Gloria Diaz: Breast Cancer Survivor


gloria diaz

Getting a breast cancer diagnosis could be a shocking experience, especially when your doctor confirms your fears and tells you, you have breast cancer. “ I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. “You have breast cancer. We need to set up an appointment with a surgeon as soon as possible.” I asked the doctor to proceed with whatever arrangements would be necessary. I called my husband at work. I could tell by his voice he was in shock. That evening we informed our four children,” Gloria Diaz says. The day after, Gloria, accompanied by her daughter visited her doctor and was given two options: a mastectomy or lumpectomy. “I was scared and confused. A mastectomy meant I would have my entire right breast removed along with a large number of lymph nodes, and if everything ...

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Turn Your Phone into a Personal Coach to Help You Quit Smoking!


Quitxt Quit Smoking

Smoking is a tough opponent to beat. Quitxt is a new free service that turns your mobile phone into a personal coach to help you quit smoking, using interactive and entertaining text messages, online support, hip-hop music, and videos designed for South Texas young adults by researchers at UT Health San Antonio. The service’s text messages help with motivation to quit, setting a quit date, finding things to do instead of smoking, handling stress, using nicotine replacement if needed, and more. To join Quitxt in English, text “iquit” to 844-332-2058.   For Spanish, text “lodejo” to 844-332-2058.   “Text-message applications have scientifically proven to roughly double one’s odds of quitting smoking, so we developed Quitxt specifically for young adults to ...

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Mary González: Sobreviviente de cáncer de seno



Algunos meses después de la muerte de su madre, Mary González consulto con su doctor si era necesario hacerse un mamograma, el doctor le dijo que estaba muy joven. Dos años después se encontró un  bulto por debajo de su brazo y después de insistirle a su doctor que lo revisará descubrió que tenía cáncer de seno. “Era como una pesadilla. Todas las cosas pasaban muy rápidamente y yo estaba muy aturdida. Se tenían que tomar muchas decisiones en muy poco tiempo. Me aterrorizaba acordarme de mi mamá cuando estaba recibiendo su tratamiento de quimioterapia, la pérdida de su pelo, la náusea y el vómito,” nos cuenta Mary. La lucha contra el cáncer se convirtió en una batalla familiar para la familia González. “Mi esposo y yo nos educamos sobre el cáncer del ...

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Meg Reyes: Sobreviviente de cáncer de seno


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Meg Reyes, fue diagnosticada con cáncer de seno con apenas 33 años “Solamente requería una tumorectomía”, dice ella, “pero a causa del tamaño de mi tumor mis doctores fueron muy agresivos con mi tratamiento y me removieron 16 ganglios”. Con el apoyo incondicional de sus familiares y amigos Megan sobrevivió el cáncer de seno. Diez años después, Megan es una consejera no-oficial para pacientes recién diagnosticadas con cáncer, ha perdido 150 libras, ha vivido en Alemania e Inglaterra y ha sido madrina de un estudiante de intercambio japonés. El sobrevivir “significa vivir aun después de que algo difícil se cruce en tu camino. No tiene que ser cáncer, puede ser cualquier cosa que hayas sobrevivido y como manejas esas situaciones.” Lee la historia ...

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#SaludTues Tweetchat: “Breast Cancer: Early Detection Saves Lives”


breast cancer screening

Although risk is higher for some women, breast cancer remains a top cause of death. Spread awareness about breast cancer and the importance of getting regular mammograms by joining our weekly #SaludTues tweetchat! WHAT: #SaludTuesTweetchat: “Breast Cancer: Early Detection Saves Lives” DATE: Tuesday, October 6, 2015 TIME: 1-2 p.m. ET (Noon-1 p.m. CT) WHERE: On Twitter with hashtag #SaludTues HOST: @SaludAmerica CO-HOSTS: FDA en Espanol (FDAenEspanol,) FDA Women (@FDAWomen) Gobierno USA (@GobiernoUSA) USA Gov (@USAGov) Be sure to use the hashtag #SaludTues to follow the conversation on Twitter/X and share your stories and resources. #SaludTues is a Tweetchat on Twitter/X that focuses on a variety of different health issues. From September 2014 to March ...

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Nuestras Historias: 10 Years of Cancer Survival


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Breast cancer is a top killer. But survival is possible. In 2004, a group of 26 cancer survivors from South Texas shared their stories to inspire hope, comfort, and resiliency in a bilingual booklet called Nuestras Historias: Mujeres Hispanas Sobreviviendo el Cáncer del Seno (Our Stories: Women Surviving Breast Cancer). 2014 marked the booklet’s 10th anniversary. Today, 16 of the remaining survivors have new, courageous stories to tell about the importance of cancer screening and that women can not only survive cancer, but thrive in the workplace, school, home, and family. Read their ...

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Simple Tips to Protect Yourself from Skin Cancer


Cáncer de Piel

Summer is almost over, but there’s still time for one last trip to the beach, a family picnic, sand volleyball or fishing. Just keep in mind the risks of sun overexposure, such as skin cancer. Melanoma, the most serious form of skin cancer, is responsible for 79 percent of skin cancer related deaths, and is the leading cause of cancer death among women ages 25-30. People of all skin types and backgrounds are at risk. But, you don't have to hide from the sun. Doctors say you can protect from skin cancer by following these simple tips: Use a sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or higher everyday Cover up with clothing, including UV-blocking sunglasses Apply 1 ounce of sunscreen to your entire body 30 minutes before going outside Examine your skin head-to-toe once every ...

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#SaludTues Tweetchat: “Let’s talk About Ovarian Cancer for National Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month”


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 As many as 20,000 women are diagnosed with ovarian cancer every year. Unfortunately, many don’t catch it in time. One of the difficulties with diagnosing ovarian cancer is the lack of symptoms or very mild ones. To raise awareness September is National Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month. Join our weekly #SaludTues tweetchat 1 p.m. ET we will discuss solutions and ways to raise awareness. WHAT: #SaludTuesTweetchat: “Let’s talk About Ovarian Cancer for National Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month” DATE: Tuesday, September 08, 2015 TIME: 1-2 p.m. ET (Noon-1 p.m. CT) WHERE: On Twitter with hashtag #SaludTues HOST: @SaludAmerica CO-HOSTS: University of Colorado Cancer Center (@CUCancerCenter), National Ovarian Cancer Coalition (@NOCC_National) Be sure to use ...

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A Pop Quiz that Can Save Your Adolescent Child’s Life


HPV vaccine

What’s the most common sexually transmitted infection? What can cause genital warts or cervical, penis, and anus cancer? What can be prevented with a simple vaccine? Answer: HPV (the human papillomavirus). That’s why a new program is educating people about HPV and helping them make and remember HPV vaccination appointments for girls and boys ages 11-17 in South Texas. The program, called Entre Familia, uses promotoras—trained community health workers—to deliver education and services, led by researchers at the Institute for Health Promotion Research (IHPR) at UT Health San Antonio in partnership with Nuestra Clínica del Valle in South Texas and the Colonias Program at Texas A&M University. “Entre Familia raises awareness about the importance of the HPV vaccine ...

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