Kentucky Women: Power, Passion and Politics

No Mo' Treatments!!

That's right...No Mo'!! 

I'll be celebrating the 4th of July with my two little girls at a neighbor's annual picnic but privately, we're celebrating something else today...Yesterday morning at 8:30am, I made my final trip to St. Elizabeth's Cancer Care Center for my last breast cancer treatment!

And to make it extra special, I spent yesterday afternoon in Lousiville drinking delicious wine outside on the patio of a cafe' with two of my closest friends - Rep. Joni Jenkins and weblog owner Jacob Payne of PageOneKentucky.

So how does it feel to know that I'm finished with this chapter?  Terrific and terrifying!!  I didn't really know what to do with myself this morning since I'm used to my daily trip to the hospital.  I also have a periodic wave of panic knowing that I'm no longer in control.  I'm at the mercy of having mammograms every 3 months hoping and praying that nothing questionable will show up.

But I'll be fine.  In fact, I'm going to be great! 

Each day I thank God for giving me another day to live.  He spared my life and gave me a second chance because I have much work to do to help save women's lives but he didn't include how long I have.

So stay tuned...my work is beginning today!

 

Happy 4th of July!

On July 4, 1776, we claimed our independence from Britain and Democracy was born. Every day thousands leave their homeland to come to the "land of the free and the home of the brave" so they can begin their American Dream.

The United States is truly a diverse nation made up of dynamic people. Each year on July 4, Americans celebrate that freedom and independence with barbecues, picnics, and family gatherings. Through the Internet we are learning about and communicating with people of different nations, with different languages and different races throughout the world. Bringing the world closer with understanding and knowledge can only benefit all nations.

Happy Birthday, America!

Aloha!

FINALLY!  I get a break from my breast cancer treatments and what a break it will be!

We're leaving for Maui in a couple of days and I simply can't wait.

I'll be certain to post lots and lots of pictures when I get back.  We're going to be staying in the Hyatt Regency Maui which I understand is totally awesome.

Check back in a week for updates and hopefully to see beautiful pictures.

Aloha!

 

Rummage for Ribbons

Wonderful event in Cincinnati

Still Room at Paddlefest June 28th

for Cancer Survivors and guest to paddle in the Voyager Canoes!

Contact Jim Thaxton for more info JamesT.Thaxton@ky.gov

http://www.ohioriverway.org/paddlefest/

Making a list...checking it twice

Tuesday morning the Democratic Women for Change launched the "Checklist for Change," campaign, highlighting sets of issues for Congress and candidates to tackle in the next administration.

All ten Democratic women in the senate signed on to the checklist, and all but Senator Clinton were in attendance at this event. There are a total of 16 women in the Senate, ten of whom are democrats. These are: Senators Blanche Lincoln (AK), Dianne Feinstein (CA), Barbara Boxer (CA), Maria Cantwell (WA), Mary Landrieu (LA), Barbara Mikulski (MD), Debbie Stabenow (MI), Amy Klobuchar (MN), Claire McCaskill (MO), Hillary Rodham Clinton (NY) and Patty Murray (WA).

Senator Barbara Mikulski, who serves as the Dean of Woman Senators, kicked off the event by extolling women to "put on your lipstick, square your shoulders, and suit up!" The Checklist for Change includes issues traditionally labeled as women's issues, as well as those not immediately associated with women. The Checklist includes equal pay for equal work, fiscal responsibility, restoring America's credibility around the world, eliminating cronyism and corruption in government agencies, and fighting climate change.

Female veterans receiving inadequate healthcare

An internal VA study found that female veterans have more difficulty obtaining quality outpatient healthcare than their male counterparts.

According to the Associated Press, everything from physicians trained in women’s health, to mammography services, and to mental health counseling for women, are inadequate.

Women are now serving in the military at a higher rate than ever before. The Associated Press reports that women make up 17% of the armed services, and 11% of those serving in Iraq or Afghanistan. This is consistent with the information that the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee has heard from female veterans.

Something stinks at the DOJ

The Department of Justice (DOJ) gave a $1.1 million grant to an abstinence-only organization, Best Friends, despite internal recommendations against the group. ABC News reports that personal ties between the Department of Justice official who authorized the grant and Best Friends President may have played a role in this decision. The grant awarded $1.1 million to Best Friends, twice the amount applied for by the organization.

ABC News reports that the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquent Prevention at the DOJ ranked Best Friends' application only 53 out of 104 and raised serious concerns that the group backed out of a federally mandated study on the effectiveness of abstinence-only programs. According to RH Reality Check, the Department of Justice official who authorized the grant had even attended fundraising events for Best Friends.

According to Carpet Bagger, a Department of Justice employee resigned in protest over the grant decision.

According to federally funded studies, such as the one that Best Friends refused to participate in, as well as privately funded studies abstinence-only education programs have been proven ineffective timeand time again at delaying teen sexual activity and preventing teen pregnancy.

Louisville's Pink Tie Ball

Don't miss the 4th Annual Pink Tie Ball on September 6, 2008 at the Marriott Downtown Louisville!

Enjoy a spectacular evening with delicious food, divine entertainment and irresistible auction packages.

The Pink Tie Ball® is a formal dinner-dance to raise funds for breast cancer research, education, screening and treatment. Up to 75% of the income raised stays in our eight-county service area which includes the Louisville Metro Area and surrounding communities. The funds are granted to local breast cancer agencies to support education, mammography and diagnostic screening, treatment and support programs for the under-insured. The remaining 25% supports Susan G. Komen for the Cure's Grants and Awards Program, which funds groundbreaking breast cancer research, meritorious awards and educational and scientific conferences around the world

Chairperson Cindy Williams promises a glorious evening with delicious food, extraordinary entertainment and exciting auction packages. Pink Tie Ball highlights include a Premier Pink silent auction featuring irresistible packages valued at $250 or more, a live auction featuring one-of-a-kind life experiences and the very popular Rose Raffle.

The annual Pink Tie Ball sells out each year and Komen Louisville continues to be overwhelmed by the generosity of so many corporate citizens and business owners that support this event either through sponsorship or auction donation.

Keep watching their website HERE for more information

In sickness and in health...

My mom, sister and kids often tell me that they are so sorry I'm having to deal with breast cancer and now the treatment.  I rarely think about what they are going through as the result of having to sit by and watch and listen to me.

 

The following story reminded me that cancer affects everyone around you!

 

You can read the entire column about a Fayette County couple HERE

 

Relay for Life: Caregivers and Cancer

 

By Erika Harsh

 

Cancer is a battle not only for the people who have it but also for their family members who care for them. A husband and wife walking in the Fayette County Relay for life this year know exactly what it means to be caregivers-they were for each other.

 

Kathy Tabb fought ovarian cancer 15 years ago and won. She credits her husband Ted with helping her through it-he was her caregiver.

Whether it is a friend, son or daughter, or a spouse, some say caregivers often have a more daunting task than the patient.

 

“It is so much easier to be the patient than it is to see what cancer does to the people that you love,” Kathy said.

 

She knows this first hand because last year she became Ted's caregiver.

 

[...]

 

This year as they walk at Relay for Life they will both be survivors. Their marriage was tested by cancer twice.

 

“Days that I felt like I just didn't want to go on, he'd be there and say you have to do this, you can do this.”

 

The Tabb’s learned being a caregiver may be the most important part of the vows they took:  "in sickness and in health."

I run for you. I run for life.

I think you'll enjoy reading this as much as I did.  Gosh, so much of what Alice wrote, I have found to be true.

It's amazing what gives me energy when I think I have nothing left.

You can read Alice Crisci's entire piece appearing in the Huffington Post HERE

Too Young for This: Race for the Cure in Pink

Last Saturday, June 7, 2008 was the Race for the Cure in Washington, DC. My sister, Jacqueline, had organized a team of about 40 people to walk in My Vision Foundation t-shirts behind a beautiful banner that listed me and my mother first as breast cancer survivors. Even most of my New York relatives drove down for the big day. My family was under the assumption that I had my first chemotherapy treatment Friday, June 6 and was unable to make the cross-country flight to walk with them. I kept them in the dark that my first chemo infusion was actually May 28 and that I was going to surprise them in front of the Smithsonian Museum where they were congregating just before the race began.

[...]

Just then, all eyes were on me and all eyes burst into tears. No one could believe it was me. My mom and I embraced in a long hug, as she sobbed in happiness. I made my way around the circle hugging everyone and feeling their love strengthen me. Just the day before, I was hooked up to an IV hydration bag at my friend Sara's house while running a company off-site meeting remotely by phone. That morning, I was about to get some exercise exactly one week after I felt like I was dying from chemo and couldn't possibly handle three more rounds. To say the least, I too was pretty emotional.

[...]

As I grew tired, my determination to finish became my energy fuel. I felt the momentum of all 55,000 people literally pull me towards the finish line. I felt like they were all walking for me. Tears were in my eyes as I thought of what brought each of them to this race. It was, as Melissa Etheridge sings "I run for hope. I run to feel, I run for the truth of all that is real. I run for your mother, your sister, your wife, I run for you and me my friend. I run for life."

[...]

I knew I'd finish, I knew as I crossed that line, my life would never be the same again. As the announcer, read my name and my mother's, we crossed the finish line victorious. I wept inside as only I knew what it took to make it through that first chemo week, sick, tired and in so much pain, I can only describe as being run over by a Mack truck. I knew what it took to get to D.C. to be with my family. My victory in finishing was so much greater than simply walking 3.2 miles. It signified what I already endured, what I will endure three more times and what it will take to turn my foundation into a legacy.

I run for you.

Sincerely, Jack Westwood

I woke up this morning so very much hoping that the sick, sick feeling in my stomach after facing what Senator Jack Westwood has done would be gone. 

It's not.

Did Westwood include the statement in his letter about a "strong link between abortion and breast cancer" to hurt me because he was so angry about the content of my email? 

Why would anyone write something so cold and insensitive to a person battling breast cancer?  Especially after losing his first wife to cancer and watching his present wife battle ovarian cancer...

I mean, it's fine to list what you consider to be your legislative accomplishments but then to end the letter with the crack about abortion and breast cancer being linked??

My God.

Below you will find Westwood's letter he mailed to me in response to an email I sent to him stating that I am going to work for his defeat in November.  During his tenure (12 years) in Frankfort, Westwood has not taken, in my opinion, a proactive, aggressive approach in crafting and helping pass strong legislation for women. That means more than simply casting a vote or going with the flow of his Republican senate colleagues. After 12 years, the people of Kentucky deserve a real fighter to represent them.

Someone referred to me as the "Pink Warrior."  Jack Westwood is only beginning to find out exactly what that means.

Dear Ms. Brumback,

Thank you for sharing your views regarding women's health issues and for the kind words which you introduced your email.  I understand how being affected personally with a disease can change one political positions, and I wish you success in your battle against breast cancer.  My first wife died of cancer in 1973, and fortunately my current wife is a "cancer survivor" after having had surgery to treat ovarian cancer.  Because of the impact cancer has had on the two most important women in my life, I was, frankly, taken aback with your comment that my political "representation [has been] void of taking a strong stand for early cancer screenings."

You indicated you spent some time looking at my record for the legislation that is a priority for you now (i.e. cancer screening and women's health issues) and concluded that I have not been actively involved in passing such legislation.

As my constituent whom I have been elected three times to serve, you deserve a response. I must say that I wish you had done a more thorough search of my record regarding women's health issues before you sent a copy of the email to newspapers across the state because you clearly have arrives at a false conclusion.

Let's begin with this just-completed Session.  I supported SB 98 to expand Medicaid coverage to offer benefits to uninsured women who are under the age of 65, have been diagnosed with breast or cervical cancer or precancerous conditions, and who are not otherwise covered by insurance.  This legislation will enable poor women who often cannot afford insurance to be treated.  I voted for SB 98 and Governor Beshear signed it into law on April 10, 2008.  Also in this year's Session I voted for HB 316 that required basic health benefits plans to include mammogram screening.  It, too, passed and was signed into law on April 24, 2008.

In 2007 I supported SB 11, a bill that excused nursing mothers from jury duty.  This was important because doctors are seeing enormous health benefits to both babies and their mothers when the babies are breast fed.  I voted for that bill and Governor Fletcher signed it into law on March 23, 2007.

Another bill relating to breastfeeding appeared in 2006.  It permitted a mother to breastfeed her baby in any location, public or private.  I voted for it as well, and it was signed by Gov. Fletcher on March 28, 2006.  Also in that Session I voted for SR 136 recognizing January 2006 as Cervical Cancer Awareness Month.

In 2004 I co-sponsored SB 97 a bill related to breast cancer research, education, awareness, screening, treatment and funding.  SB 97 would have established a tax check-off for a newly created Breast Cancer Research and Education Trust Fund.  Although the bill had unanimous support in the Senate, it was defeated in the House.  In the following year (2005), members of the House Women's Caucus took SB 97 and re-wrote it as a House bill (HB 7) and passed it.  Once again, the Senate unanimously passed the bill, and it was signed into law by Governor Fletcher on March 8, 2005.

In 2002 I supported SB 38, an act to require coverage for medical and surgical benefits with respect to a mastectomy.  That bill, too, passed unanimously in the Senate and was signed by Governor Patton on April 2, 2002.  Also in that year I voted for HB 327, a bill that provided findings to the General Assembly concerning the need for testing and screening of pregnant women for HIV and the likelihood of reducing transmission of HIV from the pregnant women to the unborn or the newborn if knowledge of HIV is known prior to birth.  That bill was signed into law by Governor Patton on March 2, 2002.  An identical Senate bill (which I voted for) had been killed in the House in 2001.

In 2000, I voted to require health insurers to cover mammograms for any covered person, regardless of age, who has been diagnosed with breast disease.  Governor Patton signed that bill (HB 9) into law on February 21, 2000.

There are other bills related to women's health that I supported as well, but I hope these are sufficient to refute your contention that I have not been actively involved in passing such legislation.

I have also supported, as well as sponsored, several bills to require women to be fully informed of the procedures and potential consequences of abortion, the latest being SB 40 which would require a woman to be offered a chance, is she wishes to do so, to see an ultrasound image of her baby before she aborts her.  It also would require an abortionist to have a face-to-face meeting with the woman 24 hours before the procedure, so she could be able to ask questions and receive answers before she makes a critical decision that could impact her mental and physical health for years.  I am puzzled and disappointed that the Web Page Kentucky Women: Power, Passion and Politics found SB 40 "troubling" since it would only have empowered women with information, otherwise withheld.

Some information, for example, that women generally are not told is that there is strong link between abortion and breast cancer.

Again, I want to thank you for being "upfront and honest" with me, and even though you may feel an urgency to work for my defeat in November, please be assured I will continue to advocate for women's health issues despite that.

Sincerely,

Jack Westwood

Just one more thing...

Since receiving Senator Jack Westwood's letter in the mail, I've often asked myself what reaction I would have had if he had left out the paragraph about linking abortion to breast cancer. 

I'm going to post his letter in full where he outlines for me the various bills he has sponsored and/or supported during his tenure in Frankfort as a legislator.  Most of Jack's letter, I feel, was truly sincere.

But then he ended it with the paragraph about abortion and breast cancer.

As my dear, dear friend Jacob Payne of the weblog, Page One Kentucky has suggested, here's a little personal background which is widely known by those who know me best...

I was born in Lexington.  The girl who was pregnant with me was still a child herself.  Her father was raising her alone after her mother died from heart disease, I think. 

Faced with the choice of giving birth or to have an abortion, she and her father chose birth and to put me up for adoption.  Abortion was an appealing option at the time considering her young age and only her father at home to help her. 

Many years later, I was pregnant with my first daughter.  She had a rare tumor (a teratoma) growing off her spinal cord.  Upon discovering this fetal abnormality and identifying it, discussion began of aborting Erin Elizabeth.

The autopsy revealed that she was filled with cancer and would not have survived regardless.

I went on to have two wonderful pregnancies resulting in my own two beautiful, healthy daughters; both named after their older sister.

You see, Senator Westwood, your statement did not fall on ignorant ears nor was it one I was willing to give a free pass.  I'm well-versed in abortion and breast cancer.   

I've been there and lived it. 

You haven't so don't you dare, don't you ever dare write to me again about a "strong link between abortion and breast cancer".

 

 

 

 

If women have made so much "progress," why haven't their lives gotten any easier?

Why do most American women say they don't get enough sleep and that balancing work and family is getting harder?

Why do they make 77 cents to a man's dollar?

And why must Democratic Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney still fight to preserve rights—such as educational equality and even birth control—that seemed secure in the 1970s?

Maloney has written the book, "Rumors of Our Progress" which is a MUST read! 

Check out the raving reviews on the website by Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senator Hillary Clinton!

Read the reviews and more about this exciting book HERE

 

 

Republican Senator Jack Westwood uses breast cancer as a political toy

To hell with women whose health is at the heart of the discussion!

To hell with them, I say!!

Give Jack Westwood the microphone so everyone can clearly hear his statement which, in my opinion, is an egregious distortion of the evidence. 

Westwood is claiming that abortion can cause breast cancer.  

Let's listen to him spew his political venom and spread information about breast cancer; an issue of health already of grave concern to women.

Senator Westwood misleadingly portrays abortion as a risk factor in breast cancer when there is broad consensus in the scientific community disputing that claim.

Is this strictly a politcal move to terrify women from choosing abortion in a year when he's up for re-election?   Seemingly so. 

In February 2003, the National Cancer Institute convened a workshop of over 100 of the world's leading experts to examine whether there is an association between abortion and breast cancer.  The experts concluded that having an abortion does not increase a woman's subsequent risk of developing breast cancer.

The American Cancer Society, the National Breast Cancer Coalition, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the World Health Organization have also concluded that no link has been established between abortion and breast cancer.

In spite of the overwhelming evidence and scientific consensus to the contrary, Senator Jack Westwood makes distorted claims regarding the same.

This is what Senator Westwood wrote in a letter to me which was in response to my assertion that he hasn't taken a progressive, strong stand as a legislator to support women's issues.  I stand by my statement.  I'm now convinced more than ever that Jack Westwood does not need to be re-elected to Kentucky's State Senate.

He wrote:

"I have also supported, as well as sponsored, several bills to require women to be fully informed of the procedures and potential consequences of abortion, the latest being SB 40 which would require a woman to be offered a chance, if she wishes to do so, to see an ultrasound image of her baby before she aborts her.  It also would require an abortionist to have a face-to-face meeting with the woman 24 hours before the procedure, so she could be able to ask questions and receive answers before she makes a critical decision that could impact her mental and physical health for years.  I am puzzled and disappointed that the Web Page Kentucky Women: Power, Passion and Politics found SB 40 "troubling" since it would only have empowered women with information, otherwise withheld.

Some information, for example, that women generally are not told is that there is a strong link between abortion and breast cancer."

As a person fighting the dread disease of breast cancer and struggling each day from the effects of my cancer treatment, I am disgusted by Jack Westwood's attitude and what seems to be a legislative campaign ploy instead of truly caring about the health of Kentucky's women.