Bill Answering questions at a recent video interview

What are Kolleen’s Kards?

The cards are paintings that Kolleen created during her fight with cancer. She used them to tell women about ovarian cancer. She put the artwork on bookmarks and postcards, etc. and then put information about ovarian cancer on the back of everyone. Kolleen wanted to tell as many women as she possibly could.

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What is Jane’s Mission?

It’s an effort that Jane and I began work on a long time ago, however, it turned into what it is today after her passing. Jane and I began meeting with Nate Manahan to try and figure out what we could do to further the efforts to educate women about ovarian cancer. When Jane passed, I founded this organization to further women’s education of ovarian cancer and in Jane’s memory. On the Web site, janesmission.com, those interested can read her columns, info about her faith, and a depiction of her journey with the disease. Jane’s Mission was also created to possibly generate donations to further educate women on ovarian cancer.

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This was my third year traveling to Society of Gynecologic Oncologists Annual Meeting on Women’s Cancer.  This year Chad (our director of media production) and Dr. Linnemeier (Our Principal Investigator), Dr. Manahan, and Dr. Geisler were all able to attend this year’s conference.  In years past the main goal was our education and networking.  However, this year, our main goal was to capture on video several gynecologic oncologists from around the country as they shared important life-saving information.

We were blessed to find a perfect studio that was near the convention center and across the street from the convention’s hotel.  On the first day of the conference, we were able to record a few hours of footage of experts speaking about topics like: chemotherapy treatments, HPV vaccine recommendations, minimally invasive surgeries and many more.  We will work with this footage to put together several webisodes that will help educate women about these diseases.  It is our intention to continue creating footage for this on-line series.

Chad (Director of Media) was in charge of production.  However, I took some behind the scenes footage with my Kodak (ZI8 for you techies).  Here is what I put together of just a few shots to make  you realize how good Chad’s versions are when they are finished.  I think we might even have the first one edited and done in the next few weeks.  This is just a few seconds of the hours of interview footage we took and a quick clip of the studio we used while in San Francisco.  If you are interested in more pictures of San Francisco as well as other background videos.  You can look on my personal blog by clicking here.

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BajXliLhc38

I am by nature a political person.  I have opinions. I have ideas.  I have feelings.  I try very hard to separate these personal points of view from my public “persona” with WORD.  We are not a political organization.  We are a non-profit organization committed to educating women and initiating new research to help women battle gynecologic cancers.  We attempt to never show bias and present all sides to subjects (this is not always possible).   So as an organization, we have attempted to lay low as it concerns to the Health Care reform debate.  However, now that a law has been signed (and the debate will continue forever), let me state a few personal imperatives that I certainly hope this or any health care reform will solve in regards to gynecologic cancers.

1.  I do not want to hear of another woman in the United States being diagnosed with late stage cervical cancer because she couldn’t afford or feared paying for a pap test.  I just heard of another lady this week who is near death, not because she is fighting an incurable disease, but rather that she failed to address the warning signs out of fear of the expense of diagnosis and treatment.

2. I want every woman to have access to the most aggressive and progressive treatment for gynecologic cancers.  There is a woman that I heard about just two days ago who is fighting reoccurrence of ovarian cancer.  She wants and needs a second surgery which has been recommended by multiple doctors.  However, she is on Medicaid.  None of the doctors who are recommending this treatment work for hospitals who accept her version of Medicaid.  She is traveling over 300 miles to reach a surgeon who has promised her the best care AND that she will not need to worry about expenses.  Unfortunately, not every woman can even find this situation.  I hope health care reform helps every woman fight with the equal vigor and aggressiveness.

Women of all ages need access to all types of care

3. I don’t want to hear of young women not pursuing the HPV vaccination due to cost or lack of insurance coverage.  In twenty years, the scientists tell me that we should have nearly eradicated cervical cancer in the United States.  Paying for a vaccine should not hinder us from this goal.

4.  As I sit with doctors who dream of new diagnostic tests, new treatments, new survivors, I want to know that as we raise funds and initiate their dreams, that no cost or accessibility obstacles will hinder women from having their lives saved.

I am not a politician.  I am not an economist.  I am usually not partisan.  I do not claim to have any idea how to fix health care. I am simply a person who cares. I am a person who hopes the education WORD gives is less about how you could afford the treatments and more about what treatment will give you the best chance of beating these diseases.

Will this Health Care Reform help make these statements come true?  I don’t know.  But I know this if it doesn’t, we better keep trying!

Hey, let’s talk…

I’m sure most of us would agree that the best ways to learn, become inspired, and see hope is through the stories of those who live with, through, and beyond cancer. In fact, this is one of the reasons WORD has become so dedicated to opening the “dialogue” between survivors, as well as between researchers and doctors.

Which brings me to the introduction of WORD’s new online video series of survivor stories called, “Let’s Talk”

“Let’s Talk” is a personal history series aimed at archiving the stories of women who have battled gynecologic cancer, and those who support them. The aim of this project is to use these stories to provide a real-world, person-to-person resource for others who wish to learn from these personal cancer experiences.

In an effort to make this a more complete resource though, we need to ask your help in acquiring additional gynecologic cancer survivor stories to further this project. Could you provide direction on how to connect with any local cervical, uterine, or ovarian cancer survivors who would be interested in recording their story? The average interview lasts about 10 minutes, and is then edited down to a 2-3 minute piece that will later be put on our YouTube site (www.youtube.com/wordoncancer).  And you can view our FAQ here.

If you have a contact who would be willing to have their survivor story video taped, please contact us at .

To get a clearer idea of what we are looking for, please view Ellen’s story below.

A woman shouldn’t have to face the burden of cancer alone. So, WORD is searching for a way to create meaningful dialogue between women who have been touched by the disease… “Let’s Talk”

About three years ago I started working in cancer research and education with.  Until then I had never heard about WORLD CANCER DAY (by the way as I finish writing this it was yesterday  – February 4, 2010).   As I read the  Livestrong blog post about World Cancer Day – they said this year’s day was very timely because  cancer is “ set to become the #1 killer in the world this year, the day brings us together to highlight the growing personal and economic impact of the disease.”

This statistic frightens me.  With all the breakthrough in technology, all the medical advancements, and the new effective screenings and treatments, cancer death rates continue to  be on the rise worldwide.  This is NOT acceptable.  We can no longer sit by as  people die because they make lifestyle choices out of ignorance and/or ambivalence, they do not have access to proper prevention or treatment, and research is not effectively translated to treatment.

Women’s Oncology Research and Dialogue will continue look to remove the barriers that are keeping the death rate due to cancer rising.  Barriers of indifference.  Barriers of ignorance.  Barriers to new research for treatments.  However, as I saw many organization point out  – It doesn’t start with the important work of our organization’s work,  but with people making personal decision about their lifestyle and health care.  What can women (you) do?  Here are a few ideas –

• Get to the doctor if you have a specific and recurrent change in your health
• Stop Smoking
• Get an annual exam/Pap Test
• Stop Smoking
• Eat Well
• Exercise Regularly
• Know the risks factors and symptoms of gynecologic cancers
• Much more!

I am excited for WORD because in just a few months, we will launch a new website that we believe will be a catalyst and inspiration for many women to  learn to take these steps and many more.  My hope is that next year when World Cancer Day comes about, we can say full heartedly, “We did our part to lessen the impact cancer has around the world, one person at a time!”

On Nov. 20, 2009, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) reported that less frequent Pap tests were recommended based on new studies. The release of these new guidelines has caused quite a stir among professionals and patients a like. To help clear up what these recommendations may mean for you, we asked WORD cofounder and Gynecologic Oncolgist at UTMC, Dr. Kelly Manahan to comment.

You can listen to her phone interview by watching the embedded video above, or you can download the audio only version of the interview, by right-clicking on the following link, and choosing to save to your computer.WORDs of Wisdom Podcast 012510

WORD would like to wish you “Happy Holidays” with our Video Christmas Card embedded below.  The holidays are a great time to pause and count your blessings.  And, as always, we here are at WORD are very thankful for your interest and support this past year.  We look forward to another great year together, in our fight against gynecologic cancers.