Blog
Passion for the Possible
by Elizabeth Roskam - No CommentsPosted on January 30th, 2012 10:22 am
The first time I walked into Giant Steps I could tell it was a special place. It is a place of encouragement and optimism in the midst of the challenges of autism. It is bright, open, dynamic and welcoming.
Giant Steps is a non-profit agency headquartered in Lisle, Illinois whose motto is “Passion for the Possible." In a world that is often dominated by what we can’t do, Giant Steps instead focuses of what people can do.
Autism is a growing problem. According to Giant Steps, one out of every 110 children is diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorders. The trend is increasing and is up as much as three or four fold compared to the 1970s.
As a painter I was particularly drawn to the art therapy and impressed by what I saw. To learn more about Giant Steps and Autism click on www.mygiantsteps.org.
Lung Cancer Awareness Month
by Elizabeth Roskam - No CommentsPosted on November 2nd, 2011 2:34 pm
As a member of the Congressional Families Cancer Prevention program, I want to fill you in on what's happening this November as we promote Lung Cancer Awareness Month. Check out the article below for details.
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Let's start with the numbers. Lung cancer is the number one cancer killer in the United States - for both men and women. One in 14 Americans will get lung cancer, and it kills more people than breast, prostate, colorectal, leukemia combined. It kills more than twice as many men than prostate cancer and almost twice as many women as breast cancer. Lung cancer accounts for about 14 percent of all new cancer diagnoses and 27 percent of all cancer deaths. These numbers are stunning. So why do we see and hear so little about this particular cancer?
Perhaps it is, in part, because fewer people survive lung cancer to organize the marches, wear the ribbons, and buy the products which donate part of the proceeds to much needed research. In 2011, an estimated 221,130 people will be diagnosed with lung cancer and nearly 157,000 will die of the disease. And this year, in the state of Illinois alone it is estimated that 9,210 new cases of lung cancer will be diagnosed and there will be an estimated 6,420 cancer deaths from this disease. There are far too many people impacted by this disease, and far too few survivors to talk about it.
Another factor impacting the public discussion may be the stigma that continues to be attached to lung cancer. How many of us have been told about someone being diagnosed with lung cancer and responded reflexively - "Did they smoke?" It's true, people who smoke and those exposed to second-hand smoke are at higher risk for lung cancer. However, not just smokers get lung cancer, and no one deserves to get cancer. No one.
With respect to the non-smokers: about 65 percent of all new lung cancer diagnoses are among people who have never smoked or quit decades ago. Risk factors for non-smokers include exposure to indoor and outdoor air pollution; exposure to certain toxic substances such as asbestos, arsenic or radon; jobs that expose workers to radiation; and personal or family histories of lung cancer. Clearly, lung cancer is not just a smoker's disease. Anyone can get lung cancer.
What steps can we take to prevent this disease? Avoiding tobacco use remains at the top of the prevention list. If you don't smoke, don't start. If you do smoke, quit. Get help if you need it. If you are a smoker or former smoker, early detection is key to reducing lung cancer's death rate. Stay away from second-hand smoke. Work to make your home and community smoke free. Check your home for radon. Take care of yourself: eat lots of fruits and vegetables and be physically active. If you are at risk for lung cancer, talk to your health care professional about available screenings.
November is Lung Cancer Awareness month. Let's make sure that people know the facts about lung cancer, take steps to prevent it, and help it get the attention, resources and research needed to improve understanding and treatment of America's number one cancer killer. For more information, go to www.preventcancer.org.
Elizabeth Roskam is a member of the Congressional Families Cancer Prevention Program of the Precent Cancer Foundation.
A new voter in the Roskam family
by Elizabeth Roskam - No CommentsPosted on October 5th, 2011 11:13 am
We celebrated another milestone birthday in the Roskam household! Our daughter turned 18! We celebrated with cake and ice cream and opening of gifts. But the celebration continued and included registering to vote! It’s very exciting to have another Roskam who will be voting. We take the privilege of voting seriously in our home. Brave men and women through out our nation’s history have fought and some died for this privilege. I would encourage everyone to make sure they are registered to vote.
Happy Birthday Peter!
by Elizabeth Roskam - No CommentsPosted on September 13th, 2011 10:45 am
My husband celebrates his 50th birthday today. Since he is in D.C., we celebrated this special occasion with him this past weekend. I’d like to thank all of the family and friends who came to his birthday celebration. Thank you for all of the birthday card greetings and emails. Thank you for these gifts of encouragement. At home we prepared a wonderful dinner for Peter and enjoyed our family time. Peter is a great Dad, the best husband and we love him very much. Happy Birthday Peter.
A smart way to save
by Elizabeth Roskam - No CommentsPosted on July 11th, 2011 10:04 pm
While visiting my cousin in Calgary, I admired her beautiful garden. What caught my eye, though, was a barrel nestled among the flowers and plants. The barrel was situated under the downspout to collect rain from the roof. My cousin used this water to care for her garden. I loved that concept.
Lo and behold I found that the Conservation Foundation offered rain barrels. So I picked one up a from their headquarters at 10S404 Knoch Knolls Road in Naperville and recruited my Congressman to help me install it.
It's as easy as cutting a downspout, attaching a flexible elbow and placing the rain barrel underneath it. It is sealed, safe and ready for use in the garden by attaching a hose to the spigot at the bottom of the barrel. (thank you Peter!)
This is a great low tech way to save money and conserve water. A fun addition to the garden!
Mrs. R's Corner: Welcome
by Elizabeth Roskam - No CommentsPosted on June 12th, 2011 6:12 pm
Welcome to my blog, Mrs. R’s Corner. I hope you visit the site often for the latest updates. I’ll be sharing a unique perspective on congressional life, campaign happenings and sometimes just fun tidbits from behind the scenes.
For those of you that don’t know me, Peter and I first met and fell in love in Washington D.C. in 1985. Through 23 years of marriage and raising our four children, we’ve had some pretty incredible memories and continue to make more every day. I look forward to sharing some and interacting with you at Mrs. R’s Corner.