A Journey With Leukemia

I can certainly identify with the article posted below. Most of you probably don't know that I am currently being treated for Acute Myloid Leukemia and have been for almost 6 months.  This Mother of two small children had her world shattered far greater than I have.  I have been fortunate to not have suffered as greatly as she has while seeking treatment.  And my children are both grown.  In fact, it was my own son who was selected to be my bone marrow transplant donor.  He is a hero.  
My daughter and her boyfriend and my wonderful husband are also heroes as they are  my caregivers.

Please take the time to visit the website www.bethematch.org and be a donor - Be A Hero.  jmmb


Rebecca Eberts and Her Journey with Cancer is this week's Shore Good News

Last week was a very emotional time for Rebecca Eberts of Cashville.

You see, last year this time, Rebecca's world was turned upside down when she received a shocking medical diagnosis that not only shattered her world, but the world of those who love her.

It all started around the end of October of 2012. Rebecca wasn't feeling quite right and noticed a scratchy throat. She had been prone to strep throat in the past or thought she may have had a virus of some sort, but after seeing the doctor and getting some blood tests run, doctors were concerned they had found something much worse then a virus.

This 33 year old mother of 2 precious little boys was told she had Leukemia. At first she thought they had made a mistake. She was young and no one in her family had leukemia. How was this even possible?

She was sent to the hospital in Salisbury where the diagnosis was confirmed. She had Acute Myloid Leukemia and not only would she need chemo and radiation, but Rebecca would need a bone marrow transplant and it would be a long, hard road for this young mother and wife.

Between November 2012 and March of 2013, Rebecca had more than 30 chemo treatments and before she could receive the transplant, she had to be conditioned with 4 days of whole body radiation in 30 minute sessions, twice a day. To make matters worse, on Thanksgiving of 2012, Rebeccas spleen ruptured as a result of a rare side effect from chemo. It was touch and go that night. Five days later, her gall bladder had to be removed.

There were rough days to say the least and Rebecca missed being with her children and wanted to be home with her family so badly. But she knew she had to keep fighting.

To pass the time, she read books and her Bible. But her eyes became so affected by the chemo that she got to a point she could no longer read. So, she downloaded an app and would listen to the Bible instead.

One of the things Rebecca looked forward to the most was being able to Skype with her husband ET and her sons. She admits, however, that there were days in which she was just too weak-but it had to be severe for her to miss that special time.

Rebecca says that through it all, her family was there and she had so much support. Her husband was always uplifting and encouraging. Her parents, Chuck and Karen Parks were extremely supportive. Her sister, Hannah Annis was her rock. Shed call her sister many times in tears and Hannah would have the right words to say that brought comfort to her. And Rebecca could rest assured her sons were in good hands as Hannah took care of them every weekday so her husband could work. Her parents and other people pulled together to help take care of her children too. She says there were countless friends and supporters from the community. She received hundreds of cards from people she knew and people she didn't. She received cards from school children, missionaries and even cards from people in other countries. Rebecca says all of the support was confirmation to her that the Lord had an amazing plan in store. She says her faith in Jesus Christ is what got her through this trying time. And when discouragement came, there were always people that would bless her in such a way that her strength would be renewed over and over again.

Rebecca received a bone marrow transplant on March 27th of this year. Her donor? A stranger who cared enough to be tested and was willing to save the life of someone he doesn't even know. On the morning of the transplant, this unknown donor was put under general anesthesia and bone marrow was aspirated directly out of his hip bone and then flown to Rebecca. At exactly 11:33 p.m. the life saving marrow began infusing into her vein with her parents and husband by her side as they gave thanks to God, and her sister Hannah joining in on FaceTime at home.

Rebecca Eberts was released for good on July 17th of this year. After being in the hospital for 8 long, difficult months, Rebecca was finally going home to her family.

She says that we live in the most amazing and supportive community and her welcome home was unbelievable. There were businesses who had welcome home signs displayed and loads of people were even standing on the side of the road waving and holding up signs as she passed by. She will never forget the love and support she has had.

Rebecca's most recent test results show that the cancer is gone and she says she feels great. Life is more normal now and she's even gone back to work at Kegotank Elementary School, where this past week the staff and students wore orange and Team Eberts bracelets in honor of Rebecca. She was told that there was a meeting after school, but it was a party in celebration of her recovery.

This past Saturday a Be The Match Bone Marrow Registry Drive was held in Rebeccas honor at the Hospice offices in Onancock. They used every single registry kit and had to even refer people to the website to order a kit because they ran out. Rebecca and those who put on the drive are just thrilled with the response.

Registering is very easy and includes a simple swab from your cheek- even I registered on Saturday. I did in honor of Rebecca and in memory of my own mother who passed away from a very rare form of Leukemia. 

If you are interested in registering and possibly saving someones life, you can visit  www.bethematch.org.

Rebecca says this journey was like an emotional roller coaster, but it seemed that every time a door would close, two more opened and the outcome was better each time. She says she is here on this earth because of the power of prayer. She believes with all of her heart that the Lord heard the prayers of so many and answered. Doctors are amazing, says Rebecca, but never forget that God is our great physician! 

Source:

Elizabeth Edwards - Gravely Ill

Chapel Hill, N.C. — Elizabeth Edwards' cancer has spread, and her health has deteriorated, her family said in a statement Monday.

Edwards, 61, the estranged wife of former Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards, was briefly hospitalized recently, but she is now at home, where her family and friends, including John Edwards, are lending their support.

"I have been sustained throughout my life by three saving graces – my family, my friends and a faith in the power of resilience and hope," Edwards wrote in a message posted Monday on her Facebook page. "These graces have carried me through difficult times, and they have brought more joy to the good times than I ever could have imagined. The days of our lives, for all of us, are numbered. We know that."

Edwards was first diagnosed with cancer in the final weeks of the 2004 presidential campaign, when her husband, who was at the time a U.S. senator from North Carolina, was the Democratic nominee for vice president. The couple didn't disclose her illness until after the election.

The cancer went into remission after months of treatment, but it resurfaced in early 2007, as John Edwards was mounting a second run at the White House. The Edwardses agreed at the time that they wouldn't allow the cancer to derail his candidacy.

Because the cancer had moved into her bones in 2007, her doctors said at that time that it was no longer curable but could be treated.

Doctors now have recommended she not receive further treatment, according to the statement from her family.

Elizabeth Edwards has written two books about how she has overcome adversity in her life, "Resilience" and "Saving Graces."

She and her husband separated about a year ago after more than 30 years of marriage. The split followed John Edwards' affair with a campaign staffer.

The couple has four children: Wade, who died in a vehicle wreck in 1996; Cate, a lawyer in Washington, D.C.; and Emma Claire, 12, and Jack, 10, who both live in Chapel Hill with their mother.

www.wral.com

Cancer Scam Gets Woman Sentenced To 15 Year Sentence

A 38-year-old Rosedale woman who falsely claimed she was dying of cancer, and who a prosecutor said "ripped off person after person" to pay for nonexistent treatments, was sentenced Thursday to 15 years in prison by a judge who called her a "professional thief."

Dina Perouty Leone, a former real estate agent whose license was revoked in 2007 for unrelated offenses, was ordered to pay restitution of $14,090 to two of her victims, each of whom had lost a parent to cancer before they went to Leone's aid.

Leone, who had astonished investigators with her lack of remorse and combative nature when they first interviewed her last year, was contrite and tearful Thursday before the judge, and said she had found religion.

"I didn't know I had a problem until this came up," Leone said. "It's not easy for me because I don't know right from wrong all the time. I just need a chance."

She apologized to her children — a son and a stepdaughter, both teenagers — and to her victims, specifically Jennifer Lynch, who had given her about $4,000 and who was sitting a few feet away. "Jen, I'm very sorry that I hurt you," Leone said. "I really am."

Lynch, whose mother died of cancer in 1983, told the court that she had provided Leone with affection, advice and money. Leone, she said, "played on my emotions for her own gain."

In handing down the 15-year term on a felony-theft charge — the maximum sentence — Baltimore County Circuit Judge John G. Turnbull II referred to the defendant's previous convictions, including for petty theft in 1996, writing bad checks in 2004 and a series of mortgage scams in Carroll County that began about 2002, for which she was given a suspended sentence.

"That did absolutely nothing to deter you from going out and victimizing people again," Turnbull said. "I have absolutely no sympathy for you. In my opinion, you're a professional thief."

Upon hearing the terms of her sentence, Leone, who had been standing, fell backward into a chair, her mouth open in surprise. She then looked into the courtroom toward her father, Neal Perouty, tears welling again in her eyes. After the hearing, she was led away.

Her lawyer, John M. Hassett, had told the court earlier that "no rational person would ever conduct themselves this way," and said his client had "substantial psychological issues" that resulted in depression, alcohol abuse, violations of law, lack of remorse and behavior such as her "effort to replicate being on chemotherapy by shaving her head."

Hassett asked that his client be evaluated at the Patuxent Institute, a maximum-security correctional facility that focuses on psychotherapeutic care, and he said later that the judge had agreed to recommend it.

"We expected a severe penalty and are thankful that Judge Turnbull has provided the opportunity for Dina to receive the psychiatric treatment she needs," Hassett wrote in an e-mail. "If accepted, the program may grant parole at their discretion after a finding that the individual has progressed with treatment."

Leone's conviction in the Baltimore County case has triggered a probation violation in the Carroll County mortgage scam, meaning that she could be ordered to serve the full 10-year term in that case in addition to the time she received Thursday in Towson. Leone had served 49 days of the prior sentence.

Assistant State's Attorney Adam D. Lippe said that for months, Leone not only failed to admit responsibility for her actions but turned on the people whose trust she had violated, many of them old school friends from Dundalk and Sparrows Point, demanding that they be arrested for defaming her. "She becomes a predator," Lippe said, "and she doesn't care."

Vicky Squires, a breast-cancer survivor, said Leone's conduct should not deter anyone willing to help the truly sick. "What she did to me and others is horrible," Squires said. "However, it does not change who I am. I would still help anyone out that claimed to have cancer."

Another of Leone's targets, Jennifer R. Lasek, wife of the competitive skateboarder Bucky Lasek, gave her about $10,000 and paid for a trip for Leone and her family to the San Diego Zoo and Disneyland, the latter a "dying wish" of Leone's.

"Cancer hit home for me," Lasek, whose father died in 2007 of colon cancer, wrote in a letter to the court. "So when someone from my hometown — a schoolmate — said they were suffering the same fate, I wanted to help. I wanted to help her for my dad."

Leone, she wrote, "had a harrowing tale of needing money for treatment, the extreme pain she was in, how she wanted to do nice things for her children so they would have fond last memories of their mother before she passed." In the end, she said, it was all "scheming, manipulation and lies."

www.baltimoresun.com

Study Shows That Receipts Could Be Harmful To Our Health

Cash-register receipts from many fast-food outlets, groceries, pharmacies, big-box stores and U.S. post offices contain high levels of the endocrine-disrupting chemical bisphenol A.

A study released late today by the Environmental Working Group reported that a laboratory analysis it commissioned found the plastic component BPA on 40 percent of receipts from McDonald's, CVS, KFC, Whole Foods, Wal-Mart, Safeway and other businesses.

BPA is used to coat thermal paper, which reacts with dye to form black print on receipts handled by millions of Americans every day. In laboratory tests, the chemical has been linked to a long list of serious health problems in animals. Several environmental activists, including Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., also have called for removing BPA from canned goods.
"Consumers are being exposed to BPA at the point of sale once they're handed a receipt," senior scientist Dr. Anila Jacob told AOL News.

These receipts pile up in purses, wallets and shopping bags, coming into contact with food and other items. When handled, the slips of thermal paper can easily contaminate fingers, which then can result in oral or dermal exposure, the physician explained.

Wipe tests conducted by EWG's researchers easily removed BPA from the sample receipts, indicating that the chemical could rub off on the hands of a person handling the paper. The heat-activated paper that was tested contained as much as 3 percent pure BPA by weight, EWG reported.

But is this harmful to humans?

The EWG, a national nonprofit organization, is undertaking additional studies to determine whether and to what degree BPA enters the body. However, earlier this month Swiss scientist Sandra Biedermann and her colleagues from the Zurich Official Food Control Authority reported that BPA from register receipts can "enter the skin to such a depth that it can no longer be washed off."

That finding raises the possibility that the chemical infiltrates the skin's lower layers to enter the bloodstream directly, the EWG says.

The Fix May Be Easy

However, the scientists did not detect any BPA or only trace amounts in receipts from Target,
Starbucks, some bank ATM's and other enterprises.
"Since 60 percent of the receipts EWG tested did not contain BPA, we know there is an easy fix for retailers who still use paper containing the chemical," Jacob added.

For almost two years now, public health and environmental experts have been pushing to reduce BPA exposure, especially in cans for processed food, baby bottles and infant formula.

In animal tests, scientists have produced evidence that BPA can induce abnormal reproductive system development, diminished intellectual capacity and behavioral abnormalities and can set the stage for other serious conditions, such as reproductive system cancer, obesity, diabetes, early puberty, resistance to chemotherapy, asthma and cardiovascular system disorders.

The EWG added that exposure can also cause epigenetic changes, meaning alterations in the way genes switch off and on and genetic changes that can be passed on to the next generation.

Scientists at the University of Missouri's Division of Biological Sciences laboratory examined receipts collected from big-name and mom-and-pop stores, ATMs, gas stations and other commercial operations in seven states and the District of Columbia, according to the EWG.

The amount of BPA the analysis found on the feather-weight scraps of paper were 250 to 1,000 times greater than other, more widely criticized sources carrying the toxin.

Risk to Workers

The BPA coating on receipt paper is an obvious concern for shoppers, but even more so for the millions of people who staff cash registers and bag groceries at tens of thousands of retailers across the country

The Swiss researchers reported that a person repeatedly touching thermal printer paper for 10 hours a day could be exposed to 42 times the present tolerable daily exposure.

The risk from handling BPA-laden receipts can be significant, Jacob said, and added that eliminating exposure to this ubiquitous yet toxic substance should remain the first priority of U.S. lawmakers.

The EWG study says statistics from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that retail workers carry an average of 30 percent more BPA in their bodies than other adults.

AOL News asked the Occupational Safety and Health Administration if it had plans to control this occupational exposure but received no reply.
www.aol.news