Bosom Buddies, Inc.

Housekeeping Help During Chemo

kathy — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 23:23:06 +0000

If you know any woman currently undergoing Chemo, please pass the word to her that there is a cleaning service that provides FREE housecleaning – 1 time 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. http://www.cleaningforareason.org/

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 who care

Softball Tournament Success

kathy — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 19:20:49 +0000

The Women’s Softball Fundraiser

We were recently sponsored by the Sun City West Softball Club and raised over $7,000 for Bosom Buddies. Many thanks to Ken Skinner, his committee, all the players and the Bosom Buddies volunteers who participated!

Pink firetruck, Ken Skinner and Bosom Buddies Volunteers

2010 Champions

The Other Winners

Send this message to your doctor if you are taking Tamoxifen and Paxil

kathy — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 22:44:08 +0000

Breast Cancer Action (http://www.bcaction.org) recently forwarded the BMJ study on a potential risk for breast cancer patients combining Tamoxifen with SSRIs to treat hotflashes. As my doctor, and as someone with the power to potentially prescribe this treatment combination, I want to be sure you are familiar with this study.

There are lots of SSRIs. Paxil (generic name paroxetine) is one. However, as an irreversible inhibitor of the metabolic enzyme CYP2D6 it can interfere with Tamoxifen’s effectiveness.

A recent study by the British Medical Journal reveals that women taking a combination of tamoxifen and Paxil are more likely to die than other women on other anti-depressants (Prozac, Zoloft, Celexa, Effexor and Luvox).

The new study focused on women aged 66 and older, but the biological mechanism of CYP2D6 is likely to be the same in younger women.

You are safer if your doctor is fully informed. Forward this to her/him. Make sure s/he knows about this study.

Softball Tournament Fundraiser

bosombud — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 02:57:42 +0000

On February 21st and 22nd Dave Graybill and his “Pink Heals” fire truck will join the softball players and Bosom Buddies volunteers at the 5^th Annual Invitational Women’s Softball Tournament on Feb 20 & 21. The event will be at Liberty Field, Kuentz Recreation Center on R.H. Johnson Blvd., Sun City West from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The Bosom Buddies Senior Women’s Softball Tournament will raise unds to support all the Bosom Buddies programs.

Ken Skinner, the softball players and Kathy Zeitz interviewed on the Channel 3 promotion.

Dave Graybill and the pink fire truck will be at the tournament.

Join the players and have fun at the tournament!

A Great Website for Information on Breast Cancer

bosombud — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 22:34:29 +0000

If anyone needs more information than is available on our site, we highly recommend the following site.

www.knowbreastcancer.org

Action Alert for DOD Breast Cancer Research Program

bosombud — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 15:13:51 +0000

Urgent Alert! Urgent Alert! Urgent Alert! Urgent Alert! Urgent Alert! Urgent Alert!

We need your immediate activism! The DOD BCRP is in serious jeopardy!

As most of you know, statutory language has been included in the House passed FY 2010 Defense Appropriations bill to interfere with the way the program operates. The language would severely limit the ability of the DOD Peer-reviewed Breast Cancer Research Program to include the most qualified members from the scientific, clinician and consumer communities on the Integration Panel.

Our goal is to have Chairman Murtha hear from all of us that this is unacceptable! The language must be deleted and we need you and your networks to contact Defense Appropriations Chairman John Murtha with the following message:

“Chairman Murtha, don’t destroy the DOD Breast Cancer Research Program that
you helped to build. Take out the language!”

CALL (202.225.2065) AND FAX (202.225.5709) TODAY AND TOMORROW. Do both and get at least 10 others to do the same.

It has never been more important for you to make your voices heard loud and clear. Please act immediately to save the DOD BCRP!

Thank you. Fran Visco

Denim Day for Scholarship Funds

bosombud — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 20:47:48 +0000

WE Need You!

LEE NATIONAL DENIM DAY Is Friday, October 2, 2009. Bosom Buddies of Arizona will receive scientific training scholarship funds from the National Breast Cancer Coalition for our breast cancer advocates if you follow the steps below!

Please sign up to start your own team. Gather friends, family, and everyone who cares about breast cancer to help raise vital funds for research and advocacy.

TO START YOUR TEAM TODAY:

PLEASE NOTE: You must select National Breast Cancer Coalition when asked “How did you hear about Lee National Denim Day?”

and

you must write in Bosom Buddies of AZ when asked “Name of NBCC Representative who recruited you.”

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT

FOR MORE INFORMATION OR ASSISTANCE PLEASE CONTACT THE BOSOM BUDDIES OF AZ OFFICE AT 602.265.2776 OR INFO@BOSOMBUDDIES-AZ.ORG.

Bill to Teach Breast Self-Exams to Teens Wins Political Support; Experts Fear Harm

bosombud — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 16:02:04 +0000

Three major breast cancer advocacy groups, Susan G. Komen for the Cure, the Young Survival Coalition and The Breast Cancer Network of Strength, are supporting legislation(HR 1740, the EARLY Act) pending before Congress. The legislation proposes teaching breast self-exams to high school students. After reading an article on The Cancer Letter’s website, the question that must be asked is “why?”

In an accompanying letter by Dr. Leslie Bernstein, she makes a a strong case against the EARLY Act. She states:

WE HAVE NO EVIDENCE-BASED methods to lower young women’s risk. This bill (HR1740)

takes far too much for granted that is UNCERTAIN. Breast cancer is extremely rare among women ages 15-39 years. As the scientific director for the National Cancer Institute (NCI)-sponsored Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) registry in Los Angeles County for 20 years and now its scientific advisor, I can provide you detailed data regarding breast cancer incidence, but you can obtain these data for yourself on the NCI SEER website, as it has a calculator for cancer incidence rates and the probability of developing cancer between certain ages. For example, the probability that a young woman who is age 15 years will develop invasive breast cancer by age 40 years is less than one-half of one percent (0.497%). This can be compared to the greater than 5% probability that a 50 year old woman will develop breast cancer by age 70 years (5.62%).

I am writing to you to ask you to oppose this bill. This is not the way to address reducing the
burden of breast cancer among women in the United States.

The National Breast Cancer Coalition also makes a very academic appeal to reconsider the EARLY Act. With so many people not having access to care, why would any organization advocate spending nearly $50 million on questionable educational practices that affect only a small segment of women diagnosed with breast cancer. There are many erroneous assumptions in this legislation. Read the article on The Cancer Letter’s website linked below and see if you don’t agree.

Sad Farewell to Two Great “Buddies”

bosombud — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 16:20:28 +0000

It is with a great deal of sadness that we must announce the deaths of two stellar members of the Bosom Buddies of Arizona family. Both Lillian Freburger and Jackie Pettycrew served BBA for many years.

Lillian Freburger was Bosom Buddies president for the past six years. She relinquished the role in February 2009, serving as Immediate Past President afterward and was the chief administrator of the clothing drop box program, our major fundraiser. Bosom Buddies realized much growth under her leadership, bringing her business skills to improve the organization in many ways. During Lillian’s tenure, outreach and communication, education, fundraising, leadership at the national level, and a major re-branding effort were all improved, updated, and/or accomplished.

Two months before she died, she attended a city council meeting in Goodyear where an initiative was being introduced that would have severely curtailed our income from the clothing drop boxes. When told she would have to come to the podium in order to speak, the wheelchair bound Lillian having endured years of chemotherapy for metastatic breast cancer informed the town council they could hear her “just fine” from where she sat. In her inimitable way she was able to convince the council how vital these funds are to organizations like Bosom Buddies who serve the needs of people like herself. The initiative did not pass!

Lillian will be missed for her thoughtful, kind, and efficient manner. She will continue to serve as an inspiration for all of us to have hope and courage when facing adversity, as she did so well.

Jackie Pettycrew was a long-time member of Bosom Buddies who wore many hats in the early years of Bosom Buddies. She had a career in advertising and marketing, working for the Arizona Republic and the Phoenix Gazette. She formed her own promotions and marketing firm and was a brilliant writer and editor. Jackie lent these skills to many volunteer organizations and BBA was one blessed to receive her talents.

In the 1980’s she joined the fledgling group of professional women who saw a need to reach out to those diagnosed with breast cancer. Her professional skills helped to promote Bosom Buddies, create and maintain a hotline, and develop group support sites throughout Greater Phoenix. She did the newsletters and would take on any tasks that needed her skills. Jackie was a member of the “Survivors” who extended their support beyond their time and talents to include their pocketbooks.

Jackie maintained her membership and support of BBA until her death and will be greatly missed by those lucky enough to have known her.

We mourn the passing of these two great women and express our sincere condolences to their family members and friends.

Written by Karen Lewkowitz

Action Needed on Health Care Reform

bosombud — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 17:19:07 +0000

There are many petitions and postcards going around addressed to the White House in support of health care reform. The White House itself has a vehicle for individuals to sign on to express their support for reform on the basis of stated principles. We think it would be extremely helpful to our efforts to move our number one priority of guaranteed access to quality health care for all, if our advocates signed onto this website stating their support. Recent polls indicate that public support for this goal is beginning to waver; we cannot let that happen!

Here is the link: http://www.healthreform.gov/support.html.

As always, thank you for all that you do!