There’s a sadness that permeates my life. It’s a nagging ache that makes its presence known, day after day, year after year. I’ve known this sadness since the age of seven, and I’m almost 48. That’s a lot of years to wrestle with a demon.

The cause of this sadness is cancer.

Cancer is as much a part of my life as my most personal attributes, a stable force. It never goes away; I guess it’s similar in a way to my unchanging love of words or even the color of my eyes. You see, my family has suffered terribly because of cancer. Aunts, uncles, cousins, my grandmother, and my mother have waged battles with this formidable foe – some died very young, some died a little older, one is currently battling the illness for the fourth time, and there are several in remission.

So far, I have been lucky. I’ve gotten married, had children, and been able to watch them grow.

Recently, I saw an advertisement for a show called the big C airing on Showtime. Curious, I had to find out about the storyline. What I learned is that the plot surrounds a woman and her family who confront her cancer diagnosis with humor. On the big C web page, the star – beautiful and fit Laura Linney – stands defiant in the face of death…an hourglass in her hand. There is a look of resolve on her face, and her golden hair flows like a crown around her head.

To me, cancer looks nothing like that. Cancer is a shaved skull weeping blood after brain surgery. It’s a cotton swab doused with water touching the lips of someone who can no longer swallow. It’s uncontrollable nausea, retching so fierce it leaves a person exhausted. No, cancer is not pretty like Ms. Linney.

I realize that each person must deal with cancer in his or her own way. Some may embrace the big C, but I will never be able to watch an episode. How could I ever laugh at something that has killed real people, including children and family members I have loved?

And it’s hard to believe that cancer (and its implications) can fit into neat, hour-long episodes, including such things as character development and inspirational soundtracks. Cancer itself is erratic and ugly…its true soundtrack is that mind-numbing sadness I mentioned earlier.

Believe me; I have searched for the up-side of having had cancer as a life mate. And what I’ve found relates back to the hourglass in Laura Linney’s hand I described above. Since I was a child, I haven’t taken time for granted. I am mortal. Each day presents itself to me as a gift. I drink in everything good, from the hug of my child to the tangy sweetness of a just-picked raspberry. Should I thank cancer for giving me this heightened awareness of life’s brevity?

No, instead, I’ll just keep going as I have been for the past 41 years – praying for better cancer treatments, or better yet for a cure. And I’ll accept shows like the big C, as anything that raises awareness of this dreaded disease deserves my praise.

Many men have a difficult time talking when it comes to personal issues like health and emotions, and breast cancer affects both. Whether it’s pride or ego or just plain fear, it is important not to let such things get in the way of communication. Talking about your experience will help you and others with similar issues. Communication promotes awareness and awareness is the key to coping with male breast cancer (MBC).

African American actor, Richard Roundtree, was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1993. He underwent treatment and kept silent about his breast cancer until years later. Now he is an advocate, informing people about the disease. Peter Criss, drummer for the legendary rock band, KISS, recently revealed that he, too, is a breast cancer survivor. He reminds us that there is no shame in a man receiving a breast cancer diagnosis. Other male public figures who have survived breast cancer include Louisiana district judge, Tucker L. Melancon; former Massachusetts senator, Edward Brooke; and former Cleveland Browns fullback, Ernie Green. Televison actor, Bill McGhee, and radio/TV announcer Rod Roddy lost their battles with MBC.

One name you may not readily recognize is John W. Nick. Get to know him. Nick was a successful and respected businessman, a member of the New York Stock Exchange. He died from breast cancer in 1991, prompting his daughter, Nancy, to establish the John W. Nick Foundation (www.nickfoundation.org) to promote awareness about MBC by providing information, education and support.

The first and best advice for a man when a woman he loves suffering from breast cancer is to obtain as much knowledge as possible about the cancer, the treatments, and the effects of both. Knowing what to expect can help lessen the stress involved in dealing with the inevitable changes that will take place. Equally important is for him to remove his ego from the equation. Listen intently to her and respond appropriately, with humility and patience, to her wants and needs.

Remaining positive and strong for her will not be easy, and a man should not try to be the tough guy all the time. Putting up a front and not being honest about how the cancer is affecting him will only get in the way of any progress that might be made. Getting away once in a while is recommended. A round of golf or a round of drinks may be just the ticket, but whatever he does, a man should never avoid talking about his feelings and fears with a good friend or family member. Deserved or not, men have a reputation for bottling up their feelings. Some men do have a hard time opening up emotionally, so it is difficult for them to share emotionally charged information with even their closest friends. Fortunately for them, there are now support groups and online forums for anonymous disclosure.

Ultraviolet light causes skin to lose elastin, which is a primary factor in the formation of wrinkles. Elastin fibers are what help skin maintain elasticity. Without it, time and gravity will take its toll on the skin, stretching it and creating a rough and wrinkly surface, giving a premature appearance of aging.

Prolonged exposure to the sun can also lead to precancerous lesions known as actinic keratoses. They occur frequently in lighter-skinned people with blond or red hair and blue eyes. These lesions can be worrisome, as, unlike the benign sebhoorric keratoses, they very often lead to malignant carcinomas.

Skin cancer is another major pitfall of exposure to the sun’s reckless ultrviolet rays. In areas where sunlight is prevalent, and people receive extensive exposure, especially as children and teens, squamas cell and basal cell carcinomas are more common. The risk of malignant melanomas is also quite high.

In rarer cases, there may be an adverse allergic reaction to sunlight which can produce blotchiness, rashes, or blemishes on skin. These types of reactions can be brought on or intensified by the use of certain prescriptions, including antidepressants, antibiotics and blood pressure medication.

Take precautions when going out into the sun, especially for prolonged periods of time. When choosing a sun screen, look at the Ultraviolet Protection Factor, or UPF. The higher the number, the better the UV protection. Wearing hats with a brim at least three inches wide can help protect your head, ears and neck from burning, as well as protecting your eyes.

I am not well versed in all of these diets, but I recently heard about the RAVE diet, so I figured I would share this diet with this site’s readers. The RAVE diet has nothing to do with partying and dancing, as the name might suggest. You may want to do a little dance once you go through this diet because you feel so good about yourself, but that is not what I am here to write about.

Outlined by Mike Anderson in his book, The RAVE Diet & Lifestyle, the RAVE is a diet that promotes making people’s immune systems stronger and more efficient. In the book he urges people to understand that the cure for cancer already exists– it is the immune system.

By keeping your immune system in pristine health, you should be able to prevent and even reverse cancer. It has been done before, but somehow cancer patients do not often opt for the natural way. The RAVE diet stresses that plant-based diets are the only ones that strengthen the immune system. The animal-based diets feed cancer, while plants feed your immune system.

Here is what RAVE stands for:

• No Refined foods
• No Animal foods
• No Vegetable oils
• No Exceptions & Exercise

It’s simply an an old-fashioned, plant-based, whole foods diet based exclusively on whole fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts and seeds. Essentially, it’s a vegan diet, but it so much more than just that. There is a link between this type of diet and major diseases– particularly, cardiovascular disease.

Not only does the RAVE diet help support the immune system, but it also is used to simply lose weight.

As for credibility about Mike Anderson,  the RAVE diet website states, “Mike Anderson is a medical researcher, author and filmmaker whose mission to inform the public about how simple changes in diet and lifestyle can cure our biggest health problems.”

As many as one in three North Americans will develop one form of cancer or another in their lives. What many people are unaware of is that cancer can be prevented in many instances by living a healthy lifestyle. It has been estimated that 75 percent of the deaths that are cancer related could have been prevented. Here we offer some preventative measures for you.

Topping the list is smoking. If you smoke, quit, and if you don’t smoke, do not start! Besides lung cancer, smoking has been linked to other types of cancer, such as throat cancer and stomach cancer. In fact, avoid all types of tobacco and steer clear of second-hand smoke at every opportunity.

Engage in as much physical activity as you possibly can. Exercise alone, with a partner, or in a group. Exercise strengthens the body and also helps to keep extra pounds at bay. All of these things taken together lower your chances of developing cancer.

Eat as healthily as possible. Consume vegetables of all different colors. Choose foods that are abundant in their vitamin, mineral and antioxidant content. Include plenty of leafy green vegetables in your daily diet, such as broccoli, kale, bok choy and spinach. Eat whole grains, low fat dairy products, seafood and berries often. Reduce your consumption of saturated fats and trans fats, as well as fried and greasy foods.

Instead of brewing a cup of java in the morning or regular tea, drink green tea. Green tea is rich in ingredients that help to fight cancer, and it is also plentiful in terms of its antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. But don’t just drink it in the morning, any time of the day that you want a warm liquid treat, make yourself some green tea!

Get seven to eight hours sleep every night. Sleep often is not recognized as an important aspect of being healthy (and staying healthy), but it is significant. Sleep provides the body with the time it needs to rest and heal.

Canada is the country where an ancient blue-flowering crop is exclusively cultivated. The flax plant produces a fiber. From this fiber linen is woven. There is an edible seed and from this seed flax oil can be extracted. This seed contains heart healthy omega-3 fatty acids. The flax seed has alpha-linolenic acid which is not exactly the same as the omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oil. The body however can convert alpha-linolenic acid from flaxseed oil to the same type of omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oil.

The flax plant contains mucilage gum which is a soluble fiber. It is similar to the fiber that is in oat bran. This mucilage gum is what lowers blood levels of cholesterol. Many research studies have indicated a reduction in the bad cholesterol called LDL. Triglyceride levels were also lowered. Decreasing these two lipid has a connection to lessen the risk of cardiovascular disease. Platelets may also become less sticky which would reduce the risk of a heart attack.

In the flax plant is a chemical called lignans. This is a plant estrogen that is believed to limit the bodies production of estrogen and testosterone. It has been shown that in some cases estrogen and testosterone can stimulate the growth of certain cancers such as cancer of the prostate and breast cancer. Before using flax oil or flax seed, breast cancer patients who are taking the drug tamoxifen should consult their physician.

Of course, it is prudent to ask your doctor about any supplement you plan on taking to discover if you have any health issues that would effect that choice. It has been found in animal studies that when flaxseed was given to pregnant rats the birth weight of their male babies was lowered.

Exercise also decreases estrogen. Women who have a regular workout routine (such as using a Needak soft-bounce rebounder) not only feel better, but lower their risk factor for malignant breast tumors.

Avoid chemicals that are potential carcinogens. Most petroleum-based chemicals used today are estrogen analogs, which are suspected to cause breast cancer. Do not use pesticides, herbicides, and bug sprays or flea bombs. If possible buy organic produce because it is more nutritious, and organic foods will not have pesticides on them. The pesticides do not wash off with water from a SteriPEN Journey water purifier, and again are suspected to play a role in raising the estrogen level.

Awareness can be raised by wearing cancer bands.

Mesothelioma (cancer of the mesothelium) is a disease in which cells of the mesothelium become abnormal and divide without control or order. They can invade and damage nearby tissues and organs. Cancer cells can also metastasize (spread) from their original site to other parts of the body. Most cases of mesothelioma begin in the pleura or peritoneum.

Genomic Health Inc. of Redwood City can assess 21 key genes in a tumor-tissue sample. A score is then developed from zero to 100. To determine the effectiveness of the drug taxmoxifen a score is given to that particular woman with a high score being a determent that taxmoxifen will not do the job alone. The cost is $3,400 which is high but not as high as the costs of chemotherapy.

Taxmoxifen has been the most successful drug to combat breast cancer but is not effective after five years of treatment. Disease free survival can now be extended by three aromatise inhibitors named Femara, Aromasin and Armidex. These are only effective in post menopausal women.

The one weapon with the most promise is one that will literally vaporize the tumor without surgery. Pilot studies are being done at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston and Victoria General Hospital in British Columbia. Instead of surgically removing the cancerous breast tumors they are shot with radio frequency waves. This is useful for only small tumors in older women. Inserted in the breast is a radio probe that is guided to the tumor site by ultrasound. The power radio frequency waves are turned on and it literally shrivels and kills these small tumors.