Could YOU Be a BTC Good Samaritan

One of the most troubling things we here on a daily basis from cancer fighters is the lack of support from their local council, landlords or neighbours.

So it is our intention to set up a register of “BTC Good Samaritans”  across the country that are willing to offer help and support to your local cancer fighters in the name of Balls to Cancer.

Can you help someone in your area? You don’t have to give up hour after hour of your free time, but help when you can and if you can.

We need people from all over the country that are willing to do anything from simply ringing someone just to check they are OK, popping in for a coffee and helping clean up, help with shopping, gardening, even help them find people to get them to and from hospital appointments.

Are you a builder, electrician, plumber? can you offers your help? So many of our fighters have housing problems that they just cant fix themselves.

So PLEASE help us help the nations cancer fighters who are suffering in silence! Lets give them the support they need !

Email Contact@Ballstocancer.com giving us your contact details address and if you have any specific areas of expertise you can offer.

Thank you in advance from #TeamBTC

Put A Sock On It!!

Today we launch our #PutASockOnIt campaign to highlight Male Cancer Awareness.

We want to flood Facebook, Twitter & Instagram with #PutASockOnIt pictures, so men please be brave and make a stand for Men worldwide today.

So please do your #PutASockOnIt pictures and facebook, twitter & Instagram them tagging @ballstocancer and using the #PutASockOnIt hashtag

Like our ambassador Wayne Lineker & Charity friend Calum Best

wayne

It’s OK to be scared about cancer – Pete’s story

It’s ok to be scared about cancer

 

It really is normal to be scared about cancer. I was and I still am despite 2 encounters. Here’s what happened to me

 

1. Quite by chance I noticed a lump in my throat in the bathroom mirror while checking my teeth. I thought my Adam’s Apple had moved as it wasn’t central. Eventually I was sent for tests and was told that I had 2 goiters (or lumps) in my thyroid. I had no idea what that meant and so eventually looked on the internet. Bloody hell – this could be serious. After 18m of ultrasound scans and needle biopsies I was told the lumps had increased in size and it was recommended that I have the entire thyroid out. This was arranged quickly and, as they still didn’t know if it was cancer or not, bits of the thyroid were sent away for analysis. It was a hell of a surprise to be told a few weeks later that there were cancerous cells present and I then had a weekend in hospital having radium ablation treatment to kill off any remnants. All quite unpleasant and I now have to take levothyroxine every day which carries out the function of the thyroid. All in all a great concern as I’d spent 18m being told all tests were “inconclusive” – but it turned out it was cancer.

 

Two years of uncertainty, a fairly big operation and a weekend in hospital – yes I was bloody scared. Now I have a check every 6 months and 5 years later I’m still free of cancer in the head and neck area.

 

All very unpleasant and I was scared – but kept thinking about the alternative. The alternative is much worse. So, to anyone in the same situation, it’s ok to be scared – but it’s something which must be done and can be done; and it’s not painful. Also, you get a scar on your neck which is also a topic of conversation (until it fades after a year or so) and you can make up some great Frankenstein stories !!

 

2. Lying in the bath and, thanks to Balls to Cancer, I was having a “fumble”, and ……………what the hell is that ?? There’s something there in my scrotum which shouldn’t be there. What is that? It’s a swelling which shouldn’t be there and hasn’t been there before. Testicular cancer ???  I check the internet – it can’t be as at 62 years old I’m too old. A benefit of being 60+ at last. So self diagnosis led me to think it was varicoceles. Phew

 

I went to see my GP and he agreed, but to be sure sent me for an ultrasound scan. This showed it was not varicoceles so now I’m worried again. The radiologist said it might be a hernia and so I get to see a consultant urologist. He isn’t sure at all so I have another ultrasound scan to check kidneys, check for a hernia and check the left testicle again. This time the radiologist says it could be a hernia but she thinks it’s a third testicle which could have been in my abdomen for all of my life and has now descended into the scrotum. Now I’m sent for a CT scan and there’s going to be a case conference to discuss what to do, what it is, what it might be ………. CT scan shows no hernia and so I’m told by the Consultant that it’s best to have a “small” operation to remove the lump and have it tested.

 

Oh no, not again I thought. Just like with my thyroid they didn’t know what that was, removed it tested it and it was cancer

 

The operation is planned for a week later which adds to my apprehension – why so urgent ?? It takes place on a Friday afternoon and they remove two lumps and the testicle. Now I wait for the results of the tests they’re going to carry out. As I’m coming round the surgeon visits and tells me he doesn’t think it’s cancer

 

Ten days later I get a letter to say that the lump was a “benign fatty lump which requires no further investigation or treatment” What a relief. Logic told me it couldn’t have been cancer at my age, but nevertheless I had been very worried.

 

The incision wound hurts like hell and it’s recommended to take 6 – 8 weeks to recover, but that’s ok as it’s not cancer

 

So, 2-0 to me

 

It’s ok to be scared about cancer. I was, and still remain concerned that I might get it again one day. However I have great faith in the Health Service and the skill of the staff.

Skin Cancer the dangers of sunbeds

Woman shares graphic skin cancer selfies to warn of dangers of sunbeds

Judy Cloud, 49, shows the scars of her skin cancer from too much sunbathing
Judy Cloud, 49, shows the scars of her skin cancer from too much sunbathing Credit: Judy Cloud/Facebook

A woman who has suffered from skin cancer for 20 years has shared graphic selfies in a bid to warn people off using sunbeds. After undergoing 4 procedures of skin cancer treatment, this should tell a bit of what she has gone through.

The type of skin cancer a person gets is determined by where the cancer begins. If the cancer begins in skin cells called basal cells, the person has basal cell skin cancer. When cells that give our skin its color become cancerous, melanoma develops. This dermatologist NYC based can help you to diagnosis and treat any kind of skin disease. You can visit Sozo Aesthetics clinic for more detail about the scar removal.

Here you’ll see what the most common types of skin cancer can look like and who tends to develop each type.

What does skin cancer look like?

Close-up image of a basal cell carcinoma skin cancer
Basal cell carcinoma: This is the most common type of skin cancer. It looks like a flesh-colored, pearl-like bump, or pinkish patch of skin.

Basal cell carcinoma (BCC)
This is the most common type of skin cancer, if you to want to help the affected ones check this Child Cancer Donation Program, every contribution no mater how small it is makes the change.

  • BCC frequently develops in people who have fair skin. People who have skin of color also get this skin cancer.
  • BCCs often look like a flesh-colored round growth, pearl-like bump, or a pinkish patch of skin.
  • BCCs usually develop after years of frequent sun exposure or indoor tanning.
  • BCCs are common on the head, neck, and arms; however, they can form anywhere on the body, including the chest, abdomen, and legs.
  • Early diagnosis and treatment for BCC are important. BCC can grow deep. Allowed to grow, it can penetrate the nerves and bones, causing damage and disfigurement.
Close-up image of a squamous cell carcinoma skin cancer
Squamous cell carcinoma: The second most common type of skin cancer. Often looks like a red firm bump, scaly patch, or a sore that heals and then re-opens.

Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the skin
SCC is the second most common type of skin cancer.

  • People who have light skin are most likely to develop SCC. This skin cancer also develops in people who have darker skin.
  • SCC often looks like a red firm bump, scaly patch, or a sore that heals and then re-opens.
  • SCC tends to form on skin that gets frequent sun exposure, such as the rim of the ear, face, neck, arms, chest, and back.
  • SCC can grow deep into the skin, causing damage and disfigurement.
  • Early diagnosis and treatment can prevent SCC from growing deep and spreading to other areas of the body.

In a Facebook post that has been shared more than 63,000 times, the 49-year-old mother of two says the cancers are the result of using sunbeds and staying out in the sun too long when she was younger.

Since her first diagnosis in 1995, Cloud, a legal assistant in Indianapolis, Indiana, has undergone four surgeries.

Judy Cloud's most recent surgery was to remove 23 skin cancer spots from her face
Judy Cloud’s most recent surgery was to remove 23 skin cancer spots from her face Credit: Judy Noble Cloud/Facebook

The most recent in September was an invasive three-hour operation to remove 23 cancer spots from her face, chest, arms and legs.

This Is Skin Cancer.

This is the result of using tanning beds when I was younger.

This is the result of having numerous sunburns as a child and teen, and not being religious about applying sunscreen, and staying out in the sun far too long as a teen and into my 20’s and even early 30’s.

– JUDY CLOUD WRITING ON FACEBOOK

As well as her pictures, she gives a detailed insight into the unseen consequence of the operations, such as not being able to chew properly, numbness, nerve damage and scars.

“I’m really hoping the thought of going to a tanning bed no longer sounds quite so attractive to you,” she concludes in her Facebook post.

The 49-year-old has had four surgeries for skin cancer
The 49-year-old has had four surgeries for skin cancer Credit: Judy Noble Cloud/Facebook

Speaking to Self magazine she said that while her younger self would never share the stark pictures, her most recent surgery prompted her to document her illness in a public album.

“I’m old enough now to know this is needed,” she said.

I hear too many people say that they feel better about how they look after they go to a tanning bed or after they bake in the sun for hours on end.

Look at the pictures. This could be you.

– JUDY CLOUD

Cloud told the magazine she is “lucky” because most of her cancer is basal cell carcinoma – the most common form.

“It’s not melanoma,” she said. “But it could have been. And I don’t want to take the chance of having melanoma. This is a hard enough battle fighting this.”

Source ITV News

Do you know whats in your coffee??

Start your day with a coffee from one of the major chains? You could be drinking up to 25 teaspoons of sugar in one drink, according to new research.

Campaign group Action on Sugar has studied hot drinks made by big name outlets including Starbucks, Costa and Caffe Nero and found that single drinks can contain as much as 99 grams of sugar. To know more stuff about commercial coffee makers click on https://greatcoffeebrewers.com/best-commercial-coffee-makers/.

Starbucks’ hot mulled grape with chai, orange and cinnamon was the worst offender, containing 25 teaspoons of sugar – more than three times the maximum adult daily intake of free sugars, which is seven teaspoons a day.

Why buy a Nespresso Machine? Speed, ease, and simplicity. Nespresso machines are fast, easy to use and clean, and simple to understand (without a ton of bells and whistles). They are also generally more affordable than an espresso machine and more space efficient. Find the best nespresso machines, as with most modern brewing tools, the heat-up on even the low range machines is less than 30 seconds, so you can easily get your brew quickly and easily.

Costa came next, with its chai latte containing 20 teaspoons, while Starbucks’ white mocha was third with 18 sugars per drink.

The group, which assessed 131 drinks, said 98 per cent of flavoured beverages would receive a ‘red’ (high) label for excessive levels of sugars per serving – with 35% containing the same amount or more sugar than a can of Coca Cola.

Across all “out-of-home hot drinks” surveyed, 55 per cent contain the equivalent, or more than, the maximum daily recommended amount of sugars.

Worst offenders

1) Starbucks’ hot mulled fruit drink (grape with chai, orange and cinnamon) venti: 25tsp

2) Costa’s chai lattee, massimo: 20 tsp

3) Starbucks‘ white chocolate mocha with whipped cream, venti: 18 tsp

4) Starbucks‘ signature hot chocolate, venti:15 tsp

5) KFC’s mocha: 15 tsp

6) Caffe Nero‘s caramelatte: 13 tsp

Kawther Hashem, registered nutritionist and researcher for Action on Sugar, said: “Coffee shop chains must immediately reduce the amount of sugar in these hot drinks, improve their labelling and stop selling the extra-large serving sizes.

“These hot flavoured drinks should be an occasional treat, not an ‘everyday’ drink. They are laden with an unbelievable amount sugar and calories and are often accompanied by a high sugar and fat snack, which is not that good for the health. Still that’s the reason is not surprising that we have the highest rate of obesity in Europe. Our advice to consumers is to have a plain hot drink or ask for your drink to contain a minimal amount of syrup, preferably sugar free, in the smallest serving size available.”

A spokesperson for Starbucks said: Earlier this year we committed to reduce added sugar in our indulgent drinks by 25% by the end of 2020. We also offer a wide variety of lighter options, sugar-free syrups and sugar-free natural sweetener and we display all nutritional information in-store and online.”

The UK’s 100 sugariest hot drinks

Café Drink Sugars per serving (g) Teaspoons of sugar per serving
1 Starbucks Hot Mulled Fruit – Grape with Chai, Orange and Cinnamon Venti 99.0 25
2 Starbucks Hot Mulled Fruit – Apple with Chai, Dried Apple and Cinnamon Venti 88.0 22
3 Costa Coffee Chai Latte Massimo – Eat In 79.7 20
4 Starbucks Hot Mulled Fruit – Grape with Chai, Orange and Cinnamon Grande 76.0 19
5 Starbucks White Chocolate Mocha with Whipped Cream Venti 73.8 18
6 Starbucks Hot Mulled Fruit – Apple with Chai, Dried Apple and Cinnamon Grande 69.0 17
7 Starbucks Signature Hot Chocolate Venti 60.0 15
8 Starbucks White Chocolate Mocha with Whipped Cream Grande 59.1 15
9 KFC Mocha 58.8 15
10 Costa Coffee Mocha Latte Massimo – Eat Out 57.5 14
11 Costa Coffee Mocha Latte Massimo – Eat In 56.3 14
12 KFC Hot Chocolate with cream 54.3 14
13 Costa Coffee Hot Chocolate Massimo – Eat Out 54.0 14
14 Costa Coffee Hot Chocolate Massimo – Eat In 53.1 13
15 Costa Coffee Mocha Massimo – Eat Out 52.6 13
16 Starbucks Chai Tea Latte Venti 52.0 13
17 Starbucks Hot Mulled Fruit – Grape with Chai, Orange and Cinnamon Tall 52.0 13
18 Costa Coffee Mocha Massimo – Eat In 51.7 13
19 Caffe Nero Caramelatte – Drink In 50.6 13
20 Costa Coffee Chai Latte Medio – Eat In 49.3 12
21 Starbucks Signature Hot Chocolate Grande 47.4 12
22 Starbucks Hot Mulled Fruit – Apple with Chai, Dried Apple and Cinnamon Tall 47.0 12
23 Eat Matcha Latte Big 45.2 11
24 KFC Mocha 45.1 11
25 Greggs Mocha Large 45.0 11
26 Starbucks White Chocolate Mocha with Whipped Cream Tall 44.4 11
27 Starbucks Mocha with Whipped Cream Venti 43.2 11
28 McDonalds Mocha Large 43.0 11
29 Eat Chai Latte Big 42.8 11
30 Pret a Manger Orange Spiced Hot Chocolate 42.2 11
31 Starbucks Caramel Macchiatto Venti 42.1 11
32 KFC Hot Chocolate with cream 42.0 11
33 Starbucks Classic Hot Chocolate Venti 41.8 10
34 Starbucks Chai Tea Latte Grande 41.5 10
35 Caffe Nero Hot Chocolate with Whipped Cream – Drink In 41.0 10
36 Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte with Whip Venti 39.2 10
37 McDonalds Mocha Medium 38.0 10
38 Costa Coffee Mocha Latte Medio – Eat In 37.7 9
39 Costa Coffee Mocha Latte Medio – Eat Out 37.7 9
40 Starbucks Signature Hot Chocolate Tall 36.4 9
41 McDonalds Hot Chocolate Large 36.0 9
42 Costa Coffee Gingerbread Latte Massimo – Eat Out 36.0 9
43 Caffe Nero Hot Chocolate Milano with Whipped Cream Drink in 35.7 9
44 Costa Coffee Cinnamon Latte Massimo -Eat Out 35.4 9
45 Costa Coffee Vanilla Latte Massimo -Eat Out 35.3 9
46 Costa Coffee Roasted Hazelnut Latte Massimo -Eat Out 35.0 9
47 Eat Matcha Latte Small 34.9 9
48 Costa Coffee Gingerbread Latte Massimo – Eat In 34.9 9
49 Costa Coffee Hot Chocolate Medio – Eat In 34.8 9
50 Costa Coffee Vanilla Latte Massimo -Eat In 34.8 9
51 Costa Coffee Hot Chocolate Medio – Eat Out 34.8 9
52 Costa Coffee Hot Chocolate Primo – Eat Out 34.8 9
53 Costa Coffee Caramel Latte Massimo -Eat Out 34.6 9
54 Costa Coffee Mocha Medio – Eat In 34.4 9
55 Costa Coffee Mocha Medio – Eat Out 34.4 9
56 Costa Coffee Cinnamon Latte Massimo -Eat In 34.2 9
57 Greggs Mocha Regular 34.0 9
58 Costa Coffee Roasted Hazelnut Latte Massimo -Eat In 33.9 8
59 Costa Coffee Caramel Latte Massimo -Eat In 33.5 8
60 Caffe Nero Chai Latte – Drink In 33.2 8
61 KFC Caramel Latte – Large 33.2 8
62 Eat Chai Latte Small 33.0 8
63 Greggs Hot Chocolate Large 33.0 8
64 Starbucks Mocha with Whipped Cream Grande 32.9 8
65 Starbucks Classic Hot Chocolate Grande 32.9 8
66 Eat Hot Chocolate Big 32.0 8
67 McDonalds Toffee Latte Large 32.0 8
68 Costa Coffee Chai Latte Primo – Eat In 31.9 8
69 Starbucks Chai Tea Latte Tall 31.3 8
70 Starbucks Caramel Macchiatto Grande 31.0 8
71 Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte with Whip Grande 30.6 8
72 Pret a Manger Hot Chocolate 30.3 8
73 Starbucks White Chocolate Mocha with Whipped Cream Short 29.9 7
74 Eat Mocha Big 29.2 7
75 McDonalds Vanilla Latte Large 28.0 7
76 Costa Coffee Mocha Latte Primo – Eat Out 27.5 7
77 Caffe Nero Luxury Hot Chocolate – Drink In 27.3 7
78 McDonalds Hot Chocolate 27.0 7
79 KFC Caramel Latte 26.8 7
80 Costa Coffee Gingerbread Latte Medio -Eat In 26.6 7
81 Costa Coffee Gingerbread Latte Medio -Eat Out 26.6 7
82 Starbucks Mocha with Whipped Cream Tall 26.3 7
83 Costa Coffee Cinnamon Latte Medio -Eat In 26.1 7
84 Costa Coffee Cinnamon Latte Medio -Eat Out 26.1 7
87 Costa Coffee Vanilla Latte Medio -Eat In 26.1 7
88 Costa Coffee Vanilla Latte Medio -Eat Out 26.1 7
89 Costa Coffee Roasted Hazelnut Latte Medio -Eat In 25.9 6
90 Costa Coffee Roasted Hazelnut Latte Medio -Eat Out 25.9 6
91 Starbucks Classic Hot Chocolate Tall 25.8 6
92 Costa Coffee Caramel Latte Medio -Eat In 25.6 6
93 Costa Coffee Caramel Latte Medio -Eat Out 25.6 6
94 Starbucks Caramel Macchiatto Tall 25.5 6
95 KFC Vanilla Latte 25.4 6
96 Costa Coffee Mocha Latte Primo – Eat In 25.2 6
97 McDonalds Toffee Latte Medium 25.0 6
98 Greggs Hot Chocolate Regular 25.0 6
99 Eat Hot Chocolate Small 24.6 6
100 Caffe Nero White Chocolate Mocha – Drink In 24.5 6

Source City AM