Headwear Etc Blog

Melanoma More Fatal in Minorities
A study at the University of Miami reveals that although more white people are diagnosed with melanoma, it is more deadly in hispanics and blacks. The study showed that black people are three times more likely to be diagnosed in a late stage of mealnoma than whites. People of hispanic heritage were twice as likely when compared to whites. The later melanoma is diagnosed, the lower the survival rate.

Melanoma is disease that is responsible for 80% of skin cancer deaths each year. Early detection is key. Many people have the misconception that those with dark complexions are not at risk for skin cancers. However, this is completely false. We all have the ability to develop skin cancer.

Does Garlic Prevent Cancer?
Studies concerning garlic’s anti-cancer abilities look promising. Of 37 studies done to examine garlic’s effectiveness as a cancer inhibitor, 28 were successful. Preliminary studies show an increased cancer inhibiting effect on prostate cancer and stomach cancer.

Researchers believe that there are many factors in garlic’s ability to fight cancer. One factor is the many compounds found in garlic, including allyl sulfur. Allyl sulfur can slow down damage the progress of cancerous cell growth.

How Can I Prevent Cancer with Garlic?
Garlic is a finicky vegetable and the conditions have to be just right to reap the health benefits. Researchers recommend using garlic that has been pressed into a oil or powder. They have also found that garlic that is peeled and immediately cooked, eliminates a chemical reaction that is thought to be a factor in garlic’s anti-cancer properties. Wait at least 15 minutes before cooking garlic after peeling.
A Word About Garlic Consumption…
The studies about garlic cancer have all been observational, meaning they involved cultures that consume an above average amount or included animals. There have been no clinical trials or direct studies involving humans.

It can be harmful to eat garlic in large quantities. It has been reported that people who eat excessive amounts can suffer from allergic reactions, foul garlic odor on breath and body, stomach disorders, and dermatitis.

How fortunate I am to be blessed with such “sisters” that add meaning to my
life!

Sisters

A young wife sat on a sofa on a hot humid day,
drinking iced tea and visiting with her Mother. As they talked about
life, about marriage, about the responsibilities of life and the
obligations of adulthood, the mother clinked the ice cubes in her
glass thoughtfully and turned a clear, sober glance upon her daughter.

“Don’t forget your Sisters,” she advised, swirling the tea leaves to
the bottom of her glass. “They’ll be more important as you get older.

No matter how much you love your husband, no matter how much you love the

children you may have, you are still going to need Sisters.
Remember to go places with them now and then; do things with them.

“Remember that ‘Sisters’ means ALL the women… your girlfriends, your
daughters, and all your other women relatives too.

“You’ll need other women. Women always do.”

‘What a funny piece of advice!’, the young woman thought. ‘Haven’t I
just gotten married? Haven’t I just joined the couple-world? I’m now
a married woman, for goodness sake! A grown-up! Surely my husband and the

family we may start will be all I need to make my life
worthwhile!’

But she listened to her Mother. She kept contact with her Sisters and
made more women friends each year. As the years tumbled by, one after
another, she gradually came to understand that her Mom really knew what
she
was talking about. As time and nature work their changes and their
mysteries upon a woman, Sisters are the mainstays of her life.

After more than 50 years of living in this world, here is what I’ve
learned:

THIS SAYS IT ALL:

Time passes.

Life happens.

Distance separates.

Children grow up.

Jobs come and go.

Love waxes and wanes.

Men don’t do what they’re supposed to do.

Hearts break.

Parents die.

Colleagues forget favors.

Careers end.

BUT………

Sisters are there, no matter how much time and how many miles are
between you.

A girl friend is never farther away than needing her can reach.

When you have to walk that lonesome valley and you have to walk it by
yourself, the women in your life will be on the valley’s rim, cheering
you on, praying for you, pulling for you, intervening on your behalf,
and waiting with open arms at the valley’s end.

Sometimes, they will even break the rules and walk beside you.

Or come in and carry you out.

Girlfriends, daughters, granddaughters, daughters-in-laws, sisters,
sisters-in-laws, Mothers, Grandmothers, Mother-in-law, aunties, nieces,
cousins, and extended family, all bless our life!

The world wouldn’t be the same without women, and neither would I.

When we began this adventure called womanhood, we had no idea of the
incredible joys or sorrows that lay ahead.

Nor did we know how much we would need each other.

Every day, we need each other still.

The many meanings of “survivorship”
For one patient, the title of breast cancer survivor didn’t come immediately with her diagnosis. “It wasn’t instantaneous,’’ said the patient., who was diagnosed 19 months ago. “I thought if I survived five years, then I could call myself a survivor. Now I consider it a general state of mind. I’ve come a long way. During treatment, I was a warrior. I thought I was fighting something. I was in a battle, a battle for my life. Now I know I am a survivor.”

The term cancer survivor was coined just over 20 years ago in 1985, by physician Fitzhugh Mullan in the New England Journal of Medicine. Mullan himself had been diagnosed with cancer years before at age 32, and he reasoned that the word “patient” didn’t capture his experience on any level. “Survival is a much more useful concept, because it is a generic idea that applies to everyone diagnosed with cancer, regardless of the course of the illness,” he wrote. “Survival, in fact, begins at the point of diagnosis, because that is the time when patients are forced to confront their mortality and begin to make adjustments that will be part of their immediate, and to some extent, long-term future.”

Mullan went on to found the National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship (NCCS), and the definition of a survivor as someone who has been diagnosed with cancer has never changed.

Because treatment outcomes have improved and more cancer survivors are living longer, the notion of survivorship has taken on a different concept, according to a spokeswoman for the NCCS.

With the number of cancer survivors at 10 million in the U.S., more attention is now on their unique long-term health care needs. Recent national studies have urged medical professionals to shift the focus of cancer treatment toward a “wellness mode” that promotes disease prevention beyond the initial diagnosis.

Cancer survivors’ health history might take attention away from other crucial health problems, such as heart disease and diabetes, researchers say. Psychological effects might linger even longer than health professionals have suspected. NCCS now concentrates on long-term effects of cancer treatment, and end of life issues. As national studies show, all cancer survivors need a survivorship care plan, with doctors who are trained in following the many long-term needs, the group notes.