Mark For Life T-Shirt

On The Doctors they did a segment on tips for early detection of breast cancer. They showed a t-shirt that is being marketed to assist women with self breast exams. Performing self-exams is unerving to begin with because most women don't know what they're looking for. Created and introduced in 2004 by two Atlanta women, the "Mark For Life" T-shirt was an idea they came up with to teach women how to properly conduct a breast self exam and illustrate where potentially cancerous breast tissue exists. More importantly, they wanted a product that would allow women to track the results of their monthly exams to enable them to compare against past exams for any changes.




Interesting facts from their website at markforlife.com:
97% of women survive breast cancer when it is discovered early.
90% of women who get breast cancer have no family history.
70% of women find their own breast cancer using breast self-exams.







The T-Shirt comes with an instruction card listing 9 steps for use of the kit. Utilizing the enclosed marker you follow the spirals on the form fitting shirt and mark this shirt up to take it with you to your next doctors appointment and you can discuss your findings with your doctor. So many times women do not remember where they may have felt something questionable and cannot recall the location. This T-shirt eliminates that problem. There are even monthly reminder stickers to mark your calendar as well as an email address you can submit to for reminders.

Acting F.A.S.T. Can Save Your Life

May is Stroke Awareness Month. What are the signs and symptoms of a stroke?










Did you know that acting "FAST" can save your life:

It's important to remember that not all the warning signs occur in every stroke. Don't ignore any signs of stroke, even if they go away.

Remember to check the time. When did the first warning sign or symptom start? You'll be asked this important question later. If given within three hours of the start of symptoms, a clot-busting drug called tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) can reduce long-term disability for the most common type of stroke. tPA is the only FDA-approved medication for the treatment of stroke within three hours of stroke symptom onset.

If you have one or more stroke symptoms that last more than a few minutes, don't delay. Immediately call 9-1-1.

If you're with someone who may be having stroke symptoms, immediately call 9-1-1 or the EMS. Expect the person to protest — denial is common. Don't take "no" for an answer. Insist on taking prompt action.

Prevention is key when you've a history of high blood pressure or high cholesterol. Along with regular medical check-ups, maintaining a healthy diet and regular exercise, it's also recommended to:

Avoid excess fats: Eating a lot of fat, particularly saturated fat and cholesterol, may contribute to atherosclerosis, which is associated with stroke.

Avoid excess sodium: Excess sodium in the diet is linked to hypertension.

Limit alcohol intake: Individuals who have more than two or three alcoholic beverages a day are at an increased risk of stroke.

For more information visit the American Stroke Association's their website at strokeassociation.org

For Patrick....I love you Sweetie.

For my nephew Patrick, an amazing kid I might add, who has Cystic Fibrosis. I decided to post information about his donation page, to inform people about CF and bring attention to his cause.

In hopes to raise money to find a cure and awareness about CF, this little darling has named his team named "Cough Up the Bucks." The name comes from his "hopes that all will dig deep and cough up a few bucks to help him make a difference."

Patrick, along with all the other CF kids would like CF to someday stand for Cure Found.



To register as part of Pat's Team, or to simply made a secure donation , Please visit his page.


So what Is Cystic Fibrosis?

Cystic fibrosis is an inherited chronic disease that affects the lungs and digestive system of about 30,000 children and adults in the United States (70,000 worldwide). A defective gene and its protein product cause the body to produce unusually thick, sticky mucus that:

. clogs the lungs and leads to life-threatening lung infections; and
. obstructs the pancreas and stops natural enzymes from helping the body break down and absorb food.



In the 1950s, few children with cystic fibrosis lived to attend elementary school. Today, advances in research and medical treatments have further enhanced and extended life for children and adults with CF. Many people with the disease can now expect to live into their 30s, 40s and beyond.

Symptoms of Cystic Fibrosis

People with CF can have a variety of symptoms, including:

very salty-tasting skin;
persistent coughing, at times with phlegm;
frequent lung infections;
wheezing or shortness of breath;
poor growth/weight gain in spite of a good appetite; and
frequent greasy, bulky stools or difficulty in bowel movements.

Statistics
About 1,000 new cases of cystic fibrosis are diagnosed each year.
More than 70% of patients are diagnosed by age two.
More than 40% of the CF patient population is age 18 or older.
The predicted median age of survival for a person with CF is more than 37 years.