Cancer Symptoms Women Are Likely to Ignore

Red, Sore, or Swollen Breast Everyone knows to check for lumps in the breasts, but too often symptoms closer to the surface – which can indicate inflammatory breast cancer -- are overlooked. Some women describe noticing cellulite-like dimpled skin on an area of the breast. Others noticed that a breast felt swollen, hot, or irritated. Red or purplish discoloration is also cause for concern. Call your doctor about any unexplained changes in your breasts. Nipple Changes One of the most common changes women remember noticing before being diagnosed with breast cancer is a nipple that began to appear flattened, inverted, or turned sideways. "My nipple started looking like it was turned inside out," said one woman. In addition, inflammatory breast cancer also causes nipple problems, such as itchy, scaly, or crusty skin on the nipple -- so take any nipple changes seriously. Bloating or Abdominal Weight Gain The "my jeans don't fit" syndrome While this might sound too common a phenomenon to be considered a cancer symptom, consider this: Women diagnosed with ovarian cancer overwhelmingly report that unexplained abdominal bloating that came on fairly suddenly and continued on and off over a long period of time (as opposed to occurring a few days each month with PMS) was one of the main ways they knew something was wrong. Feeling Full and Unable to Eat This is another tip-off to ovarian cancer; survivors say they had no appetite and couldn't eat, even when they hadn't eaten for some time. Any woman who experiences noticeable bloating or weight gain numerous times (the diagnostic criteria is more than 13 times over the period of a month) -- especially if it's accompanied by pelvic pain or feeling overly full -- should call her doctor and ask for a pelvic ultrasound. Unusually Heavy or Painful Periods or Bleeding Between Periods Many women reported this as the tip-off to endometrial or uterine cancer. Unfortunately, many women also said their doctors weren't responsive, overlooking or misdiagnosing their complaints as normal perimenopause. Ask for a transvaginal ultrasound if you strongly suspect something more than routine heavy periods.

What is the fate of a mad or insane person spiritually?

What is the fate of a mad or insane person spiritually?

Amanda Knox Freed

A jury cleared Amanda Knox of murder and other charges on Monday, nearly four years after she was arrested on suspicion of having killed her roommate in this picturesque Italian university town. The jury evidently believed Knox's impassioned final statement to the court, delivered in a voice trembling with emotion. "I am not what they say I am -- perverse, violent. ... I haven't murdered. I haven't raped. I haven't stolen," Knox said in the most important speech of her life. Knox was, however, judged guilty of defamation against Patrick Lumumba, an early suspect in the case. She had accused club owner Lumumba of killing British college student Meredith Kercher in 2007 in Perugia She and her defense team succeeded in overturning a conviction handed down two years ago by a different jury, which found her and co-defendant Raffaele Sollecito guilty of killing of Kercher, who was sexually assaulted and killed. Her throat had been slashed. "I am innocent," Knox said Monday. "Raffaele is innocent." Sollecito put his claim simply in his own closing statement before Knox spoke. "I have never hurt anybody," he said. As he concluded, he dramatically removed his plastic "Free Amanda and Raffaele" bracelet, saying: "I have never taken it off since it was given to me. ... I think now is the moment to take it off." His voice almost inaudible, he concluded, "I hope this is part of history and that Amanda and I have a future." Knox's lawyer Luciano Ghirga reminded the jury Monday that they had to be convinced "beyond a reasonable doubt" that Knox and Sollecito were guilty if they were to uphold the conviction. At least four members of the jury -- composed of six members of the public and two judges -- must have concluded they did, indeed, have doubts about her conviction. A majority ruling was all that was needed to throw out the conviction, with a tie favoring the defense. The actual vote will remain secret, but the main judge, Claudio Pratillo Hellman, will file a statement explaining the jury's reasoning within 90 days of the ruling. Knox and Sollecito were convicted of murder, sexual assault and related crimes related to Kercher's death in December 2009. A third man, drifter Rudy Guede, was convicted separately of involvement in the killing and is serving 16 years. In the appeal, lawyers for Knox and Sollecito picked apart DNA evidence that played a role in the original conviction. Part of the original prosecution case was based on DNA evidence found on a knife and on a bra clasp belonging to Kercher. During the appeal, experts for the two sides battled over whether the DNA evidence was reliable. They also fought over the character of Knox. The lawyer for a man falsely accused of the crime called Knox "Lucifer-like, demonic, Satanic," while Sollecito defense counsel Giulia Bongiorno insisted that, like the buxom cartoon temptress Jessica Rabbit in the movie "Who Framed Roger Rabbit?" Knox is not bad, just "drawn that way." Knox herself acknowledged the debate Monday in her closing statement. "People always ask 'who is Amanda Knox?'" she said. "I am the same person I was four years ago. ... The only thing that now separates me from four years ago is my suffering. "In 4 years, I've lost my friends in the most terrible and unexplainable way. My trust in the authorities and the police has been damaged. I had to face charges that were totally unfair, without any basis. And I am paying with my life for something I haven't done." Knox was 20 and Kercher was 21 years old, studying at Perugia's university for foreign students, when Kercher's semi-naked body was found in the house they shared. Sollecito, 23 at the time, was Knox's boyfriend, studying computer science at another university in Perugia. Either side can appeal this court's ruling to Italy's High Court, but such an appeal would be on narrow technical grounds only.

Cheney: Obama Should Apologize to Bush

In the wake of the U.S. killing of terrorist Anwar al-Awlaki, former Vice President Dick Cheney says President Obama should apologize to the Bush administration for criticizing their war on terrorism policies. Cheney told CNN's Candy Crowley that President Obama has been hypocritical in attacking Bush policies while fully embracing them as president. “The Obama administration has clearly reached a point where they've agreed they need to be tough and aggressive in defending the nation and using some of the same techniques as the Bush administration did,” Cheney said Sunday on “State of the Union.” “Don’t get wrapped up in your underwear, then trying to go back and validate, if you will, some of the foolish things they said during the course of their campaign.” Cheney, appearing on the program with his daughter, Liz, said he wants the president to take back his criticism of the government’s decision to use enhanced-interrogations techniques after the 9/11 attacks. “The thing I'm waiting for is for the administration to go back and correct something they said two years ago when they criticized us for 'overreacting' to the events of 9/11,” said Cheney. “They, in effect, said that we had walked away from our ideals, or taken policy contrary to our ideals when we had enhanced interrogation techniques.” “Now they clearly had moved in the direction of taking robust action when they feel it is justified. I say in this case I think it was, but I think they need to go back and reconsider what the president said when he was in Cairo,” he added. “If you’ve got the president of the United States out there saying we’ve overreacted to 9/11 on our watch, that’s not good,” he told Crowley. He also spoke harshly about the president’s public sentiments on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. “He wanted, I assume for political reasons, not to call it a war, not to call it a war on terror," Cheney said. “They need to call it what it is.” Liz Cheney was equally as tough as her father with regard to Obama. The chairwoman of Keep America Safe said the country must exude strength, credibility and leadership, and “this president seems unwilling, frankly, to do all of those things.” “I think he did tremendous damage,” she said. “I think he slandered the nation, and I think he owes an apology to the American people.” She told Crowley she was not going to run for office in 2012 and that she, like her father, has not endorsed a candidate but is supportive of those in the GOP field. “I felt good about the fact that our candidates clearly understand, for example, how important the private sector is going to be in getting us out of this economic mess we're in, something that this White House doesn't understand,” she said.

The 9 Major Physical Developmental Milestones In Babies

Smiling (8 weeks)
Your baby has an adorable grin, but your husband says, "That's just gas." Is he right? It depends on how old your little grinner is. An infant can't produce what's called a social smile until about 8 weeks. It takes that long for his nervous system and vision to develop enough to see you and produce a smile in response.

Smiling is a baby's first social skill  -- he's picking up on how relationships work  -- as well as a signal of emotional growth. Your baby is showing you he can distinguish between different emotional states; he's aware that the happy feeling he gets when he sees you isn't the same as the sad feeling he has when you're not around.

Rolling over (2 or 3 months)
During tummy time (which you should supervise), your baby may lift herself into a push-up position and then start to rock back and forth or kick her feet. Then, if she's strong enough, those movements will send her rolling over. (She may get startled and cry the first time!) Flipping from back to front often takes until around 5 months because it requires more coordination and strength. You don't need to coach your baby to roll, though; just make sure she has a safe place to try it out if she wants to.

Grabbing (3 or 4 months)
After the first few months, babies begin to gauge where things are in space, and they can plan an action, such as grabbing a pacifier. By simply dropping something and picking it up, your baby's learning that he can manipulate things with his hands, and he's learning more details about how his toys work. He can make the rattle produce a sound, for instance, which teaches him cause and effect. Being able to grab things means he can engage more in play  -- whether by himself or with you.

Hugging (5 months)

Your baby will quickly learn to hug Mom, Dad, and other people she's comfortable around  -- as well as her stuffed gorilla, the cat, and anything else she adores  -- by watching others hug and getting hugged herself.

Not all babies are wild about hugging, though. Some are naturally more affectionate, while others are just too busy exploring their environment to stop for a cuddle. So try not to take it personally if your baby isn't wrapping her arms around you. She might be more receptive to physical affection before naps, at bedtime, or while you're looking at a book together.

Playing peekaboo (6 months)

What is it about this game that makes your baby crack up no matter how many times you play? When a baby understands the concept of object permanence  -- that even though he can't see your face, it's still there behind your hands or his blankie  -- he gets a thrill from knowing that at any minute your smiling face will pop back into view.

A few months later, he'll be able to play along by hiding himself. How to increase the fun:

1. Sit close enough that your baby can see your eyes. It'll keep him focused on what you're doing.

2. Ask, "Where's Mommy?" Your voice will reassure him that you're still there.

3. Vary the length of time you're hiding and play with the tone of your voice to make the game more stimulating for him (and less monotonous for you!).

Sitting up (8 months)
Once your baby has enough balance, arm strength, and head, neck, and lower-body control, she'll be able to sit up and take in a whole new world. At this point, her improving eyesight will allow her to see objects outside her direct line of vision  -- and she'll try to pull herself up to get a better look.

At first, she won't be able to sit up for long on her own and may need to put out her hand for balance. To motivate your baby to sit well, dangle or set her favorite toy in front of her, then slowly move it from side to side to encourage her to reach for the toy and rely solely on her torso and legs for balance. She'll be sitting without help in no time!

Crawling (6 to 10 months)
Now that your baby's sitting up by himself, it won't be long before he's looking to broaden his horizons. He'll probably start by repositioning himself, from sitting to being on all fours. Then he'll test his arms: When he figures out that they can support him, off he'll go. Some babies start to move without doing the typical hands-and-knees crawl. Yours might shuffle across the floor on his bottom, slither on his belly, or even roll. To encourage him, clear some space. Then place things he likes (including yourself) just out of reach. And be sure to keep him safe by childproofing the house. Take a tour on your hands and knees, and remove anything your baby shouldn't get into.

Pulling up (8 months)
Until now, your baby has depended on you to help her get up on her feet. But at around 8 months, her torso and leg muscles will be strong enough for her to stand up on her own. It's also when she'll realize that she can: Her confidence has been boosted by her ability to roll over, sit up on her own, and crawl.

At first, she'll look for things to pull up on  -- the side of the crib, the arm of the sofa, your leg  -- so be sure to remove objects that aren't safe or sturdy enough for support, or that have sharp edges she can fall on. And while she may not need to grab your fingers to get up anymore, she won't know how to bend her knees to sit until she's about 10 or 12 months.

Walking (10 to 18 months)
First steps represent a huge developmental leap. Walking requires muscle strength, coordination, balance  -- and a certain level of emotional maturity, too. After all, when you're crawling, your center of gravity is just a few inches off the ground. To walk you need to have a bit more confidence. That's why some beginning walkers are content to cruise along the furniture for weeks. The more eager hike away and never look back.

On the most basic level, walking frees up your child's hands to carry items while he moves about independently. By incorporating everything he's learned from all the other milestones  -- about space, objects, and people  -- he can now bring you things. This turns a purely physical skill into a game, as well as a rich social interaction. For instance: He comes over to you with his little toy duck and you say, "Thank you." You quack a few times (to his delight), and then he takes his duck away and you say, "Bye-bye, duck."