WiFi Scanning

Running On Hope Contest

2009-04-29T15:50:00.000-04:00

------Original Message------
From: elisa.garcia-rey@marketingdrive.com
To: wifiscanning@gmail.com
Subject: Running On Hope Contest
Sent: Apr 29, 2009 3:42 PM

Hello,

How are you? My name is Elisa Garcia-Rey and I work with New Balance on
their breast cancer awareness campaigns. I wanted to share a description of
our current campaign in the hopes that you might find it relevant to
yourself or your loyal readers. New Balance is currently celebrating their
20-year partnership with Susan G. Komen for the Cure with a special
documentary that will feature the real life story of a participant in the
Komen Race for the Cure. To select the featured runner/survivor, we are
asking for people to share their story with us as part of our "Running on
Hope" contest. The person who is selected will be invited to Washington,
D.C. for the Global Race for the Cure® on June 6, 2009 where they will be
featured in New Balance's documentary about our history of supporting the
cause. Entrants can share what running in the Race for the Cure® means to
them in a 1-minute video that they can upload at
www.newbalance.com/runningonhope. One winner will be chosen from among
these entries. We hope that this contest will allow people the chance to
inspire others in the same way that they inspire us, and that you'll be
able to share this with others in your extended community. Thanks so much
for your time and consideration.

Regards,

Elisa

--
Sent via a FeedFlare link from a FeedBurner feed.
http://www.feedburner.com/fb/a/publishers/feedflare

Pirate Bay defendants found guilty, sentenced to jail

2009-04-17T17:45:00.001-04:00

This is an article from Boing Boing dated today:

The four defendants in the Swedish trial of The Pirate Bay have been found guilty and sentenced to a year in prison and $3.6m fine. I don't know much about Swedish copyright law -- and the defense rested on the technical boundaries what constitutes an infringement -- so I have no idea if this is the kind of judgment that is likely to survive the inevitable appeal.

A more interesting question is whether The Pirate Bay will disappear now. After the illegal seizure of its servers in 2006, The Pirate Bay supposedly adopted a distributed architecture with failover servers in other jurisdictions that were unlikely to cooperate with EU orders. If The Pirate Bay shuts down, it's certain that something else will spring up in its wake, of course -- just as The Pirate Bay appeared in the wake of the closure of other, more "moderate" services.

Click here to read more.

The Pirate Bay verdict: guilty, with jail time

2009-04-17T17:18:00.001-04:00

This is an article from Ars Technica dated today:

The Pirate Bay "spectrial" has ended in a guilty verdict, prison sentences for the defendants, and a shared 30 million kronor ($3.5 million) fine. According to the Swedish district court, the operators of the site were guilty of assisting copyright infringement, even though The Pirate Bay hosted none of the files in question and even though other search engines like Google also provide direct access to illegal .torrent files.

These two points formed the basis of The Pirate Bay's defense, but the court found them ultimately unpersuasive in its 107 page verdict. "By providing a site with, as the district court found, sophisticated search functions, easy upload and storage, and a website linked to the tracker," the defendants were guilty of assisting copyright infringement, the court said...

Click here to read more.

Netbook Shopping

2009-03-29T21:35:00.006-04:00

HP Mini 1000 Mii Vivienne Tam Edition $699

(I'm not making recommendations, since I don't have a netbook myself).

COOL! Customize your own netbook and laptop skins at Skinit.com.

Here are some links to follow if you're shopping for a netbook:

PCMag.com How to Buy a Netbook

If you're not thinking about buying a netbook, you should be—they're powerful, portable, and inexpensive. Here's what you need to know before you buy.

Netbook Evolution: 22 Netbooks in 18 Months

By Elias Plastiras, PC World Australia

April 14, 2009

A look at the fast-changing netbook – with an overview of the netbooks we’ve tested in the last 18 months. We start with the humble, original Linux-based ASUS Eee PC 701, to the Vista-running HP 2133 Mini-Note, and the breathtaking MSI Wind U120.

Plus, two new MSI ultra-thin netbooks are coming out in April 2009.

Why are there unusual choices for processors on netbooks? Which one is the fastest? Via Nano, AMD Athlon Neo, or Intel Atom? (Answer: none of them are fast, just adequate.) Read the comparison here:

Minilaptop CPU showdown: Atom vs. Neo vs. Nano

by Dan Ackerman, cnet news

April 13, 2009

As one might expect, there's no clear winner...

Why are there unusual choices for operating systems on netbooks? These two articles explain why:

Netbooks and Linux: A Complicated Story

By Keir Thomas, PC World

April 09, 2009

Over the past few days there's been a raft of stories about how the Linux netbook market share is not as healthy as it used to be...

... let's take the point of view of an average computer user. He/she doesn't entirely understand how computers work, but they know how to do the things they like... When such a person purchases a Linux netbook, they face two hurdles. The first hurdle is provided by the software. The second hurdle is provided by the hardware, which is often awkward to use.

Death of Linux on netbooks greatly exaggerated

By Ryan Paul, ars technica

April 16, 2009

Vista is too demanding for netbook hardware, so Microsoft has chosen to extend the lifespan of Windows XP in order to stave off broader Linux use on low-end mobile hardware. This provides a window of opportunity for Linux to get a meaningful foothold in the market—an achievement that has perpetually eluded the free operating system—while Microsoft is prepping Windows 7, which is said to be more netbook-friendly than Vista.

The Fate of File Sharing on Pirate Bay Awaits

2009-03-27T22:54:00.014-04:00

This court trial in Stockholm, Sweden has captured the attention of tech heads all over the world. It is fairly interesting, since thepiratebay.org could be compared to Napster back in it's free heyday, insofar as it tracks files from peer-to-peer (P2P). Except that now the files are much larger, they can contain motion pictures, and when compressed, they are known as bittorrents. (Warning: bittorrents often contain viruses, so skip to the end of this article for filesharing tips to prevent infection).

Here are links to Wired which talks about the conclusion of the trial, and to WebTVwire which goes back and sets up the case. Links to comments from thepiratebay.org founders follow.

Wired.com

Pirate Bay Trial Ends; Verdict Due April 17

By Oscar Swartz, March 3, 2009

STOCKHOLM -- The Pirate Bay trial wrapped up here Tuesday amid a media circus as attorneys for the four accused founders of the world's most notorious BitTorrent tracker proclaimed their clients' innocence to charges of facilitating copyright infringement.

WebTVwire.com

The Pirate Bay Court Case Ends - Verdict Hanging In The Balance Until April 17

Anyone who follows the latest developments in technology, online video, piracy, or legal test cases will no doubt have heard all about The Pirate Bay court case. But with the end now in sight, it’s worth taking a look at the main issues raised...

Comments from thepiratebay.org founders:

http://thepiratebay.org/about

Pirate Bay founders call their site "the worlds largest bittorrent tracker".

http://courtblog.thepiratebay.org/2008/02/06/prepare-for-mudwrestling/

On June 2, 2008 during the investigation that preceded the trial, the founders wrote:

They know that silly legal threats won’t stop us. We believe they are using this process to spread as much dirt about us as possible. To make filesharing look dangerous and illegal.

Expect the months around the trial(s) to be dirty! Expect our enemies to spread some nasty lies about us!

This will not be a battle of right or wrong. It will be about who wins the debate in media.

http://trial.thepiratebay.org/

At trial's end and before the verdict, the founders wrote:

We have already written history, actually more than once. Now we are creating the future.

These proud Swedish gentlemen seem to backup their lofty ideas of self-expression with the technology they create. Case in point - their new proposed service 'Ipredator' which will allow global filesharing under the cloak of anonymous IP addresses. Applications which anonymize IP addresses have been available for awhile, but this service combines both together. What makes this combination interesting is that both services are based on the contributions of other users. Anonymizer software relies on donated IP addresses that take the place of your own temporarily. Would this mean that thepiratebay.org is creating the tools for globalizing grass roots democracy? Would they be peddling privacy or piracy?

Imagine living in China or Iran. In that case, anonymity would be much more important. Maybe we will be seeing a lot of new dietcoke+mentos Youtube videos coming out of places like China and Iran in the near future.

WARNING ABOUT FILESHARING:

Often filesharing websites track bittorrents which contain viruses, trojans, adware, or spyware or all of the above. These are shared by other users who either are unaware of the hidden dangers, or they have a twisted sense of what 'sharing' means. When the bittorrent file is uncompressed these evils are set loose. Sometimes they are invisible to the user.

In order to avoid this, it is advisable to read the comments that are posted with the file. It is in the comments that potential threats are discussed. This is where other sophisticated/vulgar filesharers report their experience. Perhaps it is best to avoid files with zero comments? I am just guessing.

In any case, it is good to run a virus scan application on the files you share, whether you seed (send) or leech (receive). A favorite among tech heads is Kapersky.com, which is not free. A popular free spyware remover is Spybot Search & Destroy at Spybot.com.

The new COBRA premium reduction law

2009-03-27T21:48:00.003-04:00

Here are two important links to read if you are unemployed (like me) and paying COBRA premiums for your health insurance.

Forbes.com

COBRA's Bite Not As Bad

by Anna Vander Broek, March 27, 2009

The government is temporarily subsidizing 65% of your COBRA health care costs, making it cheaper to be unemployed.

U.S. Department of Labor

Employee Benefits Security Administration

Fact Sheet: COBRA Premium Reduction

February 26, 2009

Update on Radiation Treatment

2009-03-27T19:50:00.005-04:00

So, I haven't written in my blog for a long time, mostly because I've been so confused about my treatment. Now I'm on #12 of 33 radiation treatments, and like everything else about breast cancer, in time I've just gotten over it. I mean, I still hate it, but in February and March I was so angry that I had to have radiation, plus there were a whole series of things that happened that I still don't understand. I have a type A kind of personality, meaning I always want everything explained and in condensed form so I can keep it in my blackberry.

First of all, back in December I considered myself a success case. My chemotherapy clinical trail had shrunk my 5 cm tumor to 5 mm in size. My lumpectomy would be simple, or so I thought, until my surgeon removed 17 lymph nodes and discovered cancer in 5 of them. Based on that, he scheduled a second surgery to remove and test more lymph nodes and at the same time, to have the gastro surgeon remove my gall bladder, which had gall stones.

I was floored. Why hadn't the chemo killed the cancer in my lymph nodes? If they didn't know I had it in my lymph nodes until they removed them, then how are they going to know if it comes back there someday? Until then, I thought I had a grip on understanding this stuff. I could not comprehend the six page pathology report at all.

Well, upon the second surgery, he removed 4 lymph nodes and found cancer in none. But the surgery combined with the gall bladder surgery was more debilitating. My left arm was not happy, and I would need physical therapy, I couldn't tolerate food or cooking smells for a long time afterwards.

Now that I was well enough to go to the supermarket, I disliked everything I saw, and returned home with only diet ginger ale, cheerios, and lemon yogurt. I had to resume taking anti-nausea medicine. I was back to my usual chemo routine, with my horrible hot flashes, stunned and confused, afraid of germs from other people, doing nothing all day .

I couldn't understand why I would have to go to radiation 33 times. I thought there was some mistake. I was cancer free. I wrote to my boss to get my job back, and he wrote back that there was no job for me due to economic reasons. Since he had laid off others, I wouldn't be able to take him to court for discrimination.

Wait, there are two more events to come. I developed an infection in my left breast, the one they operated on. It was red and swollen and painful, and I pretended for days that it wasn't happening, since I didn't have a fever. How could I have an infection? I had had a visiting nurse come six times and check my incision, which were healing just fine.

I couldn't eat, so finally my friend told me I had to go to the surgeon. She said it might be the kind of infection that people often get just from being in the hospital. When I asked the surgeon, he said that it's just the kind of infection people just get. I took amoxicillin for 10 days, but I was better in about 3 days.

During which my car was stolen, which angered the two policemen who came, since it was a 10-year old Ford and not a likely car one might steal. They paced up and down our apartment insisting it must be in the tow pounds in the Bronx. Then one sat down at my computer and read the website from NYPD stating that they did not have my car, and he had me print it out.

The next afternoon was my first radiation, at which I had a crying fit and told the radiation oncologist that I didn't believe in the treatment because radiation causes cancer, and it didn't make any sense to me that it would also prevent it's recurrence. She spent a long time explaining to me that it has been proven to work.
On the way home at the bus stop, ten minutes from home, my car drove right past me with some other driver in it, who was not me! I called 911 and an unmarked car came immediately. "Get in!" they said, and we drove all around Riverdale really fast, but we didn't find it. That really made me mad. I had planned to use the car to drive to radiation 33 times, and now some goofball was tooling around the Bronx in it!

You'll be glad to hear that my days of being miserable are over. Except most food is still out of the question. But now it's nice out, I'm on physical therapy #5, I got used to the germs from other people in the subway again, I got a new leather coat, my hair is about half an inch long, and my friend asked me to design and build her website using flash animation. It's a landscape architecture portfolio.

So now I am teaching myself dreamweaver and flash. A few years ago, I wrote my landscape architecture portfolio website using XHTML, CSS and borrowed javascript. Flash will be much more difficult, so I will have something to write about in my blog, since I will no longer have cancer to write about. All I will have to do is take tamoxifen and go to the endocrinologist. And change my diet... and take vitamins... and exercise more... and stop buying diet coke in toxic plastic bottles...

Love, E

A google search for plastic bottles + breast cancer

2009-03-27T17:13:00.007-04:00

I understand that alarms are frequently set in the press about all kinds of potential causes of breast cancer from cheeseburgers and french fries to wine and beer. Maybe that's because the causes of breast cancer are not well understood, except for cases in which there is a genetic inheritance, which they can now test for. (I don't have a family history, so they didn't test my genes). I try to stay away from these scary articles because they are so confusing.

But today I read one that I feel may have some substance. (Although the article does not cite sources, nor is it a properly scientifical article, so I guess I have to look into it further.) It's an article divided up into a photogallery of 16 images, which is kind of a pain to try and read.

Article: Is Your Home Causing Breast Cancer?

by Josie Swindler from AOL Health, March 27, 2009
Click on photogallery of 16 images with captions listing various toxins.

The section that I'm interested in is under image #5 - plastic containers, which says:

Figuring out whether plastic containers are safe can be confusing: polyethylene is safe, polycarbonate isn't; polypropylene is safe, bisphenol-A isn't. After repeated reheating, polycarbonate, a chemical seen in several plastic storage products, can leak BPA, the dangerous hormone disruptor found in some baby bottles.

Polyethylene terephthalate (PET), the chemical in most plastic soda bottles, leaks the hormone-disrupting carcinogens called phthalates after repeated use. Deli plastic like polyvinyl chloride (PVC) can also release dioxins.

Yikes, talk about confusing and scary. I don't even know how to use this information. And it does not cite a link between plastic containers and breast cancer in the above section.

A google search for "Polyethylene-terephthalate breast-cancer" gave me the following link at Snopes.com: Bottle Royale, from January 20, 2009 which says:

Claim: Reusing or freezing plastic water bottles will cause them to break down into carcinogenic compounds or release dioxins.
Status: False.

And then it goes on to to cite two sources, a scientist and a doctor, which are in the form of conversations, not publications.

More searching led me to the following link at The Environmental Working Group: Environmental Concerns are Sending People Back to Their Taps
eMagazine, by Melissa Knopper, May 5, 2008

When it comes to reusable bottles, however, consumers still need to do their homework. Research shows that clear bottles made of polycarbonate plastic (such as the original 32-ounce Nalgene) can leach bisphenol-A (BPA). This is an endocrine-disrupting chemical that acts like estrogen in the body. BPA essentially tricks your body into thinking it’s estrogen, says Washington State University Researcher Patricia Hunt. She discovered the dangers of BPA when some of her polycarbonate mouse cages started to leach BPA, causing infertility in female mice.

Since BPA has been linked to low sperm counts and an increased risk of breast and prostate cancer, scientists like vomSaal and Hunt suggest avoiding reusable bottles made from plastic. They also raise serious concerns about the potential for other plastic chemicals to leach out of typical PET water bottles—especially if they sit in the hot sun.

Again, no citations, but I trust environmentalists more than I do plastic manufacturers. Anyway, all this doesn't prove anything, and it's making me drowsy. I better go and get myself another diet coke.

Love, E

More Confusing Talk About Soybeans and Breast Cancer

2009-03-27T16:47:00.002-04:00

Cure Magazine Spring 2009

Soy Story

By Lena Huang

Patients with a history of breast cancer may choose to consume products high in phytoestrogens [found in soybeans], hoping they may protect against recurrence. Others believe phytoestrogens can act as a natural hormone replacement therapy and can alleviate menopausal symptoms, such as hot flashes, without the side effects of traditional synthetic hormones.

Although there seems to be some connection, the association is still not clear with some studies showing a protective effect and other research revealing stimulatory effects to breast cancer cells in vitro [in a petri dish]...

Portraits

2009-02-14T23:20:00.006-05:00

Mousetrap and I, February 10, 2009

Mom, February 10, 2009

Mom at An Beal Bocht, February 7, 2009

My friend and I at An Beal Bocht, February 7, 2009

Love, E

P.S. come over and I will take your portrait with my new camera.

Can I be fired for having cancer? Workplace rights and insurance resources for cancer survivors and others

2009-02-14T10:00:00.007-05:00

I have updated this blog post and verified the links to make it more thorough since the information is even more relevant now that I have officially lost my job last week. My pro bono cancer attorney is unable to do anything about the possibility of discrimination against me, since my firm is so small and others have already been laid off before me.

In speaking with friends in New York, many others seem to be in the same situation that I now find myself. For anyone else like me, here are some links to read. I have not investigated them all, but they are here for those who wish to look into them further.

A new law has been passed to help unemployed people pay their COBRA health insurance premiums, which can be expensive.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) provides for a 65% reduction in COBRA premiums for certain assistance eligible individuals for up to 9 months.

FAQs About COBRA Continuation Health Coverage

Pam Stephan, Breast Cancer Guide at About.com's extensive breast cancer website, was kind to send me the following link:

Breast Cancer and Work
Knowing Your Rights, Telling Colleagues, Taking Accommodations
From Betsy Lee-Frye, for About.com

Employers are required by federal law to provide "reasonable accommodations" for anyone with a disability. According to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), cancer qualifies as a disability when the disease or its effects of treatment hinder an individual's "major life activities."

The Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) of 1993 also protects the jobs of people with a cancer diagnosis. However, not everyone qualifies for FMLA protection. . . Employers who have fewer than 50 employees do not have to follow FMLA regulations.

The National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship is survivor-led cancer advocacy organization. The following are links to free NCCS publications in pdf format:

What Cancer Survivors Need To Know About Health Insurance
by Kimberly J. Calder, MPS and Karen Pollitz, MPP

This book sorts through the insurance maze by explaining the many types of insurance, exploring ways cancer survivors can get the most out of their insurance coverage and discussing laws that provide some protection for cancer survivors changing jobs. 34 pages.

Working It Out: Your Employment Rights As A Cancer Survivor
by Barbara Hoffman, JD

Unfortunately, many cancer survivors experience workplace discrimination. In fact, one survey found that American workers with cancer are fired or laid off five times as often as other workers. This book addresses the employment challenges that many survivors face and offers advice and resources to address those challenges. 22 pages.

Self-Advocacy: A Cancer Survivor's Handbook

NCCS believes that cancer becomes a much lesser foe when faced by informed and knowledgeable health care consumers who know how to communicate their needs to those who can be helpful to them as they experience cancer. This handbook focuses on self-training steps and tools to assist and empower individuals dealing with cancer. 26 pages.

LawHelp

A national, non-profit org that helps low and moderate income people find free legal aid programs in their communities, and answers to questions about their legal rights.

DisabilityInfo.gov

New York State is a comprehensive online resource designed to provide people with disabilities with quick and easy access to the information they need. With just a few clicks, the site provides access to disability-related information and programs available across the government on numerous subjects, including benefits, civil rights, community life, education, employment, housing, health, technology and transportation.

The New York State Division of Human Rights is the place to find out about the New York State Human Rights Law.

New York City Commission on Human Rights has all the info on the New York City Human Rights Law.

Susan G. Komen For The Cure

Financial Issues Related to Breast Cancer Care

An overview of the financial issues that someone with breast cancer might face plus a list of resources for financial assistance and advice. Includes topics such as dealing with insurance claims that have been denied and maintaining coverage during a job change or job loss.

Here are more additional health insurance resources for New Yorkers:

Important Facts About Government-Sponsored Health Insurance Programs

This is about Family Health Plus health insurance, etc. The health plans may charge different premium rates.

What Managed Care Plans Are Available In My Neighborhood? January 2009.

Healthy New York The health plans may charge different premium rates.

Freelancers Union health insurance.

On the national front:

The Empowered Patient
February 12, 2009

Don't have health insurance? Don't despair. In this week's Empowered Patient, CNN Senior Medical Correspondent Elizabeth Cohen has tips on getting the care you need.
Lack of health insurance is "not a futile situation" says one expert
Organizations offer financial assistance for certain conditions, diseases
State and federal governments offer free clinics, prescription drug help
Some companies offer health insurance to part-time workers

Here are some links from the above story:

Health Care Advocacy
For a fee, Healthcare Advocacy offers professional consulting, support, and planning
services regarding your health and disability benefits.

Patient Advocate Foundation
Provides patients diagnosed with diseases such as cancer with prescription drug financial assistance.

"Sometimes it's less expensive to buy your own insurance policy rather than going on COBRA. You can compare prices at ehealthinsurance.com."

Cover The Uninsured

If you already have health insurance:

Cure Resource Guide Spring 2009 Before Treatment: Insurance Issues

Strategies to make sure you're getting the most out of your insurance plan including suggestions for record-keeping of expenses, options for the uninsured, and how to handle an insurance claim denial.

Love, E

Pathological pathology reports parsed

2009-02-10T22:24:00.003-05:00

Okay, going back a few posts about my pathology report (don't go back there, stay with me now) we had the report on my lumpectomy surgery of December 29. That report took two weeks to be published, and when it was, it was confusing beyond belief and threw my tiny little brain into a frizzle.

I faxed all six pages of the to my friend Dr. C. who has a Phd in molecular genetics and a sizable brain. Well, she couldn't make heads or tails out of it.

How many lymph nodes had been removed? How many of those had been affected with cancer? It was impossible to discern. I had to wait until my next surgery on February 2, followed up my my next post-surgery check-up, which was today.

Today I was given the pathology report with, thank goodness, an addendum. I have a feeling my surgeon had made a request to the pathologist to please quantify his numerous findings in English.

So this is what it says after all the technogobble: "There are eight positive (cancerous) lymph nodes among the thirteen total lymph nodes (8/13).

In one sense that's very bad, of course, because who wants cancer in their lymph nodes? No one. Lymph nodes are the pathway straight to my brain. And in another sense it's very good because if all eight of those lymph nodes are under the microscope, it means they are no longer in my body. (Lymph nodes are too tiny to just remove a piece of, that's also kind of why they can't put the good ones back in).

--- Break here for funny story: right before I went into surgery I told my surgeon that I felt I needed my lymph nodes in the future and that he could not have them all. He said no problem, he would take two and that would be enough for now, he could always take more later. The reason this story is funny (to me, at least), is that he went ahead and took out 13! I know, you're thinking "what a lot of nerve", but that's the whole point. He saw the cancer and out they went. This is the behavior of a smart person who doesn't mess around.

Now we've gotten this far, and yet we are only up to surgery#2 on February 2, which is plan B to remove any more affected lymph nodes. Why wait from December 29 to February 2 for surgery#2? Because that is how long it took me to get a spot on the schedule of my surgeon, because he is tops. Plus there were a few upcoming programs on Oprah that I didn't want to miss.

---- Break for another funny story: during chemo, all my doctors got very upset because I had to hospitalized for gall stones, unrelated to chemo. I had to be treated with morphine for the pain until it went away by itself, since no one wanted to remove my gall bladder during chemo, I guess because my body was so exhausted and compromised with poor ability to heal itself, prevent infection, etc.

So since then, it's just been a waiting game until my next bout with gall stones, which was inevitable. So my breast surgeon decided to schedule my laproscopic gallbladder removal at the same time as my axillary (underarm) lymph node removal! It sounded like a nutty idea, and when I went to consult with the gastrointestinal surgeon he asked me, "Who's idea was this?" I thought that was very funny. But you can easily see that by this point I am developing a different kind of sense of humor than most people.

So, of course everything worked out perfectly as planned with four very small incisions from the gall bladder which don't hurt, and a few centimeters incision under my left arm which hurts because that part moves around a lot.

Those are in addition to my three lumpectomy incisions which are perfect and almost healed, plus my two chemo port-a-cath incisions, one of which was botched (by a different surgeon). THAT'S A TOTAL OF TEN (SMALL) INCISIONS! CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT!

I keep telling you how complicated breast cancer is! I can hardly keep count of all this myself and it's my full-time job!

So at last, we've gotten to the end - the pathology report from surgery#2 HOORAY!!

There were four more lymph nodes removed, and it says NONE OF THEM HAD CANCER. THAT MEANS THAT SINCE DECEMBER 29 I'VE HAD NO CANCER. ANYWHERE. I just couldn't explain it until now!

Love, E

Next up: I still have my visiting nurse, will start physical therapy soon, then daily radiation.

there is no position available for you

2009-02-06T13:50:00.002-05:00

So today my boss responded to my letter to him requesting to return to work after my short-term disability. His letter said "there is no position available for you at this time because our firm has experienced a significant reduction in business recently which has resulted in staff layoffs."

Home at last with cat and Oprah!

2009-02-04T12:30:00.011-05:00

I am home with cat and a nice visiting nurse came. She will
come everyday but I'm not in pain. I'm just a complicated
case bacause I had two sugeries and she wants to check the wounds and the pain. They're fine.

Boy I got so mixed up when they told me to spend the night,
I was already drugged and I got confused. Of course I refused
(since I thought they wouldn't have cheerios, which is what I
have for dinner) but they made me stay. Then they sent the rotten
psychiatrist in based on my previous flight record. That was scary.

Then they let me go when Eleonore came to pick up yesterday.
My favorite gold parka was still under the gurney, so I had to go
home without a coat. That was okay, since we took a taxi.
Noone was able to find the parka until today.

They just called and it's safe!

S T R E S S,

Love, E

PS Check it out, I have TEN incisions now, most of which
are already invisible:
1. chest port-a-cath frankencision
2. arm port-a-cath
3. right benign tissue dissection
4. left main tumor long incision (8mm)
5. left malignant satellite lesion
6. today's left axillary node dissection
7-10. today's gall bladder small incisions.

PS Check it out, I have NO CANCER now, excepting whatever
they cannot see, which is why I will go to radiation next, e.g.
to prevent recurrence.

View from my hospital room window of I.M.Pei, Cobb, Fried atrium construction between Milstein and Herbert Irving.

Mousetrap says "Enough of this, I need a nap"

Re: I have to stay overnight tonight in Oncology 6 Hudson South.

2009-02-03T17:38:00.002-05:00

Home at last with cat by my side. The hjospital is such a confusing
place, again, so many people came to tAlk to me. Because of the drugs,
I rely don't rememcer who they all were or whAt they said.

Iil thinking thry said they would asrrage for s practical nirs to come

Ok feeling finr , talk to you later, Happy ThAnksgiving ZzzzZZz

Love, E

Re: I have to stay overnight tonight in Oncology 6 Hudson South.

2009-02-02T20:47:00.002-05:00

thnks for offering to come no need

Got some froot loops and percocet. Better now.
E

I have to stay overnight tonight in Oncology 6 Hudson South.

2009-02-02T17:24:00.001-05:00

I am so upset as you might imagine. The gastrointestinal surgeon said
he did'nt like the mess in there or something and he sent four women
to oreder me to stay overnight. I don't remember anything after that
except that I'm still here and very unhappy.
E
If I don't answer phone it's because I'm busy yelling.

goofy images with my Canon PowerShot SD1100 IS Digital Elph

2009-02-01T17:00:00.006-05:00

I don't feel like writing about my second surgery tomorrow morning at 6 am on the 24 degree cold. (axillary lymph node dissection plus a second surgeon for laproscopic gall bladder removal.) I aleady have three lumpectomy incisions from Dec 29, which are perfect, and two port-a-cath inscisions, one of which looks like a halloween wound applique. That's five incisions I have so far, so after tomorrow I will have six plus four small holes in stomach. I guess that's not that bad, compared to what I've seen.

I took some images of my world in Riverdale in the intense cold. Maybe because of all the cold, I've blocked out most of the color using the 'color accent' setting in the camera, and then stitching the panaromas together using Canon Utilities PhotoStitch v. 3.1

Let me know if you like it, or if the whole thing brings you down.

Click the box below to start the slideshow:
Click on any image to enlarge it.

Why is breast cancer so complicated?

2009-01-16T18:52:00.003-05:00

Today I went to my regular support group, called "Women at Risk - WAR" at Columbia Presbyterian. We have about 20+ women, all breast cancer, so it's a good idea to show up. You'd think that is was all coffee, cookies and kleenexes, but no way, it's like freshmen organic chemistry or something. Today, just as an example, we talked about:

tamoxifen, peri-menopause, post-menopause, hot flashes, vitamin E, sex, soy, flaxseed powder, ovaries, uterus, menustration, BRCA1/BRCA2 gene testing, onco testing, axillary lymph node dissection, sentinel lymph node biopsy, lymphedema, mastectomy, breast reconstruction surgery, lumpectomy, many kinds of chemotherapy, bone density, neuropathy, oncological radiation, neo-adjuvant chemotherapy, adriamycin, arimidex, antioxidants, aromatase inhibitors, metastatic cancer, ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), estrogen receptor positive status, exercise, physical therapy, hormone replacement therapy, bioidentical hormones, etc.

I don't see why Columbia University medical school doesn't give me nine credits for coursework!

Love, E

My support group holiday party

2009-01-16T18:48:00.006-05:00

, originally uploaded by nutnelson.

I missed the party, unfortunately, but here are some nice photos. My support group is known as Women at Risk - WAR.

Click on the white arrow below to see the whole slideshow from the party:

Article: Breast cancer and tamoxifen

2009-01-16T18:06:00.004-05:00

This just in from a friend.

---------- Forwarded message ----------

Date: Fri, 16 Jan 2009
Subject: Breast cancer and tamoxifen article
To: wifiscanning@gmail.com

Dear E,

This is a reputable site for accurate information. You should just
skim this article until you get to the conclusions part. Tamoxifen IS GOOD STUFF!

Chemotherapy and Tamoxifen in Women with Early-Stage Breast Cancer Reduce Recurrence and Improve Survival 15 Years Later
http://www.breastcancer.org/treatment/chemotherapy/new_research/20050629.jsp

Breastcancer.org is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing dependable information and a caring community to those touched by breast cancer.

Getting healthy in 20 degree weather!

2009-01-14T17:15:00.002-05:00

Bioidentical Hormones on Oprah

2009-01-14T10:47:00.010-05:00

The Great Debate: Should You Replace Your Hormones?

If you're a woman over 35, you may be confused about hormone therapy. What is it? Get both sides of the hormone replacement controversy.

Tune in on Thursday, January 15 to watch this show. 4:00 p.m. EST, repeated 7:00 p.m. EST

From O magazine, here is a link to the full text article "What Nobody Tells You About Hormones: Everything you need to know about menopause (but were too hot, tired, confused, and cranky to ask)" By Mary Duenwald

http://www.oprah.com/article/omagazine/200902_omag_menopause_hormone_therapy

These pages now contain lots of interesting links:

http://www.oprah.com/dated/oprahshow/oprahshow_20090114_bioidentical

http://www.oprah.com/article/health/womenshealth/20090115_bioidenticals

Here are just some related links from Oprah:

Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy

What Is Menopause?

'The Hormone Decision'

Hormone Therapy for Menopause

Menopause and Alternative Medicine

The Basics of Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy

Menopause Research - The Oprah Magazine Report on Hormones

Is Hormone Replacement Therapy Right for You?

Treat Your Body Right During Menopause

Blogging from surgeon's office

2009-01-13T10:41:00.003-05:00

Hi,

here's the scoop following the results of my surgical pathology report of my surgery of December 29: cancer in a bunch of lymph nodes on the left on the same side as my former main tumor. That's bad.

Clean margins around my former main tumor. That's good.

Other little cancer cells floating about. That's not that bad, since they can be killed with painless radiation, not requiring additional surgery nor chemo.

The plan is for "axillary node dissection" (e.g. remove a lot of lymph nodes, not requiring dye this time). February 2nd. They cannot get me on the schedule sooner.

Then, guess what? In the interest of efficiency, they've decided to remove my gall bladder laproscopically at the same time! AAAAAAAHHHHH! Two different surgeons! Why does everyone think this is just a great idea?

TWO WEEKS TO RECUPERATE!! F#@K!! That's already mid-February - my life is slipping away....

THEN F#@King RADIATION!! Painless, no side effects, I can eat whatever I want, my hair keeps growing back in, lasts 5 minutes per day, every day for a 6 weeks!!!

OMG OMG OMG

help me! (I'm crying, but the fact is, none of this is as bad as chemo was).

Silly-rageous compact camera - Canon Powershot SD1100 IS Digital Elph

2009-01-08T19:53:00.008-05:00

This first photo shows the poor clarity of my former Canon PowerShot A75, the one I've been using all year. You can't get up close!

Pictured is my new Canon PowerShot SD1100 IS Digital Elph that I got for Christmas. I don't know why they call it Elph, and I don't know why it's brown, but it is so compact and so cute and so sophisticated, I can't even believe it.

It has some silly-rageous settings on it such as digital macro, which is shown in this next photo. How amazing is that? It's not another lens, it's the same one, which is not removable.

The next photo shows the really silly feature 'color accent'. Who would ever need this feature except for me? :~}

Above is the original photo, not photoshopped. It selected the color I chose. Below is the sort of normal version of the same shot.

Well, this was fun, and I will be sure to publish more silliness after I read the whole manual. There's video, too, plus my friend gave me a 4G memory card as well, so watch out!

Love, E