Livestrong Day to be May 17th....Wednesday

Livestrong Foundation

Livestrong day

Wednesday, May 17 is Livestrong Day and this is an event sponsored by the Lance Armstrong Foundation. The following is an excerpt from the LAF website.

Advocacy Facts and Figures

The numbers below emphasize the fact that as more and more people are living with cancer they are encountering issues that have not been adequately addressed through the health care system. The system needs to be changed to reflect the needs of survivors, and the way to change it is through advocacy.

• There are more than 10 million individuals in the United States today who are living with cancer.
• Nearly 40 percent of people living with cancer are under the age of 65.
• 64 percent of adults diagnosed with cancer today will be living 5 years from now.
• In 1960, 4 percent of children with cancer survived more than 5 years.
• Nearly 80 percent of children (age 0 through 14) diagnosed with cancer today will be living five years from now.
• The five year survivorship rates for young adults (age 20 through 40) with cancer has remained unchanged for the past 30 years.
• Three out of every four American families will have at least one family member diagnosed with cancer.
• 24 percent of adults with cancer are parents who have a child 18 years or younger.
• One of every four deaths in the United States is from cancer.
• In 2005, 570,280 Americans will die of cancer - more than 1,500 people a day.
• The annual cost of cancer in the United States is $189,800,000,000 in direct and indirect costs.

©2006- Lance Armstrong Foundation

What Livestrong Day means to me is that I have lost family members to cancer. I have also nearly lost my wife to cancer. My Father and Grandfather both died of lung cancer. My wife is a cancer survivor. Nothing could be done for either my Father or Grandfather, due to the fact that the cancer in both cases wasn't found until it was not treatable. In the case of my wife, it required the intervention of a very talented Neurosurgeon and a large surgical team. More recently, we had an additional scare because a mass was found in my wifes lung. Now, my wife doesn't smoke, and fortunately, the mass is apparently benign, as far as we know at this time. It is still quite a scare, on Friday, however, we are supposed to see the Doctor for additional news from the last CT Scan on my wifes chest, and he wants to see both of us. We are hoping it is still good news.

My wife's original cancer was a tumor in the right temporal region involving the ear canal and right bifurcation of the Carotid Artery and 9th and 11th Cranial Nerve, as well as an additional tumor on the left bifurcation of the Carotid Artery. The right bifurcation of the Carotid as well as the 9th and 11th Cranial Nerves were sacrificed and the tumor on the left bifurcation was treated with radiation and targeted chemotherapy. My wife is currently 6 years out from very nearly dying from these tumors and I thank God each and every day for the skills and talent of her surgery team.

Livestrong is a concept that is both simple and difficult. We each have to live each day as if it were our last. That's what living strong is all about. Savor each day, and live it to the fullest. We have no guarantees. The following is another excerpt from the LAF site:
Increase Funding for National Cancer Institute (NCI) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
This year in the United States, more than 1.3 million people will be diagnosed with cancer and the disease will kill nearly 600,000 Americans. Unfortunately, the most recent budget for the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) falls short of what is needed to effectively support new research and provide adequate services for survivors.
Recently, the Lance Armstrong Foundation (LAF) met with White House officials, Congressional leaders, and the public health community to encourage support for the following survivorship initiatives:
National Cancer Institute needs $6.17 billion to maintain the current pace of discovery
The NCI needs resources to continue the progress being made in the fight against cancer. The NCI Director has indicated a need for $6.17 billion in fiscal year 2006 to complete critical core research already underway and to capitalize on promising research opportunities. To meet these needs, Congress must provide at least $5.21 billion, a $386 million increase over last year. This level of funding is the bare minimum required to protect our cancer research enterprise and maintain the current pace of discovery.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Comprehensive Cancer Control Program needs $25 million
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) National Comprehensive Cancer Control program provides grants and technical assistance to help states develop and implement plans addressing the cancers that affect their communities the most. The LAF supports increased federal funding for the Comprehensive Cancer Control Program.
©2006- Lance Armstrong Foundation

On Livestong Day, wear yellow, in support of the goals of the Lance Armstrong Foundation and their fight against. The address for the Lance Armstrong Website is: http://www.livestrong.org/site/c.jvKZLbMRIsG/b.594849/k.CC7C/Home.htm
Support this worthy cause and remember, wear yellow on Wednesday, I will be! If you are in Lafayette, Indiana, I'll be out riding in a yellow jersey in support. Give a wave! Let me know you too support this cause!
The photos are of my wife, Mrs Stormcrowe, the toughest person I know.....bar none!