truesurvivor

Why I'm Supporting Hilary Clinton for President

I’m a typical New Hampshire voter, who only makes up her mind after getting up close and personal with a candidate. But this time, I’m breaking my own precedent. I haven’t yet shaken hands with Hilary. But I don’t have to. There is simply too much at stake to support anyone else. Here’s why:

1. I want the most experienced, qualified and battle-tested president to sit across from the Saudis, Chinese, Iranians, Koreans, Russians or whoever else shows up during the next international crisis - -someone who is already had experience negotiating with them and doesn’t have to learn on the job.
2. I want someone who knows how to get things done on Capitol Hill so when the time comes, we get supreme court justices in place that will protect a woman’s right to choose.
3. I want a policy wonk who’s already got a plan to lower the cost of higher education so, not only do kids not be burdened by college loans, but so, as a business woman, I get more qualified talent to choose from.
4. As breast cancer survivor I am acutely aware of the need for affordable health care, and I want to elect someone who will ensure the continuation of the Affordable Care Act, at least until we get a congress that will consider an alternative. Yes, universal health care is a wonderful idea but in the next four years, I don’t want to risk what Obama fought so hard to achieve for in order to get it.
5. She will be ready day one. There's nothing worse than moving into a new house and not knowing where the bathrooms are. She’ll not only be able to navigate the White House, she’ll also know what we need in a Secretary of State AND know how to navigate Capital Hill. In the words of Al Franken, “there’s never been a more qualified candidate for president in our lifetime.”
6. She isn’t a one-issue candidate and is passionate about all the things I care most about.
7. She’s raised one hell of kick-ass daughter who appears to be normal despite all the shit she went through.
8. Once you’ve been diagnosed with cancer, you are acutely aware of your own mortality and I want to see a woman in the White House in my lifetime, and so I don’t want to wait any longer.

Can Komen's Reputation Be Saved?

Short answer is: I hope so, but I doubt it.

Transparency alert:  I’m a breast cancer survivor, my oncologist is a medical advisor  for Komen and one of my best friends is the medical director for a Planned Parenthood  office . To say that I’m conflicted is an understatement.  I am reacting to the news of Komen’s de-funding of Planned Parenthood the way most of us react to the death of a friend – with denial, disbelief, anger and grief

I saw the first negative tweet sometime Tuesday night and went into total  denial. They must have it wrong, I thought. Why would anyone be saying such horrible things about Komen. They’re the good guys, T hey fund the research that may have saved my life.  Then it was on the news. Yes in fact they HAD pulled funding for breast screenings at Planned Parenthood. 

Disbelief came next:  What are they thinking? Why would they do that, there must be some explanation. Alas, there was not. Or at least not one that didn’t scream POLITICS thru every sentence. Then I felt anger. Raw, seeing red, expletives undeleted fury.  I was angry at them for the decision, sure. But I was angry for many more reasons.

Angry for tarnishing a brand I’ve endorsed over and over again. But that was all about me, so then I got angry at them for denying services to the predominantly young, low income women that Planned Parent hood serves. I got angrier when my friend emailed me that her Planned Parenthood office had recently had detected suspicious lumps in five women who, as it turned out, had breast cancer. Cancer that would have gone undetected were it not for that Planned Parenthood visit. 

The I got even angrier because I emailed, commented, tweeted to Komen and no one was listening. I know the PR people at Komen, and know them to be smart and good at their jobs. They even measure their results based on outcomes for gods sakes!   I can only imagine the hell on earth that their offices must be like right now. A hell that they certainly didn’t cause, and that they certainly can’t fix. A hell made worse by people far above their pay grade making stupid decisions to behave like ostriches in this crisis. Attempting to control the criticism by cutting off the dialog. Putting out stilted videos that do nothing to address the concerns and everything to belittle their critics. (as if THAT is going to make critics feel better and/or go away.

Then I started reading everyone elses comments on the various blogs and Facebook pages and I got even angrier at the idealogs on both sides that have turned a fundamental issue of women’s health into a platform for their diatribes.

Finally I finally got sad, and mourned my loss.

I had loss a source of hope. When I was facing a choice of treatments for Stage 2 Invasive ductal carcinoma, my doctor assured me that if I chose chemotherapy and radiation it would keep cancer at bay for at least five years and “by that time we will have found a cure” --  and the one orgnazation that I truly believed might fund that cure was Komen. I believed that because my oncologist was advising Komen and if anything was going to beat cancer it was a team that included Dana Farber and Komen. It’s been 8 years and they haven’t found a cure, but they’ve made a lot of progress. Now, thousands of loyal donors are pledging to give elsewhere.  As much as I may have differences with their belief, I now have to hope that the pro-life contingent makes up the difference, which is, of course, what Komen is also hoping. 

I am also mourning the loss that one feels when a trust is broken.  Every brand is its core is a promise. Southwest Airlines promises me the freedom to fly. FedEx promises me that my packages wll get their overnight. Komen promised me that they would find a cure. In reality, we all know that brands can fail.  Southwest can be more expensive. FedEx can lose my package. And Komen really isn’t the perfect, research-above all organization that I thought it was.  Like many major non-profits it spends at least as much time on courting donors, sometimes unsavory ones, that it does on finding a cure.

I have lost something else too. I had planned on participating in the first ever Komen for a Cure race in Portsmouth, NH.  It was a big deal that Komen was coming to Portsmouth.. kind of thing that puts a little town on the map.. and I had recruited a number of friends to be part of my team.  There is no longer a team. Even if I wanted to participate, my friends have refused, and I can’t blame them.

To my friends at Planned Parenthood, congratulations You’ve gotten your message out, you’ve made the money back and more, and thank you mayor Bloomberg for your help.

To my friends at Komen. Write a book, and if you want to jump ship, we’re hiring.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Men, listen up, this is what 50% of women really want for Christmas

Okay, I don't normaly pimp products (so to speak) and the last time I mixed sex and Christmas, I got into a whole lot of trouble. But seriously, how many women (or their men)  wouldn't wish that Santa would bring them more enjoyable sex. Isn't that really a perfect present? 

For any woman who has been thru Tamoxifen or Femara or any of a number of other post-cancer treatments, you know what I'm talking about. We share this awful secret that we never tell the newly diagnosed. The reason why all these products work is that they kill off any remaining estrogen in your body that chemical menapause and chemo haven't already done away with. That's the good news.

The bad news is that estrogen also enables women to become moist during sex. Which means that a ridiculous number of women cancer survivors suffer from vaginal dryness. In fact 50% of ALL women suffer from this problem at some point, but it certainly is even more common in cancer survivors.

Which is why my friend Helen Rollins has the perfect Christmas present for about 50% of women.. She's part of a wonderful group of women, and kept hearing the same complaints, So she spent a long time  looking for a safe and natural cure for this particular malady. When she found one, she started Women's Intimate Solutions.
Now, just in time for Christmas, she's got a new web site, and  she's even put some of her more magical potions (aka women's viagra) on sale for the holidays.  So if you really want to have a happy new year, you'll get your orders in today!

Rest in peace, Ellizabeth

 

via www.washingtonpost.com

I started this blog when a close friend of mine died of cancer and the only way I could deal with the grief was to write.
Which is why I write tonight. I was privileged to receive Elizabeth Edwards (and her then-spouse) in my living room during a campaign tour of NH in 2002. She immediately impressed me as an energetic force that cared passionately about making the world a better place.
She was diagnosed with breast cancer not long after I finished my treatment and I ached for her. Knowing that she had put off her exam too long, knowing that you don't go thru the treatment she did unless you were at least Stage 3.
When her cancer came back, my heart sank, knowing her days were numbered.
When her husband turned out to be America's biggest sleazeball, my heart sank further. Knowing only too well the impact that breast cancer has on your psyche, your ego, your sexuality and your self-image. I can't imagine what she was going through.
When I watched the slide show, I was struck by how absolutely honest her quote was.

 

The days of our lives, for all of us, are numbered," Edwards wrote on her Facebook page on Monday. "We know that. And yes, there are certainly times when we aren't able to muster as much strength and patience as we would like. It's called being human. But I have found that in the simple act of living with hope, and in the daily effort to have a positive impact in the world, the days I do have are made all the more meaningful and precious. And for that I am grateful.

"The days of our lives, for all of us, are numbered. We know that. And yes, thre are certainly times when we aren't able to muster a smuch strength and patience as we would like. It's called being human. But I have found that in the simple act of living with hope, and in the daily effort to have a positive impact in the world, the days I do have are made all the more measningful and precioius. And for that I am grateful "

Elizabeth, we were grateful to have you in our lives.

Grant applications now being accepted by Seacoast Concert for a Cure

The Seacoast Concert for a Cure committee is now accepting applications for beneficiaries of next year's Concert for a Cure. The criteria for acceptance are:

1. Applicants must provide services that focus on breast cancer research and survivor support.
2. Preference will be given to local (Greater Seacoast) region, but worthy organizations from elsewhere in northern New England will be considered.
3. Preference will be given to those organizations who will provide members to serve on the committee and help with event.
4. Please provide detailed explanation of your needs, the people who benefit from your organization, and how you plan to use the money if awarded.
5. Please complete and either fax or email the following information by January 4, 2011 to:

 Seacoast Concert for a Cure

c/o Katie Paine

Fax: 520-303-9566

[email protected]

 

 

Beneficiary Application for Seacoast Concert For A Cure

 

Organization:
Contact:
Title:
Address:
City:
State:
Zip:
Phone:
Email:
Website:
When was your organization formed?
A summary description of the organization:
A summary of the proposed project or program:
The proposed project budget / how funds you receive will be used:
A summary explanation of who will benefit from this program and how:
Plans to measure and evaluate program results:
How will you participate in the Concert for a Cure?
Are you a 501(C)(3) organization?*

 

* Seacoast Concert For A Cure may consider organizations who are not 501(C)(3) compliant and reserves the right to select a beneficiary based on merit and focus.

 

 

 

Thank you!

Beneficiaries receive $10,000 from Seacoast Concert for a Cure

 

Media Contact: Katie Paine  [email protected]

Portsmouth, NH – October 11, 2010 – Tomorrow, October 12, 2012 at 6:30 pm at the Common Man Restaurant in Portsmouth,  the Seacoast Concert for a Cure committee will distribute $10,000 to three charities that specialize in breast cancer research and survivor support.

The proceeds from this year’s concert will go to BreastCancerStories org and its local support programs, to On Belay, a program for children who are facing a parent’s diagnosis of cancer, and to  Betty J. Borry Breast Cancer Retreats.

The sixth annual Seacoast Concert for a Cure was held at the Seacoast Science Center in Rye, NH on August 5^th, 2010, and included music by The Adam Ezra Band and the Mighty Mystics. Dozens of local businesses donated to the Silent Auction which included tickets to The Colbert Report and four round trip tickets to any Southwest Airlines destination.

 

Since the event began in 2005, Seacoast Concerts for a Cure have raised more than $90,000 for local non-profit organizations who provide much needed and valued support to breast cancer patients and their family members. Past events have provided funding for:  mammograms to those who can’t afford them; support weekends for survivors and children of those affected by cancer; the creation of the web site BreastCancerStories.org where women can share their stories and get support on line; as well as Dana Farber’s Survivorship Program – a program that helps more and more people survive cancer every year.

All of the organizers, staff, and sound engineers volunteered their skill and time so that the maximum amount of funds could be donated to support these local breast cancer organizations.   The concert was sponsored by L. Wynne Sound, The Frozen Pea Fund, Pax World Funds, and many other local businesses. 

Additional details about the musicians, the recipient charities and the organizing team can be found on www.seacoastconcertforacure.com.  Plans for the seventh annual Seacoast Concert For A Cure are well underway. The 2011 concert will return to the Seacoast Science Center on August 6, 2011 at the Seacoast Science Center.  People interested in getting involved as a volunteer, sponsor or performer can find information and contact info at www.seacoastconcertforacure.com. Non-profits that want to apply to be a beneficiary of Seacoast Concerts for a Cure may download an application from the website www.seacoastconcertforacure.com or contact [email protected].

 

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Prevent Breast Cancer One Woman at a Time

Elizabeth Hurley and I travel the world together each October and share the message that, as Elizabeth puts so well:

via www.huffingtonpost.com

This is a campaign to make you cry. AND spread the word

On Twitter, what goes around, comes around

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 It is with undescribable joy and humility that I get to announce that our own Seacoast Concert for a Cure -- (hear our PSA here: 

SEACOAST CONCERT FOR A CURE-PSA 2010 FINAL MIX

has been awarded a $5000 grant from the Frozen Pea Fund. 
Here's the release:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Seacoast Concert for a Cure Receives $5,000 Grant from Frozen Pea Fund

August 5, 2010 event at Seacoast Science Center to feature top local bands

 Portsmouth, NH – July 31, 2010 – Seacoast Concert for a Cure,  an annual music festival that raises funds for breast cancer survivor support, this week received a $5,000 grant from the Frozen Pea Fund, a grassroots, online fundraising effort for breast cancer research and programs.

Connie Reece, a Texas-based communications consultant, founded the Frozen Pea Fund in 2007, after a friend was suddenly struck with invasive breast cancer. Susan Reynolds, an artist and new media consultant from Virginia, opted for a frozen bag of peas rather than an uncomfortable, hard icepack after a painful biopsy. She tucked the bag into her bra, and the sight made her laugh. "That bag of peas added a touch of lightness to what could have been a sad and serious tale," she writes at her BoobsOnIce blog.

Since inception the Frozen Pea Fund has raised over $40,000, which it awards to local non-profits involved in helping individuals battle the devastating effects of cancer on women and their families. “We chose the Seacoast Concert for a Cure as a recipient because co-founder Katie Delahaye Paine reached out to Susan Reynolds after her diagnosis,” Reece said. “Katie provided hope and comfort by using new media channels like Twitter and Facebook to communicate with Susan and her online community.”

“I was a Twitter newbie when I first heard about BoobsonIce and the Frozen Pea Fund. As a cancer survivor, I immediately identified with Susan and was inspired by Susan and Connie’s efforts. To be a recipient of the fund is an honor and a thrill. ” said concert co-founder  Katie Delahaye Paine. “I also think it’s totally fitting that this money goes to programs that help individual survivors and their  families survive and thrive as Susan has.”

The 2010 CFAC event, which will be held August 5 at the Seacoast Science Center in Rye, NH, will feature a unique lineup of national musicians with local roots, including the internationally-acclaimed band The Adam Ezra Group plus reggae stars Mighty Mystic and the Strings of Thunder.

Since the event began in 2005, Seacoast Concerts for a Cure have raised more than $80,000 for local non-profit organizations who provide much needed and valued support to breast cancer patients and their family members. Past events have provided funding for:  mammograms to those who can’t afford them; support weekends for survivors and children of those affected by cancer; the creation of the web site BreastCancerStories.org, where women can share their stories and get support on line; as well as Dana Farber’s Survivorship Program – a program that helps more and more people survive cancer every year.

Last year’s concert raised over $15,000 for local breast cancer support programs. Money raised by this year’s event will help the following organizations:

• Betty J. Borry Breast Cancer Retreats which provide adventure retreat weekends for women living after breast cancer.
• On Belay, a local non-profit that supports children of those suffering from cancer or other life-threatening diseases. The organization was started by concert founder and New Hampshire Volunteer of the Year, Crescentia Healy True, who sadly lost her battle with breast cancer in 2006.
• BreastCancerStories.com, an online community where people touched by breast cancer can share their experiences with loved ones and with one another.

This year, attendees will also have a chance to bid on and win raffle and silent auction items including two tickets to The Colbert Report, a cruise on Lake Winnipesauke as well as several getaway vacation packages and two tickets to anywhere Southwest Airlines flies.

In hosting the event, the Seacoast Science Center continues its Thursday night series for an extra week. Other sponsors of this year’s event include: Appledore Engineering, Wentworth Marina and many other local businesses that are donating their time and services.

Tickets for the event are available on the concert web site: www.seacoastconcertforacure.com and from Bull Moose Records. Further details about the musicians, the recipient charities and the organizing team are also available on the web site, www.seacoastconcertforacure.com.

 

The Wire - Concert for a Cure coming soon

Last year’s Seacoast Concert for a Cure raised more than $15,000 to research breast cancer and support survivors, and organizers hope this year’s event will match that success. Tickets are now available for the sixth annual Concert for a Cure, which will take place on Thursday, Aug. 5, at the Seacoast Science Center in Rye. 

via www.wirenh.com

This will make sure you come out of the Concert for a Cure

Our friend and board member Steve Friedman created an awesome spot for our concert. Check it out

SEACOAST CONCERT FOR A CURE-PSA 2010 FINAL MIX