UNA VACACION!

Hola Amigos! It's official: Jen and I are going to Vieques, an island off of Puerto Rico. I am staying for two weeks, she for one. We've found a cute little rental apartment--very reasonably priced--just one hundred feet from the beach in a tiny pueblo called Isabel Segunda. It's a small and simple one-bedroom apartment with a futon in the living room, with a full kitchen and is within walking distance to the supermercado. I can't wait to see and experience the town and speak SPANISH. I love Spanish. Believe it or not, the owner of the apartment asked me if I wanted to house-sit for her the week after we are renting, so that she can go away and use her timeshare!!!! So, yes, I am staying on a tropical, Caribbean island for one week FREE. She has two dogs - one is a Great Dane, the other a Dachshund. Funny combination. Her house is three stories, with the rental apartment on the bottom floor. So, Jen and I will rent from January 15 to 22nd, then I'll move upstairs into her house for Jan. 22 to Jan. 29. Amazing.

Here is the house. The apartment is on the bottom floor. When she asked me to house-sit I almost started crying, my heart swelled so with gratitude for her generosity, and for the miracles o of life. I then told her about the cancer and how hard the year has been, and how this is just a perfect blessing and gift. She is thrilled to be able to use her timeshare, which apparently she sometimes can't because she can't get away. So, everyone wins! She's as excited about getting away as I am about house-sitting for her. Here are some photos of her place as well as the nearby beach. I know Jen and I will have a great time. We won't even need a rental car. We can walk to everything from the house. We can even walk to the house from the ferry dock! I can't wait to speak Spanish and be around a different culture. This is something I've wanted to do for a long time. Perhaps I will rent out her apartment for a month next January and house-sit again. This would be a dream for me.

More on Vieques trip later ...

Buenas dias,
Sue

WRAPPING PAPER

Hi. I sent this Email to friends and family. Figured you might benefit from it too.

Hi everybody,

I wanted to be sure and send this Email to everyone I care about, because I feel very strongly that we all need to make big changes when it comes to holiday wrapping. I've taken about an hour to compile this Email, so please take a look and forward it to anyone you care about. Thanks.

Coinsider this: In the U.S., annual trash from gift-wrap and shopping bags totals 4 million tons.

Creative Options to wrapping paper
As you will see, there are oodles and oodles of creative options to traditional, wasteful, wrapping paper. Not only will you help the planet, you will help your bank account. All of these alternatives are FREE. Beneath this list of creative alternatives to wrapping paper are links to manufacturers of recycled wrapping paper, instructions on making a bow out of recycled paper (Great project for the family!) as well as other Green Holiday Ideas and more statistics about our holiday trash.

Magazines and calendars
Use pages from magazines or wall calendars. Save them throughout the year to use for all gifts. They are great, durable paper quality and usually very colorful.

Road Maps
Use old road maps - or go to your AAA office and get new road maps and use them. They are free to members and you can take as much as you want.

Paper Placemats and Take Out Menus
Take your clean place mats and take-out menus from restaurants and use those. Or, go through your take-out menu drawer in the kitchen and use the ones you never reference.

Comics
Use comics from the newspaper

Leftover wrapping paper
Pick up inexpensive rolls of leftover wrapping paper from Goodwill or the Salvation Army.

Used Baskets
Pick up a bunch of used but pretty baskets from your local Goodwill or thrift store. Put the gifts in the baskets and presto! Nothing to chuck. Everyone can use a basket or two in their lives.

Fabric Scraps
Do you have scrap fabric lying around? Or maybe some old shirts you never wear but that have lovely patterns. Try your hand at some easy-sew cloth bags. Put the gift in the center of the fabric and gather the fabric up around the gift and tie a piece of string around the top.Or, fold material in half and sew up one bottom and the other side. Leave the top open, insert gift, and tie shut with a ribbon.

Gift certificates
Give gift certificates this year. Place the certificates in a nice envelope, clip with hole puncher, add a bit of ribbon and dangle from the tree. The nice thing about this: there's virtually no wrapping to deal with (recycle or reuse that envelope), and the recipient gets a gift they will actually enjoy, since they get to pick it out.

Wrap gifts in other gifts
For example, wrap a soccer ball in a sweater! Games or toys for a child can go in a new backpack or a designed pillow case. Any kitchen gift can be wrapped in a colorful dish towel. Kitchen utensils can pop out of an oven mitt.

Hang jewelry on the tree
Hang earrings, bracelets, or necklaces right on the Christmas tree, or put them inside or around an open ornament.

Reuse paper and gift bags
Save your wrapping paper and gift bags and reuse it from previous years.

Grocery Bags
Make gift bags out of recycled grocery bags and cut creative edging across the top and decorate the bag. Have your kids draw on them with crayons or markers. Great family project

Plastic Containers
Go through that recycle bin and find plastic containers to use as "boxes"

Clay Pots
Clay pots can make a present look extra interesting, and are a reusable item for the recipientM. Place your gift in the pot, and use the drainage dish as the lid to hide the present from view. Tie it together with a reused ribbon, or strips of scrap fabric. You can also decorate the pot.

Furoshiki
This idea might be well combined with the "gift in a gift" suggestion. Furoshiki is a method of folding cloth into beautiful packages. Using a piece of beautifully printed cloth and a few knots in interesting places will create an eye-catching package.

A Bucket for Hobbyists
Does the recipient have a hobby? Use a bucket-like item related to what they love. For the chef, a cooking pot. A watering can for the gardener. A hat box for the fashionista. Showing them you know them inside and out will make the wrapping even better than the gift inside.

Paper Waste
Raiding the paper recycling bin is a great way to get materials for gift wrap. Magazine pages, notes from a class, the crossword puzzle from yesterday's paper all could become ideal wrapping material for a package with personality.

Junk Mail
What to do with junk mail that just keeps landing in your mailbox despite the fact that you signed up for the "do not mail" list? It's frustrating to see the waste—however, all those offers to win big, or those colorful coupons become humorous wrapping material.

Cereal Boxes
For clothing, accessories, and gifts on the thinner side, a cereal box is a great option for a unique container. Make it funny by adding a gift topper. For instance, if you're using Cinnamon Toast Crunch, wrap it up with a recycled ribbon and stick a cinnamon stick in the knot of the bow. Or string some dried sliced fruit or berries through the ribbon.

Glass Jars
After using up all the mayo for your world famous potato salad, use the jar as a gift container. Glass jars are versatile. Soak the label and remove it. Then get creative. Use recycled paper to line the interior as reversed wrapping to hide the gift, or leave it transparent for a "so close yet so far" effect. Use found objects to decorate it as a snowman

Wrapping paper swap party
Invite friends to bring their leftover rolls of wrapping paper and have a swap! It's a chance to socialize, have tea and holiday cookies.

Tips for Toppers
To put that finishing touch on a gift, try a dried orange slice, a homemade gingerbread cookie, pinecones or a pine branch, or cinnamon sticks. Let your imagination roll on reusable, low-impact and found objects that would make the gift stand out from the crowd while staying practical.

LINKS TO RECYCLED GIFT WRAPPING SELLERS
If you use traditional gift wrapping, always buy recycled-content wrapping paper. If your store doesn't sell recycled-content wrapping paper, ask the manager to order it in the future. Recycled paper will cost more, but it will help save the planet, which is the only home you've got.

Green Raising
The Green Life Store
Pristine Planet
Fish Lip Paper Designs

HOW TO MAKE A PAPER BOW OUT OF RECYCLED PAPER
http://www.allfreecrafts.com/recycling-crafts/paper-bows.shtml

IDEAS FOR GREENING YOUR HOLIDAYS

http://planetgreen.discovery.com/go-green/gift-giving/gift-giving-tips.html



MORE STATISTICS

Cards

The 2.65 billion Christmas cards sold each year n the U.S. could fill a football field 10 stories high. If we each sent one card less, we'd save 50,000 cubic yards of paper. (Use Less Stuff) Consider sending an electronic card. The following are some examples of what is available on the internet:
American Greetings

Hallmark

Ribbons

if every family reused just two feet of holiday ribbon, the 38,000 miles of ribbon saved could tie a bow around the entire planet.
Food

At least 28 billion pounds of edible food are wasted each year - or over 100 pounds per person. (Use Less Stuff)

Paper

Half of the paper America consumes is used to wrap and decorate consumer products. (The Recycler's Handbook)
Christmas Trees

Each year, 50 million Christmas trees are purchased in the U.S. (Cygnus Group). Of those, about 30 million go to the landfill. (Environmental News Network)
Gifts

The average American spends $800 on gifts over the holiday season.

According to a national survey, 70% of Americans would welcome less emphasis on gift giving and spending. (Center for a New American Dream)

About 40% of all battery sales occur during the holiday season. (EPA)
Transportation

If each family reduced holiday gasoline consumption by one gallon (about twenty miles), we'd reduce greenhouse gas emissions by one million tons. (Use Less Stuff)

LET'S START A MARCH!

Hi. I'm sure by now most of you have heard the latest report presented by, "an influential group that provides guidance to doctors, insurance companies and policy makers." that states women do not need to start having regular mammograms until the age of fifty. Here is the entire article: "Panel Urges Mammograms at 50, Not 40".

Here is a clip from the NYT article regarding insurance and these changes: "The guidelines are not expected to have an immediate effect on insurance coverage but should make health plans less likely to aggressively prompt women in their 40s to have mammograms and older women to have the test annually."

Congress requires Medicare to pay for annual mammograms. Medicare can change its rules to pay for less frequent tests if federal officials direct it to. Private insurers are required by law in every state except Utah to pay for mammograms for women in their 40s. But the new guidelines are expected to alter the grading system for health plans, which are used as a marketing tool. Grades are issued by the National Committee for Quality Assurance, a private nonprofit organization, and one measure is the percentage of patients getting mammograms every one to two years starting at age 40."

AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY NOT CHANGING IT'S GUIDELINES
From the article, "... the American Cancer Society and the American College of Radiology both said they were staying with their guidelines advising annual mammograms starting at age 40."

FORMER CHIEF OF NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF HEALTH SPEAKS OUT
Nov. 22, 2009
WASHINGTON (AP) - The former director of the National Institutes of Health is advising women to ignore new guidelines that delay the start of routine mammogram testing for breast cancer.

Dr. Bernadine Healy says the directive would save money but not lives.

The recommendation, released last week by an independent panel, recommends that women not routinely undergo mammograms until age 50. Longtime guidelines have said women should have regular mammogram screening after age 40.

Healy says that if the new guidelines are followed, more women will die of breast cancer.

The independent panel, the Preventive Services Task Force, says its recommendations are based on accurate and up-to-date information.

Healy appeared on "Fox News Sunday."

LET'S MARCH FOR MAMMOGRAMS!!!
I say we organize a MARCH on Washington made up of breast cancer survivors and their loved ones. Who is with me? I am totally serious. How do we go about creating a march?

--

I would like to know who is on this "highly influential" panel. Let's find out. Maybe we could write or call or Email the person's closest to us in proximity. Here they are: Ned Calonge, MD, MPH, Chair (Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, Denver, Colorado); Diana B. Petitti, MD, MPH, Vice-Chair (Arizona State University, Phoenix, Arizona); Thomas G. DeWitt, MD (Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio); Allen J. Dietrich, MD (Dartmouth Medical School, Hanover, New Hampshire); Kimberly D. Gregory, MD, MPH (Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California); David Grossman, MD (Group Health Cooperative, Seattle, Washington); George Isham, MD, MS (HealthPartners, Minneapolis, Minnesota); Michael L. LeFevre, MD, MSPH (University of Missouri School of Medicine, Columbia, Missouri); Rosanne M. Leipzig, MD, PhD (Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, New York); Lucy N. Marion, PhD, RN (School of Nursing, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta, Georgia); Bernadette Melnyk, PhD, RN (Arizona State University College of Nursing & Health Innovation, Phoenix, Arizona); Virginia A. Moyer, MD, MPH (Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas); Judith K. Ockene, PhD (University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts); George F. Sawaya, MD (University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California); J. Sanford Schwartz, MD (University of Pennsylvania Medical School and the Wharton School, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania); and Timothy Wilt, MD, MPH (University of Minnesota Department of Medicine and Minneapolis Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota).

This list from The Annals of Internal Medicine does not mention insurance companies.

I've got to run. If anyone has information about organizing a march, please let me know. Thanks.

Be well,
Sue

AN AMBIEN NIGHT

Wow am I wasted. I was up nearly all night, trying to get to sleep, not sure why. I fell asleep at about 8:30 p.m. watching The Man Who Knew too Much, but when I went to bed I was up and up and up, even after falling back to sleep while reading Winnie the Pooh. I feel like I've been hit by a train. I'm so fucking tired. Tonight will be an Ambien Night. I guess that's been the worst part of having no ovaries: insomnia. BUT, the other day I chuckled to myself when I thought, "I highly recommend oophorectomies!" Really, it's great. So much easier. It's very liberating.

I've been feeling G-R-E-A-T, enjoying my own company and spending time with the dogs. I took them for a long walk through the woods yesterday and I remarked to myself how nice it is to enjoy my own company. There was a time, long ago, when that was difficult for me. Two weekends ago I had a great time visiting with my college roommates, and one of them said, "People don't change." I said, "Yes they do." She said, "No they don't." I said, "Yes they do; I don't want to be dead anymore!" She said, "Oh, yeah, I forgot about that" and we all laughed. I think that old adage "People don't change" is a lot of hooey. People don't change because they choose not to. Anyone can change if he or she puts in the effort and commitment. It takes time, patience, and practice, but we can all change if we really want to see our lives improve, our relationships deepen, our happiness grow, and our sense of personal fulfillment blossom. Number one route to change: THERAPY. Number two: FAITH. Number three: ASKING FOR HELP. Number four: RESILIENCE. Number five: COMPASSION. Number six: SERVICE. I could go on and on, and in fact I do, in my book How I Stayed Alive When My Brain Was Trying to Kill Me: One Person's Guide to Suicide Prevention. It's a guide to outthinking your brain and living the best life you can.

I've been pondering my next book for quite some time, recreating it in my mind, and I'm getting close to writing again. I've been Emailing myself ideas and they are stacking up. I feel great about the process, and the agent I've been communicating with, Liv Blumer, is indeed still interested in reading the manuscript. The last Email I received from her read, "You are amazing!" in response to my letting her know about the VA presentations in D.C. and Maryland. She and I had talked about my getting back on the speaking circuit, specifically with veterans.

I'm listening to the soundtrack to Company by Stephen Sondheim. Love it.

I'm off to Christmasland. Final touches at Wilson's for the holiday shopping season. Egadz, it's here!

OH! Speaking of Christmas ... I just found out that one of my childhood friends, Jimmy Clow aka James Clow now, is headlining on BROADWAY in Irving Berlin's White Christmas. How cool is that? I hope to go to NYC and see the show in December. I was planning a NYC trip anyway, to see the Christmas windows. Here's a publicity photo for the show. Jim is the fellow in front, center; the guy on the left, with darker hair. I think he was voted Class Clown in junior high. He was always an entertainer I guess. I'm so happy for him! And proud to have known him. I think we almost made out at a party at my house in seventh grade. Funny, what we remember.

I hope you all have a great day.

Love,
Sue

FEELING GOOD & HOT

Hi. Christmas window are more than half done, praise the lord. They look great! I'm going to take pics today or tomorrow and put them on the blog. It has to be night to see the best view. I wish I had my camera last night. I'm a little tired today, but boy, yesterday I felt super. I woke up entirely refreshed. I took an Ambien Tuesday night and I was bone tired; the combination led to six straight hours of sleep. I didn't get to bed until 2 a.m., because I had to design three ads for Himalayan Views for our local paper, which I had completely forgotten. I was worried that I'd be spent, but alas, I was saved! I've got to run to the windows. Just wanted to check in. Breast still good, ovaries still gone, mood in good standing. Feels funny that there isn't much cancer related info to write about, but I'm going to research hot flashes and see what we can learn about them - why they occur, how we can help ourselves with them, etc. Last night I was up a LOT because of them, plus I didn't take an Ambien. I don't want to take them every night.

HOT FLASH 101
A sudden wave of mild or intense body heat caused by rushes of hormonal changes resulting from decreased levels of estrogen. Hot flashes can occur at any time and may last from a few seconds to a half-hour. They are due to blood vessel opening and constricting and a symptom of menopause.

Hot flashes are episodes that are experienced by many, but not all, women undergoing menopause. A hot flash is a feeling of warmth, sometimes associated with flushing that spreads over the body and sometimes followed by perspiration. Menstruating women in their 40's may have hot flashes, and hot flashes may last for a decade or more in some women. There is no way to predict when they will cease in a given woman. They decrease in frequency over time. The cause of hot flashes is not completely understood. Hot flashes may have more to do with fluctuation of hormone levels as opposed to low hormone levels per se.

Hot flashes can be treated with either oral (by mouth) or transdermal (patch) forms of estrogen -- NOT! I can't take estrogen; that's why I had my ovaries removed; the cancer was estrogen/progesterone receptive. See Tamoxifen Review. Both oral and transdermal estrogen therapies are available either as estrogen alone, or as estrogen combined with progesterone. All available prescription estrogen replacement therapies, whether oral or transdermal, are effective in reducing hot flash frequency and severity. Generally, available treatments decrease hot flash frequency by about 80-90%.

LOG CABIN CHRISTMAS

It's time to start thinking about the gingerbread log cabin!

Remember the one I made last year? No? Well, here are some photos for you to gander. See 1) A Good Day for Chemo; 2) Shawls and Cabins; 3) Log Cabin Gallery. It was a wonderful way to spend December, nurturing myself, being creative, having fun, letting my "child" play. I loved it. Highly recommended. Baking the gingerbread drywall and logs and people made the house smell lovely and Christmasy, which lifted my spirits and kept me positive. The project took about a week I think, including the baking process. I found a recipe in a cookie cookbook. I've invited Britta to join me this year (hi Britta!) to make her own cabin. I'm sure we'll have a ball.

Love to all,
Sue

P.S. What is something nurturing you can do for yourself today?