LIVESTRONG

Hi there everyone, I really appreciate that there are so many folks who take the time to read my posts and occasionally give me some feedback. I find that my free time is best spent looking for ways to make life better... without doing damage to the others that share it with us, or that will in the future.

As you probably know, I have gone through a hard battle with cancer, and am still only 2.5 years removed from my chemo and radiation treatments which followed a total of 16 hours of surgery. Amazingly, that was nothing compared to what my Mother went through prior to her recent passing... she lost a leg with a high thigh amputation and subsequent radiation for a sarcoma about ten years ago which left her with a prosthesis, but unable to walk without the aid of two canes. She then had surgery for colon cancer about two years ago... and subsequently had recurrent colon cancer which ultimately took her life. These are just two examples of everyday Canadians and North Americans who have had to battle this disease, who led otherwise healthy lives. As we all know, there are many, too many stories like this.

Following her Celebration of Life service I committed to myself that some how I would start becoming better at advocating for cancer survival, as I have in the past for Cardiovascular Disease. This post is a continuation of that commitment, and the two images above display a source of lots of information that we can utilize to forward the opportunity for a cure... or at least survivability of the disease.

I am more than supportive of the Canadian Cancer Society, and will continue to be. As well, I support the various Palliative Care Foundations. But I am bringing forward the Lance Armstrong Foundation as an additional source of inspiration for all of us. I remember well the day I was having an eleven hour surgical procedure on my neck to remove about fifty-three nodes, some of which were cancerous... the anesthesiologist came to my bedside in the hall outside the operating room, to check me out prior to the surgery. He and the surgeon explained all of the risks... one of which was infection. Then they asked me to remove my blue coral necklace, my wedding band and my LIVESTRONG yellow bracelet. I agreed to the first two, but I asked to leave the bracelet on... it was by that time my anchor... I had been wearing it for about a year prior to having been diagnosed... mostly because it was the image of Lance Armstrong and my love of cycling that I needed to keep foremost in my mind in order to rationalize beating cancer... all cancer!

They agreed! I had my surgery with my yellow bracelet in place... and I didn't have an infection... we made certain it was cleaned with alcohol prior to entering the sterile field in the OR.

These yellow bracelets are not just a fashion statement! They stand for the fellowship we have with one another as survivors. They also stand for the support that we get from family, friends and contributors. And they also stand for the incredible effort that Lance Armstrong and his teams are putting forward to coordinate an extra attack on cancer.

With all this background, I suggest to you that there is a lot to be gained by visiting the website that is centered on this scourge on humanity... just click on this link to visit the really cool site

laf.org

Please take a look, join the newsletter, the advocacy team and so on. I have been shopping on the website... some deals, and lots of yellow and black stuff...