Academy Award winner Kathy Bates comes forward to talk about her battle with Ovarian Cancer that was diagnosed in 2003.

Many symptoms of ovarian cancer can be masked by what we as call “normal” Kathy stresses that you need to really pay attention to what your body is saying…

For more information about Ovarian Cancer go to:

http://www.ovariancancer.org/

From www.cancerschmancer.org

By Fran Drescher

“Hi All,

I’m in New York right now for the 53rd session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women, dedicated exclusively to gender equality and advancement of women. I’m representing Cancer Schmancer, which is partnering with women, delegates, and organizations from around the world to ensure that men and women become equal partners and share responsibilities when it comes to the health and well-being of their families. I wish I could have brought you all to the conference, but instead I’ll bring the conference to you!  Here’s the speech I gave yesterday at the United Nations Global Women’s Status Conference.”

TRANSCRIPT from Conference:

“Today we stand in the great halls of the United Nations to discuss the status of women globally. The very necessity of such a conference expresses our status in and of itself.

Here we are in the beginning of the 21st century. We stand on the precipice of a new dawn. This is the hour to shape the times we live, into “The Century of the Woman and the Years of Enlightenment.”

There is neither inequality nor injustice imposed on women that does not also and effectively cast its shadow of disparity on the very men who impose it. Man and woman are like two sides of the same coin, the head and tail of a snake or night and day; they are one in the same and cannot exist without the other.

There is, to varying degrees, a global lack of appreciation for the woman: her power, her intelligence, her strengths and her abilities. Women are not the weaker sex.

We are neither better nor worse, weaker nor stronger, but rather the other half; necessary in every way. Women today are living in a man’s world. But it needs to become a Shared World. There is a Swedish proverb that says “To share happiness is to double the happiness and to share hardship is to half the hardship.”

Any version of yin and yang other than balance becomes a world out of balance.

If the pendulum swings too far in one direction versus another, we create a reality of extremes and these extremities are what we experience today.

Mother Teresa once said, “If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each-other.”

The indignities and atrocities imposed upon women under the guise of political or religious beliefs must be re-evaluated and re-interpreted.

Both man and woman must force ourselves to see through a different lens if there is to be any hope for a more peaceful and loving world.

We humans are part of a great interwoven fabric of life all existing together on the same head of a pinpoint.

We must become the brethren of shepherds we were intended to be, who care-take with love and benevolence.

To quote Albert Schweitzer, “Until he extends the circle of compassion to all living things, man himself will not find peace.”

The woman is the caregiver to the child, the spouse and the elders in almost every home worldwide. She is the very glue that holds family together and every nation’s greatest natural resource. She is a magnificent and poetic creation of being, from which all human life begins.

If humanity turns it’s back on it’s softer, rounder, more sensitive and nurturing side, than we can only conclude that we are a self loathing species doomed to spin out of control until we ultimately self-destruct. But as Thomas Paine said in 1778, “We have the power to start the world again.”

And so we must try to start anew, because the way of the world today, has gone awry.

As the President and Visionary of The Cancer Schmancer Movement I see whole families destroyed because of the profound loss of their mother, sister or daughter due to late stage diagnosis of women’s cancers. If every woman we loved was diagnosed in Stage 1 almost everyone of them would live. This has become my life mission to ensure that no woman will ever again die from cancer due to the very avoidable late stage diagnosis.

All over the world women continue to subscribe to the Victorian sensibility that if you can grin and bear it do so because your family comes first.

Well Cancer Schmancer’s revolutionary and progressive thinking tells women that when she puts her family first, she’s really putting them last because she’s useless to them if she’s six feet under.

Just like the woman who is instructed on an airplane to put her breathing mask on first before her child, so must we make our own health a priority; not because we’re selfish but because we’re selfless. Women satisfy so many different roles in everyday life, at all costs we must keep her alive.

I was appointed by the US State Dept. as Public Diplomacy Envoy of Women’s Health Issues.

It is my vision to unite women around the globe through the commonality of health, gender and social oppression into a sisterhood that overrides borders and religious differences. I believe with every fiber of my being that this is a certain path towards a shift of the negative paradigm existing in our world today.

But this feat cannot be accomplished with out the support of our enlightened brothers without whom The Women’s Suffrage Movement in the early 20th century could not have been victorious in getting women the vote and voice in the United States government.

So now dear husband, son, father, and friend, we women turn to you once again to stand by our side and show your brothers the light. As Martin Luther King said, “The time is always right to do what is right.”

There is a cancer in the world today that’s spreading like wildfire; It’s called intolerance and oppression.  We cannot slip down this slope into another dark ages. That would be too scary and cold a place to be when there is so much potential for goodness, hope and optimism. For all the magnificent colors in the world, why should we see everything in black and white?

To quote Helen Keller, “No pessimist ever discovered the secrets of the stars, or sailed to uncharted lands or opened a new heaven to the human spirit.”

Take control of your body, Stage 1 is the Cure!

Women are amazing creatures and when empowered with knowledge we are unstoppable!

Anyone who ever tells you that you’re too small and insignificant to make a difference never slept in a bed with a mosquito!

Don’t give up, never give up! Chinese proverb says-

“With Time and Patience the Mulberry Bush becomes a Silk Gown…”

For more information on the Cancer Schmancer Movement and to become and advocate go to http://www.cancerschmancer.org today!

The Nanny: Cancer Schmancer

Generation NXT, a group of young philanthropists, chose to help support Fran Drescher’s cause born out of her book, “Cancer Schmancer.”

February 26, 2009 7:36 AM

Become an advocate with Cancer Schmancer by going to http://www.cancerschmancer.org

Watch CBS Videos Online

by Fran Drescher from her Blog found at CancerSchmancer.org

Hi All,

We start off 2009 on the right foot by recognizing January as Cervical Health Awareness Month. And honey, there’s nothing more important than your health!  Last year, over 11,000 women in the US were diagnosed with cervical cancer.  The good news is that with the proper screening tools and early detection, almost 100% of cervical cancer cases can be prevented. Over the last 50 years, routine PAP test screening has reduced cervical cancer deaths by 74% in the United States.

This month and every month, here are the ways to protect yourself:

• Learn about cervical cancer– Education is key and what we don’t know is killing us! Learn about the risks and warning signs of cervical cancer and make sure all the women in your life are educated too. Make a list of questions for your physician before going to your gynecologic appointment so you are always in control of your body!

• Have a regular PAP test – The PAP test is a simple and effective screening tool for cervical cancer. Women should begin having PAP tests and pelvic exams yearly at age 18 or within 3 years of the start of sexual activity, in addition to scheduled check-ups with their physicians.

• Minimize your risk of HPV–You can prevent most pre-cancerous cells of the cervix by avoiding exposure to HPV, a group of viruses commonly transmitted through sexual contact. Remember a person can have HPV without symptoms and pass it on without any knowledge - so ask for an HPV test at your next gynecologic exam.

• Be vaccinated – The HPV vaccine is recommended for women ages 9-26 and protects against the virus that causes almost all cervical cancers and other less common genital cancers like cancers of the anus, vagina, and vulva. Vaccination plus routine PAP tests will be your best protection against cervical cancer.

Stop smoking – Smoking truly affects all aspects of your health and should always be avoided.  When it comes to cervical cancer, the answer is no different.  Women who smoke are twice as likely to get cervical cancer.  So be a good mama to your lungs - they’re trying to do a good job for you!

Five minutes is all it takes!

Through education, legislation, and social reform, the Cancer Schmancer Movement will alert our elected officials that the collective female vote is more powerful than that of the richest corporate lobbyist.

Five minutes is all it takes to raise your voice to ensure our government makes early cancer detection a priority.

Join the Cancer Schmancer Movement by going to Cancer Schmancer

From CancerSchmancer.org

In the United States there are more than 78,000 newly diagnosed cases of uterine, ovarian, and cervical cancer annually, the three most common gynecologic cancers. Each cancer may have a variety of symptoms and associated risk factors.

Risk Factors for Gynecological Cancers

• I am not getting screened regularly with a Pap test
• I am at high-risk for human papillomaviruses (HPV)
• I smoke
• I am very overweight
• I eat a diet high in fat.
• I am a woman older than age 60
• I started menstruating at an early age—before age 12
• I take hormone replacement therapy (HRT) drugs

Warning Symptoms for Gynecologic Cancers

• Indigestion, heartburn, nausea, or gas
• Abdominal swelling or discomfort
• Pelvic pain or cramping
• Bloating or a sense of fullness, even after small meals
• Backache
• Painful, frequent, or burning urination with no infection
• Diarrhea or constipation
• Loss of appetite or unintentional weight loss or gain
• Vaginal bleeding or irregular periods
• Pain during intercourse

If symptoms last more than 2-3 weeks, schedule a gynecologic exam right away. Request a Pap test, CA 125 blood test, and a transvaginal ultrasound. Remember: Early detection equals survival!

Contact The National Women’s Health Information Center for information on health insurance coverage or free clinics. Visit www.womenshealth.gov or call 1-800-994-9662.