Yesterday, I squirmed my way through the procedure for placing the peripherally inserted central catheter (or PICC) by getting high on valium and nearly passing out. Fortunately, my mother-in-law, Georgia, was there with me to be silly and ask questions when I was too loopy to do so myself.

It's still a bit disconcerting to think about the catheter that is in my arm, knowing that there is a thin piece of plastic running through my veins and into my chest. So, I try not to think about it too much. For those of you more clinically inclined, here's a pic of the PICC:

But today is another day, and I am again reminded of the amazing nature of my fellow humans. As I write, two nearly complete strangers are at work in our bathroom, trying to quickly get the new walls up so that we can have a functioning bathroom -- including a shower in our home -- making chemotherapy that much easier to bear. I can't imagine climbing the basement stairs to use the dingy bathroom toilet when I am at a low point in my treatment. Perhaps the most touching part of the bathroom saints is that they refuse compensation of any kind. I even offered to donate the money I would pay them for their work to a charity of their choosing, and they refused, saying, "You get better -- and when you do, you help someone else out like this too." Karma. We must have it good.

Last year when we first started this train ride called cancer, the yellow LiveStrong bracelets were still all the rage -- it was almost a fashion statement to wear one. Soon, all kinds of rubber bracelets with all kinds of logos and clever lines started popping up. Teenagers were wearing three or four colored rubber bracelets, and the idea of the Lance Armstrong Foundation (LAF) and its Live Strong tag line were lost in a sea of hipness.

But today, I put one on my wrist for the first time -- and so did Dawn. Somewhere inside I still have a nagging fear that it is a superficial gesture, but it's not. If one person asks me about it, I'll be able to educate someone about cancer. That's good enough for me.

The bracelet is also a reminder. It's a reminder to stay on top of this disease, a reminder to not let it get the best of my head, because if it does it may start to win. And we can't have that.

The other day, Talish Barrow came over and we conducted a mock interview on camera in order to practice and discuss our eventual interviews of people affected by cancer for the Cancer Stories Project. During our discussion, Talish mentioned an interview with a doctor that he saw on the PBS special "Take One Step: The Truth About Cancer." The doctor, Talish told me, in effect debunked the Live Strong motto, and chalked Armstrong's triumph over his out-of-control cancer more to luck than the the cyclist's ability to overcome any obstacle through sheer force of will. And I'm sure, at least to some extent, that's true.

But still, there is something to be said for fighting back. And there's something to be said for creating awareness, which I like to think the bracelet may help do. (whew, this post is full of poor sentences -- sorry!)

I'm also really impressed with LAF, its mission, and how it has been carrying out its mission. One very cool feature that LAF provides for cancer patients is something called "Losta Helping Hands." It's an online calendar and networking tool that makes it easier for family and friends to coordinate with a cancer patient in their lives. It's practical stuff for dealing with the day to day needs and issues of living with cancer -- especially for those in treatment.

What else can I say except...Live Strong. For me, for Dawn, for everyone out there battling cancer or standing by the side of someone who is. If you'd like to wear a Live Strong bracelet to show your support of Dawn and I, you can buy them for a mere dollar at www.laf.org -- otherwise, if you're here in Madison, I have several extras that I'd be more than happy to share.

That is the dominant feeling in my gut today. I'm me, this is my life, but how can that be? It is the classic example, the cliche -- things like this happen to other people. Other people are forced to confront their mortality, to be a professional patient, to live with this level of uncertainty. Not me.

Today's visit with Dr. Arbaje was complicated, full of questions, almost as many answers, and a heightened sense of urgency and fear. It's hard for me to write about it, frankly, so I'm going to do what I did in an email fo family moments ago, and break it down in bullet points:

• Tomorrow (Friday, October 3), I will have a PICC line inserted. This is a sort of perma-IV, so that they don't have to keep sticking me like they did last year. It will also assist with some different treatment that may take place (see below).

• On Monday (October 6), they will start me on chemotherapy, using a combination of drugs known as TIP (Taxol, Ifosfamide, and Cisplatin), as well as a fourth drug to help counteract some of the more severe side effects caused by Ifosfamide.

• After my first cycle of chemo, I will have a CT scan and blood work done in order to evaluate if my cancer (yes, it is my cancer, I might as well take full ownership!) is responding well to the chemo.

• IF IT IS RESPONDING WELL:

1. Dr. Arbaje (on the advice of his partners, as well as the leading testicular cancer experts in Indianapolis) recommends a bone marrow/stem cell transplant, known as "autologous stem cell support" (in other words, using my own cells, not those of a donor) combined with high dose chemo. The high dose chemo and transplant procedures would take place not at Dean Oncology, but at UW Hospital, and will be a slightly different combination of drugs -- the Cisplatin, for instance, cannot be given at high doses due to its adverse effect on the kidneys.
2. Once the high dose chemo is complete (I am unsure on the number of cycles recommended), they will put my healthy stem cells back. If they do not take them out first, they could not survive the high dose treatment, and therefore, neither would I.

• IF IT IS NOT RESPONDING:

1. Dr. Arbaje recommends continuing with the scheduled four cycles of TIP chemo.

• Surgery may still be needed post-chemo

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So...

Suddenly this cancer thing has taken yet another unexpected, ever more frightening turn of events.

I worry horribly about Dawn.

I can't help but tell her that I am sorry (though she continually chastises me for doing this and has forbidden me to say it ever again), because it really kills me to watch her watch me going through this. I've always thought that it's harder for those who have to stand by, lacking any kind of control, and watch the people they love go through this shit. I know my fear -- it has become elevated substantially in the past few days -- and know that I must deal with it on my own terms. But I cannot do much to salve Dawn's fear (other than fight this thing with everything I've got).

Thank you all for being so supportive of us, and especially Dawn. She has the burden of holding our lives together, while I have the "privilege" of the cancer excuse.

I hope you all can learn from my experience what Dawn and I have learned: there are few things in life that really, truly matter. Understanding what those things are in your own life -- be they love, freedom, happiness, family -- is essential.

As I got back in my truck, I called my voicemail and listened to the voice of my oncologist, Dr. Arbaje, telling me that he met with the "tumor board" this morning and wanted to speak with me. It was his cell phone number that I did not recognize. So, I pulled over, and called him (full disclosure: I pulled over long enough to get the phone ringing, since I didn't want to be late to my appointment with the surgeon, Dr. Caropreso).

Dr. Arbaje told me that the consensus was clear at the tumor board after all of the oncologists, radiologists, and others weighed in on my case: the tumor in my abdomen had grown noticeably in the short period of time between my CT scan (Sept. 19) and my PET scan (Sept. 25) , indicating that the there is a good chance the tumor is not simply teratoma -- the kind of cell that will not respond to chemotherapy -- but that instead it more than likely contains other types of cancer cells, namely germ cell. Because of this, the recommendation has changed from having a Retroperitoneal Lymph Node Dissection (RPLND) as soon as possible to beginning four cycles of chemotherapy right away (on Monday).

Since I was on my way across town to meet with Dr. Caropreso (the surgeon who would perform the RPLND) as I spoke to Dr. Arbaje, I decided to go to the appointment anyway, and let him explain both the reasons for the changed game plan, as well as the RPLND -- since there is still a possibility that I may need one post-post-chemo.

This development has, in all honesty, got me down. I was so confident that chemo would never happen in my life again. It was a miserable experience -- and this time they want me to do four cycles rather than the three I did last year. The regimen is slightly different, but I won't know the details until I meet with Dr. Arbaje tomorrow morning.

At the moment, I have the mental energy to tell you this: the good news is that none of the tests found anything new. That is, there is still just one tumor (about 3.6 x 2.5 cm in size) in my abdomen. My oncologist, Dr. Arbaje is recommending that I have surgery, and I will be meeting with a surgeon sometime this week to discuss it.

Dr. Arbaje will also be meeting with "the tumor board" on Wednesday -- this is a meeting of the minds in oncology, where many oncologists, radioligists, and surgeons come together to discuss their cases and come to a consensus on treatment -- where he will discuss my case. He is going to give me a call later that day and let me know if new information comes out that meeting.

Depending on the types of cancer cells found in the tumor once it is removed, there is a chance that I will have to undergo chemotherapy again. At this point, surgery seems to be the next step.

That's the new news in a nutshell. I will write more when I'm up to it. Certainly the day was more interesting than I've let on.

Thanks again for all your love, support, prayers, vibes, and general goodwill. It means the world.

Yesterday I was not supposed to eat any carbohydrates at all, so I had bacon (bacon? bacon?) and eggs for breakfast, snacked on cheese and salmon, and cooked up organinc, grass-fed sirloin steak for dinner (steak? steak?). But that's not all. My PET scan was the cause of this diet, and as it was scheduled for noon today, I was to fast beginning six hours prior. So, I got up at 5:00 am and cooked myself yet another round of bacon and eggs before going back to bed.

The PET scan, for those of you who do not recall, or have never known, entails an IV injection of radioactive glucose called Fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG), an hour of sitting as still as possible so that the glucose is not disturbed by muscle use as it travels through the body and snuggles up with the cancer cells (which unlike other cells in the body, do not release it -- hence the effectiveness of the test), followed by about 20 or 30 minutes of lying perfectly still on the scanner, with your arms raised over your head.

Aside from the faint feeling I had when stuck with the IV (hey, listen, I hadn't eaten anything for six + hours, and there was precious little glucose in my body!), the worst part is always the hands over the head, slowly falling asleep, wanting desperately to move them but knowing if you do you will probably ruin the accuracy of this very expensive test.

Later in the afternoon I drove across town to have an ultrasound on my remaining testicle. A painless, albeit always slightly humiliating exam. I can't help but think how the tech examining my testicle has spent her day looking at little babies as they grow -- "there's the heart, and, oh, do you want to know what sex it is?" -- and then I walk in.

One of my mistakes today was inserting the CD of my PET scan images into my laptop. I'd always wanted a copy of these kind of images -- the scan takes a 360 degree look at my body from head to toe -- and yet have only a rudimentary idea of what the scan shows. It looked bad to me, confirming the location of the tumor I know I have, and also showing new affected areas, also in my abdomen. I shouldn't have looked. It's a like a train wreck though, only inside my own body. I couldn't look away.

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In the middle of this day, we had a visit from a couple of guys who have offered their services to finish our bathroom, since my physical ability to do so may become compromised in the near future -- especially if I have to undergo surgery. They are friends of people that Dawn used to work with at the Preschool of the Arts -- in fact, one of them, Terry, is the husband of one of Dawn's favorite co-workers at PSA, Joyce. They have offered to do the work at no charge, which makes me wonder at the sheer kindness that some people are able to muster in time of need, but we have insisted to pay them at least something. If they are not willing to take what we offer, perhaps we will donate the money in their names to the ACS.

You see, cancer really is like Christmas.

Dr. Arbaje called me today hours before I was to show up for an appointment with him to tell me that there is in fact a tumor in my abdomen about 3 centimeters wide. He cannot tell if it is associated with one of my lymph nodes or not at this point.

The next step is what my doc calls "restaging." In other words he needs to deduce what stage my cancer is now in -- this means tests. I am currently awaiting a call from his nurse (my nurse) Kim to let me know when she has arranged appointments for an Ultrasound on my remaining testicle, a PET scan, and an MRI. These tests are being done to determine if the cancer has spread beyond the tumor that has been found already in my abdomen, and will dictate the course of treatment.

If no other signs of cancer are found in my body, Dr. Arbaje has told me that I will need to at least have surgery on the tumor in my abdomen to remove it.

That's what I know, and I suppose that's all I have to say for now.

Thank you all for your love, support, prayers, thoughts, positive energies and vibes.

This might be odd for some, but here I am. I went today for my fifth or sixth (who's counting anymore?) CT scan this morning -- and, since I am seeing my oncologist on Monday to discuss the results, they sent me home with the images, which happened to be on a cd. I thought I'd pop it in my computer to see if I could see them, and I could. I haven't looked very close at them, because I'm not a doctor, and I'm not sure what's supposed to be there, and what isn't. So, I'll leave the speculating to the professionals.

No matter what my doc sees in these images, I'll probably be heading for a PET scan sometime next week.

Thank you all for your kind thoughts and words (and prayers).

To be brief, my Human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) tumor marker has spiked significantly, going from about ten (10) to 357. You may recall (though you probably don't, in which case click on the link above for an explanation) what tumor marker's are, and the HCG marker was previously the least of our worries when considering my cancer. But now it's become a concern.

I have a CT scan scheduled for tomorrow (Friday, September 19), and will receive the results from Dr. Arbaje on Monday. If the scan shows nothing (as it did two months ago), he said he will order a PET scan to get a closer look.

I will keep you posted.

A principal investigator for the Human Reproductive Sciences Unit of theUK's Medical Research Council (MRC) has revealed that using certain cosmetics during the early stages of pregnancy could affect fertility in males in later life. Professor Richard Sharpe undertook research on rats, which showed that after exposure to certain chemicals commonly found in cosmetics such as perfume and household fabrics, the actions of male sex hormones were blocked and the animals suffered fertility problems.

Professor Sharpe and his Edinburgh-based team believe that there is a crucial window between eight and 12 weeks of pregnancy when the male reproductive system is established and male sex hormones are activated. It is at this time that if exposed to chemicals in cosmetics, the male fetus 'may not realise its full reproductive potential, including the size of the penis and testes, undescended testes or sperm count', he said. Professor Sharpe told the Scotland on Sunday newspaper that the 'male programming' window occurs far earlier in fetal development than previously thought, and it is at this time that male sex hormones such as testosterone are most active.

 Speaking to BBC Scotland's news website, he said: 'If you are planning to become pregnant you should change your lifestyle... We would recommend you avoid exposure to chemicals that are present in cosmetics, anything that you put on your body that might then get through your body into your developing baby'. He added: 'It is not because we have evidence that these chemicals categorically cause harm to babies, it is only based on experimental studies on animals that suggest it is a possibility'.

 Disorders of the male reproductive function can affect up to one in six young males with low sperm counts being the most common dysfunction. Professor Sharpe said that the chemicals he is concerned about may also increase the risk of suffering testicular cancer in later life.

We need more heroes and less celebrities! Especially in a sport plagued by doping and scandals around every major event. There appear to be fewer reasons ever year to watch cycling and for youngsters to take up the sport. So the announcement by Lance Armstrong yesterday (9 September) that he will return to professional cycling from next year is, in my view, a welcome one. The 7-time Tour de France champion retired "undefeated" after his 7th consecutive victory in 2005 to spend time with his family and to further his crusade against Cancer. Lance is a Cancer survivor, having been diagnosed with testicular cancer on 2 October 1996 only to return to the top-flight of professinoal cycling when he won the 1999 Tour de France.

His reason for wanting to race at the top level again at the age of 37? He believes, according to his press statement that this is the best way to raise awareness for cancer. It's sad though that there have already been comments made in the press and on TV programmes that don't sit well with me. Supercycling on South Africa's Supersport TV channel last night reported that "maybe Lance wants the media attention he's not getting after retirement". What utter nonense! I can't believe that someone would want to give up their privacy for the sake of it.

By his own admission, Lance is not a religious person, but he has made it quite clear that he now feels (at his retirement) that his purpose in life is not to win bike races, but to somehow make a difference to people's lives. Having tried to politicking and other methods, I think he has realised what most fail to ever figure out. It's what you do that defines you, not what you say.

Lance is at his best riding his bike. That's what he should be doing. The stage I believe is once again set for someone of his stature to return to a sport plagued by bad reputations, deceipt and lacking a hero. Come on Lance, let your legs do the talking. The world is, once again, waiting for a hero to beleive in.

PS: Depsite all the doping in cycling and several books and hundreds of articles hinting at the fact that Lance cheated also, he has NEVER delivered in positive dope test. He claims to have been the most tested athlete in world sport while he was competing.

WHY I READ THIS BOOK

So after reading three books on the current economic downturn in America, it was time for a change of topic. I started going to the gym consistently again the past couple of months and a book on health seemed appropriate. It was actually by chance I came across this book on display at the campus library. Why Men Die First had just been released and was on display in the new book section. If you're a  health conscious guy and you accidentally come across this book, chances are you do a double take and at least read the back cover; especially when it appends the title with How to Lengthen Your Lifespan. So I checked it out and it took two tries to get it done. You'll see why in my review below.

THE AUTHOR: MARIANNE J. LEGATO

Dr. Legato is an internationally known women's health specialist. Which makes it interesting that she wrote a book about men. However, she is also well known as the founder and director of the Partnership for Gender-Specific Medicine at Columbia University. The partnership is interested in research that produces a better understanding of the differences between men and women. It is also apparent that her observations of her dad throughout her life tremendously influenced this book. Her residency was in cardiology and branched out more into gender-specific medicine a few years later. She is also the author of Why Men Never Remember and Women Never Forget.

THE REVIEW

The chapters are organized in the stages of male life and describes the challenges and vulnerabilities of each stage. For example, the second chapter, Beginnings: Surviving the Womb and the First Weeks of Life describe how the female fetus has a much better chance of surviving until birth than the male fetus. Not just surviving, but being more developed and self-reliant at birth. Some of these chapters are already well-known, such as Men and Cancer, Sports: The Price Men Pay, and The Male Libido: Men and Sex. The chapter on cancer is pretty much what one would expect. Legato goes through the dangers of the cancers that men are most vulnerable to, prostate (image right, courtesy of Abbot Diagnostics), lung (mostly due to smoking), colon and testicular. She mixes stories of her experience as a doctor to show that men are afraid to get preventive exams. The stories are a nice addition to the typical scientific relay of information. However, the fact that the people she talks about are nameless, there's not as much oomph to the stories. Also, there are so many stories because she has seen so many patients, that it also makes it a little detached. Her writing is easy to read and understand.  Each chapter is sectioned off into smaller topics and nicely labeled. However, in books like this, it's hard to avoid using medical terms, such prostate specific antigen (PSA), adenomatosis polyposis coli (APC), and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA).

There's not much persuasion to get men to be a proactive and responsible person. The only methods are equating it to women going through gynecological exams, or the usual "catch it early and you'll have a better chance to survive" saying. Another chapter is The Male Libido: Men and Sex. Pretty straightforward here as well. Men love sex. Men always think about sex. Men by nature are not meant to be monogamous. A lot of men have erectile dysfunction. Testosterone is both good and bad. The suggestions are also well-known. Use condoms. Be as monogamous as possible. Have regular exams if you are promiscuous.

I was more interested in the chapters that most men do not know about. The ones that don't define the stereotypes of manhood. The silent killers. The two chapters that stick out with this in mind are Educating Boys: How Well are we Doing? and Male Depression: It's Causes, Expression, and Treatment. Legato brings some interesting ideas from the field that most of us are not aware of. One suggestion is having gender specific education for children. In other words, all-boys classes and all-girls classes. Because boys mentally mature slower than girls, it might be a good idea to taylor teach each gender. The idea of depression and man is tough to understand. It is under-diagnosed due to the stigma that males should just work through it. However, more and more people are understanding that females deal with stress and challenges much better than males. Males are pretty unidirectional and goal-oriented that all other aspects of their lives are neglected. This was the most interesting chapter, that I wished it was longer. Maybe it shows how little male depression is known. However, the number of statistics used to convince the reader that males have issues with depression is probably a little overboard.

Since the second part of the title, How to Lengthen your Lifespan, is one of the reasons I picked up this book, I expected a long final chapter on what a man can do to, well, lengthen his lifespan. Maybe something of a checklist through life or a lifelong way of living that would help in having a more healthy and longer life. There was no such chapter. It seems that what the author had in mind for this part of the title was the little suggestions in the chapters and the small little boxes at the end of some of the chapters that ask you to keep some things in mind. Were the numerous statistics used throughout the book supposed to scare the reader into change? I must admit, as a guy reading this book, I skipped some of the statistics. That's when I put the book down the first time. The statistics and some of the obvious stuff started boring me. The second time I picked up I finished it, but skimmed half the time.

THE VERDICT

This book is a nice start because it's a book in a new genre about male vulnerabilities and gender-specific medicine, which I find very important to the survival of the male gender post-feminism. Legato mentions that what men need is something equivalent to the feminist movement. Men need to start realizing their own vulnerabilities and taking action before it's too late. However, not enough suggestions are made. She mentions having a healthy diet and exercising, but she doesn't go into detail about what to eat and how to exercise to increase lifespan. For example, she might have mentioned that doing cardio work is healthier than the more popular weighlifting. She mentions reducing stress and talking about personal problems to reduce the potential of depression. However, these are obvious suggestions and doesn't offer any new insight into male longevity. The title of this book should simply be Why Men Die First. This is a why book and not a how book. Even as a why book, I found myself skipping several sections that either didn't pertain to me or interest me, like Syphilis: The "Great Imitator" or Firemen (we know why firemen have dangerous jobs).

Overall, this book is a fun read for the most part. Too much in society has focused on women being the weaker gender. "Be a man!" "You throw like a girl!" "Stop being a pussy" "Men don't cry!" "Being in touch with your feminine side" It's time the scientific community see men as being vulnerable. In my experiences watching and talking to men and women, I must say, although women are more outwardly emotional, men seem to have a tough time being open-minded, patient, mentally strong and responsible. It's time to openly discuss this. Or soon, as many people have alluded to, women will not need men! :)

Boy, am I exhausted. This past weekend I went to Chicago (thus, no WEEKEND UPDATE) with my friends Eran and Kate. We stayed right on the Magnificent Mile (my hotel, the Allerton, was right on Michigan Avenue; the girls chose to stay at the Wyndham, a block East). I was on the 17th floor overlooking all the stores, which was nice for people-watching (except the people looked really small, like bugs scurrying around with shopping bags, which was a little creepy). We met up with our mutual friend Mary Beth and had a nice lunch with her fiancée, Dan, and their baby, Tommy. Tommy ordered a peanut butter and jelly sandwich off the children’s menu. They brought him the biggest sandwich I’ve ever seen. I don’t know who the chef is at the Allerton, where we were eating, but they really shouldn’t have made such a vulgar sandwich for a little baby. (These huge portions are making America a nation of fat slobs)

Well, during our stay we drank a lot, ate some good meals and had a lot of laughs. I had some fantastic sushi and sashimi on Friday night at a place called Sushi Samba. It was so delicious, it made me dizzy. On Saturday we ate at a place called Feast in Wicker Park (also sort of creepy—I kept thinking of the original Wicker Man movie which always skeedges me out). Then on Sunday we had brunch at a place called West Egg and headed home. All that driving really aggravated my lumbago. Today my knees and ankles and legs and hips are all stiff and I’m walking funny. I’m also really, really tired. I almost fell asleep at the wheel on my way to an 8:00 a.m. client meeting this morning. When I get sleepy in the car, I have this trick where I turn the radio up really loud and sing at the top of my lungs. I don’t sing along with the words, though. I substitute the words to the songs with really raunchy obscenities. For some reason, that wakes me up—oh well, I guess you have to do whatever gets you through the day.

There sure are a lot of stores, most of them very expensive, in Chicago. And a lot of people buying things from them, too. I didn’t buy anything, though. The trip itself cost me a fortune. Between the hotel, booze and the meals, I blew through money like it was toilet paper. I was hoping the trip would help me to unwind and relax, but now I need to scrimp for the next couple of months to get back into my financial comfort zone, and that makes me very nervous and uptight because my greatest fear is financial ruin (followed closely by testicular cancer).

Oh, and Chicago was really hot and sticky this weekend and the air conditioning in my hotel room didn’t work very well, so that was a bummer.

Eric Shanteau remains determined as he competes with testicular cancer

During an Olympics where the dominant storyline is one man’s quest to win more gold than anyone before him, it is surprising to hear his teammate say he won’t be particularly bothered if he doesn’t make it to the podium at all.

But for Eric Shanteau, who was diagnosed with testicular cancer a week before the Olympic Trials, just being in Beijing and representing his country in the 200 meter breaststroke, which starts today, is enough.

“I’ve already won the battle as far as overcoming this disease and basically meeting my goals while knowing that I have (cancer)," he told NBC's Kevin Tibbles. "And that was just making the team.”

Shanteau was a surprise addition to Team USA when he touched out defending Olympic bronze medalist Brendan Hansen to take second in the 200 meter breaststroke at trials. For the 24-year-old Georgia native it was one of the highest highs of his life after being dealt one of the lowest lows just days earlier.

"I was really upset and I got angry when I (was diagnosed)," Shanteau said. "And I had a choice — it could either hurt me or help me, and I made sure it helped me."

Shanteau kept his medical condition to himself during trials, only opening up to his teammates. He found all 40 of his teammates 100 percent supportive, even if some expressed that in unusual ways.

“I went up to him and I said, ‘You know what? I don’t care. I don’t care that you have cancer,’’” said teammate Cullen Jones. “One of the things I’ve learned with my mom having it twice, my grandmother having it, my dad having it — the last thing the person wants is for you to treat them like they can’t do things for them themselves.”

Shanteau agrees you can’t let cancer completely change your life.

“It's one of those things where you wake up and you have choices to make every day. And I can chose to let it control my life or I can chose to not. And I'm choosing to live the way I want to and do the things that I want to do.”

Shanteau’s doctor has cleared him to delay treatment until after the Olympics. “Cancer of the testicle is a very curable cancer, with cure rate well over 90 percent when it’s caught in the early stage," said TODAY'sSnyderman. "Because a tumor in the testicle isn’t going to spread quickly to the other organs, this is one of those times in your life when you weigh the timing of your surgery with the timing of the major events in your life, and it’s OK to put off the surgery for a little while in favor of a major event like the Olympics," she said. Dr. Nancy

"If was his mother, I would tell him to swim," Snyderman added.

Shanteau’s parents, have in fact, been very supportive of his decision to continue on his Olympic journey. Eric's father, who is currently fighting his own battle with lung cancer, told his son that he has cancer, cancer doesn’t have him.

"I don’t think you can put it in any better terms than that," Shanteau said. "I'm not going to let this disease live my life for me."

Indeed, Shanteau did not let his cancer hold him back in the prelims of the 200 meter breaststroke on Tuesday evening in Beijing. He finished seventh, and advances to the semifinals on Wednesday morning. From there, Shanteau is hoping to reach the finals on Thursday for a run at the podium.

"Winning the medal would be like icing on the cake for my swimming career," he said, adding that it would not be the defining moment.

"I'm up there representing basically the cancer community. And hopefully showing people that there is a fight to do this. You don't have to be afraid of it. You don't have to let this disease control your life."

Shanteau returns to the States on Aug. 20, and is scheduled for surgery at Emory University in Atlanta, Ga., the following week. He is hopeful that will be the end of his cancer battle, and that tests won’t show he needs chemotherapy or radiation.

“But if I do, then so be it,” Shanteau said. “I’m going to attack that like I’ve taken on swimming.”

The Texas Turtle Blog sends this message to Eric Shanteau: LIVE STRONG!

Testicular cancer is most common among men 15-40. 7,000 - 8,000 cases are diagnosed each year.

Click here for info on examining your balls for testicular cancer.

Symptoms may include one or more of the following:

• A lump in one testis or a hardening of one of the testicles
• The testicle should normally feel smooth to the touch. Ridges may be felt because of enlarged blood vessels or tumor growth. Additionally the entire testicle may feel hard and bumpy to the touch.
• Abnormal sensitivity (either numbness or pain)
• Loss of sexual activity
• Sexual withdrawal
• Build-up of fluid in the scrotum
• A dull ache in the lower abdomen or groin
• An increase, or significant decrease, in the size of one testis
• Blood in semen
• General weak and tired feeling
• The testicle with a tumor may be severely enlarged, as much as 3 times the original size.
• Simultaneously the other testicle may be shrunken in size, due to the tumor taking up the majority of the blood supply to the scrotum.

Full Length Audio Intro

The Inner Biochemist

The Simple Solution

My Mission--is--My Passion:

- Healthcare Revolution

listen to my MISSION here...The Full Version

...We don't experience migraines because of a deficiency in Tylenol 3.

...We don't experience depression because of a deficiency in Prozac.

...Our child doesn't have ADHD because they were born without Ritalin.

...We don't experience cancer because of deficiencies in "Chemo"...

My mission is to change individual health care. I would like to see everybody understanding real health. What is Real health? Is it the absence of symptoms? No. Health is when a man becomes natural. What is natural? It is easy spontaneous and without effort. The word "SAHAJ" in Sanskrit means "what is natural, what is innate, in anything's being." When you are your natural self and don't have any obsession or compulsion, you are not bothered about the results of your actions. That is what health is.

Health, is freedom from pain in the physical body... Having attained a state of true well being ...Freedom from turmoil and conflict on an emotional level ...Having attained as a result, a dynamic state of serenity and calm. Freedom from selfishness in the mental sphere, having as a result: total unification with truth.

...The mental level is the most important level for us human beings. It is the level where the spiritual content of a person emerges. That which is the true essence. We are all here for evolving in consciousness and if the inner tools of obtaining a higher consciousness are broken or disturbed then the whole purpose of evolution in consciousness is lost. Then what is the meaning of life? An absolute healthy mind is expressed by a person living in a continual spiritual bliss. Daily revealing new creative ideas... Expressed in very clear ways, always in the service of others. That is health.

I want to see that when your child experiences an earache, he or she is given natural remedies to help heal. Not antibiotics. And true understanding of the biological conflict that causes that symptom.

I want to see that an allergy is cleared naturally, instead of being "treated" or suppressed with Claritin or whatever else is available in the pharmacy.

Antibiotics, Pain killers, allergy medications, antacids and laxatives are all used and well over abused for the wrong reasons. We just need to understand why we are experiencing that certain symptom - and then follow the road to health.

You don't experience a migraine because of deficiency of Tylenol 3.

You don't experience depression because of deficiency of Prozac.

Your child doesn't have ADHD because of deficiency of Ritalin.

You don't experience cancer because of a deficiency of chemo.

I found this snip in an ancient text of Sumeria called

"The Sacred Script of the Covenant":

"Honor your body, which is your representative in this universe. It's magnificence is no accident.

It is the framework through which your work must come true, through which both the spirit and "the spirit within the spirit" speak.

The flesh and the spirit are two phases of your actuality in space and time.

Who ignores one, falls apart in shambles.

So it is written..."

The human being was originally designed to function harmoniously, and compatible with the environment. Since human beings are gifted with consciousness and awareness, they carry great responsibility both for their own benefit and for that of the cosmos, to live accordingly to the laws of nature.

But what we see is that most individuals, instead of enjoying an increasingly vibrant degree of health from generation to generation, are experiencing a continuous decline in heath.

Why?

For 2 reasons,

1: Humans are in violation of the laws of both nature and health.

2: Mankind has gradually lost an inner awareness which would have enabled correct perception of the laws of nature and health, which still must be respected.

So here I am to help you get out of this vicious cycle!
I believe that this universe would not be the same without all the individuals that are born...

We are all very unique and all of us have something very valuable to offer --- and we have to help each other to reach our full consciousness.

All of us are here with a mission; there is no reason why anybody should be depressed, but in truth, millions of people are.

Why?

So let's engage in this journey together, and untangle health, layer by layer, and reach our full potential together.

That is my mission.

...I hope you have found this article on MY MISSION informative!

Please post your comments and questions below, simply by scrolling to the end of this article...

So make sure you follow us closely - and if you have any questions - or future areas of interest - go to my forum at

The Inner Biochemist Question and Answer Section

Listen to an entire One Hour Long Interview with :Kristine:Earl - The Inner Biochemist

...Please help me change and heal the world! Spread the word...
...My Mission--is--My Passion: listen to my MISSION here...
...Because if you don't take care of your body, where will you live?

www.TheInnerBiochemist.com

Comment on this article below, or go to my forum to ask further questions, and see more answers.

Please see my POINT-AND-CLICK ONLINE TESTS for amazing accuracy and health...
...because they get RESULTS

The Best a Person Can Get - Your Natural, Scientific Alternative to Drugs and Surgery

© 2006-2007 BY::Kristine:Earl::BetterHealthAnswers

The Fine Print

The Inner Biochemist

The Simple Solution

...I bet you didn't know that Ultrahomeopathy is the only medicine used -yes insisted on- by the British Royal family.

...I bet you didn't know that Ultrahomeopathy is the only medicine that reverses genetic decline...

…I bet you didn't know even simple homeopathy has had amazing results during epidemics...

...I bet you didn't know that every generation experiences genetic decline in North America... From Infertility and conception difficulties, to massively expanded birth difficulties and early childhood disease - including allergies and asthma, to dramatic obesity. You'll understand in future articles why this genetic weakening is happening - and its outcomes.

Now - The internet is amazingly full of misinformation on homeopathy. Why? Because an enormous multi-billion industry that directly influences 150 different countries is very threatened by the success of homeopathy --- or any other competitor.

The Truth About Homeopathy is that it definitely works, even if the internet is full of falsified information about it (there is a reason for that - see below) - it is the highest form of medicine, nothing can make you feel better, and those who are in good homeopathic hands say it is nothing short of miraculous... that is The Truth About Homeopathy...

Now here's the Why:

Examples of efficacy in mass pandemics:

When we had the Spanish flu epidemic in 1918, 22 million people died world wide of this virus. Here are some interesting facts: In the US alone, 500,000 deaths were caused by this epidemic. (In a future article, I will explain how viral epidemics work….)

Dr Dean W A Pearson, of Philadelphia and Hahnemann College collected data of 26,795 cases of influenza, treated by homeopathic physicians, which showed a mortality rate lower than 1.05%. The mortality rate among those treated by Allopathic medicine - without homeopathic medicine - was 30% to 40%.

Now ask yourself:

Which risk might -I- like to be exposed to?

1% or 40% chance of death?

EXAMPLE:

...So what is homeopathy? And what is the the advanced Ultrahomeopathy?

DEAR READER: This article is the introduction to another specialty that I have. It is literally a Health Care Revolution!

After this introduction, I will refocus on the Inner Biochemistry healthcare revolution for the next few months... as I did in the introductory article about Vitamin C and Calcium. The next article is about "Sugar Burners"...

What Is Homeopathy?

...So what is simple homeopathy? And what is Ultrahomeopathy? It is a system of medicine founded by Dr Samuel Hahnemann, who lived between 1755 and 1843 in Germany. It is based on a new principal that "like cures like". What does this mean? A medicine capable of producing certain effects when taken by a healthy human being is capable of curing any illness that displays similar effect… This is known as the "law of Similimum."

A painting of Dr. Samuel Hahnemann - founder of Homeopathy - observing the horrors of "Allopathic Medicine" as it bludgeons and poisons patients to death - even for profit*:

(*Note in the US, medical doctors are currently forced to sign contracts with HMO's guaranteeing patients will not be told of new and better treatments and methods. Thus preserving HMO profits. That's on top of one of the what is already one of the worst systems of health care per dollar spent. In the area of Cancer alone, new treatments have been received with SWAT Teams, attack dogs, lab burnings, and over 300 cancer-research scientists "dead" over the past 5 years - all under suspicious circumstances... the profits of this industry are enormous - and it stops at nothing to protect them. Cancer books are routinely forced out of circulation by the US Government - without regard to "freedom of the press" or constitutional rights...This is why it's a big area folks. Better information is often fought savagely, to protect profits. In fact, it's hard to find good health information on the Internet...a sad comment on the state of democracy, and ethics, but let's move on with the article...)

For example, if a healthy person takes a dose of arsenic, he will develop vomiting, diarrhea, a rapid pulse and prostration. His skin will become cold, and he will grow very anxious. If he continues using arsenic, his nose will be running, he will have a heavy head, cough, and bronchial catarrh. Later he will develop even more specific disturbances of the skin and nervous system. He will have a burning sensation all over, which is relieved by warmth. He will have frequent thirst for sips of water; he will have fear of death, restlessness, and the worsening of symptoms at noon and midnight.

Now if any of these symptoms are experienced by a sick person, they can be treated by Arsenicum…. Because you can see that the original substance has attacked the physical level (runny nose, catarrh, cough, etc.) The emotional level (restlessness) and the mental level (fear of death, and prostration)

Now - follow me carefully here - because this part is hard for most people to understand: So what is "Arsenicum". It is arsenic diluted in a special way, take one part arsenic to 99 parts water and mix and shake well ( succussing is extremely rigorous shaking )

... Then take one part of this mixture and mix it again with 99 parts of water - and repeat...

This is called dilution and potentization. When you repeat this process 12 times you have *not one atom* of the original substance left in the new mixture.

According to the law/constant of Avogadro:

To give you some idea how small these doses are - consider a concept of chemistry known as Avagadro's number: This number is an extremely large number that becomes a negative number, it's "602" with twenty one 0's after that! That represents the number of particles present in any given quantity of substance. It is also known as a "mole".

When you dilute more than 12 times there can't be any atom left of the original substance.

Potencies used commonly today, are 6C, 30C, 200C, 1000C, 10000C and 50000C.

EXAMPLE:
To give the reader some idea of how extremely diluted, let's take for example a dilution of 100000C. Let's describe it in terms of a numerical fraction. Avogadro's number would correspond roughly to a dilution represented by 1/1000… to a total of 24 zeroes. A potency of 100000C would be represented by a dilution of 1/100000…to a total of 100,000 ZEROES! Inconceivably far beyond the point at which not one atom of original substance is left.

Therefore, it has been said that "poison is the remedy for poison..." Hahnemann postulated this principle as "Similia Similibus Curentur" meaning roughly "like is cured by likes."

Ultrahomeopathy is the only medicine where the remedies are tested on human volunteers, or "provers", to illicit the symptoms they will produce.

So now understand that any medicine you put in your body, ie. "Tylenol, Aspirin, Zantac" etc which you take for a symptom, will cause other symptoms…These other symptoms are called by pharmaceutical companies "side effects". They are not side effects - they are primary effects of the drug quite purposely misunderstood by a for-profit industry. They say "side effects", because these are the effects that we are not interested in seeing, but everybody who takes that individual drug experiences a multitude of symptoms.

It will cause symptoms on the physical level, emotional level, and mental level - even if you just take it for the physical level…depending on your susceptibility level to that substance.

EXAMPLE:
Taking Tylenol for a headache will come with maybe a bit of nausea, sleepiness, and often constipation. Which is the primary effect? And which is the secondary effect?

To look at it accurately - They are all primary effects.

So take for example common side effects of pharmaceutical drugs, headache, nausea, constipation, dizziness, death. This has become the number one cause of death in North America - right now.

...Depending on how susceptible you are to a substance that is how you will react. The individuals who are extremely susceptible to a drug can have a real anaphylactic shock from something as simple as aspirin.

What happened to the Hippocratic Oath of "above all, do no harm…"?

...As in the 3rd law of Newtonian physics, "for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction?"

Allopathic medicine ignores this principle.

How To Improve Sleep or Insomnia With Homeopathy

EXAMPLE:

Let's take insomnia. We take a sleeping pill for that, so if you can't sleep you take a pill that will knock you out. You sleep. This is the "action" of the pill, but the "re-action" of your body to that pill is wakefulness - as anybody who has taken a sleeping pill knows. In general "the next night" you have even more problems sleeping, you take one more pill - which won't knock you off as hard as the 1st one - and in time the affect of the pill will get less and less and you will need stronger and stronger pills - or more and different kinds of pills.

...This is the approach to sleeplessness coming from an Allopathic point of view... they are trying to set forth an action and trying to ignore the equal and opposite reaction. Over a lengthy period of time, you will definitely get increased sleeplessness.

The homeopathic approach to the -same symptom- using the earlier "like cures like" - gives a remedy to increase the symptom - a remedy that in a sleepy person would create sleeplessness.

Let me explain, by working with the "Law of Similars" the Ultrahomeopath uses the principle of equal and opposite reaction to bring healing. Giving the patient the correct remedy causes sleeplessness - which is an action. The system meets this with an equal and opposite reaction - which is sleepiness. Together - both reactions harmonize into a healing reaction.

Ultrahomeopathy is a reactive medicine, one that places the healing impact on the equal and opposite reaction rather than an active medicine, such as Allopathy, that places the forces of cure on the first medicine action, and calls the equally potent reaction, "a side effect."

Can Coffee Improve Sleep?

EXAMPLE:

A potential remedy for sleeplessness in a good Ultrahomeopathy case-taking is "Coffea" - or coffee in diluted and sucussed or potentized form. Do you understand these laws at play now? If not, please go back and reread this section until it "sinks in". When you "get it" - then you'll understand how powerful this is.

There are other remedies used for sleeplessness, you have to use the correct remedy that fits the picture of a person on the physical, and emotional and mental level - at the same time. Some practitioners do not understand this principle, so they feel like, that homeopathic remedies can be used like allopathic drugs - which couldn't be further from the truth. ie. The watered-down, garden-style variety of "health food store homeopathy" - with the thinking that "This remedy is for headache, this remedy is for trauma, this remedy is for colds, this remedy is for allergies." We'll have further articles in this area - but this point is key. Improperly used homeopathic remedies can be as damaging as Allopathic drugs. Don't play games with this. Self-prescribing is sure to hurt you.

Example: Take a health food store or beginner homeopath "combination" or "cocktail" of remedies for your asthma - and all 9 will work! 1 for you, the other 8 against you. Get it? At first it might seem "that it worked" as in Allopathy, and later you will have a bigger, future disease to pay...

In Ultrahomeopathy, we look at what is different, what makes each person unique, so we can treat the patient with individual precision…. Allopathic medicine looks for what is the same between patients and then applies a uniform treatment to the disease.

When I get a patient and they say they are experiencing depression, I always ask for more information - what else are they experiencing? They usually experience a multitude of -simultaneous- symptoms like indigestion, head ache, and some menopausal symptoms.

All the symptoms should be considered by the Ultrahomeopathic physician and instead of giving one "canned" remedy for depression, asthma, or headache - we have to treat the whole person with only 1 remedy, of an available 10,000 - instead of guessing and giving a remedy. We treat the whole person.

It is not easy but that is what Ultrahomeopathy is. It's a process of intricate analysis that has hyper-precise results….And takes years of training to accomplish.

EXAMPLE:

Now think of a multi billion dollar pain killer industry, think of a head ache. IF you take a painkiller for a head ache, does that actually cure that head ache? Of course not. It merely separates you from the sensation of pain. That's all. It's not even addressing the cause.

Ultrahomeopathy is the only form of medicine that can improve the genetics of future generations. There is research that shows that 3 generations treated in a row with Ultrahomeopathy will totally erase normal childhood diseases at the genetic level. Ultrahomeopathy deals with anything, from a mild ear ache, to a crisis, from infertility to degenerative disease, including cancer. Most importantly --- without suppressing your disease. (Suppression guarantees larger future disease - it is unfortunately the favorite form of both Allopathic and certain Natural treatments in North America at this time. More on this in a future article. Sign up for this blog in the upper right hand corner - and Look for the article on "Health Suppression - How Current Treatments = guaranteed future, larger diseases - and increasingly weaker generations of kids".)

Ultrahomeopathy is the only form of medicine that can address disease at it's deepest level - it's cause. The name of the disease does not matter, because we treat the person with very unique individual symptomatology - and the treatment is done without suppression of the disease, instead, intra-cellular cause resolution.

This is something I will explain later in a future article...Again - It is important to Sign up for this blog in the upper right hand corner - and Look for the article on "How Current Treatments = guaranteed future, larger diseases - and increasingly weaker generations of kids".

Now do you understand why the Royal Family and Billionaire Rock Stars insist exclusively on Ultrahomeopathy?

Good enough for the British Royals? A Brief Introduction to Ultra Homeopathy!

...Why those with money and informed opinions are Shunning North-American medicine?

SUMMARY:

The Truth About Homeopathy is that it worked amazing well in epidemics/pandemics that made history, it invented vaccination - and does it properly (unlike all the current autism-linked vaccine knockoffs/ripoffs - which for-profit break all the original rules as intended by homeopathy) - and if you really want to feel well, this is the highest form of medicine...

Good enough for the British Royals? A Brief Introduction to Ultra Homeopathy!

Please post your comments and questions below, simply scrolling to the end of this article...

So make sure you follow us closely - and if you have any questions - or future areas of interest - go to my forum at

The Inner Biochemist Question and Answer Section

Listen to an entire One Hour Long Interview with :Kristine:Earl - The Inner Biochemist

...Please help me change and heal the world! Spread the word...
...My Mission--is--My Passion: listen to my MISSION here...
...Because if you don't take care of your body, where will you live?

www.TheInnerBiochemist.com

Comment on this article below, or go to my forum to ask further questions, and see more answers.

Please see my POINT-AND-CLICK ONLINE TESTS for amazing accuracy and health...
...because they get RESULTS

The Best a Person Can Get - Your Natural, Scientific Alternative to Drugs and Surgery

© 2006-2007 BY::Kristine:Earl::BetterHealthAnswers

The Fine Print

By The Inner Biochemist - :Kristine:Earl: