Cancer Survivor - Jamie Young

Cancer survivor

(This is a very dear friend of mine...thank you lord!)


November 29, 2005

Young

As part of National Lung Cancer Awareness Month, Grenada native Jamie Young is hoping her fight with cancer will inspire and give hope to others in the same battle.
Fortunately, the 35 year old has the support of a loving family which includes her husband Jon, her three year old son, her parents, James Cummins of Holcomb; Mary Ann Moss of Grenada, three sisters, Tammy Hutchinson of Grenada; Kelli O'Rear of Holcomb and Beth Smith, who lives in Arkansas.
"I know the impact that my disease has had on them," Young said. "I can only imagine the struggle that many families are going through because of this terrible disease. My hopes are that through awareness and activism, progress can be made in the field of research. The survival rates for lung cancer are staggering and sometimes it's hard for survivors to find hope."

In September of 2004, Young was teaching middle school band students in Memphis City Schools from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day.

"After leaving school, I would pick up my little boy, go home, cook supper, clean house on occasion, give the little one a bath, and get him to bed," Young said, "very similar to the lives of most working mothers. The only difference was that I was so exhausted in the afternoons, I could barely stand up. I had developed a terrible cough and had lost weight. I was actually trying to lose weight and thought I had found the perfect diet for me. Anyway, I went to my doc and they gave me antibiotics for about 3 months- increasing the strength each visit."

When that failed to help, her doctor ordered a chest x-ray which revealed a mass on her lungs.

"At first, I was told it was sarcoidosis or scar tissue and that lung cancer was at the bottom of the list," Young said. "The pulmonologist scheduled a biopsy and lo and behold, he called me with the results. What a shocker. Well, after the initial shock wore off that I had Non Small Cell Lung Cancer, I started preparing for the treatment that lay ahead. I ended up getting second and third opinions and another biopsy because of the stage (IIIB)."

After the biopsy, she was told that she was inoperable, which came as a huge blow because she had been told that surgery was the only cure.

"I could not believe what was happening to me," Young said, "I mean, 35 years old, I still feel like a little kid. Anyway, during treatment I met many wonderful cancer survivors and stopped feeling sorry for myself."

Young had quit smoking before her diagnosis.

"When I went to get a second opinion in regards to my diagnosis, the oncologist at M. D. Anderson in Houston (Dr. Katherine Pisters) said that smoking did not cause my cancer," Young said. "I was a smoker but had quit before I was ever diagnosed. However, at the time of my diagnosis, I had the cancer for at least a year or two years. I feel smoking did play a role with my cancer but was not the sole cause.

After Young completed the very difficult treatment, tests showed that the tumor had shrunk 75 to 90 percent and the nodes had shrunk at least 50 percent.

"I almost kissed the oncologist," Young said of Dr. Arnel Pallera at West Clinic. "Life had changed so much since diagnosis. I began to realize what was truly important in my life. I developed a very close relationship with God and felt so clean and worthy. It is a really hard feeling to describe but it's one you will never forget. I felt I was truly blessed to have had the opportunity to finally know how to live."

Her follow-up reports have been good, Young said.

"At this time, I am on Tarceva and am doing great...stable scans each time I have gone to the clinic."


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No Room for Blame
By JAMIE YOUNG



Lung cancer is the Number One killer cancer. That sentence scared me to death when I was diagnosed.

Along with the statistics and the negativity that surrounds Lung Cancer. From speaking with numerous people, I have found that the negative stigma, namely smoking, has a lot to do with the perception some people have of Lung cancer patients.

Some people honestly feel that these patients deserve what they got. Give me a break.

In my opinion, it's extremely unfair and unkind for anyone to say they brought it on themselves. I haven't met a lung cancer patient yet that had any idea what they would go through if they got lung cancer from smoking.

Believe me if you knew what it felt like to have chemotherapy, radiation or surgery, you would definitely re-evaluate the smoking issue. If you truly understood what it was like to not be able to walk through a big store because you were totally exhausted and out of breath? Or, if you had to get a feeding tube because the radiation burned your esophagus and nerves at the base of your brain so badly that you couldn't eat for about two and a half to three months, you would definitely want to quit smoking.

I can promise you that I didn't bring this on myself and I wouldn't wish this terrible disease on anyone. Smoking is a terrible addiction and a hard habit to break.

Unfortunately, this is not a perfect world and we are not a perfect people and of course, "hindsight is 20/20". But, I can tell you this. The Lung cancer patients that I have met have been some of the most considerate and caring human beings that I have ever crossed paths with in my whole life.

These wonderful people don't deserve what they got. They don't deserve the physical pain and the anguish of not knowing whether or not they will be alive tomorrow or the next day.

Nobody deserves that.

No matter what they have done in the past, they deserve the chance to live and be cured just as much as the next sick person.

We may not be a perfect people, but we can be forgiving and we can definitely be empathetic.

When I taught school, one of the most important things that I tried to instill in my kids was empathy.

Caring for others and looking at the world through someone else's eyes without judgment.

We, as adults, can learn a lot from children. My three year old teaches me something new everyday and he is one of the most empathetic people that I know. He loves everyone and has a true concern for their feelings. It doesn't matter what they look like, what they do for a living, what their bad habits are or how old they are. He wants them to be happy and feel good. I sure wish we could all see the world that way. What a carefree and happy group of people we would be.

Cancer patients in many ways have been blessed. Although the statistics are not a welcoming figure for people diagnosed with this terrible disease, we still have the chance to use what time we have left to our advantage. If we live one year or 50 years, we have learned to cherish each day like it was our last. In this respect, we are very blessed. Life looks totally different through a cancer patient's eyes. When you can look death in the face and say, "Go away, I'm not finished yet, you are ready to live"!!! More funding for research would give us encouragement and hope.

Many Lung cancer patients give up hope and don't have the will to survive. New medicine, therapies, treatments and young people wanting to focus on this illness as a lifelong career is the only way to beat this disease and give the 160,000+ that are diagnosed every year the hope they need to look forward to the future.

Some people may ask the question. What about those people that continue to smoke after being diagnosed?

My answer to that is, "What about those people that never smoked and were diagnosed? There are no clear answers and why point fingers. Help should be given to anyone that needs it and asks for it.

That's what God wants to do. Help your neighbor.

Lung cancer has changed my life for the better in many ways. Now, I cherish each day I have with my family. I have a very intimate relationship with GOD and I know why I am here.

I have many things to be thankful for and I definitely can't complain. My hopes and prayers are that every person can reach an inner peace with the understanding that helping our brothers is one of the greatest commandments.

Having a purpose in life gives you something to live for. Find your purpose and keep living.

I would love to invite you to visit the www.lchelp.org website and see for yourself the dynamic individuals that have been touched by cancer in one way or another.

I am so fortunate to have this group of people to keep my spirits up and who truly care for me. They love you for who you are. I visit the site everyday and anxiously wait to hear good news. The good news gives you hope and with hope you have faith.

A Win!!! 7 yr old Destini will dance with her classmates on Dec 12th!

Destini Berry, 7, can appear in her ballet recital, locks and all.

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Thomas: Destini will dance; not against rules, for respect
By Wendi C. Thomas
Contact
November 29, 2005

The show goes on, and Destini Berry will be a part.

The 7-year-old girl was banned from her first ballet recital because Dance Works' director, Karen Zissoff, declared her shoulder-length, straw-thin dreadlocks unsuitable for the Dec. 12 performance.

If Destini kept her locks, the only Dance Works recital Zissoff would agree to would be one Dec. 11, in which Destini would dance alone in front of her parents.

But Zissoff has apparently had a change of heart. In a letter given to Destini's mother Monday, Zissoff said the girl will be allowed to perform with her classmates Dec. 12.

This is a win for Destini and despite what some may think, a win for all who are paying attention. Destini's determination to dance led us into frank conversations about race that otherwise we would have avoided.

This was never about Destini's willingness to follow the rules, because she has observed all of Zissoff's written rules.

Zissoff, who receives government money for her non-profit program, has no written policies against locks. Had Takeisha Berry known when Destini began lessons two months ago that Zissoff didn't allow locks, she would have taken her daughter elsewhere.

Zissoff's rules require girls to wear their hair in a bun for recitals. Berry did pull Destini's hair into a bun, but it wasn't good enough for Zissoff.

And that's what has stuck in my craw, this persistent, insidious notion that natural black hair isn't good enough.

Look no further than the proliferation of beauty supply stores hawking long, straight, fake hair for black women to sew onto their scalps, and the boxes of chemical relaxers lining store shelves to see that many black women and men buy into that lie.

We're barely out of the womb before adults start evaluating and grading our hair based on its natural texture. Straight, long hair is "good" hair. Nappy, kinky, coarse, ultra-curly or short hair is "bad" hair.

By styling Destini's hair into locks, Berry was consciously resisting the pressure to make her daughter's hair mimic the European standard of beauty. She was telling her daughter that her hair is fine just as it is.

Complaining that ballet traditions are being destroyed, or insisting this is just another example of nonconforming black people who won't follow the rules is to miss the lesson.

Black and white people are alike, and we are different. Acknowledge the similarities and celebrate the differences. Don't crush them.

Help me to help yourself!!!

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Thanks Tempie

Appalled, Outraged, Saddened and Stunned!!!

Thomas: Let director know what you think of natural hair
By Wendi C. Thomas
Contact
November 27, 2005

Appalled, outraged, saddened and stunned.

That's what readers have to say about the incident created by Karen Zissoff, director of Dance Works.

What readers want to know is what they can do about Zissoff's disdain for natural black hair, as detailed in this space last Sunday.

Background: Zissoff, who runs a classical ballet program for mostly black girls, has banned Destini Berry from her first recital because the 7-year-old black girl has thin shoulder-length dreadlocks.

Zissoff, who is white, insists ballet dancers don't have locks, but she's never bothered to add that rule to her registration materials or newsletters.

For performances, Zissoff's dancers must wear their hair in buns. Takeisha Berry can pull her daughter's hair into a bun, which you can see online with my column last Sunday.

Virtually all of the 200-plus readers who have flooded my e-mail and voice mail say Destini's bun looks fine. But Zissoff, who leases space for Dance Works from Southwest Community College, says if Destini wants to perform Dec. 12 with the other students, she'll have to cut off her hair.

Or, Zissoff offered, in what she clearly thinks is a generous gesture, Destini can leave her locks alone and perform alone Dec. 11.

In the last week, the news has spread across the country, thanks to lively debate on local radio shows, coverage on WMC-TV and at least two blogs.

Zissoff has alerted the Tennessee Arts Commission, which gives grant money to Dance Works and has rules against discrimination by any group that receives government funds.

Southwest Tennessee Community College says its only tie to Zissoff is the lease agreement, but Zissoff has a Southwest e-mail address and on her brochures, implies she's affiliated with the college's fine arts department. Southwest also hosts Dance Works' Web pages, a link college president Dr. Nathan Essex says he's investigating.

Destini's mother still takes Destini to dance lessons, in the hopes her child will be allowed to join the Dec. 12 recital.

If you, like I, can't believe that Zissoff won't allow a child to perform because she wears locks, here's what you can do.

Suggest Zissoff (901-333-5174) or (kjzissoff@southwest.tn.edu) try a career that doesn't involve black girls and their natural hair. Ask Essex (901-333-4426) if the school's ties to Zissoff are consistent with their commitment to diversity.

Ask the Greater Memphis Arts Council (executive director Susan Schadt, 901-578-2787, ext. 219 or sschadt@memphisartscouncil.org) how its fund-raising efforts might be affected by giving a $3,000 grant to a woman who stubbornly stands by her discriminatory policies.

And most importantly, show Destini that she should be proud of her natural hair.

If Zissoff decides to put children before her ridiculous rules, Destini will dance Dec. 12, surrounded by her classmates.

If not, Destini will perform Dec. 11, alone but surrounded by a supportive community.

Contact Wendi C. Thomas at (901) 529-5896 or send an e-mail

Thought For The Day! The Bible and The Old Wicker Coal Basket

The Bible and the Old Wicker Coal Basket


The story is told of an old man who lived on a farm in the mountains of eastern Kentucky with his young grandson. Each morning, Grandpa was up early sitting at the kitchen table reading from his old worn-out Bible. His grandson who wanted to be just like him tried to imitate him in any way he could.

One day the grandson asked, "Papa, I try to read the Bible just like you but I don't understand it, and what I do understand I forget as soon as I close the book. What good does reading the Bible do?" The Grandfather quietly turned from putting coal in the stove and said, "Take this old wicker coal basket down to the river and bring back a basket of water."

The boy did as he was told, even though all the water leaked out before he could get back to the house. The grandfather laughed and said, "You will have to move a little faster next time," and sent him back to the river with the basket to try again. This time the boy ran faster, but again the old wicker basket was empty before he returned home. Out of breath, he told his grandfather that it was "impossible to carry water in a basket," and he went to get a bucket instead. The old man said, "I don't want a bucket of water; I want a basket of water. You can do this. You're just not trying hard enough," and he went out the door to watch the boy try again.

At this point, the boy knew it was impossible, but he wanted to show his grandfather that even if he ran as fast as he could, the water would leak out before he got far at all. The boy scooped the water and ran hard, but when he reached his grandfather the basket was again empty. Out of breath, he said, "See Papa, it's useless!"

"So you think it is useless?" The old man said, "Look at the basket."

The boy looked at the basket and for the first time he realized that the basket looked different. Instead of a dirty old wicker coal basket, it was clean.

"Son, that's what happens when you read the Bible. You might not understand or remember everything, but when you read it, it will change you from the inside out."

That is the work of God in our lives - to change us from the inside out and to slowly transform us into the image of His son.

Moral of the wicker basket story: Take time to read a portion of God's word each day; it will affect you for good even if you don't retain a word.




Thought for Today:

God's love is like the ocean, you can see its beginnings but not its end.

Dr. A. Rodgers-Bellevue Baptist-We Will Miss You!!!

I thank God that at this time I can be thankful of having heard so many of Dr. Rodgers sermons. No matter where I have gone he has always seemed to be a part of my life! I never got a chance to tell him that face to face but in spirit I know he knew! I was born and raised in Memphis, Tn. I grew up with Dr. Rodgers in so many ways!

I know I could blog about so many things but for me at this point of healing I never realized how powerful writing what I feel has been for me! Lord please forgive me for being selfish but there is so much I have to be thankful for. As I write this post I am listening to the memorial services on the radio. I couldn't get to his service the other night since I live in Memphis.

I remember passing Bellevue Baptist Church back while I drove to college back in 1972. I remember hearing him and seeing him on TV way before then. If we couldn't make it to church , Dr. Rodgers helped bring church to us. We thank You! He was one of the few pastors my family admired. I say that because we attended other churches and of a different race and probably had different political issues...I'm not sure??? nevertheless , that is one of the things that made Dr. Rodgers so special was it didn't matter...he had a special annointing of God on him so strong that you just jnew it. While traveling and living elsewhere it seemed that Dr. Rodgers was always around, while I lived in Chicago and attended Moody Church,I was so delighted that he was friends to the pastor and visited several times. Also, whereever I was and turned my favorite radio station on AM 640 I could hear him. I was honored to have been able to attend his new and moved beautiful large Bellevue Baptist Church last year to the live performance of the Passion Play.

Another special bond, I knew that came from his annointing and blessing was an older man I will not mention his name but he helped write sermons for Dr. Rodgers. This man I met in my neigborhood library. We bonded so and we have encouraged each other to continue our writing. You would never know by looking at him but he goes to the library almost every other day and he always has a large black bible on his table spread out with all his writing papers. This man encouraged me from the start when I was struggling with the loss of both my parents. This man I saw in the grocery store about two weeks ago and was so proud when I told him my book dedicated to my parents and brother is in the process of being published. I know now I need to contact him. I need to allow my love and respect for Dr. Rodgers which I have always felt through this lonely old man to live on.... Dr. Rodgers, I love you and I thank God for you and your teachings and preachings...may you continue to be in peace with the lord and may your family have the strength to endure...

Love Tempie

The Holidays Are Approaching! What Are You Thankful For?

Hi Everybody!!!
I know everybody is different and all have different views of the
holidays. I can only speak for myself and personally I am so
thankful for so much!
I will be approaching the holidays with so many mixed emotions
with the loss of parents and brother on one hand but on the other
hand the gain of a new nephew-N-law and the announcement of a
possible new niece of nephew by my baby sister and her husband!
I am just so thankful that through it all God has still allowed me
and my family to be together and to be there for each other as much
as possible? I say God because there is no other explanation to
explain how he can make you see how important family is!
So this Thanksgiving for me I will be with my family and loving
them while being thankful for those that for what ever reason won't
be able to be with theirs! I will be very prayful and mindful of
that at all times!

* Take a minute and share some of your personal thoughts of being
thankful...

Still digging Isaac Hayes (A Memphis Legend)

Still digging Isaac Hayes By Gary Jackson
Thu Nov 10, 6:55 AM ET



LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Sartorially resplendent in a silken gold and magenta kaftan, Isaac Hayes took the stage at the Vault 350 in Long Beach knowing full well that his status as a cultural icon bordered on royalty.

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He certainly stood out in a club awash in black-dominated attire, both onstage and in the audience, as he strode to his keyboard to the strains of his remake of Roy Hamilton's 1958 hit "Don't Let Go."

Hayes has nurtured his 40-plus-year career by blending a mix of original songs ("Theme from 'Shaft,"' "Joy" and the tongue-twister "Hyperbolicsyllabicsesquedalymystic") with lush, Vegas-y remakes ("The Look of Love," "Walk On By"). But most recently, Hayes has reached pop culture status via his gig as the voice of "Chef" on the riotously irreverent animated show "South Park," to which he paid just respect with the silly and suggestive "Chocolate Salty Balls."

Hayes' robust baritone was a direct influence on the late Barry White, who later retooled Hayes' trademark soap operatic approach and brought it to even greater heights. Yet, as the originator of the style, Hayes, with his Southern soul origins, brings an earthiness that is both endearing and wholly original -- despite midcareer forays into the aforementioned bloated Las Vegas excess.

Several slow patches occurred as Hayes -- obviously stretching for time -- related his trip to the club by taxi rather than limousine, saying it afforded him the opportunity to "get out amongst the people." OK. ... But the problem with time-filling is that attention wanders, as on "The Look of Love." On the flip side, Hayes offered a brilliantly charged version of "Walk On By" that was every bit the equal of the studio version from his classic 1969 album, "Hot Buttered Soul."

After the molasses of "Look of Love," Hayes jump-started the set with "Do Your Thing," from his 1972 movie soundtrack to "Shaft." Backed by a muscular and ultra-tight band that included four banks of keyboards, precise and creative percussion and adventurous guitar, Hayes gave the members free rein to explore. Kudos to keyboardist Jarrett Jackson, whose nimble playing provided solid underpinning.

Hayes ended the set with a perfunctory version of his Oscar-winning "Theme from 'Shaft,"' and exhorted the audience to chant its now-familiar refrain. Left out was such fare as "By the Time I Get to Phoenix" (which literally put him on the radar) and "Never Can Say Goodbye." However, "I Stand Accused" fulfilled the audience's need for stories of bruised relationships from a man's standpoint, an art that Isaac Hayes perfected.

Reuters/Hollywood Reporter