fall break

It is Fall Break (yes, we actually get a fall break) thursday and friday, which means I have ample time to finally do all my work. And go food shopping. And buy overpriced gas. 

So I got this book the other day, titled Confessions of a Counterfeit Farm Girl, by Susan McCorkindale. Oh. My. Lord. Funniest book ever. It's a memoir of her moving from NY/NJ to the country, and though I'm in Chapel Hill, I can SO relate. Like, I get how saying "ma'am" is that Southern politeness, but I'm only 27! I am NOT a ma'am! And would it kill you to drive more than 30 miles an hour? Thankfully, in my neighborhood, it retains more of a Northern feel. There are more BMWs, Mini Coopers and SUV's in my neighborhood than there are broken-down pickup trucks, and no one's flying a Confederate flag or pasting NASCAR stickers on their cars. Although I cringe everytime I pass the organic co-op in my neighborhood and see the Land Rover with the back windshield and back windows plastered with stickers - of bands, Patagonia, "go organic", and the omnipresent "Coexist" sticker. I see all those stickers on such a nice car, and wonder why they did it. 

A few of my friends are going camping this weekend - like, hard-core camping, and I just could not do it. I mean, I used my North Face hiking pack to bring my clothes to the wilds of Manhattan for the summer. Ever see the movie "Troop Beverly Hills"? Yeah. 

Chapel Hill, or Stepford?

It's nights like this that I realize how much of a Northerner I really am, and how different my summer experience was in Manhattan. I went to the Chapel Hill library to return some books (the community library, not the school one), and first of all, while a decent size, it's small. I must have waited in the checkout line for a good ten or eleven minutes because there was ONE worker behind the counter. And no one was complaining or acting like they had places to be. No one tried to cut in line, nothing. Meanwhile, I was DYING inside because all I wanted to do was check out my 3 books and go home! But it's kind of nice....I mean, looking around the library tonight, there were your crunchy families with moms who wear long skirts and Crocs (with no irony), your academic-looking types who were scatterbrained, kids paying back library fines all in coins - and then riding their bikes home. It never fails to strike me as somewhat surreal. It's nice, don't get me wrong. It's just odd. 

not so fast, LabCorp

Back in September, I had blogged about a blood test called OvaSure, that claimed to detect ovarian cancer at its earliest stages - today, in the NYTimes, there's an article that talks about how LabCorp actually marketed this test WITHOUT FDA approval, and that the FDA actually wrote a letter to LabCorp, saying "it may harm the public's health". The Society of Gynecologic Oncologists did not approve of the test, either, saying it wasn't accurate. Interesting. 

the cutest kid EVER

what a stud

woooooooo!!!

kickin' back and relaxing

I am really missing my nephew - he will be 18 months in a week or so, and I cannot believe he's that old already. 18 months ago, I had no idea what to expect - and now, I can't imagine life without him. I look at pictures, and he is starting to look like my brother A LOT more. 

Here's some pics. 

cancer costs

This morning there is an article in the Wall Street Journal about the economy and cancer care/cancer groups battling it out for money, since there's just not enough of it. This year, cancer will cost America at least 89 billion dollars - and the overall budget for research at the NCI is only about 5 million. hmmmm. Does that seem right to anyone else? Plus, the Dept of Defense's breast cancer research project will get 150 million dollars next year. Don't get me wrong - breast cancer is a horrible disease - but from a research/survival standpoint, five year survival rates for both breast and colon cancer have risen to more than 90% because of early-detection, etc. But only about 15% of people with lung cancer will be alive more than 5 years after diagnosis. Breast cancer has gotten so much funding because they mobilized forces in the 1990s - they lobbied Washington, they demanded more money and research and attention - it's time for other cancers to do the same. And not just the sexy, "media-friendly" cancers. Let's talk about thyroid cancer, and stomach cancer, and mouth cancer. Let's talk about sarcomas and brain tumors and multiple myeloma. Enough with the ribbons - let's kick some butt. 

anti-cancer?

The NYTimes has a great article this morning about that new book that's out, Anti-Cancer:A New Way of Life. They bring up excellent points - about how he talks about all these foods that work minimally in the lab in destroying cancer cells, but really, once they're in the human body, we don't know what they do - if anything. But unlike a lot of people, he actually does acknowledge this. More interesting (at least to me) is that he is of what I call "the old school" - the whole "cancer personality" thing. Personally, I don't buy that. Do I think a positive attitude helps the immune system? Of course. But do I think some people's personalities helped feed their cancer? Not a chance in hell. Of course behavioral factors play a role, and emotions and personality affects behavior, but I do not believe in the "Type C" personality, as this was once known as. Do I think someone can have the whole "anti-cancer" personality and healthy lifestyle and still get slammed with pancreatic cancer or lung cancer? Of course. I think it's a very fine line, when you start talking about that kind of stuff. Sometimes it smacks of blaming the victim - and I think many patients already feel a kind of pressure to be positive 24/7, to not show their fear, and to be "strong", and this just adds added stress and pressure to "perform".

song i'm obsessed with right now

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I am obsessed with this new song by Superchick. Listen to it; it's really good. Betcha can't tell they're actually a Christian band. But really, their music seems to be so interdenominational, because it's more just a positive message. 

the unpopularity of oncology

I got an article sent to me in the mail from my grandparents, and the title was: Wanted: Cancer doctors - stat. By the year 2020, it's estimated that we will be at least 4,000 oncologists short of what we need. I knew this already, and it was one of the reasons why I seriously considered a post-bac right before I came down here for the MPH. I mean, seriously. This is when I wonder what I'm doing. 

live for sugar

Was that a black tafetta skirt suit that Sarah Palin was wearing? I really liked it. I thought the VP debate went really well, and was pretty congenial. I'm not sure if Palin knew her mic was on, though, when they came out and shook hands and asked if she could call him "Joe". 

Given that I feel like my blog's been pretty serious lately, I feel the need to be superficial for a night. I'm really, really liking my new perfume - Gucci by Gucci. It's musky and woodsy and spicy, and it's definitely replaced Gucci Rush - although definitely not my Marc Jacobs. And today, I found Petit Bateau shirts at this random store here in Chapel Hill! So great. I've also been using the (Malin + Goetz) products I had bought in nyc back in July. The face wash is awesome. I may have to order more soon. 

I'm also really liking the candy corn I bought that - get this - is pink and purple. It's even differently flavored! 

Jenny McCarthy, MD?

So.....I think this entry is venturing into controversial territory, but I'm writing it anyway. Has anyone seen the Jenny McCarthy interview where she says that vaccines are hurting our children and causing autism? Oh yeah, and she says her son is "recovered" from autism. News flash, Jenny: Find my a reputable psychologist who says someone is "recovered" from autism, and I'll show you Santa Claus. She talks about biomedical science and parents taking their children's health into their own hands, and this strikes me as incredibly dangerous and irresponsible. She is not a doctor, her background is not in biology or chemistry or science - the CDC, AAP, NIH, have all stood by the fact that vaccines do not cause autism. In fact, it is much more likely that the vaccine schedule that children are on coincides with developmental trajectories that relate to autism spectrum disorders. Jenny McCarthy's rage in this interview is well-controlled (to a point), but you can plainly see it and hear it. I don't know. When asked about putting kids in jeopardy by not vaccinating, she mentions that any parent with a child living with autism would rather have their child have the flu - well, what about polio? hmmm, Jenny? We have come this far because of medical science. It may seem like autism is on the rise, but more likely, it's merely the diagnoses that are more accurate. It's even been said that Albert Einstein most likely had a form of Asperger's. 

It's like the crazysexycancer thing - when you have an emotionally and possibly physically vulnerable population who desperately want an explanation or a cure, you have to be very careful of claims and easy fixes. Sometimes people want something so badly that they'll convince themselves it exists.