WHAT IS BREAST CANCER PREVENTION?

WHAT IS PREVENTION? prevention |priˈvenCHən| verb the action of stopping something from happening or arising: crime prevention | the treatment and prevention of AIDS.

Wrapped up in Hope
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You might have noticed October is Breast Cancer Awareness month. Again. I’m a survivor. I get it. I wouldn’t wish this disease, or its treatments, on anyone.

Like most everyone else who receives a breast cancer diagnosis, I hit the Internet and researched causes of cancer. I found a treasure trove of tips, herbs, exercise, and foods that can help prevent cancer. I found environmental toxins that are shockingly allowed into our food supply, our air, and our water. The list is enormous.

Surely others have done the same research. Why then, is breast cancer still so prevalent in our world? I have a theory.

Most current research indicates that every body has cancer cells, but in healthy individuals they remains dormant, kind of like the herpes simplex virus that causes fever blisters. That makes sense to me.

Next we have triggers. For example, I get fever blisters if I get stressed, dehydrated, or bump my lip. Those things, as well as a fever will cause fever blisters on my lip. Now let’s consider viruses, like the Human Papilloma virus. What if similarly, a virus causes breast cancer?

For me, that might go like this… Like everybody else, I already had cancer cells in my body. Then, as I went about life in our current environment I was introduced to triggers; chemicals in food, in cosmetics, BPA, additives, dyes, and the virus that we now suspect causes breast cancer. The list is very long; our environment is now full of cancer-causing agents.

At some point, I was exposed to the virus that causes breast cancer, and I reached a saturation point and my body’s ability to block the triggers from unleashing the cancer could not keep up. Now the virus is active and I have breast cancer.

Could this be why we can’t seem to get this disease under control? Could we be looking at it all wrong? Marching to the wrong drummer? Isn’t it time to change the conversation from awareness and cures, to preventing breast cancer? I’m weary of all the hype around awareness. I’m sick – quite literally – from the cures.

Isn’t it time to change the dialogue from cures to prevention?

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Summer is here at last, and it’s time to dust off the lawn chairs, grab a cold beverage, and take in some vitamin D while relaxing with a good book.

One of my favorite genres is crime mystery, and Hope, Inc. reveals a web greed, jealousy, and conspiracy. It’s a backdoor peek into a well-oiled money making machine preying on desperate victims.

Some comments from readers:

Gutsy story!

Thought provoking

Great action

Loved Dani Driscoll

More please!

In cooperation with Goodreads  I’m giving away three copies of Hope Inc.

Hurry! This giveaway closes on June 30, 2014.

Click here to register. 

 

Hope, Inc. Chapter Two Sneak Peek

Hope, Inc.

Chapter Two – Sneak Peek

Wrapped up in Hope
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Nolan’s cell phone rang just as he settled down at his computer. Before he could answer he heard Seth scramble to get out of his chair without falling. Shaking his head, he picked up the call. “Nolan Jennings. Oh yes, Ms. Davenport how are you? Good, good. Uh huh. Yes, a site visit can be arranged at your convenience. Perfect. I’ll see you in a few days. Thank you for your consideration. I will, I will. Have a nice day.”

“Yes!” Nolan pumped his fist in victory. “We’re at the top of the heap! Mona Davenport is coming to our little ol’ laboratory. She wants to do a site visit, and she’s bringing some members of her advisory board.”

All three of them burst into his office high-fiving, Amy jumped up and down, her long dark ponytail bouncing behind her.

“You’ll make history, Nolan.” Bridget’s eyes glistened with tears that hadn’t yet spilled over. “In the company of Salk and Pasteur.”

“Yes you will.” Seth nodded and smiled.

“Our team will make history,” Nolan emphasized. “It’s always our team. I couldn’t have done this without the three of you.”

Nolan beamed. His research was finally ready for prime time. Ready to test in human clinical trials, and if it worked in humans the way it worked in mice, it could save millions from a horrible disease.

Nolan buried his head in his hands in mock despair. “If we get funding I’ll have another truck load of paperwork to get permission from the FDA to test it.”

Amy patted his shoulder. “Awww, there’s always a down side, but it’s so worth it.”

A timer went off in the lab. “Back to work.” Bridget shoved on her glasses and headed toward the experiment she’d set up.

“And I need to get this morning’s data recorded in the database.” Amy turned gracefully on her heels and followed Bridget out the door.

Seth extended his hand to Nolan for their secret handshake, and nodded.

Nolan called his wife, Suzanne, to tell her the good news, took two big bites from his donut, and chugged half his coffee.

He never minded publishing and research–those were the gratifying aspects of his work. But, grant proposals also went with the territory, and even after eighteen years as an immunologist Nolan much preferred to be in his lab with his test tubes and mice.