Cherry Covered Chocolate for Breast Cancer Awareness Month

No, I didn’t make a mistake. I know you normally hear chocolate covered cherries, but not this time. To participate in the National Breast Cancer Awareness Month blog event sponsored by Ley at Cilantro and Lime, I decided to make Piggy Cupcakes. It’s cherry butter cream frosting over Mexican chocolate cupcakes. The recipes aren’t important. You all know how to make chocolate cupcakes and either make homemade butter cream frosting or open up a can of prepared frosting. Easy to decorate. Half a large pink marshmallow for the snout. Make two little slits and insert a chocolate mini M & M in each slit. Cut the corners of strawberry flavored sugar wafers for the piggy ears. Eat the rest. Spread cherry frosting over your cupcake, center the snout, top with piggy sugar wafer ears and add two more mini M & M’s for eyes. Couldn’t be simpler.
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But now on to the important stuff. October is National Breast Cancer Awareness month.
Ley writes:

“As many of you may know, October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Breast cancer is a disease that affects an enormous amount of people every day, but many of us don't know much about it or how to take steps to prevent it. I'm hoping to promote awareness of breast cancer and its effects by posting information about it here and drawing attention to the issue through the participation of you guys in baking for this event.
What is this event, you ask? Well, it's called "Baking for Breast Cancer Awareness," and I'm asking for you guys to bake something up that promotes awareness in some form. You can bake something healthy, you can decorate your entries with a theme, or you can make it pink- whatever you choose, just make sure it's obviously tied in to breast cancer awareness! I'm not even going to be picky about the definition of "baking"- it doesn't have to be sweet, it doesn't have to be carb-y, and, you know what?- it doesn't really even have to be "baked." Bake a healthy chicken, make a pink trifle, create something that looks like boobs. It doesn't matter. Just make it. And spread the word.”
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While the women in my family have been fortunate enough never to have suffered from breast cancer, we have not escaped the terror of cancer altogether.

Bob, my beloved husband, had prostate cancer 8 years ago. He was diagnosed in April of 2000, after a routine checkup by our family doctor. Even though his PSA was only at 4.5, Dr. May decided Bob should have further testing since his father had passed away from this dreaded disease. (Keep in mind that a normal PSA reading is a 5.) Bob made an appointment with an urologist and Dr. Annabi decided to take a biopsy. One tiny microscopic cell was found. We were told that Bob could choose not to do anything since it probably meant nothing at the moment. Or he could choose one of various treatments.

Bob and I decided to seek a second opinion. We were told the same thing. The decision was ours as to what action to take. We researched the Internet and talked to others who had prostate cancer. After long discussions and a lot of prayers, Bob decided he wanted it out. However small or whatever size it was, he just wanted it out.

Keep in mind that he was first diagnosed in April of that year. The decision to have it surgically removed came in July. That was only three months later. During the course of those three months, the one microscopic cell had grown 1000 %. We found this out right after surgery when Dr. Annabi came out and called me over. He was so animated, I really wasn’t listening. I was crying and wondering what was causing him to be so excited.

He informed me that it had been removed entirely using a new nerve sparing (experimental) technique another surgeon had performed: a total (and miraculous) success.

Needless to say, I give thanks to the Almighty everyday for allowing us a second chance at life. Bob has been president of the Board of Directors of the El Paso Cancer and Chronic Disease Consortium for the past six years. He is a dedicated advocate for cancer research and a loving husband and father.

Everyone is affected by cancer one way or another. Please help us spread the word to keep research going not only for Breast Cancer, but also for any and all types of cancer still haunting us today. Thank you for letting me share this story with you.

Please visit Ley at Cilantro and Lime and join in this most important blogging event.