My monthly education

Back when I was first diagnosed and frantically searching the internet for as much (and more) information as I could possibly absorb, I came across this site http://www.hopkinsbreastcenter.org/artemis/. It is a monthly breast cancer newsletter from Johns Hopkins Breast Center and chock full of information. I get my subscription delivered monthly and then attempt to understand what they are telling me. My chemo fogged brain has difficulty with medical terms at times - particularly when they are not about me - but difficult when I have to figure out if they are or are not about me. This month's issue is no different:

- Breast Cancer Patients with High Risk Gene Diagnosed Six Years Earlier than Generation Before - not about me. I don't have the gene

- Emotional Toll of Breast Cancer on Well-Educated Women and Those Who Live Alone
Gene Blamed for Immunological Disorders Shown to Protect Against Breast Cancer Development - interesting. Educated women know more and stress more. Live alone and stress more.

- Hormone Mix Could Cut Breast Cancer Risk and Treat Symptoms of Menopause Increased Levels of Muellerian-Inhibiting Substance Could Mean Greater Breast Cancer Risk - I didn't get past the Muellerian thing but don't think its about me.

- Study Finds No Relationship Between Pathological Complete Response Rate and Race in Women with Breast Cancer - Not about me.

- Study Shows How Normal Cells Influence Tumor Growth - interesting, but technical. Basically something about one gene and how it reacts with tumor growth. Not sure I understand it all but it does signify progress in cancer research so I can live with that.

- Surviving Breast Cancer – Low-Income Females Worst Hit by Breast Cancer - This one I understand, poor people are less likely to have medical insurance, get regular mammograms, and more likely to have poor quality treatment and hence have lower early diagnosis rates and higher mortality rates.

This is just a list of what was in the November issue. I recommend this newsletter to anyone dealing with a diagnosis. Go sign up for your own copy. Its not long but chock full of information that is informative, latest on discoveries, and pertinent.

Anyway, I have another stupid people story for you. We were out for our wall the other day along a local reservoir. There was a woman with a terrier on a leash who was throwing the ducks and geese some bread. Don't feed the ducks!! But anyway she was and the ducks were gathering on the water and every time she threw a piece of bread they would come in a little closer... But her throwing arm also had the leash for the dog who would bark and attempt to chase the bread with each toss... The ducks and geese were getting no food. The dog was barking and running back and forth. But she still fed the damn ducks.