Be Bold and Be TEAL

It was on a brisk May morning that a record-breaking Team Chasen A Cure took to streets around Cellular Field for the 2014 NOCC Walk to Break the Silence.  Record-breaking it was, with the largest number of team members raising the greatest number of donations and trekking on the longest distance. But coming to the corner of 35^th Street did not mean the end to promoting ovarian cancer awareness. 

2014 Team Chasen A Cure

Awareness opportunities come in as many styles as you can imagine. Craft shows, golf outings, farmers’ markets, lectures, health fairs for kids and seniors – any chance to meet and talk to people – women and men – young and old – is an occasion to spread the word. Be bold and be seen in all your teal. The chance to plant the seed of familiarity to the right person who will remember the symptoms, to give someone the courage to ask the right question, “Could it be my ovaries?”

There is plenty of fear out there and folks who prefer the view of the inside of the beach.

 But the question “Is a Pap smear a test for ovarian cancer?” is enough to turn heads and get people to thinking. You don’t know what you don’t know until you know it. Until your knowledge base is challenged and your assumptions are knocked down. Be in the know.

Yes, it’s mid-September and therefore midway through Ovarian Cancer Awareness month.  Has your world been turned teal yet??? It is uplifting to check out the newsfeeds and watch ovarian cancer awareness spread across the country from ribbons on trees and teal colored waters in the fountain to Teal Toes on the firefighters! There is still plenty of time in the month to run towards the finish line.

The calendar page will turn as well as the leaves to their autumn splendor of orange, red and gold – and oh, yes, pink. But there will not be any slow down in the events. There will be nights to Empower Women and a chance to strike up a one-on-one conversation around the teal ribbon on your coat. For our sisters, their battle is fought every day.  Be bold and be teal, every month of the year.

Seasons of Life

If you can stand to look out of the window, the fresh morning’s walk in May and the teal days of September will seem like a lifetime ago.  The months have been packed with many chances to spread the word of ovarian cancer symptom awareness and Mother Nature has not stopped Team Chasen A Cure.

Health Fairs: The fall began with community sponsored health fairs giving neighbors the opportunity to be proactive and protect their good health through the winter. These fairs are a wonderful chance to introduce NOCC and the topic of ovarian cancer, particularly to older women who, although at the age of greatest risk of diagnosis, have put the importance of their gynecological health behind them. 

Women’s Events: Expos such as the Women’s Empowerment Workshop and Suburban Women’s Total Health and Beauty Event focus on valuable issues from well-being and personal fulfillment to safety. Attendees are relaxed, open to learning about ovarian cancer and eager to share personal stories.

Corporate Events: Companies that promote healthy lifestyles for their employees, including American Airlines, CTA and Midmark have opened their conference rooms, lunchrooms and hallways to NOCC speakers. The chance to speak to both men and women, make them aware of the important of symptom awareness for early diagnosis and provide an opportunity to support NOCC’s mission to care for survivors and their families, gives credence to the value of a healthy culture. Ask for the chance to be heard, and doors will be opened.

Every Day Spaces: With teal toes stuffed in multiple pairs of socks and shoved into boots, wear your teal on your lapel and open up the discussion. Teal ribbons can start a conversation of “Why Teal?” especially following “pink-tober”.  With a supply of NOCC Symptom Awareness cards available to hand out, your circle of influence will increase with each encounter.

Winter passes and one remembers one’s perseverance: The dates on the calendar continue to fill with occasions to reach out and inform. There are upcoming events at schools, churches, craft expos, career fairs and even hockey games.

2013 Team Chasen A Cure

The culmination for spring is the 17^th NOCC Walk/Run on May 3rd. Now is the time to build teams, to show support for the survivors, and join together as one loud teal crowd to Break the Silence. The NOCC Walk/Run has grown every year in participants and sponsorships. Come join Team Chasen A Cure as we persevere to set new records in 2014.

Turn The Page

September was filled with fabulous awareness activities - from the beautiful teal lights, waters flowing teal, fun walks with furry friends and wellness lunches to share symptom awareness. As we turn the page to a new month, ovarian cancer symptom awareness events don’t have to come to an end. 

The turning of teal to pink is marked by Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer week.  The result of the efforts of FORCE, the goal of HBOC week is to raise awareness about hereditary cancer. Knowing your family history is vital to understanding your level of risk. Removing the stigma of cancer diagnosis and open discussion of family history – among both men and women – be it ovarian, breast, colon or prostate cancer – is essential for empowering your health.

There are small steps in our circle of influence that help promote ovarian cancer awareness. Consider adding the NOCC Cancer Quiz to your email signature or Facebook page. Although sandal season may be coming to a close, have a supply of Teal Toes cards available to leave with your tip at your next manicure or latte. Keep those hooks and needles moving for Teal Hat Project and share your good wishes with a survivor.

Always ready to take the opportunity to educate, Team Chasen A Cure will be at the Arlington Heights Memorial Library Chamber Health Fair on Saturday, October 5^th. Continually speaking on symptoms, self-awareness and health advocacy is an effort to make TEAL as recognizable as pink. Don't let the turn of the calendar page keep you from supporting ovarian cancer warriors in their daily fight

Holy Ground - 2013 NOCC Walk to Break the Silence

Thank you Team Chasen A Cure. Thank you for your support and encouragement. Thank you for putting that support into action and walking strong and proud.

We will be back next year to celebrate again.

A Personal Affair

We are within a week of the NOCC Walk to Break the Silence. Stacey Baca of ABC 7 News will once again host the event along with her sister, ten year ovarian cancer survivor, Lynn Baca. Stacey's interview with ovarian cancer survivors, Rachel Hoyt and Liz Cory, reinforces that it is essential to  know your body, reach out for medical attention early, and seek out a gynecological oncologist if needed.

With new sponsors, and live music, the day is billed as a family event.  Cancer can come across to some as a topic to avoided under the cloak of fear and death. The NOCC Walk is a celebratory time of hope and promises for a bright future, as we encourage and honor survivors. We are grateful to every Team Chasen A Cure sponsor, for they are not just making a donation to a organization, but directly supporting us as we spread the symptom awareness message. NOCC symptom awareness reminder cards were available at the It's Everything for Women event in Edwardsville, IL on April 25th. Melanie and Cheryl were able to openly and personally share information and answer questions, helping women comfortably discuss their health. Ovarian cancer does not define Melanie as a person. She passes out Teal Toes cards, hangs posters at local businesses, participates in events, while demonstrating that being a survivor is about being fearless and living every day.

Photo credit: Cheryl Hartson Johnson

There will be teams next week who will be walking in memory of a mom, grandma or sister, carrying a banner with photos of happy times. In the faces of the team, you can recognize the same shape of the face or the crooked smile. Little ones, who will walk or be pushed in strollers, may have no memories of those lost less for the stories and memories shared. There are poignant moments in the ABC 7 video of photos of Lynn and Rachel; surrounded by family and friends, in happy times and supporting them during their struggles.  This is a personal affair for us all. 

Memory Wall at FamiliesROC Copyright Brandi Brown

From Near and Far – Teal News

There is plenty of Teal News to share from both near and far.

Close to home and just in time for Women’s History Month, Chasen A Cure will be presenting information on ovarian cancer symptom awareness as part of The Healthy Woman Through the Ages at the Arlington Heights Memorial Library on Thursday, March 21^st at 7:30 pm. Bodily self awareness, symptom tracking and the crucial role they play in early diagnosis and survival will be the focus.  Join us for this educational event.

The donations are coming in for the NOCC Walk to Break the Silence on Ovarian Cancer on Saturday, May 4^th. This year’s event has expanded from a 3 mile walk to include a 5k run. NOCC Illinois has done a fabulous job securing new sponsors including the MSB Hope Foundation which honors of fellow Res Alumnae Mary Guerrirri Bertolini.

Support Team Chasen A Cure at this year's NOCC Walk!

A bit further from home, in a place known as “down under”, it was Ovarian Cancer Awareness Day and of significant progress towards a blood test for the early detection of ovarian cancer was in the news. The team at the Garvan Institute of Medical Research, led by Dr Goli Samimi, has identified specific biological changes that occur in the DNA. Targeted towards high-risk women, this test could be a significant breakthrough towards early diagnosis, which could lead to better survival rates. I was “tickled teal” to see that Dee of Woman of Teal was able to conduct an interview with Dr Samimi. Impressive that Dr. Samimi took the time to respond and personally share her insights.

Exploring down under, I uncovered research by Ovarian Cancer Australia reported that three out of five women incorrectly believe that ovarian cancer is detected by a pap smear and over half believe that the HPV vaccine protects against ovarian cancer. The battle for education is worldwide. The OCA site has a link to a spiffy iPhone app called KISS (Know the Important Signs and Symptoms of Ovarian Cancer) and MAKEUP – a symptom diary and makeup tips all in one.

Closer to home, the importance of seeking effective, experienced care as imperative to survival was highlighted in Dr. Robert Bristow’s presentation of his abstract NCCN treatment guidelines for ovarian cancer: A population-based validation study of structural and process quality measures stressing the importance of seeking out physicians and facilities with specific experience in ovarian cancer at the 2013 SGO conference in Los Angeles. This reinforces the importance of the patient and their family as the best advocate for quality care. It all begins with education; so that you can speak confidently to your physicians about your concerns. Never hesitate to ask for fear of offending the doctor. Seek out a quality medical team which is experienced in multidisciplinary cancer treatment methods. Where do you go?? The Foundation for Women’s Cancer’s new website is a great place to start for news, events and a search function for gynecological oncologists.

A review of the abstracts presented at the SGO Conference is fascinating reading and casts hope for the future. Chasen A Cure favorite Cancer Warrior, Dr. David G. Mutch collaborated with Dr. Matthew Powell and the team from Wash U. on several abstracts. There is hope for developments in patient care, diagnosis, and prevention from near and far.

New Year, New Hope

The New Year means a fresh start and new plans for Ovarian Cancer awareness events.

Some of the best news comes from Johns Hopkins University and the publication of test results of a newly developed PapGene test which could detect three gynecological cancers - cervical ovarian and endometrial cancers. By classifying gene mutations, samples were able to identify a fraction 9 of the 22 patients with Ovarian Cancer– a 41% accuracy rating of the ovarian cancer mutations. The PapGene test is the first step, as research will continue to work to making the test more sensitive to Ovarian Cancer gene mutations. Although improvements need to be made before applying this test in a routine clinical manner, it represents a promising step toward a broadly applicable screening methodology for the early detection of gynecologic malignancies.

A definite screening test for ovarian cancer could make a huge difference in early stage detection, earlier, gene-specific treatment protocol and ultimately more survivors. Wonderful news of hope for all in the Teal Tribe.

The calendar is filling with new events for promoting Ovarian Cancer awareness in 2013. March 21st, Chasen A Cure for Ovarian Cancer will be a presenter at a women’s heath event at the Arlington Heights Memorial Library. We are pleased to continue to have the opportunity to spread awareness in the local community, dispel myths and share Ovarian Cancer resources. Details to follow.

Already looking forward to this years NOCC walk in early May, Team Chasen A Cure will be decked out in team sweatshirts. Watch the NOCC Illinois Facebook page for breaking details.

Team Chasen A Cure Patriarch ready for the NOCC Walk to Break the Silence.

There will be more events throughout the year - from the Health Fair to the Families ROC Walk. Every day in the year is a chance to reach out to spread the word and look for new opportunities. We are on a road we did not choose. But we are on it for a reason, and the strength will be given to keep moving forward.

Always Remembered, Forever Loved

Thanks to the beautiful photography of Brandi Brown, you can enjoy the wonderful day that was the 2012 FamiliesROC 5K/1 mile race.
 As part as one of the ongoing events to raise funding for research at the Siteman Cancer Center for early detection testing, this event celebrates survivors and honors the memories of victims of Ovarian Cancer. There are so many stories told in the photos of the day  -  in the smiles of the survivors, the team names and signs that honor the memory of moms and nanas, sisters and girlfriends, in the hugs for finishers. Each story has a common theme - for the women we will always remember and forever love, step by step, we will keep striving to do what ever we can to fight this devastating disease.

Melanie - Courageous Survivor Copyright Brandi Brown

Honoring Survivors Copyright Brandi Brown

Dr David Mutch - Cancer Warrior Copyright Brandi Brown

Always Remembered, Forever Loved Copyright Brandi Brown