In the past, folks could complain that it just wasn’t convenient.  You would have to make an appointment weeks in advance with your family doctor and then pay for the visit and the flu shot.  Not any more!!  You can get a flu shot in lots of places.  I think that every major pharmacy chain is offering flu shots on a walk in basis, including WalMart and Target.  It only takes a minute and will serve to protect you all winter.

Promise me, you won’t put it off.  Go today.  Get your flu shot.

Last Friday night, we joined some friends for dinner.  Our friend, Dick, has been diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer.  Both he and his wife, Donna, understand that it won’t be about winning the war against Pancreatic Cancer, but with luck they hope to win a few battles.  They have seven children, all grown,with families of the their own.

When we were talking on Friday night at dinner, I was so impressed with the attitude and approach, Dick and Donna and their family are taking with this disease.  One of the first things they did as a family was to go and get tattoos on their right arms.  They all choose two Chinese symbols, one for strength and one for courage.  Last week, Donna organized a huge birthday party for Dick to celebrate his life with his family and friends, while he was still alive. Next week, they are all going to the Virgin Islands to sail one more time as a family.

Both Donna and Dick are realistic about the next few months, but they are taking each day and living it to the fullest.  They reminded me once more that each of us should Live like we are dying.

And then I began to see the impact of the American Tobacco companies in the neighborhood where we were staying.  After arriving at my cousin’s flat last Tuesday, we went to a nearby cafe for lunch.  We quickly learned that the Germans love to be outside, even in cold weather.  All of the cafes and restaurants provide blankets to put over your legs and /or shoulders.  Some even have heaters.  But I also noticed that most of the umbrellas on the restaurant patios were compliments of Marlboro.

A couple of evenings later, we were eating in another neighborhood place and I noticed that the aprons all of the wait staff were wearing said: “Ask me about Lucky Strikes”.  All of the ashtrays in that establishment had been provided by Lucky Strikes.  We mentioned it as we were eating that evening (at least in Germany they do have a smoking ban in restaurants) and my cousin told me to go to the ladies room to see what I might find.  Well, I found a cigarette vending machine in the ladies room and postcards advertising Lucky Strikes.

The next evening, we tried yet a third neighborhood restaurant, and what did we find, but all the votive candles on the tables were advertising Philip Morris!  So, although tobacco companies are no longer allowed to advertise like that in the US, they are not prohibited from advertising in many other countries around the world.

I watched one evening as a young couple with a son about 7 or 8 enjoyed their dinner at the next table and I couldn’t help but wonder how much of this advertising was impacting this young child.  The child was playing with the votive candle on the table and had several of the free postcards in his hands.

The Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, an international treaty, being adopted, slowly, around the world, outlines the model policies a country should pass to ensure the protection of their youth.  If Germany were to adopt the FCTC recommendations, those unmonitored vending machines in the ladies room, sun umbrellas advertising Marlboro, aprons for Lucky Strike and votives for Philip Morris would all be removed.

She said that when she read my post, it made her think.  She went to look at her calendar and realized it had been more than a year, since she had last gone for a mammogram.  She picked up the phone and made her appointment.

I was so glad that she shared her story with me and to know that my posting had made a difference in her behavior.  It just goes to show that we never know when someone will hear our message and take action.

So, bottom line, keep sending out messages day after day.  Tell your friends, urge them and congratulate them when they take action.  Together, we are making strides against Breast Cancer.

I was amazed at their stories.  One of the women, a nurse told me that in Bolivia, if they want to volunteer for an activity, first they must find someone to fill in for them at work, AND PAY THAT PERSON!  Another woman told me that for her to attend the training, she had to take three buses and walk and that the total travel time was three hours each WAY!  Another of the women was mother to 11 children, but she still found time to volunteer.  And then there was a woman, whose husband had been killed in the line of duty as a policeman, diagnosed with early stage cervical cancer herself, who was recruiting 10,000 women for PAP Smears.

As I heard their personal stories and observed their thirst to learn and dedication to make a difference, I kept thinking about us here in the US and wondering if we would sacrifice as much?  Some of these women travel eight hours to very rural communities, where they organize PAP smear clinics that last 12 hours, and then drive back home again eight hours.  Would you do that? Would you find your own replacement at work and then pay them, so that you could volunteer?  Would take three buses and walk to go to a volunteer training?  Makes you think, doesn’t it.

My life has been permanently enriched by knowing these wonderful women.  So to my friends, Bertha, Jenny, Guadalupe, Francesca, Elizabeth, Magda, Carolina, Elba, Zaida, Claudia, Veronica and all the others, thank for your hospitality, for teaching me what true volunteerism looks like, for loving each other and me, and for caring about the future of the women and girls in Bolivia.

La gente de Bolivia viven en mi corazon seimpre.  Gracias por su amor.

One of the physicians, who writes a column in our local paper, suggests that if you have trouble with allergies, that you seek out a honey producer within ten miles of where you live.  Then buy the honey that is produced in the season, when you have allergies.  He goes on to suggest that you take one teaspoon of honey every day, starting a month of so before your allergy start.  Of course, before trying this, you should talk with your own doctor first.

I am thinking this might be worth a try for me.  My allergy is pretty mild compared to a lot of people, but still annoying.  And besides, I really like the taste of honey in my tea.

Many of you may not have any idea where Bolivia is or what it is like.  Bolivia is a land locked country in northern South America.  A country of  8.5 million people, many of the people represent indigenous tribes.  La Paz, the biggest city in Bolivia, is located at about 12,000 feet above sea level.  To get there, you have to land at the world’s highest airport in El Alto.

Over the years, the Bolivian people have warmed my heart.  They are hard-working and poor.  Today, five women will have died from cervical cancer.  Every day, five women die from cervical cancer.  Bolivia has the second highest mortality rate in the Western Hemisphere, after Haiti. 

Working over the past years with the Fundacion Boliviana contra el Cancer in La Paz, we have helped the country to develop a comprehensive plan to address women’s cancers.  The plan calls for screening and treatment to be available nationwide.

As part of our efforts, I have been trying since 2007 to get a team of US physicians to Bolivia to train Bolivian physicians in doing colposcopy, an early detection exam for cervical cancer.  This weekend, a team of four physicians will be flying to La Paz for the week to train over 20 physicians.  At the same time, there will be a training held for lay health workers on an exciting awareness program, Con Amor Aprendemos.  The lay health workers will learn how to teach couples about the importance of early detection for cervical cancer.  This program, developed by the ACS and Emory University, has been adopted by the Bolivian government as the official awareness activity.

Meanwhile, over the past year, one of my friends, a pathologist, has been able to locate all of the equipment for a pathology laboratory.  I have been working for one year to get all the signoffs and approvals needed to get this equipment to Bolivia.  Yesterday, I received the last letter I need.

I am honored to be able to go to Bolivia next week and be part of the trainings of both physicians and lay health workers.  I am proud to know that persistence, patience and fortitude have paid off and that with the help of my friends, we are truly making a difference in this world.  Our work in Bolivia will, and does, save lives every day.

As I was getting ready to close down my computer for the evening tonight and thinking about my day tomorrow, a Media Alert came on the screen.  The subject line read ” Study says mammography accounts for about one-third of reduction in deaths from breast cancer from screening programs.”  As I read the email, I saw Dr. Otis Brawley, our Chief Medical Officer quoted, as saying, “….The American Cancer Society believes that the total body of the science supports the fact that regular mammography is an important part of a woman’s preventive health care.”

So now, I have a reminder from my doctor, science from the ACS and off I go first thing tomorrow morning.  What about you?  When did you have your last mammogram?

In cities around the country, the American Cancer Society will be sponsoring Making Strides against Breast Cancer.  This fun family friendly activity will find thousands of people who are interested in eliminating breast cancer coming together for an action packed event.  I have always loved attending and participating in Making Strides.  The sense of community and group power over a horrible disease is infectious.

I love the sea of pink everywhere, from banners and tee shirts to vehicles wrapped especially for the occasion and lots of wigs and boas!!  I love the hugs that are shared between friends and family members and the cleansing tears of acceptance or loss.  I love the cheers from the sidelines and how supportive participants are of each other.  I love the hundreds of volunteers, who get up early and show up before first light to help get everything set up and then stay until the bitter end to tear it all down again.  I love watching young children grab their mother’s hand or a daughter wrapping her arm around the shoulder of her mother, or a husband smiling as his wife takes her first steps as a survivor. 

This is an event which doesn’t mean you have to train for months in advance or even give up an entire precious weekend day.  You don’t have to buy special equipment, like a bike or tent, that you may never use again.  It is a gather your friends and family, raise some money and show up event.

As we, in the South Atlantic, come into Making Strides season, which begins for us this weekend in Charlotte, I want to say to all our staff and volunteers, THANK YOU.  We are Making Strides!

That got me to thinking about the need for continued advocacy around school lunches.  When we realize that for many children what they eat at school is the majority of what they will be served in a day, it should worry all of us.  An occasional hot dog, pizza, fried chicken tender,  mac and cheese,or french fry won’t hurt any of us, but if it is the basis of that child’s diet, we have a problem.

I really worries me to think that my grandchildren are eating high fat, low nutrient lunches at school.  If they eat this every day for 12 years, just think of the excess weight gain, potential for diabetes or high cholesterol, and vitamin deficiency, they are risking.

I know that it is hard to get organized enough to pack a lunch every day.  I know that it is hard to think of tasty alternatives to pack.  I know that in some ways buying the subsidized lunch is cheaper than bringing a packed lunch from home.  Because of all these reasons, I believe that we must be vigilant in advocating for a healthier school lunch program.  These kids are our future.  We need them to be healthy.