FitSugar

DrSugar Answers: Breast Cancer Screenings?

FitSugar — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 08:00:00 PDT

DrSugar is in the house and answering your questions.

Hello Doc,
My mother is 50 years old and has never had a mammogram. She has lived in Florida for about 26 years now and has not had health insurance since my father passed away seven years ago. However, due to the economy and her low income, she can not afford health insurance and her employer does not offer it to their employees either. Since October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, I was hoping to find an affordable way for her to get screened?
Best Regards,
- Worried Daughter in Miami

In honor of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, I thought we would answer a breast cancer-related question. To see more on the serious and important topic of screening for breast cancer

Approximately one in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetimes. The fact that breast cancer is so common makes screening very important. If caught early, breast cancer can often be surgically cured before it spreads. Mammograms are recommended yearly, starting at forty, to screen for breast cancer. Frequent self breast examinations can also be useful for finding suspicious lumps, but are not a substitute for yearly mammograms and clinical breast exams. Sometimes breast cancer screening is recommended at a younger age when there is a strong family history of breast cancer or a known family history of having the BRCA gene.

It’s unfortunate that your mother does not have health insurance. Mammograms can be very expensive without insurance. Luckily many communities have programs to offer mammograms to patients with little or no health insurance. The Centers for Disease Control website has a list of breast cancer screening resources by state. You can also go to the American Cancer Society website, enter your zip code, and find the ACS branch closest to her and see what breast cancer screenings they offer. Many of the programs offer free breast cancer screening for women without insurance. Good luck with your search and don’t give up.

If you have a question for DrSugar, send me a private message here and I will forward it to the good doctor.

DrSugar's posts are for informational purposes only and should not be considered medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment recommendations. Click here for more details.

Geek We Love: The MPMan With a Plan

Anna Monette Roberts — Fri, 18 May 2012 03:11:03 PDT

The MPMan was short-lived, but the first MP3 player mass-marketed in the US paved the way for the portable media player revolution. Now that we've gotten to know Kane Kramer, who developed the first MP3 player, and Nathan Schulhof, who created a precursor to iPod and iTunes, it's time to take a look at the history surrounding the MPMan.

Korean electronics company Saehan created and distributed the player in 1998. Michael Robertson, CEO of MP3.com, imported the MPMan into the US and sold it on the MP3.com website. Around the same time, Eiger Labs also imported the player and rebranded it (pictured).

The MPMan came in two versions: the MPMan F10 ($299), which held 32 megabytes, or 35 minutes of music; and the MPMan F20 ($459), which held 64 megabytes, or 90 minutes of music. The player was palm-sized and featured a small LED screen on the front, with the headphone jack and control buttons on top of the device.

Read more about the MPMan after the break.

The Spotify iPad App: Is It Worth Downloading?

Anna Monette Roberts — Sun, 06 May 2012 09:30:44 PDT

The Spotify streaming service has taken over the music world om the past year. But while the company offers both an iPhone app and an incredible desktop application, it has neglected to create an iPad app - until this week.

The recently released iPad app is only available to premium members ($10/month); however, you can sign up for a 48-hour trial run, no credit card required. Spotify's premium membership truly is as good as it sounds: the vast music library is ad-free, offers high sound quality, and gives you offline access to your playlists. However, is the Spotify iPad app as good as the desktop app? Here are some of the pros and cons of the new Spotify iPad app (Free):

Pros:

Beautiful graphics and cover art: Spotify's iPad graphics are crisp and gorgeous. Unlike the somewhat flat desktop version, the iPad graphics practically pop out of the page. The iPad app also provides large cover art images, and as with iTunes, you can flip through the album art by swiping your finger.
Simplified design:The iPad app contains a simplified side navigation bar with only five tabs (as opposed to the 12 on the desktop), making the interface more intuitive and easier to use.
Facebook connect: While some people grumble about this, others love the ability to find new artists via their friend's profiles. The design makes it easy to see your friends' top tracks, artists, and playlists.
Text message-like inbox: In a major change in the design, track suggestions and messages sent to your inbox are organized like iPhone bubble text messages.

Keep reading to take a look at the cons.

Lil Links: Gifts That Give Back Beyond Just Mother's Day

Rebecca M Gruber — Fri, 04 May 2012 05:32:36 PDT

25 mom confessions to top all mom confessions! - The Stir
Giuliana Rancic says this baby is a true miracle - Celebrity Baby Scoop
Beyoncé shows off her new mommy jewelry - Celebrity Baby Blog
Lisa Loeb chats about listening to kid music - FitPregnancy
Photographers' favorite candid photos of their kids - Parenting
Outrageously ridiculous baby outfits - The Bump
12 Mother's Day gifts that give back - BabyCenter Blog
5 screen-free ways to entertain kids on road trips - Yahoo! Shine
3 ways to cure your child's case of "interrupt-itis" - Circle of Moms
How to save on your children's entertainment - LearnVest

A Kentucky Derby Party That'll Have Kids and Parents Alike Running For the Roses

Rebecca M Gruber — Thu, 03 May 2012 09:13:17 PDT

Pull out your biggest hat and get ready to gamble, because this weekend is the 138th annual Kentucky Derby. And while most people associate the "Run For the Roses" with a day filled with mint juleps and Southern style, it's actually a great occasion to throw a party for adults and kids alike. Kids will love the idea of joining their parents to watch an old-fashioned horse race!

Deanna from Kentucky-based Mirabelle Creations created this beautiful Derby party celebrating the first leg of the Triple Crown. She designed red, pale blue, and chocolate brown printables (all downloadable for free!) featuring a modern rose graphic (a nod to the blanket of 554 red roses awarded to the winner of the race each year), horseshoes, and silhouettes of the state of Kentucky. Add in some big hats, a few Southern-style sweets, some hobby horses for the kids to play around with, and a big-screen TV for the actual race and you'll have yourself one great Derby afternoon! Check out all of the details!

Source: Mirabelle Creations

What to Expect When You're Getting a Skin Cancer Screening

Allure — Thu, 03 May 2012 03:25:00 PDT

We're happy to present this story from our friends at Allure:

Nonmelanoma skin cancers may be slowly decreasing, but melanoma is on the rise - and it's the most common cancer for my age group (25- to 29-year-olds). Since this is Skin Cancer Awareness Month, I asked dermatologist Jeannette Graf, an assistant clinical professor of dermatology at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City, to demystify this important annual appointment. "Patients fear the unknown, or they cancel their appointment because they've been on vacation and they feel guilty about their tan. But before they know it, six months have gone by." Graf says there's nothing to fear. The appointment will be quick and painless - at least this time. Learn what really happens at a screening when you read more.

10 Places to Meet Your Future Geeky Boyfriend

GeekSugar — Tue, 01 May 2012 14:02:36 PDT

Here's a question every geeky gal wants answered: "Where can I meet a single geek?" For all the single ladies out there, here are 10 possible places to uncover scores of single geeks.

By the way, leave your other tech-related questions on our Facebook page, in the comments, or in our Ask a Geek Girl group.

Neighborhood coffee shops - Bring a book or your laptop and hang out at an independent coffee shop several times a week. You're more likely to see regulars (aka good-looking geeks) at local joints than you would at a chain. For an easy opener, ask if you can share the table, then spark up a conversation.
Night classes - Whether it's a dance lesson, coding class, or novel-writing seminar, classes are a great place to meet a future brainy mate. Pounce on the opportunity to partner up with the cute geek in the room, whether it's to complete a project, study, or edit each other's work.

See the rest of the list when you read more.

5 Ways to Live Stream a Wedding

Anna Monette Roberts — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 05:34:02 PDT

When a loved one can't attend your wedding, consider live streaming any part of the ceremony or festivities so far away guests can still celebrate practically in person. From video calling to live video channels, these five services enable you to live stream a wedding:

Skype: One of the most well-known video-calling services, Skype is a great free option if you are just trying to include one person. To include more people, sign up for Skype Premium ($9.99 per month), which allows group chats with up to 10 people.
Ustream: The video website enables you to broadcast live video content. It even developed a UStream Broadcaster app, so you can easily stream live HD video from your mobile phone.
iPhone FaceTime: Via FaceTime, you can quickly call a friend who has an iPhone, iPad 2, iPod touch, or even a Mac computer. Since the iPhone 4S is equipped with a front and back camera, simply tap the camera swap button on the bottom right hand side of the screen to share the ceremony.
YouTube Live Stream: With an on-site webcam and WiFi, you can schedule and stream the event live on YouTube. Google offers simple and clear instructions on how to set up, test, and manage your live stream so everything runs smoothly.
I Do Stream: The company provides all the equipment you need (camcorder, tripod, etc.) to seamlessly broadcast your wedding ceremony online. You can even rent a laptop with built-in broadband wireless in case the ceremony grounds don't have an Internet connection.

A Mess-Free Paintbrush: Introducing the Sensu Brush

Anna Monette Roberts — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 06:44:04 PDT

Artists and Draw Something fanatics alike will enjoy the Sensu Brush ($40), a two-in-one paintbrush and stylus ready to revolutionize your tablet "paintings." Designers carefully selected the best synthetic hair to give the Sensu the look and feel of a normal paintbrush. Create digital artwork rich with textured brushstrokes, watercoloresque style, and detailed shading.

It's compatible with most touch screen devices, so it's not limited to just Apple devices and also works with a handful of drawing apps. The Sensu Brush will be available for purchase in May, and we're officially coveting it for its mess-free painting capabilities.

iPhone Shutter Grip Keeps You Snapping Like a Pro

Kelly Schwarze — Sat, 21 Apr 2012 09:03:03 PDT

Get back to your SLR days by adding the one traditional piece of camera gear missing from your iPhone to make it a true do-anything camera: a push-button lens shutter. The Belkin iPhone Shutter Grip ($40) from Photojojo slides into the charging port and adjusts to fit over most cases to keep dirty fingers away from the screen while capturing every memory.

The Shutter Grip has both video and still buttons to easily toggle between each function, even in the midst of recording a video. Press the shutter again while filming video to take a still image, which will auto save to the library. The reason an external shutter is the answer to our iPhoneography prayers? Maybe, just maybe, having a handy grip will keep our smartphone butterfingers at bay and lead to quality, shake-free pictures.