Old story: Women may have it worse - Los Angeles Times:
The basic take-away from this article about women and our retirement years:
"In September, a bipartisan group of senators introduced the Women's Retirement Security Act. Among other things, it would require employers to allow long-term, part-time workers to participate in 401(k) plans and require most companies that lack retirement plans to make payroll deductions for employees' individual retirement accounts.
The idea is 'to level the playing field' to help women save for the future, said Sen. Gordon H. Smith (R-Ore.), one of the sponsors.
Apart from changes to policy, many say, individuals [including individual women] must do more themselves to prepare for the long haul. That means saving more and working longer."
Thursday, December 28, 2006
Friday, December 22, 2006
Martha Stewart's Days of Christmas [with Erma Bombeck]
Martha Stewarts Days of Christmas
Undoubtedly there's some of you older ladies around who remember the dear humorist and columnist Erma Bombeck. One of my all-time favorite funny ladies.
Check out the link above to see how Erma would likely reply to a correspondence from Martha Stewart.
So, are you more like Martha? or more like Erma?
I most definitely have always been an "Erma" - for better or worse, mostly better. (At least I've stayed out of prison...)
It is good to have some "Martha"s around, however, to take care of the details, and all that other stuff that we "Erma"s would rather not be bothered with - or get around to.
Happy Holidays! : D
Undoubtedly there's some of you older ladies around who remember the dear humorist and columnist Erma Bombeck. One of my all-time favorite funny ladies.
Check out the link above to see how Erma would likely reply to a correspondence from Martha Stewart.
So, are you more like Martha? or more like Erma?
I most definitely have always been an "Erma" - for better or worse, mostly better. (At least I've stayed out of prison...)
It is good to have some "Martha"s around, however, to take care of the details, and all that other stuff that we "Erma"s would rather not be bothered with - or get around to.
Happy Holidays! : D
Monday, December 18, 2006
Happy New Year! : For Women Old Enough... : CafePress.com
Happy New Year! : For Women Old Enough... : CafePress.com
I wish you a Happy New Year - as well as Happy Holidays, of course, also I announce the return of my joyful, colorful "Happy New Year!" graphic and its merchandise, as well as adding some new merchandise.
Find this graphic and its goods in "Sales & Features" here. You can also click the live link above to get there.
Hope you're enjoying the Holiday Season, All. And a Merry Christmas, too!
I wish you a Happy New Year - as well as Happy Holidays, of course, also I announce the return of my joyful, colorful "Happy New Year!" graphic and its merchandise, as well as adding some new merchandise.
Find this graphic and its goods in "Sales & Features" here. You can also click the live link above to get there.
Hope you're enjoying the Holiday Season, All. And a Merry Christmas, too!
Friday, December 15, 2006
Hormone fears rise with cancer news
Hormone fears rise with cancer news - Yahoo! News (AP)
This is another article about the breast cancer/HRT news from yesterday, but is not the same, going further into past and current use of HRT.
This is another article about the breast cancer/HRT news from yesterday, but is not the same, going further into past and current use of HRT.
Thursday, December 14, 2006
Breast cancer rate plunged 7 pct. in '03
Breast cancer rate plunged 7 pct. in '03 - Yahoo! News (AP)
OMG!
This story is about me and my breast cancer.
Okay, not specifically me, but a big group of women just like me.
Me:
"U.S. breast cancer rates plunged an unprecedented 7 percent in 2003, the year after millions of women stopped taking menopause hormones when a study showed the pills raise the risk of tumors."
I quit my HRT in the Summer of 2002 because I wished to get away from hormones and try more natural ways of dealing with menopausal issues. My doctors' original arguments for my HRT use was prevention of osteoporosis. That, in fact, was what clinched my decision to accept their HRT. (I had been resistant and argumentative about it for years. I never have gone along blindly with authorities - I have to be convinced.)
Anyway, I had gotten osteoporosis in spite of my HRT. I had no bad menopause symptoms (or whatever you call them). So, why continue the HRT?
That Fall in 2003 I was diagnosed with breast cancer. Interestingly, my tumors were very strongly receptive to hormones. "Strongly receptive" is pathology jargon for the years I was taking HRT I was feeding my tumors an all-you-can-eat gourmet buffet! Every day every HRT pill I popped was a feast for my tumors.
Creepy! Makes me angry, too.
I've been through surgery, chemo, and radiation. Any possibly remaining tumor cells are now being starved with a hormone-blocker, Tamoxefin.
Even an onocology nurse thought it likely that my breast cancer was due to HRT. She also mentioned the problem of too many women having too large a hormone-load during their lifetimes. For example, I, as so many young women in the '70s, took birth-control pills. And, those were strong birth-control pills in those days - big hormone doses. I've had a big hormone load in my life. I didn't do anything wrong - this is what women my age were encouraged to do by our doctors: take "The Pill" and, then later, HRT.
That HRT could have killed me - no lie. Thank God for mammography - I never would have known. Even my doctors couldn't feel my tumors.
I have looked into the calls for class-action suits against Wyeth - I fit the criteria. I just haven't bothered with it, although my kids are encouraging me to do so.
Me again:
"Cases dropped most among women 50 and older — the age group taking hormones. The decline was biggest for tumors whose growth is fueled by estrogen — the type most affected by hormone use....
[After the big fall off of HRT use in 2002-03] Estrogen-sensitive tumors declined twice as much as tumors that are not fueled by estrogen. The decline in incidence among women ages 50-69 was three times that of other age groups."
Wow!
The big take-away from this news:
= This likely reduces my risk of recurrence in that I am not taking HRT (exactly the opposite, with my Tamoxefin use).
= It probably reduces my daughters' risk for breast cancer. (Although my cancer was never believed to be genetically-driven. But, still...this report does point to reduced risk for my daughters.)
= Avoid HRT! Not just me - all you women over 40 reading this.
OMG!
This story is about me and my breast cancer.
Okay, not specifically me, but a big group of women just like me.
Me:
"U.S. breast cancer rates plunged an unprecedented 7 percent in 2003, the year after millions of women stopped taking menopause hormones when a study showed the pills raise the risk of tumors."
I quit my HRT in the Summer of 2002 because I wished to get away from hormones and try more natural ways of dealing with menopausal issues. My doctors' original arguments for my HRT use was prevention of osteoporosis. That, in fact, was what clinched my decision to accept their HRT. (I had been resistant and argumentative about it for years. I never have gone along blindly with authorities - I have to be convinced.)
Anyway, I had gotten osteoporosis in spite of my HRT. I had no bad menopause symptoms (or whatever you call them). So, why continue the HRT?
That Fall in 2003 I was diagnosed with breast cancer. Interestingly, my tumors were very strongly receptive to hormones. "Strongly receptive" is pathology jargon for the years I was taking HRT I was feeding my tumors an all-you-can-eat gourmet buffet! Every day every HRT pill I popped was a feast for my tumors.
Creepy! Makes me angry, too.
I've been through surgery, chemo, and radiation. Any possibly remaining tumor cells are now being starved with a hormone-blocker, Tamoxefin.
Even an onocology nurse thought it likely that my breast cancer was due to HRT. She also mentioned the problem of too many women having too large a hormone-load during their lifetimes. For example, I, as so many young women in the '70s, took birth-control pills. And, those were strong birth-control pills in those days - big hormone doses. I've had a big hormone load in my life. I didn't do anything wrong - this is what women my age were encouraged to do by our doctors: take "The Pill" and, then later, HRT.
That HRT could have killed me - no lie. Thank God for mammography - I never would have known. Even my doctors couldn't feel my tumors.
I have looked into the calls for class-action suits against Wyeth - I fit the criteria. I just haven't bothered with it, although my kids are encouraging me to do so.
Me again:
"Cases dropped most among women 50 and older — the age group taking hormones. The decline was biggest for tumors whose growth is fueled by estrogen — the type most affected by hormone use....
[After the big fall off of HRT use in 2002-03] Estrogen-sensitive tumors declined twice as much as tumors that are not fueled by estrogen. The decline in incidence among women ages 50-69 was three times that of other age groups."
Wow!
The big take-away from this news:
= This likely reduces my risk of recurrence in that I am not taking HRT (exactly the opposite, with my Tamoxefin use).
= It probably reduces my daughters' risk for breast cancer. (Although my cancer was never believed to be genetically-driven. But, still...this report does point to reduced risk for my daughters.)
= Avoid HRT! Not just me - all you women over 40 reading this.
Monday, December 11, 2006
CafePress Christmas Shipping Update & Info
For Women Old Enough to Know Better store : CafePress.com (this link takes you to this store's Storefront)
Hope you're all enjoying the Holiday Season. : ) Have you been as busy as I am? I'm sure you have been.
About the CafePress shipping referred to uptop...
Beginning December 8 the following shipping options will be offered:
• Free Shipping on orders over $50 = Will not make it in time for Christmas
• Standard Shipping = Order by December 11 to receive in time for Christmas
• 2-Day Shipping = Order by December 18 to receive in time for Christmas
• Next Day Shipping = Order by December 20 to receive in time for Christmas
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Canada/International = Order by December 8, 11:59pm PST to receive in time for Christmas
Hope you're all enjoying the Holiday Season. : ) Have you been as busy as I am? I'm sure you have been.
About the CafePress shipping referred to uptop...
Beginning December 8 the following shipping options will be offered:
• Free Shipping on orders over $50 = Will not make it in time for Christmas
• Standard Shipping = Order by December 11 to receive in time for Christmas
• 2-Day Shipping = Order by December 18 to receive in time for Christmas
• Next Day Shipping = Order by December 20 to receive in time for Christmas
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Canada/International = Order by December 8, 11:59pm PST to receive in time for Christmas
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