Ever heard of one of those? Neither had I. Cancer clusters are when many people who live or work in the same area develop cancer over a period of time. This story scares the crap out of me. I've posted some excerpts...
At last count, some 18 La Quinta Middle School employees contracted cancer over a 15-year period. More than a dozen former students have been diagnosed.
The harsh truth is that cancer occurs often and for any number of complex reasons. Finding a specific cause, a carcinogenic smoking gun, is terribly rare.
...
“Don’t let anyone suffer the way I have.”
Those were among the last words of a 16-year-old Carlsbad boy to his stricken parents.
In the last six months, Stacey and John Quartarone have dedicated themselves to find out if Chase, who passed away last December of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, died because he was exposed to something toxic in his neighborhood.
“My mantra, my life, my goal is to be true to his request,” John told me.
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Monday, July 5, 2010
Another blog I've been reading
There's this hilarious guy named Nate who writes down all the stuff that pisses him off, which lately has just been PCBs (I'll let you read his blog to find out what that is) and how they cause cancer. Interesting stuff but it's also funny. I've been reading his blog and so should you. Hey Nate!
nathansobservations.posterous.com
nathansobservations.posterous.com
Celebrating Forth of July with Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma
Hey guys, hope everyone had a happy Forth of July.
It's a tradition every year for Lucy and I to go to our friend Jared's parents' house in the country with about a hundred of our friends and family members and watch fireworks. We've been doing that for about five years now, but I wasn't sure if Lucy would be up to it this year. I was wrong; she wasn't going to let non-Hodgkin's get in the way. That's my sister just bein' awesome.
So we bought blankets and fireworks and burgers and veggies and snacks and took them over to Jared's around 4pm. Jared's parents have horses and dogs and a bunch of farm animals, so Lucy and I played with them and ate lots of delicious food. Finally it started to get dark and people started popping fireworks. Even Lucy was getting into it, and normally she's totally afraid of fireworks. I guess this disease is making her want to take more chances in life. I think that's pretty cool.
Anyway, it was a great time and we can't wait for next year.
It's a tradition every year for Lucy and I to go to our friend Jared's parents' house in the country with about a hundred of our friends and family members and watch fireworks. We've been doing that for about five years now, but I wasn't sure if Lucy would be up to it this year. I was wrong; she wasn't going to let non-Hodgkin's get in the way. That's my sister just bein' awesome.
So we bought blankets and fireworks and burgers and veggies and snacks and took them over to Jared's around 4pm. Jared's parents have horses and dogs and a bunch of farm animals, so Lucy and I played with them and ate lots of delicious food. Finally it started to get dark and people started popping fireworks. Even Lucy was getting into it, and normally she's totally afraid of fireworks. I guess this disease is making her want to take more chances in life. I think that's pretty cool.
Anyway, it was a great time and we can't wait for next year.
Friday, July 2, 2010
Now that's rock 'n roll.
I'm reading a story about this guy who's in five different bands (yes, five) who's playing a cancer benefit in Illinois next weekend. His story from Galesburg.com:
“It was in the summertime of 2005. I was playing one night and I couldn’t stand up,” Allen said. “Now, I have arthritis pretty bad — but this was something else.
“It was something I had never felt before and I was worried.”
Allen is used to overcoming physical obstacles. At the age of 18 months, he was diagnosed with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. Among numerous other complications, the illness can cause slow growth rate and uneven growth of limbs. Allen’s JRA stayed in remission until he was 7.
Despite the difficulties, Allen earned a degree in music performance and has been a fixture on the local music scene for years.
Perhaps because of his pre-existing condition, doctors struggled to find out what was wrong with Allen during the summer of 2005. Everything from a pinched nerve to fibromyalgia was considered a possibility.
“I couldn’t stand up and just seemed to be getting worse,” he said. “I was lying in an emergency room bed and my dad walked in and said ‘I’m gonna tell you straight out what the doctors told me. You have cancer.’
“It turned out that I had a tumor the size of a grapefruit lodged in my lower spine. It was non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma.”
Used to fighting a body that others might consider a betrayal, Allen did not despair.
“To be perfectly honest with you, I got pissed,” he said. “I had just quit smoking and was eating healthier. I had cut down on my drinking and started exercising. I was doing everything to get healthier and then this tumor popped up. I was so pissed.”
Fear crept in later.
“The first couple of weeks, lying in the hospital, people would come and visit,” he said. “Seeing family and friends crying really shook me up. I got to the point — even though everyone meant well — that I couldn’t stand to hear people cry.
“I was going to beat it.”
And that’s what Allen did — quickly. He responded to chemotherapy treatments and by December 2005 he was told he was cancer free.
“It’s been almost five years to the day that I was diagnosed with cancer,” Allen said. “That’s the main reason I go to Relay For Life events always.
“I was very lucky. Not everyone gets lucky.”
Amen to that brother.
“It was in the summertime of 2005. I was playing one night and I couldn’t stand up,” Allen said. “Now, I have arthritis pretty bad — but this was something else.
“It was something I had never felt before and I was worried.”
Allen is used to overcoming physical obstacles. At the age of 18 months, he was diagnosed with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. Among numerous other complications, the illness can cause slow growth rate and uneven growth of limbs. Allen’s JRA stayed in remission until he was 7.
Despite the difficulties, Allen earned a degree in music performance and has been a fixture on the local music scene for years.
Perhaps because of his pre-existing condition, doctors struggled to find out what was wrong with Allen during the summer of 2005. Everything from a pinched nerve to fibromyalgia was considered a possibility.
“I couldn’t stand up and just seemed to be getting worse,” he said. “I was lying in an emergency room bed and my dad walked in and said ‘I’m gonna tell you straight out what the doctors told me. You have cancer.’
“It turned out that I had a tumor the size of a grapefruit lodged in my lower spine. It was non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma.”
Used to fighting a body that others might consider a betrayal, Allen did not despair.
“To be perfectly honest with you, I got pissed,” he said. “I had just quit smoking and was eating healthier. I had cut down on my drinking and started exercising. I was doing everything to get healthier and then this tumor popped up. I was so pissed.”
Fear crept in later.
“The first couple of weeks, lying in the hospital, people would come and visit,” he said. “Seeing family and friends crying really shook me up. I got to the point — even though everyone meant well — that I couldn’t stand to hear people cry.
“I was going to beat it.”
And that’s what Allen did — quickly. He responded to chemotherapy treatments and by December 2005 he was told he was cancer free.
“It’s been almost five years to the day that I was diagnosed with cancer,” Allen said. “That’s the main reason I go to Relay For Life events always.
“I was very lucky. Not everyone gets lucky.”
Amen to that brother.
NHL in the NHL
Haha. Like what I did there?
Well as some of you know, I'm a big fan of hockey so when the draft was happening I paid close attention. And you know what's cool? When the Ducks announced they're re-signing Saku Koivu, they also mentioned that the dude had a long battle with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and overcame it. He returned to playing just seven months after he was diagnosed--DIAGNOSED. That means he was still playing when he had it. What a champ.
Image courtesy of NHL.com
He won the Bill Masterton Trophy during the 2002 season, which is given every year to the NHL player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey. He won it just after he was came back to start playing after he was diagnosed. He was also honored with the 2007 King Clancy Memorial Trophy for his work with the Saku Koivu Foundation, which he founded to help raise funds for cancer-fighting equipment. The King Clancy Trophy is awarded annually to the player who best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice and has made a noteworthy humanitarian contribution to his community.
New favorite hockey player!
Well as some of you know, I'm a big fan of hockey so when the draft was happening I paid close attention. And you know what's cool? When the Ducks announced they're re-signing Saku Koivu, they also mentioned that the dude had a long battle with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and overcame it. He returned to playing just seven months after he was diagnosed--DIAGNOSED. That means he was still playing when he had it. What a champ.
Image courtesy of NHL.com
He won the Bill Masterton Trophy during the 2002 season, which is given every year to the NHL player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey. He won it just after he was came back to start playing after he was diagnosed. He was also honored with the 2007 King Clancy Memorial Trophy for his work with the Saku Koivu Foundation, which he founded to help raise funds for cancer-fighting equipment. The King Clancy Trophy is awarded annually to the player who best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice and has made a noteworthy humanitarian contribution to his community.
New favorite hockey player!
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Awesome non-Hodgkin's blog
I've been reading this blog: My Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma Journey and it is AMAZING. Takes you through step-by-step this woman's journey through the disease. I've read a few entries and have already laughed, cried and was truly in awe. Check it out yourself.
Rollin' through the drive-thru
Lucy seems to be a little happier today. She ate at McDonald's of all places, but at least she was getting something in her tummy.
She still seems to think that all this non-Hodgkin's lymphoma stuff is so surreal. I do, too. She was just diagnosed a month ago and is already going through treatment and it could be only months or it could be years until she gets better. We'll just have to wait and see. Thanks for all the support, everyone.
She still seems to think that all this non-Hodgkin's lymphoma stuff is so surreal. I do, too. She was just diagnosed a month ago and is already going through treatment and it could be only months or it could be years until she gets better. We'll just have to wait and see. Thanks for all the support, everyone.
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