Contamination

24242 · April 2006

I was watching the news and found it some what funny that people think a cluster of cancer can be 19 people on a huge block where there are many people with different forms of cancer.
It struck me funny I guess because people have been dying from cancer and aids long before they actually knew what was their cause. Now there are often many cases of cancer on the same block and my mother in-laws block is no exception. People want to blame everything these days on building houses on landfills, when in fact that is basically what all our land in our cities are. Way back when there were often factories of one kind or another that were redeveloped to residential, or plain landfills because that is what man has done for centuries.
I guess my problem with the plastics thing and landfill arguments is "none of us get out of here alive." People are living long than they ever have even though cancer is prevelant. And for those who say they had no risk factors for their cancer I have to wonder. Did you never drink alchohol, smoke or eat bad foods that might of been the risk factor necessary to spern your cancer into growing.
Once again I think there are variables too many to count in this world that MAN made. Men have ruled by greed and continue to move into countries that have no controls so they can run factories with little controls over them which only contaminates this country till people get sick and it starts to cost that country. Man doesn't really care about us and continues to behave badly, and what about the car pollution and emitions, what do you think that is doing to us yet people seem to want to drive bigger and continue to consume more gas...
Just my thoughts,
Tara

LesleyH · April 2006

I know what you mean. We search for causes all the time. But I know that I, for one, really did have no risk factors. Never smoked, or drank. Ate a very healthy diet. Exercised 3-4 times a week. Breast-fed four babies for 2 years each, started my periods at 15, no family history, never been overweight, etc. I never evey took the birth control pill because I did not want to raise my risk unnecessarily.

When I spoke to my oncologist about the fact that I had no risks, she shook her head and said that she sees so many patients without risks. I truly believe that while our behavior/genetics is blamed, our environment can be ignored.

Hugs.

Lesley

Kammie · April 2006

I was diagnosed with breast cancer at age 49. This was several months after my ex-husband was diagnosed with cancer in his jaw. He is 10 years younger then me. For my little 11 year old son to have both parents with cancer at the same time seemed against the odds to me. So, my mind cant help but wonder back to things we might have been exposed to, but I have no answers. I can only be thankful that so far we are both doing well and starting to recover from the exhausting effects of chemotherapy.

LesleyH · April 2006

Thank you for the thought-provoking post.

Hugs.

Lesley

LesleyH · April 2006

Kammie said:
I was diagnosed with breast cancer at age 49. This was several months after my ex-husband was diagnosed with cancer in his jaw. He is 10 years younger then me. For my little 11 year old son to have both parents with cancer at the same time seemed against the odds to me. So, my mind cant help but wonder back to things we might have been exposed to, but I have no answers. I can only be thankful that so far we are both doing well and starting to recover from the exhausting effects of chemotherapy.

Yeoch!!! Kammie that is awful. I am glad you are both recovering.

All the best.

Hugs.

Lesley

KathiM · April 2006

Beyond checking diet, exercise, etc, and making sure your kids are aware that they need to be EXTRA viligant about the changes in their bodies, I think that trying to figure out the cause of cancer can drive you NUTS!
I almost went there, not necessarily for me, but for the 2 under-40 young men who were diagnosed AFTER me...
We can only do what we can do...otherwise, we look at people that ignore all the rules, and never have to fight the beast, and get VERY MAD!
But spreading awareness and information to everyone (CRC being somewhat preventable with EARLY polyp removal) is the ticket!
And, of course, having a great supportive 'family' here, too....hehehe
Hugs, Kathi

inkblot · May 2006

Hi Tara:

Happy to see you're still posting here. It's been forever since I've been on the site and popped in yesterday to see how everyone is doing and found sooo many great new people posting.

About this contamination thing: Yes, there's no doubt that our environment, including our air, water, foods and soils are contaminated and not just a little. Depending upon where we live, some areas are worse than others.

So many chemicals all around us and in our bodies, it's more like an invisible soup we swim through ever day. So, not surprisingly we see more diseases and conditions arising in each generation. While some of the toxins we're exposed to cause cancers, others cause nerve damage, mental dysfunction and a whole array of medical anomalies. Some take many years to cause symptoms while exposure to others can produce illness faster.

There are a few things we can do to try to cut down on our exposure to environmental toxins, including becoming an educated consumer, but no way to escape them completely without leaving the planet. Our best bet is to join with reputable enviro groups and contribute whatever we can in the way of activism to try to effect positive change. We can never stop working to this ends.

I have been involved with several environmental groups for many, many years and we stay busy with letter writing to our legislators in the US as well as addressing environmental issues abroad. Once in a while, we actually win a small battle and that feels terrific but mostly money talks and everything else walks, including those of us who work to try to preserve our lovely little planet. Greed and thoughtless action are the wheels which drive our economny (health and safety don't get much, if any consideration) and that spells disaster for us all. Animal species are going extinct at an alarming rate, worldwide. Our rain forests are slashed and burned, farmed for 2 to 3 years and then become deserts as the nutrients in the soil are depleted rapidly and the farmers move on to another newly slashed and burned area. Some whales are so very toxic that they are handled as "biohazards" when they beach themselves, die and must be removed. This should tell us something?

The big business public relations spin doctors employed by the biggest offenders, including our own governments (you know...those public servants entrusted with watching over our collective welfare) never sleep so we must take care in what we're willing to believe when we're told "not to worry" about this or that. It's up to us to educate ourselves and decide how much "public relations pablum" we'll listen to on any given day. Often times, we're afraid and really WANT to believe the upbeat, no-need-to-worry reports ("it wasn't as bad as we initially thought and we've got it under control" they say with a broad smile) but many times if we can just read between the lines and have knowledge of the issue, we know better than to buy it. Environmentally speaking, Pandora's Box is flung wide open and while little can ever be put back into that box, we can work to stop more from coming out of there!

But back to the health consequences: Go to:
www.ewg.org/reports/bodyburden2/ This is a report done by Environmental Working Group which can be an eye opener to those of us who may still believe that all is well in paradise. Far from it! The report speaks for itself. Hope that may shed some light for anyone interested in a more indepth look at what's happening in our environment. There are many links for more info from the above referenced site.

Love, light and laughter,
Ink

24242 · May 2006

inkblot said:
Hi Tara:

Happy to see you're still posting here. It's been forever since I've been on the site and popped in yesterday to see how everyone is doing and found sooo many great new people posting.

About this contamination thing: Yes, there's no doubt that our environment, including our air, water, foods and soils are contaminated and not just a little. Depending upon where we live, some areas are worse than others.

So many chemicals all around us and in our bodies, it's more like an invisible soup we swim through ever day. So, not surprisingly we see more diseases and conditions arising in each generation. While some of the toxins we're exposed to cause cancers, others cause nerve damage, mental dysfunction and a whole array of medical anomalies. Some take many years to cause symptoms while exposure to others can produce illness faster.

There are a few things we can do to try to cut down on our exposure to environmental toxins, including becoming an educated consumer, but no way to escape them completely without leaving the planet. Our best bet is to join with reputable enviro groups and contribute whatever we can in the way of activism to try to effect positive change. We can never stop working to this ends.

I have been involved with several environmental groups for many, many years and we stay busy with letter writing to our legislators in the US as well as addressing environmental issues abroad. Once in a while, we actually win a small battle and that feels terrific but mostly money talks and everything else walks, including those of us who work to try to preserve our lovely little planet. Greed and thoughtless action are the wheels which drive our economny (health and safety don't get much, if any consideration) and that spells disaster for us all. Animal species are going extinct at an alarming rate, worldwide. Our rain forests are slashed and burned, farmed for 2 to 3 years and then become deserts as the nutrients in the soil are depleted rapidly and the farmers move on to another newly slashed and burned area. Some whales are so very toxic that they are handled as "biohazards" when they beach themselves, die and must be removed. This should tell us something?

The big business public relations spin doctors employed by the biggest offenders, including our own governments (you know...those public servants entrusted with watching over our collective welfare) never sleep so we must take care in what we're willing to believe when we're told "not to worry" about this or that. It's up to us to educate ourselves and decide how much "public relations pablum" we'll listen to on any given day. Often times, we're afraid and really WANT to believe the upbeat, no-need-to-worry reports ("it wasn't as bad as we initially thought and we've got it under control" they say with a broad smile) but many times if we can just read between the lines and have knowledge of the issue, we know better than to buy it. Environmentally speaking, Pandora's Box is flung wide open and while little can ever be put back into that box, we can work to stop more from coming out of there!

But back to the health consequences: Go to:
www.ewg.org/reports/bodyburden2/ This is a report done by Environmental Working Group which can be an eye opener to those of us who may still believe that all is well in paradise. Far from it! The report speaks for itself. Hope that may shed some light for anyone interested in a more indepth look at what's happening in our environment. There are many links for more info from the above referenced site.

Love, light and laughter,
Ink

I am so glad that so many were willing to share their ideas. Can always count on INK to bring the real stories to light. I will check this out and am going to do my part by trying to get to women who seem to be more conscious in thought and have compassion that seems to be totally lacking no matter which country you live in. Budgets are being balanced on the most vaulnerable's backs and health care and common sense are not going hand in hand. Ink you have helped me to realize that I too need to feel like I am doing something to contribute to a better way of life than what I have been experiencing thus far. My cry is for the children who don't have much in the way to look forward to for the sustainable futures.
Love you all,
Tara

inkblot · May 2006

24242 said:
I am so glad that so many were willing to share their ideas. Can always count on INK to bring the real stories to light. I will check this out and am going to do my part by trying to get to women who seem to be more conscious in thought and have compassion that seems to be totally lacking no matter which country you live in. Budgets are being balanced on the most vaulnerable's backs and health care and common sense are not going hand in hand. Ink you have helped me to realize that I too need to feel like I am doing something to contribute to a better way of life than what I have been experiencing thus far. My cry is for the children who don't have much in the way to look forward to for the sustainable futures.
Love you all,
Tara

Tara, you are so inspiring! After all you've been through, to hear you say that you want to devote some time and energy to causes bigger than all of us, well, it just blows me away! Granted, we've all been through the wringer here but you had a really rough go of it for a long time yet here you are I think you're such a trooper.

Let me know if there's any info I may be able to provide, or contacts, groups, etc..

Love, light and laughter,
Ink

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