by Many of us enjoy the promotional jingle for Emerald Downs: “Nobody’s gonna slow me down. Oh no, oh no, I gotta keep on moving….” But instead of horses, it easily could describe Burien City Councilmember Sue Blazak this summer.
Not long after filing for election to a second term on the city council in late May, Blazak discovered what every woman fears – a lump in her breast, found during a self-exam. She had a mastectomy on June 18. (“I won’t say which side,” she quips. “I think it’s more interesting for people to wonder.”)
While all tests since then indicate that she is now cancer free, Blazak will begin chemotherapy soon. This is standard medical procedure since, during surgery, it was discovered that cancer had spread to her lymph nodes. She won’t have to undergo radiation treatment.
Learning that she had cancer “was a shock,” Blazak told the B-Town Blog recently. “I think that I had some other things going on that may have lowered my immune system. My odds might have gone up. And I turned 50 this year. But it was unexpected. I have no family history of this.”
Despite the stunning news, Blazak didn’t lapse into self-denial and promptly sought medical care. “I was due for a mammogram anyway. And I want to encourage other women to have mammograms and do self-examinations,” she stressed. “They caught (mine) early and I feel lucky.
“I discovered that I have a lot of company. It’s happening to a lot of women, and there’s a very good support system” for those with breast cancer.
Despite the physical challenges that lay ahead, Blazak was determined even before surgery not to let this slow her down. She was going to keep on going – to beat breast cancer, and to continue running for re-election.
And one of the first persons to express his sympathy and best wishes was former Councilman Jack Block Jr., who will run against Blazak in the only contested race in Burien this November.
“I want to let people know,” Blazak added, “that for the next few months I will not be able to keep up the pace that I did the last campaign. Fatigue (from both surgery and chemo) is a problem and I understand that. I need to recuperate and won’t have the same energy that I had four years ago.
“Other than fatigue, I’m feeling fine now. I’m doing some physical therapy and walking every day. And I’m taking no more pain pills. I’m clearheaded again. I’m thrilled!”
Current Burien's City Councilmembers pose for their official portrait. Sue Blazak is furthest on the right, seated.
While Blazak needs time for rest and rehabilitation now, “I won’t slow down in the long run,” she promises. “I am hoping to be, I expect to be back up by September. I’ll give myself couple of months to relax first. I have a lot of people volunteering to help me.”
During her recuperation, she plans to sit down with friends “and get better organized.” They will help her get campaign yard signs out, delegate other campaign chores, and plan for the last couple months of her bid for re-election. Already she’s received the endorsement of the Women’s Political Caucus.”
Blazak has a lot she still wants to accomplish as a councilwoman. Looking ahead, she said the impetus begun “with the planning and completing of projects in Town Square needs to keep going. Burien has an excellent reputation with planning and completing projects….
“Burien and South King County need to have a stronger voice with planning in our region. Seattle has size, Bellevue has money, and I feel strongly that we need to have a voice, to be at the table when decisions are made.
“We need to be more involved,” she continued, pointing to her experience on the South County Transportation Board and on the Transportation Policy Board of the Puget Sound Regional Council, “where I’ve strongly advocated for Burien and South King County…. That’s one of the things that I feel I do well.”
Blazak also wants to continue working for a bicycle/pedestrian transportation plan for Burien, which may include putting a proposed Transportation Benefits District on the ballot this fall to fund that plan (read more on the proposed TBD here).
In addition, she supports a proposed new Community/Senior Center for Burien, which is on hold because of the economy, and promotes Burien as a “wellness center” that would encourage both improved health care and the entry of students into the educational pipeline for good careers in health care.
by Friday afternoon (5/1), King County Public Health identified a new probable case of swine flu in Des Moines, and subsequently closed Midway Elementary School there until Monday, May 11th.
The illness was mild, and the child is recovering.
The Highline School District school is located at 22447 24th Ave South in Des Moines, making it the second school in that city to be closed; as we previously reported, Woodmont Elementary was closed Thursday.
Here’s the statement as posted on the Highline School District website:
A student at Midway Elementary has been diagnosed with a probable case of swine flu. Public Health has requested the school be closed for seven days so there will be no school May 4 – 8.
School will resume at Midway on Monday, May 11.
The district is monitoring the situation and working closely with Public Health. For information on Highline’s response plan and what you can do to protect yourself and your family, click here.
Public Health also opened a Flu Hotline for the public at 1-877-903-KING (5464), which will be staffed from Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Interpreters are available. This hotline will provide health and safety information on the current Swine Flu outbreak. If you need medical advice, contact your health care provider.
Some local hospitals and health care providers are reporting that many people are unnecessarily going to emergency rooms and doctors’ offices with mild symptoms. In terms of seeking medical care, use the same judgment you would use during a typical flu season.
Do not seek medical care if you are not ill or have mild symptoms for which you would not ordinarily seek medical care. If you have more severe symptoms of fever, cough, sore throat, body aches or are feeling more seriously ill, call your health care provider to discuss your symptoms and if you need to be evaluated.
“It is not surprising that we are seeing more infected people, and we expect more over the coming days and even weeks,” said Dr. David Fleming, Director & Health Officer for Public Health – Seattle & King County. “So far, locally and nationally, this swine flu strain appears to be no more severe than the flu we’d see in a typical flu season. We will continue to learn about this virus and watch its activity in the community.”
As the virus becomes more common, Public Health is recommending new steps to help reduce future infections in schools.
“Our parents are at the front lines of stopping the spread of infection. We are urging all parents to assess their kids every morning to see if they’re sick, and keep them home if they are,” said Dr. Fleming. “In addition, we will be working with schools across King County to help them establish health checks at school entry, so that sick students are identified and sent home before they expose other children.”
For more information, please visit King County’s special swine flu website here.
UPDATE 4/30 4pm: King County’s Public Health Department announced Thursday at 3:30pm that there are now 10 “probable” cases of swine flu in King County, out of 13 in the entire state.
Still no known cases in the Burien area, and none have yet been confirmed by the CDC.
The 10 probable cases of swine flu in King County include:
- A male child of Seattle who was hospitalized and is improving
- A male in his 20s from Seattle, not hospitalized and improving
- A woman in her 30s from Seattle, not hospitalized and improving
- 7 additional probable cases in King County as of 4/30/09, 3:30pm (Public Health is still investigating and has not yet announced the locations or status)
Also, because one of the victims was a student at Seattle’s Madrona School, both Public Health and Seattle Public Schools decided to close the school for seven days, starting today, to reduce the ability of the infection to spread. The school is scheduled to re-open on May 7.
As for the Highline School District, there are no known cases or planned closures yet, and here’s the latest statement from their website (which concerned parents should check often as this news is developing quickly):
The first suspected cases of swine flu have been detected in Washington State, and Highline Public Schools is monitoring the illness and is working closely with Public Health-Seattle and King County and the national Centers for Disease Control as a precaution.
If more cases are reported in our area, Public Health will advise the district on closing schools.
PREVIOUSLY:
Just after 9pm Wednesday evening (4/29), King County Public Health Department announced that three probable cases of swine flu (H1N1) have been identified in the county.
All three were reported to be in Seattle, with none reported as being in the Burien area.
Laboratory samples have been sent to U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and Public Health – Seattle & King County is awaiting final confirmation.
Also today, the World Health Organization raised its pandemic swine flu alert level to Phase 5 – its second-highest level, and one that includes the language “a strong signal that a pandemic is imminent.”
The CDC has determined that the swine flu virus H1N1 is contagious and is spreading from human to human.
Symptoms of swine flu include:
- A fever of more than 100°F
- Coughing
- Joint aches
- Severe headache
- And, in some cases, vomiting and diarrhea
“Now that swine flu is likely in King County, we expect to see more infections, but it’s too early to say how severe the illnesses will be. We are working to provide needed information and assistance to these people and their families. We are also working with health care providers and community partners to prepare in the event that the situation becomes more serious,” said Dr. David Fleming, Director and Health Officer for Public Health – Seattle & King County.
“We’ve prepared for this day for the past four years, and now we must all do our part to reduce its spread,” said Ron Sims, King County Executive. “We encourage everyone to get prepared at home, find out about plans at your job, and take steps to protect yourself, your family and the community by staying home when you are sick, washing your hands often and covering your coughs and sneezes.”
“In the last few years, Seattle has prepared for pandemic flu. We will activate our Emergency Operations Center at the first level so our emergency operations personnel can coordinate procedures and communications,” said Greg Nickels, Seattle Mayor.
As of April 29, there are three probable cases of swine flu in King County, in addition to two cases in Snohomish County and one case in Spokane County.
The three King County residents with probable swine flu include:
- A male child of Seattle who was hospitalized and is improving
- A male in his 20s from Seattle, not hospitalized and improving
- A woman in her 30s from Seattle, not hospitalized and improving
Officials did not release any other information, such as whether the victims had traveled to Mexico recently.
When should you seek medical care?
Use the same judgment you would use during a typical flu season. Do not seek medical care if you are not ill or have mild symptoms for which you would not ordinarily seek medical care. If you have more severe symptoms of fever, cough, sore throat, body aches or are feeling more seriously ill, call your health care provider to discuss your symptoms and if you need to be evaluated.
Public Health will continue to work with health care providers to test flu patients who develop severe illness or are associated with clusters, but does not currently recommend testing for all flu patients.
If the following flu-like symptoms are mild, medical attention is not typically required: runny nose or nasal stuffiness; low-grade fever for less than 3 days; mild headache; body aches and mild stomach upset.
What can I do now to get prepared?
This is an excellent time to get prepared at home and work for a possible influenza pandemic. See www.kingcounty.gov/health/pandemicflu
Everyday behaviors to stay healthy
- If you are sick, stay home from work or school.
- Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.
- Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. If you don’t have access to soap and water, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
- To further prevent the spread of germs, avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth.
- Avoid close contact with sick people
What is swine flu?
“Swine flu” is an influenza A (H1N1) virus normally found in pigs. There are many such viruses and they rarely infect humans. The virus currently causing human illness is a new type of swine flu that has developed the ability to infect people and be transmitted from person to person.
Although this new virus is called “swine flu,” it is not transmitted from pigs to humans, or from eating pork products. Like other respiratory diseases, it is spread from person to person through coughs and sneezes. When people cough or sneeze, they spread germs through the air or onto surfaces that other people may touch.
Rest assured The B-Town Blog will be following this story closely, and we urge all readers to be vigilant in following the directions listed above, as well as seeking immediate help if you suffer from any associated symptoms.
For more information and frequent updates: www.kingcounty.gov/health/swineflu, or call the Public Health Hotline: 206-296-4949.
Here’s a link to a PDF called “Pandemic Flu Planning Guide” which is probably now worth a read.
The King County Public Health Department announced that the new flu vaccine has arrived, which means it’s time to start planning on when to “get poked.”
Unlike a few years ago, this year there’s plenty of flu vaccine to go around.
Vaccination is recommended to protect people at high-risk for complications from the flu, including:
- Children aged six months until their 19th birthday
- Pregnant women
- People 50 years of age and older
- People, 6 months or older, with certain chronic medical conditions, such as heart disease, lung disease (including asthma), kidney disease or diabetes
- People who live in nursing homes and other long-term care facilities
People who live with or care for those at high risk for health complications from flu should be vaccinated as well, including:
- Household contacts of persons at high risk for complications from the flu
- Household contacts and out of home caregivers of children less than 6 months of age, who are too young to be vaccinated
- Healthcare workers
King County Health has created a website to help you find nearby flu shots (click here and enter your zip code on the right), but we’ve taken it one step further and created our own customized, interactive and regional “Places to Get Poked Map” – just click on a nearby pushpin, or use the zoom in (+) and out (-) controls on the left and you’ll see a listing of the store or pharmacy where you can get a flu shot:
| Sep ’08 |
| 21 |
| 2:30 pm |
[EDITOR'S NOTE: We're posting this story because cancer has touched our lives in more than one way, and BTB always strives to help and serve its community. Plus...come on – it's for a sick little girl...]
This Sunday, Sept. 21st, from 2:30-5:30pm, a benefit party will be held at Seattle Lutheran School in West Seattle (map below) for a sick little girl named Cora (photo at left), a pre-schooler who lives near White Center.
Cora was diagnosed with a Wilms Tumor, which is a cancerous tumor that blew out one of her kidneys. She had the tumor and the affected kidney removed in late June and has been having weekly chemotherapy treatments since. The prognosis is good, but she will get chemo through December to be certain they got all of the cancer.
The benefit is to help pay for Cora’s medical bills.
Cora, Cupcakes, a Clown, need we say more?
WHEN: Sunday, Sept. 21st, from 2:30-5:30pm
WHERE: Seattle Lutheran High School Gymnasium, 4141 41st Ave SW
West Seattle, WA 98116
There will also be a silent auction with lots of tempting items, as well as “Team Cora” t-shirts for sale.
