Women’s Independent Press

Yvonne Phillips-Feng Shui for Basic Everyday Living!
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How to Activate the Main Entrance to Your Home

There are many ways to enhance your life by applying the wisdom of Feng Shui to your environment. As it becomes increasingly popular here in the west, you may have noticed all the red front door colors on people’s homes and wonder if there’s something going on that you don’t know about. People are indeed catching on to the knowledge of how important their main entrance is, and working with the magic of an ancient art and science from the east.

The movement of chi (life force energy) enters your home through the doors and windows, and the front door is the most important entry point to consider in Feng Shui. The quality of energy experienced in the household is largely determined by the location, colour and integrity of this main entrance.

Rather than painting your front door color the traditional red that you often see, there are actually other factors to consider that are particular to your house, its location and the qualities you want to activate. The color of the front door should be in accordance with the compass direction it faces, and according to the five elements of Feng Shui practices. For instance:
 South (Fire) = reds, pink and burgundy.
 Southwest (Earth) = yellows or browns.
 Southeast (Wood) = greens.
 West (Metal) = white, silver, copper or gold.
 Northwest (Metal) = white, silver, copper or gold.
 North (Water) = blacks or blues.
 Northeast (Earth) = yellows or browns.
 East (Wood) = greens.
Other factors to consider for the wisest application of Feng Shui for your front door include:

• Colour – as stated above, determine with a compass which direction your front door faces and paint accordingly. A qualified Feng Shui Practitioner can provide additional tools that may be needed to best balance the elements and activate what you want to bring into your life.
• Avoid always using another side door to enter your home. Keep your front door activated by using it regularly.
• Use solid wood instead of a glass door, as glass allows chi to move in too fast and can’t keep the energy inside of the house.
• Keep the front door clear of clutter and debris inside and outside, such as garbage bags or recycling, shoes and objects lying around, blocking the beneficial energy to flow through.
• Ensure your door opens inwards, with well-oiled hinges and a proper functioning door knob.
• The size of the front door should be in correct proportion to the rest of the house, as being too small or too large in scale will create difficulties.
• Ensure proper outdoor lighting, and a clearly visible address number.
• Try to avoid having your front door blocked such as facing into the corner of another house, a large tree or post. If this is unavoidable, a Feng Shui Practitioner can recommend cures and tools to offset this.
• Avoid blocking part of your doorway with a potted plant or object, as this will cut off the chi.
• The front entrance of your home is associated with Career, so enhancing this area will naturally benefit it. You can also uplift it further by hanging wind chimes outside your front door to bring more opportunities, job satisfaction or a promotion.

Perhaps 2013 is your year to spruce up your front door, with a new color and Feng Shui magic. With the right intention and a few changes, you can do your part to bring the beneficial life energy into your home.

Yvonne Phillips is a National Feng Shui Practitioner, Author and Speaker with over 18 years of experience. Yvonne is certified with Feng Shui Institute International and has trained with world famous Feng Shui Grandmaster Lillian Too. As owner of Creative Color & Design, she incorporates Feng Shui principles into both residences and businesses, from small businesses to large corporations. Please visit http://www.fengshuipublications.com or email yvonnephillips1@aol.com for more information.

Information obtained from the National Breast Cancer Foundation
www.nationalbreastcancer.org

What is Ductal Carcinoma In Situ?
Ductal carcinoma in citu (DCIS) is a non-invasive cancer where abnormal cells have been found in the lining of the breast milk duct. The atypical cells have not spread outside of the ducts into the surrounding breast tissue. Ductal carcinoma in situ is very early cancer that is highly treatable, but if it’s left untreated or undetected, it can spread into the surrounding breast tissue.
What does the term, “in situ” mean? The earliest stages of cancers are called “carcinoma in situ.” Carcinoma means “cancer” and in situ means “in the original place.”

What is invasive ductal carcinoma?
The abnormal cancer cells that began forming in the milk ducts have spread beyond the ducts into other parts of the breast tissue. Invasive cancer cells can also spread to other parts of the body. It is also sometimes called infiltrative ductal carcinoma.
IDC is the most common type of breast cancer, making up nearly 70- 80% of all breast cancer diagnoses.IDC is also the type of breast cancer that can most commonly affects men.

What is Triple Negative Breast Cancer?
A diagnosis of triple negative breast cancer means that the three most common types of receptors known to fuel most breast cancer growth–estrogen, progesterone, and the HER-2/neu gene– are not present in the cancer tumor. This means that the breast cancer cells have tested negative for hormone epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER-2), estrogen receptors (ER), and progesterone receptors (PR). Since the tumor cells lack the necessary receptors, common treatments like hormone therapy and drugs that target estrogen, progesterone, and HER-2 are ineffective. Using chemotherapy to treat triple negative breast cancer is still an effective option. In fact, triple negative breast cancer may respond even better to chemotherapy in the earlier stages than many other forms of cancer.

What is Inflammatory Breast Cancer (IBC)?
Inflammatory breast cancer is an an aggressive and fast growing breast cancer in which cancer cells infiltrate the skin and lymph vessels of the breast. It often produces no distinct tumor or lump that can be felt and isolated within the breast. But when the lymph vessels become blocked by the breast cancer cells, symptoms begin to appear.

What is Metastatic Breast Cancer?
Metastatic breast cancer is also classified as Stage 4 breast cancer. The cancer has spread to other parts of the body. This usually includes the lungs, liver, bones or brain.
How does cancer spread, or metastasize?
The spread of cancer usually happens through one or more of the following steps:
Cancer cells invade nearby healthy cells. When the healthy cell is taken over, it too can replicate more abnormal cells.
Cancer cells penetrate into the circulatory or lymph system. Cancer cells travel through the walls of nearby lymph vessels or blood vessels.
Migration through circulation. Cancer cells are carried by the lymph system and the bloodstream to other parts of the body.
Cancer cells lodge in capillaries. Cancer cells stop moving as they are lodged in capillaries at a distant location and divide and migrate into the surrounding tissue.
New small tumors grow. Cancer cells form small tumors at the new location (called micrometastases.)

Can a woman get breast cancer during pregnancy?
It is possible to be diagnosed with breast cancer during pregnancy, although it is rare and the breast cancer is not caused by the pregnancy. Women who are diagnosed with breast cancer during pregnancy have tremendous additional strain due to concern for the safety of the unborn child. It can be a traumatic and extremely difficult situation, but there is still hope for both mother and child, thanks to the many treatment options available.
If you are pregnant and have been diagnosed, be sure to communicate carefully with your obstetric care team as well as your oncology team, and it never hurts to verify that they have open communication with each other. Your medical team will take extra care in designing the treatment plan that best controls the breast cancer while protecting your unborn child.

Although by far, the most common breast cancer type is ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), there are other types that are less commonly seen.

Medullary Carcinoma
Medullary carcinoma accounts for 3-5% of all breast cancer types. The tumor usually shows up on a mammogram, but does not always feel like a lump. At times, it feels like a spongy change of breast tissue.

Tubular Carcinoma
Making up about 2% of all breast cancer diagnosis, tubular carcinoma cells have a distinctive tubular structure when viewed under a microscope. It is usually found through a mammogram and is a collection of cells that can feel like a spongy area of breast tissue rather than a lump. Typically this type of breast cancer is found in women aged 50 and above and usually responds well to hormone therapy.

Mucinous Carcinoma (Colloid)
Mucinous carcinoma represents approximately 1% to 2% of all breast cancers. The main differentiating features are mucus production and cells that are poorly defined. It also has a favorable prognosis in most cases.

Paget Disease of the Breast or Nipple
This condition (also known as mammary Paget disease) is a rare type of cancer affecting the skin of the nipple and often the areola, which is the darker circle of skin around the nipple. Most people with Paget disease evident on the nipple also have one or more tumors inside the same breast; generally either ductal carcinoma in situ or invasive breast cancer (1–3). Paget disease is frequently misdiagnosed at first because the first noticeable symptoms can easily be confused with more common skin conditions affecting the nipple. Like all breast cancers, the prognosis for Paget disease depends on a variety of factors, including the presence or absence of invasive cancer and whether or not it has spread to nearby lymph nodes.

Symptoms and Signs

Every person should know the symptoms and signs of breast cancer, and any time an abnormality is discovered, it should be investigated by a healthcare professional.
Most people who have breast cancer symptoms and signs will initially notice only one or two, and the presence of these symptoms and signs do not automatically mean that you have breast cancer.
By performing monthly breast self-exams, you will be able to more easily identify any changes in your breast. Be sure to talk to your healthcare professional if you notice anything unusual.

A change in how the breast or nipple feels
Nipple tenderness or a lump or thickening in or near the breast or underarm area
A change in the skin texture or an enlargement of pores in the skin of the breast (some describe this as similar to an orange peel’s texture)
A lump in the breast (It’s important to remember that all lumps should be investigated by a healthcare professional, but not all lumps are cancerous.)

A change in the breast or nipple appearance
Any unexplained change in the size or shape of the breast
Dimpling anywhere on the breast
Unexplained swelling of the breast (especially if on one side only)
Unexplained shrinkage of the breast (especially if on one side only)
Recent asymmetry of the breasts (Although it is common for women to have one breast that is slightly larger than the other, if the onset of asymmetry is recent, it should be checked.)
Nipple that is turned slightly inward or inverted
Skin of the breast, areola, or nipple that becomes scaly, red, or swollen or may have ridges or pitting resembling the skin of an orange.

Any nipple discharge—particularly clear discharge or bloody discharge
It is also important to note that a milky discharge that is present when a woman is not breastfeeding should be checked by her doctor, although it is not linked with breast cancer.
If I have some symptoms, is it likely to be cancer?
Most often, these symptoms are not due to cancer, but any breast cancer symptom you notice should be investigated as soon as it is discovered. If you have any of these symptoms, you should tell your healthcare provider so that the problem can be diagnosed and treated.
If I have no symptoms, should I assume I do not have cancer?
Although there’s no need to worry, regular screenings are always important. Your doctor can check for breast cancer before you have any noticeable symptoms. During your office visit, your doctor will ask about your personal and family medical history and perform a physical examination. In addition, your doctor may order one or more imaging tests, such as a mammogram.

Information obtained from
National Coalition Against Domestic Violence
www.ncadv.org

Domestic violence is the willful intimidation, physical assault, battery, sexual assault, and/or other abusive behavior perpetrated by an intimate partner against another. It is an epidemic affecting individuals in every community, regardless of age, economic status, race, religion, nationality or educational background.
Violence against women is often accompanied by emotionally abusive and controlling behavior, and thus is part of a systematic pattern of dominance and control. Domestic violence results in physical injury, psychological trauma, and sometimes death. The consequences of domestic violence can cross generations and truly last a lifetime.

CHILDREN WHO WITNESS

Witnessing violence between one’s parents or caretakers is the strongest risk factor of transmitting violent behavior from one generation to the next.

Boys who witness domestic violence are twice as likely to abuse their own partners and children when they become adults.
30% to 60% of perpetrators of intimate partner violence also abuse children in the household.

HOMICIDE AND INJURY

Almost one-third of female homicide victims that are reported in police records are killed by an intimate partner.

In 70-80% of intimate partner homicides, no matter which partner was killed, the man physically abused the woman before the murder.

Less than one-fifth of victims reporting an injury from intimate partner violence sought medical treatment following the injury.
Intimate partner violence results in more than 18.5 million mental health care visits each year.

One in every four women will experience domestic violence in her lifetime.

An estimated 1.3 million women are victims of physical assault by an intimate partner each year.

85% of domestic violence victims are women.

Historically, females have been most often victimized by someone they knew.
Females who are 20-24 years of age are at the greatest risk of nonfatal intimate partner violence.

DID YOU KNOW?
Most cases of domestic violence are never reported to the police
The cost of intimate partner violence exceeds $5.8 billion each year, $4.1 billion of which is for direct medical and mental health services.

Victims of intimate partner violence lost almost 8 million days of paid work because of the violence perpetrated against them by current or former husbands, boyfriends and dates. This loss is the equivalent of more than 32,000 full-time jobs and almost 5.6 million days of household productivity as a result of violence.

REPORTING RATES
Domestic violence is one of the most chronically underreported crimes.

Only approximately one-quarter of all physical assaults, one-fifth of all rapes, and one-half of all stalkings perpetuated against females by intimate partners are reported to the police.

Approximately 20% of the 1.5 million people who experience intimate partner violence annually obtain civil protection orders.

Approximately one-half of the orders obtained by women against intimate partners who physically assaulted them were violated.

More than two-thirds of the restraining orders against intimate partners who raped or stalked the victim were violated.

There are 16,800 homicides and $2.2 million (medically treated) injuries due to intimate partner violence annually, which costs $37 billion.

SEXUAL ASSAULT AND STALKING

One in 6 women and 1 in 33 men have experienced an attempted or completed rape.

Nearly 7.8 million women have been raped by an intimate partner at some point in their lives.

Sexual assault or forced sex occurs in approximately 40-45% of battering relationships.

1 in 12 women and 1 in 45 men have been stalked in their lifetime.
81% of women stalked by a current or former intimate partner are also physically assaulted by that partner; 31% are also sexually assaulted by that partner.