Toxins in Toiletries, or T-in-T

I'm working on reducing the amount of toxins in my environment. Made a list of all of the toiletries I use on a regular basis - and was quite surprised at how many products I use. At any rate, the process for assessing them went like this:

• Look up each product at the Environmental Working Group's "Skin Deep" website: www.cosmeticsdatabase.com. If you don't find your product, become a registered member (free) and you will be able to enter the data from your products and receive a preliminary report/score. I'm aiming for scores of no more than 3. You can also look at scored products in their database by category and sort on product name and score. Very helpful.
• If you decide to try a different, safer product, you can go to www.beautypedia.com (free through the end of February 2011) and learn about the product's efficacy there. That site also has a good ingredients encyclopedia. You can read reviews of products, but note that the reviewers are not concerned about parabens and the like, so a happy face rating does not mean that a product is safe, just that these expert reviewers find that it is effective at whatever it promises.
• If you want to know what other consumers think of the product, there are a number of good review sites, including www.amazon.com, www.drugstore.com, www.makeupalley.com, and others. At makeupalley you can filter reviewers by age group, which is nice; it's a very helpful site with lots of active members and probably worth registering at (free).

Another good website which rates not only the product on its toxicity but also the manufacturer on their footprint is www.goodguide.com, which rates all manner of products, including cleaning products.

In case you are interested, I'll try to figure out a way to easily post the "safe" products I'm using, so check back.

Born to blog

I've decided to start blogging again, so watch out. I will be blogging about:

• my house
• health topics
• miscellaneous things I feel strongly about
  

In case anyone's listening

I haven't posted in so long, I doubt anyone is bothering to monitor this site. But just in case, I want to say that I'm feeling healthy and fine, my treatments are over, and I am now on five years of drug therapy and monitoring. But more importantly, I have to say that I have never in my life been as proud of my country and my fellow countrypeople as I am today. And considering my advanced age and all that has happened in the past half century, that is saying a lot. Frankly, if Barack Obama does nothing for the next four years but work to alleviate the plight of the African American people in this nation, it will be alright by me. This one's for you, Grandma!

Prevention news - from Dr. Andrew Weil

Resveratrol May Prevent Breast Cancer

It’s still much too soon to say for sure, but new research suggests that resveratrol, the antioxidant found in red wine, the skin of grapes, blueberries, raspberries and cranberries, may have a role to play in breast cancer prevention. Laboratory studies indicate that resveratrol can slow the formation of abnormal cells that leads to most types of breast cancer. Breast cancer often begins when estrogen interacts with DNA molecules to set a process of cell transformation in motion, which eventually leads to the disease. Researchers at the University of Nebraska Medical Center measured the effect of different doses of resveratrol and found that even amounts as low as you would get in a glass of wine did the trick. In addition to its effect on abnormal cell formation, resveratrol increased production of an enzyme that inactivates dangerous estrogen metabolites, possibly further decreasing breast cancer risk. So far, all of this has happened only in the test-tube. No one knows if resveratrol will have similar effect in humans. The study was published in the July 2008 issue of Cancer Prevention Research.

Note from Marcia: If this were the case, I'd have thought I'd be immune.... I quit drinking about 6 years ago - maybe that was my mistake! ;)

Radiation - 1 of 30

To those of you who actually check this site for updates - my apologies. Just haven't felt like blogging. Had my last chemo infusion on June 26. Have been gradually getting my strength back with a couple of setbacks. Felt ill for a few days last week. Have some anemia. Also have steroid myopathy - an atrophy of my leg muscles from the steroids I was taking for chemo. My thigh muscles are very weak and it makes it difficult for me to stand, climb, even bend or straighten my legs. Doc says this should ease up in time.

Had my first radiation treatment today. Treatments will be daily (M-F) for 6 weeks. Takes about 10 minutes total. I lie on a metal table and receive two radiation doses, one from each side. I'm likely to experience some skin reaction (like a sunburn) starting in a couple of weeks and am using products to help alleviate or prevent the burning.

Also started taking Tamoxifen today. This is a drug which prohibits my body's production of estrogen, which feeds my particular type of cancer. I will take this daily for at least three years, at which time I will likely be switched to a drug called Femara, which I'll take for another two years at least.

The good news - and there is a lot of it - is that I'm feeling stronger all the time. I'm getting my sense of taste back. I have a little bit of hair on my head. I haven't noticed any negative reactions to the Tamoxifen. Not sure yet about the radiation, since that was just an hour ago.

Anyway, the poem posted below which I found today was particularly meaningful to me because I know I have lots of support from many realms. I want to say "thank you" to the many friends who are supporting me right now. It means so much to me to know you're there.

The Warrior

For surely you did not choose this battle.
Rather it chose you.
And standing on the edge of what
you cannot escape is most tormenting.
But take one final breath before the plunge.
And charge forward -
knowing that you go not alone,
but in might company of all who stand ready to fight at your side.
And knowing that where your spirit is weakened,
there you will find untold strength.
Where your heart is fearful,
there you will find immeasurable courageousness.
And where your soul is mired in darkness,
there you will find the most penetrating light,
the most powerful beacon showing you the way.

Mark Peters, Copyright 2005

I'm still here!

Sorry I haven't posted anything in so long. I'll try to be brief with this update. Had my third infusion Thursday, June 5th, and it went without a hitch. Due to my earlier reaction to the Taxotere, it was dripped in more slowly this time. I was there over 3 hours, which is kind of a drag, but it is what it is. For whatever reason, I developed another fever this time. Following infusion #2, I had a brief fever about 3-4 days later, but it only lasted about 10 hours. This time, my fever started some time Monday afternoon and didn't let up until this morning. It never got to 101, so I did not take antibiotics, just monitored it. Between the fever and the chemo sickness, it was a long few days, but both let up today and let me tell you, I don't know when I've been so happy to be alive. I had a smile on my face while loading the dishwasher and washing machine - that's how happy I was. One infusion left - June 26th.

Couple of things I've learned: That old saw, "When you have your health, you have everything" - those may be the wisest words ever spoken. And sadly, they don't become truly meaningful until you lose your health and understand why they're such important words. Please do whatever you can now to protect and improve your health. Hopefully, you won't experience "the moment that changes your life," but if you do, best to be in optimum health so that you can meet the challenge in the best condition possible. And in the meantime, enjoy every moment to the fullest.

Other thing I've learned: Twin Peaks was a weird show. I'm watching it thanks to NetFlix and I had no idea what it was about or what its style was. Leave it to David Lynch. No wonder people were intrigued by it. Anyway, I'm still in Season 1 so no spoilers please. :D