Farm to Fork: The Story of Our Toxic Food System

Soooooo, not something we really want to read or see early in the morning, but yeah, pretty much everything we eat will give us cancer.  And this lovely infographic provides you with every detail.  Click on the image below to get the full picture.  The infographic is brought to you courtesy of Healthychild.org.

Post Secret Fridays - Issue 107

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?
Click my Post Secret Logo Below.

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

 

Cyanide and Happiness: Hair

Cyanide and Happiness: Results

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.

OMG Hilarious! - This Is For You Grandma

One of the Cyanide and Happiness artists, Matt, had this to say about today's comic.

"Earlier this week, my grandmother passed away after a year and a half struggle with cancer.  She was a bubbly, sweet woman with and infectious laugh who I think would have wanted her memory honored doing what I do best:  making borderline-offensive jokes that she doesn't quite get, but she's proud of anyway.  I love you, Grandma."

Post Secret Fridays - Issue 086

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.

 On the back of the card:  ...and we're not coming back ever

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

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.

Post Secret Fridays - Issue 077

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.

Collect Them All!

Yay, get them while you can!  Collect all 9 cigarette labels being released by the FDA next month!  

Yep, you read this correctly; all you smokers will be seeing these 9 horrific images on your packages of cigarettes starting next month. So if you don't have a cigarette case, you better run out and get one.

 

Seriously folks, if these images don't make you quit, I don't know what will.  Geezus, these are simply disgusting!  But oh, so very true.  I have to commend the FDA on this new campaign, but I also have to disagree with them.  

Everyone in this country knows that smoking can kill you - even second-hand smoke can kill you, but isn't it every American's right to choose how they want to die?

Then again, is it okay that smokers are killing people around them with their second-hand smoke?

#1 in The Nation for The 5th Year in a Row...

In 8 out of the last 10 years, the institution I work for has ranked No.1 in the U.S. News & World Report's annual Best Hospitals survey.  And I'm proud to say that for the 5th year in a row, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center has retained it's #1 ranking. 

On Monday, our President, John Mendelsohn, M.D. had this to say to each, and everyone of us...

"This recognition is acknowledgement of the outstanding work that you, our 18,000 dedicated employees, do here every day to care for our patients, carry out our research, and to advance our mission in all areas. Credit also belongs to our many volunteers, whether in the hospital or in the community, who actively support our work and, most importantly, to thousands of patients who place their trust in us."

This October I will have been here four years, and to this day I've had no regrets. I had applied for a position here several times before, and was never contacted due to the hundreds of applications our HR department receive on a daily basis... 

Luckily for me, I didn't burn any bridges with former employers or co-workers, that someone I used to work with at U.S. Oncology referred me to their supervisor.  I was granted an interview and eventually got hired.

To know that I am part of a team that is striving everyday to find a cure for this terrible disease, makes it all worthwhile.  It is an honor to work for the best cancer hospital in the nation.