This month is dedicated to both prostate cancer
awareness and ovarian
cancer awareness. Each year, about 45,000 people are killed from these
cancers with about 230,000 diagnoses annually. At Sweeney & Sweeney, we
believe that knowledge is power, so the more you know, the better protected you
can be.

Ovarian Cancer:
Ovarian cancer often goes undetected until it has already metastasized (spread)
to the pelvis and abdomen and has a ~70% mortality rate.

•             Symptoms
  can include abdominal pressure, fullness, swelling, or bloating; pelvic pain or
  discomfort; persistent indigestion, gas, or nausea; changes in bowel habits,
  such as constipation; changes in bladder habits, including a frequent need to
  pee; loss of appetite or quickly feeling full; persistent lack of energy, and
  low back pain. You should always see a doctor if you have any signs or symptoms
  that concern you.
•             There are
  certain things that can increase your risk of developing ovarian cancer
  including genetics (i.e. having the BRCA gene or inheriting nonpolyposis
  colorectal cancer); having a family history of ovarian cancer; having a
  previous cancer diagnosis; aging; and never having been pregnant.
•             However,
  there are some ways to reduce your risk of developing ovarian cancer including
  taking birth control pills. If you have a genetic predisposition to ovarian
  cancer, you can talk to your doctor about other prevention methods specific to
  you.

Prostate Cancer:
Prostate cancer is one of the most common types of cancer in men, usually grows
slowly, and stays confined in the prostate gland; and has a ~13% mortality
rate.

•             There are
  often no symptoms in the early stages of prostate cancer (which is why it’s
  important to get checked), however, at more advanced stages, symptoms can
  include trouble peeing; decreased force of the stream; blood in the urine;
  blood in the semen; general pain in the lower back, hips, or thighs; discomfort
  in the pelvic area; bone pain; or erectile dysfunction. You should always see a
  doctor if you have any signs or symptoms that concern you.
•             Certain
  things can increase your risk of developing prostate cancer including aging,
  African heritage, family history of prostate or breast cancer, and obesity.
•             However,
  there are some preventative measures you can take including maintaining a
  healthy diet, exercising most days of the week, maintaining a healthy weight.

Also remember, when Health Care Reform takes effect, no one
can be denied health coverage because of a pre-existing condition, so call up Sweeney
& Sweeney to discuss your options, learn more, and sign up!

With temperatures preparing to soar again, it’s important to
know how to keep your body from getting overwhelmed. After our lovely litter
cool down in the weather, many of you may have already started adjusting
yourselves to a fall schedule. Don’t be fooled! This is Chico after all … J

• Be aware of the heat before you go out. Wear appropriate
  clothing, and make sure you have plenty of access to water.
• If you’re a runner or enjoy some other type of daily outdoor
  exercise, be sure to not over exert yourself. Significantly increasing your
  heart rate in the heat plays differently on your body than when it’s cooler. (i.e.
  you become dehydrated quicker, you get tired quicker, more severe cramps, etc.)
• Eating lighter meals are easier on your body for digestion
  when it’s hot out.
• Be careful about alcohol consumption as it can impair your
  body’s ability to regulate temperature.
• Make sure to drink plenty of water no matter what you’re
  doing. That headache that won’t quit is probably a sign that you’re dehydrated.
  (Soda and other sugary drinks are NOT hydrating) Nausea can also be a sign of
  dehydration.

Don’t get caught off guard with the sudden heat wave
expected to hit this weekend. As always, everyone here at Sweeney & Sweeney
& Sweeney wishes you a fun and safe weekend!

 P.S. Don’t forget that Health Care Reform is right around
the corner! (October 1^st) Call in to Sweeney & Sweeney today to
set up a meeting to enroll or just to get some questions answered. We’re here
to help!

(Labor Day, New York, 1882)

We all know Labor
Day means a three day weekend, but are you aware of the historical
significance or what your backyard BBQ is in celebration of. My guess is
probably not. Our theory here is, “knowledge is power” so we thought you might
want the answer to this question, too!

Labor Day is always celebrated on the first Monday in
September to commemorate the contributions of our nation’s workers. This day
was first celebrated in 1894 to placate unionists after the Pullman Strike, and is
most commonly celebrated with family barbeques, often a parade of some sort,
and more recently, retail sales.

The Labor Day holiday was first proposed in 1882, with
debate as to whether it was by Matthew Maguire who worked for the CLU (Central
Labor Union) or Peter J. McGuire with the American Federation of Labor. Oregon
was the first state to celebrate the holiday on February 21, 1887. By the time
Labor Day became a national holiday, it was already celebrated in 30 states.

“Following the
deaths of a number of workers at the hands of the U.S. military and U.S. Marshals during the Pullman
Strike, the United States Congress unanimously voted to
approve rush legislation that made Labor Day a national holiday; President Grover
Cleveland signed it into law a mere six days after the end of the strike. The
September date originally chosen by the CLU of New York and observed by many of
the nation’s trade unions for the past several years was selected rather than
the more widespread International Workers’ Day because Cleveland
was concerned that observance of the latter would be associated with the
nascent Communist, Syndicalist and Anarchist movements that, though distinct
from one another, had rallied to commemorate the Haymarket
Affair in International Workers’ Day.”

Sweeney & Sweeney hopes you’re having an exciting and
safe celebration this weekend and we look forward to resuming business with you
all on Tuesday!

I remember the day my parents dropped me off at school. It
was a pretty overwhelming experience. I was all of a sudden expected to live
with three complete strangers (I lived in the dorms my first year) and was
completely on my own for the first time. I think all new Freshman have a very
similar experience. Your first year can be scary, but it can also be filled
with amazing experiences, making lifelong friends, making a few mistakes, but
also learning invaluable lessons.

Let’s start with your first major adjustment you’re going to
be making: Living with strangers. Most people aren’t going to be in a
one-bedroom apartment their Freshman year (and honestly, I wouldn’t recommend
it). Although my roommates ended up being a bit of a disaster, I wouldn’t trade
that experience for anything, because I met 90% of my friends at the dorms.
These are people who are still my best friends years later. So my advice: if
you’re not getting along with your roommates, try having a meeting to resolves
issues early. If you can’t resolve your issues, get involved on campus or get a
job, something to keep you busy and therefore away from the house for as long
as possible.

The other biggest adjustment for most people is having so
much freedom and making your own rules. I know a lot of the people I knew took
this freedom as an opportunity to stay up/out super late and eat a lot of junk
food. My advice: use this opportunity to set up rules for yourself right away (i.e.
establish a routine, budget, schedule, etc.) because otherwise everything will
seem to pile up on your plate pretty quickly.

College classes are definitely more challenging than high
school classes. Number one difference, there’s more studying involved. My
advice: as a part of setting up a schedule for yourself, make sure to schedule
more time than you may think you need to school work, because there will be
more research needed, papers are longer, and tests tend to be more in-depth
than one is typically used to.

Getting connect at school can be tough with all of your
academic obligations. Especially if you tend to be on the shy side, like me. My
advice: check out clubs on campus (I go involved with my school’s Enactus—formerly SIFE—club which
gave me a ton of valuable skills and hooked me up with some awesome people with
similar interests), maybe get an on-campus job, go to orientation (as hokey as it
might seem), and—as I’ve already said—live in the dorms (if your school has
them) for at least the first year, because it ends up being kind of a lot of
forced interaction with your peers (in a good way). If your school doesn’t have
dorms, do some research ahead of time and find out where other students are
living.

Starting college can definitely be a stressful time, but
with some proper preparation, it can also be an absolutely amazing experience.
Also check out our blog with tips for
helping parents get through the first year of college!

We’re right at that time when school’s about to start, and
for many of you that means sending your kids off to college for the first time.
This event can be just as scary for parents as it is for your student. Below is
a list of a few things to help you through this first year:

Making sure your kids know they can always come home when
they need to is important, but just as importantly, they need to learn how to
get along on their own. It can be hard for parents to not run to the rescue
every time their new college student hits a road bump, but they have to learn
how to deal with those things on their own.

Keeping in contact with your student will probably be pretty
easy for the first few weeks while they’re still settling into their new world.
Don’t be surprised or worried if contact starts to drop off as they start to
make new friends, go out, and become a part of campus life. (Side tip:
encourage your kids to live in the dorms for at least their first year. Yes,
dorms are always terrible, but that’s where they’ll probably make 90% of their
friends) This is completely normal and should make you happy because they’re
starting to get their footing in this new atmosphere.

In the beginning, your kid is probably going to be stoked to
be out on their own, excited about their teacher, all the new information, new
friends, etc. However, many students’ enthusiasm tends to drop off about half way
through the semester as midterms come up and the work gets a little harder.
They may even start talking about dropping out, but it’s important to be a
sounding board for their frustrations and encourage them to stick it out. Good
rule of thumb, wait until the end of the year before making any decisions about
leaving or transferring. If at the end of the year they’re still hating their
experience, then revisit your options.

One of the hardest things for parents is when their children
come home for the first school break. This can be an odd experience for both of
you, because as a parent, you’ve just gotten used to not having the kids
around, and as a student, they’ve gotten used to being on their own and making
their own rules. So, in order to maintain peace, forget the old rules, and come
up with some more appropriate ones. Such as, no more curfews, but maybe agree
that if your kid’s going to go out, they should at least check in if they’re
planning on coming home very late or if they plan on staying out overnight,
just so you don’t stay up waiting and worrying (because that behavior just isn’t
ever going to go away).

Lastly, when visiting, don’t just show up unannounced. While
this may seem like a fun idea to you, your new student probably already has
plans, and it would be a little unfair for you to ask them to just drop
everything because you’ve decided to show up at their door Friday afternoon.
Always plan out visits. Plus, their living quarters are probably a disaster
zone, wouldn’t you rather them be able to have some time to clean up the place.
J