The Return

.... Well, I'm back. It has been 6 or so months since my last blog post. babybe's life was put on hold for a while to tend to my mother, for whom I have dedicated some of my previous posts. My mother was diagnosed with ovarian cancer some 4 years ago. The cancer began to take her physical body fiercly in August of 2009.

I am sad to say that she was not able to win her fight... although it has brought me so many life lessons. As with all challenges that universe and mother earth commands, so comes the beauty of life. The beauty of the exposure of the purest form of love and emotion. The kind that I didn't know really existed until now. For that, I am thankful. I can only hope that each of you are able to experience that at some point in your journey.

Let this be the beginning of a new babybe journey.

Reusable Sandwich Bags by UldeYrth

What a fabulous way to teach your children to live ethically. Send them to camp this summer with a lunch box using these amazing snack and sandwich bags by UldeYrth!

Ahhhh!

Your Vegetarian Pregnancy, by Dr. Holly Roberts.
Ahhhh! It IS possible to be vegetarian and have a healthy pregnancy and baby! LOL! Of course! But how wonderful to have a book to guide you.

Enjoy!

Jillian's Drawers

Jillian's Drawers of Ithaca, NY.... (my soon to be new home).
Jillian's offers products for natural parenting. This little shop's primary focus is cloth diapers. They offer an array of options and an awesome trial program. Visit Changing Diapers, Changing Minds to explore this program.

To boot, their website is amazing and they ship EVERYWHERE!

You can also come visit the most Eco Friendly town in New York, visit the many Falls and Gorges, and stay at the Holiday Inn Ithaca Downtown. Jillian's is 2 blocks from the hotel!

Namaste!

Personal Photography

Photography that depicts the spirit of your family and the "other kids"....

http://www.stugallagher.com/

Contact: sdgallagher@gmail.com

Awareness

Three and a half years ago an important journey began in my family's life. I began my first personal encounter with cancer. Up until then, I had only hugged friends consoling their personal struggle or shed a tear watching a TV program depicting an other's struggle. But it had all been so removed. Until my mother called and said that they found two masses, one the size of a grapefruit on one ovary and the other the size of a baseball on the other.

The surgery was scheduled one week later. The doctor biopsied right on the table and performed the hysterectomy immediately after finding the tumors malignant. They also had to remove one lymph node that was also effected. Later I will learn that this little lymph node was incredibly significant.

My brave mother endured 6 months of chemotherapy and emerged victorious. No tumors visible and cancer cell counts lower than even a healthy person.

A year later, there was another tumor. This time, inoperable. And since then more and more. She is still fighting every day, but the cancer seems to be winning.

After doing some research on my own, I was amazed to find how incredibly aggressive this cancer is, and how unaware the public is.

So... let me help you understand how this down right nasty disease has effected our fellow sisters in human kind.

Each year, approximately 20,000 American women are diagnosed with ovarian cancer and about 15,000 women die of the disease. In 2008, it was estimated that 21,650 women in the United States would be diagnosed with ovarian cancer and 15,520 women would die from the disease.

The overall five-year relative survival rate for all women with ovarian cancer is 46 percent. This means that compared to women in the general population, five years from the time of diagnosis only 46 percent of women with ovarian cancer are still alive. However, the survival rate improves greatly to 93 percent if the cancer is diagnosed at an early stage before it has spread. Only 19 percent of ovarian cancer cases are diagnosed at this local stage. Approximately 75 percent of ovarian cancer cases are diagnosed at an advanced stage after the cancer has spread beyond the ovary (which is where the lymph node becomes significant). The five-year survival rate for women with ovarian cancer has not significantly increased in the past 30 years—a mere 8 percent.

So with this information, it seems that early detection is the key. The problem with that is, the cancer is quite aggressive. My mother had a normal GYN visit 6 months prior to developing her symptoms. The cancer grew very quickly.

What are the symptoms?

Bloating
Pelvic or abdominal pain
Difficulty eating or feeling full quickly
Urinary symptoms (urgency or frequency)

*Several other symptoms have been commonly reported by women with ovarian cancer. These symptoms include fatigue, indigestion, back pain, pain with intercourse, constipation and menstrual irregularities. However, these other symptoms are not as useful in identifying ovarian cancer because they are also found in equal frequency in women in the general population who do not have ovarian cancer.

It is important that you spread the word. Be an advocate on behalf of my mom, Regis. Inform the women you love. My mother pressured her medical insurance, along with the help of her doctor and Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, enough to give my sister and I (and subsequently my daughter) the gift of genetic testing. She was tested at Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in Manhattan. She tested negative for the Breast Cancer/Ovarian Cancer gene.

The next time you look for a cause to dedicate your time and love to, consider a cancer that seems to be hovering under the radar and destroying women everywhere.

Purchase the "So Hum" Onesie or Toddler Tee from babybe and 15% of the sale will be donated to the Lynne Cohen Foundation.

The Ever Changing....

Nothing is permanent. Eventually this life we cherish so comes to an end and all of our worldly possessions no longer matter. My father always says, "Kid, you can't take it with you". He was never upset with me for unintentionally destroying something or if a family member obsessed over a material item or money.. he would kindly remind me by reciting this line.

Recently, I opted for a change in my career and left my employment of 11 years for a new adventure. While in the same industry, this change will move my husband and two children... oh, and did I mention that I left my job of 11 years?

There had been days leading up to my last day at my beloved job that I wondered, "Will I ever be as happy as I am here?" or "Will I enjoy the people at the new job as much as I do this one?". And here I am typing in my hotel room, 80 miles from my husband and children (sleeping away from home a couple nights a week until the move), and somehow I feel like it is all perfect.

My children are moving to a beautiful part of Upstate New York, to a town where the earth and health are top priorities. I recently learned that the daycare around the corner from the hotel I manage has a vegetarian menu. Oh! And the local yoga studio is across the street.

And, btw, the people here are just as caring and human as the people there. While I couldn't take it with me, the comfort that is, all I had to do was let go of it for a short while... and here I am again, nice and comfy.