Tattoo for Breast Cancer

My Facebook friend, Melissa Novak just posted a photo on her wall that really moved me.  Look, I'll be honest I'm not one for tattoos.  I don't have one, so pardon my ignorance. But I do want to share this photo.

As we all know Facebook has little robots in the background who will remove images that are not appropriate, but I can make a promise right now - I will never remove this one from my blog...

I work in the Breast Medical Oncology department at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center and witness the horrors women - mothers, sisters, aunts, grandmothers, etc. face day in and day out.  And even today, I will never understand what it's like to live with this horrible disease - Breast Cancer.

I'll let the image speak for itself...

Hello Everyone, This Tattoo was done for a woman who had breast cancer ! Facebook keeps removing the post in 24hour as an offensive photo do to nudity. However we feel this woman is both brave and strong so were going to post it anyways and ask for your awareness and support ; Please like and share this photo quickly to show your support for this and many other women who have lost so much. ( Kind Comments are welcome ) thanks !
Custom Tattoo Design

 

Post Secret Fridays - Issue 102 - My Special Issue

It's been a year since I last posted a "My Special Issue" of Post Secret Fridays and 3 months since I posted Issue 101 on my blog. But after watching the video below, I simply had to do it this morning. 

The video was posted by the founder of PostSecret, Frank Warren, and it's absolutely stunning. If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend watching it. It has definitely made my morning, grateful to have the wonderful life I have, and happy to know I made a difference in many people's lives.

PostSecret is an ongoing community art project where people mail in their secrets anonymously on one side of a homemade postcard.

Here's the video:

Cyanide and Happiness: Hair

Things That CANNOT Screen for Breast Cancer and Things That CAN

Susan G. Komen is now trying to backtrack to save their asses so they can  keep their money and keep fooling people.  Hell no, you already showed your true colors. They released the following letter, here.  Thank you Newsweek!

No Offense To Your Name, Susan G. Komen, But Your Sister F*cked It All Up!

Most of you may remember my status update from yesterday evening, and rightly so.  I'm pissed.  One, because I've worked in Breast Cancer Research for over 9 years and second, because I was right all along, and I never should have contributed to this fallacy.

Yesterday evening I stated this on my Facebook wall:

"I've always believed that the Susan G. Komen Foundation was nothing but a huge corporation out to get poor people's money and rich companies' contributions. At the same time, with a political agenda. Who knew I was right all along? So much for helping women with breast cancer. Screw you Susan G. Komen. Screw you! The sad part out of all this... you had to use the name of a woman with breast cancer as the name for your corporation." - Peter Flores aka Blade 7184

Well... last night someone hacked into Komen's website and did this:

"Help us run over poor women on our way to the bank"

And rightly so.  I've had an aunt die from breast cancer and have bought countless of "pink" items - do you really thing all that money goes to breast cancer research?  It does not!  But I bought them anyway in support of this foundation.  Not anymore!!!  

I will be looking closer at what I'm purchasing, and will even donate to Planned Parenthood to help women fight this disease.

Hurting women for political purposes is the worst thing you could have done Susan G. Komen, the worst thing.

Nobody Is Immune To Breast Cancer...

For those who don't know, I work in Breast Cancer Research.  I have for the past 9-1/2 years.  The disease hits real close to home - I've had an aunt die from Breast Cancer, and it was not an easy thing to go through for my family.  

I had another die from from Gynecological Cancer, and uncle from Lung Cancer.  This disease is despicable, ruthless, and unforgiving and can hit anyone, at any time.  So you can just imagine how I felt when I saw these posters, I absolutely fell in love with them.  And being that countless of superhero movies are released each and every year, I thought I'd share it to remind people that it doesn't matter who you are - you can be the President, Secretary of State, a pastor, a teacher, a school bus driver, a dad, a mother, a sister, a brother, the list goes on.  Nobody is immune to Breast Cancer - Nobody.

Post Secret Fridays - Issue 090

PostSecret is an ongoing community art project where people mail in their secrets anonymously on one side of a homemade postcard.

 See More Secrets. Follow PostSecret on Twitter.

 Want to see older Post Secret Friday issues? Go here.

Read a special message from Frank Warren of PostSecret.com about him closing down the Post Secret App after the jump.

Time to Share: I Have The Most Wonderful News!!!!

I received some great news today and would absolutely love to share it with you.  I use my blog to record important events like this, because as I mentioned when I started this blog; We go about our daily lives "Facebooking," not realizing that our lives are being shared daily with our friends and family. There are times we wish to reflect on the past, especially the good times, and before you know it, it's gone. We share things with people we don't know in the physical sense, yet they are there to listen. We share things with the people we love, yet they seem to forget.

Countless times I have attempted to remember what I've posted on Facebook and what I've told the people I love or the great discussions we've had. And it's difficult to go back and reflect on all the good that's happened in our lives, or all the drama that's made us laugh. In order for me to go back I have to keep clicking that "older posts" link, without a date, without a tag, without no way of searching for that special moment I wanted to remember forever.

Well... the awesome news I want to share with you is....

I'm receiving a promotion, with a 15% increase in pay and I'm absolutely ecstatic about it.  This is such great news at a time when I was worrying about our staffing issues at work.  People seem to be dropping like flies around here.  Yes, some leave because they are over-worked, really stressed-out, asked to do jobs they were not hired to do, but others leave because they're able to find greater jobs here at MD Anderson, so they make lateral moves.  But being that I have worked in Breast Oncology for such a long time (9 years to be exact), I have stood my ground for the past four years, exceeded in areas I never thought I could achieve, and have proven to be a leader in our department.  This holiday season will be mine and Ryan's greatest holiday to date, and I am so grateful he has stood by my side for the past 6-1/2 years and will continue to enlighten me every moment of every day.  I couldn't have done this without him.  I couldn't.

I know I rant on my blog on a daily basis, but it's more than just ranting.  I like sharing.  I like sharing my opinions with happiness, my happiness with heart, but most importantly, my heart with all of you.

Thank you for reading my blog and enjoy your holidays this season.

Peter aka Blade 7184

Study Finds Wine Increases The Risk of Breast Cancer

For those that don't know, breast cancer hits close to home... 1.) I've had an aunt succumb to this terrible disease 2.) I've had family die of other types of cancer, and 3.) I work for The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, specifically in the Breast Medical Oncology department.
 
It took nearly 30 years, more than 100,000 women to gather enough data to determine that those who drink more than three glasses of wine a week, increases the risk of Breast Cancer by 15%.  And the more you drink, the greater the risk.  But is it cause for alarm?  Probably not, because it's also been shown that by drinking red wine you could help reduce the risk of heart disease.  Watching the video below may help shed some light, but personally, if it was me, I wouldn't drink it.  There are other ways you can prevent heart disease, but with breast cancer, it's not so easy.

Rethink Breast Cancer: Your Man Reminder

As most of you already know, I work in the Breast Medical Oncology department of the #1 cancer hospital in the world.  So when I saw this video, I couldn't wait to share it with my readers, friends, co-workers and Facebook pals.

The video is an advertising campaign for the new mobile app, "Your Man Reminder" released by the folks at Rethinkbreastcancer.com.

Rethink Breast Cancer is a charity helping young people who are concerned about and affected by breast cancer through innovative breast cancer education, research and support programs. Rethink is a national volunteer-driven registered charity with a bold, enterprising and entrepreneurial approach.

I'm sure the ladies and the gays will love it, but honestly, we can't overlook the importance of Breast Cancer Awareness.  Do your part and share this with everyone you know.  And men, you too, can get this terrible disease, don't overlook it.

Do Not Allow Judge to Take Her Children Away Just Because She Has Cancer!

I just signed the petition a few seconds ago; I have a couple aunts and uncles who have succumbed to cancer - it's a terrible, terrible disease.  Signing this has made my Sunday even brighter.

A friend of mine sent me an email on Thursday on a mother who is on the verge of losing her 5-year-old son and 11-year-old daughter.  It truly brought me to tears when I read the reason behind it.  As most of you know by now, I work for The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, and ironically enough, this post is based in part, in the field I work in - Breast Cancer.

Alaina Giordano was diagnosed with breast cancer 3-1/2 years ago when her children were only 2 and 8-years-old.  As she puts it, she goes for treatment once a month and her disease is currently stable.

"my kids know that I have cancer, they know that I go for treatment once a month now, they know that it's stable. They know me as mom, and it doesn't affect our daily life."

Well, a judge in North Carolina has used the cancer, and Alaina's treatments, as the main reason to transfer custody of her two kids to her ex-husband.  And all this, after she specifically told the judge this man was abusive, and furthermore, lived 700 miles away.  

The media has just started to cover this; she was recently interviewed on Good Morning America and the Today Show.

She only has two weeks to appeal, so maybe with all the noise everyone is making, and the public standing behind her, Alaina will be able to reverse this decision.

Do your part - sign the petition - it could be one of the best decisions you've ever made.  

Sitting on The Job 10 Years or More Means You Have a 94% Chance of Developing a Tumor

According to The Telegraph, a new research study from the University of Western Australia states a team of researchers found that if you work 10 years or more in a sedentary job you have a 94% chance of developing a tumor, and a 44% chance of developing rectum cancer. 

In simpler terms, if you're sitting on your ass all day in a cubicle or desk - you don't have much longer to live.  And it doesn't matter if you exercise or workout when you get out of work or on weekends, you are developing a tumor whether you like it or not!  

‘Even a high level of vigorous recreational physical activity did not modify the effect of sedentary work.’ And they warned: ‘The findings have occupational health implications, given that advances in technology have led to increasing amounts of sedentary behaviour at work.’

And in other developing news....  sitting down for lengthy periods of time also increases blood sugar levels - so you're going to develop diabetes which will also lead to colon cancer!

Boy, am I screwed!

My Chevron Breast Cancer Car Collection

As most of you already know, I work for the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in the Breast Medical Oncology department.  I currently work with four Research Nurses (9 nurses since my employment), who have helped guide me in my career.  I've been working in cancer research for 9 years, with 6 solely focused on the terrible disease we all know as Breast Cancer.

Several years ago my Aunt, Lupe Flores, passed away to this terrible disease; a devastating loss to a beautiful family to say the least.  They miss her everyday, but together we have managed to look to the future in making sure we support the cause.

Over the years I have seen people die to this terrible disease, leaving me heartbroken beyond repair, and I can't imagine what it's like for the families who go through the turmoils they face everyday. But I've seen countless others survive this disease and this is why I dedicate this post to them.

As of 2007, I have been collecting the Special Edition Chevron Breast Cancer cars.  In 2001, Chevron launched a toy car named Hope to help promote Breast Cancer Awareness.  Since the launch, the popularity of this car has been astronomical.  These cars usually sell out in three months!  Luckily for me, I had a nurse who bought me my first one in 2007 and 2008.  And ever since then I have been buying the rest.  I currently have every issue, minus the very first one.  I have them set up in my office and will take a picture of them when I remember to.   But for now, here are the cars over the years.

Do your part in help promoting Breast Cancer Awareness by buying a car, walking for the Susan G. Komen foundation, or buying products from companies who donate part or all of their proceeds to research.  

 

With 100 percent of the net proceeds contributed to promote the early detection of breast cancer, I have helped contribute more than $1.8 million by sharing Hope, Faith, Cherish, Promise, 

 
Courage, Spirit, Devotion and Harmonee as a friendly reminder with loved ones affected by the disease.