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Getting Down and Buggy 

Buzzzzzz, Slap! Splat! No more biting, buzzing, annoying mosquito. That’s one way to collect bugs, but probably not the best way to start collecting insects. Not if you want to be able to recognize it that is.

            Why collect bugs you ask? Utah native and local bug enthusiast Kenn Anderson says “If you want to start a wonderful and fun hobby, bug collecting might be just the thing for you”.

Besides being a lot of fun, you can also learn about the fascinating world that bugs live in. And what an extraordinary world they live in as you will discover.

Bugs live and exist in nearly every place and temperature you can think of, from the hot desert, to the freezing polar regions. There are literally millions of them across the planet. Some have terrific strength, and some have bizarre habits. Others have weird and unusual bodies, and still others are beautiful and even graceful.

Officially known as entomology, the study of insects is a specialty within the field of biology which is branched off into more than 30 different types of specialized families of insects. Insects live in a fascinating and strange world that’s just waiting to be explored. The best part is that you are sure to be able to collect insects no matter where you live or time of year.

             If you are wondering where to look for bugs to collect, the answer is everywhere! Bugs live in the water, in the ground, under rocks, on the land, in the air, and even indoors. You can find them in the roads, under rocks, in the trees, and in your own backyard. They’re literally in the millions, so you will have plenty to choose from. “The best places to look for bugs are where environments and ecosystems clash,” says friend and fellow bug enthusiast Aaron Olsen. “For example, Southern Utah is a great place to look because the mountains meet the desert here.”

            You don’t really even have to leave your own back yard though.  Just lift up an old piece of wood, or a rock or two, and you’re sure to find one if not several kinds of insects. You don’t need a lot of equipment either.  “Getting started is easy”, Anderson says, whose favorite collection contains a beetle called a Chrysina Gloriosa (glorious scarab) that he found in Arizona. These beautiful beetles are long and bright green with silver stripes, and are a member of the scarab beetle family. Yes scarab, as in Egyptian mummy scarab beetles. You don’t have to be afraid of collecting these beetles though; they like to munch down on Juniper leaves, not people. Anderson says, “all you need to get started is a net, a kill jar and a pining board.”

             Don’t forget that some bugs only come out at night. For nighttime collecting, you will need some type of light to attract the bugs and a white sheet to help you see the bugs easier. Then you just wait as they flock to the light. Be prepared to wait for a while since different bugs come out at different times of the night.

The study of bugs has been around as long as man and bugs first saw each other.  Studies have shown that ancient Egyptians and even the ancient people of Mesoamerica were beekeepers.  All you need to start collecting is a desire and an idea of what you want to collect.

Anderson and Olsen started collecting bugs when they were just kids. Olsen’s grandmother got him started by catching bugs in a jar, and he has been hooked ever since. He even has his 7 year old son, Easton collecting too. He often goes on collecting trips with his dad all over Utah. “I love bugs” Easton says, “They are really cool.”

Easton knows what he’s talking about. He and his dad, along with Anderson, have a collection of more than 30,000 specimens. They collect everything from the ever popular butterfly, to the unusual horned beetle, and everything in between.

             If you ask Olsen, preserving the bug’s beauty and color is one of the most important parts of the collection process. Using an insect collection case is a good idea to show off your collection. These cases not only make your collection look more attractive and professional, but also help keep your collecting from being ruined from heat, light or pests.  

            Once your collection starts to grow, you can start looking for more interesting or rare bugs that you want to collect. Sometimes you can be on the hunt for days and not find the specimen you are looking for. Don’t give up though. With all the millions of bugs out there, you are sure to find one you like.

            Bug collecting is a widespread hobby that is found all over the world. Societies dedicated to the study and preservation of almost all types of insects can be found on the Internet. Thousands of websites are listed, so be ready to narrow your search if you choose to look for information that way. You can also find hundreds of magazines and trade journals from all over the world dedicated to every aspect of the insect world you can think of.  An entire world full of bugs is just waiting to be explored. Lastly, remember, even though insects can be abundant, you should never over collect them. Some species are already on the endangered list, so do your best not to take more than necessary.

            If getting down and buggy interests you, you can contact the Utah Lepidoptera Society or visit their website: www.utahlepsociety.org/

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A Life Paved in Gold

            To the north stand the majestic Pine Valley Mountains with the multicolored hills of pink, brown and white sand stone cliffs at the base. To the east stands Black Ridge that once gave drainage to long ago volcano eruptions. To the west is Utah Hill with the blue and gray clay that both collects and supplies water to the many underground springs, which flows and gives life to the desert landscape known as Southern Utah.

             This is the picturesque area where Mormon pioneers were sent by the prophet Brigham Young to grow cotton for the church. It wasn’t any easy place to live, especially in the early years. The settlers quickly learned that summers were harsh, with an unending, blazing hot sun that prompted one early leader, J. Golden Kimball, to say: “I don't know how the people of St. George can stand the heat, the Indians, the snakes and the flooding Virgin River. If I had a house in St. George and a house in hell, I'd rent out the one in St. George and move straight to hell.” In the time before air conditioning, this statement rang true as the early settlers faced summer heat up to 120 degrees. It was in this setting that lifelong Southern Utah resident Rhaldo A. Turner was born.

                The first thing you notice about Rhaldo is his smile. His warm and friendly personality puts those around him at ease, immediately making you feel like an old friend. His energizing yet humble demeanor seems to contradict his admitted age of 84. Even though he has trouble breathing without his portable oxygen tank, he still goes out every day at the crack of dawn to work. Not for financial gain, but because work is a part of who he is. His back, once straight and strong, is hunched over from a combination of years of hard work and gravity pushing down on his spine. If his callused and worn hands could talk, they would surely tell of a man who has led an extensive life of service.

            Rhaldo is a fourth generation Southern Utah pioneer and proud of it. And why shouldn’t he be? His great grandfather, David Turner, was asked personally by Brigham Young to come to Southern Utah to get the cotton factory working. Hard work and determination ran in the Turner blood, and Rhaldo’s grandfather and father both worked and tried to survive in the small desert community of Washington City. Rhaldo in turn learned to work the land and tend the animals as a young boy.

             “There’s always work to do on a farm,” Rhaldo said. “Each morning dad would ask, ‘Rhal, what should we do today?” He would think of the task that he thought should be done, and that is the work they would do together. His father was in poor health, and Rhaldo had to take the lead and help take care of the family and the farm, especially after his brother Gar, was killed. Through it all, Rhaldo tried his best to keep a smile on his face.

            “I was born to goodly parents,” Rhaldo said. “They taught me work hard and love God and my family.” He followed their advice, and doing so helped shape his life. As he matured to manhood, Rhaldo helped to support his family while serving his country in the Korean War. He made sure that part of his pay was allocated by the government to go directly to his family.

             After the war, Rhaldo settled back home in Utah and married his sweetheart. Before long he was called to be the first counselor in the bishopric of his church. During the five years he served in that calling, he personally helped build a large chapel made from sandstone. This service, along with many others he gave through the years was a great example to his family.

            “He is always giving his time and his service,” daughter in law Jodi says. “He gives in any way he can, whether it be financially, or in other ways, he just gives and gives, even though he is in bad health.”

            Besides serving in his church and helping his family, Rhaldo also helped to serve his community by running for public office as a city councilman. He gave his time and energy into helping the developing community of Washington City grow. His reputation as someone who gets things done helped him get elected as a city councilman three times.

            Through the years of community and church service, money was always tight. Rhaldo tried many different things to support his family of 10. He first tried growing casaba melons, watermelons and tomatoes. He wasn’t able to make much money though, so he then tried to raise pigs. This didn’t work out so well either. Later Rhaldo tried to raise cattle, sorghum and alfalfa to make ends meet. Unfortunately, none of these ventures turned out to be a financial success. Eventually the farm dried up, and gophers littered it with holes. To make matters even harder, he was hit by a car while working for UDOT, which ended his ability to breathe without the aid of a portable oxygen tank.

            After many trials and failures, he got the idea to try growing turf. He knew nothing about it but decided to give it a go anyway. His boys, who were grown up by that time, helped with this newest endeavor, and finally things started going a little better. Today, thanks to hard work and perseverance, Turner Turf Farms is a successful business. Gary, Rhaldo’s older son who runs the farm now, is grateful for the work ethic his father gave to him. “He taught me this simple lesson in life,” Gary said. “Namely, you can’t get something for nothing.” Gary’s younger brother Kendall echoes his older brothers respect for his father. He says: “Dad had a lot of trust and faith and patience in us kids. He was always busy with work of some kind, but he always made time for us kids. I am thankful for his example.”

            There were many years when finances were strained to the breaking point and he nearly lost hope. Rhaldo explains: “During those years of not making enough money and my feelings of desperation, I would tell myself to get out of bed and look out the window. I would tell myself, ‘This is just the kind of day that I wanted.’ He did this day after day, year after year, no matter what the weather was or what may be happening in his life. Reminiscing he says: “To get through the day, I would force myself to laugh at any struggling situation by making a joke about it.”

             The twinkle in his eyes and the constant smile come naturally now and don’t have to be forced. “I still get up each morning and the first thing I do is to look out my window. I can look back at my struggles and see how my life has been shaped and the person that I became. I truly know that the Lord was with me all the way. When I look out my window, I can honestly say, this is the type of day I wanted. The only difference from what I see to what I’ll see in heaven is that the street will be paved in gold.”  

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It Only Takes a Minute

            One minute. Doesn’t seem like a lot of time. Only 60 seconds. What could possibly happen in only one minute? In one minute’s time, Usain Bolt, the world’s fastest man, could run approximately 608 meters, the length of almost six football fields. In one minute’s time, the average human heart will beat 72 times, circulating around 1.3 gallons of blood throughout the body. And in one minute, four children under the age of 6 across the country are accidently poisoned by everyday products found around the home.

            Unfortunately for one family, they learned just what can happen in one minute. The year was 1974. The Flower Power movement was finally winding down. Elvis was still the King, and Richard Nixon became the first American president to resign from office. Lionel train sets and board games like Sorry were popular toys for boys, as were kitchen and tea sets for girls.

             Crissy, a small brown eyed shy preschooler, grinned with anticipation as she reached for the unmarked bottle filled with amber colored liquid. “This looks good,” she exclaimed as she proceeded to pour it into the small porcelain tea cups. “Mr. Bear, would you like some too?” giggled Sarah, sitting opposite from Crissy. One by one, three fragile cups were poured, while matching saucers were piled with honey graham crackers for dipping. Both girls, dressed in frilly lace dresses, were ready to try out Crissy’s new tea table. It was round and painted white with yellow flowers around the edges. It came with a matching tea set. Everything was perfect.  Sarah nearly knocked over the neat plate of freshly opened crackers with her blonde braids as she searched for just the right one. Crissy didn’t care though; she was thirsty and couldn’t wait. She quickly curled her finger around the tiny handle of the teacup and drank the liquid inside.

            Hands flew to her throat; brown eyes bulged with pain and fear. Her tiny body began to thrash around as the caustic contents burned their way down her esophagus and into the lining of her stomach. She couldn’t scream, even if she wanted to. Her once pink tongue was now covered in large blistered pustules that filled her tiny mouth and continued down into her throat, threatening to cut off her breathing.

            “Crissy! Crissy, what’s wrong?” screamed the other girl in alarm. The sound of broken tea cups shattering and the shrieking of the girl alerted the mother who had just stepped into the other room. Her eyes widened in terror as she watched her small daughter‘s body thrashing in convulsions of pain while pinkish foam trickled over her daughter’s pursed lips. She stood frozen to the ground, not knowing what to do.      

            “I’ve never been so scared in my entire life,” Crissys mother said remembering. “I just had surgery a couple of days before and could hardly walk or even lift anything. I only turned my back for a minute. Just for a minute.”

            Finally her legs caught up with the urgency in her mind, and she was able to run to her daughter’s side and cradle her in her arms. “What happened? What happened?” She yelled over and over at Sarah, who was now shaking with fear. Looking directly into the scared little girls eyes she begged again. “Sarah, what happened?” Too scared to answer, Sarah pointed to the bottle with the amber liquid, which was spilling out onto the kitchen floor, softly sizzling as it began to dissolve the hard linoleum.

            “No! No, no, no! My baby, my baby, my poor baby. Why, why, why?” she cried. Crissy’s older sisters heard their mother’s screams and ran to see what was going on. Since they didn’t own a phone, Tae, the oldest, ran to the neighbor’s house for help, while Diann, the second oldest, grabbed a towel for her mother to wipe Crissy’s mouth. Looking around, she noticed Sarah across the room, hugging her knees and shaking. She took Sarah’s hand and led her to the other room away from the horrific scene.

            “Sarah, what happened to Crissy?” Diann asked, trying not to cry.

            “She, she drank the tea,” Sarah softly whispered as tears etched their way down her face. “What tea, what tea? We don’t have any tea!” Diann replied.

            That question would be etched on Diann’s mind for a long time. The incident happened almost 40 years ago, but she could still recall the events of that day clearly.

             “I don’t think any of us will ever forget the moment when we found out what Crissy had drunk that day,” Diann, said. “Mom knew it was some kind of cleaning fluid but couldn’t recall what kind. Everyone put all their household cleaners under the sink in those days. I don’t think people were aware back then about the danger of poisoning and how easy the bottles were to open- no safety caps or anything. When we found out that she had drunk Liquid Drano we couldn’t believe it.”  

             “I only turned my back for a minute,” Crissy’s mom later said. “I can’t believe how quickly something like this could have happened.” Shaking her head, she recalled the events of that fateful day. “It was like a nightmare. Doctors and nurses were running everywhere. Crissy was softly moaning, her body rigid with pain. She was calm until they tried to make her drink a reddish substance meant to coat her stomach. Then she started fighting against the needles and intravenous tubes hooked up to her tiny body.  The emergency team fought to keep her still as they desperately tried to pump out what she had drunk.” Laboratory tests later revealed that Crissy had ingested liquid lye, the main ingredient in common drain cleaners.

             “The funny thing was, I had just days earlier put up all the medicines high up in the tall corner cabinet, so that Crissy or her sisters wouldn’t be tempted to eat them,” Crissy’s mom said It just never occurred to me that one of them would try to drink something from under the sink.”

             Crissy’s father was out fighting a forest fire that day. It took hours to reach him about what happened. “By the time I got home from the woods, they had already taken Crissy to the emergency room trying to find out how bad the damage was,” He said, remembering. “The doctors said that in less than a minute, the lye had burned all the way down her throat and into her stomach. Her liver and her kidneys were shutting down. They said to take her home. There was nothing else they could do for her.”

            Miraculously, thanks to fast acting doctors, good medicines and prayers, Crissy survived her ordeal with Drano. It took months for her mouth and throat to heal. Even longer for her damaged organs. She had to learn to eat again, to only eat soft foods like soups or puddings.  Eventually, her body completely healed, leaving no scars but the faded remembrance of that fateful day. Years later, Crissy could only recall bits and pieces of what had happened.  Some may say this was a result of the trauma she experienced. Crissy believes, though that it was a gift of providence.

             Even though Crissy wouldn’t choose to go through that experience again, she knows that some good did come out of that horrible day. Perspectives were changed as word got out about what happened. Medicines and cleaners were put out of harms reach. Lives were saved because of cabinets with locks were installed above where any child could possibly reach them. One visitor from out of town, unaware of the trauma the family had faced, commented on the high locked shelf and said, “Isn’t it inconvenient to have all those cleaning supplies put up so high?” Without blinking, Crissy’s father solemnly answered: “What’s more inconvenient? Having to stand on a stool to get a few cleaning supplies, or having to watch your child suffer and almost die from ingesting one of them? It only takes a minute you know?”

            According to the Consumer Action Handbook, before the Poison Prevention Packaging Act went into effect in 1970, poisoning was the No. 1 killer of children under the age of 5. Even though today special caps are placed on all household chemicals to prevent accidents like the one this family experienced from happening again, the danger is still very real. These special caps are meant to be child-resistant, not child-proof.

            Statistics from their website show that today, more than 2 million accidental poisonings occur each year. The majority of these occur in the home. A few ways help prevent this from happening include:

·         Install safety latches on cabinets used for medicines and household products.

·         Ensure children can’t use chairs or stack items to climb to products stored out of their reach.

·         Once purchased, use child-resistant packaging properly by closing the container tightly after each use.

·         Never call medicine “candy” to get a child to take it.

·         Never leave medicine out on a kitchen counter or at a sick child’s bedside.

          If you want more information on how you can protect your loved ones from accidental poison ingestion, contact your local Poison Control Center, or look on the web at www.poisonprevention.org

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Mark of Athena Review

 

            Best-selling author Rick Riordan is back with the third installment of his latest Percy Jackson spin-off series the “Heroes of Olympus.” His newest book “Mark of Athena” doesn’t disappoint, and gets the adrenaline pumping once again as Riordan’s newest heroes set sail for Rome. As with the Percy Jackson series, Riordan skillfully interweaves modern teens, ancient legends and mythology providing the reader with a thrilling, absorbing adventure.

            In Riordan’s first book of the series, “The Lost Hero,” we meet Jason, Piper and Leo, who are the newest demigods to arrive at Camp Half-blood. Jason has lost his memories, and has no idea who he is, or why he can summon a lightning bolt and fly. Eventually we learn that not only is Jason a Roman from Camp Jupiter, but also that he was kidnapped by the Goddess Hera.

            Riordan’s second book in the series, “Son of Neptune,” concentrates mainly on Percy Jackson, who like Jason, was also kidnapped by the Goddess Hera. Percy we find out was transported to camp Jupiter where he finds old friends, surprising allies and new enemies.

            Picking up where “Son of Neptune” left off, we find Percy still in the midst of Camp Jupiter, and Annabeth along with Jason, Piper, and Leo flying in to the rescue on the Argo II. Despite the attempts of amnesty between Camp Half-Blood and Camp Jupiter, forces beyond control unite seven chosen demigods to embark on the prophetic quest given by the Oracle. Percy and his friends find themselves facing old enemies, unexpected monsters and important discoveries as they race across land and sea to once again save the world.

            Following the point of view style set up in the first “Heroes of Olympus” book, Riordan continues to use a third person limited point of view which switches between the perspectives of Percy, Annabeth, Piper and Leo.  This type of format systematically allows the reader to get inside the head of each Demigod.  This perspective change has good points as well as bad. For one thing, the change in POV does allow some characters like Annabeth to shine. We find out more about her Goddess mother, and why Athena challenges Annabeth to follow the Mark of Athena and avenge her. This type of insight into Annabeth is refreshing as well as revealing, something that was lacking in previous books.

            One caution to be aware of is that the POV can at times bit a bit annoying, especially when the action gets going and you are forced to follow another story line. Fortunately Riordan’s skillful writing enables the reader to balance the twists in subplots and still make sense of what is happening.

            While this his type of POV works for Annabeth and Leo, it unfortunately doesn’t help Percy’s or Piper’s characterization at all. This oversight is forgivable for Percy since readers already know him from previous books, but the lack of valuable insights into Piper fall flat and leave her looking more like a love sick teen rather than a true hero of Olympus.

            Speaking of love, if you have been looking for romance between certain demigods to blossom further, “Mark of Athena” will have you cheering since romance is a major theme in this book. Riordan cleverly incorporates this secondary theme into the story line without interrupting the overall plot. This brings a fresh perspective and an important preview of what’s to come in his new book due out next year, “House of Hades.”        

            Overall, “Mark of Athena” is a good read full of excitement, adventure, and an edge of your seat cliffhanger well worth running out to buy it today for a weekend read-a-thon. Happy Readings!

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Finding and Beating the Beast

            The month of October has come and gone. Halloween masks and costumes are stored, the candy and treats eaten, or locked away for another day. Everyone is now focused on the upcoming holidays filled with joyous family get-togethers and Christmas festivities and feasts. Gone also, as if they too were just another holiday’s decorations, are the reminders of breast cancer awareness. The pink ribbons, cups, bracelets, backpacks and bags are either stored away or sitting on the clearance aisle waiting for someone to notice them.  They represent a sad and fading reminder of a very real threat that doesn’t go away just because the season is over.  This threat is ongoing and affects the health and lives of more than 226,870 women who are diagnosed with breast cancer each year. According to The American Cancer Society, roughly one in eight women will in the course of her lifetime be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer. This is not a number to ignore.  Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women in the United States, and it is the second leading cause of cancer death in women, lung cancer being the first.

            For two women, breast cancer had once been something that only happened to other women, not to anyone they knew, and especially not to them. Their lives, while very different, will forever be linked together in a special club known as breast cancer survivors.

Dede

            For Pacific Northwest resident Dede Hammond, breast cancer came calling twice. The first time was in 2005. “For a couple of years I kept going to the doctor, having continuous sinus infections and could not seem to get over a cold. I was told it was allergies. Something was just not right. My doctor told me I was just depressed and needed to go on anti-depressants because I was turning 47. I was ill, not depressed! Boy did I give her an ear full after I changed doctors and was diagnosed with stage III breast cancer.”

            Dede ended up having bilateral mastectomies and eight rounds of debilitating chemotherapy. This weakened her body but not her spirits. She recovered and plunged head on into anything that had to do with breast cancer awareness. She even joined a dragon boat row team of fellow survivors called Wasabi, which practiced weekly on the Willamette River and has won the gold in several competitions. After five years of taking anticancer drugs that caused her horrible bone pain, scans showed she was cancer free.  She thought she had “beaten the beast.”

             Fast forward to June 2011, just four days before her son’s wedding. Dede was back in the hospital having an ultrasound for pain and swelling in her right arm. MRIs and biopsies were performed on a suspicious site. “One day before the wedding while driving to the wedding rehearsal, I got the call that there was malignancy in the biopsy. I had cancer again!"

            She couldn’t bear to tell her family, especially her husband or her son, about the diagnosis. “They say there is an actress in all of us. I guess I should have been up for an Academy Award.  I was screaming inside, but it was my gift to them that weekend to have fun.”

            All too soon the fun was over, and real life crashed in as Dede, and her husband, Greg, started the long process of chemo and radiation to fight the beast again.

            “I felt like I’d been punched in the stomach,” Greg said. “We thought that we’d taken care of these problem years ago. Who knew that it would come back again?”As of November Dede is recovering from her 12th round of chemo and radiation treatments. With obvious love and pride, Greg said: “Dede is a fighter. If anyone can beat this thing twice, it’s her.”      

            Dede has sound advice for every woman, old or young: “Pay attention, do your self- checks and if/when you find a lump get it removed! Remember lumps belong in jars of formaldehyde, not in our bodies! If told to wait and watch it, get it out now! Let them watch it on their desk in the jar. If I had waited another six months my stage III cancer would have spread to my lungs or liver or who knows where.”

            Oncology nurse navigator Deb Christensen agrees that being assertive when it comes to your health care is crucial. “By far, early detection is the best protection for a cure.” She acknowledges that while her job at the Huntsman Cancer Center at Dixie Regional Medical Center is sometimes sad, it gives her a chance to help those in need with everything from education to providing patients with the different resources they can use.

            She went on to say, “If you find a lump, and you don’t think that your general practitioner is giving you an accurate diagnosis, you can always ask if there is any further testing that can be done.”

Linda

            Southern Utah resident Linda Holt learned this bit of knowledge the hard way. The lurking intruder of cancer took her by surprise last January. “It never occurred to me that I would ever get cancer, let alone breast cancer,” she exclaimed. Oddly enough, she was diagnosed with stage II breast cancer on Friday the 13th. She laughs about the supposedly unlucky date now but shakes her head somberly when she recalls the details of her own battle with the cancer beast.

            “Several months before my diagnosis, I found a lump while doing a self-exam. When I told my doctor about it,” she said, “he looked at it and sent me to get a mammogram. When the results came back negative, I was able to relax to some extent. My doctor said I was fine and to just keep an eye on it.” However, the constant presence of the lump made her uneasy, and when the lump became tender and seemed to grow, she knew something was wrong. “That’s when I decided to go to a different doctor and see what they thought. As soon as the gynecologist saw my lump, he immediately sent me to get a biopsy. The results came back positive. I had stage II breast cancer.” Linda was devastated and confused by the new results and didn’t understand how the mammogram had missed the cancer.

            Tracy Patrick, mammography team leader for Intermountain Health, explained how this could happen. “Mammograms only look for areas of micro-calcification or a speculated mass that looks suspicious. Unfortunately they cannot detect every kind of breast cancer. It’s the gold standard in detection but might not reveal cells that recently turned cancerous. It is not until after they become malignant that the cells keep doubling in size until they become a detectable mass. A biopsy is really the best way to know for sure.”

            This kind of information doesn’t bring any comfort when you’re facing eight rounds of chemotherapy and 33 radiation treatments like Linda was. “I try not to be angry about it,” she said.  “I don’t know how it happened, but I just have to accept it.” Her family helped her through everything, and has been her biggest support, especially her husband, Ferron. “He’s a clumpy, slam-the-door kind of guy,” she said with a smile. “There were times when I was really sick from the chemo that I just wanted him to get out and leave me alone. I wanted to tell him that he doesn’t have to be around me all the time, just chill, but I couldn’t tell him that. He was so attentive to me.”

            Fortunately, Linda’s teams of doctors were able to remove all the cancerous cells and so far, she is cancer free. She knows though that she might not ever completely recover from the chemo. “It’s kind of a trade off. I still have tingling in my hands and feet, and you don’t even want to look at my toenails,” she said with a half smile, half grimace. She explained that some people lose their finger and toe nails along with all their hair. “Unfortunately I learned things that I didn’t know or even want to know. That’s just the way it is though when you have cancer,” she said.”The most important thing I learned, however, was to never talk yourself out of getting a lump checked. Don’t ignore it.”

            The American Cancer Society recommends that women have yearly mammograms starting at age 40. Annual clinical breast exams are also recommended along with a monthly self- exam. This advice may seem too easy, but the simple fact is, exams save lives. So does being aware of your body and any significant changes in size, shape or feel of your breast.  You have to be your own advocate; after all, you know your body best. One day the beast known as breast cancer may still come calling, but if you are proactive about your heath  and find it early enough, you have a better chance to beat it.

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