Old Time Staycation Surprise Letdown

bhttp://sportsfans.org/2012/03/why-is-the-national-football-league-given-tax-exempt-status/

http://www.policymic.com/articles/79887/the-nfl-pulls-in-10-billion-each-year-all-of-it-tax-free

http://www.guidestar.org/FinDocuments/2010/131/922/2010-131922622-0706081b-9O.pdf

When I was a kid we went on one vacation as a family.  One summer day at the spur of the moment it was decided that all of us hop in the Ford Pinto Wagon and take a weekend road trip to Dillon, Colorado. Wow we were jazzed!  We just did not have the resources to "travel" as a family and when this opportunity arrived, we were pretty happy.

I remember what we were wearing!  I remember pulling off to dip our toes in the lake, inhaling the fresh pine air and staring in awe up into the clear blue sky.  The trip ended abruptly the next day because dad had a toothache.  There ya go.

So instead of vacations, we had what people call nowadays "staycations".  I can think of just a handful to include Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, baseball games, maybe a summer holiday and the Bronco games.  The Bronco games provided us with many fun loving memories and laughter.  Our house was Broncos central. Aunts and uncles, grandparents, cousins and friends would come over, we would enjoy great food, and for the next three hours think of nothing else.  I loved being a kid during those times. I loved watching the adults and listening to them talk about the game, razz each other, tell jokes and laugh. I loved helping mom with the food if she wanted it.  I have written about this before I know, but it is true, the Bronco games were our primary source of family entertainment.

It was so much fun to cheer and holler.  We even had season tickets. Two seats.  Mom, myself, sister and brother would rotate games to go with dad.  We always parked at grandma's house and walked with the rest of the rowdies to Mile High Stadium.

As an adult I don't really care about football, just the Bronco games. Otherwise I don't really watch sports.  As a cancer patient I have found that watching my Broncos really makes me forget about cancer, chemo and worries for that three hours of time.  Of course it's not the same now, no big family get together, just me really, but still I love my Broncos.

So now to get to the reason why this blogger who writes about ovarian cancer is blogging about football.  Well, I am late to the game and did not know that the NFL is a non-profit organization.

For obvious reasons this is just wrong on every level but I want to talk about my teeny little gripe that does effect my quality of life.

I do not have cable TV.  I have Roku.  If I want to watch my Broncos play a regular game, I would have to pay to subscribe to the NFL to watch live streaming Bronco games.  What???  Only during the playoffs have I been able to actually watch a game on my Ipad.   The few livestream news channels on Roku aren't allowed to show the game streaming even if it is free to their local viewers.  This is a racket.  It actually upsets me.  

Funny, I live in Seattle.  The Superbowl will be very exciting this year.  I will hope to go somewhere to watch the game.  Everyone in Seattle sure is excited, so for me I can't lose.

I need my little joys, my little breaks. Everybody needs their little happys.  The family memories of cheering for the Broncos make me happy and darnit I just want to watch the game and enjoy fond memories.

So now that It has been revealed to me that the NFL is a "non-profit" I wonder if it is legal for them to charge any fees to watch their games.  

When you read the articles above you will see how much money top management gets paid and it most definitely smells like a profit to me.

I am just disappointed all around.  They pay no taxes.  That makes me pretty mad.   I wonder what kinds of needed programs could be saved if they paid their fair share?  

I want to know why the Non-profit NFL requires me to pay a fee to subscribe to their services to watch the Broncos.  I need my little staycation.  I realize this is selfish of me but I want a chance to cheer and root on my team, no matter where I live, for free.  Edit:  I am grateful for life and all God brings to me, please remember that as I vent a bit about this issue.  Peace.

Pass this around if you agree.

This is part of my "Little  Happys" series for those of us in grief, dealing with cancer or any other chronic or acute illness.

Go Broncos!

Love,
Denise
 

ps...when I move I will get cable as long as Comcast does not force me to keep my business services.  That was the reason for my cable issue.  A few years ago when I got my little apartment I needed internet to work part time from home.  Some Comcast rep sold me an unnecessary business package with a two year contract and I did not know I would have to buy out a two year business agreement in order to change to a residential service with cable.  Their business services won't allow customers to have basic cable.  I just work from home, gee wiz.  So for the past two or more years I have watched TV at mom's (may she rest in peace) or streaming via Roku on my Ipad.  Rarely is there any live activity.......ugh.  anyway...Peace

I just saw it on CNN.com: 'He's going to be better than he was before'

http://www.cnn.com/2014/01/18/health/fish-oil-recovery/index.html?hpt=he_c1

One of the most traumatic nights of my life happened not long ago. Someone I love more than anyone else on earth passed away.  I am sorting through memories of those teeny tiny increments of time.  It is like trying to catch snowflakes with tweezers.  Then every once in awhile something reinforces the strangeness of that night, the intention that may or may not have been.

I wonder how I would have reacted if I had known about the information in this video at the time we found out there was no hope for mom.  I am certain I would have asked the doctors for fish oil.  I would have fought tooth and nail to at least give it another day, one more chance.

In the above article they talk about saving their son's life  and how they threw "everything but the kitchen sink" at his treatment.

This article is very inspiring. It makes me want to DO something. Sometimes I feel like I am swinging at air. Then after a bit I relax into peace. Up. Down. Up. Down.

I want to turn back the clock.  I want a second chance to have that night again.  But do I?  I would not want for one thought of suffering for mom once more but what if there was a chance? 

After re-reading this post several times I am also remembering though that these events are not choices. We must go when called, and THAT cannot be doubted.  I go through this circle very day, what if and then to God.  God is where Peace lives.

I also have a thousand thoughts about this article, but I will just leave one.  In the case of this boy he had very strong-willed parents who were searching for anything so that their son could be saved.  The right information was presented at the right time, not a coincidence. It is our fortune to learn more about this treatment.

I pray for those who are alone in the hospital that have no voice, no cheerleader, no individual who can stay with them while receiving treatment.  We all need an extra pair of eyes and ears if we are in the hospital.  

I applaud this family, the writer, Dr. Gupta, and the other doctors for revealing this important information.  It adds another layer of help and hope for those with brain damage.

Peace and love,
Denise

Researchers discover ovarian cancer biomarker

Researchers discover ovarian cancer biomarker

Posted from our friend Karen Ingalls

http://www.amazon.com/Outshine-An-Ovarian-Cancer-Memoir/dp/1592984622

Love

I gave my undivided attention to this PBS documentary about Lipizzaner Stallions.  I had heard of these beautiful horses from my mother, and of course my adorable nieces, who loved and love horses.

 I have a funny memory of mom being followed by one of grandpa's racing horses.  She was laughing one of those panicky laughs while trying to keep away from him.  He got out from inside the fence and was running up behind her along the long driveway. I think he liked mom's hair or thought she had carrots and apples.  Anyway, it was pretty comical.  Mom loved horses.

What I found most interesting in this documentary was not just the complex history of this rare breed of horse but truly the love and care that is given to these beauties since their birth.

All I can think about is what love means and how do we show love.  Why can't all humans receive this kind of love?

The horses are well fed, pampered, groomed, bathed and spoken to with gentle care, their entire lives.  

They therefore learn to love back and trust.

It is so simple a concept, yet we humans have such a long way to go when it comes to loving one another.  

Humans have great capacity to love, yet we don't always.  

Imagine every child on the planet clean and bathed, well nourished and only treated with utmost kindness and love.  Not ever a note of anger or violence to be experienced.  Wow.

Just that alone could change the world.  Imagine every elderly person and disabled person receiving the same.  And everyone else.  Love is the foundation of our existence.

When you watch this you will see.......

http://video.pbs.org/video/2364999318/

Love,

Denise

Support Her

I just found a very helpful study that confirms what we knew all along: social support, spiritual health and psychological health correlate with our quality of life, even moreso if you have ovarian cancer.

I am posting the link below, as I cannot copy it to my blog directly.  

This may be a very useful article for your own knowledge and well being.  It also may help you if you need a medical professional to have more empathy towards your overall well-being. It especially adds value in terms of communication with loved ones and caregivers.

I am really fortunate in that my gyn oncologist has always placed my quality of life as her number one priority when it comes to my care.  I currently have a counselor and my support network is open and listens to my needs.  Cancer is complex, ovarian cancer is no exception.  Adding cancer to your already complex life and to the lives of those around you brings about all kinds of opportunities for generosity, but also can bring about sadness and isolation.

If you have ovarian cancer and feel that you need more emotional support, you are not alone.

This article outlines areas of need and validates that supportive environments play a critical role in our quality of life.  Not everyone gets the support they need, but personally I think it's not always because of lack of potential. Giving help and receiving help are sensitive issues in general.  Caregivers and loved ones may not really know how to help and understanding cancer fatigue, for example, is almost impossible unless you know it yourself.

It is somewhat of a relief that this area of need is being studied as it relates to ovarian cancer. I hope to see more research and help in this area for all who are effected by ovarian cancer.  

I have believed since the beginning that psycho-spiritual-social treatment should be automatically included as needed in the overall treatment for ovarian cancer.  Insurance should cover this as well.  We have multitudes of support groups, both online and in community, available to us but the issues at hand can be so involved that a psychologist or psychiatrist may really be needed to help mend our open wounds.

Peace and blessings to you!


http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/pon.3322/abstract

Roland, K. B., Rodriguez, J. L., Patterson, J. R. and Trivers, K. F. (2013), A literature review of the social and psychological needs of ovarian cancer survivors. Psycho-Oncology, 22: 2408–2418. doi: 

10.1002/pon.3322