Do you trust your doctor? I do--with a bit of hestitation though. After my dad's death, we realized that his doctor had been grossly negligent in treating him--my dad had dozens of appointments where he complained of his failing health and asked his doctor to put him through tests to figure out what was wrong with him. His doctor's solution was to not screen him for anything and instead telling him it was just age catching up with him and prescribing him 600 heavy-duty painkillers to mask the pain he experienced while he was slowly dying. My dad trusted his doctor to look out for him and paid for it with his life.

Though I'm wary, most people do trust their doctors--more than any other professional they deal with in fact, a study shows. Not surprisingly, lawyers and politicians are the least-trusted. What do you think about these results? Are we right to trust out doctors? Or should we be taking more responsibility for our health and not relying on a virtual stranger to look out for our best interests?

Catherine Jones has breast cancer. And she needs Herceptin in order to fight for her life. But Herceptin, a targeted drug used to treat HER2 positive breast cancer, is very expensive -- and for some time, Jones was not sure how she could possibly pay for this potentially life-saving therapy.

Jones, 49 and a resident of New Plymouth, New Zealand, decided to ask for help. So she set up the Herceptin for Catherine Trust to raise the $80,000 needed for the treatment. In less than four weeks, she received $64,600 in donations.

Jones is overwhelmed by the support and says she will continue to use the trust to raise funds -- not just for herself, but for other women in need.

The New Zealand government and its drug-buying agency Pharmac does not fund Herceptin. So most breast cancer patients who medically qualify for the treatment have no means of receiving it.

Jones, who is about to receive her third of 17 Herceptin doses, thinks she can help. She is surely off to a great start.

Human touch with someone you trust and share a strong bond can bring immediate relief from stress, according to University of Virginia neuroscientist Dr. James A. Coan. The findings are based on the study of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) brain scans that measured the participant's response to a threatening situation when they were either holding the hand of a spouse, the hand of a stranger, or when they were alone.

"This is the first study of the neurological reactions to human touch in a threatening situation, and the first study to measure how the brain facilitates the health-enhancing properties of close social relationships," stated Dr. Coan.

For this study, the participants were women who expressed a high degree of satisfaction in the relationship with their husband. Holding their husband's hand while experiencing a threatening situation prompted the most dramatic decrease in stress level as reflected by the readings of a brain scan.

Based on previous studies that indicate beloved pets have the affect of lowering blood pressure and reducing stress for their owners, it seems logical that this current research finding will extend to include the close trusted bonds we share with both humans and pets. Anecdotal evidence has suggested that touch facilitates the healing process. This research offers scientific evidence that touch calms during times of stress and adds support to popular belief -- touch has the power to promote better health.

I am jingling and jangling with charms around my wrist once again. Ever since I was diagnosed with breast cancer, my friend Nicole has sent me a Brighton breast cancer bracelet. My very first bracelet arrived in 2004, and I wore it proudly. My second bracelet arrived in 2005 and took the place of the first. And now, as I enter my third year of survival, my 2006 Power of Pink bracelet dangles from my arm.

This year's bracelet features a heart-shaped locket. Other charms -- designed to represent stepping stones to recovery -- feature key survival terms. Brighton tells it like this -- "When we accept, we open the door to trust and find love that will heal. Along the way, we learn to be the inspiration." And there are still more charms -- a breast cancer awareness ribbon signifying a fight for the cure, a four leaf clover to assure luck is on our side, silver beads for richness, clear crystals for truth and purity. And still, there are more.

Brighton recommends we all make a difference in the breast cancer crusade. Some may choose to chip in by contributing financially. Some may volunteer. Some may lend a sympathetic ear to others in need. Some may purchase and wear the 2006 Power of Pink bracelet -- proceeds benefit breast cancer research -- and this one simple act will send an empowering message to women everywhere.

We recently posted Elephant Man drug trial victim showing signs of cancer, about a horrific ordeal involving six healthy young men who volunteered at Northwick Park Hospital, in London as participants in a clinical trial for a drug called TGN1412, designed to treat leukemia, autoimmune and inflammatory diseases.

According to the men, they were told by doctors there would be no serious short-term or long-term side effects from participating in the drug trial. That wasn't the case. The participants were misled regarding the safety of the experimental drug -- everything went terribly wrong -- and one of the six men has now been told he is showing signs of cancer.

Another egregious event has occurred on the other side of the pond, according to news of an allegation made by a woman who claims she was used as an experimental cancer drug guinea pig without consent.

The story began last year when Trelene Cave was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. Treated at Epsom General Hospital and the Royal Marsden Hospital in Sutton, she was later sent to St George's Hospital for a second opinion before undergoing an operation. The trouble begins when St George's Hospital doctors allegedly treated Cave with Scotroc4, an experimental cancer drug, without her informed consent. She developed a blood clot and almost died.

Cave states in the news report that, "I trusted them totally. Nobody discussed it with me. I just can't understand it."

St George's Healthcare Trust has apologized to her and her husband Norman for the incident. An investigation has been called for into whether St George's Hospital doctors side-stepped ethical guidelines in treating Cave without her knowledge.

Thanks to Joel Arellano of Autoblog for this story tip!

When it comes to cancer organizations and cancer charity, if I say pink, you think ribbon and breast cancer. If I say yellow, you think wristband and Lance Armstrong. I say that is what you will think because the pink breast cancer campaign and the yellow cancer survivor wristband have become phenomenally successful at marketing brand identity. Which is a good thing for cancer charity. Many companies and products are going pink as a way to donate money for cancer research. By offering pink products, and allotting a certain portion of the profits to cancer charity, the purchase of the product serves two purposes. But what if you do not normally wear pink, or decorate your home in pink? 

Okay, what about purple? The Lavender Trust, a foundation that serves young women living with breast cancer, offers a line of fundraising products in a soft lavender color. The products range from apparel to candles to gardening seeds. All in shades of lavender. Go here to check out the Lavender Trust online shop.

Nigella Lawson has created a gorgeous recipe for lavender-tinted and lavender flavored cupcakes -- aptly named Lavender Trust Cupcakes -- that Lavender Trust at Breast Cancer Care has generously published online. The recipe uses lavender sugar. Lavender sugar can be purchased at specialty shops, or you can make lavender sugar simply by placing a few sprigs of fresh lavender into a jar of sugar for a few days.

According to the recipe introduction, lavender has been used as a flavor in Provencal cuisine for many years, and has recently begun to come back into fashion as an ingredient in the UK in both savory and sweet dishes. To get a copy of the recipe for Nigella Lawson's Lavender Trust Cupcakes, go here.

The Lavender Trust at Breast Cancer Care was founded by Beth Wagstaff and journalist Ruth Picardie, both breast cancer survivors. The Lavender Trust provides support for younger women living with breast cancer. Lawson supports the breast cancer charity in a number of ways, including the design launch of a limited edition set of lavender measuring cups as part of her Living Kitchen line of products.

I like this doctor! At the 2006 Magnolia Tea, the keynote speaker was Dr. William Rayburn. He spoke to 60 women who attended the luncheon, and when I read what he had to say, I wished he had been talking to 600 thousand women. Dr. Rayburn started out by telling the women, that despite all the emerging medical knowledge, it is important for women to listen to their own bodies and to pay attention to anything that does not seem normal. He said the longer he has been in practice, the more he has realized how little he knows compared to how much women know about themselves. "Trust your instincts," the doctor said. Thumbs up for this doctor!

He also challenges some of ways the media explains research findings to the public, and specifically, the study findings of the Women's Health Initiative, WHI, a long-term national health study sponsored by the National Institutes of Health and the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. I have questioned some of their findings. Contrary to the WHI stating that diet and exercise do not have an impact on health, Dr. Rayburn believes diet and exercise indeed have a positive affect on health. Of course it does -- what you eat and how much you move is going to make a difference -- it's common sense. You can read more about what the good doctor had to say in the feature Doctor tells women to trust their instincts.

On day three of the race now, friends Mike Dann, Simon Edmundson and Tim Tottenham, known as the ATP team, are into the 350 mile trek across the frozen Artic to the Magnetic North Pole as one of 15 teams taking part in the Sony Polar Challenge North Pole race. Temperatures can get to a frigid -50C. To add to the danger and drama, 80 percent of the world's Polar Bear population live there. Considered one of the world's toughest endurance tests, the teams are expected to reach the destination on April 27. Having just crossed Polar Bear Pass, ATP is one of five leading teams. If you are into extreme sports, and unique adventures, the Polar Challenge teams are keeping daily diaries online, as well as an overall summary of the day's events during the race. They provide an excellent photo gallery, live video and a map. The images are spectacular. The ATP team is raising funds for the Laura Crane Trust.

The Laura Crane Trust was founded in memory of Laura Crane, who died just two weeks after her seventeenth birthday from a complex mix of four types of cancer. The foundation serves teens and young adults living with cancer.