Patrick Swayze Diagnosed with Cancer

UPDATE: Patrick Swayze checks into hospital with pneumonia. Get well soon, Patrick!!source

Patrick Swayze, who starred in Dirty Dancing and Ghost, has been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, his doctor says.
"Patrick has a very limited amount of disease and he appears to be responding well to treatment thus far," Dr. George Fisher says in a statement. "All of the reports stating the time frame of his prognosis and his physical side effects are absolutely untrue. We are considerably more optimistic."

The actor's rep adds: "Patrick is continuing his normal schedule during this time, which includes working on upcoming projects. The outpouring of support and concern he has already received from the public is deeply appreciated by Patrick and his family."



Swayze, 55, started his career as a dancer before turning to acting. His breakout role was as a Catskills dance instructor opposite Jennifer Grey in 1987's sleeper hit Dirty Dancing. He also starred opposite Demi Moore in the 1990 blockbuster Ghost.

On Broadway in the '70s he played the lead role of Danny Zucco in Grease – he returned to the New York stage in December 2003, for a brief stint in the revival of Chicago – before making his movie debut in 1979's Skatetown, U.S.A. Among his other screen roles were 2001's Donnie Darko and 1995's To Wong Foo Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar, which he played in fabulous drag.

And while Swayze has been happily married to the same woman, Lisa Niemi, since 1975, only last month Scarlett Johansson said quite seriously during her Hasty Pudding roast at Harvard that the man to whom she'd most like to be linked with romantically is, "Probably Patrick Swayze. My dream come true."

Swayze's diagnosis was initially reported by the National Enquirer and New York Post, which both characterized the cancer as more severe than Swayze's doctor has.

Each year about 33,000 individuals in the United States are diagnosed with cancer of the pancreas (a large organ that lies horizontally behind the lower part of one's stomach), according to the Mayo Clinic.

Calling the condition "one of the most serious of cancers," the facility's Web site also states, "Pancreatic cancer spreads rapidly and is seldom detected in its early stages, which is a major reason why it's a leading cause of cancer death. source

***
I've never known anyone who's won this type of cancer fight. Hopefully Swayze'll be different.
Keep fighting Patrick!!




Come See What's Really Good at Bria's Own Words, my OTHER blog!

Randy Pausch Showed People How to LIVE while DYING...

Ray Pausch died yesterday of pancreatic cancer.
I had only recently heard about this awesome man thru my co-worker.
Randy was an accomplished computer science professor at Carnegie Mellon University, who lead an adventurous life that most of us only dream about.source

Randy was a person who continually challenged himself and lived the adage, 'don't talk about it, BE ABOUT IT.
He MADE LIFE HAPPEN.

Randy Pausch emphasized the joy of life in his "last lecture," originally given in September 2007.

1 of 2

I admire Randy bcuz:

• he did not complain when given the news of his terminal disease.
  
• Nor did he question, why him?
• He made the most of what little time he had left for the benefit of others, not himself.
• And believed wholeheartedly in 'each one, reach one, and teach one.'

Although many people don't like Wikipedia, there is an informative write-up on Pausch for those who are not familiar with him and his work.
Check out his Pausch's write-up.



With almost 4 MILLION hits on Youtube, Prof. Pausch's 'last lecture' is one of the most watch on the internet.
The speech is 1.25hrs in length, but it's well worth it.

Pop some 'corn, pull up a seat, and watch as Pausch inspires you to live YOUR DREAMS!

R.I.P. Professor Pausch



And on that note...

Come See What's Poppin'at Bria's Own Words, my OTHER blog!

Bonnie Bought Into A Lie...

I received an email from my blog brother Phil of Theology Today

He shared a story about a woman named Bonnie Parker who lay dying of cancer, and believed if she sowed money into Kenneth Copeland's ministry-she would live.
She didn't.

Read Bonnie's story as told by her family...how she gave money to the ministry-LOTS OF MONEY to the ministry as cancer ravaged her body beyond repair.

"Shysters and Perverts in the name of Jesus"
are lying. Healing will not come just because you give money to a ministry!
God does not work like that!

"Prosperity Gospel" is an oxymoron.
Gospel means truth, however these false teachers are ministering LIES!


Bonnie is not alone. Millions of naive Christians are giving money based on lies.


I pray that these shysters are moved to repent in the name of Jesus, before we hear of more stories such as Bonnie's.

Read the account of Bonnie's life here:

In Memory of Bonnie

Less Than One Month After Announcing her Illness, U.S. Rep Julia Carson loses battle with cancer...

Congresswoman dies following lung cancer battle

U.S. Rep. Julia Carson died Saturday following a battle with lung cancer.

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — U.S. Rep. Julia Carson died Saturday following a battle with lung cancer.

Carson, D-Indiana, died at home, said family spokesman Vanessa Summers. She was 69.

Carson had been away from Washington since she was admitted to an Indianapolis hospital September 21 for about a week. Her office had said at that time that she had deep infection in her leg, near a spot where a vein was removed in January 1997 when she underwent double heart bypass surgery just weeks after she was first elected to Congress.

Carson announced Nov. 26 that she was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer and that she would not run next year for a seventh term representing the city of Indianapolis.

She had said in a statement that she expected to return to Washington after recuperation, but a doctor then diagnosed her with lung cancer.

"It had gone into remission years before, but it was back with a terminal vengeance," Carson said in the statement.

Funeral arrangements were pending.

Carson also had suffered in recent years from high blood pressure, asthma and diabetes. She missed dozens of House votes in 2004 because of illness and spent the weekend before the 2004 election in the hospital for what she said was a flu shot reaction — but still won re-election by 10 percentage points.

Carson, who grew up in poverty and attended an all-black Indianapolis high school, became the first black and first woman to represent Indianapolis in Congress when she won her first term in
1996.

Carson was born to a single mother who worked as a housekeeper. She graduated in 1955 from Crispus Attucks High School, attending the segregated school at the same time as basketball star Oscar Robertson.

She began her political career in the 1960s, when then-U.S. Rep. Andy Jacobs Jr. hired the United Auto Workers secretary to work in his office. It was Jacobs who encouraged Carson to run for the Indiana Legislature in 1972 — the first of her more than two dozen victories in local, legislative and congressional elections.

She ran for Congress in 1996 when Jacobs decided to retire after three decades in the House.

***

R.I.P. Julia

Thoughts and prayers are with the Carson loved ones.

You Are An Inspiration: ABC News' Robin Roberts Cuts Off Hair

I've read ABC News' anchor Robin Roberts' article in People's Magazine, about her choice to cut her hair off due to chemotherapy.
I'm sure there are people who are unawares.

Roberts' attitude is amazing and one can only rally with her as she fights the biggest battle of her life.
Below is a video of Roberts' getting her hair cut, -she is a phenomenal woman:

Robin Roberts cuts off hair video diary

That's too bad...

This goes out to my momz, Mama Ivent...

Entertainer Robert Goulet dies at 73

source

LOS ANGELES, California (AP) -- Robert Goulet, the handsome, big-voiced baritone whose Broadway debut in "Camelot" launched an award-winning stage and recording career, has died. He was 73.

Robert Goulet, seen here on March 31, had a rare form of pulmonary fibrosis.

more photos »

The singer died Tuesday morning in a Los Angeles hospital while awaiting a lung transplant, said Goulet spokesman Norm Johnson.

He had been awaiting a lung transplant at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles after being found last month to have a rare form of pulmonary fibrosis.

Goulet had remained in good spirits even as he waited for the transplant, said Vera Goulet, his wife of 25 years. Watch one of Goulet's recent performances »

"Just watch my vocal cords," she said he told doctors before they inserted a breathing tube.

The Massachusetts-born Goulet, who spent much of his youth in Canada, gained stardom in 1960 with "Camelot," the Lerner and Loewe musical that starred Richard Burton as King Arthur and Julie Andrews as his Queen Guenevere.

Goulet played Sir Lancelot, the arrogant French knight who falls in love with Guenevere.

He became a hit with American TV viewers with appearances on "The Ed Sullivan Show" and other programs. Sullivan labeled him the "American baritone from Canada," where he had already been a popular star in the 1950s, hosting his own show called "General Electric's Showtime.

***
That's too bad.
I've seen him in interviews, and he was always a class-act. I loved his name, sounds like gourmet french cuisine (yes, I am a smidge hungry thank you!)
Sorry to hear that. I texted my mom and let her know and her response was, "what?!"
Prayers and sympathies are extended to the Goulet family.

*It's M.M. Monday!* -Porter Wagoner Has Passed Away!

R.I.P., Mr. Wagoner...

Country star Porter Wagoner dies at 80
source

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Porter Wagoner was known for a string of country hits in the '60s, perennial appearances at the Grand Ole Opry in his trademark rhinestone suits, and for launching the career of Dolly Parton.

Like many older performers, his star had faded in recent years. But his death from lung cancer Sunday, at 80, came only after a remarkable late-career revival that won him a new generation of fans.

The Missouri-born Wagoner signed with RCA Records in 1955 and joined the Opry in 1957, "the greatest place in the world to have a career in country music," he said in 1997. His showmanship, suits and pompadoured hair made him famous.

He had his own syndicated TV show, "The Porter Wagoner Show," for 21 years, beginning in 1960. It was one of the first syndicated shows to come out of Nashville and set a pattern for many others.

"Some shows are mechanical, but ours was not polished and slick," he said in 1982.

Among his hits, many of which he wrote or co-wrote, were "Carroll County Accident," "A Satisfied Mind," "Company's Comin'," "Skid Row Joe," "Misery Loves Company" and "Green Green Grass of Home."

The songs often told stories of tragedy or despair. In "Carroll County Accident," a married man having an affair is killed in a car crash; "Skid Row Joe" deals with a once-famous singer who's lost everything.

In 2002, he was elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame.

In May, after years without a recording contract, he signed with ANTI- records, an eclectic Los Angeles label best known for alt-rock acts like Tom Waits, Nick Cave and Neko Case.

Wagoner's final album, "Wagonmaster," was released in June and earned him some of the best reviews of his career. Over the summer, he was the opening act for the influential rock duo White Stripes at a sold-out show at New York's Madison Square Garden.

"The young people I met backstage, some of them were 20 years old. They wanted to get my autograph and tell me they really liked me," Porter said with tears in his eyes the day after the New York show. "If only they knew how that made me feel — like a new breath of fresh air."

To many music fans, Wagoner was best known as the man who boosted Parton's career. He had hired the 21-year-old singer as his duet partner in 1967, when she was just beginning to gain notice through songs such as "Dumb Blonde."

They were the Country Music Association's duo of the year in 1970 and 1971, recording hit duets including "The Last Thing on My Mind."

Parton's solo country records, such as her autobiographical "Coat of Many Colors," also began climbing the charts in the early 1970s. She wrote the pop standard "I Will Always Love You" in 1973 after Wagoner suggested she shift from story songs to focus on love songs.

The two quit singing duets in 1974 and she went on to wide stardom with pop hits and movies such as "9 to 5," whose theme song was also a hit for her.

Wagoner sued her for $3 million in assets, but they settled out of court in 1980. He said later they were always friendly, "but it's a fact that when you're involved with attorneys and companies that have them on retainer, it makes a different story."

At a charity roast for Wagoner in 1995, she explained the breakup this way: "We split over creative differences. I was creative, and Porter was different."

He said in a 1982 Associated Press interview that his show "was a training ground for her; she learned a great deal and I exposed her to very important people and the country music fans."

She was present at the ceremony in May 2007 honoring Wagoner on his silver anniversary with the Opry. At the time, he called Parton "one of my best friends today." She also visited him in the hospital as he battled cancer.

Wagoner, who had survived an abdominal aneurysm in 2006, was hospitalized again this month and his publicist disclosed he had lung cancer. He died at 8:25 p.m. CDT Sunday in a Nashville hospice, said Darlene Bieber, a spokeswoman for the Opry.

Country singer and Opry member Dierks Bentley visited Wagoner in the hospice over the weekend and said Wagoner led them in prayer, thanking God for his friends, his family and the Grand Ole Opry.

"The loss of Porter is a great loss for the Grand Ole Opry and for country music, and personally it is a great loss of a friend I was really just getting to know," Bentley said. "I feel blessed for the time I had with him."

Pete Fisher, vice president and general manager of the Opry, said the Opry family of musicians and performers was deeply saddened by the news. "His passion for the Opry and all of country music was truly immeasurable," Fisher said.

Wagoner was born in West Plains, Mo., and became known as "The Thin Man From West Plains" because of his lanky frame. He recalled that he spent hours as a child pretending to be an Opry performer, using a tree stump as a stage.

He started in radio, then became a regular on the "Ozark Jubilee," one of the first televised national country music shows. On the Opry since 1957, he joined Roy Acuff and other onetime idols.

At one point his wardrobe included more than 60 handmade rhinestone suits.

"Rhinestone suits are just beautiful under the lights," he said. "They've become a big part of my career. I get more compliments on my outfits than any other entertainer — except for Liberace."

While he continued with the Opry, and even had a small part in the 1982 movie "Honky Tonk Man" starring Clint Eastwood, his recording career dried up in the 1980s — until his return this year.

"I stopped making records because I didn't like the way they were wanting me to record," he said. "When RCA dropped me from the label, I didn't really care about making records for another label because I didn't have any say in what they would release and how they would make the records and so f

It's "M.M. Monday"-File this Under: I DIDN'T KNOW HE WAS SITLL ALIVE!!

Publicist: Wagoner has lung cancer
source


NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Porter Wagoner has lung cancer and remains hospitalized in serious condition, a publicist for the country singer said Sunday.

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His Nashville publicist, Darlene Bieber, said she had no further information about his condition.

The 80-year-old singer in May celebrated his 50th year at the Grand Ole Opry, the long-running live country music show.

Wagoner, known for his rhinestone stage outfits, helped launch the career of Dolly Parton by hiring her as his duet partner in 1967.

Parton visited Wagoner in the hospital last week and pledged to sing with him again, Opry spokeswoman Jessie Schmidt had said Friday.

Wagoner's career took an upturn this year when he signed with ANTI-records, an eclectic Los Angeles label best known for alt-rock acts such as Tom Waits, Nick Cave and Neko Case. He and partner Marty Stuart released the album "Wagonmaster," earning Wagoner some of the best reviews of his career.

Wagoner was the opening act for the White Stripes at a sold-out show at Madison Square Garden in Manhattan this summer.

Wagoner was elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2002. He and Parton were the Country Music Association's duo of the year in 1970 and 1971, recording hits including "The Last Thing on My Mind."

His other hits include "Carroll County Accident," "A Satisfied Mind," "Company's Comin'," "Skid Row Joe," "Misery Loves Company" and a country version of "Green Green Grass of Home."

(This version CORRECTS the day the publicist spoke to Sunday, instead of Saturday.)

***

Wow-Seriously, I didn't know he was still alive.

I just spoke of him at work, last week.

People are shocked to hear that an african-american woman(myself)

grew up listening to him and Dolly Parton, in sunny CA as a youngster.

He still wears his hair the same!!

Bummer, sorry to hear that about him.

God bless you, Mr. Wagoner