Hobbit actor Mckellen has cancer

"Hobbit" actor McKellen has prostate cancer

Reuters – 14 hours ago

• View PhotoCast member Ian McKellen smiles during a panel for the film "The Hobbit: An Unexpected …

LONDON (Reuters) - "The Hobbit" actor Ian McKellen said in an interview published on Tuesday that he had had prostate cancer for the last six or seven years, but added that the disease was not life-threatening.

McKellen, 73, played Gandalf in the hit "Lord of the Rings" movie trilogy, and reprises the role in three prequels based on J.R.R. Tolkien's novel "The Hobbit".
The first of those, "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey", recently had its world premiere in New Zealand, where it was shot under the directorship of Peter Jackson.
"I've had prostate cancer for six or seven years," McKellen told the Daily Mirror tabloid. "When you have got it you monitor it and you have to be careful it doesn't spread. But if it is contained in the prostate it's no big deal."
His representatives in London were not immediately available to comment on the interview.
"Many, many men die from it but it's one of the cancers that is totally treatable," added McKellen, one of Britain's most respected actors who is also well known in Hollywood for appearances in the X-Men franchise.
"I am examined regularly and it's just contained, it's not spreading. I've not had any treatment."
He admitted he feared the worst when he heard he had the disease.
"You do gulp when you hear the news. It's like when you go for an HIV test, you go 'arghhh is this the end of the road?'
"I have heard of people dying from prostate cancer, and they are the unlucky ones, the people who didn't know they had got it and it went on the rampage. But at my age if it is diagnosed it's not life threatening."
"The Hobbit" opens in cinemas later this week.
(Reporting by Mike Collett-White)

Read about this natural herbal tea that can treat cancer

Maroon Bush Herbal Remedy Tea

Maroon Bush Tea is rapidly growing in popularity as a powerful herbal remedy in helping deal with cancer, particularly in conjunction with other cancer treatments. It is also gaining popularity in assisting with diabetes and other Maroon Bush with Berries. Lower image: shredded bush tea health problems. Please note the tea is non toxic but is declared an S4, "Prescription only" in Western Australia and we only supply it for use on stock or pets in Western Australia, and we take no responsibility for any other use you make of the product. If you would like to talk with me for more information you can contact me on 02 69263530. Or 0448992033. You can purchase the 50 gram bush tea bags and ready made tea concentrate at this link: Buy Maroon Bush . Natural treatment of any illness, including cancer is a debated topic. This is perhaps especially true when it comes to cancer, using natural or herbal remedies, or seeking natural cancer cures. This site does not claim to offer a cure or solution to cancer. It does offer information and history about an Australian Native plant - Scaevola Spinescens. Better known as Maroon Bush, or Currant Bush. This glance at historical use of Maroon Bush is only intended to illustrate, and document as fairly as possible, the experience of others, myself included. There is a large and growing number of people who believe the Maroon Bush is a powerful natural herbal remedy which has helped them deal with cancer and quite a range of other health issues. However what is presented here is not to be taken as a claim or proof that Maroon Bush is a natural cancer cure. There is no evidence or claims being made of what it may or may not do for you. 50 gram packs of Scaevola Spinescens and concentrated tea (see image below) are available on this site. However, for legal reasons I do not sell or promote these as having any therapeutic purpose or value. People who wish to acquire Maroon Bush, are understood to have done their own research and have their own reasons or purposes for using it.   My motivation for this site came from my own experience with Maroon bush, and its life-changing impact, for which I am forever grateful.

Read on cancer cure has been found and is being ignored

The Cure for Cancer Has Been Found and is Purposely Being Ignored

Author: Claire Bear
Published: May 14, 2011 at 4:59 am

I couldn't believe it when I saw the headline myself: a simple cure has been found to treat cancer!

As unbelievable as that is, the more shocking news is that the treatment is not being mass-produced or even taken note of by the medical or news communities.

Horrifying, isn't it?

I'm even more devastated by this, because someone I know actually died yesterday after a battle with breast cancer for a few years. She was a wife and a mother leaving behind three young boys.

The cure was discovered by scientists at the University of Alberta, in Edmonton, Canada. The cure uses a dichloroacetate, a simple drug used to treat metabolic disorders. Because it's so simple, it had no side effects and also requires no patent. Therefore, it is relatively cheap (at least in comparison to current cancer treatments) and will actually cure cancer rather than warding it off.

Also because of the fact that it can't be patented, it's hard to make a large profit off of it. Due to this, pharmaceutical companies won't touch it, because it doesn't help their pockets.This is why this discovery isn't being celebrated and making front-page headlines.

The hope is that independent companies can perfect this cure and manufacture it for the patients that desperately need it. It will be difficult going against a a major lobbyist business interest such as the pharmaceutical industry who have their hands deep in politicians' pockets, but the more the public becomes aware of this great discovery, the less can be done against it.

So, spread the word, so this cure won't go the way of the apricot seeds cancer treatment or AIDS treatment. You also may want to rethink your position on Obamacare as pharmaceutical companies were one of the major proponents of the bill. It's sad that America is basically coming down to the people vs. major corporations as evidenced by this, Wall Street bailouts, GE getting to skip out on taxes, and so much more, while each tries to get crooked politicians to further their will.

America is at a crossroads and these next few months and years with business and government blurring lines and personal issues such as each citizen's health becoming public with Obamacare, will define which way we go.

Other treatment information of note: 

Read how actress Katee Sackhoff beat Thyroid Cancer

How Actress Katee Sackhoff Beat Thyroid Cancer

By Mari Cartel, Lifescript Entertainment Editor

Published January 26, 2012

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Katee Sackhoff who stars in the upcoming drama “Longmire.” Photo courtesy of A&E.

 

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On screen, Katee Sackhoff is one tough lady, starring in roles like volatile Capt. Kara ‘Starbuck’ Thrace in “Battlestar Galactica” or corrupt data analyst Dana Walsh in “24.”

Off screen too, Sackoff's in one of the toughest roles of her life. Five years ago, the actress was diagnosed with thyroid cancer.

The thyroid gland is essentially the body’s thermometer. When it becomes hyper, the gland produces too much thyroid hormone and patients often lose excessive amounts of weight, have night sweats, rapid heartbeat and fatigue. If the gland is hypo, too little hormone can cause weight gain and lethargy.

Thyroid cancer can cause all of those symptoms along with a persistent cough, difficulty swallowing – and the disease also presents the risk of death to the patient.

Sackhoff's now cancer free because doctors removed her cancerous thyroid gland, but the lack of a thyroid still affects Sackhoff every day.

Because she no longer has a thyroid, she has had to make many adjustments in her way of life and thinking.

In this exclusive Lifescript interview, find out why Sackoff is an inspiration for all of women, young and old.

How has living thyroid cancer impacted your life? It’s a nightmare. I’m still going through it. [My medication dosage] was just too high and I started having massive panic attacks in public. 

I went [to my doctor] and they [lowered the doses] and now I’m tired again. 

It’s just constant monitoring [and] comes with stresses. 

What are those stresses? 
[The medication] makes me a bit more irritable, more susceptible for depression and makes me eat more. It also makes me more tired and I gain weight more easily. 

All the things that were little challenges before [thyroid cancer has made them bigger]. But it’s OK. 

My dad used to always say, "If everyone in the world put their s--t in a pot and you got to pick your s--t, you’d take yours back because you know how to deal with it." 

And it’s true. It’s a learning curve. 

How have you coped? 
My mom helped. 

[She’d say], ‘Today, this is the best you’re going to get. Tomorrow you could be better, but today, this is it.’ 

So, I learned to just take things as they come and try to [think] it could always be worse.

When is your thyroid condition most noticeable? It makes working out challenging. I [severely] hurt both my shoulders and my back. I couldn’t really move for three months. 

Training for “Riddick” was really difficult. My back stopped hurting only about a month ago. 

I had become really thin and sick [because of the effects of thyroid cancer]. It was hard. 

[But, while training for “Riddick”] in the last month I’ve gained 15 pounds of muscle. 

Did your condition affect your choice of movie roles? Did you want to find a laid-back film? 
After every job, I say, “I’m going to do a little [romantic comedy] with Ryan Reynolds after this." 

But it never happens. 

What’s the best health advice you got during your cancer battle? 
To constantly question [the doctors] because as a patient I want a doctor to be eight years smarter than me. I want them to know more. 

When you go to multiple doctors over and over, you lose faith. [But] you just can’t stop being your own advocate. So many people stop questioning.

How do you advocate for yourself?
I text my doctor constantly. It’s turned me into a bit of a hypochondriac.

But when you get cancer at 27, how can you not become a hypochondriac?

What other lessons did you learn from having cancer? 
The other thing I learned was, life’s so short. It could all end tomorrow.

I have moments like everyone where I get down on the day or myself – I’m human. But I just try to stay happy.

Are you a healthy eater? 
I try. People around me would say that I make very good decisions [now].

I grew up in a family where we loved vegetables, so I eat peppers and tomatoes like other people eat apples.

I do have a taste for good food … but until a couple of years ago, I was a compulsive overeater. I binged constantly. Then I would go to the gym for six hours the next day. That’s the way that I managed it.

 What made you change? 

I made a big life decision [to do] what was best for me. I just stopped.

I still have tendencies to [binge and] eat more than I should occasionally.

I grew up in a family where food was the only thing that I could control, so I constantly ate to drown my feelings.

I was one of those kids that had Oreos under my bed and ate the whole bag. Then I would go run for four hours the next day so I wouldn’t gain any weight.

Were you an emotional eater? 
I’m an extreme emotional eater. When things are really hard I eat a lot.

That’s been something I had to change, especially after the thyroid cancer. I don’t lose weight the way I used. It’s very hard and slow. I have to be diligent.

How do you survive the elaborate catering on the set? 
By planning and [taking] different routes [around the set].

If I know that craft services is there, I will bypass it all day long… because once I start eating candy or things that are bad for me, I can’t stop.

I have a really hard time with sugar. It’s a bad addiction.

I can’t have peanut better or cereal in my house. If I have milk and Cap'n Crunch in my house, I’ll eat the entire [box] on a Saturday morning.

 Do you feel guilty after that? 

I started forgiving myself. I got into my 30s and [thought] “I’m never going to be a size 2. This is the best me that I can be."

[You can’t] stop loving yourself. Therapy helps. It’s nice to have real people around me.

After having cancer, some people eat organic foods. Do you? I do, but not all the time. [I believe] everything [is OK] in moderation. If things come with a peel, I don’t buy it organic. It’s way too expensive.

What one thing motivates you to work out? At Christmas time I always listen to “The Nutcracker” while I work out. People think I’m crazy. I [also] listen to Bach at the gym.

For some reason it motivates me. I’m an odd duck.

Check out Health Bistro for more healthy food for thought. See what Lifescript editors are talking about and get the skinny on the latest news. Share it with your friends (it’s free to sign up!), and bookmark it so you don’t miss a single juicy post!

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Read about Gene Variations Linked to lung cancer

NCI Press Release

Gene variations linked to lung cancer susceptibility in Asian women

This is an X-ray image of a chest, showing a growth on the left side of the lung, which could possibly be lung cancer.

An international group of scientists has identified three genetic regions that predispose Asian women who have never smoked to lung cancer. The finding provides further evidence that risk of lung cancer among never-smokers, especially Asian women, may be associated with certain unique inherited genetic characteristics that distinguishes it from lung cancer in smokers.  

Lung cancer in never-smokers is the seventh leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide, and the majority of lung cancers diagnosed historically among women in Eastern Asia have been in women who never smoked. The specific genetic variations found in this study had not been associated with lung cancer risk in other populations.

Although environmental factors, such as secondhand smoke (also known as environmental tobacco smoke) or exhaust from indoor cooking are likely account for some cases of lung cancer among Asian women who have never smoked, they expl ain only a small proportion of the disease.  To gain a better understanding of lung cancer in Asian female never-smokers, researchers from the National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the National Institutes of Health, partnered with researchers from several other countries to create the Female Lung Cancer Consortium in Asia to conduct one of the largest genome-wide association studies (GWAS) in female never-smokers to date.  GWAS compares DNA markers across the genome between people with a disease or trait to people without the disease or trait.  

“This study is the first large-scale genome-wide association study of lung cancer among never-smoking females anywhere in the world,” said Qing Lan, M.D., Ph.D., a senior investigator in NCI’s Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, and the leader of the study.

The consortium, whose findings were reported Nov.11, 2012, online in Nature Genetics , conducted a GWAS that combined data from 14 studies that included a total of approximately 14,000 Asian women (6,600 with lung cancer and 7,500 without lung cancer).  The studies included data on environmental factors, including exposure to secondhand smoke.

The consortium found that variations at three locations in the genome—two on chromosome 6 and one on chromosome 10—were associated with lung cancer in Asian female never-smokers. The discovery on chromosome 10 was particularly significant because it has not been found in any other GWAS of lung cancer in white or Asian populations.

“Our study provides strong evidence that common inherited genetic variants contribute to an increased risk of lung cancer among Asian women who have never smoked,” said Nathaniel Rothman, M.D., a senior investigator in NCI’s Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics and coauthor of the study.  “These variants may also increase lung cancer risk associated with environmental factors, such as environmental tobacco smoke.”

The researchers did not detect an association with variations at a location on chromosome 15 that has been associated with lung cancer risk in many previous GWAS of lung cancer in smokers.  The absence of this association provides further support for the suggestion that the genetic variation on chromosome 15 may be smoking-related.

The researchers found some evidence that Asian women with one of the newly identified genetic variants may be more susceptible to the effects of environmental tobacco smoke.  However, the authors note that more research is needed to draw definitive conclusions from this observation.

“This study is an example of how genome-wide association susceptibility studies can evaluate inherited genetic risk in populations with unique characteristics or environmental exposures,” said Stephen J. Chanock, M.D., acting co-director of NCI’s Center for Cancer Genomics and a co-author of the study.  “We will continue to develop better, smarter applications of this technique and apply them to populations where we have detailed information on environmental factors to further our understanding of how inherited genetic factors modify risk from environmental exposures.”

This work was supported by NCI’s Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics under intramural project number ZIACP010121.

###

Reference: Lan Q, et al. Genome-wide association analysis identifies new lung cancer susceptibility loci in never-smoking women in Asia. Nature Genetics. November 11, 2012. doi: 10.1038/ng.2456.

Read these beautiful cancer poem, very touching

Cancer Poem

My sister dealt with breast cancer with the utmost dignity and courage we all admired.

My Special Sister Vicki

© Barbara Looney

My special sister, I want you to know how much you mean to me.
My special sister has strength and courage her whole family can see.
My special sister showed us all how to handle life's blows.
My special sister took it all in stride, smiled, and said, “That’s how it goes”.
My special sister, through all her pain, never once gave up or complained.
My special sister has dignity, warmth, and inner beauty that can't be explained.
My special sister, with all she was going through, always thought of others.
My special sister always took time to give of herself to friends, sisters and brothers.
My special sister was always there with her kind thoughts, deeds, and caring.
My special sister is well known and loved for her capacity for sharing.
My special sister needs to know how much she means to those who love her, especially me.
My special sister's strength, courage, and beauty are a shining example for all to see.
My special sister has carried a heavy burden for quite a long while.
My special sister would not allow us to share any of her pain but always her smile.
My special sister is surely a guardian angel sent from above.
My special sister, these heartfelt words are for you, from all of us who care, with all our love.

Source: My Special Sister Vicki, Cancer Poem http://www.familyfriendpoems.com/poem/my-special-sister-vicki#ixzz2CD9QwTvT 
www.FamilyFriendPoems.com 

Cancer Poem

I wrote this poem after my son was diagnosed at 4 with a rare brain stem cancer. As a mom, this was MY WISH

My Wish

© Shelliegh Southard

My wish this year
Is for you to remain here
I wouldn't know what to do
If forced to lose you

That beautiful smile on your face
Always illuminates a gloomy place
The love that you show me
The way you try to make me see

You will always be my baby boy
That sparkle in your eyes gives me joy
Holding you from the moment you were born
Memories will be comfort, when it's time to mourn

When it's time for you to leave
It will be hard for me to believe
I hope you will feel my last touch
Baby boy, I will miss you so much

If I have to say goodbye
All I will do is cry
Watching my little boy go
My heart will ache with sorrow

When you're gone watch over me
Baby boy make me see
The wings that you earn,
and also the message, I need to learn

My wish this year
Is for you to remain here
I wouldn't know what to do
If forced to lose you

My baby boy
I will always love you

Source: Baby With Cancer Poem, My Wish http://www.familyfriendpoems.com/poem/baby-with-cancer#ixzz2CD9o36G3 
www.FamilyFriendPoems.com 

Read these beautiful touching poems by cancer survivors

"The Curse" by Jayde Reid Oshawa Ontorio.

 All at once my world came crashing down,
And no one can understand... Why I often wear a frown!
Diagnosed with ""cancer"" were the hardest words recieved,
Who actually would of thought?
Who actually believes? Believes in my recovery... believes I'll make it through
 I'm often left in wonder, is this nightmare really true?
You can bet that no matter how bad it is... Someone always has it worse!!
Although this thing called ""cancer" Is nothing but a CURSE."

Back to the top 

No one really knows by Pati 2730 bullrun Rosenberg tx 77471

"No one really knows
What kind of bond we share
And even if I told them
They probably wouldn't care
You are very dear to me
 I hope you know it's true
And now that you are sick
Tell me what that I should do?
While you've been gone
A part of me has been lost
It's like I've taken our friendship for granted
And now I'm paying the cost
 I never knew how much you meant to me until you went away
The thought of you being really sick
Haunted me every day
I spent a few days at school alone and my weekend was such a bore
A lot of my time was spent in my room
 I think my mom's ready to break down the door
And now I make this vow to you to keep until the end
 I'll help you through the pain and tears
Until our rivers bend
So if you ever need someone
You know just who to call
I'll be here by the phone
To catch you if you fall "                                     

Back to the top

UNCLE JOEY by dana Schlemmer (Dedicate to her Uncle Joey, who was unfortunate to be diagnosed with this disease and passed away from it) 
My uncle Joey, and incredible man
way back in his wonderful mind
a condition kicks in
of an unimaginable kind
Cancer is its name
pain is what it causes
it acts as an unthinkable game
for it never pauses
We didn't see it coming
we had no time to prepare
the cancer took his life
as if it didn't give a care
As i watch this terrible disease
take a one i love
i can't help but ask for strength
from the one up above
 For my unlce Joey, each breath is weaker
than the last
i pray to get help
i pray to cure the past
To god, I ask to cure the pain I feel
I asked him for the help
I asked him to heal
I can see it in his eyes
I can see it on his face
he's had a happy life
he's ready to finish the race
He's been through so much
its time for him to go home
to leave behind sorrow and hate
and see where happiness and laughter could roam
If I ever need to talk to him
i'll just look up at the stars
he'll be there to listen
he'll be right next to mars
This day  I wish I could forget
I wish to leave it all behind
I wish to have a life recorder
so I could just push rewind
So, god we need you now
please take him by the hand
take him up to where he belongs
help him to understand
Now, the memories will always linger
they'll never go away
you'll have them to love and remember
to start a brand new day
The hurt we are all feeling now
won't go away overnight
but someway, somehow
everything will turn out all right
He's now seated at the right hand
where one day well meet again
well use our friends and family
to bring life to a mend.                                       
Back to the top

Stay strong and remember

You will get through this. Pay close attention to the people around you, for they are there to help you be strong. Dont be afraid to lean on them. Look into their eyes and tell them that you thank them for being strong for and with you. Always remember those faces, they will be motivation. We will get through this together.

Ais York Almahdi

Read these touching poems written by cancer survivors

PATTY

Laying in the darkened hospital room
Starched white sheets up against your chest
Looks so uncomfortably tight across your bloated stomach.
Your eyes are closed in what resembles peaceful sleep
The sight belies the monotonous humming and beeping
Of the pumps and monitors surrounding you.
I can't help but wonder what thoughts go thru your mind...
How does one accept the end is near?
I look at the array of flowers and birthday balloons...
Their vividness a sharp contrast against the stark white walls.
Bitterly I think, "Yeah, happy birthday!"
I wonder where your faith comes from.
Where do you get the strength to be so strong?
You open your pain-filled eyes startling me
out of my thoughts.
You smile, which looks more like a grimace, and say, "Hi!"
We chat for a bit, but tiredness overtakes you
As you drift back to sleep.
Blinking back the hot tears that sting my eyes
I can't help but think...
You spent 41 years on this earth for your end to be like this??
I just don't understand it and I hope the angels
keep watch over you.
~1/21/58 - 4/7/99~
Cancer
Being diagnosed with breast cancer
Has made me live with fear in my heart
Every ache and pain fills me with terror
I've watched many family members die this way
The end is not a pretty sight ...
I often wonder will I be one of the lucky ones
To be given a new reprieve on life...
Given a second chance to appreciate
All the things in life I have taken for granted.
Suicidal thoughts and attempts thru out the years
When I should have held fast to all that is dear to me
The beauty that I was too selfish to acknowledge...
I want to live life to its fullest, watch my kids grow
Walk in the rain, play in the sun...
I know we all must go sometime but please, please
Not this soon... not with cancer.

Read Some Very Touching Poems From Real Cancer Survivors

UNCLE JOEY by dana Schlemmer (Dedicate to her Uncle Joey, who was unfortunate to be diagnosed with this disease and passed away from it) 
My uncle Joey, and incredible man
way back in his wonderful mind
a condition kicks in
of an unimaginable kind
Cancer is its name
pain is what it causes
it acts as an unthinkable game
for it never pauses
We didn't see it coming
we had no time to prepare
the cancer took his life
as if it didn't give a care
As i watch this terrible disease
take a one i love
i can't help but ask for strength
from the one up above
 For my unlce Joey, each breath is weaker
than the last
i pray to get help
i pray to cure the past
To god, I ask to cure the pain I feel
I asked him for the help
I asked him to heal
I can see it in his eyes
I can see it on his face
he's had a happy life
he's ready to finish the race
He's been through so much
its time for him to go home
to leave behind sorrow and hate
and see where happiness and laughter could roam
If I ever need to talk to him
i'll just look up at the stars
he'll be there to listen
he'll be right next to mars
This day  I wish I could forget
I wish to leave it all behind
I wish to have a life recorder
so I could just push rewind
So, god we need you now
please take him by the hand
take him up to where he belongs
help him to understand
Now, the memories will always linger
they'll never go away
you'll have them to love and remember
to start a brand new day
The hurt we are all feeling now
won't go away overnight
but someway, somehow
everything will turn out all right
He's now seated at the right hand
where one day well meet again
well use our friends and family
to bring life to a mend.                                       
Back to the top

A BEAUTIFUL MAN by Patricia Ann King  Georgia USA
"Such a beautiful man, so full of life,
A strong man and wise, a man to lean upon and trust,
Holding me against him so warm and sweet, I was his wife.
 Kissing me tenderly, he gathered my soul, holding it tight,
I felt so safe, so desired, so loved,
The world was my play yard, with no trouble or strife.
 Then came the wild wind, the storm of disease,
Taking him from me, breath by breath,
My heart shattered, his strength waned, but he fought a good fight.
 Now he is gone, I see him here no more,
Only in dreams and the whisper of my mind can he live,
The malignant demon, the destroyer of life, took my darling from me.                          
Back to the top

How Jayden a Toddler Survived An Aggressive Brain Tumor

Jayden Aldona Gonzalez

Toddler diagnosed with aggressive brain tumor

The Gonzalez' family life is back on track after son Jayden had treatment for a brain tumor.

Viola and Felipe Gonzalez were stunned when their youngest son's persistent flu-like symptoms were diagnosed as a brain tumor.

The vomiting, holding his head while crying and unsteadiness weren't just a toddler's brush with the flu bug. A CT scan at the local pediatrician's office showed a mass the size of a quarter on Jayden's brain. He was just 20 months old.

Jayden was transported immediately from Fairmont, Minn., to Mayo Clinic viaMayo One emergency medical helicopter, with his parents following by car. The pediatrician had arranged for a team of pediatric neurologists, oncologists and neurosurgeons to meet Jayden upon arrival.

"It happened so quickly," says Viola. "We were shocked and scared but also relieved because we felt Jayden was in good hands."

At Mayo Clinic, Jayden's tumor was diagnosed as a malignant grade 3 anaplastic ependymoma — a fast-growing tumor in the area of the brain that helps to support and protect the brain and spinal cord. The tumor could block the flow of spinal fluid, causing pressure inside the skull, and result in permanent brain damage or death.

Two days after his arrival at Mayo Clinic, Jayden had surgery to remove the tumor.

"We were very nervous during the surgery," says Viola. "When it was over, the surgeon told us he was confident he got out the entire tumor. We were so proud of the doctors for doing such an excellent job. Everything went better than expected — the surgery took only half as long as predicted, and Jayden woke up very quickly after surgery.

"I can't say enough about how wonderful the nurses were. They not only took care of Jayden, but they also took care of me, too. They comforted me when I cried, answered questions, provided information. They helped make everything so much easier."

Viola and Felipe took Jayden home to recover after a weeklong hospital stay. A month later, Jayden returned to Mayo Clinic for six weeks of radiation therapy to prevent new cancer cells from growing. Felipe stayed in Rochester with him, and Viola and brothers Felipe Jr. and Jose visited on weekends and holidays. They stayed at the Ronald McDonald House.

Jayden's follow-up brain scans have been clear. The tumor has a 60 percent chance of recurrence, so Jayden will be monitored closely throughout childhood, including regular brain scans.

Viola says Jayden has minor developmental delays, possibly a side effect of radiation. "He improves every day. It will take time," she says.

"We're so happy Jayden's tumor was diagnosed and we were able to get the care he needed so fast. All of our family is in Texas, and they've wanted us to move back since Jayden became ill — so they can support us. But we won't move away from Mayo Clinic until we know Jayden will be okay. The doctors there know him well, and we trust them to take the best possible care of him."

Olympiz Swimmer Eric Shanteau survived cancer and is representing the USA swim team in London for the Olympics

LIVESTRONG BLOG

Swim For Your Life with Olympian Eric Shanteau

Jun 27, 2012 by Brooke McMillan

The Lance Armstrong Foundation has known Eric Shanteau for the past several years and has taken an integral role in bringing young adult cancer awareness to the forefront. Eric contacted us in 2008 after he was diagnosed with testicular cancer – just weeks before the 2008 Olympic Trials. Eric consulted several doctors and family members before deciding to postpone treatment and go for his dream. After successfully qualifying for the 2008 Olympics, Eric was off to Beijing to compete on the world’s greatest stage all the while knowing that he would be in for a different kind of fight when he returned home.

Once he returned home, Eric found enormous support in the Foundation and is now living and training cancer free. Eric designed “Swim For Your Life” to combine his passions of swimming and cancer awareness. As LIVESTRONG’s first Open Water Swim, Swim For Your Life allows swimmers of all ages to celebrate life, meet and interact with Olympians and come together for an open water swim.

Join Eric at Lake Lanier Islands September 22, 2012 for a full day of open water swimming races and clinics full of entertainment and the chance to meet some of your favorite Olympians in the spirit of kicking cancer to the curb. Join us as we Swim4OurLives.

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