Jenylin

halowaysan: Divergent factions symbols.

Fri, 24 May 2013 16:10:09 -0400

halowaysan:

Divergent factions symbols.

At the end of the semester, I'm like...

Mon, 20 May 2013 22:58:29 -0400

englishmajorhumor:

factualstatements:

It’s funny because math.

Lavender Labia: gallium-knight: Here’s a test:I’m holding a baby in one hand and a...

Mon, 20 May 2013 18:17:19 -0400

Lavender Labia: gallium-knight: Here’s a test:I’m holding a baby in one hand and a...:

lavenderlabia:

gallium-knight:

Here’s a test:

I’m holding a baby in one hand and a petri dish holding a fetus in the other.

I’m going to drop one. You chose which.

If you really truly believe a fetus is the same thing as a baby, it should be impossible for you to decide. You should have to flip a…

When I read this line on the train, I couldn’t help but...

Mon, 20 May 2013 17:43:07 -0400

When I read this line on the train, I couldn’t help but smile and want to be friends with a fictional character.

elenilote: suicideblonde: Angelina Jolie on why she had a...

Tue, 14 May 2013 20:23:23 -0400

elenilote:

suicideblonde:

Angelina Jolie on why she had a double mastectomy, and how it can save lives

My mother fought cancer for almost a decade and died at 56. She held out long enough to meet the first of her grandchildren and to hold them in her arms. But my other children will never have the chance to know her and experience how loving and gracious she was.

We often speak of “Mommy’s mommy,” and I find myself trying to explain the illness that took her away from us. They have asked if the same could happen to me. I have always told them not to worry, but the truth is I carry a “faulty” gene, BRCA1, which sharply increases my risk of developing breast cancer and ovarian cancer.

My doctors estimated that I had an 87 percent risk of breast cancer and a 50 percent risk of ovarian cancer, although the risk is different in the case of each woman.

Only a fraction of breast cancers result from an inherited gene mutation. Those with a defect in BRCA1 have a 65 percent risk of getting it, on average.

Once I knew that this was my reality, I decided to be proactive and to minimize the risk as much I could. I made a decision to have a preventive double mastectomy. I started with the breasts, as my risk of breast cancer is higher than my risk of ovarian cancer, and the surgery is more complex.

On April 27, I finished the three months of medical procedures that the mastectomies involved. During that time I have been able to keep this private and to carry on with my work.

But I am writing about it now because I hope that other women can benefit from my experience. Cancer is still a word that strikes fear into people’s hearts, producing a deep sense of powerlessness. But today it is possible to find out through a blood test whether you are highly susceptible to breast and ovarian cancer, and then take action.

My own process began on Feb. 2 with a procedure known as a “nipple delay,” which rules out disease in the breast ducts behind the nipple and draws extra blood flow to the area. This causes some pain and a lot of bruising, but it increases the chance of saving the nipple.

Two weeks later I had the major surgery, where the breast tissue is removed and temporary fillers are put in place. The operation can take eight hours. You wake up with drain tubes and expanders in your breasts. It does feel like a scene out of a science-fiction film. But days after surgery you can be back to a normal life.

Nine weeks later, the final surgery is completed with the reconstruction of the breasts with an implant. There have been many advances in this procedure in the last few years, and the results can be beautiful.

I wanted to write this to tell other women that the decision to have a mastectomy was not easy. But it is one I am very happy that I made. My chances of developing breast cancer have dropped from 87 percent to under 5 percent. I can tell my children that they don’t need to fear they will lose me to breast cancer.

It is reassuring that they see nothing that makes them uncomfortable. They can see my small scars and that’s it. Everything else is just Mommy, the same as she always was. And they know that I love them and will do anything to be with them as long as I can. On a personal note, I do not feel any less of a woman. I feel empowered that I made a strong choice that in no way diminishes my femininity.

I am fortunate to have a partner, Brad Pitt, who is so loving and supportive. So to anyone who has a wife or girlfriend going through this, know that you are a very important part of the transition. Brad was at the Pink Lotus Breast Center, where I was treated, for every minute of the surgeries. We managed to find moments to laugh together. We knew this was the right thing to do for our family and that it would bring us closer. And it has.

For any woman reading this, I hope it helps you to know you have options. I want to encourage every woman, especially if you have a family history of breast or ovarian cancer, to seek out the information and medical experts who can help you through this aspect of your life, and to make your own informed choices.

I acknowledge that there are many wonderful holistic doctors working on alternatives to surgery. My own regimen will be posted in due course on the Web site of the Pink Lotus Breast Center. I hope that this will be helpful to other women.

Breast cancer alone kills some 458,000 people each year, according to the World Health Organization, mainly in low- and middle-income countries. It has got to be a priority to ensure that more women can access gene testing and lifesaving preventive treatment, whatever their means and background, wherever they live. The cost of testing for BRCA1 and BRCA2, at more than $3,000 in the United States, remains an obstacle for many women.

I choose not to keep my story private because there are many women who do not know that they might be living under the shadow of cancer. It is my hope that they, too, will be able to get gene tested, and that if they have a high risk they, too, will know that they have strong options.

Life comes with many challenges. The ones that should not scare us are the ones we can take on and take control of.

I admire that she chooses to speak up on a topic that is deeply personal so that other women may take strength and encouragement from it.

sad-teeth: So today Angelina Jolie had double mastectomy,...

Tue, 14 May 2013 20:18:08 -0400

sad-teeth:

So today Angelina Jolie had double mastectomy, which is the removal of one’s breasts, to prevent Breast cancer. So instead of praising Angelina on her bravery, men on Twitter decided to ridicule her, even calling her stupid for removing her breasts. For those of you on Tumblr that are attacking Feminists about being delusional about sexism against women and misogyny here’s your fucking proof that sexism and misogyny exists.

guiltyhipster: It really pisses me off how so many parents who...

Tue, 07 May 2013 21:01:12 -0400

guiltyhipster:

It really pisses me off how so many parents who took their kids to see Paranorman made such an uproar about one of the characters being openly gay, but completely ignore how the film also featured aggressive preteen bullying and an innocent child being mercilessly executed by religious fanatics. Way to prioritize, parents.

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Tue, 07 May 2013 20:50:22 -0400

Tue, 07 May 2013 20:46:46 -0400

flyelyfe: Flye Lyfe! Breakfast of Champions Vol. I “Cap’n...

Wed, 01 May 2013 20:40:05 -0400

flyelyfe:

Flye Lyfe! Breakfast of Champions Vol. I “Cap’n Munch” (at Caballero’s Cigars)

SHOP: www.flyelyfe.bigcartel.com

Pain shuddered through him… and suddenly the bathhouse was...

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 22:09:04 -0400

Pain shuddered through him… and suddenly the bathhouse was spinning. Brienne caught him before he could fall. Her arm was all gooseflesh, clammy and chilled, but she was strong, and gentler than he would have thought. Gentler than Cersei, he thought as she helped him from the tub, his legs wobbly as a limp cock. “Guards!” he heard the wench shout. “The Kingslayer!”
Jaime, he thought, my name is Jaime.

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Mon, 29 Apr 2013 22:07:18 -0400

agentiantojones: Hey, people, reblog this if you’re an English major. I keep seeing people who love...

Sun, 28 Apr 2013 23:35:59 -0400

agentiantojones:

Hey, people, reblog this if you’re an English major.

I keep seeing people who love books on my dash, and I’m curious to see how many of us are in college majoring in English.

Hope you’re having a lovely day. :)

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Sat, 27 Apr 2013 00:14:36 -0400

What's Up With "Literally" and "Figuratively"?

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 14:40:44 -0400

englishmajorhumor:

theyuniversity:

In our humble opinion, literally no one has made a better post on this topic than The Oatmeal. Here’s an excerpt:

In case you missed it the first time, HERE is The Oatmeal’s post in its entirety.

Cheers.

Entertaining, though the “misuse” of literally doesn’t tend to bother me.

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Mon, 22 Apr 2013 21:54:12 -0400

narcysta: She is amazing. Period.

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 21:50:59 -0400

narcysta:

She is amazing. Period.

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Mon, 15 Apr 2013 10:00:14 -0400

http://www.altpress.com/news/entry/deftones_bassist_chi_cheng_passes_away_at_42

Sun, 14 Apr 2013 23:20:00 -0400

http://www.altpress.com/news/entry/deftones_bassist_chi_cheng_passes_away_at_42:

RIP.

Palaeontologists working in China have unearthed the earliest collection of fossilized dinosaur embryos to date: the Early Jurassic period, 197 million to 190 million years ago

Thu, 11 Apr 2013 09:01:44 -0400

Palaeontologists working in China have unearthed the earliest collection of fossilized dinosaur embryos to date: the Early Jurassic period, 197 million to 190 million years ago