It's Always Something... - FEEL TEAL CLUB

It's Always Something... - FEEL TEAL CLUB
with comedian/titan, Shelly Ryan

Passing the teal buzz around

Teal buzz!

• Sep. 2nd, 2012 at 2:47 PM

There's a real TEAL buzz in the air and it's all because of ovarian cancer!
This month,across the United States, people are making noise to raise further awareness and attention to this gynaecological cancer, and with very good reason. You see, unlike that of Breast & Cervical cancer, Ovarian cancer still has no guaranteed way of detecting the disease, not unless some of its symptoms have been clearly identified. The problem here is during early stages of ovarain cancer, many women go undiagnosed simply because there were NO symptoms, a very common and quite frustrating problem for both patient and doctor. With this being the case, far too many women advance into the later stages of the disease, an extrememly dangerous situation! The later the stage, the lower the percentage of survial rate.
I have personally experienced this cruel disease, losing my mother only 4 months after her original diagnosis. In the years following, I devoted my time (and much of my life) to spreading the crucial facts about this disease,in an effort to prevent others the heartache associated with a late diagnosis. If caught early enough, ovarian cancer is curable with the right treatment. Sharing the symptoms, has become the ONLY guide in fighting this cancer, and this is why women everywhere join forces, reaching out to tell others the importance of "awareness"and encouraging them to share the information.
It is my hope that this post will be received the same way, and from it perhaps many more will become well informed and proactive within their own communitites.There are more and more ovarian cancer websites/blogs popping-up, providing details of news & events, especially during their respective "Awareness Months".
Why "teal"?
It is the colour which represents Ovarian cancer and you are sure to be seeing much more of this colour as the message FEEL TEAL continues to spread!



What it is

Ovarian cancer is a disease in which some cells of the ovary undergo changes and develop into cancer. Cancer can develop in one or both of the ovaries and can sometimes spread more widely. More than 1200 Australian women are diagnosed with ovarian cancer every year.

There are four types:

Epithelial ovarian cancer: Affects the outer cells of the ovary - the epithelium. The most common type of ovarian cancer evident in nine out of 10 cases.
Germ cell ovarian cancer: An uncommon form. Forms in the cells in the ovary that make the eggs and usually affect younger women.
Sex-cord stromal cell ovarian cancer: An uncommon form. Occurs in the cells which release the female hormones and can affect women of any age.
Borderline tumours: A group of epithelial tumours. A less aggressive ovarian cancer.

Both germ cell and sex-chord stromal cell ovarian cancers are curable. If they only affect one ovary, women may still fall pregnant after treatment.

A lack of symptoms during the early stages of ovarian cancer makes it difficult to diagnose. Two of the most common symptoms of abdominal pain and bloating can be confused with many other health issues. Other symptoms include:

Loss of appetite
Unexplained weight gain
Changes in bowel or bladder habits
Feeling tired
Pain during sex
Vaginal bleeding

The cause of ovarian cancer is still unknown but risk factors for women include:

Living in a developed country.
Having been through menopause.
Having few or children.
Starting periods early and going through menopause late
Being overweight.
Smoking.
Endometriosis.
A family history of cancer.
Inheriting genes called BRCA1 and BRCA2.
Ovarian cancer may be less common in women who have:
Had children.
Taken the contraceptive pill.
Breast-fed children.

To diagnose ovarian cancer a doctor will discuss your symptoms and medical history. Other tests include:

Physical examination of the lower abdomen and pelvis.
Blood tests – to test for the protein CA 125 that can be high in ovarian cancer.
Ultrasounds and other imaging tests.
Surgery – the only definitive way to find out if you have ovarian cancer.

Treatment depends on the type of ovarian cancer and where it has spread. For most women, the ovaries, fallopian tubes, womb, omentum and nearby lymph nodes will need to be removed. Sometimes parts of the appendix and bowel will also have to be taken.

Chemotherapy uses medicine to kill cancer cells and is almost always necessary after surgery. It causes side effects.

Radiotherapy uses radiation to kill cancer cells but is only used occasionally. It also has side effects.
Who it affects

Any woman can develop cancer but a family history of the cancer or other factors (see 'causes' above) can increase your risk. The median age for the first diagnosis is 64.
How to prevent it

There is no known cause of cancer but those at risk should let their doctor know the relevant medical or family history. Pap smear tests detect cancer of the cervix, not ovarian cancer.

Further information in Australia:

National Breast and Ovarian Cancer Centre www.nbocc.org.au (02) 9357 9400
Ovarian Cancer Australia www.ovariancancer.net.au 1300 660 334
Cancer Council Australia www.cancer.org.au 13 11 20



In the United States:

Estimated new cases and deaths from ovarian cancer in the United States in 2012:

	New cases: 22,280
	Deaths: 15,500

Epithelial ovarian cancer is the leading cause of death from gynecologic cancer in the U.S. In 2004, 25,580 new cases were diagnosed and 16,090 women died from this disease. The incidence of this cancer increases with each decade and peaks for women in their eighties. Each pregnancy reduces the ovarian cancer risk by about 10% and breast feeding and tubal ligation also appear to reduce the risk.

Further reading:
http://www.cdc.gov/cancer/ovarian/statistics/state.htm
http://www.ovarian.org/
Be sure to visit us at the FEEL TEAL CLUB where we raise awareness to ovarian cancer 7 days a week, 52 weeks a year!

Riding for Ruth

Saturday, March 31, 2012

10:00am until 5:00pm

Our friend, neighbor and founder of WeFightLikeAGirl, Ruth Helton, said those dreaded words...."my cancer is back". Ruth and WeFightLikeAGirl has helped hundreds of women with ovarian cancer and raised thousands of dollars for ovarian cancer research. Ruth is undergoing chemo therapy and fighting her cancer and her husband is working....but she needs a little help with her daily bills while she continues her brave battle. Let's give Ruth our support and show her our appreciation by "Riding for Ruth" on March 31st. Visit www.wefightlikeagirl.com for information on ovarian cancer

Cuffs are cool!

This post is especially for the ladies!

I don’t know about you, but I love finding new items to add to my wardrobe, especially if it is something unusual. Well, thanks to the designers from Lee’s Hope Jewelry, I have included my latest accessory and wanted to share with you!
These adorable little items, are called “cuffs”, and can be worn through all seasons with just about anything you like!
When I first heard about "cuffs", I was busy working on some updates to the Lee's Hope Jewelry page at Deliberately Debbie website. Sarah Weighknecht, (jewelry store designer) was promoting her latest collection via Facebook (where we first met) and was gracious enough to give me a personal tour!
I quickly fell in love with these unusual little numbers, and was over the moon when I received my very own!
Whether you are going formal, or just kicking about in your jeans, there's a design to match any occasion!

And like the jewelry, each design has its own unique style so you will definitely want to own more than one!

Following photo's:

My collection (Teal & Burnt Orange cuffs) followed by the latest collection available from Lee’s Hope Jewelry

"Cuffs" are definitely going to be all the rage so don't miss out, grab yours, today!
Check out the official website at www.leeshopejewelry.com and/or pop on over to the Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lees-Hope-Jewelry/100866219973725?ref=ts

NEWSFLASH>>>>>>Blow out sale on bracelet cuffs all cuffs...$12.. Those originally marked $12 now only $10 Get them while they last!

HappyTeal Year!

Another year over, and a new one has begun…..so now what?

Our road trip for awareness!

Don’t let it be said there are never plans for the future, especially within the ranks of our Feel Teal Club members! It seems every time we think one event/project is complete, someone is already thinking of another…the brainstorming can be contagious, and so much fun!

The pace has seriously picked-up on our “awareness” campaigning, a weekly podcast production via the Feel Teal Talk show and the Feel Teal Club’s monthly magazine releases-the 2012 January edition just went out and is already receiving great feedback! Thank-you to all our readers!

We never want our followers to miss a beat, so here’s a couple of tips to keep you in the TEAL-LOOP!

Feel Teal Talk show has its own embeddable player….a simple code which you copy/paste onto a webpage or blog and giving you instant access to each episode! If you’d like an example of how they look, check-out our links here:

http://www.feeltealclub.com/feeling-teal.html

http://titansofteal.yolasite.com/news.php

http://debra2760.tripod.com/tokensofteal/what-s-new.html

Just visit the show’s website: http://feeltealtalk.podbean.com/ and click on Embeddable Player!

This year, apart from sharing each Feel Teal Club Magazine publication “online”, we are encouraging readers to “subscribe”….be among the first to get a copy as it hits the web-stands!

You may also like to have it embedded in a reader-friendly digital format with both Issuu.com and FreeYudu.com offering easy-to-handle codes! Here are some examples:

http://www.feeltealclub.com/news-events.html

http://titansofteal.yolasite.com/news.php

http://1stopawareness.weebly.com/

To “subscribe” follow link here:

http://issuu.com/msd23/docs/jan_mag/1