Are silicone breast implants safe?

Could the ugliest about this sweater lie beneath?

From time to time, people approach me with topics that I feel will interest you. While I had a lumpectomy and did not need implants, I have so many friends who have undergone breast reconstruction and have had resulting complications. The following is a guest post on this topic from Charlie Shavargo, LCSW, a social worker and a freelance writer who specializes in body dysmorphia and cosmetic surgery cases.

Protected

When you feel lost, remember you are not alone.

I just finished watching Stephen King’s Bag of Bones on our DVR. I only caught the last half of the movie, but I was struck by the loving relationship between the main character (Pierce Bronson) and a little girl. Someone had just killed her mom, and several people, including her dad, were trying to kill her. What a horrible premise! But it touched me how Bronson’s character protected, comforted and loved the precious girl.

I thought of how I would do anything to protect and love my daughter and how, as a little girl, I rarely felt protected. Drug abuse, infidelity and mental illness plagued our family, and as a result I was physically and emotionally abused and neglected. Now as an adult with metastatic breast cancer, I have times where I long to feel protected and loved. I want someone to put their arms around me and assure me that everything will be OK.

I sought this assurance from doctors and received the opposite. My prognosis was no longer rosy; in fact it was downright terrifying! But at that moment I realized that my childhood experiences would serve me well. I learned to be resilient and take action, but more important, I realized I was protected. Although it may not have been in human form, I believe my Higher Parent, whom I call God, was protecting and loving me along the way. And that same Higher Parent is protecting and guiding me today.

Stress does NOT do a body good!

Stress + cancer = a mess! Take time to take care of yourself and manage stress in your life.

As usual, the media is always looking for story “hooks” for the holidays. Holiday stress is one of them. I was watching the TV show, The Doctors, yesterday, and one of their topics was how stress breaks down the body’s immune system. They didn’t mention cancer, but you can connect the dots. We all have cancer cells in our body, but the immune system usually fights them off. Of course there are other factors, but from what I’ve researched, stress is a definite cancer-feeder.

I don’t think it’s a coincidence that The first time I was diagnosed, my father was dying. In fact, he passed away two weeks after I first heard the words, “You have cancer.” When my cancer returned in 2008, I was working at the most stressful job I’ve ever had. There were other things going on, as well. Our beloved cat died, there was a lice epidemic at my daughter’s school, and my family was not happy about my long hours (I had two pagers that could go off at any time, even at home.) I stopped working at the stressful job, started doing things to take care of myself, and started following my passion to help others. I never looked back.

Getting support is key to managing stress. I am so fortunated to have a loving and supportive husband by my side. Today I learned from a fellow stage IV survivor that her husband left her and her daughter the day before Thanksgiving. She is an absolutely wonderful woman who has helped so many survivors, including me. She is in the fight for her life, and now she has to deal with this.

Pretty is, not always pretty does: Toxins in cosmetics

Killer looks can be just that if we aren't aware and fight for more regulation.

I was out shopping for the holidays and came across an item that claims to make spots disappear. I admit, the claim is appealing to me. Since I’ve been on Xeloda, I’ve noticed even more age spots on my face. Heck, I’m only 48! I asked the nice lady at the counter about parabens, and she very carefully reviewed the product with me to confirm their product didn’t have any. But man, did they have a whole lot of chemicals listed! I decided on impulse to purchase it, but wouldn’t open it until I participated in Breast Cancer Action’s webinar, “Toxic Cosmetics: What Consumers Don’t Know About Their Beauty Products and What You Can Do About it.”

I’ve long heard about the estrogen-mimicking properties of parabens and have steered clear of them, but I wanted to learn more. This helpful webinar provided a lot of thought-provoking information. There’s a lot to share, but here are some highlights:

Awakening your inner athlete

In the midst of watching the Ohio State/Michigan football game, my sister-in-law Julie shared a video about Brock Mealer, a friend of her daughter Alyssa and younger brother of Michigan football player Elliot Mealer. I’ll admit I’m not a big football fan, but after viewing this video, I’m a fan of both Brock and Elliot.

On Sept. 18, 2007, the the Mealer family was driving home from midnight mass when they were hit by a car that ran a stop sign. Elliot’s 17-year-old girlfriend and the brothers’ dad were tragically killed. Brock was partially paralyzed and told he only had a 1 percent chance of ever walking again. He did not give up; far from it. Thanks to some tough love and aggressive physical therapy from the team’s physical therapists, Brock took the challenge of walking the tunnel with the team on their 2010 opening game.

Power-packed weekend: Bright Starts Pink Power Moms

The 2010 Pink Power Mom class: Hillary Sweet, Mary Ann Wasil Nilan, Wendy McCool, Lydia Dody, me and Linda Blair (not the actress!).

Wow! In a word that’s how I’d describe the past weekend’s Kids II Bright Starts Pink Power Mom 5th anniversary weekend in Atlanta. Each year Bright Starts celebrates eight mothers who have battled breast cancer and dedicated themselves to helping others in the struggle. They have honored and supported a total of 40 moms, all of whom are involved in life-changing charities. I felt extremely humbled to be included in this amazing group and thoroughly enjoyed connecting with so many amazing women and the people who support them.

In past posts I’ve criticized some companies for exploiting breast cancer for their own profit. Kids II, which produces baby toys and products, is certainly is NOT one of them. I had the privilege of sitting in on a roundtable discussion, which the company’s CEO and senior vice president of marketing attended. Pink Power Mom’s is the company’s #1 philanthropy, yet it’s still the best-kept secret. They wanted our feedback to spread the word, not about their products, but to attract more nominees. Rather than give money to huge organizations like Komen, their goal is to support women who are inspired by their cancer journey to help others. Since I don’t have my own charity, I donated this year’s gift to the National Breast Cancer Coalition. They accept the 2012 nominees this Spring, and I’ll let you know how to nominate a deserving person!

God 321 … good things can come from bad things

Read on, there's a reason I included this image of an R-rated movie!

I had a very interesting interview on a Detroit radio station for a program called God 321. I met the host Danny Hutchins at The Pink Fund Crazy Sexy Luncheon of all places! I am grateful to my friend Molly MacDonald, who leads this wonderful organization, for introducing us. I was apprehensive on being on a Christian program. As some of you know, I was raised a non-practicing Jew. As an adult, our little nuclear family attends Unity, which embraces all religions and has taught me about a loving and kind God.

When I was writing From Incurable to Incredible, I was overwhelmed from hearing stories of the people gracing the pages and how faith helped them through life’s most serious challenges. It was certainly the case for me. I connected with God on a much deeper level. My faith was and is my lifeboat, which is always there to rescue me in my time of need.

Not everyone in my book were people of faith, but a comment from God 321′s host made me rethink that. Dan said that everyone has faith. After all, humanists have faith in themselves. That is certainly true of all the people I’ve interviewed. Some were very Christian, some were Jewish, and some just believed in the power of themselves and the people around them. Yet they all had faith.

Stop the madness! We need to get serious about curing and preventing cancer

Putting cancer research and prevention under the microscope

This has been a tough year when it comes to loss. I just found out today that yet another wonderful friend, Cyndi Wenck, passed away from breast cancer. In September, I lost another dear friend Ashley. In July, Evan Mattingly (who was featured in my book) died. In December, it was my close friend Nevine. And that’s just the people I considered close to me. It is one of the occupational hazards of being involved in the cancer community. And it really, really sucks.

With all the pink hoopla that is October, all the millions of dollars supposedly going to the  cause, why have we not found a cure? Why does it seem that more and more people are getting cancer? And why aren’t more people furious about it and demanding action? These are questions I’ve asked myself for years.

When the AIDS epidemic hit, the gay community organized and demanded that a cure be found.  By 1988 frustration was growing over the length of time it had taken to approve AZT, the drug proven to slow the progression of AIDS, and the FDA’s slow progress in improving access to  other experimental AIDS drugs. On October 11, 1988, more than a thousand ACT UP demonstrators descended on the FDA headquarters in Rockville, Maryland, demanding quicker and more efficient drug approval. Eight days later, the FDA announced regulations to cut the time it took for drugs to be approved. People took action and made things happen. Why do people seem so complacent about cancer?

Medical student heals through music and friendship

Bryan Sisk, here giving his little neice a guitar lesson, has used his guitar to reach out to pediatric patients.

When I was at my book signing at Cleveland Clinic  last month, I met Bryan Sisk, a young medical student who used to work with Dr. Tuohy (who is developing the first preventive breast cancer vaccine there).  Bryan told me how he wrote a book, A Lasting Effect: Reflections on Music and Medicine, about his experiences playing guitar and singing songs to patients at the Clinic’s Children’s Hospital. He gave me a copy of the book and I just got around to reading it.

Once I started reading it, I couldn’t put it down. A Lasting Effect is less than 100 pages but it is full of stories and poems that put things in perspective about my cancer experience. I was amazed by Bryan’s depiction of the grace and resiliency of the children and their parents as they face life-threatening and life-altering diseases. Not all of the young patients have cancer; some have heart problems, epilepsy or other conditions.

Reading the book broke and warmed my heart at the same time.  The stories show the power of music and simply being present for these kids. Bryan tells of one patient whom nurses warned him about being difficult. Knowing that Bryan was carrying a guitar, rather than a needle or other invasive device, changed the child’s whole disposition.

Question authority: why you should get other opinions

Don't let the white coat intimidate you. You are the boss of your medical team.

I remember the professor discussing the Milgram Authority Experient in a college psychology class.  My professor happened to be Milgram’s brother; he told us about how in the 1960s his sibling developed a study to try to gain an understanding how the Holocaust could have happened. The study’s investigator, a man in a white coat, told the unsuspecting participants that they would be in the role of a “teacher” and ask the person on the other side of the glass (“the student”) a series of questions. They were told that each time the person gave an incorrect answer, they would deliver a shock using a shock generator. The shock levels started at 30 volts and increasing in 15-volt increments all the way up to 450 volts. The many switches were labeled with terms including “slight shock,” “moderate shock” and “danger: severe shock.” The final two switches were labeled simply with an ominous “XXX.”

Participants believed they were delivering real shocks to the student; the student was actually part of the research team whom was simply pretending to be shocked.