TresSugar

Ted Kennedy Diagnosed With Malignant Brain Tumor

CitizenSugar — Tue, 20 May 2008 10:30:57 -0700

Doctors for the Massachusetts Senator Ted Kennedy say tests conducted after he suffered a seizure this weekend show a malignant tumor in his left parietal lobe. His treatment has not been determined yet, but the usual course includes combinations of radiation and chemotherapy.

The 76-year-old senator has been hospitalized in Boston. His wife and children have made no public statements, though the Senator is reported to be in good spirits and is resting comfortably.

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How Have You Been Touched by Breast Cancer?

DearSugar — Tue, 16 Oct 2007 08:00:00 -0700

Since October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, I have been hearing a lot about this disease. Of course my favorite thing to hear are the stories from survivors - we all need to hear that whisper of hope in our ears, since so many women are touched by breast cancer.

It's important to share all our stories with other women to give us a sense of community and strength. Whether you have been diagnosed with breast cancer yourself, or a family member or friend has been, I'm sure most of us know someone who has been affected by this disease. It's for those women that we continue our fight against breast cancer.

I'd be honored to hear how you've been touched by breast cancer so if you feel comfortable sharing your stories, please do so in the comments below.

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You Asked: I Can't Get Over My Herpes Diagnosis

DearSugar — Thu, 22 May 2008 17:00:00 -0700

Dear Sugar,

Recently I was diagnosed with genital herpes. I didn't know that I had ever been exposed to it, and then an ex-boyfriend called to tell me that he was diagnosed seven months ago. I felt very betrayed and shocked that he waited so long to tell me. I haven't slept with anyone else, but learning this news has me totally devastated. I've been having a hard time moving forward, and I'm struggling with the thought that my life is essentially over. I'm just now starting to come to terms with the diagnosis, but my biggest fear is how and when I tell someone who I am interested in. I have gone on a couple of dates with a guy I really like, but I completely panic at the idea of having to tell him the news. I'm just terrified. Do you have any advice?

- Devastated by the Diagnosis Danielle

To see DearSugar's answer, read more.

Dear Devastated by the Diagnosis Danielle,

Your feelings of shock, betrayal, and sadness are all completely normal. To learn you'll have to deal with a lifelong disease, no matter how manageable, is very scary and will take some time to process. But Danielle, your life is not over. You are very much the same person you were before this diagnosis and can live just as fulfilling a life, both emotionally and sexually.

But it's true, part of the burden you'll have to deal with is sharing this very private information with any potential sexual partners. As far as timing, I would wait until you've moved beyond the casual dating point; you want to be able to trust and confide in him. Before you do, I think it's important that you recognize that having this disease doesn't define you. You have to accept yourself before you can expect others to.

While there is always some shame associated with STIs, remember that you're not guilty of anything, so don't divulge this info as if it's a confession, but rather approach it as a fact. Be honest with him, and ask him to return the favor by telling you his concerns. Openly discuss the risks together and go from there. You can't control his reaction, so if it's not what you were hoping for, then don't let it feel like a reflection of your worth. The more comfortable you become with this, the more at ease others will feel when you discuss it. Good luck!

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You Asked: I'm Ready to Open Up About My HPV Diagnosis

DearSugar — Fri, 30 May 2008 17:00:00 -0700

Dear Sugar,

About three years ago I was diagnosed with HPV. I just got out of a serious relationship and have been dating this new guy who is absolutely great! Before we become sexually active, I believe that he must know that I have HPV. I am unsure on how to approach him with this and what to say. I can't help but feel afraid for how he'll react. We haven't talked about sex yet, but I just want to be prepared when the time comes. Do you have any advice on how to tell a new partner about HPV?

- Up Front Fiona

To see DearSugar's answer, read more.

Dear Up Front Fiona,

I think it's great that you're being so conscious and direct about your HPV diagnosis. I definitely agree that it's something that should be discussed beforehand, and I'm sure if nothing else, you're new guy will be grateful for your honesty. You may want to do some research on HPV in men before bringing it up to him, so that if he has any questions, you'll be ready to answer them. Often when men hear about HPV they assume that it's just a women's STI, but it's important that he understands that he can be a carrier of the disease, pass it on to other sexual partners, and never experience any symptoms.

I'd also specify whether or not you were diagnosed with low-risk (genital warts) or high-risk (abnormal cervical cells) HPV in order to give him a better understanding of the specific type of HPV that he could be exposed to. Most importantly, keep and open dialog with him and make sure he understands that he can open up to you about any concerns he might be having. As long as you keep the lines of communication open, you guys should have nothing to worry about.

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Dear Poll: Do You Self Diagnose?

DearSugar — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 13:00:00 -0700

We live in a time where all kinds of information is just a few clicks away. The Internet has provided us with a plethora of knowledge and while most of the information is helpful and informative, it can also backfire and cause more bad than good. Sites like Web MD provide answers to all kinds of medical related questions, but sometimes you can self diagnose yourself into an unnecessary frenzy. I have faked myself out over the Internet on more than one occasion, so ladies, what I want to know is, do you self diagnose?

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What Is Stockholm Syndrome?

TresSugar — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 14:05:37 -0700

News this week that Jaycee Lee Dugard, 11 years old when she was abducted in 1991, was discovered living in her abductor's backyard, prompts reactions both of happiness and horror. Happiness that this poor young woman, raped and twice-impregnated by her abductor, is finally free. Horror when you think of what her life must have been like these past 18 years. How is she going to fare now that she’s been reunited with her family and will finally be able to see a doctor, and hopefully, a therapist? Clues about her mental state were revealed by her stepfather Carl Probyn after talking to Jaycee’s mother: "She told me that Jaycee feels really guilty for bonding with this guy. She has a real guilt trip."

We hear this counterintuitive detail in many cases where kidnap victims and people in abusive relationships feel sympathy for their captors/abusers, identifying with them and even bonding with them. Natascha Kampusch, the young woman who only three years ago escaped from the man who abducted her at age 10 and kept her in a windowless cellar for eight and a half years, was distraught after hearing that he had committed suicide. Some psychologists say that this sympathy is, in part, what keeps abused women so psychologically attached to their abusers.

Although it's probably impossible for most of us who have never been in such extreme situations to imagine that someone would have any positive feelings toward a person who abused them or imprisoned them, psychologists have a term for why it happens: Stockholm syndrome. To find out what this fascinating and disturbing psychological term means, read more.

Coined by Swedish psychiatrist and criminologist Nils Bejerot to explain why, in 1972, Swedish bank employees sympathized with the bank robbers who held them hostage for six days, Stockholm Syndrome can arise if the captor - in between his or her abuse - occasionally shows gestures of affection or concern, or gives them something they need. Experts say that what the victim doesn't consciously acknowledge is that these gestures tend to be self-serving, rather than genuine tokens of kindness.

Stockholm Syndrome became a household word in the '70s with the infamous Patty Hearst case. The millionaire heiress granddaughter of publishing magnate William Randolph Hearst, Hearst was abducted at age 19 from her apartment in Berkeley, CA, by a fringe left-wing guerilla group that called themselves the Symbionese Liberation Army. During her captivity, according to Hearst, she was blindfolded and kept in a closet, occasionally taken out to be beaten or sexually assaulted. After a time, the brainwashed Hearst succumbed to Stockholm Syndrome, according to psychologists who examined her, and began to sympathize with the SLA's agenda of creating a fairer society. She helped them rob a bank and later even said positive things about them to the press.

After Hearst's arrest and trial, her lawyer told the jury that she should not be charged in the case as a person who was operating in a normal capacity, of her own free will. They didn't buy the diagnosis of Stockholm Syndrome, however, and Hearst served two years in prison until Jimmy Carter commuted her sentence in 1979.

It's terrifying to think about the convolutions our minds are capable of when survival is the goal. What do you think about Stockholm Syndrome - do you buy it as a diagnosis?

Huh? STDs Make Some Men Feel More Manly

TresSugar — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 12:00:00 -0700

I came across a Swedish study out earlier this week that is just too good to pass up. Get this: a significant number of young men in Sweden consider contracting an STD to be an affirmation of manhood, rather than a serious health issue.

None of the young women in the study (not surprisingly) considered an STD diagnosis as a sign of their "success with the boys." The study did find something both genders had in common: hesitation about using condoms. The young women feared upsetting their partner by asking him to use one, and the young men worried that taking out a condom would make them look as if they assumed they would get lucky that night.

While I don't think we should stigmatize people with STDs, it doesn't seem good for anyone to glorify preventable diseases. Do you find the study's results shocking or predictable?

Transgender Americans: We're Not Mentally Ill

TresSugar — Wed, 20 May 2009 13:00:00 -0700

The American Psychiatric Association considered homosexuality a mental illness until 1974. Today it still considers transgender Americans mentally ill. According to the authoritative Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), transgendered people suffer from Gender Identity Disorder. Activists argue that the diagnosis reinforces false stereotypes about people who are not "gender normal" and in some cases is used to deny people civil rights.

During this year's APA conference in San Francisco, activists are working to make the classification a thing of the past. They say:

It is time for culturally competent psychiatric policies that recognize the legitimacy of cross-gender identity and yet distinguish gender dysphoria (which often requires a sex-reassignment surgery) as a serious condition, treatable with medical procedures.

Members of the ADA, some transgender themselves, are also arguing that identifying with or expressing a gender different from assigned birth sex is not, in itself, grounds for diagnosing a mental disorder.

Do you think it's time the APA stops considering people who don't identify with conventional gender mentally ill?

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Front Page: Pope Heads to Africa With Anti-Condom Message

CitizenSugar — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 07:49:59 -0700

Traveling to Africa for his first papal visit, Pope Benedict XVI maintained that condoms make the AIDS crisis worse. Instead he will advocate abstinence. - Telegraph
The rate of new home construction in the US unexpectedly jumped 22.2 percent last month. - AFP
International players are praising Pakistan's decision to peacefully resolve a political crisis by reinstating its Supreme Court justices.- Voice of America
Robert Gibbs hit back at Dick Cheney's claim that the Obama administration makes America less safe, by quipping that when Rush Limbaugh is busy, Republicans turn to Cheney. - USA Today
Gov. Sarah Palin will deliver the keynote address at the Senate-House GOP dinner in June. - Politico
Radio host Don Imus believes stress may have contributed to his prostate cancer diagnosis. - ABC News

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Health Nominee Sebelius Has Bipartisan Pros and Cons

LibertySugar — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 10:30:31 -0800

When it comes to Gov. Kathleen Sebelius's ability to be bipartisan, the diagnosis is mixed. As a Democratic governor of red-state Kansas, President Obama's pick for health and human services secretary has worked with a Republican-led legislature. But when it comes to policy, many conservatives will fight her stances like a deadly virus.

National pro-life groups have already expressed opposition of Sebelius, a choice some say is worse than your run-of-the-mill pro-choice nominee. In April 2007, she held an event with a reported late-term abortion provider and his clinic's staff at the governor's residence. Thus, pro-life advocates view Sebelius as an abortion-rights radical.

Besides abortion, Republicans, at least in Kansas, don't seem to agree with her healthcare plans either. She has failed to convince lawmakers to raise taxes on tobacco for increased coverage. During her two terms as governor, the rate of uninsured Kansans have grown seven times as fast in the sate compared to the national average. Still, Sebelius's healthcare expertise is considered one of her greatest assets.

Do you think Kathleen will have a better time getting bipartisan support for reform than the candidate Obama passed over - Howard Dean?

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