Penguin Awareness Day

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By Diane Forrest

With my husband being bedridden for several years, there wasn’t much he was able to do except watch TV.  He wasn't much of a reader, and didn't care for the computer, but he loved movies, and would watch them over and over.  One of the movies he enjoyed watching was called Happy Feet.  It was about a bunch of penguins and their offspring finding their "life song."  Apparently each penguin has their own mating call so they can be recognized by their true love.  Well there was one little penguin who couldn't carry a tune.  Every time he opened his mouth, it sounded like nails on a chalkboard.  Even though he couldn't sing, he sure could dance.  Well the others in his group didn't understand dancing.  No one ever danced before.  But this little penguin's dance ended up saving the whole community, who was in danger of becoming extinct due to lack of food.  The fishing companies were draining the waters from the fish needed for their survival.

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The movie ended with the town being saved, and everyone learning to dance.  I don’t know how accurate the movie was, I am pretty sure that penguins don’t tap-dance, however I do know they are on the endangered list.  There are several things that endanger penguins.  Some of them include:

Oil in the water

Hit by boats

Over fishing

Breaking up of icebergs

Today is Penguin Awareness Day.  Some of the things you can do to help include:

Educate yourself.

Spread the word!

Don't fish in penguin territory.

Don't have any joy rides through penguin territory. This means don't go too fast.

Celebrate penguin awareness day.

Donate to Non-Profit penguin organizations.

Support companies that are ecologically responsible. This means don't purchase goods from companies who aren't. Don't forget to fill your car up with gasoline or petrol from companies who have not had any major oil spills. You may feel like this won't help save the penguins, but it really will. Imagine if everyone who loves penguins refused to place their money into the hands of irresponsible companies. In addition, you can feel better about yourself for the fact that you are not indirectly supporting the problem.

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In honor of penguins today, why not watch the movie Happy Feet, or some other penguin movie.  There is a great scene in Mary Poppins, and the Madagascar movies are great too.  Don’t forget to wear black and white, even a tuxedo if you are feeling a little more sophisticated than usual.

National Awareness of Aplastic Anemia and MDS

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By Nurse Diane

Aplastic anemia is a rare disease which affects only 1-3 people per one million in America each year. Approximately 300-600 new cases of the disease are diagnosed annually and it can happen to people of all ages and race.  The most common causes of aplastic anemia are believed to be drugs, viral infections, and environmental pollutants, though more studies are needed to determine precise causes and increased risk factors. Aplastic anemia is a medical condition in which bone marrow is unable to produce new cells to replace old blood cells.

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The acronym “MDS” classifies several different types of bone marrow syndromes, which typically occur in people over the age of 50 years old. Myelodysplastic syndrome is rarely believed to be inherited and is of unknown etiology.  There are two classifications of MDS:

1. Chronic and non-progressive anemia: blood cell counts are lower without the presence of leukemic blast cells (cancer)
2. Progressive and symptomatic blood cell abnormalities: there are cancer cells in the bone marrow

(When a person has a higher than 20% counts of leukemic cells in the blood, the diagnosis of blood cancer is made and the condition is called acute myelogenous leukemia.)

As with any serious or chronic disease, a person with aplastic anemia will need to do several things in order to improve their long-term prognosis. Becoming educated about the disease will help a person make informed treatment decisions and asking questions will promote a better understanding of the condition.

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Each year, in the first week of December (1st through 7th) the nation observes the disease of aplastic anemia. The Aplastic Anemia and MDS  (Myelodysplastic Syndrome) International Foundation passes out informational pamphlets and literature in order to raise public awareness of the disease and to help those who suffer from the condition.   The best thing a person can do is to follow a proper diet, get adequate rest and adhere to the recommendations of the treating physician in order to achieve the best possible outcome. 

For more information view this site:  http://www.steadyhealth.com/articles/National_Aplastic_Anemia_and_MDS_Awareness_Week_a1085.html or visit the Aplastic Anemia and MDS  International Foundation http://www.steadyhealth.com/articles/Aplastic_Anemia_and_MDS__Causes__Symptoms__Treatment_a1084.html

International Stuttering Awareness Day

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By Nurse Diane

What do Moses, Tiger Woods, Marylin Monroe, Vice President Joe Biden, and James Earl Jones have in common?  They all stutter.  For a list of other famous stutterers, check here: http://www.stutteringhelp.org/famous-people-who-stutter.

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Stuttering is a speech disorder that occurs when the flow of speech is disrupted by involuntary repetitions and prolongations of sounds, syllables, words or phrases as well as involuntary silent pauses or blocks in which the stutterer is unable to produce sounds.  Although the exact cause of stuttering is unknown, both genetics and neurophysiology are thought to contribute. There are many treatments and speech therapy techniques available that may help increase fluency in some stutterers to the point where an untrained ear cannot identify a problem; however, there is essentially no "cure" for the disorder at present, although many treatments are available.

October 22 was designated International Stuttering Awareness Day (ISAD) in 1998. The day is intended to raise the public awareness of the millions of people who have the speech disorder of stuttering, including over 60 million Americans.

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ISAD is organized by four organizations:

• American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, Special Interest Division #4, Fluency & Fluency Disorders
• European League of Stuttering Associations
• International Fluency Association
• International Stuttering Association

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The Stuttering Foundation was started in 1947 by a young man who also suffered from stuttering.  This is a nonprofit organization whose goal is to help others who stutter.  They also set out to increase knowledge in the population about the effects of stuttering on a person's life, job, relationships and general well-being.  To learn more about this foundation, and ways you can help spread the word about stuttering, visit this site: http://www.stutteringhelp.org/brief-history .  

If you or someone you know has this problem, and is looking for help, this is a great place to start looking.

Metastatic Breast Cancer Awareness Day

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Nurse Diane

Earlier this month we told you that October is breast cancer awareness month.  We stressed the importance of self-breast exams and getting a mammogram, and to spread the word to all the women you know.  Well today we want you to be aware of Metastatic breast cancer.  What this means is when people already have breast cancer, but then it moves to other parts of the body.

My husband's mother had breast cancer, and had a mastectomy; however, the cancer metastasized to her liver and other organs, and eventually claimed her life.  Symptoms of Metastatic breast cancer include:

The symptoms produced by metastatic breast cancer vary by the location of the metastases. For instance:

• Metastatic disease to the bone causes severe, progressive pain, and, less commonly, pathological fracture, erythema over the affected bone, and swelling;
• Metastatic breast cancer to the brain causes the following symptoms: persistent, progressively worsening headache, visual changes, seizures, nausea or vomiting, vertigo, behavioral and personality changes, and increased intracranial pressure.
• Metastatic disease to the liver causes jaundice elevated liver enzymes, abdominal pain, loss of appetite, nausea, and vomiting
• Metastatic breast cancer to the lung or pleura causes chronic cough, dyspnea, abnormal chest X-ray, and chest pain; and
• Other nonspecific systemic symptoms of metastatic breast cancer include fatigue, malaise, weight loss, and poor appetite

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Treatment can include several things such as chemotherapy, radiation, surgery, and even alternative treatments such as homeopathic therapy.

According to copingmag.com, here are some unknown facts about Metastatic Breast Cancer:

• No one dies from breast cancer that remains in the breast. The lump itself is not what kills. The metastasis of cancerous cells to a vital organ is what kills.
• Metastasis refers to the spread of cancer to different parts of the body, typically the bones, liver, lungs and brain.
• An estimated 155,000 Americans are currently living with metastatic breast cancer. Metastatic breast cancer accounts for approximately 40,000 deaths annually in the U.S.
• Treatment for metastatic breast cancer is lifelong and focuses on control and quality of life vs. curative intent. (“Treatable but unbeatable.”)
• About 6% to 10% of people are Stage IV from their initial diagnosis.
• Early detection is not a cure. Metastatic breast cancer can occur ANY time after a person’s original diagnosis, EVEN if the patient was initially Stage 0, I, II or III and DESPITE getting annual checkups and annual mammograms.
• Between 20% to 30% of people initially diagnosed with regional stage disease WILL develop metastatic breast cancer.
• Young people DO get metastatic breast cancer.
• There are many different kinds of metastatic breast cancer.
• Treatment choices for MBC are guided by hormone (ER/PR) and HER2 receptor status, location and extent of metastasis (visceral vs. non-visceral), previous treatment and other factors.
• Metastatic breast cancer isn’t an automatic death sentence. Although most people will ultimately die of their disease, some can live long and productive lives.
• There are no hard and fast prognostic statistics for metastatic breast cancer. Everyone’s situation is unique, but according to the American Cancer Society, the 5 year survival rate for stage IV is around 20%.
• October 13 is National Metastatic Breast Cancer Awareness Day. We appreciate your support on October 13 and throughout the year.

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