Important Information for Women

http://www.komotv.com/ibc/


A friend sent this to me. Could save your life or the life of someone you love. What's scary is how few people (including those in the medical profession) are aware of this and the fact that it can resemble a bug bit in the early stages and cannot be detected with mammograms or self brest exams.


You can read the article or watch the news story at this site. Also, if you want more information, I've found these sites:
http://www.ibcresearch.org/
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/inflammatory-breast-cancer/DS00632/DSECTION=1
http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Sites-Types/IBC
http://www.ibchelp.org/

If you know someone who has been diagnosed with IBC, this may be a useful site. Also more information.
http://www.ibcsupport.org/

And in case you dared to wonder:
http://www.snopes.com/medical/disease/ibc.asp

Had a lovely birthday. Ran some errands with the hubby on Saturday. Got some things for the garden, including Hanging Geraniums for my flower box, and then spent the evening planting them. Found a few spiders that weren't pleased with me messing with the azalea Bushes, but a few bites later and I don't seem much the worse for wear. The azaleas, however, look a million times better with the dead buds all picked off and some of the icky branches clipped away. The 'Hanging' Geraniums, come to find out, aren't called 'Hanging' Geraniums, really. At least not the ones I'm thinking of, and not according the helpful lady at Evergreen Gene's (a local nursery that's been there since forever and is every inch Glen Burnie.) She said that hanging geraniums are the ones you buy in baskets that hang from your porch or something like that. The ones I'm thinking of, or, at that point, that my husband was describing, are called 'Ivy' Geraniums. I don't really know if they're the same as what my mother was thinking of when she told me they're what I'm "required to get as a good (half) German with a window box", but I liked the leaves on them and so I got three and we'll see how they do.

Went to amalphiea's house yesterday for a pool party that also happened to fall on my birthday. They picked the date because it was convenient for everyone, and I was pretty adamant that it wasn't planned as a birthday party for me, so it shouldn't turn into a birthday party. But there were cake and presents and I was very grateful.

I think this was the year for creative and off-the-wall gifts. It started with a package from friends in Vermont. Some handmade soap and a book written the year I was born- 'Wunderbare Katze und Andere Zen Texte'. (Wonderful Cats and other Zen stories.) Very cool.

I also received a handmade fleecy sleepy hat and matching pillow made out of slightly evil looking My Little Ponies (the seamstress in question was careful to put one pony facing out, so at reenactments when we're all drinking someone will be sure to feel the utmost paranoia- 'Its staring at me!'); a handpainted miniature of Galdielle and a pack of elven archers; a home depot gift card (paint!) from my parents; a previously purchased refrigerator from my brother and sister-in-law; a ticket for the Hogwarts Express (platform 9 3/4); and finally the coolest waterfall picture. Its one of those pictures that plugs in and looks as if its moving because of the lights behind it. I saw one roughly 9 years ago and I guess I've talked about them enough that amalphiea and apolloniansidhe finally bought one, much to my husband's shaking head. (He was glad, though, that the box did not contain shoes.)

I'd like to think I have relatively good taste as things go in the world of decorating. I mean, the condo was comfortable and when we sold it the woman who bought it refused to let us paint anywhere because she liked the colors we chose. But every now and then something strikes me and I have to have the odd lava lamp or randomn bit of tacky in my life. My friend commented 'Funny- you just got her away from that big ship picture on the mirror behind your bar'. (I refused to let my husband get rid of it- I loved that ship. Of course, in my defense, it came with the condo.)
Today, my husband sent me flowers, and the six-yr-old next door brought over a bouquet of big red, white, and blue carnations for me with a big hug attached.

Oh, and my parents also got me a hole in my wall.