It’s easy to blame John Edwards – AND WE SHOULD.
But what about Rielle Hunter?
(Love the name…it says it all — she’s REALLY, or should a say RIELLE a HUNTER!)

It’s bad enough to have to hear about a woman hitting on a married man, but to do it when the wife is going through a life threatening illness and brag about it, to put your friends up to talk about it on your behalf on national television, to accept payment of campaign funds, to get paid off (and we all know what that implies) is just about the lowest of the low in human behaviour, especially when you’ve been through what we’ve been though.

I should know, it happened to me one night while the hubster Silvano and I were having dinner outside at Da Silvano, in 2004. Apparently word had gotten out I had just been diagnosed. (In New York, good news always travels fast.)

“So, how’s your cancer?” A woman asked me, whom I’d never met.

She quickly handed Silvano her number and said“ Here’s my card, I’m not sick…”
And then…

Hitting on your Husband 01
Hitting on your Husband 02
Hitting on your Husband 03

Yes, Silvano took her card, which ironically was pink, and he fed it to a dog. (For the record, I have a photographic memory, and that’s exactly what she looked like.)

Even though my husband’s response was phenomenal, and humorous: her number as dogfood? Ha! I still shake with rage when I think about her. Not the kind of peaceful, healing emotions that you should have when you’re trying to heal yourself and survive. I can only imagine what Elizabeth Edwards is going through.

So, if anyone knows anyone who is engaging in this kind of behaviour, tell them to stop.
Be a sister to one of our sisters, even if the bitch ain’t.

Do I have to BEG?

My oncologist, Dr. Paula Klein, and Nurse Practioner Mary Ann Guiliano were really happy about the Free Mammograms screening.

I was so grateful to have the opportunity and the ability to start the CANCER VIXEN FUNd which benefits uninsured women, as you know, I was one of 47 million uninsured when I was diagnosed with breast cancer.

BUT I WAS A LITTLE UPSET…

Maybe it was record-breaking heatwave here in Manhattan that kept everyone away. Besides, name a day anyone would want to get a their boob squished, especially on a summer day when everyone’s passing out from sunstroke.

(The Cancer Vixen FUNd now does two screenings a year - and the next one that isn’t on National Mammography Day will definitely take place in May and NOT July!)

Maybe our viral eblasts and gorilla campaign of blanketing the area with flyers didn’t reach enough people. (We didn’t hire an advertising agency to get the word out, we wanted the money we raised to the women we raised it for - the uninsured - so they can get screened.)

Maybe it’s because women just don’t want to get a mammogram at all, (duh!) despite the fact that early detection is the closest thing we have to a cure.

Whatever the reason for our turnout of only 33 women, I am grateful that we were able to do the screening, but we can definitely screen more.

So, October 17, this coming National Mammography Day, I’m asking all of you, if you know of any women, 35 or older with a family history of breast cancer, or 40 and older who are uninsured and underinsured, please send them to us.

We have the funds. We have the facility. We do it all for you.

By the way, that’s my Smother, aka the Sophia Loren of New Jersey, yelling “cut!”

Here’s what the New York Post Page Six wrote about it:

It was a bash for breasts, but all eyes were focused below the belt on the blue-polished big toenails (with hand-painted yellow scorpions) of Silvano Marchetto. At the Cancer Vixen Spalapalooza! benefit for the Breast Clinic at St. Vincent’s Hospital for uninsured women, the restaurateur showed off his toenails painted by the Cancer Vixen herself, cartoonist Marisa Acocella Marchetto. Steve Schirripa auctioned off spa packages at the Cornelia Day Resort, helping raise $150,000. Guests included Federico Castelluccio, host Robert Verdi and swimsuit model Marisa Miller.

Below, the scene stealing pedicure:

Hubby’s Toes
July 11, 2008 Free Mamograms
We busted our butts raising the money to save your boobs.
So don’t be a boob - get your butt on down!
If you are 40 years old or older, or if you have a family history of breast cancer and are 35 and older and you are uninsured, I am asking you to come to the FREE MAMMOGRAM SCREENING on JULY 11. ST VINCENT’S COMPREHENSIVE CANCER CENTER 325 WEST 15TH STREET.
CALL AND MAKE AN APPOINTMENT NOW! 212 604 6009. WALK-INS ARE WELCOME!

It could save your life.

When was diagnosed with breast cancer, like 47 million Americans, that’s one in every 6 people in this country. I did not have health insurance.

I was also diagnosed three weeks before getting married for the first time, at forty-three years old.

It’s frightening when you are diagnosed with cancer,
It’s devasting when you are uninsured.

Thank God I did get insurance - I was able to get on the hubster Silvano’s plan after we were married and two weeks before I started chemo.)

WHY IS IT SO IMPORTANT TO GET SCREENED?

People diagnosed with cancer who don’t have health insurance are more likely to die because they are less likely to get screening tests and so are typically diagnosed with advanced disease, the American Cancer Society finds.

If you are uninsured, and you are diagnosed with cancer, you have a 60 percent greater chance of dying from cancer than if you were insured and diagnosed with cancer.

60% percent greater chance of dying from cancer.

Believe me, I know how lucky I am.

I could have been one of the 60%.

That’s why I started the CANCER VIXEN FUNd.

So you aren’t one of the 60%, either.

I want YOU to improve your own survival rate, and live.
The CANCER VIXEN FUNd at St Vincent Catholic Medical Centers believes that every woman, whether she has insurance or not, receive the best care and NO ONE SHOULD BE TURNED AWAY.

As The Patron Saint of Breast Cancer Evelyn Lauder says, EARLY DETECTION CAN GIVE YOU A 98% SURVIVAL RATE. THAT’S THE CLOSEST THING WE HAVE FOR A CURE.

Each and every woman should have an equal chance to living a long and happy life.

We are not victim. We are VIXENS!

PEACE, LOVE AND HEALTH INSURANCE FOR ALL!

Marisa

Cancer Vixen Spalapalooza
Cancer Vixen Spalapalooza!!!!

A glamorizing, good karma-flying, fabulous cancer-kicking FUNdraiser for Saint VIncent Catholic Medical Centers to provide breast care and well-being for the uninsured and underinsured.

Hosted by ROBERT VERDI
Chic Cocktails on the roof top of the CORNELIA DAY RESORT
663 Fifth Avenue, 8th Floor
Wednesday, June 25th 6:30 - 9:30 pm

Amazing Apps by DA SILVANO
Spectacular Silent Auction presided by STEVE SCHIRRIPA
Guest Performance by Singing Sensation TINA BROWN
Delicious DJ WILLIE FAHY

TICKETS $200 ($225 at the door)
PURCHASE TICKETS ON LINE - http://www.svcmc.org -
click on the Cancer Vixen Icon
or call 646.382.6583
RSVP by June 20th - Space is Limited!!!

This is my favorite piece, AND it got rejected.

But I wanted to show you guys anyway because I really love it.

LIPS PLANTRONICS

The hat was designed by Philip Tracey for Alexander McQueen, who designed the suit.

Too fashion-forward for Plantronics, but just my style.

As yours truly was pulling all-nighters at the ol’ drawing board, The Hubster (aka Silvano) was working 15-hour days at the restaurant. Tired and stressed out in cold, grey New York, we decided to stretch out on a lounge chair in the sunny Caribbean.

After checking into the hotel, we made a necessary trip to the gift shop. We had nothing but the clothes on our backs and what we carried on the plane, which, by the way, isn’t how we started. Thank god I packed Silvano’s heart meds and my Tamoxifen in my handbag.

So much for our desperately needed R’n'R. In fact…

stomach

Enter Sheryl Crow, into the hotel gift shop…

For the ENTIRE POST, check out: mybreastcancernetwork.com and huffingtonpost.com

Hi all you young toonists, I am looking for an assistant. I need web-savvy and industrious. You need someone to show you the ropes. If you’re out there, please contact me ASAP! (That means, right now!)

THE 2008 ANGOULEME FESTIVAL has chosen CANCER VIXEN (under the title CANCER IN THE CITY, which is how it was released in France) as one of the 50 nominees for graphic novel of the year.

Ok, this is HUGE news.

According to Bart Beaty, www.comicsreporter.com “Angouleme produces, arguably, the most notable comics prize in the world.” He also writes that “the nominees are a veritable who’s who of Big Name Cartoonists: Chris Ware, Peter Bagge, Joe Matt, Robert Crumb, and Jules Feiffer among them. At the same time, newer voices are being singled out for praise, including Marisa Acocella Marchetto for Cancer and the City, Shaun Tan for The Arrival, Linda Medley for Castle Waiting, and Gene Yang for American Born Chinese. Throw in a few others, like Jason, Rutu Modan and Ralph Konig, all of whom have work that is well-known in English, and you can see for yourself that this is a very strong list of contenders.”

I am so honored to be in that excellent list of nominees. (I also love that at 47 and a career in cartooning that has spanned years, I am one of the “newer voices”! Hahaha!)

The Festival will chose the winner January 22-24.  Bonne Chance!

I originally posted my story December 31 about turning 47 and how ecstatic I was
about being alive… and the next day, this ran in New Year’s Day’s NEW YORK POST’S PAGE SIX:

Older’s Better For Beauties

FORTY-something stunners Laura Linney and Daryl Hannah are getting older - and it’s fine with them. “It’s really about being realistic. No one is going to be an A-list movie star and make millions of dollars forever, you’re just not,” Linney, 43, the star of “The Savages,” tells Britain’s Observer about actresses who worry about age. “It’s also about the fact that I think we’re lucky we got to be 40. There are so many people out there who die way too young, so [to] all of this ‘Boohoo, we’re getting older,’ I’m like, ‘Well, there is an alternative.’ ” Meanwhile, Hannah, who starred in “Attack of the 50-Foot Woman,” tells The Telegraph: “I hated being young. Everyone says how wonderful it is to be a young person. That is far from the case for many people, but they dare not say it at the time. Aging is great. Maturity has brought me peace of mind. When I look back, I could have saved myself so much anxiety.”

Me again.
There’s something special in the air, gals.

I think 2008 is going to kick ass.
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

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