Things I Wish I Had Time to Blog About

I haven't had much time to blog lately, though my thoughts are never far from boobs, BRCA, and all the other booshit that comes with it. More on that, I hope, soon. But, for the moment, I thought I'd make a post of things I wish I had time to properly write about.

1) A week of awareness.
Earlier this month, the US House of Representatives passed a resolution to designate the last week of September as National Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer Week and the last Wednesday of the month as National Previvor Day. BRCA mutants now join the ranks of other causes and constituencies that have seven-day periods of commemoration, such as Home Care Aide Week, Radiologic Technology Week, and National Forest Products Week (this information from this useful site dedicated to demystifying which days throughout the year are dedicated to a particular cause.) I hope we do a better job of getting out the word than the Radiologic Technologists and Forest Producers because I have no particular awareness of those causes.

Much more information about HBOC week and National Previvor Day (which will be celebrated next Wednesday, September 29) can be found on Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz's page and, of course, at FORCE. Download this poster, too. (On another note, could FORCE download a decent graphic designer? I mean, come on... My very first reaction when my genetic counselor handed me their brochure when I got my BRCA results was, "They need better marketing materials." I guess I'm a marketer first, a mutant second.)

2) BRCA positive? There's an app for that.
The Situation's got one. And now mutants do, too. Here's the spiel: "The Previvors iPhone app provides information and an interactive quiz that we intend to help raise hereditary breast and ovarian cancer (HBOC) awareness. Previvors are people who don't have cancer, but who are at a high risk for developing it. In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, we intend to educate the millions of previvors about the common risk factors related to HBOC. The app provides the user with access to contact information for doctors, other healthcare providers and mammography facilities as a convenience to help them take control of their breast health. Users will also have access to other information sources and a newsletter relating to our new book, Previvors: Facing the Breast Cancer Gene and Making Life-Changing Decision." Download the app here.

3) See world? I wasn't crazy.
Last month, during yet another tropical vacation (I treat myself, and my new rack, quite well, yes), the BRCA world was riveted by this results of this study, which confirmed, as this article says, the "benefits of prophylactic mastectomy and salpingo-oophorectomy in women with BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations. Women who underwent the prophylactic surgery had a greatly reduced risk for breast or ovarian cancer and a reduction in cancer-related mortality." I was drunk on good rum when this news broke, but if I had known, I would have raised my daiquiri to all the ladies who make sacrifices so that, well, we can enjoy tropical vacations with delicious daiquiris in good health for many years to come.