Showing posts with label cancer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cancer. Show all posts

Pink Polka Dots Junior Guild thank the community for supporting their lemonade stand

Monday, August 26, 2024

Pink Polka Dots lemonade stand on the Burke Gilman Trail

The Seattle Children’s Pink Polka Dots Junior Guild would like to thank the community for their incredible support of their lemonade stand on August 25, 2024 which was held on the Burke Gilman Trail in Lake Forest Park. 

The Pink Polka Dots raised $725.40 from selling home baked goods, lemonade and hand crafted cards at the four hour lemonade stand. All the money will be donated to continue pediatric brain cancer research.

The first lemonade stand was started by Quinn, Ally and Aila
in 2014 and the girls are still baking and selling 10 years later

The Pink Polka Dots Junior Guild was founded in 2006 in memory of Sydney Coxon. Sydney died at age eleven after a battle of just over a year with an untreatable brainstem glioma, a rare type of brain tumor. 

The Guild was founded one month later by her 6th grade friends in honor of Sydney. 

The Pink Polka Dots have raised over a million dollars in a variety of fundraisers over the years. If you would like to donate, please visit pinkpolkadotsguild.org


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Everett-based Providence Comprehensive Breast Center launches free, personalized cancer screening and Early Detection Program

Monday, July 29, 2024

Image courtesy Providence
Everett-based Providence Comprehensive Breast Center is the first program in Providence’s seven-state health system to launch a free, personalized cancer screening and early detection system. 

Called Prevention4Me, the survey-based assessment has already proven integral to proactive early cancer detection, as well as determining eligibility for enhanced breast cancer screening and/or genetic testing.

This personal and family history screening tool, which was developed by Providence Genomics, gives people and their doctors an individualized assessment of possible risk for developing breast and other cancers. 

It is free and offered to anyone – both women and men between ages 25 and 80 – when they make a mammogram appointment with Providence Comprehensive Breast Center.

How it works

After scheduling a mammogram, patients are offered an opportunity to complete the Prevention4Me assessment via email prior to their mammogram appointment. 

After finishing the assessment, which asks questions about personal and family health history and takes less than 10 minutes, patients instantly receive a personalized cancer risk assessment and details summarizing next steps, including the opportunity to receive saliva-based genetic testing if eligible, which is covered by most health insurance plans. Patients then go to their mammogram appointments as scheduled.

Why it’s important

Identifying cancer risk through Prevention4Me helps patients and their health-care team create a more personalized care plan to support early detection and even cancer prevention.

“Prevention4ME is a supplement to annual mammogram. Based on the personal assessment results, you might be eligible for additional breast cancer imaging – like contrast-enhanced mammography or breast MRI – and/or genetic testing to identify inherited risk for breast and many other cancers,” said Laura Kendrick, manager of Providence Comprehensive Breast Center. 

“After the assessment, patients only need to provide updates or changes to their personal and family health at future mammogram appointments. We do all the rest. We’ll send reminders to update information and fine tune your risk assessment based on any changes you provide and the latest guidelines.”

Personalization

Prevention4ME uses assessment responses to calculate a Tyrer-Cuzick (TC) score, an estimate of someone’s lifetime risk for developing breast cancer. It also assesses eligibility for genetic testing according to the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) Guidelines to identify possible inherited risk of breast and other cancers. 

Once an assessment is complete, patients receive a personalized risk assessment, outlining steps they and their health care team can use to create a customized care plan.

“For many people, their care will remain the same. But for some high-risk patients, their health-care provider might recommend more frequent screening or other approaches to early cancer detection and risk reduction,” said Kendrick, 51, who, as a breast cancer survivor herself

For more information about this innovative cancer screening assessment program, visit https://prevention4me.providence.org.

Updated: the screening tool was developed by Providence Genomics

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Swim Across America beach sale and auction August 4, 2024

Friday, July 26, 2024

A team of swimmers, including at least one from Shoreline, will be participating in an annual event for Swim Across America to raise money for cancer research. 

Each raises funds for their own swim, but they are also hosting a beach sale and silent auction at Brackett's Landing in Edmonds. 

All funds will go to Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center via Swim Across America

Sunday, August 4, 2024 from 8:30am - 12:30pm at Brackett's Landing Park North

Correction: Brackett's Landing Park North (not South)

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UW Med: Black men should start prostate cancer screening earlier

Tuesday, June 18, 2024

Yaw Nyame, MD, UW Med
A study published in the journal NEJM Evidence recommends that Black men start talking with their doctors about prostate cancer screening as early as age 40, rather than 55, the currently recommended age.

The Prostate Cancer Foundation screening recommendation comes from a group of 19 panelists: primary-care physicians, oncologists and patients, including two Black prostate cancer survivors. Dr. Yaw Nyame, a UW Medicine urologist and affiliate investigator with the Fred Hutch Cancer Center, was on the panel and co-led the group writing the recommendations.

Nyame hopes the report will provide impetus for other evidence-based screening guidelines by organizations such as the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force and American Academy of Family Physicians. Black men have a 120% higher rate of death from prostate cancer, compared to the general U.S. population.

“We cannot ignore the burden of prostate cancer among Black communities any longer,” he said. “This guideline, rooted in the best available evidence, gives us an opportunity to be action- oriented in reducing that burden.”

Find out more about the recommendations in this UW Medicine Newsroom post.


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Shoreline Fire Team completes the Columbia Tower Stairclimb and raises over $12 thousand for LLS cancer society

Monday, March 11, 2024

The Shoreline Fire team
Photo courtesy Shoreline Fire

With a goal of raising $3 million for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS), 2,000 active duty firefighters gathered from all over the world for the 2024 LLS Firefighter Stairclimb.

The 33rd annual event to climb the stairs of the Columbia Center was held on Sunday, March 10, 2024. Individually and collectively, firefighters and teams get pledges from supporters. Then they don their full gear including air bottles and head up the stairs.

The Stairclimb always sells out.

At 788 feet of vertical elevation, the Columbia Center in downtown Seattle stands as the second tallest building west of the Mississippi, and the tallest in Seattle. It takes 69 floors of stairs and 1,356 steps to reach the highly acclaimed sky view observatory overlooking the Emerald City.

The Shoreline Fire team raised $12,283. Donations are still be accepted here.

We can be proud that the Firefighter Stair Climb was created and fostered by Shoreline firefighter David Engler. In 2010, he wrote an article for the Shoreline Area News about his history with the event. 


--Diane Hettrick


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Ecology seeks public comment on disposal of PFAS firefighting foam

Tuesday, January 2, 2024

Firefighters using foam as a fire suppressant
Photo courtesy Department of Ecology

OLYMPIA – PFAS-containing foam – known as aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF) – is used to fight fires fueled by oil, gasoline, or other flammable liquids. 

It’s also a leading cause of PFAS contamination in drinking water across the state.

In recent years, safer alternatives to these foams have become available, and Washington prohibited the sale and manufacture of PFAS foams in 2018.

In 2020, Ecology initiated a program to help municipal fire departments dispose of unused AFFF. 

Safely disposing of that foam after it has been collected is challenging, however – PFAS aren’t known as “forever chemicals” for nothing. 

The Washington Department of Ecology has been studying options for AFFF disposal and is now seeking public comment on a draft environmental impact statement outlining five disposal options for firefighting foams with toxic PFAS chemicals.

Comments received on the draft environmental impact statement (EIS) will help inform Ecology’s selection of a disposal method for the program. 

The draft EIS describes five disposal options for municipal supplies of AFFF: incineration, solidification and landfilling, deep-well injection, approved hold-in-place, and no action. 

The DEIS also includes possible public health and environmental impacts of each option and potential mitigation strategies.

Why is PFAS contamination a concern?

Exposure to PFAS levels above recommended limits over time may lead to harmful health effects, such as increased cholesterol levels, increased risk of thyroid disease and certain cancers, decreased birth weights, and decreased immune response to vaccines. 

Many types of PFAS are water soluble and highly mobile, meaning they can easily contaminate groundwater. These chemicals are highly persistent in the environment.

Public input

  • Review the AFFF DEIS and submit comments online now through February 5, 2024.
  • Learn more about AFFF and the disposal options at a webinar – 10am on January 17, 2024.
  • Provide input at a public hearing – 1pm January 31, 2024.
Related links

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UW Med: Cord blood transplant saved woman from rare cancer

Saturday, December 30, 2023

Alexes Harris undergoes a cord-blood transplant at UW Medical Center-Montlake in September 2016. Photo by Hedwig Lee

Alexes Harris’ spin classes were starting to feel impossible. During the 20 seconds on and off sprints, she would become breathless.

“I used to always be able to do them, but in 2015 during these exercises, I’d find myself out of breath, as if I was having an asthma attack,” she said. Harris, a University of Washington sociology professor, however, was fit and had no history of asthma.

A year later, she was diagnosed with a rare blood cancer known as myelodysplastic syndromes, or MDS. Aggressive chemotherapy initially pushed the cancer into remission in 2016. But the cancer came back; her team turned to a bone marrow transplant as an option.

For Harris, whose father was Black and Filipino, and whose mother was white, finding a match was a challenge.

"We are so underrepresented on the bone marrow registry. Being African American, Asian American, Native American, Latinx — and then if you have any intersections of those identities, we have a very low likelihood of finding matches, something like 20 to 30%," she said.

One clinician suggested a transplant using stem cells obtained from umbilical cord blood. She received the cord-blood transfusion and about three weeks later, the transplant was deemed a success. A biopsy that December showed no sign of cancer.

“The donated cord blood from the baby girl saved my life,” Harris said. “It was an amazing experience to know that, on the first day of her life, this baby saved mine because of this donation.”

This fall, the UW Medical Center-Montlake restarted its cord blood donation program in partnership with Bloodworks Northwest. Harris hopes more mothers will consider donating their baby’s cord blood.

“What better way to start your baby’s life than saving someone else’s?”
Find out more about the importance of donating cord blood for transplant recipients fighting cancer in this news item


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Pink Patch Project

Thursday, October 26, 2023

LFP Police have been collecting donations and selling pink patches and coins all month to raise funds for breast cancer research. 

Stop by the lobby on the second floor of City Hall in LFP Town Center from  9-5 Monday - Friday, or contact any available officer if you're interested in donating or making a purchase. You have until the end of the month of October.

Contact Lt. Lehman 206-364-8216 with any questions.


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The Ladies of the Phoenix Theatre create their own calendar as a fundraiser

Friday, October 20, 2023

The calendar is for sale as a fundraiser for the theatre and the leukemia society

Calendar Girls tells the inspiring true story of a group of 11 older women who made a calendar to raise money for Leukemia research after one of their member’s husbands passed away from the disease. The play is currently running at The Phoenix Theatre in Firdale Village, Edmonds. (See review)

The Ladies of the Phoenix Theatre were looking for a way to make more than just great theatre this Fall, so they decided to put their considerable talents on display and posed for a cheeky 2024 calendar.

Proceeds from the calendar fundraiser will help support the Phoenix Theatre’s upcoming 16th season and half of the profits raised will go straight to the Seattle Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

“The Calendar is a celebration of every shape and size, and of life!” Says Melanie Calderwood, the Phoenix Theatre’s Artistic Director: a cancer survivor and lifelong cancer-care nurse. 
“We try to find ways to use laughter to help heal and we contribute to cancer-fighting causes whenever we can, so this was a perfect match.” 
”Plus,” she added, “We try not to take ourselves too seriously.”

In the past the Phoenix Theatre has donated to the American Cancer Society and presently offers free tickets to cancer patients throughout their season with no hoops to jump through via their Laughter is the Best Medicine initiative.

Both tickets for the show Calendar Girls and the PG-13, 2024 wall calendars are available for adults to purchase online at www.tptedmonds.org

The play, running through Sunday, October 29, 2023 in Edmonds, is appropriate for viewers 13 and up with parental guidance suggested and implied nudity.


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First Lady Jill Biden visits Seattle to meet with Fred Hutch staff

Saturday, September 23, 2023

Dr. Jill Biden in Seattle this week
First Lady Jill Biden visited the Northwest this week.

Biden spent Thursday and Friday in the Seattle area, capped by remarks at Seattle's Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in support of President Joe Biden's "Cancer Moonshot Initiative."

Her remarks at Fred Hutch:

"Of all the things cancer steals from us, time is the cruelest. We can’t afford to wait another minute for better solutions, better treatments, better cures.

"That’s why my husband, President Biden, and I reignited the Biden Cancer Moonshot – our White House initiative to build a world where cancer is not a death sentence. Where we stop cancer before it starts. Where we catch it early and help people live longer, healthier, happier lives. Where we invest in innovative research and help patients and their families navigate this journey.

"For survivors, that journey doesn’t end when they are declared “cancer free.” Side effects from treatment and the constant fear of that next doctor’s appointment linger through remission.

"But with research and the right care for survivors, we can mitigate those side effects and help ease those fears.

"That’s what’s happening here at Fred Hutch, where researchers are working to prevent breast cancer from coming back and metastasizing in survivors, and where clinicians are supporting survivors with quality care that’s designed to meet their unique needs.

"There are 18 million cancer survivors across our country, and thanks to the amazing work being done here, we are adding to that number each day.

"As I’ve traveled the country and the world – I’ve seen innovative programs and partnerships that are making progress. I’ve seen what is possible when we invest in cutting edge research. And I’ve seen that there is so much hope to be found.

"I see that hope here today as well. Your work will change lives, and save lives.

"Through the Biden Cancer Moonshot, we are putting American innovation to work for patients.

"And together, we will make it so the word cancer loses its power, so fewer families know the pain of losing a loved one to this disease.

"That’s the reason we’re all here. That’s why I’m asking you to lean in just a little more, to push your staffs just a little harder – for all the families touched by cancer across the country that are in a race against time.

"That is the urgency of now.

"For Joe and me, this is the mission of our lives. And we are ready and proud to work beside you.

"Now, I look forward to hearing your insights today, and I will bring your stories back to the White House so that others can benefit from your expertise."


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Seattle walks loud to end colon cancer

Sunday, September 17, 2023

Marking its second year walking loud in Seattle, the Colorectal Cancer Alliance is hosting the annual Seattle Walk to End Colon Cancer on Saturday, October 7, 2023 at Gas Works Park. 

In its inaugural year in 2022, more than 620 people walked to reject the stigma, stop the silence and cancel colon cancer.

This year’s walk is expected to be even bigger, with 35 teams and 550 walkers already registered. 

Funds raised through the Walk to End Colon Cancer will support the Colorectal Cancer Alliance, a national nonprofit that supports the needs of patients and families, caregivers, and survivors; raises awareness of preventive screening; and funds critical research to end colorectal cancer – the second leading cause of cancer deaths in our country.

Photo courtesy WTECC

The untimed 3-mile walk is a community-building event that brings together people who have been impacted by colorectal cancer (CRC) to raise lifesaving funds and awareness around this disease. 

This free event is open to everyone in the community — CRC survivors and allies who want to stop the silence and bring an end to this disease. For information and to register visit www.ccalliance.org/seattlewalk

More than 50,000 people in the U.S. die of colorectal cancer each year. With screening it is one of the most preventable cancers, but the stigma associated with colorectal cancer often creates a deadly silence.

“The impact of colorectal cancer is devastating, and there needs to be an outcry to stop it,” said Brianna Mercker, Chair of the Seattle Walk to End Colon Cancer. 
“Part of my mission as a survivor is to raise awareness of this disease, and I invite everyone who has been affected by colorectal cancer to join me in pounding the pavement and making some noise to save lives. It’s time to walk loud in Seattle!”

The walk will be held at Gas Works Park, 201 N Northlake Way, Seattle 98103. Sign-in starts at 9am, followed by an opening ceremony at 9:30am, and walk at 10am.

Baseball fans will support the Seattle walk and watch the Mariners take on the Los Angeles Dodgers at Strike Out Colorectal Cancer Day this Sunday, September 17 at T-Mobile Park. $8 of every ticket sold through this special offer benefits the Colorectal Cancer Alliance’s mission in ending this disease in our lifetime. The event is sold out.


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Pink Polka Dots Junior Guild lemonade stand raises $600 for cancer research

Tuesday, August 22, 2023

Dr. Jim Olson stopped by the PPD lemonade stand on his bike ride to thank the girls for their fundraising efforts that support the research he does in his lab on pediatric brain cancer research.

On Saturday, August 19, 2023 the Pink Polka Dots Junior Guild of Children’s Hospital had a very successful lemonade stand raising over $600 for Children’s Hospital. 

Members sold lemonade and homemade cookies and cupcakes to patrons along the Burke Gilman Trail while sharing about the work that the Guild does. 

The mission of the Pink Polka Dots is to raise money for pediatric brain cancer research and empower young people to recognize their own abilities and the power to change the lives of others. 

Members include elementary to high school students in Lake Forest Park and they have raised over a million dollars since 2006. 

The Guild welcomes new members. The Pink Polka Dots Junior Guild was founded in 2006 in memory of LFP resident, Sydney Coxon. Sydney died at age 11 after a battle of just over a year with an untreatable brainstem glioma, a rare type of brain tumor. 

Thank you to all who came by the lemonade stand to support the Pink Polka Dots! 
-Ally Miner, Maisy Frederick, and Quinn Whorley, PPD co-presidents

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UW Med: Study of psilocybin with group therapy for patients with metastatic cancer

Tuesday, July 25, 2023

Psilocybin mushrooms photo courtesy GoodRx
Recruitment has begun for a small study of whether psilocybin, in the setting of group psychotherapy, can reduce anxiety related to a diagnosis of metastatic cancer.

Psilocybin is the psychedelic compound found in some species of mushrooms.

“Studies have explored psilocybin’s value among people with cancer, but in a format of two therapists to one patient. 
"Other researchers have seen impressive benefits of psilocybin in reducing anxiety and depression in a group setting. 
"I am asking the question of whether we could have a similar benefit for people with cancer in a group,” said Dr. Anthony Back, a UW Medicine oncologist and palliative-care specialist.

He will lead the study, which will include a maximum of 56 people and be based solely at the University of Washington School of Medicine. He expects to announce findings in about two years.

More details here.


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Pink Polka Dots (PPD) Junior Guild celebrates reaching $1 million fundraising goal

Saturday, October 22, 2022

 Pink Polka Dots Founding members with Dr. Olson
On September 24, 2022 the Pink Polka Dots Junior Guild (PPD) of Seattle Children’s Hospital, celebrated reaching a milestone at their “Thanks a Million” dinner and dance, featuring music by Lago Vista Social Club.

PPD founders Kelsey Josund (center) and Maddy Berkman (L center) are joined by current PPD co-Presidents and past PPD Presidents on stage

Many founding and former members joined current PPD’s and community supporters at the Lake Forest Park Civic Club for this memorable evening during which they surpassed their long time goal of raising $1 million dollars to fund groundbreaking research for better treatments, and hopefully someday a cure, for pediatric brain tumors.

   Current PPDs joined the founders on stage at their event

Founded in 2006 by local 6th graders in memory of their friend, Sydney Coxon, the Pink Polka Dots Junior Guild fundraising proceeds support the work of Dr. Jim Olson and his team of researchers towards developing exciting new treatment methods including “tumor paint” which makes cancer cells glow for easier surgical removal.

Tumor Paint (or Tozuleristide), is currently in the final human clinical trial that could lead to FDA registration.

Some of the current PPD Junior Guild members on the Civic Club dock before the event.

The current generation of PPDs include students in 5th-11th grade and they are always eager for more young people to join. You could find members selling handmade cards and gifts at the LFP Farmers Markets or selling lemonade along the Burke Gilman trail this summer. 

You can also find them at upcoming events like the Shoreline Senior Center Holiday Bazaar and the LFP Holiday Craft Fair.

To read more about the Pink Polka Dots or make a donation, please visit their website



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Shoreline Police participate in Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Saturday, October 15, 2022

The Shoreline Police department will be taking part in the “Pink Patch Project” to bring attention to the fight against breast cancer. 

Shoreline PD will be selling pink patches for $10 each. Almost all proceeds are donated to cancer research.
 
Purchase a patch by stopping by the Shoreline Police department with $10 cash during business hours Monday - Friday 8:30am - 5pm.

The station is located within Shoreline City Hall at 17500 Midvale Ave N.



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LFP police department Fundraiser for the Pink Patch Project

Sunday, October 2, 2022

The Lake Forest Park Police Department is raising funds through October for the Pink Patch Project for breast cancer awareness.

If you would like to purchase a patch or coin, please visit the police department records desk. For more information, please email Lt. Lehman. Patches are $10 and coins are $10.

Patches and coins can also be purchased through the North Sound Police Foundation at various events like the two Holiday Farmers Market and Craft Fairs at Third Place Commons on November 21 and December 19, 2022 from 10:00am – 2:00pm.



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Moving Through Cancer - a beginning exercise class for cancer survivors

Saturday, August 27, 2022

Exercise instructor Toshiko
A new class is being offered at the Shoreline - LFP Senior Center:

MOVING THROUGH CANCER Instructor: Toshiko Aramaki

This class is designed for cancer survivors. Participants are people who have completed their cancer treatment, have never taken exercise before and have a hard time starting exercise. 

This class will change your idea of exercise and show you what to do and what to avoid to help you become more active each day.

Toshiko is a certified Cancer Exercise Trainer from ACSM (American College of of Sports Medicine). She has been teaching exercise to cancer survivors for almost 14 years.

Day: Monday 
Time: 1:00 to 2pm 
Cost: FREE

Day: Wednesday 
Time: 10am to 11am 
Location: on ZOOM ONLY

Before you sign up for the class, you need to speak with Toshiko. Please call the Center at 206-365-1536 to leave your name and phone number. Toshiko will call you to discuss the class.

In order to participate in this class, you need to:
  • be familiar with Zoom
  • get a medical release from your doctor
  • sign a liability release from Shoreline Lake Forest Park Senior Center
  • send all these forms by mail or Email to a specific address
Call the Center at 206-365-1536 or stop by the front desk to leave your name and phone number.

Toshiko will contact you to talk about the class and registration

The Senior Center is located at 18560 1st Ave NE #1, Shoreline WA 98155


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Relay for Life relocates to Magnuson Park for June 25, 2022 event to raise money to fight cancer

Friday, June 17, 2022


The Shoreline Relay For life has been renamed to Relay For Life of North King County

Our Event this year 2022 will be once again an in person community Event, with a NEW LOCATION

Where - MAGNUSON PARK, Seattle WA 98125
Date - June 25, 2022
Time - 12pm to 6pm

Trident will be serving a free lunch starting about 2pm

PLEASE COME JOIN US FOR OUR EVENT TO HELP END THE FIGHT AGAINST CANCER.

We are looking for more teams to join us and of course Sponsors and SURVIVORS and caregivers.

Please go to our website and join us.

The Relay For Life movement is dedicated to helping communities attack cancer. Through funds donated, time given, or awareness raised, our communities are teaming up - virtually or in person - to make a difference. When we rally together in the fight against cancer, we can accomplish anything.



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Lymphedema Awareness Day, March 6, 2022

Wednesday, March 2, 2022

By Jon Ann Cruver

March 6th is Awareness Day for people with lymphedema, a day to honor and celebrate all who are living and coping with the condition. 

It’s also a day to show the world that this is no longer a rare condition, and that we need proper treatment, coverage, and support.

In 1999, I made a discovery that made my heart drop. I felt a lump in one of my breasts. I was fortunate that it was a small cancer in situ, and I only needed a lumpectomy. 

However, upon a second surgery to evaluate my lymph nodes, I developed a condition called Lymphedema. Because of the surgery, radiation, and an infection, my affected arm began to get swollen and puffy. 

It was then that I discovered the name of a condition that will be with me for the rest of my life. I was diagnosed with lymphedema:

Lymph-edema (lim-fa-DEE-ma) a chronic swelling caused by a buildup of lymph fluid that occurs when the lymphatic system is either faulty or damaged. There is no cure for lymphedema, but it can be effectively treated.

During this new journey into understanding lymphedema, I have found I’m not alone. I learned that about 30%-40% of people who have experienced breast cancer develop it at some point. I learned that mine was termed secondary because of my cancer treatment. 

I learned that there is also primary lymphedema which is genetic that can show up at a child’s birth or later in life. The swelling can affect other parts of the body including the legs and face.

Over time, lymphedema, if not treated correctly, can often result in several complications including infections, disfigurement, pain, and disability. But while lymphedema cannot be cured, it can be very effectively managed, substantially reducing risk. Managing it is accomplished mainly by manual lymph massage, that must be done daily and compression therapy. 

For me, that means that I must wear a compression sleeve everyday so that the lymph is held under control. Sometimes I must wear a compression glove, especially if I’m in an airplane or traveling at higher elevations, to prevent sudden swelling.

It is estimated that 3-5 million Americans suffer from lymphedema. Due to a lack of awareness, information, and education, even within the medical community, lymphedema is often misdiagnosed or undiagnosed. Delays in diagnosis or treatment can result in rapid and unchecked progression of the disease.

Compression is to lymphedema what medication is to many other diseases making it indispensable! Prescribed Compression garments must be replaced every six months, which, of course are expensive. Many health insurance providers do not consider the garments necessary; Medicare does not cover them. 

Yet, they are vital to every lymphedema patient to maintain a healthy and active life. Currently, Senators Maria Cantwell and Chuck Grassley are the lead sponsors of the Lymphedema Treatment Act that seeks to provide financial help to those who must wear compression garments. Many have worked for 10+ years to get this through congress; lawmakers in all 50 states support the LTA.

To find out more about the Lymphedema Treatment Act go to lymphedematreatmentact.org


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LFP Police Department’s Pink Patch Project for Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Thursday, October 7, 2021

The Pink Patch Project is an innovative public awareness campaign to bring attention to the fight against breast cancer and to support breast cancer research organizations in combating this devastating disease. 

Agencies have partnered together to combat breast cancer by raising public awareness about the importance of early detection in the fight against the disease and to raise funds for breast cancer research and treatment. 

In addition to public education efforts, the Lake Forest Park Police Department has the added goal of raising funds from the sale of Pink Patch Project patches and other items to go directly to fund the research, treatment and education needed to help find a cure.

“The program centers on vibrant pink versions of the public safety employee's uniform patch. These bright pink patches have been specially designed by each participating agency specifically for their Pink Patch Project participation. 
"Public safety employees at each of the participating agencies wear their pink patches on their regular duty uniforms each year for the entire month of October during “Breast Cancer Awareness Month.”

The patches are intended to stimulate conversation with the community and to encourage public awareness about the importance of early detection in the ongoing fight against this disease.

Patches and pins are for sale at the Lake Forest Park Police Department window during October. Contact Lt. Lehman with any questions. 


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