Strides Against Breast Cancer 2011

On Saturday, we did our annual Strides Against Breast Cancer walk. It's put on by American Cancer Society and its a 5 mile walk around Salt Lake City to raise funds to find a cure for breast cancer. My mom's work is a sponsor and because she is a 2x survivor they have her speak during the kick off each year. It's always neat to see the turnout and the impact on the community.  We had family and friends join us and although it started out being chilly, it turned nice and we had a good time.

All my pictures are sideways... so I need to figure out what to do, it wont let me alter them...

Lisa :)

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month!

Ladies... this is a reminder to get your mammogram. I don't care if you think you are too busy, too poor, too- whatever. Get it done. Take your sister, mom, grandma, or neighbor with you too. This is serious business...

Last week I had my yearly mammogram. (Yes, I am young but I am high risk so we do this yearly.) I went in on Wednesday afternoon... chitchatting with the tech who was doing it... not thinking a lot and I hear "Something came up on your mammogram, we need you to stay for a while longer". Ok... this happens just about every time I get done. I have fibrous tissue and cysts. Something always shows up. Then I go back for another set of films... something is still there, but not as bad. Ok, that sounds better... I guess. Then they say they want to do a ultrasound... although they are sure nothing is going to show up on it... until something shows up on it and the next thing I know I am scheduled for a biopsy for a few days later.

On the way home, the hospital called me back and said they want to do an MRI before the biopsy so the next day I calm my claustrophobic nerves and go dangle my boobs from an MRI machine. Mind you, the people were awesome and they had music. I think I fell asleep... without Valium, mind you. Huge victory for me.

That evening the hospital calls me back again and said the specialist wants to meet with me Friday morning. Hmmm... maybe its not nothing this time... people always tell me things on the phone. I never have to go in. I spent a lot of time in prayer that evening.

Next morning I went in to the hospital to meet with the specialist who deals only with breast imaging. First thing he tells me is that I caused him heartburn and that he didn't get any sleep the night of my mammogram b/c he thought he was going to tell a 33 yr old mother that she had breast cancer.

He showed me the mammogram images and for not knowing what I was looking at, they looked ugly. It was a white spot of tissue that looked like it had spider legs. I asked him how he knew it was ok and he brought up my MRI and it was clear. If it was cancerous, it would have glowed a blue color.

He suggests I get mammograms done every 6 months now and an MRI once a year. Remember, I have been told in the past "Its a matter of WHEN you get breast cancer and not IF you get it"... so I am all about screening and prevention. If I do get a diagnosis, I want it early. I want a chance to fight it.

So for now... I am breathing a sigh of relief, although it doesn't stop me from my advocacy. Do self-checks, do mammograms, follow up with your doctors, raise funds to help find a cure... the Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk is on October 8th in the SLC area.  If 1 out of 8 of us is going to get it, we cant just sit around and do nothing.

Written by Lisa

All About the Bikes 2011

We did a little photo shoot last week featuring our bikes... it was a fun time and I wanted to share!

Lisa and Bryan 

Rob and MaryJoe 

Danny and Renee

Harley's For Hooters

Do Mammograms Save Lives?

I just read this from article from HealthDay News and wanted to share...

They save far more lives than previously thought, researchers say.

TUESDAY, June 28 (HealthDay News) — Mammography screening reduces breast cancer deaths even more than most experts have long believed, according to a new, large-scale Swedish trial.
In a study with a follow-up of nearly three decades — the longest ever — the researchers found that the benefits of the screenings become clearer as the decades roll on.

In fact, most of the benefits occur more than 10 years after mammography begins, and the screenings prevent far more breast cancer deaths than other, shorter studies have found, the report indicated.

"The big news is that if one considers the long-term effects on breast cancer mortality, the absolute benefit of screening in terms of number of lives saved is considerably greater than previously thought," said lead author Stephen W. Duffy, professor of cancer screening at Queen Mary, University of London.
Experts have long debated the best age for mammography screening to begin and how often it should be done.

In the new study, Duffy and colleagues looked at more than 133,000 women ages 40 to 74, living in two Swedish counties.

Researchers assigned them either to a group invited to mammogram screening or a group receiving usual care. The screening phase lasted about seven years. Women aged 40 to 49 got invited to screening every two years; women 50 to 74 every 33 months. The follow-up lasted 29 years.
For every 1,000 to 1,500 mammograms, one breast cancer death was prevented, Duffy's team found.
Other analyses have found, for instance, that for every 2,500 women aged 40 to 49 invited to screening, one death was prevented.

The study, whose authors reported no conflicts of interest, is published in the June 28 online edition of the journal Radiology.
"I was surprised and reassured by how long-lasting the effect was, and how consistent over three decades," Duffy said.

Most of the benefit occurs more than 10 years after the screening starts, he added.
It was not possible to "tease out" the specific benefit of screening women in their 40s, one area of debate, he noted. But other reviews suggest that "although the benefit is smaller, there is still a mortality reduction with screening women in their 40s," Duffy said.

At the end of the study, the investigators found 30 percent fewer breast cancer deaths overall in the group invited to screening compared to those not screened.

There was also a substantial absolute reduction in cancer deaths. At 29 years of follow-up, 34 to 42 years of life were saved for each 1,000 women screened for seven years, and one breast cancer death prevented for every 414 to 519 women. Had the screening continued another 10 years with the same benefits, only 300 screenings would be needed to save one life, the study reported.

In addition, for every 1,000 women screened every two years from ages 40 to 69, about eight to 11 deaths from breast cancer would be prevented, according to the study authors.
Duffy said he does not expect the study results to put to rest the mammography debate.

"There will always be skeptics, who argue that the benefits of screening are too small to justify its financial and human costs," Duffy said. "They have tended to argue this on the basis of deaths prevented during 10 years of screening. Our results show that this argument is invalid, since the majority of the mortality benefit occurs more than 10 years after starting screening."

He and his colleagues noted that the drawbacks of mammography include the risk of radiation exposure and over-diagnosis. However, they wrote that the radiation dose in this trial was much smaller than most modern procedures since it was single-view mammography and over-diagnosis occurred in only a "small fraction" of the cases.

The findings are similar to those from previous studies, said Dr. Virginia Moyer, head of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, which in 2009 advised that the decision to start regular screenings every two years before age 50 should be discussed with a woman's doctor. It recommends screening every other year for women aged 50 to 74.

The findings, she said, will not significantly impact the debate.
Moyer added: "When the task force reviewed all evidence for women 40 to 49, it found that about 2,000 to 2,500 women had to be invited to mammography screening to prevent one breast cancer death, which would be 40 to 50 per 100,000 women."

Another expert, Dr. Stephanie Bernik, chief of surgical oncology at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City, said the study "proves what most clinicians hold to be true: screening mammograms save lives."

Freedom Ride 2011

In May, we went on the Freedom Ride to honor our Veteran's. It started in SLC and hit different war memorials until we ended up at Miller Sports Park and took a lap around the track, ate lunch, and listened to a band. It was a beautiful day and a lot of fun.

Bryan and Lisa

Some of the bikes at Miller Sports Park

Lining up in SLC

Harley's For Hooters: Renee, Danny, Rob, MaryJoe, Lisa, and Bryan

Race for the Cure- Salt Lake City

Every year, Harleys For Hooters gathers up and meets at the Gateway in SLC to do a 5k walk/run for breast cancer awareness. We do this to celebrate with my mom... to show her support and love.

Here are a couple pictures of our group:

We'll continue to wear pink and walk until there is a cure.

3 Years Ago... a letter to my mom

Mom,


I can’t believe that it was 3 years ago this weekend that you told me you had breast cancer again. I remember feeling like someone punched me in the stomach. I was terrified. I was upset. I was mad. It didn’t make sense, we’d already been through all that, why did we need to do it again?

You were amazing. You let God be in control and did what you needed to do to be healthy again. You lived life to the fullest and were an example to many. Because of your faith in God, my walk with him became stronger. Thank you.

I am so glad that things turned out the way they did and you are still with us today, happy and healthy. I love you more than I could ever express.

Love,
Lisa

Are Coffee Drinkers Less Prone to Aggressive Breast Cancer?

Study sees lower risk for ER-negative tumors, which don't respond to hormonal therapies.

By Alan Mozes, HealthDay

TUESDAY, May 10 (HealthDay News)
Their study linked consumption of five or more cups of coffee a day to a relatively marked reduction in the non-hormone-responsive disease known as ER-negative breast cancer. However, coffee consumption did not appear to lower the risk for developing ER-positive breast cancer, a hormone-responsive estrogen receptor form of the disease.

Daily consumption of coffee may protect against the most aggressive type of breast cancer, ER-negative, said study co-author Dr. Per Hal, a professor in the medical epidemiology and biostatistics department at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm.

"Now, we don't have all the details," he cautioned. "We don't know, for example, what specific type of coffee we're talking about here. But what we do know is that the protective effect is quite striking and remains even after adjusting for a lot of other factors that have the potential to play a protective role. And we know that we're talking about what we could call a relatively normal amount of coffee drinking. Certainly we're not talking about consuming gigantic amounts of coffee. So, this is a very intriguing finding."
The study, reported online May 11 in Breast Cancer Research, involved 5,929 Swedish women, aged 50 to 74. About half of the women had breast cancer.

Questionnaires were used to assess behavioral and health characteristics, including smoking and drinking patterns, physical activity routines, family history of breast cancer, hormone therapy protocols, nutritional intake, body mass index, education level and coffee consumption habits. Both tumor status and breast cancer type were also noted.

The principle finding: Drinking coffee appeared to spur a "strong reduction" in risk for ER-negative breast cancer, the researchers wrote. Women who drank five cups of coffee a day had a 33 percent to 57 percent lower risk for ER-negative cancer than did those who drank less than one cup a day. The study revealed an apparent association between coffee consumption and a reduction in breast cancer risk, but not a cause-and-effect relationship. And Hal was not eager for consumers to jump to conclusions.

"There are one or two other studies that have pointed in the same direction as ours — but not many, just a few," he cautioned. "So before I would go to tell my neighbors to start drinking more coffee than they already do, I would like to know what is the biological mechanism at work here. And that's not yet clear."
Hal noted that he and his colleagues are now working on a new study to tease out that information.
Dr. Stephanie Bernik, chief of surgical oncology at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City, described the findings as both "interesting" and "provocative," given that the kind of cancer coffee appears to protect against is one for which there are relatively few effective treatments.

"It is this kind of study that opens the door to improving treatment, as scientists try to uncover what biologic factors in a substance are beneficial, and then attempt to extract these factors and use them to defend against cancers," Bernik noted. "The goal would be to try and discover what it is in coffee that may be beneficial."
"The next step is to find out what chemical factors in coffee cause the decreased rate of cancer and then attempt to see if these same chemicals can be used to treat a patient once they are already diagnosed with cancer," she said.

Last Updated: 05/11/2011

— Women who drink a substantial amount of coffee each day may lower their risk for developing a particular type of breast cancer, Swedish researchers say.

Race for the Cure 2011

Whose Life Are You Running For? Participate in the 15th Annual Susan G. Komen Salt Lake City Race for the Cure® and show everyone whose life you are running for. Are you running for your mother, your sister, a co-worker, a friend? Are you running for your own life? Or are you running for the future? No matter whose life you are running for, now is the time to get involved and run for their life!

Komen Salt Lake City Race for the Cure
May 7, 2011
The Gateway Mall


Up to 75% of net proceeds from the Salt Lake City Komen Race for the Cure stay in Utah to fund local education, screening and treatment programs. The remaining 25 percent goes to fund national research to discover the causes of breast cancer and, ultimately, its cures.
We want over 17,000 participants at the 2011 Race, so start recruiting your team now! We plan to raise $550,000 with this event and we need your help to reach our goal!
Get Involved. Keep the Promise.

Freedom Ride- Honor our Troops

• Check in starts at 8:00am at the Fort Douglas Military Museum, 32 Potter Street, Fort Douglas.
• The ride will start at 9:00 stopping at three military memorials (West Jordon, Camp Floyd, and Tooele) and end at Miller Motorsports Park 100 miles later. No fuel stops are planned.
• Poker hands will be drawn at each stop as well as the start and ending of the ride. $5.00 per hand.
• When we get to Miller Motorsports Park, we will ride a lap on the track, have a great lunch, rock out to a live band playing some oldies. Utah's classic 103.5 the Arrow Van will be there to keep things rockin! Don't miss out on this party! Honor our troops, have a great ride, and take a lap on the track!
• Lunch, FreeedomRide Patch, and access to the Miller Motorsports Park Museum included in ride fee.

Join us... http://www.utahfreedomride.webs.com/

Scrubbing for a Cure

From time to time I do blog swaps on my other blog... this time it was a Favorite Things Swap and a gal from TN sent me a dish scrub brush that benefits the Susan Komen Foundation. Her mom is also a breast cancer survivor and sent it to me without knowing about my mom.

Cute enough to make me want to do dishes... almost. Ok, not really... but she is still really cute and its for a good cause!

Does Mammography Really Save Lives?

Staying Well: Take Steps to Reduce Your Risk or Find Breast Cancer Early

Does Mammography Really Save Lives?
Since 1990, more and more women have been surviving breast cancer, in part because of early detection. Mammograms – x-rays of the breast – are the most common tool for finding breast cancer early in women who have no symptoms.
However, during the last year, there have been many conflicting messages about the role of mammograms in saving lives from breast cancer. Because doctors can't always tell from a mammogram whether an abnormal area is cancerous, some worry the screening test leads to too many false positives and unnecessary biopsies that can cause women a lot of anxiety. The flip side is that mammograms aren’t perfect; they can miss some cancers, too. There is also new concern about "overdiagnosis" – the idea that some breast cancers might not need to be treated because they would never become life-threatening.
Despite these limitations, there’s plenty of evidence that mammograms offer substantial benefit for women starting in their 40's.
The American Cancer Society recommends yearly mammograms for women age 40 and older, along with a breast exam by a health care professional. Women at high risk for the disease should get an MRI annually, as well. A strong family history of breast and/or ovarian cancer, prior chest radiation therapy, and carrying BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene mutations put women at increased risk for the disease. In addition, all women should be aware of how their breasts normally look and feel and report any changes to a doctor right away.
To learn more about what the current research says about mammography and to find out what else you can do to help lower your risk of breast cancer, check out this video featuring Otis Brawley, MD, the American Cancer Society’s Chief Medical Officer, and Len Lichtenfeld, MD, the Society’s Deputy Chief Medical Officer. You can also learn more at cancer.org/breastcancer.

More People Are Surviving Cancer!!

The CDC says more people are surviving cancer, with breast cancer survivors having the highest number. Praise God!!

 

Women diagnosed with breast cancer made up the largest share of cancer survivors, at 22 percent, followed by men with prostate cancer, at 19 percent.

Read more about it at http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr

Going to Bat Against Breast Cancer

Major League Baseball

The pink bats are back! For the 7th year, Susan G. Komen for the Cure and Major League Baseball are Going to Bat Against Breast Cancer to help your home team hit one out of the ballpark in the quest to end breast cancer forever. To show their support of Going to Bat Against Breast Cancer, Major League Baseball players, coaches and umpires will sport pink wristbands and pink ribbon decals on Mother’s Day, May 8th. Louisville Slugger has produced and donated pink bats that hundreds of players will also be using on that day and that fans may purchase as a commemorative gift for loved ones. The bats, along with specially designed Going to Bat Against Breast Cancer merchandise, are available for purchase online at the mlb.com shop and at ballparks nationwide. Fans will also proudly wear their pink attire in “Pink Zones” at all home games on May 8th. As part of this celebration, Major League Baseball and Susan G. Komen for the Cure are inviting fans everywhere to join in the action through the 3rd Annual Honorary Bat Girl Contest. Individuals that embody passion and dedication for the breast cancer movement will be selected as Honorary Bat Girls for each club and will be celebrated on-field during the game. If you know someone who is a devoted baseball fan and has a compelling personal story and a true passion and commitment to the fight against breast cancer, you may nominate her at the Honorary Bat Girl Contest site. You may also vote for your favorite Honorary Bat Girl on the same site. Nominations end on April 14, 2011 and winners will be announced on Monday, May 2, 2011.

Bowl for the Cure

Susan G. Komen for the Cure is pleased to be the recipient of funds raised through Bowl for the Cure®, an initiative organized by the United States Bowling Congress through The Bowling Foundation. Since the program’s inception in 2000, Bowl for the Cure® has raised more than $7 million for Komen for the Cure while raising bowlers’ awareness about breast cancer screening, treatment and support. USBC’s bowling leagues designate one league session of their choice each season as a Bowl for the Cure® event. February is Bowl for the Cure® month, a time when USBC leagues across the nation often organize Bowl for the Cure® events. Bowlers can designate one league night to donate a specific amount, such as a nickel per pin, or stage pledge nights, raffles and auctions. Local bowling associations also are encouraged to team up with Komen Affiliates to conduct a Bowl for the Cure® event for the entire community in their service area. For more information about Bowl for the Cure®, visit http://www.bowlforthecure.com/.

Program Information

Program / Partner Name: Bowl for the Cure®
Program Active: September 1, 2009 – December 31, 2011
Total Contributions to Date: More than $7 million
Years of Partnership: 10 years
The Bowling Foundation is a member of the Komen Million Dollar Council. 

Cleaning for a Reason

Cleaning for a Reason

If you know any woman currently undergoing chemotherapy, please pass the word
to her that there is a cleaning service that provides FREE housecleaning - once
per month for 4 months while she is in treatment. All she has to do is sign up
and have her doctor fax a note confirming the treatment. Cleaning for a Reason
will have a participating maid service in her zip code area arrange for the
service. This organization serves the entire USA and currently has 547 partners
to help these women. It's our job to pass the word and let them know that there
are people out there that care. Be a blessing to someone and pass this
information along.

 http://www.cleaningforareason.org/

SLC- Race for the Cure

2011 Salt Lake City Race for the Cure

The 2011 Race date is May 7! Save the date!

In the upcoming days we will register as a team... I'll let you know when its done so you can sign up as well. I believe its $25 to register.

I am the Cure

I AM THE CURE.®

Susan G. Komen for the Cure® created the I AM THE CURE. ® program to boost the educational outreach of the Komen Race for the Cure® Series by motivating Race participants to take an active role in their own breast health. I AM THE CURE.® is a rallying cry that is emotional, memorable and motivational. It speaks to the importance of early detection, and provides simple, action-oriented messages that Race participants can put into action.

On Race Day

On Race Day, you can visit our interactive I AM THE CURE.® booth to learn more about breast self-awareness. You can spin the wheel for prizes and ‘take-home’ educational information. You’ll also see our Rovers in the bright pink and green I AM THE CURE.® shirts; they’ll be sharing the message of early detection and will reward you for your participation. All throughout the Race, you’ll hear our ‘Cure Leaders’ cheering on Race participants and reminding everyone that we all have the power to be part of the cure!
The four key messages we want Race participants to remember are:

• See your doctor, learn your risk! I AM THE CURE.®
• Get mammograms and breast exams! I AM THE CURE.®
• Notice changes to your breasts! I AM THE CURE.®
• Start the fight by living right! I AM THE CURE.®

The I AM THE CURE.® program is a visual, engaging and powerful way for us to reach every Race participant with the important messages about proactive breast health. We hope you’ll be empowered to share this knowledge with friends and family – encouraging them to commit to positive breast health practices as well

What you can do to help

For more information about the I AM THE CURE.® program, breast health information and ways that you can personally get involved, please visit iamthecure.org. The iamthecure.org microsite can be accessed in English and Spanish, and it provides a variety of tools and resources to equip you with the important knowledge about proactive breast health. If you’re interested in learning more about volunteer opportunities at our Race, including becoming an I AM THE CURE.® volunteer, please contact us or visit our Volunteer page.  The I AM THE CURE.® program is ideal for volunteers of all ages seeking to get involved in the Komen Race for the Cure®.

Biker Quotes

Most motorcycle problems are caused by the nut that connects the handlebars to the saddle.  ~Author Unknown


Four wheels move the body.  Two wheels move the soul.  ~Author Unknown


Midnight bugs taste best.  ~Author Unknown


You're the guy that'll be sneaking out of your bedroom at three o'clock in the morning to look at your bike.  ~Paul Teutul, Sr., American Chopper, "Billy Joel"


It takes more love to share the saddle than it does to share the bed.  ~Author Unknown


Bikes don't leak oil, they mark their territory.  ~Author Unknown


Keep your bike in good repair:  motorcycle boots are not comfortable for walking.  ~Author Unknown


Faster, faster, faster, until the thrill of speed overcomes the fear of death.  ~Hunter Thompson


The best alarm clock is sunshine on chrome.  ~Author Unknown


And I to my motorcycle
Parked like the soul of the junkyard
Restored, a bicycle fleshed
With power, and tore off
Up Highway 106, continually
Drunk on the wind in my mouth,
Wringing the handlebar for speed,
Wild to be wreckage forever.
~James Dickey, "Cherrylog Road"


A motorcycle functions entirely in accordance with the laws of reason, and a study of the art of motorcycle maintenance is really a miniature study of the art of rationality itself.  ~Robert M. Pirsig, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance


What do you call a cyclist who doesn't wear a helmet?  An organ donor.  ~David Perry


If you don't ride in the rain, you don't ride.  ~Author Unknown


Whatever it is, it's better in the wind.  ~Author Unknown


Catching a yellow-jacket in your shirt at seventy miles per hour can double your vocabulary.  ~Author Unknown


Life is too short for traffic.  ~Dan Bellack


Work to ride and ride to work.  ~Author Unknown


Burn rubber, not your soul, baby.  ~Craig Fernandez and Reggie Bythewood, Biker Boyz


Patience is something you admire in the driver behind you and scorn in the one ahead.  ~Mac McCleary


Remember folks, street lights timed for 35 mph are also timed for 70 mph.  ~Jim Samuels


Only a biker knows why a dog sticks his head out of a car window.  ~Author Unknown

Frosty Balls Ride 2011

Sunday was the Frosty Balls (and Headlights!) ride from GoldenSpike Harley in Riverdale to Kelly's in the canyon... it was like 20 degrees and we werent sure if it was snowing up that way, so we decided to play it safe and drive... and of course, the weather was beautiful.

I think the guys have PMS (Parked Motorcycle Syndrome)... but hopefully soon we can get the bike out and go for a ride.

Here is a picture from the biker bar, Kelly's...

Lisa and Bryan

Danny and Renee

MaryJoe and Rob

Favorite Patch of the Day



Lisa, Renee, Bryan, Danny, MaryJoe, and Rob



Random Harleys For Hooters Pictures

Race for the Cure 2007

Race for the Cure 2007

Race for the Cure 2009

Race for the Cure 2009

Raft for the Cure 2009

Raft for the Cure Tshirt from Moab



Beautiful Bald... MaryJoe with grandson, Drew



Lisa and MaryJoe at Lisa's Wedding 2008

At the start of chemo... mom got her haircut short, Ty and I got pink highlights and Drew shaved his head.

The history behind “Harley’s For Hooters”…

Welcome to our blog!

Here is the history behind our team, Harley's For Hooters.

In October of 2005, my mom (MaryJoe) was diagnosed with breast cancer. Thankfully it was caught early and went through lumpectomy and radiation. At that time, we started doing the Race for a Cure through the Susan G Komen Foundation and Strides Against Breast Cancer with the American Cancer Society.

My mom had a large support group through her fight, my dad, 6 kids, aunts/uncles, cousins, in-laws and friends so we decided to make a group for these events. Being that my parents (and now some of the rest of us) were motorcycle riders we named our group “Harleys For Hooters”.

In May of 2008, MaryJoe was diagnosed with breast cancer for a 2^nd time. She went through a bilateral mastectomy, chemo, radiation, and reconstructive surgery.  She was such a fighter… was so positive… and thankfully is now cancer free.

Every May and October we walk/run in her honor. She is such a blessing to us and we want to do all we can to advocate early detection b/c if she wasn’t on top of it, the outcome could have been worse.

We are going to use this page to show pictures, talk about events, and keep everyone update on our journey. Feel free to comment or email me if you want something posted here.