Spring is Here! March/April Pink Power IN THIS ISSUE Would You go to a Nude Beach? Meditation Another Contest Inflammation & Breast Cancer QUICK LINKS Register Now Donate now Greetings! All of a sudden, the weather has turned beautiful! I hope you're enjoying spring wherever you live! I'd like to give a HUGE thank you to one of our corporate sponsors, Perform Pain Relief for their very generous donation. Perform is a topical analgesic that helps alleviate muscle pain and aches. They ran a program during December that highlighted Pink-Link as their charity of choice. We really appreciate their support! I was in New Orleans for the C4YW conference the last weekend in February. What an experience! If you've never been, and you're a young survivor, it's a must! Next year's conference will be in Seattle and they always have scholarships available to attend. At the conference I reconnected with other survivors and exhibitors and met some new fantastic, energetic women and organizations looking to make a difference in their lives and the lives of others. Check out Sharsheret (link to their National Survivorship Survey), Breast Investigators and Lymphedivas. Jean Karotkin is a photographer living in Dallas who has published a beautiful book, "Body and Soul," about breast cancer survivors. You can see some of her photos on the Living Beyond Breast Cancer site. Ambry Genetics has announced their diagnostic test for hereditary breast cancer syndrome. Click here for the link to their website and ask your oncologist if this test might be appropriate for you. As a side note, my dog Lucy is doing really well with her chemo treatments for Hemangiosarcoma. She has 1 treatment left and then she'll have an ultrasound to see how she's doing. Keep up your prayers! I hope you have a wonderful month and are feeling well and empowered! Sincerely, Vicki Tashman Founder Pink-Link   Would You go to a Nude Beach? I was speaking with my friend, Eileen Kaplan, author of Laughter is the Breast Medicine, and she had just returned from the Caribbean. She mentioned that her friends had gone to a nude beach and a spark went off in my head! Would a breast cancer survivor feel comfortable going to a nude beach? I asked Eileen to write about that topic. She also donated 4 copies of her book for our monthly contest! If you'd like to enter the contest, please send me an email with your reply to the following question, "Would you go to a nude beach and why or why not." I will draw the winning names at the end of April and will notify you by email. I might also use your reply in a blog post (but I'll definitely leave off your last name). Good luck!  Meditating to alleviate Stress During Treatment CURE Magazine, author Don Vaughan You might think that a psychotherapist would be better equipped than the average person to deal with the emotional turmoil brought on by a cancer diagnosis. But when Elana Rosenbaum received a diagnosis of non-Hodgkin lymphoma in 1995, she faced her treatment not with the tools of education but with the fruits of meditation. Read the rest of the article  Another Contest Britta Aragon founded the Cinco Vidas Blog and has now written a book, "When Cancer Hits- Your complete Guide to Taking Care of You Through Treatment." She has graciously donated 5 copies of her book to our members. To enter our contest, please send me an email and reply to the following question, "What do you think you could've done differently (or can do differently) while going through treatment?" All entries will be put in a big bowl and at the end of April, 5 winning names will be chosen. Good luck! Read Britta's article    Researchers uncover Inflammatory Circuit that Triggers Breast Cancer Although it's widely accepted that inflammation is a critical underlying factor in a range of diseases, including the progression of cancer, little is known about its role when normal cells become tumor cells. Now, scientists from the Florida campus of The Scripps Research Institute have shed new light on exactly how the activation of a pair of inflammatory signaling pathways leads to the transformation of normal breast cells to cancer cells.   Read the article  Visit Our Sponsor Visit Our Sponsor Visit Our Sponsor