Buddy Check 9 is 14-years old

Dear Buddies,

Buddy Check 9 turns 14-years old in October. It seems just like yesterday that 9 News began encouraging women & men to take charge of their own health. My thanks to the scores of Buddies and their families who have allowed me to share their stories of detection, treatment, recovery, even loss of a loved one over all these years. To mark this month, on 9 News @ 9 a-m, I will have special guests joining me to discuss all facets of breast cancer awareness & prevention.

On Monday, October first, Bo Aldige, president & founder of the Prevent Cancer Foundation, formerly the Cancer Research & Prevention Foundation, kicked off breast cancer awareness month on 9 News NOW @ 9 a-m. Bo & PCF were with Buddy Check 9 from the very beginning as our research partner. Prevent Cancer Foundation also makes possible, in part, the Buddy Check 9 packets.

On October 2 on 9 News NOW at 9 a-m, Marc Heyison, co-founder of Men Against Breast Cancer discussed strategies for men supporting the women they love who are battling breast cancer. To see Marc's interview click here

Take care,
Andrea Roane

Losing A Buddy

It is with great sadness that I write about losing a Buddy, Pearl Thomas-Dyer.
I first met Pearl in 1999, when she was featured in a Buddy Check 9 report on an anniversary celebrating the launch of the G-W Mobile Mammography Unit, the Mammovan.
As you know, the van provides underinsured women an opportunity to have a low-cost or FREE mammogram. If something is found, women are then referred for treatment. Pearl was one of those women. The mammogram found something, Pearl received treatment and was doing well. I kept in touch with Pearl over the years through daily inspirational messages she sent to all on her email chain.
I did a follow up on Pearl 2-years ago, but earlier this year , she wrote that the cancer had returned and she was in a tough fight. The cancer had spread from her breast to her lungs and on up to her brain. Her family tells me as recent as one week and three day's ago, Pearl found the cancer had now spread to her spine.
Pearl died Wednesday morning. She never lost hope; she never lost her faith in God. That faith sustained her to the very end.
Please keep Pearl's family and all who are in a daily fight with this disease in your thoughts and prayers .

To see and hear Pearl Thomas-Dyer's 2005 interview with Buddy Check 9 click here.
And search the Buddy Check archives.
Take care,
Andrea

A Buddy Sewing Bee

This is a call for volunteers and a LOUD shoutout to the Ladies of the Fairfax County Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc, Lambda Kappa Omega. They wrote to let me know they are again holding their annual "Kozy Kerchief" sewing bee to create and package their own brand of special head wraps for female cancer patients.

This year’s bee will take place at the Vienna Presbyterian Church, 124 Park Street, NE, Vienna, VA starting at 10:00 am and ending around 4:00 pm. Community volunteers are welcome to assist chapter members with this effort. There will be workstations designated for fabric cutting, pinning, sewing, hand stitching, ribbon making, ironing, and packaging over the course of the day. If you'd like to help, just come on down and give the women of LKO a hand.

The yearly sewing bee has become a signature community service project for the Chapter since its members embraced the idea in 2003. During that year, the Chapter crafted 16 kerchiefs for donation to local breast cancer patients. The trademark kerchiefs are handmade of soft materials that do not scratch or irritate the head; an important factor when experiencing hair loss due to cancer treatment. They can also be used as scarves, head wraps, shawls, or lap blankets. In 2004, LKO added a design for similar head coverings, called "Kozy Caps," and chapter members increased the number of donations to those in need. The 2006 bee resulted in the production of 10 caps and 100 kerchiefs which were distributed at local metropolitan area hospitals and cancer treatment centers during the month of October, the month designated and set aside for breast cancer awareness. While LKO had initially given the head coverings to women with breast cancer as an offering of encouragement, it now provides them to women with all types of cancer; especially low income women who are suffering from the disease.

Way to go Buddies @ LKO!!!!!!!!

How I Spent My Summer Vacation

Hi Buddies,

I hope you had a great summer vacation and are back at work or school, refreshed and raring to go.
During my time off, I practiced what I preach - Early Detection. I had a colonoscopy. My thanks to Dr. John O' Connor and the medical staff at Rockville Ambulatory for taking such good care of me.
For the first time ever, my husband Michael and I took in some great tennis matches at the US Open in Flushing, NY. Thanks to our dear friend, Father James Meyers of Our Lady of Lourdes in Bethesda, for being the best tennis guide.
But before all of that, I had the honor of being the emcee at the 10th annual Susan G. Komen For the Cure Mission Conference Award Luncheon. Held at the Marriott Crystal Gateway Hotel, awardees were celebrated for their significant contributions to breast health or breast cancer awareness.
Over the past 25-years, Komen for the Cure has invested 1-billion dollars in research & community outreach programs. Komen founder, Nancy Brinker, told the nearly 1000-attendees the plan is to invest another billion dollars over the next decade in research and education because significant work still remains.
Among the people Komen is banking on to help discover the cure, the Postdoctoral Komen Research Fellows who donned their new white lab coats during the program. These gifted scientists have all chosen to focus their talents on the intricacies of breast cancer.
Komen also saluted the 2007 Professor of Survivorship Award winners with a 25-thousand dollar honorarium. Dr. Amelie G. Ramirez of San Antonio, Texas was one of two to be so honored for making significant contributions in the field of survivorship.
The afternoon's keynote speaker was Dr. Keith Ablow. He's a practicing psychiatrist, author and tv host. Dr. Ablow spoke about Living the Truth: The Healing Power of Insight & Honesty.
It was a terrific afternoon being surrounded by so many "Buddies" and a great way to start my summer vacation.

Andrea

Crazy, Sexy, Cancer Author

Hi Buddies,

The Buddy Check 9 message is take charge of your own health. Early detection can make a difference. But what if you're 31-years old, healthy [you think] and still learn you have a very rare, stage 4, incurable cancer? What do you do then? If you're actress and filmmaker Kriss Carr, you pick up a camera, document your story, share your experience with everyone, and put cancer in its proper place.
Kriss has written Crazy, Sexy, Cancer and she talked with me about about her story on 9 News Now at 9 AM.
If you'd like to watch my interview with Crazy, Sexy, Cancer author Kris Carr click here.
Please share it with your Buddy.

Andrea