breakage junie: Surviving Breast Cancer, A Journey of Change

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Surviving Breast Cancer, A Journey of Change

It is almost twenty years now since I first had breast cancer. Since then I have had two more breast cancers and today I am well.

I thank all the wonderful medical people who have been part of my journey back to health but one thing I have learned as a cancer survivor is that becoming well is a journey of change.

Twenty years ago medical and environment understandings were so different to today.

When I was first diagnosed I put all my faith in medical solutions but gradually as my cancers continued to happen I realized I needed to understand more.

This journey I try to express on this blog with posts about my new sustainable home, growing an organic garden and an increasing knowledge of permaculture.

There is much more of course but changing the chemicals we are exposed to in our daily lives is a great way to start the journey of cancer prevention.

The quote below from the article `Soft-Pedaling Prevention, We celebrate those who beat cancer but ignore efforts to prevent it,' in the Pittsburgh City Paper expresses powerfully the reality of today's world.

More scientists are now, like Epstein, raising alarms that synthetic chemicals drive cancer. Consider testicular cancer. Studies have linked exposure to hormone-mimicking chemicals (like those found in some pesticides and plastics) to reproductive abnormalities including undescended testicles, a cancer risk factor. Meanwhile, a 2008 study suggested that a byproduct of the pesticide DDT (still found in most Americans' bloodstreams) increases the risk of testicular cancer.

And DDT is just one of at least 84,000 synthetic chemicals. Some are known carcinogens; the vast majority remain untested for health effects.

But passing laws to reduce exposure to such chemicals is difficult, partly because of the chemical industry's political influence. According to opensecrets.org, the industry employs nearly 500 federal lobbyists and regularly spends $50 million a year on lobbying; top spenders this year include Dow Chemical, the American Chemistry Council and DuPont Co.".

I live in a sustainable home, eat organic food and work to eliminate unnecessary chemicals in my life, but our world needs more.

We require a sense of responsibility from our governments and corporations for what they are doing to our planet and its inhabitants.

Let's hope for change and a healthy world in the future.