tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-314354732012-01-26T09:55:27.204-08:00This is my place to relate my experiences with cancer treatment, as well as share resources that may be helpful to fellow oral, head, and neck cancer survivors. I was diagnosed with adenoid cystic carcinoma of the left parotid on June 30, 2006. My goal is to continue enjoying the Nebraska Good Life. I call this blog the "Cheeky Librarian", since the cancer was discovered in my cheek, I am a librarian, and many that know me say I fit the slang use of the word 'cheeky'.Teresa Hartmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16819137357040314260noreply@blogger.comBlogger4651100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31435473.post-82060428871364599032012-01-15T19:36:00.000-08:002012-01-15T19:36:33.540-08:00

The Cheeky Librarian here, letting you know the stories in the news or on the Internet about fellow ACC-wearers that I have located recently. 1. Christopher Lyles is back in the news with his new trachea: http://abcnews.go.com/Health/Wellness/us-patient-artifical-trachea-transplant/story?id=15354809  http://www.thestatecolumn.com/health/cancer-patient-pioneers-first-stem-cell-trachea-transplant

Teresa Hartmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16819137357040314260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31435473.post-82006685378667582202012-01-15T19:21:00.000-08:002012-01-15T19:21:53.152-08:00

Omaha has been spoiled here with warmer than usual winter weather, but last week's weather reminded me that the cold is not ever far away. It was sub-zero wind chill two days when I left the house to go to work, and even with wrapping myself up and wearing a hat all day, the head pounded. I am glad the weekend did not involve leaving the house, and today was much warmer, so I should face Monday

Teresa Hartmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16819137357040314260noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31435473.post-59834675804003357672011-12-31T18:36:00.000-08:002011-12-31T18:36:58.393-08:00

I hope that 2011 was a full year for you and your loved ones. And I really really wish for us all to be around to see December 31, 2012 together. Unfortunately, I know of too many that did not get to see this day due to their cancer's progression, and I figure it will be the same next New Year's Eve. If my blog is of any good in this world, I will continue to record items in the news about

Teresa Hartmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16819137357040314260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31435473.post-25859961087754431032011-12-31T18:15:00.000-08:002011-12-31T18:38:19.596-08:00

I saw this news story at examiner.com: Crossing the Atlantic Ocean for a life saving cure. http://www.examiner.com/restaurant-in-baltimore/crossing-the-atlantic-ocean-for-a-life-saving-cure It appears to be an entry for Christopher L. Lyles to the Examiner.com's America Inspired contest. From the article: "Chris was diagnosed with Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma (ACC) after his 30th birthday and became

Teresa Hartmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16819137357040314260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31435473.post-46551672369377575262011-12-30T16:54:00.000-08:002011-12-30T16:54:51.547-08:00

Sad news from Whitehall, PA. Julie Duttine died on December 7th. She was a young mom fighting ACC while supporting her son Jaden through his cancer treatment (I posted about them last January). The family asks for memorial donations to the Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh or to St. Gabriel's School. My deepest sympathy goes to her family during this very sad time. Julie's strength was and still

Teresa Hartmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16819137357040314260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31435473.post-4816573636203404992011-12-19T11:37:00.000-08:002011-12-19T13:48:45.285-08:00

I just saw an announcement from the National Institutes of Health that Mr. Kaufman, of the ACCRF, is one of 7 named to the NIH Council of Councils: http://www.nih.gov/news/health/dec2011/od-19.htm From the announcement: "The National Institutes of Health today announced the appointments of seven individuals to the NIH Council of Councils. The council was established to advise the NIH Director

Teresa Hartmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16819137357040314260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31435473.post-21282098750098414622011-12-01T09:00:00.000-08:002011-12-01T09:00:02.030-08:00

Today is our anniversary. 27 years ago, we stood in front of a few family and friends and pledged that we would be there for the other one, in good times and bad. Boy howdy - have we ever! Sending happy day wishes to that man that has stood by me and that I have stood by him through the years. They have all been good, hon. Here's wishing that everyone reading this has someone special in their

Teresa Hartmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16819137357040314260noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31435473.post-30877377458786532392011-11-17T04:02:00.000-08:002011-11-17T04:04:20.066-08:00

I saw this great story in the Oakdale Leader, by Kim Van Meter: Make-up with a mission http://www.oakdaleleader.com/section/53/article/6102/ It is a story about how a fellow ACC wearer, Mary Carey, overcame cancer treatment issues and their effect on her appearance with the help of her talented niece, Vena Hudgins. Ms. Hudgins has plans to help other cancer warriors with once a month classes. My

Teresa Hartmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16819137357040314260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31435473.post-80615081409931504822011-11-13T08:03:00.000-08:002011-11-13T08:03:11.548-08:00

I mentioned before on this blog about ACC Artists for a Cure - I had learned of it last spring on Facebook -  and received a recent comment to the original post linked here. I am repeating the comment on today's post, so you can know that it is a vital developing group. I look forward to following their fundraising efforts, and to passing along the new site's information to you when they

Teresa Hartmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16819137357040314260noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31435473.post-23492080005306822892011-11-03T17:28:00.000-07:002011-11-03T17:29:35.485-07:00

I had about 10 days of bronchitis - first time for that particular ailment, and I sure hope it is my last. Something about coughing hard enough to want to retch... oh yeah, and that plays havoc with all those radiated muscles up in my head/neck area, don't it. I am well enough now to be cranky about it, so, as the dear mister says, I am well. I will now get back into the ebb and flow of blogging.

Teresa Hartmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16819137357040314260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31435473.post-12365545252660203752011-10-01T16:41:00.000-07:002011-10-01T16:59:58.937-07:00

I have some "ACC in the news" posts to add to this blog - there has been a lot of activity in both the personal and research side of this cancer in the news. But first I wanted to catch readers up with how my annual scan dancing went. The MRI went ok - if I was the type to leave my eyes open when I go into the tube, I might see the initials of all the others that have gone before me (yes, I am

Teresa Hartmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16819137357040314260noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31435473.post-21692648140596681532011-09-23T05:50:00.000-07:002011-09-23T08:21:41.438-07:00

Jeanne Sather, of Seattle, WA, and author of the Assertive Cancer Patient blog [ http://assertivecancerpatient.com ], is featured in this recent story in the Seattle Times: Breast Cancer Patient Gets Drugs Closer to Patients http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2016265548_survivor21m.html The story covers her work to get TDM-1 administered closer to her home, rather than traveling

Teresa Hartmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16819137357040314260noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31435473.post-27757863586263269372011-09-08T04:11:00.000-07:002011-09-08T04:14:07.134-07:00

I should have called this post "living life despite cancer". Saw this in today's news, and got pretty hot about it (but I think that is the mission of the Daily Mail - excitable tabloid journalism): "inspiring or irresponsible? Melanie has terminal cancer yet determined to start a family she chose to get pregnant" http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2034881/

Teresa Hartmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16819137357040314260noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31435473.post-10550971858392692882011-08-31T16:36:00.000-07:002011-08-31T16:36:19.984-07:00

Ah yes, that time of year when one allows the health professionals to peer into one's skull, using the top-notch technology and scanning contrast and one honking-big MRI apparatus. I will be experiencing the thrill of chasing my claustrophobia demons (not claustrophobic yet, but another few years of this and I might grow the phobia) at the end of this week, and find out the results (no doubt,

Teresa Hartmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16819137357040314260noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31435473.post-8256429426920158212011-08-26T04:16:00.000-07:002011-08-26T04:16:38.237-07:00

Defined as "the ability not only to bounce back from adversity but also to flourish", post-traumatic growth is the topic of this CNN Health article: "Steps to help you thrive in hard times" http://www.cnn.com/2011/HEALTH/08/24/thrive.in.hard.times.enayati/ Since I just spent tens of hours welcoming new students to their health care professional education experience, I understand and look for

Teresa Hartmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16819137357040314260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31435473.post-4696858017737820272011-08-22T15:33:00.000-07:002011-08-22T15:33:14.045-07:00

I saw this on CNBC, and thought it applied to going through life with initial stages of cancer: One Thing the Boss Appreciates More Than Being Smart http://www.cnbc.com/id/44230002 I am in no way suggesting that melt-downs or anger or frustration won't bubble to the surface during the bad times (or, as I found out, after the bad times are pretty much over and one has to resume normal life, when

Teresa Hartmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16819137357040314260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31435473.post-21235993310006764752011-08-09T19:34:00.003-07:002011-08-09T19:34:56.752-07:00

I have had 3 goals during these summer months: 1. survive the heat 2. go through and get my house in order 3. support number one daughter in her flight to Europe for an exchange program I think I have managed to do all three, though none are officially completed yet. Tonight's temps are due to be in the low 60's (amazing!). I have disposed of about 7 large bags of items out of my house (maybe

Teresa Hartmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16819137357040314260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31435473.post-11518152942523715332011-08-09T19:24:00.000-07:002011-08-09T19:24:48.886-07:00

Update on the benefit held for Gary Eccles (Illinois - mentioned previously in this blog here) on Saturday: Big Peru crowd supports Peru firefighter Eccles http://www.newstrib.com/articles/news/local/default.asp?Article=6C780FBEBD184DFCA80AB9F59A60A6DD238609483E9B1E49 Update on fundraiser for Melanie Jaggard (Abergavenny, Wales - mentioned previously in this blog here): Ride for cure for

Teresa Hartmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16819137357040314260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31435473.post-42998300303937628402011-07-31T16:46:00.000-07:002011-07-31T16:46:28.339-07:00

Great quote from Peter Tork When the Burlington Free Press (Vermont) asked Mr. Tork how having Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma had changed his life, he replied, "None, zero, zip, zip-a-dee-doo-dah. If it took cancer to change my view of life, then my view of life was not very solid beforehand. I’ve been blessed to have a philosophy that didn’t need to shift." You can read the full interview here: Hey,

Teresa Hartmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16819137357040314260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31435473.post-22896297146987187632011-07-24T11:27:00.000-07:002011-07-24T17:28:29.372-07:00

2 items located in the news - From the UK - Michaela Davis is raising money for ACC as a tribute to her stepdad, Keith Bunton, who was just diagnosed with Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma this past September: Colchester schoolgirl's cycle tribute to cancer victim stepdad http://www.gazette-news.co.uk/news/9155790.Girl_s_cycle_tribute_to_cancer_victim_stepdad/ (Maybe because I am forever curious in all

Teresa Hartmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16819137357040314260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31435473.post-46968914474717183892011-07-19T22:37:00.000-07:002011-07-24T16:55:47.153-07:00

Congratulations go out to a fellow ACC warrior Melanie Jaggard and her husband, Charlie, who are expecting twins! Yay! Good news!! From Wales Online: Young woman with rare form of terminal cancer due to give birth to twins http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/2011/07/19/rare-cancer-woman-will-be-first-sufferer-to-give-birth-91466-29078429/ But I do ask you, dear reader, if you have

Teresa Hartmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16819137357040314260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31435473.post-18977297288926571852011-07-18T04:32:00.000-07:002011-07-18T04:32:48.767-07:00

Article published July 16th in The Jamestown Sun - "JHS sophomore fights rare cancer" http://www.jamestownsun.com/event/article/id/140122/ Mackenzie Gerszewski was diagnosed with ACC on May 7th, and had surgery to remove the tumor, upper jaw, and palate. She is about to go through radiation treatments. The article announces the benefit hog roast and auction to be held tonight from 4-8pm at St.

Teresa Hartmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16819137357040314260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31435473.post-18298275418704929362011-07-08T20:33:00.000-07:002011-07-08T20:35:02.464-07:00

I posted earlier this year about a success story from San Antonio where they used genetic testing on one ACC warrior's tumor to customize treatment protocols, and evidently experienced reduction in tumor size: Genetic tissue testing leads to 'personalized' cancer treatment. The New York Times has a July 7th story about genetic cancer testing programs today - and how they have not held up to

Teresa Hartmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16819137357040314260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31435473.post-39729616469845777112011-07-06T19:20:00.000-07:002011-07-06T19:20:55.358-07:00

Yeah, I said the three-letter word. Because we all have to deal with it, and the favor we can grant our survivors is to have our papers in order. (Now, when someone reads this after I have shuffled off the immortal coil, they will know the irony of my posting this information - IF I didn't follow the advice I have received today). I saw this article in the Wall Street Journal: Designing your

Teresa Hartmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16819137357040314260noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31435473.post-154829572868732362011-07-06T04:01:00.000-07:002011-07-06T04:01:13.436-07:00

News about Pfizer funding research on how its drug, Axitinib, affects cancer through the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, including adenoid cystic carcinoma: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20110705005836/en/Researchers-Receive-Grants-NCCN-Oncology-Research-Program  Sites that were awarded, and type of cancer studied (links to these centers and names of researchers are in the article

Teresa Hartmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16819137357040314260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31435473.post-41979912803184871192011-07-04T18:57:00.000-07:002011-07-04T19:02:12.774-07:00

In my opinion (IMO), more people should sign up for long term studies on healthy living. Following humans (usually a set group, like nurses http://www.channing.harvard.edu/nhs/) generally results in observations that others can use to improve their own lives. So I was excited to see this headline:  Relay For Life seeks committed research subjects (from The Free Press http://mankatofreepress.com/

Teresa Hartmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16819137357040314260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31435473.post-72814994847327987042011-07-03T07:08:00.000-07:002011-07-03T07:08:32.061-07:00

I am glad that you found this blog, but so sorry that we have to meet under these conditions. There are links on the right side of the blog for more information on ACC, (also known by the acronym AdCC). If you are new to the topic and still under treatment, searching on the internet may not be the best action you can take at this time, since you need to concentrate on getting healed up and

Teresa Hartmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16819137357040314260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31435473.post-50597715852346178422011-07-03T07:01:00.000-07:002011-07-03T07:01:24.396-07:00

I would love LOVE to be attending tonight, if anything to cheer on a fellow ACC warrior who has jumped back fully into his life (Peter Tork) - but it is not to be. I hope they have a better time of it on the banks of the flooded Missouri River than they did up in Minnesota (faced both a government shutdown AND a thunderstorm there). I imagine they will have a book's worth of stories by the time

Teresa Hartmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16819137357040314260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31435473.post-57597304921173995462011-06-30T17:57:00.000-07:002011-06-30T17:57:28.127-07:00

I know - I wasn't going to do much, since it isn't a 'real' date for me (5 years out of cancer treatment does not mean you get to consider yourself in remission with ACC - let's be realistic about that), but I felt like marking a date anyway. Purchased breakfast sandwiches at Jason's Deli (I thought they were over-browned, but folks voiced their appreciation at work - I work with a lot of really

Teresa Hartmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16819137357040314260noreply@blogger.com1Omaha, NE, USA41.2523634 -95.9979882999999741.1510524 -96.17025379999997 41.3536744 -95.82572279999998tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31435473.post-38930482666633395652011-06-29T07:46:00.000-07:002011-06-29T07:46:11.442-07:00

Just saw this column by The Rev. Paul E. Grabill in the Centre Daily Times of State College, PA: Looking Toward Heaven With Love http://www.centredaily.com/2011/06/18/2784555/looking-toward-heaven-with-love.html In the column, The Rev. Grabill says it may be his last, as he has been told he doesn't have much time left due to ACC mets from his original diagnosis and treatment of 7 years ago. A

Teresa Hartmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16819137357040314260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31435473.post-41854447268752745632011-06-24T20:19:00.000-07:002011-06-24T20:19:46.573-07:00

Yep, that supposedly-magical 5 year mark will happen next Thursday, right in the middle of our summer education push for the new M3 students before their rotations begin. That is how it happened 5 years ago, too - and I still owe my colleagues at work for taking on my duties as well as their own that year. I am not going to mark the 5 year anniversary for anything special like "I'm cancer free" (

Teresa Hartmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16819137357040314260noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31435473.post-36657231310500185612011-06-24T20:05:00.000-07:002011-06-24T20:05:14.368-07:00

An ACC warrior who is also a father discusses his life as a single dad in this story from the UK Midlands paper: Sunday Mercury http://www.sundaymercury.net/news/midlands-news/2011/06/23/father-s-day-real-life-the-dad-fighting-cancer-for-the-sake-of-his-little-girl-66331-28900622/ I am saddened to read that he is still waiting for additional radiotherapy - waiting for treatment is generally how

Teresa Hartmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16819137357040314260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31435473.post-30197996171563270502011-06-18T22:09:00.000-07:002011-06-18T22:10:38.960-07:00

Since the originators of blogs have come into suspicion (a la "The Daily Show" in this clip: http://bit.ly/mctK3J  ),  I thought my readers might want to know that there really truly is a Cheeky Librarian behind this blog. The photo at left was taken at my computer workstation in the library. If that doesn't do it for you, the photo at right was taken at a wedding I attended last Saturday night

Teresa Hartmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16819137357040314260noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31435473.post-63313590492688038022011-06-15T07:32:00.000-07:002011-06-15T07:32:55.382-07:00

Courtesy of The New York Times, Bruce Feiler writes about what to say and what not to say to someone who is sick: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/12/fashion/what-to-say-to-someone-whos-sick-this-life.html Please add to the comments if you have additional suggestions of what you liked hearing or what you hope no one ever says again.

Teresa Hartmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16819137357040314260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31435473.post-45865823957237503692011-06-06T09:53:00.000-07:002011-06-06T09:53:39.203-07:00

I guess I didn't get the email/postcard/Facebook poke about yesterday's events. If you went to something, let me know how it was. Here is a search in Google News on stories written about the day's events all over: http://news.google.com/news/search?aq=f&pz=1&cf=all&ned=us&hl=en&q=cancer+survivors+day&btnmeta_news_search=Search+News Since I am not feeling all that inspirational for others, I

Teresa Hartmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16819137357040314260noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31435473.post-55546241416151185882011-05-28T20:03:00.000-07:002011-07-03T07:11:55.025-07:00

That is the total number of miles the Cheekymobile has driven in the past week. This includes a trip to Sedalia, MO, then to Sherman, TX, then to San Antonio, TX, then up to Muskogee, OK , back to Sedalia, MO, then to Omaha. Yep - this year, Mom and I went to San Antonio for our spring trip. [We drove through Joplin last Sunday before the tornado hit, and were shocked as anyone to hear about it

Teresa Hartmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16819137357040314260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31435473.post-33688344750816694762011-05-28T17:54:00.000-07:002011-05-28T17:54:02.383-07:00

Goodyear, AZ has a Cancer Treatment Centers of America - an ACC warrior spoke at a recent celebration there: http://www.azcentral.com/community/swvalley/articles/2011/05/11/20110511goodyear-cancer-survivors-celebration.html. Sandy Willett of Tolleson, AZ has been fighting with ACC for 17 years, and gives an interview on her experiences.  Neil McKittrick of Needham (Mass?) received an award for

Teresa Hartmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16819137357040314260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31435473.post-72166419246774541222011-04-30T15:09:00.000-07:002011-04-30T15:09:17.571-07:00

This weekend is the Berkshire Hathaway Annual Meeting in Omaha, and I have been playing a bit with the high rollers. One of the members of my family ended up in a photo taken for the meeting blog: http://www.flickr.com/photos/borsheimsjewelry/5670738155/in/photostream/ Yeah, I will let you figure out who and where they might be (kind of hard to find 'where's Waldo' when you don't know what Waldo

Teresa Hartmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16819137357040314260noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31435473.post-26926790117174492372011-04-30T14:57:00.000-07:002011-04-30T14:57:38.154-07:00

Tim Pearson of Glen Innes, New Zealand has died. http://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/local-news/east-bays-courier/4937438/Tims-battle-ends His battle (yes, I will call it a battle) with ACC lasted for 10 years, charted through newspaper stories since 2005. I link to two of them (from 2008 and one from just a year ago) in this blog: http://cheekylibrarian.blogspot.com/search?q=pearson I join others in

Teresa Hartmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16819137357040314260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31435473.post-69559995106586831612011-04-27T06:13:00.000-07:002011-04-27T06:13:58.075-07:00

I just saw this article about Katie Easterbrook of Virginia that describes her diagnosis and treatment for ACC and the need for people to get screening for oral, head, and neck cancers: Oral Cancer Survivor Shares Her Story http://wusa9.com/news/article/148411/28/Oral-Cancer-Survivor-Shares-Her-Story Her story is also told in this Georgetown University Hospital news item: http://

Teresa Hartmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16819137357040314260noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31435473.post-38021765888986819342011-04-25T17:54:00.000-07:002011-04-25T17:54:39.216-07:00

Just located this news item from last October - and if my swiss cheese brain already posted it here, well fine. A strong lady like Donna Woolum is worth the extra coverage, in my opinion. From Pal-item: Sister supportive of Centerville woman who's battled cancer since 1996 http://www.pal-item.com/article/20101006/NEWS01/10060315/0/LOCAL/2-times-the-fighting-spirit Ms. Woolum is a lady who has

Teresa Hartmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16819137357040314260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31435473.post-90427133471447843692011-04-23T04:38:00.000-07:002011-04-23T04:38:40.432-07:00

I currently have no restrictions on me - I can eat what I can stand (yeah, that whole 'lost taste' thing I don't see as a restriction), go where I want, drive when I want to drive. I know I have had restrictions on me in the past (just healing up from an operation can leave one feeling restricted), and will have them again in the future. Of course, my cars have always represented freedom to me,

Teresa Hartmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16819137357040314260noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31435473.post-9459483716873016492011-04-21T15:29:00.000-07:002011-04-21T15:29:52.026-07:00

This news item comes from San Antonio, Texas, and is pretty amazing. Genetic tissue testing leads to 'personalized' cancer treatment - from KENS, Channel 5 in San Antonio. Tara Hernandez of Kerrville, TX has had 14 years wearing ACC, and thanks to genetic profiling conducted by START (South Texas Accelerated Research Therapeutics), Ms. Hernandez has undergone 'experimental pill therapy',

Teresa Hartmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16819137357040314260noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31435473.post-31544036840174965322011-04-16T08:45:00.000-07:002011-04-16T09:13:11.635-07:00

I decided how I would best like to mark the 5th year since diagnosis - I am chucking all books and informative items received from organizations during that first year*. At times after I was first diagnosed, it was as if I had been in a car accident and the lawyers were chasing me to catch my case. Livestrong. SPOHNC. American Cancer Society. They all had 'found' me (through my great friends as

Teresa Hartmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16819137357040314260noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31435473.post-13605076366128865762011-04-09T14:22:00.000-07:002011-04-09T14:22:52.938-07:00

I saw in March 2011 report from NORD that they have released RFP for funding that includes research on diagnosis, causes, and/or treatment of Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma: http://rarediseases.org/research/requests Deadline for applying is May 20, 2011. The award is $30,000 seed money. GO FOR IT!!

Teresa Hartmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16819137357040314260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31435473.post-17006316571939621482011-04-09T12:53:00.000-07:002011-04-09T12:53:42.147-07:00

I am somewhat of a night owl now - waking up at various times in the night, and either making jewelry or watching late night tv (or both). I was flipping through channels one time, and one of the live poker championship shows was on. I heard the announcer say, as he was introducing the players: "no matter if you follow the rules, you can still lose this game." While I don't agree with 'fighting'

Teresa Hartmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16819137357040314260noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31435473.post-78400069342584214602011-04-06T23:07:00.000-07:002011-04-06T23:07:38.837-07:00

As a human that received 6600 Gray in 2006 to kill off any remaining cancer cells left over after they removed my left parotid, and as a human that was told in 1986 that the Chernobyl cloud had indeed passed over the area of Germany that I lived in (we kind of figured it, when we saw the farmers plowing under their crops and slaughtering their livestock), and as an adult that grew up on this

Teresa Hartmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16819137357040314260noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31435473.post-5238026981484839592011-04-06T02:06:00.000-07:002011-04-06T02:06:44.877-07:00

I am glad that you found this blog, but so sorry that we have to meet under these conditions. There are links on the right side of the blog for more information on ACC, (also known by the acronym AdCC). If you are new to the topic and still under treatment, searching on the internet may not be the best action you can take at this time, since you need to concentrate on getting healed up and

Teresa Hartmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16819137357040314260noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31435473.post-6972276611162430512011-04-02T16:52:00.001-07:002011-04-02T16:52:51.164-07:00

I just learned of this fundraiser, evidently run through Edith Thompson's (an artist from Virginia) site: http://www.whitearrowgraphics.com/ . The site is pretty difficult to navigate (in Chrome on a Mac, anyway) - titles just slip right by your mouse, so I wish you luck in gaining access. I had first seen mention that there was a gallery somewhere in the world through a mention on the ACCOI

Teresa Hartmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16819137357040314260noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31435473.post-36100575853244283522011-04-02T06:03:00.000-07:002011-04-02T06:03:56.542-07:00

I found this site showing the eagle nest in Decorah, Iowa. I figure watching new life is a better use of my time these days, and thought you might also find it interesting: http://www.ustream.tv/decoraheagles One eaglet hatched this morning - two other eggs remain. The ustream site has ads that show up, but I muted it and keep closing the ads, watching the eagle. Here is more information about

Teresa Hartmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16819137357040314260noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31435473.post-10390779746402973732011-03-29T04:07:00.000-07:002011-03-29T04:07:20.299-07:00

From Bremen, Indiana: The whole town got together for their annual basketball benefit activity, and gave the proceeds to Jon Hershberger and his family to cover medical expenses. Mr. Hershberger was diagnosed with ACC last July. http://www.thepilotnews.com/content/benefit-raises-over-26k-local-family-0 All the best goes to Jon and his family.

Teresa Hartmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16819137357040314260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31435473.post-41808517306228369662011-03-14T17:41:00.000-07:002011-03-14T17:41:03.176-07:00

All day long, dear husband was texting me that he "had a secret". Drove me nuts (which made it all the better for his enjoyment, and is, of course, why he kept doing it.) Finally, he showed up at work, surprising me with roses, and telling me that all would be revealed in due time (yeah, he sometimes talks like that.) We went out to the car, drove over to the credit union, and he gave me a note

Teresa Hartmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16819137357040314260noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31435473.post-35902632194975974062011-03-12T16:16:00.000-08:002011-03-12T16:52:50.908-08:00

Thanks to Nutiva, today I tried Chia seeds for the first time, mixing them into a dish of raw cabbage with hemp and sunflower seeds. I had heard that Chia seeds, in addition to making hairy pets, are actually a nutritious food. Evidently they are big with raw-food folks, since most of the recipes I have located do not involve cooking at all. Since I no longer deal with slimy-textured foods very

Teresa Hartmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16819137357040314260noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31435473.post-8951884430774291022011-03-08T21:31:00.000-08:002011-03-08T21:31:36.881-08:00

My deepest condolences to the family of 30 year-young Julie O'Rourke, who died on Friday after fighting this awful disease for 3 years: http://yourlifemoments.ca/sitepages/obituary.asp?oid=477949 . The family requests that donations be given to the London (ON) Health Sciences Centre Foundation (Head & Neck Oncology) http://www.lhsf.ca/. Gerald Babao of Charlotte, NC, who was diagnosed with ACC

Teresa Hartmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16819137357040314260noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31435473.post-70533795172293257342011-03-03T11:19:00.000-08:002011-03-04T04:45:07.087-08:00

To all of my family, friends, fellow cancer treatment travelers, colleagues - including my healthcare providers, readers, and folks that might have just met this blog: thank you for being my present. It is wonderful having a birthday when there have been times in my recent lifetime that I thought I might have celebrated my last one. You make the day brighter, and add life to my days. All in all,

Teresa Hartmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16819137357040314260noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31435473.post-73290416388665403452011-03-02T10:36:00.000-08:002011-03-02T10:36:39.335-08:00

Boing Boing just posted the story on the boxes (turns out, there were three winners): http://www.boingboing.net/2011/03/02/boing-boing-boxes-fi.html Welcome to all the new readers to my humble blog.

Teresa Hartmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16819137357040314260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31435473.post-71408804886004601072011-02-28T04:42:00.000-08:002011-02-28T04:42:02.967-08:00

The National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD) is doing its best to get attention to the 30 million Americans that have a rare disease. Speaking as one (Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma is a rare cancer), I tip my hat to their efforts. Here is the website: http://rarediseaseday.us/ One of the goals they have is to create a rare disease physician database, and they would like your help: http://

Teresa Hartmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16819137357040314260noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31435473.post-9652250579124726382011-02-20T09:11:00.000-08:002011-02-20T20:17:59.001-08:00

This story comes from a close-to-home source, the Omaha World-Herald: One couple's cancer conversation http://www.omaha.com/article/20110217/LIVEWELL01/702189977/1161. Chuck Offenberger of Clarinda, Iowa was first diagnosed with lymphoma, and went through treatment. Then his wife, Carla, was diagnosed with Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma. After her radiation treatments, Chuck's cancer came back, then

Teresa Hartmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16819137357040314260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31435473.post-47346519827614368142011-02-19T13:38:00.000-08:002011-02-23T03:25:23.938-08:00

Jeanne Sather, author of the Assertive Cancer Patient blog (http://assertivecancerpatient.com) is currently undergoing treatment through a clinical trial - and it is working (thank goodness!). She is officially in remission, thanks to Genentech's TDM-1. However, she is about $100,000 short to cover her care over the next couple of years, which includes flying back and forth from Seattle to

Teresa Hartmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16819137357040314260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31435473.post-34140748920867190092011-02-19T08:29:00.000-08:002011-02-19T08:59:13.911-08:00

I hope you have figured out now that I was picked as a winner in the BoingBoing contest.  I really REALLY wanted to make a big deal out of the box opening - had alerted librarian bloggers to be on the ready, even talked to our PR department at the university. In the end, it is probably better that I didn't open the box on the Daily Show as I had hoped (it is on my Bucket list, after all, to meet

Teresa Hartmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16819137357040314260noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31435473.post-66948980222439740662011-02-18T15:19:00.000-08:002011-02-18T15:19:50.293-08:00

And it was full of cool things. I will have a complete inventory plus video and stills of the contents. Unfortunately, I got home to find number one daughter getting ready to go to Naka-Kon in Kansas City http://naka-kon.com/, and number one son heading off somewhere else, and number one husband wanting some dinner. After everything is sorted out, it will be back to the box, I promise.

Teresa Hartmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16819137357040314260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31435473.post-67666898550386288562011-02-18T09:50:00.000-08:002011-02-18T09:50:28.230-08:00

At 3pm Central Time, I will open the box and video capture its contents. This surprise is thanks to Boing Boing awarding me one of their "What's in the box?" prizes. Stay tuned!

Teresa Hartmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16819137357040314260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31435473.post-19483324247395846782011-02-17T15:15:00.000-08:002011-02-17T15:15:26.957-08:00

Not a puppy, nor a mid-life baby, but a mysterious box of prizes from Boing Boing: http://boingboing.net/2011/02/08/thebox.html. I have the enormous responsibility of opening this box up and showing the contents to all of those folks that entered the contest with me, plus the world beyond. I am tweaking a project to make this so. In the mean time, join me in guessing what is in the box that now

Teresa Hartmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16819137357040314260noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31435473.post-86778473818237021062011-02-16T16:33:00.000-08:002011-02-16T16:33:11.790-08:00

1. Jessica Roark passed away in August - there are several posts about her story on this blog. Her parents have been dealing with her affairs, including her student loans, since that time. Their story on how the loans have finally been resolved was on ABC: College Loan Forgiveness: When Student Dies, Should Parents Have to Pay? http://abcnews.go.com/Business/

Teresa Hartmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16819137357040314260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31435473.post-29833817675886954022011-02-15T17:27:00.000-08:002011-02-15T17:27:17.936-08:00

I have had many things go away in my life - not all of them good, nor bad, just gone. So I really look forward to the new arrivals. My boyfriend-turned-husband - he was a very nice surprise arrival, thanks to his taking leave and visiting his grandparents, which were also my neighbors. My kids - those were two great new arrivals. My jobs over the years - seemed like a job opening appeared about

Teresa Hartmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16819137357040314260noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31435473.post-30958125775726952722011-02-04T05:10:00.000-08:002011-02-04T05:10:24.403-08:00

As seen in News from the Dedham (Mass.) Transcript: http://www.dailynewstranscript.com/features/x1531101/Dedham-Square-Scoop-Feb-3-2011 Songs of Love  - Warm your heart with at a special Valentine’s event hosted by Voicewize & Discover Music and Art to raise awareness for the Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma Research Foundation (ACCRF). Performance by voice students and valentine card making for kids

Teresa Hartmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16819137357040314260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31435473.post-77020037813689943792011-01-28T04:14:00.000-08:002011-01-28T04:14:17.746-08:00

When I was diagnosed with a 'head and neck cancer', more people than I thought would have asked me if it was due to any history of smoking - "you must have smoked a lot sometime". Nope, never even lit a match to smoke. Alcohol? "I bet you used to drink, and that brought it on." Nope, pretty much not a drinker. "Well, why did you get it then?", they would ask. (You understand, these were not my

Teresa Hartmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16819137357040314260noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31435473.post-5630484150748036052011-01-26T03:30:00.000-08:002011-01-26T03:34:56.224-08:00

From Portsmouth, NH - Samuel Hyun, a math teacher, passed away due to ACC on January 16. He was 34. More on his story can be read here: Teacher Inspired Students  http://www.seacoastonline.com/articles/20110125-NEWS-101250307 Diagnostic Imaging has an article from a Penn State resident on ACC of the breast: http://www.diagnosticimaging.com/breast/content/article/113619/1781622 I am not sure if

Teresa Hartmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16819137357040314260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31435473.post-53050786314555194082011-01-19T08:11:00.000-08:002011-01-19T08:11:09.580-08:00

If you are newly diagnosed with a condition, or are searching for information on a condition you have had for a while, please remember that librarians are standing by to assist you. You can locate libraries nearby that are ready to help by going to this MedlinePlus directory site: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/libraries.html. Also, check with your hospital or clinic to see if they have a

Teresa Hartmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16819137357040314260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31435473.post-81402475487820392672011-01-17T19:26:00.000-08:002011-01-17T19:27:36.496-08:00

20 years ago this evening, I was at a military spouse meeting, supposedly ready to hear specifics about how the Army notified survivors that their military spouse had died or been captured, and discussions about survivors' benefits. As we sat in the meeting hall at Ft. Sill, OK, someone came in and said, "turn on CNN". Since most of us had small children that had said goodbye to their dads 3

Teresa Hartmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16819137357040314260noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31435473.post-87383890004259550182011-01-11T16:26:00.000-08:002011-01-11T16:26:03.992-08:00

Here is a research article (free to read, open access) from China, as published in the Journal of Translational Medicine: Inhibiting adenoid cystic carcinoma cells growth and metastasis by blocking the expression of ADAM 10 using RNA interference. The article says that research concluded that ADAM 10 is "potentially an important therapeutic target for the prevention of tumor metastases" in ACC. I

Teresa Hartmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16819137357040314260noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31435473.post-14436977181077192972011-01-11T12:47:00.000-08:002011-01-12T03:38:44.091-08:00

(Swiss cheese memory precludes my use of the correct term for the removal of skull bone that I experienced back in 2007.) Based on previous years' experience in dealing with the cold weather (really hurts the radiated area, as well as causes headaches around the skullectomy site), and needing to avoid taking the acetomeniphen/ibuprofen alternating doses through day after day during the winter (

Teresa Hartmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16819137357040314260noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31435473.post-61844401054355122492010-12-31T16:52:00.000-08:002010-12-31T16:52:33.198-08:00

Not sure that I have much to add to the millions of words that have been written about the year that is nearly passed, but I will try in order to convey my gratitude for having spent all the days casting a shadow. Yep, it has been a good year, over all. I have been able to spend time with friends, had unique experiences, witnessed great courage and strength in people that I know and have come to

Teresa Hartmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16819137357040314260noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31435473.post-17356276766782677822010-12-18T16:33:00.000-08:002010-12-20T19:20:56.306-08:00

Since my kids are now grown up, I searched for a way to celebrate the holidays with them and their dates, while still making it festive. Here in Omaha, we are very lucky to have the Omaha Community Playhouse's tradition of The Christmas Carol. I first saw this production 3 years ago after the skull operation - kind of appropriate, and I felt an affinity for Scrooge that I had never felt before

Teresa Hartmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16819137357040314260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31435473.post-37957231115908357002010-12-14T03:13:00.000-08:002010-12-14T03:13:28.548-08:00

What more can a person ask for, other than normal in their life? I am still living the good life here in Nebraska. Currently it is a tad colder than I would like, but we have a cozy house to come home to after work. Family is doing well. Dear husband discovered that, since the 25th wedding anniversary last year was Silver, the 26th this year is Nerf - and he is having a great time with his new

Teresa Hartmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16819137357040314260noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31435473.post-79525876509364064242010-11-29T18:30:00.000-08:002010-11-29T18:31:44.143-08:00

Jeanne Sather, author of the Assertive Cancer Patient blog (http://assertivecancerpatient.com) is currently undergoing treatment through a clinical trial - and it seems to be working (thank goodness!). However, she is about $100,000 short to cover her care over the next couple of years, which includes flying back and forth from Seattle to California for her treatments. She is asking for donations

Teresa Hartmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16819137357040314260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31435473.post-1550274965820916892010-11-14T15:42:00.000-08:002010-11-14T15:42:55.811-08:00

I found Karin's blog through the Rare Cancer Forum (the Rare Cancer list is linked on the right side of my blog): Mastering the Art of Living While Dying http://livingwhiledying.com/. She was diagnosed in 2008. Sending all good wishes of strength and healing to you, Karin.

Teresa Hartmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16819137357040314260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31435473.post-2542067130188429672010-10-22T20:46:00.000-07:002010-10-22T20:46:56.396-07:00

I am so sorry to record here that Chadee Deen passed away on October 20. Her obituary is here. Memorials may be made to ACCRF.

Teresa Hartmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16819137357040314260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31435473.post-26002003153194702332010-10-10T19:59:00.001-07:002010-10-10T20:24:23.024-07:00

Well, I attended the MCMLA conference for the first time since 2007 this past week in Wichita (last time I attended, we hosted it here in Omaha, and I had the skull lesion afterwards - nothing is allowed to happen this year like that!). The conference was held in the Hotel At Old Town (http://www.hotelatoldtown.com/) - a gorgeous place to stay, if you are ever lucky enough to visit Wichita. The

Teresa Hartmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16819137357040314260noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31435473.post-88076113840385248072010-09-21T22:30:00.000-07:002010-09-21T22:46:31.379-07:00

The DEA offers us the chance to anonymously surrender (their word) our expired/unused/unwanted drugs for destruction this Saturday. Here is a news item on it: http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/09/21/drug.take.back.campaign/index.html?iref=allsearch And the DEA page: http://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/takeback/You can search for locations in your area that are set up to receive your unwanted drugs on

Teresa Hartmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16819137357040314260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31435473.post-23144470420558223502010-09-12T18:24:00.000-07:002010-09-12T18:50:51.511-07:00

I found Huston Diehl's obituary this weekend while searching for news on ACC/AdCC. She died this past week from the disease, after being first diagnosed in 1998. As a professor at the University of Iowa, she was a prolific author, and great mentor of others. Here is a link in Worldcat for her name (some materials may possibly be attributable to another author with a similar name, but most are

Teresa Hartmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16819137357040314260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31435473.post-61913504577404828622010-09-01T04:39:00.000-07:002010-09-20T03:44:47.062-07:00

News on Jessica Roark's death came this morning: KU grad left legacy of courage http://www.kansan.com/news/2010/aug/31/2010-ku/Additional news story (9/1/10): http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2010/sep/01/ku-alumnas-outlook-life-positive-influence-she-lef/Tribute to Jessica in the Kansas City Star (9/19/10) http://www.kansascity.com/2010/09/19/2235287/tribute-jessica-roark.htmlJessica Roark has

Teresa Hartmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16819137357040314260noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31435473.post-60830896951691741862010-08-28T05:27:00.001-07:002010-09-02T07:53:03.533-07:00

Yeah, I know - we are so much more than our rare cancer - but how else do we call each other? I recently was introduced to Shalil's blog, and she agreed to let me post it so you can check out her story. She started writing her blog this past April when she was first diagnosed. Here it is: http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/shalil

Teresa Hartmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16819137357040314260noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31435473.post-57132358551077081862010-08-23T04:35:00.000-07:002010-08-23T04:39:01.799-07:00

If you or one of your loved ones has undergone recent cancer treatment, or are otherwise immunocompromised for any reason, please pay attention to the news about the egg recall. Here is a link to the FDA announcement: http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm223248.htmTo keep up with food recall announcements, here is a link to the FDA "What's New in Food" page:http://

Teresa Hartmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16819137357040314260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31435473.post-87232196409838060562010-08-20T03:39:00.000-07:002010-08-20T03:42:55.510-07:00

Showtime calls this a comedy: The Big C. Here is a link to the first episode that should be good for 20 days:http://www.imdb.com/video/TV/vi318309913/Looking forward to your comments about it - please let me know what you think about this one, guys.

Teresa Hartmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16819137357040314260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31435473.post-49054825595758273832010-08-14T23:17:00.000-07:002010-08-14T23:31:59.178-07:00

In the effort to corral ACC stories in one spot, I go out hunting for likely sites that I can link here (and also depend on the kindness of my readers to point me to new sources/sites). Here are some that I located recently:The ACCOI has a Facebook page, which links many people's stories in one spot. The wall also gives a place for folks to enter upcoming get-togethers/fundraisers, so it is

Teresa Hartmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16819137357040314260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31435473.post-31386812787322480082010-08-13T04:12:00.000-07:002010-08-13T04:17:58.673-07:00

Found this story about Peter Tork and his band, the Blue Suede Shoes, playing after Augusta Skyhawks game tomorrow: http://www.strausnews.com/articles/2010/08/13/new_jersey/arts_and_entertainment/4.txtNow that's the type of news I like to link to! May all of us overcome ACC and its treatment, and keep on with what we enjoy. I wish him and his band every success.

Teresa Hartmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16819137357040314260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31435473.post-90975777498338437012010-08-08T04:31:00.000-07:002010-08-08T04:59:42.376-07:00

1. I saw this research on ACC of the breast announced - the link to the PubMed citation is included here so you can read the full article: Adenoid cystic carcinoma of the breast in the United States (1977-2006): a population-based cohort study. http://pubmed.gov/20653964Click on the Breast Cancer Research button on the upper right of the page to get to the publisher's page - then click on the pdf

Teresa Hartmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16819137357040314260noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31435473.post-45461148641493059272010-08-03T15:37:00.000-07:002010-08-03T15:51:55.735-07:00

Well, it is official - I am now just a boring patient to my head/neck treatment team. Yep, no aliens in the brain pan or cheeks, no out-of-the-ordinary causes for the pain I experience (a small price to pay for them working so hard to save my life, as I see it). I don't see them again as a patient for a whole year - unless something out of the ordinary DOES raise its ugliness in the next 12

Teresa Hartmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16819137357040314260noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31435473.post-24850194801390199652010-07-30T04:13:00.000-07:002010-07-30T04:25:18.890-07:00

Thank goodness for all the fresh veggies and melons and blueberries that are offered in the stores now and at farmers markets. I picked up a 2 pound package of huge blueberries at Sams - those will be my weekend treat. We also stopped by Aldi last night, and they had a special buy on frozen cooked mussels - only 2.99 a box. The only time I remember having mussels was in Vancouver, BC, during

Teresa Hartmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16819137357040314260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31435473.post-28943056740706378722010-07-26T18:03:00.000-07:002010-07-26T18:37:03.392-07:00

I am up for my now-annual checkup (first time it has been set for a year since 2006), and one of the things called for is an MRI of my head/neck with contrast. If you are up for an MRI for the first time, you can find out more about the procedure at this site: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/mriscans.html . As the page says, "the MRI machine makes a lot of noise"-heh, that is an understatement

Teresa Hartmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16819137357040314260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31435473.post-86661455680404859232010-07-24T11:29:00.001-07:002010-07-24T22:09:02.558-07:00

If you are an ACC patient (or family member/caregiver) going through your initial treatment period, please remember that each of our stories and disease progression are different, since this is a very rare disease. Some of us go decades without additional cancer showing up, after the initial treatment is completed. Others have mets show up quickly, and have to go into accelerated treatment

Teresa Hartmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16819137357040314260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31435473.post-55166937175196753662010-07-24T10:57:00.000-07:002010-07-24T11:08:27.762-07:00

I learned from a concerned reader that Audrey McCutchen died yesterday after fighting ACC since her diagnosis in May 2009. You can read her story on her Caring Bridge blog: http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/audreymccutchen/mystory. notes from her blog:"[Her] memorial will be held at11am on Saturday, July 31st 2010 atDivine Mercy Catholic Church in Merritt Island, FL.(Map at this link: http://

Teresa Hartmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16819137357040314260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31435473.post-17728150731176254712010-07-22T16:51:00.000-07:002010-07-22T17:37:09.657-07:00

Back in Omaha now, thank goodness, but the Cheekymobile has been traveling. I went to Branson with my mom - we both like the same sort of things, and she didn't complain once if I made the wrong turn, or comment ever on how Iwas driving on the VERTICAL roads in Branson. (The rule there is to strategically place a 4 way stop at the top of each mountain.) The Cheekymobile may have to have its

Teresa Hartmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16819137357040314260noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31435473.post-4423879959274650362010-07-14T11:27:00.000-07:002010-07-14T11:34:29.596-07:00

I just mentioned Amy Jackson in this blog back at the end of May - she had been diagnosed on April 15th: http://cheekylibrarian.blogspot.com/2010/05/adenoid-cystic-carcinoma-in-news.html. I just learned that she died on July 3rd. My sympathies go out to her husband and 6 children, and all of the community that has supported the family during this rough road. I took a look at her blog: http://

Teresa Hartmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16819137357040314260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31435473.post-75558818141067841382010-07-13T19:44:00.000-07:002010-07-13T20:04:10.889-07:00

Ok, I know you aren't supposed to say you are out and about when talking on the web, but I cannot remain silent. I just saw my most favorite group of performers-singers, dancers, instrumentalists-while here in Branson. (Yes, if you have heard any Cheekymobile sightings in southern Missouri this week, they were true.) Brule (there is an accent over the 'e', but this librarian hasn't figured out

Teresa Hartmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16819137357040314260noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31435473.post-60320303076264377802010-07-09T02:33:00.000-07:002010-07-09T02:39:14.457-07:00

This news comes from Williston, North Dakota, via the Williston Herald website: Local cancer survivor stays focused on her life, not fear http://www.willistonherald.com/articles/2010/07/03/news/doc4c2fc0f397874189380350.txt . Suzi Lee was initially diagnosed in 1989 with ACC, and underwent treatment at the time. The cancer came back in 2007. She, like the rest of us, knows she isn't in the clear

Teresa Hartmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16819137357040314260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31435473.post-29737240363400198422010-07-01T02:23:00.000-07:002010-07-01T02:43:27.592-07:00

Thank you, new or long-term reader, for following my story or the news about this cancer I have posted over the 4 years. Wow - 4 years ago, I heard the surgeon say, "The tumor was adenoid cystic carcinoma." Not the news anyone wants to hear, and definitely a holiday weekend buster. We told the kids, then all sat down and watched a new movie we had rented: Queen Latifah's Last Holiday (hey, it

Teresa Hartmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16819137357040314260noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31435473.post-81186649937984639472010-06-29T03:00:00.000-07:002010-06-29T03:07:25.530-07:00

Another set of ACC heros, Marnie and Jeff Kaufman of Massachusetts, were in the news yesterday:Couple raises $3M to fight rare cancer: effort a "race against time"http://www.thebostonchannel.com/asseenon5/24068743/detail.htmlThe Kaufmans set up the Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma Research Foundation [ACCRF], after Marnie was diagnosed with ACC and went through treatment in 2004. Since that time, the

Teresa Hartmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16819137357040314260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31435473.post-57801795181493180272010-06-25T09:40:00.001-07:002010-06-25T09:55:45.133-07:00

A great story about a great woman in Illinois who has lived with ACC for 19 years, Alicia Almanza: Rare Cancer Spurs Mokena Family To Actionhttp://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/southsouthwest/ct-x-balance-daughter-advocate-0625-20100625,0,7457999.storyAlicia, like anyone else that shares this cruddy cancer with me, is my hero. Her daughter, Courtney, is also my hero. They have created Attack

Teresa Hartmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16819137357040314260noreply@blogger.com0