I don't usually drone on and on about things like Cancer. I don't wear those pink pens or have a pink magnet on my car or walk in the Relay for Life. But I see things in my job that scare me just the same and it's important to me to remind those I care about that it is so careful to take care of yourselves.
A woman’s chance of being diagnosed with breast cancer in the United State is:
from ages 30 to 39. . .0.44 percent (often expressed as "1 in 229")
from ages 40 to 49. . .1.46 percent (often expressed as "1 in 68")
from ages 50 to 59. . .2.73 percent (often expressed as "1 in 37 ")
from ages 60 to 69. . .3.82 percent (often expressed as "1 in 26 ")
Most breast cancers occur in women over the age of 50. The number of cases is especially high for women over age 60. Breast cancer is relatively uncommon in women under age 40. The NCI fact sheet Probability of Breast Cancer in American Women provides more information about lifetime risk. This fact sheet is available at http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Detection/probability-breast-cancer on the Internet.
Those stats are staggering. Think about the population of the town you live in and then calculate how many women in their 30's are probably being diagnosed with breast cancer every year. We think that because we are under 40 or because our mothers haven't had breast cancer that we are probably safe. But the statistics make me think we are not as safe as we would like to think.
1) Do your self breast exams if nothing more, do it when you are in the shower. They say that women rarely find a lump that way (normally they find them on a mammogram) but what women do notice is breast tenderness that is not around your period, nipple discharge, skin thickening, a change in density in the breast, or sometimes a lump.
2) Get your annual paps and make sure your doctor does a clinical breast exam with the pelvic exam.
3) Women over 40 should have a mammogram every 1-2 years, preferrably every year.
4) Women who have a higher risk should talk to their doctor about having a mammogram before age 40.
5) Risk factors such as personal history of breast cancer, family history of breast cancer, long-term use of hormonal therapy (such as hormones after menopause or hysterectomy) etc. might mean that your doctor would want you to have a mammogram before you turn 40.
6) Studies show the more a woman drinks, the higher risk.
7) Physically innactive women have a higher risk.
8) Overweight women have a higher risk.
9) Women who had their first child after 30 or who never had a child are at a greater risk.
10) Women who started their periods before age twelve may have a higher risk.
11) There is a test that women can take to find out if they have a gene that make them have a much higher risk of breast cancer. The genes are BRCA1 and BRCA2. Ask your doctor about whether he suggests testing for you.
12) Have a good relationship with your doctor. Ask questions. If something doesn't seem right, don't take no for an answer until you are satisfied. If you are still not satisfied get a second opinion. Take charge of your healthcare!
13) You know your body, listen to what your body is telling you.
14) And don't neglect your health because you are afraid of what you might find out! I hear so many people say that they don't want to have a certain test run because they are afraid of the results. Are you more afraid of the diagnosis or the death that could result because you were afraid to get checked out?
Friday, April 3, 2009
Thursday, April 2, 2009
I Wish (stealing from Faith)
1) I wish I had all these great, funny ideas for interesting blogs and that I didn't have to get ideas from other people's blogs...(Faith)
2) That we would win the lottery.
3) And be able to build our dream house and have it be 100% paid for!
4) That I could wake up tommorrow and be the weight I was before I had babies.
5) And that I would wake up tomorrow with a nice, round set of knockers.
6) That I could retire at 32.
7) And sleep late everyday if I wanted to.
8) That I could have one day without the interruption of irritating people.
9) That fat free ranch dressing would actually taste as good as the real thing.
10) That I could get my eye liner tattooed on permanently.
11) And that I could have laser hair removal. (I hate shaving, especially my girl parts)
12) That I had an unlimited shoe budget.
13) And an art studio where I could make baskets, jewelry, mat and frame photography, sew, whatever I wanted to do that particular day. And there would be no entrance for anyone with a penis. My space!
14) That laundry did itself.
15) And so would the dishes.
16) That Friday came quicker.
17) That there was no such thing as wrinkles and cellulite and hair would never turn gray. (luckily no gray hairs yet, but I'm sure I'll have that too)
18) That I had been smarter about men when I was young.
19) That I could take a two week vacation somewhere with the boys and my husband but take a nanny so that we could have adult time too.
20) That men had periods every now and then. Now that would be funny!
2) That we would win the lottery.
3) And be able to build our dream house and have it be 100% paid for!
4) That I could wake up tommorrow and be the weight I was before I had babies.
5) And that I would wake up tomorrow with a nice, round set of knockers.
6) That I could retire at 32.
7) And sleep late everyday if I wanted to.
8) That I could have one day without the interruption of irritating people.
9) That fat free ranch dressing would actually taste as good as the real thing.
10) That I could get my eye liner tattooed on permanently.
11) And that I could have laser hair removal. (I hate shaving, especially my girl parts)
12) That I had an unlimited shoe budget.
13) And an art studio where I could make baskets, jewelry, mat and frame photography, sew, whatever I wanted to do that particular day. And there would be no entrance for anyone with a penis. My space!
14) That laundry did itself.
15) And so would the dishes.
16) That Friday came quicker.
17) That there was no such thing as wrinkles and cellulite and hair would never turn gray. (luckily no gray hairs yet, but I'm sure I'll have that too)
18) That I had been smarter about men when I was young.
19) That I could take a two week vacation somewhere with the boys and my husband but take a nanny so that we could have adult time too.
20) That men had periods every now and then. Now that would be funny!
Ice Storm
We had some storm damage in the ice storm last week and Andy's been working like a dog. He worked Friday night until 4:30 am Saturday morning and then since has worked 6 am to 1130 pm each day. We've hardly seen him though last night we did get to see him for a little while though he was working. I took some pics and posted them above.
Luckily it looks like the storm work is just about done and so hopefully we will have him back as normal starting tonight. We've all missed him but for some reason this storm has really hit the boys hard. I think it's easier knowing your Dad is 1500 miles away than to know he's coming home to sleep at night (if only for a little while) and not getting to see him except for a few minutes in the mornings.
I told him yesterday that all this working all the time was starting to wear me out. Tuesday night I was so exhausted that I never heard him come in and never even knew he was in bed with me until almost morning. I could have had a stranger climb into bed with me and never known it. That's a scary thought.
Here are a few pics of our storm damage. It was rainy that day so I only took pics of what I could see from the back door so this doesn't really do justice to all the limbs but you get the idea.
My Egg Basket
I blogged a while back on how I was going to start making baskets again. It's been literally since I was probably 13 or 14 since I made my last one and I just actually discovered a place online that I could purchase the supplies. Finding the time to start making one was a lot harder than finding a supplier. I finally made the time Sunday though and got this basket started. I had a little time Monday night and a little time last night and actually I am almost done. You can't really tell by the pictures, but this basket is actually pretty large. The width of the basket is something like 14 to 16 inches I think. I actually didn't measure, but it's big. I've had a lot of fun making this one, but it's amazing how much I've forgotten and how much I've had to figure out along the way.
I'm already excited about making another one. I have tons of ideas now.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Another Tale of Randomness
Sometimes Andy just cracks me up. Last night was classic Andy funny. So we were having this conversation that started with Andy saying, "You know what makes me mad about these Kansas news channels?" The thing is that yes I do know that makes him mad. Because he says the SAME thing over and over and over and over again. The horse is dead. Stop beating him.
Andy might as well be a Texan. But instead, Andy thinks that everything is bigger and better in Oklahoma, especially newspapers and television stations. And he thinks that Kansas newscasts should devote equal time to Oklahoma news as they do to Kansas news. So for example, they should report equally enthusiastically about OU and OSU as they do KSU, KU and WSU. OK, yeah that will happen just as soon as the Daily Oklahoman starts running the Power Cat on their front page. OK.
So after he rants on and on about that for about the millionth time, he starts to complain about news in general.
He said, "There is nothing but horrible stuff on the news these days anyway. That's why I never let the boys watch the news. Heck I used to enjoy getting dressed in the mornings and sitting and watching the news but now the news is nothing but sodomy, murder, rape and WEATHER!
I nearly died laughing! Like weather is just as evil and innappropriate for kids to watch as stories about murder, rape and sodomy! And the funniest thing was how he emphasized weather. Like it was the star of the show in the show of evilest current events.
He didn't think I was funny at all. And he didn't like me laughing at him, but goodness who wouldn't? Too funny!
Andy might as well be a Texan. But instead, Andy thinks that everything is bigger and better in Oklahoma, especially newspapers and television stations. And he thinks that Kansas newscasts should devote equal time to Oklahoma news as they do to Kansas news. So for example, they should report equally enthusiastically about OU and OSU as they do KSU, KU and WSU. OK, yeah that will happen just as soon as the Daily Oklahoman starts running the Power Cat on their front page. OK.
So after he rants on and on about that for about the millionth time, he starts to complain about news in general.
He said, "There is nothing but horrible stuff on the news these days anyway. That's why I never let the boys watch the news. Heck I used to enjoy getting dressed in the mornings and sitting and watching the news but now the news is nothing but sodomy, murder, rape and WEATHER!
I nearly died laughing! Like weather is just as evil and innappropriate for kids to watch as stories about murder, rape and sodomy! And the funniest thing was how he emphasized weather. Like it was the star of the show in the show of evilest current events.
He didn't think I was funny at all. And he didn't like me laughing at him, but goodness who wouldn't? Too funny!
Monday, March 23, 2009
Three Things I Love Today (Monday)
Pepperidge Farm 15 Grain bread is awesome! It's chocked full of all kinds of grains and seeds like oatmeal, sesame seed, flax seed, sunflower seed, whole wheat etc. Even my super picky little boy in a grown boy body husband loves this bread!
Physician's Formula "Vegas Strip" Shimmer Strips. Love this! It's a blush/bronzer/eye shadow all in one. All of the strips can basically be used anywhere on your face, cheek bones, brow, forehead, wherever. How fun. A little glam or a lotta glam. You decide!
Cornflake Potato Casserole. Who doesn't love this stuff? Cream cheese, cheddar cheese, onions and potatoes topped with crunchy toasted cornflakes...a covered dish dinner wouldn't be a dinner without this casserole. The funny thing is that I never make it. Maybe that's because I would eat the WHOLE pan myself! Don't think I'm not kidding. Anyhoo, the caterer brought that casserole today and so my tummy is so happy. And I'm still fantasizing about going back down there again to have some more later. Love that stuff!
Controlled Chaos
After a long week of missing my boys, we drove to Freedom Saturday morning to get them. Last week was a really rough week filled with some really stressful, emotional events. Between the stresses of work and trying to adjust temporarily to life without children, I was just about spent.
It's amazing how structured life must be in order to keep a household running smoothly when you have school aged kids and they are in sports. Last week Andy and I learned that we need that structure too, or at least that we've grown really accustomed to that structure. Without the kids at home, we lived a much lazier existance which was nice, but on the other hand, I felt like our entire life was chaotic and just completely turned upside down without our comfortable routine. When I would wake up at 6:00 ready to get in the shower each day, I could not get in the shower because Andy was in the shower. He's normally out by then but because the boys were gone, we slept later. So because he started later, I had to wait until later to get started which meant that instead of getting to work 30 minutes early, I was only 10 minutes early last week and that bothered me.
When we got to Freedom I was so ready to see the boys and envisioned this sweet little reunion where my boys were so glad to see their Mama and we hugged and laughed and I kissed them like 10,000 times. Well my reunion with Wyatt was as I had imagined, but Cole was having so much fun playing with one of his new cousins on their trampoline that he hardly even acknowledged our existance! I was crushed! Andy practically had to make him come over and see us. I was absolutely heartbroken. Usually he's my little lovey snuggle bunny. But Saturday he was a big boy on a mission and had no time for his Mama.
On one hand I am glad that this week away was fun filled for them and not traumatic in any way, but on the other hand I guess part of me wanted him to need me a little more. I know they need us. In some ways they maybe even need us more now than they did when they were little. We've done a good job of creating two little boys with great self esteem and the strength to be independent. I have also realized that overnight they have grown up in my eyes. I guess I am coming to terms with the fact that they are going to need me less and less as the days go by. They will always need me, but I think in time, they will need me to be in the background waiting for them to have an acute need. And that's hard. I wish I could keep them small forever. I miss our Saturday and Sunday afternoon naps. It felt so good to snuggle up to them and take a nice little nap next to their sweet little sleeping faces. And those days are gone. Sometimes I still ask little Cole if he will PLEEEEZE take a nap with Mama. He always tells me, "Mom, I don't take naps anymore!"
So this week we are back to homework, soccer practice, supper, showers and bed. But this week I think I will be just a little more appreciative of the controlled chaos that is our life.
It's amazing how structured life must be in order to keep a household running smoothly when you have school aged kids and they are in sports. Last week Andy and I learned that we need that structure too, or at least that we've grown really accustomed to that structure. Without the kids at home, we lived a much lazier existance which was nice, but on the other hand, I felt like our entire life was chaotic and just completely turned upside down without our comfortable routine. When I would wake up at 6:00 ready to get in the shower each day, I could not get in the shower because Andy was in the shower. He's normally out by then but because the boys were gone, we slept later. So because he started later, I had to wait until later to get started which meant that instead of getting to work 30 minutes early, I was only 10 minutes early last week and that bothered me.
When we got to Freedom I was so ready to see the boys and envisioned this sweet little reunion where my boys were so glad to see their Mama and we hugged and laughed and I kissed them like 10,000 times. Well my reunion with Wyatt was as I had imagined, but Cole was having so much fun playing with one of his new cousins on their trampoline that he hardly even acknowledged our existance! I was crushed! Andy practically had to make him come over and see us. I was absolutely heartbroken. Usually he's my little lovey snuggle bunny. But Saturday he was a big boy on a mission and had no time for his Mama.
On one hand I am glad that this week away was fun filled for them and not traumatic in any way, but on the other hand I guess part of me wanted him to need me a little more. I know they need us. In some ways they maybe even need us more now than they did when they were little. We've done a good job of creating two little boys with great self esteem and the strength to be independent. I have also realized that overnight they have grown up in my eyes. I guess I am coming to terms with the fact that they are going to need me less and less as the days go by. They will always need me, but I think in time, they will need me to be in the background waiting for them to have an acute need. And that's hard. I wish I could keep them small forever. I miss our Saturday and Sunday afternoon naps. It felt so good to snuggle up to them and take a nice little nap next to their sweet little sleeping faces. And those days are gone. Sometimes I still ask little Cole if he will PLEEEEZE take a nap with Mama. He always tells me, "Mom, I don't take naps anymore!"
So this week we are back to homework, soccer practice, supper, showers and bed. But this week I think I will be just a little more appreciative of the controlled chaos that is our life.
Monday, March 16, 2009
Not Even Friday the 13th Could Get Us Down
Our weekend was good but was way to short as always. We looked at three houses Friday night and two were a disaster. There is just not much on the market in the way of rural properties. But we did see a place that we are very interested in. We still have some discussions to have with the bank and want to have it inspected and to do some more looking at it. There is no denying that it is a wonderful buy.
We could get this home and acreage for much less than it't worth and the selling price would be below what we set as our upper limit. But there is always the chance that the taxes and the insurance would make this home be a little out of our range once they were added onto the montly payment. Unfortunately the taxes are high. The location and square footage took care of that. So we will see. I think this is one of those "this is the one" properties.
I have done nothing but daydream about all the possibilities with that home. And so has Andy. This is the first property that we have both even been close to agreeing on and we were in complete agreement. It's so fun to think about the colors of paint I would choose and flooring and all the fun stuff about having a house that needs work. You get to choose what you want. Right now fantasizing about more bedrooms is pretty cool too!
The boys went to their Grandparents in Freedom yesterday (Andy's parents). They've never been gone like this before and I am not dealing with it really well. Last night was pretty tough. Today I got excited about hearing their voices after they got home from school and then realized that I was not going to see them after school like normal. But I am looking forward to Mama and Daddy time and that's good. We need a little time to ourselves.
Tommorow night I'm having dinner with friends at Nieves' in Winfield and then not sure what else is in store for the week.
Life is good right now though. I'm really excited and hopeful and truly feel like we are really starting to get to the good stuff!
We could get this home and acreage for much less than it't worth and the selling price would be below what we set as our upper limit. But there is always the chance that the taxes and the insurance would make this home be a little out of our range once they were added onto the montly payment. Unfortunately the taxes are high. The location and square footage took care of that. So we will see. I think this is one of those "this is the one" properties.
I have done nothing but daydream about all the possibilities with that home. And so has Andy. This is the first property that we have both even been close to agreeing on and we were in complete agreement. It's so fun to think about the colors of paint I would choose and flooring and all the fun stuff about having a house that needs work. You get to choose what you want. Right now fantasizing about more bedrooms is pretty cool too!
The boys went to their Grandparents in Freedom yesterday (Andy's parents). They've never been gone like this before and I am not dealing with it really well. Last night was pretty tough. Today I got excited about hearing their voices after they got home from school and then realized that I was not going to see them after school like normal. But I am looking forward to Mama and Daddy time and that's good. We need a little time to ourselves.
Tommorow night I'm having dinner with friends at Nieves' in Winfield and then not sure what else is in store for the week.
Life is good right now though. I'm really excited and hopeful and truly feel like we are really starting to get to the good stuff!
Friday, March 13, 2009
What's A Mom to Do?
So today is the last day of school for the boys before Spring Break. And I am not happy about it! The boys are going to Freedom to spend time with Andy's parents over Spring Break. We will take them there on Sunday and then they will be gone all week. We'll go get them next weekend. Andy says we'll see them on Sunday, but I say we'll see them on Friday!
I've never been away from my babies that long and to be honest do not want to start now! I love my boys and don't want to be without them even for a week. It was just us for so long and I think maybe that makes this harder. Don't get me wrong, it's not like I think they are not going to be fine or something. I know they will be fine. It's just I'm worried. I know Wyatt will be fine. He is so thrilled about getting to spend a week with his Grandpa Rob. He thinks that he is going to get to fish EVERYDAY! While I imagine he'll get to do a lot of fishing, I don't think it will be every day. Cole on the other hand is not so pumped about going. I think he wants to go, but I think he would be content to be there for a day and then come home. He's never stayed with anyone but my parents or my sister. So I think Mama and Cole are a little shell shocked about this whole thing.
Andy is right though. They need to go. He wants his parents to bond with their Grandkids. And that is important. But that doesn't meant that it's not going to be hard. Andy is looking forward to a week of just us and I think that will be nice. A week of no responsibilities beyond work. But it's going to be really quiet.
I pray that all goes well!
I've never been away from my babies that long and to be honest do not want to start now! I love my boys and don't want to be without them even for a week. It was just us for so long and I think maybe that makes this harder. Don't get me wrong, it's not like I think they are not going to be fine or something. I know they will be fine. It's just I'm worried. I know Wyatt will be fine. He is so thrilled about getting to spend a week with his Grandpa Rob. He thinks that he is going to get to fish EVERYDAY! While I imagine he'll get to do a lot of fishing, I don't think it will be every day. Cole on the other hand is not so pumped about going. I think he wants to go, but I think he would be content to be there for a day and then come home. He's never stayed with anyone but my parents or my sister. So I think Mama and Cole are a little shell shocked about this whole thing.
Andy is right though. They need to go. He wants his parents to bond with their Grandkids. And that is important. But that doesn't meant that it's not going to be hard. Andy is looking forward to a week of just us and I think that will be nice. A week of no responsibilities beyond work. But it's going to be really quiet.
I pray that all goes well!
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