Meditation Eases Breast Biopsy Anxiety, Pain Guided meditation can help women undergoing breast biopsies experience less anxiety and pain. In addition, researchers from the Duke Cancer Institute report that providing meditation can improve the effectiveness of the biopsy procedure, which can be compromised if women move during the procedure. The researchers enrolled 121 women scheduled for a stereotactic and ultrasound guided (needle) breast biopsy and randomly assigned them to a recorded meditation, music or the usual care with a technologist offering support. The meditation, described as a guided "loving/kindness" script, focused on building positive emotions and releasing negative ones. Patients assigned to listen to music could choose from several types available. Before and after the biopsy the women completed questionnaires measuring their nervousness and anxiety and ranking their pain on a scale of zero (low) to 10 (high). "Both meditation and music reduced patient anxiety and fatigue," said study leader Mary Scott Soo, M.D. in a press release accompanying publication of the study. However, the women in the meditation group reported significantly less pain than those in the music group.
Bethel High graduate C.J. Anderson looks to shine in his second Super Bowl
Denver Broncos running back C.J. Anderson runs during an NFL football practice at the team’s headquarters in Englewood, Colo. The Bethel High graduate and the Broncos are preparing to face the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl 50 on Sunday, in Santa Clara. David Zalubowski – Associated Press
Bethel High graduate and Denver Broncos running back C.J. Anderson will turn 25 years old on Wednesday and he already knows what he wants for a present. It doesn’t even need to be wrapped, but a lot of confetti will suffice.
“Most definitely I know what I want,” Anderson said on the phone earlier this week. “Hopefully, we win the Super Bowl on the 7th and then we host a parade on my birthday on the 10th. That would be perfect.”
Although the former Jaguar is only in his third NFL season, he will be playing in his second Super Bowl on Sunday in Santa Clara against the Carolina Panthers. This time the game is a little different for Anderson, as evident from how he reacted moments after Denver defeated the New England Patriots in the AFC championship game two weeks ago.
“Going back home ... for free!” Anderson said on video, with a huge smile.
This week Anderson has been back in the Bay Area where he played football at Bethel High, community college football at Laney College and then NCAA football at Cal. It is also where he had his breakthrough game a year ago in the NFL at Oakland against the Raiders. However, the 2014 Pro Bowler knows that for now, he’s here to work.
“The fact is that I’m here to try and help my teammates win a championship,” Anderson said. “Whether I’m far from home or at home, I have to treat this as if I’m playing just another game. I have to treat this like I’m in Oakland to play the Raiders. I know what this game holds and how it stacks up to others, but winning the game is the priority. Carolina has a very good defense and is a very good football team. We need to stay in the moment.”
Anderson also said that his trip to the Super Bowl this year is a little easier to not get caught up in all the hoopla that surrounds the big event for two weeks.
“Two years ago, I had never been to New York in my life at that time,” Anderson said. “This time it’s easier to get ready for the game because I’ve already been up and down everywhere in California. I’ve been to San Francisco, I’ve been to the Mission, I’ve done all of that. So the festivities are not as big this time.”
Anderson said that he’s left it up to his mom and his grandma, Barbara Gaddies, to handle who gets tickets to the game at Levi’s Stadium.
“My mom is taking care of that,” Anderson said with a laugh. “I’ve cut it down to about five people. Five people get to go to the Super Bowl but I think that’s it.”
Hundreds of Anderson’s fans in Vallejo, however, will be watching the game and cheering him on from other venues.
The Empress Theatre is holding an event and has his name up on the marquee. Jeff Turner, Anderson’s former head coach at Bethel, said he’ll be happily watching the game from his home.
“You know as an athletic director, I don’t get enough time to spend with my family, so I’ll be watching from home,” Turner said. “I’m looking forward to it. I’m looking forward to building new memories of him. Me and my son will be yelling at C.J. on the television. ‘Good run C.J.! Good catch C.J.! Hold on to the ball C.J.!’”
This time around in the Super Bowl, Turner will have a lot more opportunities to cheer for him.
Two years ago Anderson was a reserve and he entered the game late and had two carries for nine yards to go with one reception.
Since then, the 2009 Bethel graduate has seen more action than a Sears catalog near Christmas. Last season he was named the NFL’s Player of the Week and he made his first Pro Bowl.
This season he has split time with Ronnie Hillman, but shined in the last few months. He had a game-winning touchdown in November to give the Patriots their first loss of the season, scored a touchdown in a playoff win against the Steelers and had 72 yards in the AFC championship game two weeks ago. Anderson knows that his number will be called eventually in Super Bowl 50.
“I think more than anything I need to protect the ball,” Anderson said. “We can’t have any turnovers. We (himself and Ronnie Hillman) need to be patient in the running game. Me and Ronnie are going to have our spots. When we get a chance to have those spots, we need to hurt them (the Panthers).”
In 1998, the Broncos won the Super Bowl and owner Pat Bowlen showed his appreciation for then-starting quarterback John Elway with his remark, “This one is for John!” Nearly two decades later as Bowlen is ill with Alzheimer’s disease, talk has circulated about the Broncos returning the favor and “winning one for Pat.” There has also been talk that the game may be the last for Denver’s legendary quarterback Peyton Manning and the Broncos trying to win the game for him.
“You know, I don’t really know him (Bowlen) that well but I hear a lot of great things about him,” Anderson said. “We want to win for him but all year long we’ve played for each other. We play for the other 53 guys in the room. Of course we want to win for Peyton, of course we want to win for DeMarcus Ware, who’s had a great NFL career and never won one. But we mostly play for ourselves, the fans and the great city of Denver.”
Anderson also admitted that he wants to make Vallejo proud. On March 5, Anderson will be inducted into the Vallejo Sports Hall of Fame. Now, he just wants to add another note to his always-growing resume and have the Vallejo Hall of Fame add the words “Super Bowl champion.”
“I love my family, I love the city of Vallejo,” Anderson said. “It feels good to have people there be behind me. Hopefully I can bring them a championship on Sunday.”
'Blind Side' mom is proud of son's "amazing journey" to second Super Bowl
LeighAnneTuohy and her family became famous after the book and movie, "The Blind Side," shared the story of how she and her husband, Sean, adopted Michael Oher, a teenager moving in and out of the foster care system. The Tuohys took Oher in, helped him get the education he needed, and encouraged his love of football. After college, Oher was the first round draft pick of the Baltimore Ravens in 2009.
Oher was a member of the Super Bowl winning 2013 Ravens team, and now heads to his second Super Bowl with the Carolina Panthers this weekend, with his proud family in tow.
Tuohy sat down with TODAY.com's Terri Peters to catch the world up on what her family has been up to since the 2009 film. The author and public speaker shares parenting advice, her thoughts on the film, and her plans for watching Super Bowl 50. (Her comments were shortened for space and clarity.)
Courtesy of Leigh Anne Tuohy
The Tuohy family after Michael's move to play for the Carolina Panthers. (Left to right: S.J., Leigh Anne, Michael, Sean and Collins)
What have you and your family been up to since "The Blind Side?"
TUOHY: It has been an amazing journey. Literally not one part of it was anticipated. Since the book and movie came out, Sean and I have written our own book, I've written books, and we spend most of our time on the road doing motivational speaking.
We are big proponents of the saying, "to whom much is given, much is required," so we try to give back as much as we can. Some people have opinions about how we do it, but those opinions have never mattered to me. We have to get up in the morning and do what's right, and if that offends people then they're just going to have to be offended. There are amazing people in this world that just need an opportunity. Those people are what our family is all about, and all three of our kids are great stewards of that message.
S.J. is 22 now, and plays basketball for Loyola University in Maryland. We watered and fed the little squirt and he grew up. He's my smart kid — Momma's very excited about this child that I haven't had to spoon feed like Collins and Michael. I was very much a helicopter mom with those two, but haven't needed to be with S.J.
Collins is 29, and she's the little queen — my boys spoil her rotten. Believe it or not — with a mother who doesn't cook at all — Collins owns a boutique gourmet cookie company called Whimsy that is wildly successful. The cookies are to die for, and the Panthers get cookies three times a week in their locker room. Cam Newton gets his own box every week, and he takes great offense if anyone so much as looks at his cookies. Collins is getting married in April to a great guy who we just love to death. I've told her I'm way more excited about the Super Bowl than her wedding, and that she's not allowed to ask me any more questions about the wedding until the Super Bowl is over.
And you know where Michael is, of course — headed to San Francisco!
Courtesy of Leigh Anne Tuohy
The Tuohy family celebrate together on the field after Michael's 2013 Super Bowl win with the Baltimore Ravens.
Speaking of Michael, I've seen a lot of media reports saying he does not like the movie — is that true? And, do you like it?
TUOHY: Michael does like the movie. I think what happened was one time, Michael played a great game, and the first thing the reporter asked him after was about the movie. So Michael said, "Don't ask me about the movie. I don't like the movie."
The truth of the matter is that he does not dislike the movie — he dislikes the attention that it draws to him. Most people in the country can't name an offensive lineman, period, and that's good. They're supposed to be the unsung heroes, the guys behind the scene.
Unfortunately for Michael, he's very recognizable. If there is a football game going on, referees watch him because of the movie — he gets watched more closely, which leads to questions about what he did or did not do right. He gets dissected a little more than any other lineman.
It's made him decide to step his game up and do everything right. As a parent, that's what we told our kids anyway — do the right thing and you don't get in trouble. If you lead a charmed life, you better act like it.
So, Michael understands that the movie sends a good message, and that far outweighs the fact that he gets watched closely in football. I told him, "Look, honey, you're going to have to get over it."
It's a great movie. We were really pleased. The fact of the matter is, everyone has a story and ours just happens to be the one that was told. When people see this movie, they realize there are other Michael Ohers out there who can make something of their lives if someone just turns around and asks how they can help.
Courtesy of Leigh Anne Tuohy
Tuohy hugs son Michael Oher after the Ravens 2013 Super Bowl win.
Everyone refers to you as, "The Blind Side Mom," but as a mother, does that make you feel stuck in a single role? What else do you hope to be known for?
TUOHY: Making people realize that families do not have to match — that you don't have to look like someone to love them. If I'm not known for anything else in this whole world, I want people to know this — if there's not someone in your social circle who doesn't look like you, then shame on you.
In this world we live in, racism is alive and well in all venues. We immediately categorize people, and that's just not right. As a country, we have to stop judging people. I love Michael Oher as much as I love my two biological children. There's no difference in them.
I'd like to be known for stepping up, and encouraging others to do the same.
The message of your latest book, "Turn Around," is about just that — stepping up and giving cheerfully of your time and resources to help others. What advice do you give to people who want to do more of those things?
TUOHY: I am continually bombarded with questions about just this. People want to know how they can get involved, how they can make a difference, what they can do, and I wanted the book to inspire people to just do something.
I want to see a revolution of kindness, because what happens is, when you're kind and you give, it's infectious. You give one time, and it's a great feeling and you want to do it again and again.
Even if you do one kind thing a week — that's progression, that's moving the needle. It's all about starting with you and making a ripple effect. Start on your street, then your neighborhood, then your city.
We need people to get involved and make a difference. Money is not going to change it — it's about people. It's about us realizing that everyone has value and about being nice to the guy next to you.
Courtesy of Leigh Anne Tuohy
The Tuohy family: Sean, Leigh Anne, Michael, Collins and S.J.
So, what advice would you give to the parents out there, wondering how they raise their own little Super Bowl player or entrepreneur? How did you raise three successful, compassionate kids?
TUOHY: We believe that when you lead a charmed life — meaning that you have two parents, you have a roof over your head, you get to go to school and you get three meals a day — you need to act like it, cherish it, and value it.
To help them live up to that belief, there were rules to be followed. You make good grades, you don't have a curfew. You don't get a speeding ticket or drink and drive, you get to use a car. It's not hard — but you do have to parent.
Look at their cell phone; know their friends — because when you stop knowing your kids' business and who they're hanging out with, you have stopped parenting. If you don't parent, then don't cry about who your kid is becoming.
It's about investing time in your kids, just like you invest time in all the other important things in your life.
I also have to know, where are you watching the Super Bowl?
TUOHY: On the field! We are headed west — here we come, Cali! The whole family will be out there on the field, and we're super excited.
It's such a great journey to Super Bowl week. It's fun and there's a lot going on that we're really excited about. We feel very blessed and very fortunate.
I'm going to put my bling jersey on, and be the proudest, most obnoxious momma that I can possibly be, and enjoy every moment of it.
In 1967, a group of five friends decided to fly to Los Angeles and buy $10 tickets to check out something called the AFL-NFL World Championship Game in a stadium that was barely half full.
These lifelong friends have been to every single Super Bowl
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Vince Lombardi's mighty Green Bay Packers beat the Kansas City Chiefs 35-10 that day in front of 61,946 fans. The five guys had enough fun at what is now known as Super Bowl I that they decided to go to the next year's game. They haven't stopped attending the big game since.
On Sunday, that same group of friends, known as the "Super Bowl Five," will be in attendance at Super Bowl 50 in Santa Clara, California, when the Panthers take on the Broncos. Sylvan Schefler, Lew Rappaport, Al Schragis, Larry McDonald and Harvey Rothenberg will have attended all 50 Super Bowls since the game's humble beginnings in the Los Angeles Coliseum nearly a half-century ago.
The Super Bowl Five, who range in age from their late 70s to early 80s, sat down with Savannah Guthrie on TODAY Friday for their first collective interview about their unique experience.
"Nothing is forever," Schefler said. "We all understand that. But we've been blessed to have had the opportunity to say this is 50 years."
"We're devoted to each other, and we're devoted to the Super Bowl,'' Rothenberg said.
The group has their own "Super Bowl Five" jackets and rings, and even a racehorse they named "Super Bowl Five." They go by the nicknames Prez, Prof, Chicago Lew, Larry Mac and The Fog when they're together. The men also have adhered to one rule all this years: No wives with them at the game.
"One or two times my wife would come (on the trip),'' Rothenberg said. "While we were at the game, she'd come and go into my hotel room and wait for me to come back."
"That was your wife?" McDonald joked.
"That wasn't your wife,'' Rappaport said. "Who you kidding? We were there. Your wife has red hair?"
The friends have witnessed every iconic Super Bowl moment, from Joe Namath's Jets stunning the heavily-favored Colts to John Taylor's winning touchdown catch in the final seconds for the 49ers to Scott Norwood's missed field goal late in the game against the New York Giants.
While the Giants' 20-19 thriller over the Bills in 1991 was sweet for the group, four of whom grew up in New York, it was the Giants' 17-14 upset of the previously undefeated New England Patriots in 2008 that stands out for them. That game featured the famous "Helmet Catch" by Giants receiver David Tyree.
"To me, that was the best of all to beat the Patriots,'' Schefler said.
The five buddies have also seen the halftime show metastasize from a marching band at the first game to the Katy Perry-led spectacle of last year's game. They also witnessed Janet Jackson's famous "wardrobe malfunction" with Justin Timberlake during halftime of the 2004 game.
"Lew said to me, 'Prez, look at this!''' Schragis said. "I said, 'What?' I almost missed it. But I saw it."
There also have been some solemn moments for the group, notably the 1991 game in which Whitney Houston memorably sang the national anthem during the height of the Gulf War. All five of the men are military veterans.
"There was not a dry eye in the whole stadium,'' Schefler said.
"That was the most emotional time I think we've ever had,'' McDonald said.
The Super Bowl Five have kept their tradition despite personal hurdles over the years. Rothenberg's father died only a week before the game one year.
"They all insisted that I have to go,'' Rothenberg said. "And I went, but you know, with a lot of pain in my heart."
McDonald couldn't afford to go one year in the 1970s when the construction business was experiencing a downturn, but the others pitched in to pay for him to make the trip.
"Wait a minute,'' Rothenberg said to McDonald. "You still owe us money!"
Throughout it all, they have created an amazing tradition, one they don't plan on breaking any time soon.
"I've been thinking about 60,'' Rappaport said. "Super Bowl 60 and where we're gonna go, and if we're gonna still play golf. That's what I've been thinking about."
Monarch butterflies roost in trees near St. Peter’s Chapel on Mare Island during their migration to overwintering sites around California. Chris Riley — Times-Herald Monarchs at Mare Island
Courtesy of Leigh Anne Tuohy
Courtesy of Leigh Anne Tuohy
Courtesy of Leigh Anne Tuohy
Courtesy of Leigh Anne Tuohy
