You know, I was wondering what I was going to write about on this blog as I hadn’t updated recently. And I have found my topic – not politics of the uterus, but politics of the penis.

But first, a health update on me. I went to see my oncologist who says (in short) I am doing really, really well. We discussed the BRCA test, and a genetic counselor will be calling me. We also discussed the Tamoxifen generic switch, and since I am back on the Teva generic versus the Mylan generic I am MUCH better.

But now for the boob who apparently doesn’t know squat about breasts or breast cancer. And yes, he’s a guy, and so it is officially politics of the penis.

There is this guy in upstate New York who is by all research, a political zealot. And I am saying this as a woman who is a registered Republican.

His name is Chris Collins and he is running for Congress in New York’s re-drawn 27th Congressional District.  It covers a chunk of Buffalo and other upstate NY counties.

So Mr. Collins (he doesn’t deserve this respect, truly, but oh well) ran for Erie County, NY Executive first.  When the Congressional district up there was redrawn, apparently he decided he was in fact the Messiah of New York State.

I would never in a million months of Sundays ever have a political nitwit like this on my radar if he hadn’t done one thing: made a statement that men do not die of prostate cancer and women do not die of breast cancer.

I beg to differ.

I lost my father, whom I miss every day to metastatic prostate cancer.  I am a breast cancer survivor, who has watched the survivor ranks shrink even in the year plus since my own diagnosis and surgery last June.  This time last year I saw women fighting to stay alive with breast cancer when I was receiving my radiation treatment.

And yet, this man from upstate New York can make a broad statement like this?

What planet is he on?  And what planet are all of the rest of us on if we allow him to get elected?

Women and men out there, cancer doesn’t see political parties or battle lines and it does not discriminate.  No matter who we vote for, we should not vote for candidates like Chris Collins.  In my humble opinion, his statement is tantamount to saying alcoholics and addicts aren’t alcoholics or addicts at all, it is just in their head.

I am not getting into the topic of Obamacare, because truthfully, I don’t know that it will ever do anything for me.  I also realize that until the insurance companies themselves experience some meaningful reform, both sides can do whatever they want and say whatever they want, it won’t really matter.

I  am concerned about candidates like Chris Collins who says crap like people don’t die from breast or prostate cancer and he not only I *think* has at least one daughter, he has a SISTER who is a breast cancer survivor!

Politicians like Chris Collins are dangerous.  They come in conservative and liberal varieties too.

I am thankfully represented by a good congressman.  But if you live in upstate New York, please, please, please do not send this boob to Washington.  There are enough boobs there already.

Just say no to Chris Collins.  And Republican strategists?  As a Republican I am saying, please don’t presume we’re stupid.

We do not need candidates like Chris Collins to make it to Washington.  Heck I wouldn’t vote for him for dog catcher.  He would probably say animal abuse and puppy mills were fairy tales.

And I am saying it one last time:  cancer doesn’t discriminate.  It doesn’t care about your political party or political belief system.  Politicians like Chris Collins are dangerous, and quite frankly, he gives Republicans and conservatives a bad name.

Let the angry man stay in New York State.   There is enough stupidity and negativity in Washington already.

Now read up on him:

Chris Collins: ‘People Now Don’t Die From Prostate Cancer, Breast Cancer’

The Huffington Post   By Elise Foley
Posted: 07/03/2012  3:13 pm Updated: 07/03/2012  5:14 pm

GOP congressional candidate Chris Collins knows health care is expensive these days, but he argues it’s for good reason: People are no longer dying from deadly forms of cancer.

“People now don’t die from prostate cancer, breast cancer and some of the other things,” he told The Batavian in an interview that was flagged Tuesday by City & State NY. Collins was discussing his desire to repeal Obamacare….In fact, a lot of people do die from breast cancer and prostate cancer, despite advances in treatment. An estimated 577,190 people in the United States will die from cancer this year, including about 39,920 deaths from breast cancer and 28,170 from prostate cancer, according to the American Cancer Society.

Chris Collins wants to go to Washington to restore the American Dream

City & State: The Notebook:

Chris Collins: People No Longer Die From Prostate, Breast Cancers

Written by Chris Bragg on July 3, 2012. Posted in Blog Time posted: July 3, 2012 1:06 PM-

A reader points out a rather interesting passage from Republican Congressional candidate Chris Collins’ recent interview with The Batavian.

In discussing his desire to repeal the Affordable Care Act, Collins appears to state that the reason health care is so expensive in the United States is that people no longer actually die from prostate or breast cancers.

From the article:

“People now don’t die from prostate cancer, breast cancer and some of the other things,” Collins said. “The fact of the matter is, our healthcare today is so much better,  we’re living so much longer, because of innovations in drug development, surgical procedures, stents, implantable cardiac defibrillators, neural stimulators — they didn’t exist 10 years ago. The increase in cost is not because doctors are making a lot more money. It’s what you can get for healthcare, extending your life and curing diseases.”

But Adama Brown at Daily Kos has already pointed out that this, of course, is false:

“National Cancer Institute figures show a very different story: Breast cancer kills about 40,000 women a year in the US. Prostate cancer kills about 30,000 men.