Cancer. The word alone gives me the heebie jeebies. It’s a scary disease that somehow touches all of our lives, especially nowadays when it seems like everything causes this deadly disease.  Yes, we already know that smoking causes cancer; even if you ignore the doctors, it literally says so on the pack. And tanning is pretty stupid too. Fine, we get it.

So don’t smoke and limit sun exposure and you’re okay right?

Ha, I wish.

New studies literally come out every day blaming everyday products for causing the disease. We are constantly being bombarded by contradicting information. Doctors say don’t have too much sugar because its not good for you and dentists say only chew sugar-free gum. Only problem is that most things that are sugar-free have aspartame, which, you know, causes cancer. Ok, so, fine; I’m willing to sacrifice my FAVORITE foods, drinks (bye bye, sugar-free vanilla latte) and my gum addiction if it means preventing some sort of cancerous growth inside of me.

But that’s not enough. It only gets better (or worse).

Studies have shown that there are cancer-causing substances in soap, toothpaste, shampoos, and makeup. So, no food, and no showering, and then I’m okay?

Nope, not yet. Read More »

Hannah Powell-Auslam is the youngest breast cancer patient doctors have ever seen. At only 10 years old, Hannah has recently undergone a mastectomy on her left breast to remove a malignant tumor.

Hannah’s mother noticed a lump on her daughter’s breast after she had complained and took her to get examined. The doctors initially told her that she was too young to have breast cancer, but the doctors were wrong.

In addition to having her breast removed, Hannah will have to undergo chemotherapy to kill cancer cells that spread to her lymph nodes. Because she never mentioned the lump to her mother before (what 10-year-old would ever know to do that?), Hannah’s cancer spread beyond the initial area.

While this is an incredibly rare situation, Hannah’s case is a reminder to all of us to check ourselves monthly and report anything strange or abnormal to a doctor. It may not be common, but breast cancer can affect anyone, regardless of their age, and the best way to beat it is to catch it early.

So, go. Step away from CollegeCandy (but don’t forget to come back!) and give yourself an exam. It only takes a moment and could really save your life.

[Every once in a while, we have to go something that blows. Something we're not prepared for. Something, that at least, makes a good story...]

I looked down at my shirt, suddenly wondering if it was too revealing for this slightly backwoods New England waiting room. The few other people also waiting for the doctor were mostly over 40, fans of crocs and t-shirts advertising farm stands, and all seemed to be looking at me over their glasses or magazines. I turned back to the wall and checked my watch; I really wanted to get out of here so I could swing by Marshalls before handing the car over to my parents. A week out of the city had its perks – and cheap clothing was one of them.

The doctor herself opened the door to the waiting room and looked at me, motioning with her hand that I should follow her. I got up, vaguely wondering why she had come out to get me herself. After all, I had just gone in for a simple x-ray; proof that a dislocated rib I acquired as a kid was still dislocated.

Instead of walking inside an examination room, we stepped into her office, and she pushed my x-rays up on a light board so I could see them. Something looked strange. I blinked.

“So, you can see, right there, you’ve got a tumor on your ninth rib.”

A what? Huh? I shook my head. I felt like she was speaking French. I couldn’t understand. Read More »