Mom, I miss you so much.
Monday, September 24, 2007
Sunday, May 13, 2007
MOTHER’S DAY IN HEAVEN
It’s Mother’s Day in heaven, and though we loved them so,
God gently called our mothers home. We knew they had to go.
They had fulfilled their task on earth. They’d served Him every day.
They loved and cared, prayed and shared. God had shown them the way.
They must be kneeling by God’s throne and asking Him to send
His love to each and every child, and every special friend.
I’m sure they’ve not forgotten their loved ones here on earth.
Their happiness must rival that of when they gave us birth.
They must feel young and strong again and equal to each task
That God would have them to fulfill. They need not even ask…
For He would know that in their hearts they know and love us still,
And that they seek to serve Him yet within His blessed will.
Perhaps they’ve joined the angel choir and sing their songs of praise,
Rejoicing in God’s presence throughout un-numbered days.
While we cannot imagine the beauty of that place,
Our mothers see and understand the wonder of God’s grace.
Yes, it’s Mother’s Day in heaven, that home beyond the blue,
And our mothers will be waiting until we join them, too.
So trust in God. Give Him your heart, refuse a life of sin.
Believe His word, accept His son, and He will let us in.
© 2004 Nona Kelley Carver
God gently called our mothers home. We knew they had to go.
They had fulfilled their task on earth. They’d served Him every day.
They loved and cared, prayed and shared. God had shown them the way.
They must be kneeling by God’s throne and asking Him to send
His love to each and every child, and every special friend.
I’m sure they’ve not forgotten their loved ones here on earth.
Their happiness must rival that of when they gave us birth.
They must feel young and strong again and equal to each task
That God would have them to fulfill. They need not even ask…
For He would know that in their hearts they know and love us still,
And that they seek to serve Him yet within His blessed will.
Perhaps they’ve joined the angel choir and sing their songs of praise,
Rejoicing in God’s presence throughout un-numbered days.
While we cannot imagine the beauty of that place,
Our mothers see and understand the wonder of God’s grace.
Yes, it’s Mother’s Day in heaven, that home beyond the blue,
And our mothers will be waiting until we join them, too.
So trust in God. Give Him your heart, refuse a life of sin.
Believe His word, accept His son, and He will let us in.
© 2004 Nona Kelley Carver
Monday, March 19, 2007
~Happy Birthday Mom~
(Thanks to a special friend that shared this poem with me)
~Happy Birthday Mom~
My Mother is so special to me, a friend who was always near, someone I could turn to, to listen or shed a tear I know I told you often how much I loved you so, but I could never tell you as much as you should know Now that you are gone from me, I think of so many things that I want to tell you, but the phone will never ring Happy Birthday my dear Mommy, I send wishes to the above, of the joy you always gave me, the joy of devoted love
~by Jill Hoel
Happy Birthday Mom, I miss you very much.
~Happy Birthday Mom~
My Mother is so special to me, a friend who was always near, someone I could turn to, to listen or shed a tear I know I told you often how much I loved you so, but I could never tell you as much as you should know Now that you are gone from me, I think of so many things that I want to tell you, but the phone will never ring Happy Birthday my dear Mommy, I send wishes to the above, of the joy you always gave me, the joy of devoted love
~by Jill Hoel
Happy Birthday Mom, I miss you very much.
Wednesday, August 02, 2006
It was a year ago today that we found out mom had cancer, it was one of the worst days I can remember, just her and I and the doctor in the office when we got the news. It was such a surreal day, then we went to lunch after the appointment....and they played the song..."If you get there before I do" by Colin Raye, and my mother and I sat there quite at the table crying. 
Sunday, July 09, 2006
Wednesday, June 28, 2006
Surgeon General Warns of Secondhand Smoke
By LAURAN NEERGAARD
WASHINGTON (AP) - Breathing any amount of someone else's tobacco smoke harms nonsmokers, the surgeon general declared Tuesday - a strong condemnation of secondhand smoke that is sure to fuel nationwide efforts to ban smoking in public.
``The debate is over. The science is clear: Secondhand smoke is not a mere annoyance, but a serious health hazard,'' said U.S. Surgeon General Richard Carmona.
More than 126 million nonsmoking Americans are regularly exposed to smokers' fumes - what Carmona termed ``involuntary smoking'' - and tens of thousands die each year as a result, concludes the 670-page study. It cites ``overwhelming scientific evidence'' that secondhand smoke causes heart disease, lung cancer and a list of other illnesses.
The report calls for completely smoke-free buildings and public places, saying that separate smoking sections and ventilation systems don't fully protect nonsmokers. Seventeen states and more than 400 towns, cities and counties have passed strong no-smoking laws.
But public smoking bans don't reach inside private homes, where just over one in five children breathes their parents' smoke - and youngsters' still developing bodies are especially vulnerable. Secondhand smoke puts children at risk of sudden infant death syndrome, or SIDS, as well as bronchitis, pneumonia, worsening asthma attacks, poor lung growth and ear infections, the report found.
Carmona implored parents who can't kick the habit to smoke outdoors, never in a house or car with a child. Opening a window to let the smoke out won't protect them.
``Stay away from smokers,'' he urged everyone else.
Even a few minutes around drifting smoke is enough to spark an asthma attack, make blood more prone to clot, damage heart arteries and begin the kind of cell damage that over time can lead to cancer, he said.
Repeatedly questioned about how the Bush administration would implement his findings, Carmona would only pledge to publicize the report in hopes of encouraging anti-smoking advocacy. Passing anti-smoking laws is up to Congress and state and local governments, he said.
``My job is to make sure we keep a light on this thing,'' he said.
Still, public health advocates said the report should accelerate an already growing movement toward more smoke-free workplaces.
``This could be the most influential surgeon general's report in 15 years,'' said Matthew Myers of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. ``The message to governments is: The only way to protect your citizens is comprehensive smoke-free laws.''
The report won't surprise doctors. It isn't a new study but a compilation of the best research on secondhand smoke done since the last surgeon general's report on the topic in 1986, which declared secondhand smoke a cause of lung cancer that kills 3,000 nonsmokers a year.
Since then, scientists have proved that even more illnesses are triggered or worsened by secondhand smoke. Topping that list: More than 35,000 nonsmokers a year die from heart disease caused by secondhand smoke.
Regular exposure to someone else's smoke increases the risk of a nonsmoker getting heart disease or lung cancer by up to 30 percent, Carmona found.
Some tobacco companies acknowledge the risks. But R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co., which has fought some of the smoking bans, challenges the new report's call for complete smoke-free zones and insists the danger is overblown.
``Bottom line, we believe adults should be able to patronize establishments that permit smoking if they choose to do so,'' said RJR spokesman David Howard.
And a key argument of some business owners' legal challenges to smoking bans is that smoking customers will go elsewhere, cutting their profits.
But the surgeon general's report concludes that's not true. It cites a list of studies that found no negative economic impact from city and state smoking bans - including evidence that New York City restaurants and bars increased business by almost 9 percent after going smoke-free.
To help make the point, Carmona's office videotaped mayors of smoke-free cities and executives of smoke-free companies, including the founder of the Applebee's restaurant chain, saying business got better when the haze cleared.
In addition to the scientific report, Carmona issued advice for consumers and employers Tuesday:
Choose smoke-free restaurants and other businesses, and thank them for going smoke-free.
Don't let anyone smoke near your child. Don't take your child to restaurants or other indoor places that allow smoking.
Smokers should never smoke around a sick relative.
Employers should make all indoor workspace smoke-free and not allow smoking near entrances, to protect the health of both customers and workers, and offer programs to help employees kick the habit.
On the Net:
Report: http://www.surgeongeneral.gov
06/27/06 23:06 � Copyright The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information contained In this news report may not be published, broadcast or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.
By LAURAN NEERGAARD
WASHINGTON (AP) - Breathing any amount of someone else's tobacco smoke harms nonsmokers, the surgeon general declared Tuesday - a strong condemnation of secondhand smoke that is sure to fuel nationwide efforts to ban smoking in public.
``The debate is over. The science is clear: Secondhand smoke is not a mere annoyance, but a serious health hazard,'' said U.S. Surgeon General Richard Carmona.
More than 126 million nonsmoking Americans are regularly exposed to smokers' fumes - what Carmona termed ``involuntary smoking'' - and tens of thousands die each year as a result, concludes the 670-page study. It cites ``overwhelming scientific evidence'' that secondhand smoke causes heart disease, lung cancer and a list of other illnesses.
The report calls for completely smoke-free buildings and public places, saying that separate smoking sections and ventilation systems don't fully protect nonsmokers. Seventeen states and more than 400 towns, cities and counties have passed strong no-smoking laws.
But public smoking bans don't reach inside private homes, where just over one in five children breathes their parents' smoke - and youngsters' still developing bodies are especially vulnerable. Secondhand smoke puts children at risk of sudden infant death syndrome, or SIDS, as well as bronchitis, pneumonia, worsening asthma attacks, poor lung growth and ear infections, the report found.
Carmona implored parents who can't kick the habit to smoke outdoors, never in a house or car with a child. Opening a window to let the smoke out won't protect them.
``Stay away from smokers,'' he urged everyone else.
Even a few minutes around drifting smoke is enough to spark an asthma attack, make blood more prone to clot, damage heart arteries and begin the kind of cell damage that over time can lead to cancer, he said.
Repeatedly questioned about how the Bush administration would implement his findings, Carmona would only pledge to publicize the report in hopes of encouraging anti-smoking advocacy. Passing anti-smoking laws is up to Congress and state and local governments, he said.
``My job is to make sure we keep a light on this thing,'' he said.
Still, public health advocates said the report should accelerate an already growing movement toward more smoke-free workplaces.
``This could be the most influential surgeon general's report in 15 years,'' said Matthew Myers of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. ``The message to governments is: The only way to protect your citizens is comprehensive smoke-free laws.''
The report won't surprise doctors. It isn't a new study but a compilation of the best research on secondhand smoke done since the last surgeon general's report on the topic in 1986, which declared secondhand smoke a cause of lung cancer that kills 3,000 nonsmokers a year.
Since then, scientists have proved that even more illnesses are triggered or worsened by secondhand smoke. Topping that list: More than 35,000 nonsmokers a year die from heart disease caused by secondhand smoke.
Regular exposure to someone else's smoke increases the risk of a nonsmoker getting heart disease or lung cancer by up to 30 percent, Carmona found.
Some tobacco companies acknowledge the risks. But R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co., which has fought some of the smoking bans, challenges the new report's call for complete smoke-free zones and insists the danger is overblown.
``Bottom line, we believe adults should be able to patronize establishments that permit smoking if they choose to do so,'' said RJR spokesman David Howard.
And a key argument of some business owners' legal challenges to smoking bans is that smoking customers will go elsewhere, cutting their profits.
But the surgeon general's report concludes that's not true. It cites a list of studies that found no negative economic impact from city and state smoking bans - including evidence that New York City restaurants and bars increased business by almost 9 percent after going smoke-free.
To help make the point, Carmona's office videotaped mayors of smoke-free cities and executives of smoke-free companies, including the founder of the Applebee's restaurant chain, saying business got better when the haze cleared.
In addition to the scientific report, Carmona issued advice for consumers and employers Tuesday:
Choose smoke-free restaurants and other businesses, and thank them for going smoke-free.
Don't let anyone smoke near your child. Don't take your child to restaurants or other indoor places that allow smoking.
Smokers should never smoke around a sick relative.
Employers should make all indoor workspace smoke-free and not allow smoking near entrances, to protect the health of both customers and workers, and offer programs to help employees kick the habit.
On the Net:
Report: http://www.surgeongeneral.gov
06/27/06 23:06 � Copyright The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information contained In this news report may not be published, broadcast or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.
Monday, April 10, 2006
The Dangers of Second Hand Smoke!
Secondhand smoke is a mixture of the smoke exhaled by smokers and the smoke that
comes from the burning end of a cigarette, cigar, or pipe. You also may have
heard it called environmental tobacco smoke (ETS), passive, or involuntary
smoke. Secondhand smoke contains more than 4,000 substances. Many of them are
dangerous poisons and can cause cancer. Anyone exposed to secondhand smoke
inhales these substances.
Lung disease, including lung cancer, is the third leading cause of death in
the U.S. Secondhand smoke:
- Can cause lung cancer in nonsmokers; the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency lists it as a Group A carcinogen, a rating used only for substances
(i.e., asbestos) proven to cause cancer in humans .
- Will cause an estimated 3,000 lung cancer deaths this year.
- Can be a direct health threat to people who already have heart and lung
diseases.
- Increases the risk of serious lung disease during the first two years of a
child's life.
Did You Know?
- Nonsmokers who live with smokers are more likely to develop lung cancer
than other nonsmoking adults.
- If you have asthma, secondhand smoke can make your breathing problems
worse.
- Young children are especially sensitive to secondhand smoke. A baby who
lives in a home where one or both parents smoke is more likely to have lung
disease serious enough to need treatment in a hospital during the first two
years of life.
- Children exposed to secondhand smoke in the home are more likely to cough
and wheeze and to have middle ear problems.
How To Protect Your Family At Home
- Don't allow smoking in your home. Ask smokers to smoke outside or, if you
must, limit smoking to a separately ventilated room.
- Be supportive. Help the smoker to quit.
- Place "Thank You for Not Smoking" signs around the house.
- Do not allow babysitters or others who work in your home to smoke in the
house.
What If People Smoke Where You Work?
NIOSH (National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health) has determined
that secondhand smoke may cause lung cancer in exposed workers.
- On-the-job exposure to secondhand smoke can be four times higher than in
the home.
- Secondhand smoke can irritate your eyes, nose and throat.
- Some workers are already exposed to substances that can cause lung
disease. Secondhand smoke in the workplace can only increase the danger.
- To protect nonsmokers from secondhand smoke, the workplace must be totally
smoke free or smoking must be limited to a separate, enclosed area with its
own ventilation system. As of 1991, about 4 out of 10 American companies
with smoking policies were smoke free.
A Special Message For Smokers
Smoke-free worksites can be tough on smokers. Here are some tipsfor coping:
- In smoke free areas, do something to take your mind off smoking. Take a
walk or stretch. Have a glass of water or a light snack.
- If you must smoke, make sure you are not in a "No Smoking" area
before you light up and don't let cigarettes smolder in ashtrays.
- Try to quit smoking. See if your company offers any programs to help you
quit or contact one of the organizations listed on the back of this booklet.
For more information, please visit the following MedicineNet.com areas:
Source: www.cdc.gov
http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=19930
Lung Cancer Hits Young, Non-Smoking Women
By ANDREA CANNING
Aug. 6, 2005 — In her West Bloomfield, Mich., home, Lisa Roffman wiped away tears as she read from a journal she keeps for her 9-year-old daughter, Leah.
"You are a special gift to the world," Roffman read. "You will always be alright. I love you so much. Love, Mommy."
At 44 years young, Roffman is preparing to die.
"There's a limited time period," she said. "There's a sadness and an urgency."
Two-and-a-half years ago, Roffman, a non-smoker, was diagnosed with lung cancer and given less than five years to live.
"It was a complete and total shock," she said. "I certainly thought that it was going to be people who had smoked their whole lives. I always thought it was more men than women. I thought they were people who were 60 or older."
As the number of men with lung cancer declines, the American Cancer Society estimates that 73,020 women will die in the United States of lung cancer this year, more than those who will die from breast, ovarian and uterine cancers combined.
Ill Despite Healthy Lifestyle
While no national studies have yet been done, many lung cancer specialists say they're seeing a disturbing trend of more and more non-smoking women with the disease.
"Many of them have done an excellent job of taking care of themselves," said Dr. Joan Schiller, who specializes in lung cancer in non-smoking younger women at the University of Wisconsin in Madison. "They run. They eat right."
Ten percent to 15 percent of lung cancer victims are non-smokers. Among that group, women are two to three times more likely than men to get the disease. Doctors don't know why. Hormones, second-hand smoke, diet and air pollution all are believed to be factors.
Though lung cancer is deadlier to women than other types of cancer, breast cancer gets almost 10 times more research funding per death than lung cancer, Schiller said.
"These women are tragic victims of the fact that they have a disease that is associated with smoking," Schiller added.
Adding to the deadliness of lung cancer, the symptoms, which include shortness of breath and a chronic cough, often are misdiagnosed as asthma.
New Hope in Study, Drugs
Lately though, there is some hope.
In a search for answers, the National Cancer Institute has funded a grant to the Southwest Oncology Group, a cooperative research group of 283 institutions, to look at gender differences in smokers versus non-smokers with lung cancer. In what will be the largest study of its kind, researchers will look at tumor tissue and healthy tissue from men and women, smokers and non-smokers.
And in the more immediate term, doctors say non-smoking younger women are responding better than others to two new drugs — iressa and tarceva.
"There are certainly people whose cancer has gone away for years," Schiller said. "Will it last? We don't know.''
Iressa has stalled Roffman's cancer.
Tarceva is wiping out some tumors in Debbie Verhines of Saline, Mich.
"Oh, my gosh: I feel like it's given me my life back," Verhines said. "Yeah, it's a miracle drug."
Contemplating Life and Death
Verhines believes that aside from the drugs, conquering the disease is all in the attitude. As a show of strength she took off her wig.
"A lot of people haven't seen me bald," she said. "Hey, I can relate to people who are going through this. You can either have a happy illness or a sad illness, and I am going to have a happy illness."
The Roffmans understand that one day soon, Lisa may die. Her husband, Barry, contemplates life without her.
"I don't want to go in that room," he said. "I go right to the door and I don't open it. I just turn around and run the other way."
Every second is cherished as though it is the last. Lisa's daughter, Leah, prepares for her mom's death as the two share a kiss.
"Her soul and her spirit will always be with me," Leah said. "And her love."
http://abcnews.go.com/WNT/Health/story?id=1014929&page=1
Aug. 6, 2005 — In her West Bloomfield, Mich., home, Lisa Roffman wiped away tears as she read from a journal she keeps for her 9-year-old daughter, Leah.
"You are a special gift to the world," Roffman read. "You will always be alright. I love you so much. Love, Mommy."
At 44 years young, Roffman is preparing to die.
"There's a limited time period," she said. "There's a sadness and an urgency."
Two-and-a-half years ago, Roffman, a non-smoker, was diagnosed with lung cancer and given less than five years to live.
"It was a complete and total shock," she said. "I certainly thought that it was going to be people who had smoked their whole lives. I always thought it was more men than women. I thought they were people who were 60 or older."
As the number of men with lung cancer declines, the American Cancer Society estimates that 73,020 women will die in the United States of lung cancer this year, more than those who will die from breast, ovarian and uterine cancers combined.
Ill Despite Healthy Lifestyle
While no national studies have yet been done, many lung cancer specialists say they're seeing a disturbing trend of more and more non-smoking women with the disease.
"Many of them have done an excellent job of taking care of themselves," said Dr. Joan Schiller, who specializes in lung cancer in non-smoking younger women at the University of Wisconsin in Madison. "They run. They eat right."
Ten percent to 15 percent of lung cancer victims are non-smokers. Among that group, women are two to three times more likely than men to get the disease. Doctors don't know why. Hormones, second-hand smoke, diet and air pollution all are believed to be factors.
Though lung cancer is deadlier to women than other types of cancer, breast cancer gets almost 10 times more research funding per death than lung cancer, Schiller said.
"These women are tragic victims of the fact that they have a disease that is associated with smoking," Schiller added.
Adding to the deadliness of lung cancer, the symptoms, which include shortness of breath and a chronic cough, often are misdiagnosed as asthma.
New Hope in Study, Drugs
Lately though, there is some hope.
In a search for answers, the National Cancer Institute has funded a grant to the Southwest Oncology Group, a cooperative research group of 283 institutions, to look at gender differences in smokers versus non-smokers with lung cancer. In what will be the largest study of its kind, researchers will look at tumor tissue and healthy tissue from men and women, smokers and non-smokers.
And in the more immediate term, doctors say non-smoking younger women are responding better than others to two new drugs — iressa and tarceva.
"There are certainly people whose cancer has gone away for years," Schiller said. "Will it last? We don't know.''
Iressa has stalled Roffman's cancer.
Tarceva is wiping out some tumors in Debbie Verhines of Saline, Mich.
"Oh, my gosh: I feel like it's given me my life back," Verhines said. "Yeah, it's a miracle drug."
Contemplating Life and Death
Verhines believes that aside from the drugs, conquering the disease is all in the attitude. As a show of strength she took off her wig.
"A lot of people haven't seen me bald," she said. "Hey, I can relate to people who are going through this. You can either have a happy illness or a sad illness, and I am going to have a happy illness."
The Roffmans understand that one day soon, Lisa may die. Her husband, Barry, contemplates life without her.
"I don't want to go in that room," he said. "I go right to the door and I don't open it. I just turn around and run the other way."
Every second is cherished as though it is the last. Lisa's daughter, Leah, prepares for her mom's death as the two share a kiss.
"Her soul and her spirit will always be with me," Leah said. "And her love."
http://abcnews.go.com/WNT/Health/story?id=1014929&page=1
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