ00379

This was one of my favorite songs while I was going through chemotherapy:

This Is Not Goodbye

Artist: Melissa Etheridge

Bravely you let go of my hand

I can't speak yet you understand

Where I go now I go alone

This path I walk these days of stone

And the angels are calling

I must go away

Wait for me here

Silently stay

And don't ask me why

Only believe

This is not good bye

All of my strength all my desire

Still cannot melt this breath of fire

I go to meet some kind of test

Bury the truth that scars my chest

And the angels are calling and calling

I gathered all my courage

I shaved off all my fear

With this banner on my shoulder

I hold your essence near

And the angels are calling and calling and calling

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Tue, 30 Oct 2007 18:53:05 -0700

Army Spc. Hugo V. Mendoza

29, of Glendale, Ariz., assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 503rd Airborne Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team, Vicenza, Italy; died Oct. 25 in Korengal Valley, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when he came in contact with enemy forces using rocket-propelled grenade, machine-gun and small-arms fire during combat operations. Also killed was Sgt. Joshua C. Brenna
Army medic from Glendale dies in ambush in Afghanistan

Beth Duckett
The Arizona Republic

An Army medic who graduated from Trevor Browne High School in Phoenix was killed Thursday in combat in Afghanistan

Family members said Saturday that Spc. Hugo V. Mendoza, 29,of Glendale, was an avid churchgoer who dreamed of becoming a firefighter.

Mendoza, 29, died Thursday in Korengal Valley after his unit was ambushed by enemy forces, according to the Department of Defense Web site. .

Mendoza?s brother, Carlos Mendoza, Jr. of Glendale said his brother was deployed in June to Vicenza, Italy, where his unit is based, The two brothers lived together with Carlos? wife and three children.

?He liked to bowl and liked to play with my kids,? Carlos said. ?The older he got, the more loving he got.?

In a tearful but steady voice, Carlos, 37, said Hugo joined the service last year to get medical training.

?Once he got money for being in service, he was going to use it to go to school and follow his dream of being a firefighter,? Carlos said.

Born in California, Hugo Mendoza spent most of childhood days in El Paso, Texas. As a high school junior, he moved to Phoenix 12 years ago.

He worked in sheet metal construction after he graduated from high school, his brother said.

Since joining the army, Mendoza the remained close with family, calling his mother Sara Mendoza in Detroit every time he had the chance. The Mendozas last heard from him Oct. 17, when he left a cheerful message on the family?s answering machine.

?He sounded in good spirits and was in a good mood ... calling to tell us how he was,? Carlos Mendoza said.

Maria Velasquez, 18, of Phoenix a friend who has known Mendoza since she was a tot, said, ?Hugo was like my own brother, my own uncle. He was everything to us ... it?s been hard, it?s been very hard.?

While mourning their loss, family and friends said they are trying to remember all the positive things about Hugo.

?He had an infectious smile,? his brother said. ?He treated you the way you wanted to be treated. He was very giving of himself and his time, especially recently.?

http://militarytimes.com/valor/3144116.html
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Tue, 30 Oct 2007 18:27:19 -0700

The main ingredients of the new smoothie, called the "Pink Ribbon Smoothie", are garden-fresh strawberries and red grapes which contain disease-fighting phytochemicals which occur naturally in whole fruits, vegetables and grains.

Strawberries have been shown to contain high levels of ellagic acid, a proven anti-carcinogen, anti-mutagen and anti-cancer initiator. Grapes contain resveratrol, which has been proven to inhibit the growth of cancerous tumors. According to Dr. Andrew Dannenburg at Cornell University Medical College, recent research on resveratrol indicates that it inhibits the development of an enzyme commonly linked to breast cancer.

1 cup red grapes
1 cup strawberries, fresh
1 slice ginger, fresh
1/2 cup low fat vanilla yogurt
1 cup ice cubes

USE your Favorite BLENDER and WHip it up

Vita Mix provided this recipe and Photo ~~ Pass it on ~~

Drink it and Think it " PINK"

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Tue, 30 Oct 2007 18:26:28 -0700

Breast cancer update: Can diet make a difference?

By Rachel Johnson, Ph.D., M.P.H., R.D., EatingWell.com

Find More

More on Breast Cancer on MSN Health & Fitness

I need two hands to count the number of my friends and colleagues who learned in the past year or so they have breast cancer. I shouldn't be surprised; after skin cancer, it's the most common cancer women face.
Even women with extensive health knowledge, who seem to get everything right, get cancer. We know there are some things we can't control. We can't change risk factors like our family history; scientists predict that just over one-quarter of breast-cancer risk is due to inherited factors. But it's clear that eating well is part of doing everything you can to tip the odds in your favor.
So what can we do (or not do) to lower our risk? For perspective, I checked in with colleagues who are experts in cancer and nutrition.
Drink moderately, if at all
Much of the research connecting breast-cancer prevention and diet is inconclusive, according to Laurence Kolonel, M.D., Ph.D., director of the epidemiology program at the Cancer Research Center of Hawaii and co-author of a forthcoming major review of diet and cancer. However, one of the areas where consensus is strongest is the role of alcoholic drinks. "Even as little as one drink a day increases breast-cancer risk," he says. While we know consuming alcohol in moderation has benefits for the heart—and heart disease kills far more women than cancer does—you'll need to weigh your decisions about drinking if you have other risk factors for breast cancer. Consider limiting yourself to one drink a day; more won't provide additional heart benefits. If you have a family history of breast cancer, you may want to avoid alcohol altogether.
Stay lean, move more
A recent review article in the journal, Cancer, found that one of the most important ways to reduce risk of breast cancer is to avoid gaining weight. That means balancing a healthy diet with plenty of exercise. Research also suggests that if you're overweight, losing those extra pounds before age 45 can reduce your risk of breast cancer after menopause. Even if you're past your forties, managing your weight through physical activity helps. A study of over 100,000 women reported that those who got regular, strenuous exercise had a lower risk of developing breast cancer than others who didn't. Exercise may help lower levels of hormones that are involved in breast cancer. Commit to regular exercise, if you haven't already.
Enjoy fats in moderation
The Women's Intervention Nutrition Study (WINS), a major clinical trial of postmenopausal women with early-stage breast cancer, found that those who followed a low-fat diet significantly reduced their risk of cancer coming back. They also lost an average of 4.6 pounds after the first year of the trial, while those in the control group gained a half-pound. Because weight gain is linked with breast-cancer recurrence and lower survival rates, perhaps the key benefit of a lower-fat diet is the weight loss it encourages. Watching your fat intake can help prevent you from gaining weight and may thus be a cancer-fighting strategy.
Eat soyfoods, not supplements
In countries like China and Japan where soyfoods are commonly eaten, breast-cancer rates are among the lowest in the world—and one analysis of 18 studies found that eating soyfoods, such as tofu and soy nuts, slightly lowered breast-cancer risk. But don't be tempted to pop a soy supplement, warns Kolonel: the high doses of soy phytoestrogens found in supplements can behave like estrogen in the body, causing breast-cell changes that could potentially lead to cancer. Breast-cancer survivors and women at high risk for the disease should avoid soy supplements.
Boost vegetables and fruits?
Research to assess whether fruits and vegetables can fight breast cancer has been disappointing, but "a diet that's rich in fruits and vegetables tends to be lower in calories," says Kolonel, "and that can help you maintain a [cancer-fighting] healthy weight." Cheryl Rock, Ph.D., R.D., who coordinates the Women's Healthy Eating and Living Study (WHEL) at the University of California, San Diego, found that women who ate at least five servings of vegetables and fruits a day (al