BARBARA'S TCHATZKAHS

A couple days ago I was sitting at the doctor's office getting a series of bloodwork done when I saw this: On Monday, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommended that doctors delay mammography screening for breast cancer until the age of 50. The recommendation goes against the American Cancer Society’s long-held position that women receive their first mammogram by the age of 40 and follow up with yearly mammograms until the age of 74. WT#?? Are these people kidding? Yes, I admit I am over 50. Because of having PCOS since age 9 I have been getting regular mammograms since I was about 35 years ago. Drug therapy for infertility as well as for my PCOS and subsequently my Atypical MS means I always err on the side of caution and my doctors agree. PCOS carries a high rate of cancer later in life. Thank God I dodged that bullet after this May's surgery. But that doesn't mean I shouldn't take care of my body - flawed as it is. I have had a number of friends m...

From a consistently great & illuminating blogger -- Rabble Rouser Rev. Amy : There has been a great deal of talk and debate about health care in the country recently as the Democrats push Heath Care Reform. A lot of animosity has been directed at the Health Insurance Industry as a whole. As it turns out, some is justified, but some is not. I was surprised by what is NOT justified, and I think you might be, too But first, another reason to be angry at insurers, especially if you are female, and living in one of thirty-nine states in the union, as this article highlights, Women Pay Up To 50% More For Health Insurance Premiums . Now, maybe I was just naive to not realize this was happening, but happening it is. This article focuses on the state of Colorado: Checking the “female” box when buying health insurance is likely to cost extra — perhaps up to 50 percent more than a man would pay for the same coverage. Gender-rating — or what some term as flat-out sexual discrimination — is li...

As difficult as it may be for many of us to talk about PCOS, I ask you to join other women with PCOS and their friends & families and become involved to make a difference. You could potentially help someone who is unaware that they have the syndrome. Just think how wide PCOS awareness could spread if we all took action. We ask you to share your knowledge of PCOS with others. The goal is to foster knowledge and sensitivity to those with the condition. Have you ever told someone about PCOS who has never heard of the syndrome before? Was their reaction shock, disbelief or confusion as to why they had never heard of this before, since it is so common? More information: www.pcosupport.org www.projectpcos.org/ projectpcos.org/getting_word_out/pcospetition.php pcos.insulitelabs.com/blog/index.php/living-with-pcos/september-i... SEND YOUR POSTS FOR INCLUSION TO: http://www.bloggersunite.org/event/pcos-awareness-month

About a week ago a friend of mine told me she was diagnosed with cancer. In my shock, with my brain going 1000mph - I did the all-to-human thing of putting my foot in my mouth. I tried three times to apologize. She told me never to speak to her again. I didn't feel like hearing any more verbal assaults dissecting my 'motives' for putting my foot in my mouth, so it was mutual. She and I had been through a very traumatic experience together at one time so that was always hanging between us. She crossed over today. I hope wherever she is - she knows how deeply sad I am and that I will always care about her. I hope she knows peace, fulfillment and joy of Hashem's presence. The 17th day in the Jewish month of Tammuz, Jews the world over fast and lament to commemorate the many calamities that have befallen our people on this ominous day. The purpose of such fasts in the Jewish calendar is, according to Rabbi Eliyahu Kitov's Book of Our Heritage, "to awaken hearts...

INFLAMMATORY BREAST CANCER IN SUPPORT OF WHYMOMMY Calling all moms, bloggers and people who care! Tehillim and good wishes request for WhyMommy, a young mother recently diagnosed and battling Inflammatory Breast Cancer. Click here to read more from WhyMommy about her fight. More on Inflammatory Breast Cancer: What is Inflammatory Breast Cancer? INFLAMMATORY BREAST CANCER (IBC) is an advanced and accelerated form of breast cancer usually not detected by mammograms or ultrasounds. Inflammatory breast cancer requires immediate aggressive treatment with chemotherapy prior to surgery and is treated differently than more common types of breast cancer. One or more of the following are Typical Symptoms of IBC: Swelling, usually sudden, sometimes a cup size in a few days Itching Pink, red, or dark colored area (called erythema) sometimes with texture similar to the skin of an orange (called peau d'orange) Ridges and thickened areas of the skin What appears to be a bruise...

TEHILLIM REQUEST FOR RIVKA BAT CHAIM One of my dearest friend's mother needs our prayers. My friend, her mother and their families live in the United Kingdom. Jewish women tolerating an increasingly scary environment for any Jew. Let alone a female one. Both my friend and her mum (Elaine - Rivka bat Chaim) are disabled. Elaine has lipodema . But now she's been diagnosed with Stage 2 Invasive Ductal Carcinoma a form of breast cancer which has spread and is growing moderately fast. Investigative surgery was done on 6/12/07 and we await the results and Elaine's recuperation. Anyone who knows about the U.K. knows people like Elaine are medically supported by the National Health Service . A good enough service for the well. But when you are disabled already and something like this happens - you need to be seen by a specialist. Unfortunately that means scraping up money to pay for one. Being disabled means Elaine, now having breast cancer, needs a specialist. My friend has post...