|
|
|
Education/Outreach
TEX US TOO! Prostate Cancer Support Group HOUSTON, TEXAS, CHAPTER (member of Us TOO! International)
Meeting Announcement Dr. Cohen is a faculty member of M. D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, TX where he is Director of the Integrative Medicine Program. His primary faculty appointment is as a Professor in the Dept. of Behavioral Science. He has a joint appointment as Professor in the Division of Cancer Medicine and serves as Chief of the Section of Integrative Medicine in the Dept. of Palliative Care & Rehabilitation Medicine. Dr. Cohen is the President for the International Society for Integrative Oncology (SIO) and editor-in-chief of the Journal of the Society for Integrative Dr. Cohen is currently conducting a number of NIH-funded and non-funded randomized controlled clinical trials examining the biobehavioral effects of psychosocial interventions aimed at reducing the negative aspects of cancer treatment and improving quality of life (e.g., meditation, stress management, emotional writing, yoga, music therapy). He is particularly interested in examining different types of complementary programs that can be easily incorporated into conventional treatment to decrease the psychophysiological sequelae associated with treatment. _________________________________________________________________________________________ Have decisions to make? Need information on treatments? Help with consequences of treatment? Need to talk with others who have been treated? Need emotional support? Want to learn about non-invasive options and to be sure about your diagnosis? Come to the support group meetings after the speaker’s presentation. Educational. Reassuring. WE CARE ABOUT YOU. Tex Us TOO is a prostate cancer support group for the purpose of sharing information, education, experiences and mutual support. WE DO NOT DISPENSE MEDICAL ADVICE. = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = NOTES AND QUOTES
Tex Us TOO Outreach Report:
IMPORTANT NOTICEYour Board of Directors has designated the regular February meeting for election of Board members to fill Positions Two and Four. The incumbents in those positions are Derral Sperry and Jim Howell. The Board recommends each of those incumbents for reelection in that each brings to the Board interests and qualifications that are uniquely valuable to Tex Us Too and each has demonstrated willingness to devote whatever time is needed for a successful Board. In addition, the By-Laws of Tex Us Too permits a Board of 12 members, of which 9 positions are currently filled. The current Board feels it would benefit the Chapter for all authorized positions to be filled. Our Board is a working Board, meaning that its members are involved at every level of the Chapter’s affairs, from planning to actual implementation of projects such as DD5K. We need people who would like to have a part in deciding the direction the Chapter should take in the fight against Prostate Cancer. You are invited to submit names for nomination to Derral K. Sperry, Chapter Secretary, (713) 729-2241, E-mail (dsperry@earthlink.net) It would be helpful to provide a short resume to Mr. Please mark your calendar to be sure and attend the February meeting and cast your vote. Derral K. Sperry, Chapter Secretary A Message That Captures the Essence of Tex Us TOO Mission. We are publishing –with permission- the following E-mail from a member of pcai.prostapointers.org, a prostate cancer impotence online interest group: “ I have been the grateful member of this group for about two years now - I cannot tell you what an indispensable part of our recovery you all have been.” “I have watched with interest some of the "debating' occurring regarding treatment choices. I would hope that we would all understand that there is no "right" treatment out there - every individual needs to chose what they think will suit them and their family best. Some "want the cancer out"; others are focused on potential side effects and choose a treatment accordingly. The treatment modalities used today may appear stone-aged in another few years and it will all be moot.” “I think we learn a lot by sharing our experiences with each other and hopefully we can help the newly diagnosed who stumble across our site. Regardless of your treatment choice, I think we would all benefit by remembering that everyone made the choice they felt best at the time they made it - and you go with it. Side effects can occur with any treatment option whether they are immediate or years down the road. There are no guarantees - you KNOW that.” “It just feels odd to have "my way is better than your way" posts - that has never been the spirit of this group. You are all capable of sharing your successes and failures without insinuating that someone was nuts for choosing Treatment A over Treatment B.” “So keep the stories from the frontlines coming - we all benefit from your voice - just remember that we are all individuals and are doing the best we can with a sometimes-crappy hand.” “Thanks again to all who have been such a great support - it would have been so much rougher without you.” L. Taylor New Genetic Test for Prostate Cancer : A new blood test that looks at five genetic variants could one day predict the risk of developing prostate cancer, according to a new study published last week in the New England Journal of Medicine. Researchers found that among men with four of the five variants, the risk of prostate cancer is increased 400 percent to 500 percent, compared to men with none of the variants. And if a man has these gene variants and a family history of prostate cancer, his risk of developing the disease increases more than 900 percent. “This new test is on the forefront of technology that one day will help men make better-informed decisions about their health,” said Richard N. Atkins, MD, CEO of the National Prostate Cancer Coalition. Good Reason to Exercise! Wed., January 23, 2008. (HealthDay News). Even a moderate amount of exercise can dramatically prolong a man’s life, new research on middle-aged and elderly American veterans reveals. The government-sponsored analysis –the largest such study ever—found that a regimen of brisk walking 30 minutes a day at least four to six days a week, was enough to halve the risk of premature death from all causes. “As you increase your ability to exercise –increase your fitness—you are decreasing in a stepwise fashion the risk of death,” said study author Peter Kokkinos, director of the exercise testing and research lab in the cardiology department of the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Washington, D.C. That conclusion applies equally to just about everyone, regardless of prior history of cardiovascular disease. According to Kokkinos, that may be because the veterans in the study all received the same level of care, regardless of income. In the study, Kokkinos and his team reviewed information gathered by the VA from 15,660 black and white male patients treated either in Palo Alto, CA, or in Washington, D.C. By tracking fatalities through June 2007, Kokkinos and his colleagues found that for all men it was their fitness level, rather than their age, blood pressure and body-mass index, that was most strongly linked to their future risk for death. Teamwork: The Ability to Work Together Toward a Common Vision and to Direct Individual Accomplishments Toward Organizational Objectives. The Fuel that Allows Common People to Obtain Uncommon Results.
We welcome suggestions, criticisms, and contributions to this publication. This Is Your Newsletter. Please contact Manny Vazquez at (936) 597-6646, or by E-mail, at manny@consolidated.net - - TEX US TOO, 12335 Kingsride, #237, Houston, TX 77024-4116 (713) 623-4772 WEBSITES: Tex Us TOO www.texustoo.org
|