OCTOBER 6, 2010

National Breast Cancer Coalition deadline is counting down

NBCC is setting a deadline for ending breast cancer in 2020

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pink ribbonOctober 1. Today we set a goal. Today we set a deadline: Jan. 1, 2020. The end of breast cancer. Hope is a wish. The deadline is a commitment. Hope says whenever. The deadline says within ten years. What if we fail? We already have. What about pink? It’s time to show our true colors. Ten years is too short? We ended polio in seven.

A deadline changes everything. No experiment, no charity, no lab, no doubt, no promise, no critic, no iota of research can occur outside of its context. Today the conversation changes. 2020. The end of breast cancer. This is serious. This is real. Are you with us?

Go to the NBCC website to learn more about what you can do:
Visit www.stopbreastcancer.org for more information.

OCTOBER 6, 2010

Support for breast cancer patients and their families

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Bosom Buddies is a 501 (c) (3) Valley non-profit organization of caring volunteers who have personal experience dealing with the challenges of breast cancer. Their mission is to provide support through the sharing of common experiences and knowledge. Bosom Buddies has monthly breast cancer support groups, a 24/7 hotline and educational programs. Their goal is to assure women they are not alone in their journey through breast cancer. The Bosom Buddies hotline and all support group meetings are conducted by breast cancer survivors who truly understand the journey a woman and her family experience.

If you have found a breast lump, have been diagnosed with breast cancer, have a friend or loved one who might benefit from their services, use their support or just need someone to talk to, please call or e-mail them.

Call their hotline and an operator will link you to a trained breast cancer survivor to answer your questions: Hotline: 602-231-6648 You can also send an e-mail to [email protected].  If you would like more information about their support groups, please see their support page.

Bosom Buddies is celebrating the receipt of a $5,000 advocacy grant from the National Breast Cancer Coalition and a $6,000 community grant from Fry’s Food to support all their programs.

Flu season begins again in Arizona

Maricopa County confirms its first case of the season

PHOENIX – On Oct. 4, the Arizona Department of Health Services and the Maricopa County Department of Public Health confirmed the first flu case of the season; an unvaccinated woman in her early 30’s now recovering at home.

And it starts again,” said Dr. Bob England, director of Maricopa County Department of Public Health. “The good news is that this woman did not have H1N1; the bad news is that this woman did not have H1N1. We just don’t know which strain of the flu will dominate our flu season this year which is why I can’t stress enough for everyone to get their flu vaccine.”

This year, for the first time, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that everyone 6 months and older get the flu vaccine. As always, this year’s flu vaccine protects against three different flu viruses; an H3N2 virus, an influenza B virus and the H1N1 virus that caused so much illness last season.

Last year Arizona had 13,032 flu cases and at least 122 deaths, almost all due to the H1N1 pandemic strain.

“No one should have to get sick with influenza this year.  There is plenty of vaccine across the state and finding a shot is almost as easy as going to the ATM,” said Will Humble, director of the Arizona Department of Health Services.  “If your doctor doesn’t have any, there are clinics and mini-clinics.  Plus if you don’t like shots, you can get the nasal spray!”

Preparation includes getting the flu vaccine and being vigilant in good hygiene – covering our cough in our sleeves, washing our hands frequently and staying home when we are sick.

For more information about the flu in Arizona or where to get flu vaccine, please visit StopTheSpreadAz.org.