2-3-12 GO RED for Women Day

More women die of cardiovascular disease than from the next four causes of death combined, including all forms of cancer.

But 80 percent of cardiac events in women could be prevented if women made the right choices for their hearts involving diet, exercise and abstinence from smoking.

Make it your mission to learn all you can about heart attacks and stroke — don’t become a statistic.
CALL 9-1-1

About half of bladder cancer cases in women age 50 and older are now traceable to smoking, up from 20 or 30 percent in earlier decades, researchers report.

It is estimated that 69,250 men and women (52,020 men and 17,230 women) will be diagnosed with and 14,990 men and women will die of cancer of the urinary bladder in 2011
Bladder Cancer Prognosis

Researchers from the University of Michigan recently reported that women who go to their primary care physician
with a new or recurrent episode of blood in their urine are less likely to be referred to an urologist for further
examination than are men.  They believe that this may contribute to the fact that women with bladder cancer are
being diagnosed at more advanced stages, when their chances for survival are markedly decreased.

According to a report published by the National Cancer Institute, the survival rate for women with bladder cancer lags behind that of men at all stages of the disease. African-American women, particularly have poor outcomes when diagnosed with bladder cancer. They present with the highest proportion of advanced and aggressive tumors when compared to African-American men and Caucasian men and women. In addition, the number of women diagnosed with bladder cancer has been increasing.

The five-year survival rate is the percentage of people who survive at least five years after the cancer is detected, excluding those who die from other diseases. This rate depends on many factors, including the stage of bladder cancer that is diagnosed. For people with non-muscle-invasive/superficial urothelial carcinoma, the five-year survival rate is 97%. About half of people are diagnosed with this stage. If the tumor is invasive but has not yet spread outside the bladder, the five-year survival rate is 73%. If the cancer has spread to the lymph nodes or nearby organs, the five-year survival rate is 36%. If the cancer has spread to distant parts of the body, the five-year survival rate is 6%.

What are the key statistics about bladder cancer?

The American Cancer Society’s most recent estimates for bladder cancer in the United States are for 2012:

• About 73,510 new cases of bladder cancer diagnosed (about 55,600 in men and 17,910 in women).
• About 14,880 deaths from bladder cancer (about 10,510 in men and 4,370 in women).

The rates of new cancers and of cancer deaths have been fairly stable over the past 20 years. More than 500,000 people in the United States are survivors of this cancer.

Bladder cancer occurs mainly in older people. About 9 out of 10 people with this cancer are over the age of 55. The average age at the time of diagnosis is 73.

Men are about 3 times more likely to get bladder cancer during their lifetime than women. Overall, the chance men will develop this cancer during their life is about 1 in 26. For women, the chance is about 1 in 86. (The risk for a particular person may be higher or lower, based on risk factors such as whether or not they smoke.) Bladder cancer is the fourth most common cancer diagnosed in men.

Whites are diagnosed with bladder cancer almost twice as often as blacks. Hispanics have an even lower rate than blacks.

In about half of all cases, patients are first diagnosed with bladder cancer while it is still confined to the inner layer of the bladder (non-invasive or in situ cancer). About 35% have bladder cancer that has invaded into deeper layers but is still contained in the bladder. In most of the remaining cases, the cancer has spread to nearby tissues outside the bladder. Rarely (in about 4% of cases), it has spread to distant sites. Black patients are slightly more likely to have more advanced disease when they are diagnosed, compared to whites.

Source:  cancer.org/

Resources:

http://www.cancer.net/patient/Cancer+Types/Bladder+Cancer?sectionTitle=Statistics

http://www.medicinenet.com/bladder_cancer/article.htm

http://www.videojug.com/interview/bladder-cancer-prognosis-2

http://www.cancer.org/Cancer/BladderCancer/DetailedGuide/bladder-cancer-key-statistics

http://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts/html/urinb.html

Immediate full time opening for LVN Resident Care Supervisor in Atascadero, California

In a boutique upscale 15 bed Assisted Living RCFE -Residential Care Facility for the Elderly
Cozy home like atmosphere with respect and dignity for those who can no longer live alone.
Engaging activities that focus on maintaining and stimulating cognitive and emotional growth.

Ingleside Assisted Living in Atascadero

JOB DESCRIPTION:

Supervise 3 CNA’s
Medication (MAR) Management, for Elderly Residents
Create and implement Needs and Care Plans for residents

Compensation: Depending on experience
Participatory health care insurance provided after 90 days

Excellent opportunity to learn and grow in this fast growing industry using technology to increase the quality of life for elderly residents.

JOB REQUIREMENTS:
California LVN License
At least 1 years supervisory experience
Computer skills for use in e-charting, e-assessments and e-MAR
Good communication skills with the ability to liaison between
management, families, doctors, home health agencies, and public
Confident, take charge personality
Ability to multi task

APPLICATION PROCESS

Please email your resume with your:
Salary history and salary requirements.

Successful candidates must provide a minimum of three personal and 3 industry specific references that will be contacted.

If you have ever been arrested for any reason or take narcotic medications please do not respond.

Extensive background check and drug screening is required for this position.

DOJ Fingerprints required

TB Test and Physical Required

Email Resume

Resumes can also be faxed to 805-773-6154

Here are three easy New Year’s Resolutions for 2012.  They work for all age groups

1.  Give yourself permission to relax
We all enjoy our lives more if we aren’t exhausted. Moments Count! Take a moment to  enjoy a hot cup of tea or hot chocolate or some other healthy drink. Sip slowly, Savor the Moment! Extra moments can be spent by putting up your feet for a while. Enjoy your favorite magazine article or book.

Indulge Yourself

2. Indulge Yourself
So you’re craving a cookie or chocolate? Indulge your craving and have A “really good cookie” or one piece of quality chocolate. Just don’t eat the whole box.
Studies have shown that severely depriving yourself of indulgences (like chocolate or french fries) will almost always lead to binge eating down the road. So allow yourself some treats in moderation, and even it out with a smart food choice, like a piece of fruit. You’ll be happier and most likely, it will lead to smarter diet choices.

3. Catch Up on Sleep
Allow yourself to sleep in…or go to bed early… or take an extended nap.
Lack of sleep has been linked to anything from disease to, moodiness, and childhood obesity. Resolve to squeeze in a few more hours of sleep a week ­ your body will thank you!

Every moment we have in life is precious. None of us know just how many moments we have left on the planet.
So cherish the ones that you have!

Click here to read 7 more easy New Year’s Resolutions

Source:  http://life.familyeducation.com
Click here to read some New year’s Resolutions for Seniors

Tips on dealing with menopause with the extra added holiday stress.

If you’ve stepped outside at all since mid-October, you’re well aware that it’s coming. The holiday season—the tornado of wish lists, baking, family reunions, and house cleaning, with a 90% chance of stressor thunderstorms. You may find yourself building a mental bomb shelter to avoid the incoming ribbon, tempting cuisine, and raucous of silver bells. If you’re experiencing menopause concurrently with the holidays, highs could be in the low 100s, and emotional lows could come in high frequency.You can now safely emerge from your bomb shelter, keeping these tips for survival close at hand. Above all, remember to BREATHE.

Reaching out is IN

Holidays bring families and friends together. Tensions rise with pressures to clean the house, make meals, and buy gifts. This year, don’t be afraid to ask for help. Any little thing a family member can contribute helps, whether it’s decorating cookies or curling ribbon. Furthermore, take this family reunion as an opportunity to talk with your mother or daughter about your experience with PM&M. Busting open the conversation about menopause is a way to learn from your mother and prepare your daughter. Reaching out is IN. Suffering in silence is OUT.

Exercise

Take notes with reminders to relax

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Generic Lipitor – known as Atorvastatin
Lipitor, the top-selling drug of all time, has made Pfizer more than $81 billion in sales since launching in 1997, according to IMS Health. At its peak, more than 11 million Americans took it, says Wolters Kluwer Pharma Solutions, another health-care data firm. Yet once the drug’s patent runs out Nov. 30, most patients are expected to switch to less expensive generic versions.

Off-patent Lipitor should give Pfizer $3.8 billion in world-wide sales next year, estimates Credit Suisse analyst Catherine Arnold. That’s a far cry from the $13 billion that the drug made at its peak. Yet it would still be one of the company’s top five selling products.

During the 180 days, Medco Health Solutions Inc., which manages the benefits for 60 million Americans, will send brand-name Lipitor at generic prices to the million-plus customers in its mail-order program. Another pharmacy benefit manager, Catalyst Rx, has told pharmacists that brand-name Lipitor will function as the generic during the six months, with a generic’s $10 co-pay and a price that could end up being $12.50 less than a generic would cost.

“We could expect not to have as extreme an attrition of the brand,” said David Simmons, who runs Pfizer’s established products business. “We’re still going to have a cliff, but we’re going to” still get significant revenue from Lipitor.

Lipitor goes generic

To stem the exodus, Pfizer has partnered with Diplomat Specialty Pharmacy in Flint, Mich., to mail Lipitor to patients who order the pills directly through the pharmacy. Diplomat would bill the patients’ health plans. Those that have contracted with Pfizer would pay about a generic price for Lipitor, while plans that didn’t would pay a higher price.

Source:  wsj.com

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