How Your Dog Can Help Cure Cancer

As many of you know, I am a huge supporter of breast cancer research.  So, when I recently learned that one of my favorite stores was donating money from sales of a particular item to breast cancer research, I was impressed.  Since I’m the nosy type, I had to do some research, and what I found really impressed me.

First of all, you should know that Planet Dog was started right here in Maine in 1997, but in 2000, wanting to give back to the community, the company founded Planet Dog Philanthropy, a grant-making organization, to fund creative and effective programs working for the environment, animal welfare, and education.  The overarching goal was to generate knowledge, develop new solutions to problems and promote activities that strengthen our communities.  Since then Planet Dog Philanthropy has awarded 21 grants totaling more than $75,000 to better the world around us. Because of limited resources, grants were targeted only within New England.

In 2005, the Board of Directors for Planet Dog Philanthropy reviewed the first five years and also considered where they wanted to go with the organization.  With a desire to refocus on a more nation-wide mission and wanting to make a bigger impact with their limited resources, the priorities changed and expanded and Planet Dog Philanthropy became The Planet Dog Foundation

Currently The Planet Dog Foundation has three main programs listed on their site, though I noticed other programs of interest are noted on displays in their main store.  The Ribbon Program is the one that original caught my attention and caused me to write all of this, of course, but it’s not just about breast cancer.

All of us at Planet Dog want to help find a cure for both breast cancer and prostate cancer. Our idea is simple – develop great dog toys with a great purpose and people will take it to the beach, to the park, wherever dogs play, fetch and romp with their buddies. There, the humans will engage in conversation with other humans about the toys - “My dog is helping to find a cure for cancer.” How? By Spreading the WOOF. For every Ribbon Ringo or Ribbon Buddy sold, Planet Dog Foundation will make a financial contribution to either the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation (Pink Ribbon Toys) or Memorial Sloan-Kettering Counseling Center (Blue Ribbon Toys). With your support, we can make a difference.

For pink ribbon toys, click here.

For blue ribbon toys, click here.

Since breast cancer runs in my family and I’ve known people with prostrate cancer, I’ve decided to buy Pugly one of each and, heck, I think I’ll even take him and them to the park and try to start up a “My dog is helping to find a cure for cancer” conversation with a cute guy conversation.

Meanwhile, you can support Planet Dog — local do-gooder dog-lovers — and do your part in helping to find a cure for cancer by buying one of these toys online.

Tags: breast cancer, prostrate cancer, Planet Dog, Planet Dog Foundation

Life Going On

So, the good news is that PW does not have breast cancer. Talk about breathing a sigh of relief. She was so relieved that she didn’t mind at all that the x-rays showed she has a kidney stone, which explains the pain in her side. :crazy:

I’m glad she’s o.k.

###So, I can’t recall if I mentioned it. I saw the doctor last week. The flu/cold I had cleared up immediately after I made the appointment, of course. However, I had to go in for a Depo shot and med check anyway and I wanted to talk to her about some issues I’ve been having with my GI tract — painfully bloaty and gassy with weeks of constipation rotating in and out. Ug.

Well, first off, I walked the mile to the appointment and my blood pressure was only 110/72! She said that if I lose some more weight (I’ve only lost 5 lbs since January 16th) and keep my blood pressure down, I maybe can come of the BP med in June. Good news there.

Plus, I talked to her about cutting back on the ambien. I now don’t take it every night but only as needed like the night after a bad night. Less pills is always good.

Unfortunately, after a discussion with the shrink and the GP, it was decided to double my prosac for the time being. The GP thinks I may suffer from that seasonal disorder and wants to try cutting the prosac back again in June and then look into light therapy next Winter. Honestly, maybe that whole sun thing is a factor. I know I hate driving home in the dark. It just feels so wearing and this last month with the snow storms in March, I’ve been tired of the weather and really ready for Spring or mud season as they call it.

So, for now, I need to keep watching my food and start trying to get some exercise in and try to find ways to meet people and hopefully get through my annual review on Wed. :crazy:

###My 34th birthday was something of a non-event. I got flowers from my parents on Friday as well as birthday cards from them and one grandmother. (Oh, and two e-cards from online friends and acquaintenances.) However, that’s all I got. I didn’t go anywhere or do anything different. It was kind of sad really.

I mean, I’m not much of a birthday person, but it was kind of a precursor to my life once my parents and grandparents pass on. It was a little lonely, I admit. I felt forgotten really, though two ex-boyfriends emailed me. None of my “good” friends recognized or remembered the day. PW had called me earlier in the week on the wrong day to wish me a happy one so I guess she’s excused. Still a part of me hoped for something more. It’s really a reminder that everyone is moving on with their lives and I’m so far away that I need to let go and work harder to make new friends.

Heck, I’m so lonely, I even discussed dating in therapy. I’ve given up on dating really. I can’t find anyone who is independent and has a life of their own and yet wants to share moments with me. Everyone I’ve dated seems to need that constant attention/companionship thing that sends me running for my independence.

It’s really silly to be thinking about it. If I can’t meet new friends, where am I going to meet people to date?

Tags: breast cancer, Depo Provera, blood pressure, Prozac, birthday

On Breast Cancer

So, PW had a mamogram, an ultrasound, and a biopsy on Wednesday. She is completely freaked out about the whole thing which is completely understandable. The waiting to hear the results is killing me so I can imagine how she feels. I imagine it’s impossible to think about anything else and she said everytime the phone rings, she’s afraid to pick it up. It’s like one phone call holds her future in it’s ring.

I really am so afraid for her as this is one of my fears too. However, the doctor told her he was 95% sure it was just a cyst and the doctor who did the biopsy told her that the sample he took “looked clean”. One of the nurses told her that she had a similar cyst herself for 8 years and it was no big deal.

Meanwhile, when PW went to the hospital the tech actually told her that she was too young to need a mamo and a baseline and she didn’t think the tests were at all necessary. PW told her she was welcome to call the doctor and ask him.

I know someone else who went a few years ago, also at 31, to that hospital to get a mamo and the tech then also argued with her. I just don’t understand how anyone, especially a woman, could make that argument that someone is too young to be having these tests. Breast cancer is an equal opportunity cancer; it doesn’t care how old you are and more and more young women are getting it and being misdiagnosed and dying. It just infuriates me.

Apparently even after the radiologist told the tech to do the mamo anyway, she treated PW pretty bad and it wasn’t until the radiologist thought they needed to do an ultrasound that the tech started being nice. PW told the radiologist that when she came back for the biopsy that tech better not be around. She wasn’t.

To be honest this morning, I feel sick and want to cry. I’m so afraid for PW. It’s taking all my will to not call her every 15 minutes to see if she’s heard yet. Her boyfriend has been doing that anyway so I probably wouldn’t be able to get through.

Tags: breast cancer

Happy Pre-Birthday!

PW called me last night to wish me a Happy Birthday. I think it’s funny because after over 10 years, she still gets my birthday mixed up with my mom’s. Mine isn’t until Sunday. Anyway, it made me laugh and gave me a chance to gossip.

Apparently, her Upper GI came back showing nothing wrong — no acid reflux, etc. Still she’s having chest pains and pains on her left side. Plus, the doctor found a small lump in her left breast which he thinks is probably a cyst but he’s sending her in for a mamo and a chest x-ray today and a blood test for diabetes at her request within the next week or so. The chest x-ray is too look at her heart. She is extremely freaked out and I tried to be a good friend and tell her everything’s going to be fine, but of course, she has every right to be concerned.

However, she has a great doctor. I should know; he was mine and I recommended him to her. You hear so many stories about doctors who write off the possiblity of breast cancer in young women PW’s age and then when the cancer is found, it’s too late. A sign of a good doctor is when he takes it serious enough to double check everything. Plus, he’s very patient and will generally humor you if you think you may have some horrible disease. Can’t tell you how many blood tests and EKGs and x-rays he did on my request. :crazy:

She also told me that Meg is apparently ill. She has cellulitus or something which is some sort of skin infection and then had allergic reactions to the antibiotics, which I thought was strange because it seems to me that she had an allergic reaction to antibiotics a few years ago which should have alerted her that they were bad things. I should think about sending a card, I guess.

She also said that Meg apparently now has her own cases and is working as a lawyer and that Peter is no longer the law librarian at his firm but is doing something else but still not doing lawyer-y stuff. I really wonder how he feels about that. He’s so competitive and Meg passed the bar the first time and he didn’t until the third time and she is working as a lawyer and he isn’t. Plus, from what I hear, she is making way more money than he is. I just can’t imagine that sits well with him because he always struck me as having a little of that man-is-the-bread-winner-attitude. *shrug*

PW also said that Peter’s been doing lots with her and that he volunteered to help her move a bed that she bought from Meg’s parents who are apparently selling their bed and breakfast or converting it to condos or something. I must admit I was surprised that he offered to help, but there are definitely changes going on in the dynamics of that group.

It’s just so strange that after all these years, the only one who really keeps in contact with me and that I keep in contact with is PW even after those big blow-outs and all those mean things said. She told me the other day that even in the years that we didn’t speak at all, she always thought of me as a friend. And the truth is that as hurt as I was, I would still have shown up if she needed someone…but I guess I kind of proved that, didn’t I?

Anyway, English will be back in the States a week from Friday to spend Easter with PW and she is planning on going to see him in June. She’s so cute about the whole thing. She really seems to want me to like him. Possibly this is because I didn’t like Manchild when they started dating and told her that it wouldn’t work out, which was rather prophetic, I guess. I’ve been wrong before. Anyway, I just want her to be happy and if he makes her happy and has her best interests at heart, then I’m happy for her.

It’s interesting that after Manchild left her, she told me that she’d decided she didn’t think she wanted to have kids anymore but now that English is in the picture, she’s afraid if she has cancer, chemo will ruin her chances of having a kid. I predict she’ll be moving to England in a year. :satisfied:

Tags: birthday, breast cancer