Ryce Is #FeelingNuts

Sensational news! Ryce grabs his crotch for the fight against testicular cancer, read all about it Eddi & Ryce's Second Life: #feelingnuts.

#feelingnuts

I was challenged by my friend +Kahvy Sands to take part in the #feelingnuts campaign. So this is my response to his challenge.

The challenge gave me the opportunity to learn how to make poses and a bit more about simple photography (no Photoshop involved, thank you very much). My teacher was my amazingly talented, wonderful, patient (mostly), lovely, beautiful, handsome, sweet and ever so charming husband Tomais.

I am passing the buck on and am now challenging +Tomais Ashdene  and my co-bloggers Apmel Goosson (+Lennart Nilsson)  and +Eddi Haskell.

Join our movement, share #feelingnuts on Twitter and get everyone checking their love grenades

Read more about this campaign here CheckingOneTwo.

Don’t let testicular cancer take your crown jewels. Check yours today, tell us how you do it and share that you're #feelingnuts!

Breast Cancer Awareness 2011

October is the International Breast Cancer Awareness month.

Breast Cancer is a disease which affects all of us more or less frequently by striking down someone in our families or among our friends, co-workers, neighbors and acquaintances. Although the disease can hit both sexes it is much more common among women.

Friday morning when I came to work all the staff was called to a gathering in the office lunchroom where we were informed that Helena, one of our co-workers and a friend of mine, had passed away late Thursday evening at the early age of 56.

The news did not come as a total surprise as Helena had been on sick leave for almost a year.

Helena started working with us two years ago and soon after discovered she had a lump in one of her breasts. She had had the disease about 15 years earlier so she immediately recognized what it was and sought treatment at once. This time the treatment was not at all successful and the cancer spread fast to her liver, lungs and skeleton.

Although Helena only worked with us for a short time she was well liked by all of us for her energetic, outgoing  and positive personality. She was also a friend of mine and we would usually celebrate New Years Eve together with other friends.

We will all miss her strong personality and her kind spirit. I will miss a friend who was dear to me.
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Early detection is crucial for the success of treatment in Breast Cancer, as in many other diseases. Please make it a habit to regularly exam your breasts.

If you are a woman living in Sweden you should also make it a priority to go to the mammography check-ups offered by the public healthcare system at regular intervals.

The Five Steps of Breast Self Exam

Step 1: Begin by looking at your breasts in the mirror with your shoulders straight and your arms on your hips.

Here's what you should look for:
· Breasts that are their usual size, shape, and color
· Breasts that are evenly shaped without visible distortion or swelling

If you see any of the following changes, bring them to your doctor's attention:
· Dimpling, puckering, or bulging of the skin
· A nipple that has changed position or an inverted nipple (pushed inward instead of sticking out) Redness, soreness, rash, or swelling

Step 2: Now, raise your arms and look for the same changes.

Step 3: While you're at the mirror, look for any signs of fluid coming out of one or both nipples (this could be a watery, milky, or yellow fluid or blood).

Step 4: Next, feel your breasts while lying down, using your right hand to feel your left breast and then your left hand to feel your right breast. Use a firm, smooth touch with the first few finger pads of your hand, keeping the fingers flat and together. Use a circular motion, about the size of a quarter.

Cover the entire breast from top to bottom, side to side — from your collarbone to the top of your abdomen, and from your armpit to your cleavage. Follow a pattern to be sure that you cover the whole breast. You can begin at the nipple, moving in larger and larger circles until you reach the outer edge of the breast. You can also move your fingers up and down vertically, in rows, as if you were mowing a lawn. This up-and-down approach seems to work best for most women. Be sure to feel all the tissue from the front to the back of your breasts: for the skin and tissue just beneath, use light pressure; use medium pressure for tissue in the middle of your breasts; use firm pressure for the deep tissue in the back. When you've reached the deep tissue, you should be able to feel down to your ribcage.

Step 5: Finally, feel your breasts while you are standing or sitting. Many women find that the easiest way to feel their breasts is when their skin is wet and slippery, so they like to do this step in the shower. Cover your entire breast, using the same hand movements described in Step 4.

Man, Know Thy Balls

During May 2011 there is a campaign in Sweden to raise awareness among men about testicular and prostate cancer.

Testicular cancer is the most common cancer among young men. The vast majority of patients are cured. The earlier the disease is detected, the better. 

It's good for men themselves to regularly examine their testicles so that any changes are detected quickly.

Testicular Self-exam

Decide on a fixed date each month that you feel through the testes. Take the opportunity when you stand in the shower or a bath. Hot water will relax the skin of the scrotum and make it soft and easier to investigate. 

• Support the scrotum and testicles in the palm of your hand, to feel their weight. One testicle may be slightly larger than the other, but they should be about the same weight.
• Hold a testicle between the thumb and fingers, with your thumb on top and first and second fingers underneath. Roll the testicle gently, feeling for any hard lumps. A normal testicle is oval in shape; it feels firm but not hard and is smooth with no lumps.
• Feel the epididymis, a sausage-shaped lump at the top and back of each testicle. It will feel soft and perhaps slightly tender.
• Feel the spermatic cords which lead upwards from the epididymis and behind the testicles. They are firm, smooth tubes.
• Do the same with the other testicle. 

The symptoms of testicular cancer include:

• a painless lump or swelling in a testicle
• pain or discomfort in a testicle or in the scrotum
• any enlargement of a testicle or change in the way it feels
• a feeling of heaviness in the scrotum
• a dull ache in the lower abdomen, back, or groin 
• a sudden collection of fluid in the scrotum.

Prostate Self-Exam

It's easy for a man to feel his own prostate gland. It's a walnut-sized organ at the base of the bladder. It can be felt with the tip of a finger inserted into the rectum. Its texture and firmness should be similar to that of the flesh between your thumb and the rest of the hand when you make a tight fist. If you feel anything that is as firm as the knuckle, then that needs to be brought to a physician's attention. 

Not everyone experiences symptoms of prostate cancer. Many times, signs of prostate cancer are first detected by a doctor during a routine check-up. 

Some men, however, will experience changes in urinary or sexual function that might indicate the presence of prostate cancer. These symptoms include:

• A need to urinate frequently, especially at night
• Difficulty starting urination or holding back urine
• Weak or interrupted flow of urine
• Painful or burning urination
• Difficulty in having an erection
• Painful ejaculation
• Blood in urine or semen
• Frequent pain or stiffness in the lower back, hips, or upper thighs

You should consult with your doctor if you experience any of the symptoms above.Because these symptoms can also indicate the presence of other diseases or disorders, such as BPH or prostatitis, men will undergo a thorough work-up to determine the underlying cause.