Challenge Extended...

Now, I know I wasn't selected for Casting for Recovery THIS year, but I do have high hopes of being selected the next go around.  Well, recently, one of my besties bought me a PFG w/ the Casting for Recover (CfR) logo on it.  For those of you who don't know... what has become known as PFG is Professional or Performance Fishing Gear (so much more fun than saying fishing shirt, eh?!?).  Anyway, what's great about fishing shirts (if you don't already own one or ten) is you don't have to be fishing or even know how to fish.  I live in Texas so you see people wearing these to sporting events, outdoor parties, gardening, etc.  Talk about a multi purpose shirt!  So this got me thinking... why not extend to my closest internet friends "The PFG Challenge."  LL Bean has become one of CfR's national sponsors... Yes, I'm encouraging you to not only order your very own fishing shirt or hat w/ the CfR logo, but if you send me a picture of you sporting your PFG w/ the CfR logo, I will post it to my blog to show everyone that you support such an amazing organization and cause!  Spread the word... let everyone know what Casting for Recovery is!  And that my friends, is The PFG Challenge!!!!! 

Per the Casting for Recovery website,

Our newest national sponsor, L.L.Bean, is featuring Women's Tropicwear shirts and hats embroidered with the CFR logo in their 2011 Spring Fishing Catalog, highlighting our mission with valuable catalog space and donating a $2 of the sales of every  pink shirt and hat to us! Men's CFR shirts can also be ordered by calling L.L.Bean's Direct Business department at 800-832-1889 and specifying the shirt color, size, and this design number: 80397 CW1. 

http://castingforrecovery.org/

Per LL Bean website,

When you spend a lot of time outdoors, limiting sun exposure is important. Our lightweight shirt with SunSmart™ protection blocks harmful UV rays with a rating of UPF 50+. The high-performance fabric also keeps you cool and comfortable by wicking perspiration away from your skin, then dries in minutes. Updated women's-specific design with side shaping and streamlined pockets for a more flattering and comfortable fit. Front and back cape venting. Feature two front pockets, tool tabs and eyewear loop. Wrinkle resistant – great for extended travel. Imported. Machine wash and dry.

http://www.llbean.com/llb/search?storeId=1&catalogId=1&langId=-1&init=1&freeText=casting+for+recovery&Go=

So when you accept The Challenge, email your picture to caseydamen@gmail.com with the following info...

1.  Your name or nickname

2.  Date of pic

3.  Location and/or Caption

Challenge Accepted???  Anyone???

Me in my CFR PFG 

4/9/11

Hanging out at a crawfish boil and enjoying the amazing view!  I love Austin!

4/16/11

Cruising around the Flying W

CfR Logo

Dogs Detecting Cancer???

Is this following article not crazy?!?  I mean, did I miss this episode of Lassie when I was growing up?!?  "What is it Lassie?  What's the matter?  What?  Mrs. X down the road has breast cancer?  And it's Stage IV?  Oh My!  Take me to her and we'll break the news to her."   

In all seriousness, this is awesome!  Although I'm about to have a talk w/ my 60 lb lap dog, Marley... he could have given me a little heads up!  Of course according to Marls, everyone who visits has crotch cancer.  LOL

Dogs Detecting Cancer? It's in the Breath, Experts Say

by STEVE OSUNSAMI (@SteveOsunsami) and ENJOLI FRANCIS

April 25, 2011

Carol Witcher says she knows it sounds crazy, but she swears that her dog, Floyd Henry, discovered the cancer in her breast in 2008.

"When he sniffed me, he kind of turned back and really pushed into my right breast, real hard," she said. "He started sniffing, sniffing, sniffing, sniffing."

It took four days of nudging and nipping by the 8-year-old boxer before Witcher went to a doctor.

"He pushed real hard for one shot. ... Then he looked at me straight in the face, took his right foot and began to paw my right breast. And I thought, 'This is not good,'" she said. "I knew instantly that there was an issue."

Witcher's stage-three cancer required surgery, chemotherapy and radiation.

"Her type of cancer was rather large in her breast," said Dr. Sheryl Gabram-Mendola, a breast surgical oncologist at Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University. "I absolutely believe that the dog saved Miss Witcher's life."

Gabram-Mendola has been studying the breath of cancer patients. She said cancer causes the body to release certain organic compounds that dogs can smell but people cannot. Gabram-Mendola and her team have developed a test in which they look for more than 300 molecules in the breath.

"Our model predicted in over 75 percent of the time correctly which patients did have breast cancer and which ones did not," Gabram-Mendola said. When Witcher breathed into the tube, the test confirmed that she was sick.

"You could potentially go to a physician's office, blow in the bottle and ultimately have a direct read system where we would know in the office: Are you showing some of those indicators [that] something's happening in your body?" Gabram-Mendola said.

Breath Holds Clues and Details

Experts say the breath holds clues that doctors are just learning to decipher.

In January, a study published in the British journal Gut said that a specially-trained 8-year-old black Labrador retriever named Marine had detected colorectal cancer 91 percent of the time when sniffing patients' breath, and 97 percent of the time when sniffing stool.

In August 2010, a terrier named Kiko bit off his owner's big toe, alerting the 48-year-old man to his undiagnosed type 2 diabetes.

It's estimated that a dog's sense of smell is up to a million times better than that of a human, depending on the breed. Dogs have also reportedly sniffed out skin, bladder, lung and ovarian cancers.

"Dogs smell different things and they understand different things," said Charlene Bayer, a principal research scientist at Georgia Tech Research Institute. "They don't necessarily know what's wrong, but they know that there's something that's not normal, that you don't smell the way you normally do."

Dogs Trained to Find Cancer in Urine

In an ongoing study in England, researchers are training a handful of dogs to identify the urine samples of patients with cancer. In a 2004 study, they correctly detected bladder cancer 22 times out of 54 tries.

Carol Witcher has been free of cancer for two years. "I had rescued him when he was about seven months old," she said of Floyd Henry. "He, in turn, rescued me."

ABC News' Katie Moisse and Courtney Hutchison contributed to this story.

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/CancerPreventionAndTreatment/dogs-detect-cancer-experts-compounds-breath-signal-breast/story?id=13452475&page=1

The Dailey Crunch with Mr. Pickles

The following transpired after a few besties visited me in the Infusion Room...

 

In an effort to answer the many questions of my adoring public, I have recruited Mr Pickles, the roving reporter, to interview me. During a recent Chemo session, Mr. Pickles joined me for lunch and lively exchange. Ladies and Gentleman, Mr Pickles...

MP: First of all, let me congratulate you on your recent positive results.  Its great to see you making progress. So, how are you feeling today?

CD:  Couldn't be better!!  Well, minus the cancer of course!

MP: So you mentioned your wigs in a post a couple of months ago, have you put them to use or are they collecting dust in your closet?

CD:  While my hair has thinned quite a bit, I am fortunate to still have my hair. The wigs have taken their own life with my friends who have enjoyed trying on the latest fashions in hair-wear.  Jeff by far looked the sexiest!!

MP:  Now that you're 7 months out from D-Day, what is your prognosis?

CD:  I'm scheduled to have a PET scan on May 4th which will provide a more detailed picture into how these lesions are looking.  Dr. H is thinking 4 more cycles of chemo is in order (4 more treatments every 3 weeks) and then at that time I would switch to an oral regime.  That's of course contingent on lab work and how much the lesions continue to decrease.  Hell, I'm hoping they'll be gone by then!! 

MP: I know your family and friends have been amazingly supportive. Is there anything they can do to help you now?

CD:  I really have a lot to be thankful for... family and friends have been AMAZING!  I've had a lot of peeps offer to bring by meals... as much as I appreciate the thoughtfulness, I'm doing good and would rather "cash in" those offers when or if I need them later on.  Now if you want to take me out to dinner... I'm going to warn you that I have a 2 drink minimum policy!!  ;)

 

MP: Casey, thank you so much for allowing me to spend the afternoon with you and take over your blog. You keep kickin cancer's ass!! Signing off from the the Infusion Room, I'm Mr Pickles.

 

Disclosure:  No pickles were harmed in the making of this interview and fyi, participants were 100% sober (I was having my chemo cocktail of course)!

GRAPHIC 5 - Almost Sold Out

GRAPHIC 5 Art Bra Runway Show

Bras signed by Yoko Ono, Willie Nelson, Mack Brown and The Beach Boys, along with elaborate, elegant bras made by artists and celebrities, will be featured in the Art Bra Runway Show and Auction benefiting the Breast Cancer Resource Center (BCRC).

All models in Austin’s most inspiring runway show are survivors and women currently battling breast cancer. As they strut down the catwalk, each step celebrates the courage, solidarity and triumph of women who hear the life-altering words, “You have breast cancer.”

An outrageous spectacle and celebration of life, the fashion show is a fun, flirty and extremely meaningful event that supports the services of BCRC so that no one struggling with the overwhelming diagnosis, treatment and recovery of breast cancer, goes through it alone.

GRAPHIC 5 will be held on Saturday, April 23rd at the Bob Bullock Museum from 7-11 PM.  Follow GRAPHIC 5 on Facebook!

Tickets are $60 and include 2 drink tickets, parking in the garage, food from Austin favorites including: Cover 3, NXNW, Opal Divine’s, Moonshine, J. Black’s, Eddie V’s, Pie Fixes Everything and Red Rabbit Cooperative Bakery.

Following the silent auction you will have the opportunity to bid on fantastic Live Auction Experience Packages.  Bid on a  true ”Eat, Pray, Love” experience that includes a private villa for eight people in Bali!  Or, have a local adventure by bidding on “The Ultimate 2nd Street District Package.”

Can’t attend GRAPHIC 5 but care to donate? Click here.

For Sponsorship Opportunities click here.

THANK YOU TO OUR GENEROUS SPONSORS

Sponsors to date:

Celebrity Art Bra TableTexas Oncology Physicians Association

VirtuosoRobert and Alice York, on behalf of Rehabilitation and Conditioning for Animals- Deborah Carroll
Avenue Five Institute
Hunter Industries, Ltd.
Renaissance Women’s Group
Ryan Inc.
Ned Snyder IV MD, Snyder Plastic Surgery
Texas Oncology Physicians Association
The Linda P. Acosta Foundation in memory of Shannon Watson- Our Favorite Pink Cowgirl and Art Bra Model

Art Bra TableRosanne Butera DC
BMC Software

ArtisteApothecary Shop
Donna Di Carlo
P&H Services
M. Scott Haydon, M.D. Austin Plastic Surgery Institute
BMC Software
Suzanne and Charles Moore
Capital Surgeons Group: Nancy Marquez, M.D.; Paula Oliver, M.D.; Moya Griffin, M.D.
Texas Oncology Physicians Association
Austin Plastic Surgery Institute
Carol Willingham & Mary D. Wright

MuseC.K. Pilates, LLC
Jim and Jill Butler
Cheryl and Jim George
Austin Center for Breast Care
M. Michael and Susan Sharlot
T Johnson – Stylist
Crush Advertising
Jane C. Nelson M.D.
Kelly Martinez, M.D.

Thank you to our generous supporter the St. David’s Foundation.

http://www.bcrc.org/events/graphic-5-tickets-are-on-sale-now/

More news coverage...
http://austin.ynn.com/content/living/fashion/277797/fashionably-yours--graphic-5?r=5383490682

"Son of a Motherless Goat!!!"

Yep, that's what I said... "Son of a Motherless Goat," I didn't get "the call" for CfR.  Please, oh please, tell me that someone out there (BESIDES my sister) knows what movie that comes from!!  Anyhoo, there's always next time!  CfR hasn't heard the last of me!!

Fingers Crossed - 7 Days till CfR

In just 7 days, Casting for Recovery's retreat will begin.  Yes, I am still an alternate and No, I have not heard otherwise.  Fingers are crossed that I'll "get the call," but just in case I don't, I've already found out that there is another retreat being held in November in Glen Rose, Tx.  I'll just keep applying until they're sick of me!!! 

 

Other than that, I'm STILL celebrating the awesome results from my CT Scan.  I've had so many people ask what I've been up to... WELL, I'll tell ya about some of the really cool concerts I've been to... During the Austin Rodeo I saw Joan Jett, Rick Springfield & Kevin Fowler (rock star seats to all 3 of course... thanks EA).  Last weekend I saw Rotel and the Hot Tomatoes at a fundraiser for Communities in Schools down in New Braunfels (an amazing organization "dedicated to empowering students to stay in school and achieve in life").  And this week I was sitting high and mighty in a suite for Lady Gaga.  All so different... All so fun!!  Hmmmm, what else can I do to celebrate...