Angelina Jolie wrote an op-ed, published in today’s New York Times, in which she discusses her medical decision to have a double-mastectomy. Angelina’s mother Marcheline battled cancer for a decade – Marcheline was diagnosed when Angelina was in her early 20s. I think Marcheline’s cancer battle and death in 2007 was one of the most devastating things that has ever happened to Angelina, and it gave Angelina the sense that she would probably die young like her mother. She’s always said variations of “The women in my family die young” and that’s why she always said she chose to have so many kids so fast – she wanted to be able to enjoy motherhood while she could. Well, Angelina’s doctors told her that she has/had a very high risk of developing breast and/or ovarian cancer, so she underwent the double mastectomy over the past three months. Here’s her NYT op-ed:

MY MOTHER fought cancer for almost a decade and died at 56. She held out long enough to meet the first of her grandchildren and to hold them in her arms. But my other children will never have the chance to know her and experience how loving and gracious she was.

We often speak of “Mommy’s mommy,” and I find myself trying to explain the illness that took her away from us. They have asked if the same could happen to me. I have always told them not to worry, but the truth is I carry a “faulty” gene, BRCA1, which sharply increases my risk of developing breast cancer and ovarian cancer.

My doctors estimated that I had an 87 percent risk of breast cancer and a 50 percent risk of ovarian cancer, although the risk is different in the case of each woman. Only a fraction of breast cancers result from an inherited gene mutation. Those with a defect in BRCA1 have a 65 percent risk of getting it, on average.

Once I knew that this was my reality, I decided to be proactive and to minimize the risk as much I could. I made a decision to have a preventive double mastectomy. I started with the breasts, as my risk of breast cancer is higher than my risk of ovarian cancer, and the surgery is more complex.

On April 27, I finished the three months of medical procedures that the mastectomies involved. During that time I have been able to keep this private and to carry on with my work.

But I am writing about it now because I hope that other women can benefit from my experience. Cancer is still a word that strikes fear into people’s hearts, producing a deep sense of powerlessness. But today it is possible to find out through a blood test whether you are highly susceptible to breast and ovarian cancer, and then take action.

My own process began on Feb. 2 with a procedure known as a “nipple delay,” which rules out disease in the breast ducts behind the nipple and draws extra blood flow to the area. This causes some pain and a lot of bruising, but it increases the chance of saving the nipple.

Two weeks later I had the major surgery, where the breast tissue is removed and temporary fillers are put in place. The operation can take eight hours. You wake up with drain tubes and expanders in your breasts. It does feel like a scene out of a science-fiction film. But days after surgery you can be back to a normal life.

Nine weeks later, the final surgery is completed with the reconstruction of the breasts with an implant. There have been many advances in this procedure in the last few years, and the results can be beautiful.

I wanted to write this to tell other women that the decision to have a mastectomy was not easy. But it is one I am very happy that I made. My chances of developing breast cancer have dropped from 87 percent to under 5 percent. I can tell my children that they don’t need to fear they will lose me to breast cancer.

It is reassuring that they see nothing that makes them uncomfortable. They can see my small scars and that’s it. Everything else is just Mommy, the same as she always was. And they know that I love them and will do anything to be with them as long as I can. On a personal note, I do not feel any less of a woman. I feel empowered that I made a strong choice that in no way diminishes my femininity.

I am fortunate to have a partner, Brad Pitt, who is so loving and supportive. So to anyone who has a wife or girlfriend going through this, know that you are a very important part of the transition. Brad was at the Pink Lotus Breast Center, where I was treated, for every minute of the surgeries. We managed to find moments to laugh together. We knew this was the right thing to do for our family and that it would bring us closer. And it has.

For any woman reading this, I hope it helps you to know you have options. I want to encourage every woman, especially if you have a family history of breast or ovarian cancer, to seek out the information and medical experts who can help you through this aspect of your life, and to make your own informed choices.

I acknowledge that there are many wonderful holistic doctors working on alternatives to surgery. My own regimen will be posted in due course on the Web site of the Pink Lotus Breast Center. I hope that this will be helpful to other women.

Breast cancer alone kills some 458,000 people each year, according to the World Health Organization, mainly in low- and middle-income countries. It has got to be a priority to ensure that more women can access gene testing and lifesaving preventive treatment, whatever their means and background, wherever they live. The cost of testing for BRCA1 and BRCA2, at more than $3,000 in the United States, remains an obstacle for many women.

I choose not to keep my story private because there are many women who do not know that they might be living under the shadow of cancer. It is my hope that they, too, will be able to get gene tested, and that if they have a high risk they, too, will know that they have strong options.

Life comes with many challenges. The ones that should not scare us are the ones we can take on and take control of.

[From The NY Times]

Damn, she made me get all teary first thing in the morning. Man. I think this is beautifully written and beautifully thought-out. Angelina has always feared that she would not be around to see her children grow up, and I think this will give her peace of mind for a while. She makes it sound like she’s going to undergo some preventative measures for her ovarian cancer risk as well – what would that involve? A partial or total hysterectomy? I think it’s lovely that Brad was there to support her every step of the way, and I like how she explained the surgeries (because I didn’t realize that it was such a multi-stage process). God bless her.

Photos courtesy of WENN.

Lil Wayne suffered a scary sounding series of seizures last week and was rushed to hospital on two separate occasions, on Tuesday and again on Wednesday after he had been released. TMZ made it sound incredibly serious and as if it were touch and go for Wayne. He was supposedly placed in a medically-induced coma and was in the intensive care unit. Subsequent details and tweets from Wayne and his close friends have revealed that he’s on the mend and that his condition was not as dire as reports claimed. He’s been visited by Nicki Minaj, Drake and Birdman, and his mom tweeted that he should be home soon. Thank goodness. Here’s more, from CNN:

Grammy-winning and multiplatinum-selling rapper Lil Wayne suffered a seizure and “is recovering,” his record label’s publicist said Friday.

The New Orleans artist arguably occupies the highest rungs of the hip-hop world, but he shares them with fellow rapper Drake, who hails from Toronto.

Drake appeared at the Los Angeles hospital, where Lil Wayne is being treated, with an entourage of Wayne’s friends. They pulled up chairs in the hallway near his room and set up a vigil.
Twitter has lit up with rumors, spreading fears of the worst for Wayne’s outcome, but a Tweet in his name attempted to calm the tempest.

“I’m good everybody,” read a message from Lil Wayne’s Twitter account. “Thnx for the prayers and love.”

While acknowledging a medical issue, members of the New Orleans artist’s camp have shot down reports that he was near death.

“Dont believe the nonsense about comas and tubes to breathe … that’s false!!” tweeted Mack Maine, the president of Lil Wayne’s Young Money label, around 5:20 p.m. (8:20 p.m. ET) Friday.
Sarah Cunningham, a publicist with the Young Money record label, acknowledged that Lil Wayne had a seizure.

The public relations department at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, the Los Angeles hospital where the rapper is reportedly being treated, did not confirm or deny that Lil Wayne is there, per its policy.

Maine didn’t offer much detail, though he did say that he and Lil Wayne had been watching the Syracuse University Orange play Georgetown in the Big East men’s basketball tournament.
“Wayne is alive and well!” the record label president wrote on Twitter.

The rapper’s independent publicist, Kia Selby, said only, “Lil Wayne is doing well.” She strongly denied reports he was in a medically induced coma, as reported by TMZ.

There are reports that Wayne’s condition is due to Sizzurp/Purple Drank, which is codeine-laced cough syrup often abused to get high. Wayne has admitted that he uses the stuff, he raps about it and I remember him talking about it during his interview with Katie Couric in 2009. That was before he went to jail, so you would hope that he would take that as an opportunity to not go back to the stuff. Hopefully this will be a wake up call for him. People have died from Sizzurp abuse, including Wayne’s friend Pimp C, who passed in 2007 at just 33 years old.

All this makes me wonder if he really was in crictical condition as TMZ claimed and if he’s downplaying what happened now that he’s out of the woods. (Hopefully.) If that’s the case I hope for his sake that he’s taking this more seriously behind the scenes. I don’t think this was some kind of publicity stunt as Hollywood Life suggests, that’s way too cynical. A more likely explanation is that it was worse than he wants to let on to the public or maybe even to his friends.

These are photos of Lil Wayne performing in March and July of 2012, and out at a club in August. Credit: WENN.com and FameFlynet

When you think of good nutrition, do you think of Cameron Diaz? I don’t, I just remember what she’s said about how she enjoys eating junk food. She said sometime in 2006 that her hangover cure was “An Egg McMuffin from McDonald’s and a beer. You have to drink more alcohol; you’ve killed yourself with. Hair of the dog, that’s what it is… And you have to get grease. Grease is the only cure for a hangover.” So I’ve always assumed that Cammie indulges when she wants and spends a lot of time in the gym working it off. She must not eat junk all that often or she wouldn’t have a banging body like that, though.

Well Cameron is penning a book for teenage girls on nutrition, with a focus on being healthy instead of just aiming to be thin. She’s supposedly been inspired by her buddy Gwyneth Paltrow’s success with “lifestyle” brand Goop, as if Goop is anything more than a commercial venture. Cameron also plans a high school tour to bring her message to more impressionable young people. It actually sounds like a great idea. Here’s more, thanks to E! Online.

Far from being a celebrity vanity project, the What to Expect When You’re Expecting star is putting pen to paper for a very good cause, and is writing a book about the importance of proper nutrition and staying healthy for impressionable young girls.

“She wants to stop their fixation on being thin, and for teenage girls to understand that being healthy is more important,” a publishing source told E! News. “She wants to use her celebrity to make a difference. She knows she is a role model to girls and she really wants to use that position to do good.

“This book is not about weight, it’s about making the right choices.”

No formal publishing deal is yet in place, but Diaz has been mulling over the idea for some time, and has signed on with a literary agent.

And lest you think Diaz is simply lending her name to the noble endeavor and nothing more, think again.

“Cameron is going to be visiting high schools around the country to talk to teenagers about their food choices and what is important to them,” the source told E! News. “She wants them to know that being thin should not be their priority, it’s about getting the right vitamins and knowing what foods will give them energy and keep them strong. She wants to get their feedback, learn about how they decide what to eat now, and teach them to make more informed choices.”

In other words, put the legwork in. So, how and when did the literary urge strike Cameron’s fancy?

“Everything changed for Cameron after her father died,” the source said. “She realized what is important and started to think more and more about her health.”

Her good intentions, coupled with her unprecedented access to the top nutritionists in the world, has resulted in Diaz’s desire to pass on the lessons she’s learned to young women.

But there is one thing the book will not be.

“This book isn’t about her. And it’s not a diet of any kind. Of course, it’s her own journey that has helped her realize what’s important, but she wants the book to appeal to everyone, and not just be about her own food choices.”

In addition to her own story, the book will also feature advice and expertise not only from top nutritionists, but some of Cameron’s celebrity pals, including Drew Barrymore, Jennifer Lopez and, yes, Gwyneth Paltrow, who, it turns out, has been a bit of an inspiration to her fellow movie star.

“Cameron has become very close to Gwyneth and it’s been very interesting for her to see what Gwyneth is doing with Goop,” the source said. “She’s been inspired by Gwyneth and the way she uses her fame to influence and help people. Now Cameron wants to do the same.”

Diaz’s rep confirmed the actress’ interest in the project, saying “This is one of many projects she is considering for the future but nothing firm or ready to announce.”

Though she has yet to sign on any dotted lines, a book deal seems inevitable, and could be ready as early as next year. When it does finally hit shelves, Diaz will also launch an accompanying website to further educate young girls on health issues.

And that might just be the beginning.

“Through this project, she wants schools to offer better meal options for kids,” the publishing source continued. “She wants to have an impact on a huge scale. In some way, she feels like this is her calling. This is her passion.”

[From E! Online]

The end part, about how schools should offer more healthy food options, is extremely important. I’ve seen what passes for food in my son’s cafeteria and it’s outrageous. The more celebrities who get behind this cause, the better. Jamie Oliver is trying his best and as we saw on his show and there’s a ton of red tape and budget issues behind this. If Cameron can make a difference, it will truly be a great legacy.

I don’t get how she finds Goop inspiring, though. Cameron will be embarking on a charity project aimed at girls. Gwyneth is trying to sell us a hyped lifestyle with paid advertisements for brands that are priced out of most people’s reach. She advertised a $420 cleanse that was nothing more than protein powder and vitamins. That’s not healthy or promoting nutrition, that’s taking starvation and marketing it. Goop has been successful at moving beyond acting I guess, since that her career is drying up for her. We’d all have much more respect for her if she would have focused on an important cause instead like Cameron is about to do. I’m actually excited to see how this works out for Cameron and I love the idea.

Cameron is shown outside the gym on 5-30 and at the UK premiere of What to Expect on 5-22-12. Credit: FameFlynet

I like Dr. Oz and enjoy his enthusiasm. I watch his show occasionally and have learned quite a few things about health and wellness. The guy comes across like a perv sometimes I have to admit. He’s often getting handsy with the very lovely women he picks out of the audience to help him demonstrate things, and he makes comments that drip with innuendo. The Soup makes fun of him on a regular basis for this. Here’s more fodder for my favorite E! show. Dr. Oz was photographed in a new spread for Good Housekeeping, looking like he’s really, really happy to eat a bowl of pasta. Do they have fluffers that work for Good Housekeeping? Here’s the story, thanks to TMZ. Their title is priceless.

Dr. Oz is reeeeeeealllllyyyy excited about his pasta … judging by the southern bulge he appeared to be sporting during a photo shoot for “Good Housekeeping” … OR IS IT???

The Internet has been buzzing ever since this photo surfaced in the April edition of GH … which appears to show the doc enjoying magnum-sized bites of pasta … while pitching a khaki tent.

Some people think Oz’s anatomy is to blame … others believe it’s simply an optical illusion created by a crease in his pants.

We called Oz’s people to get the long and short of the photo mystery — but so far, their lips are sealed.

[From TMZ]

I just spent way too long staring at Dr. Oz’s package and I feel kind of dirty about that, even though this is my job so it’s strictly on a professional basis. He looks at about 1/2 mast, to be blunt. I don’t think it’s a trick of the light or that the pants are billowing out or anything. Or maybe Dr. Oz is really, how do I put this, blessed in that department? No, the dude was excited about something. Judging from how he acts on his show, it doesn’t take much.

Dr. Oz is touting the “Eat What You Love” diet. I know this is so juvenile and inappropriate, but I am crying laughing at the implications of that, given what we’re looking at. In all seriousness, he talks about how it’s hard to keep weight off because you don’t allow yourself to snack on the foods you really love, like cookies and pasta. I’ve definitely been there. He also recommends a diet of about 1,450 calories so you lose weight without forcing your body into starvation mode. Now I’m thinking about the practical implications of a more realistic diet, but it’s all messed up in my head with sexy thoughts about Dr. Oz. That will keep me on my diet for a while longer. I feel somewhat disgusted at myself for finding this guy oddly attractive.

Photos are from 2012. Dr. Oz is shown with his wife, Lisa. Credit: WENN.com

As you may remember, I’m fond of Modern Family’s Sarah Hyland. I think she’s a pretty little thing, and she’s quite talented too. I like that she doesn’t overreach – her work beyond Modern Family is of the Nickelodeon and ABC Family variety, and she’s not trying to sexpot-up her image at this moment. She’s 21 years old and she’s not trying to act 30. I like that. Anyway, Hyland covers the new issue of Seventeen and she reveals something that we’ve never heard before: she had kidney dysplasia, and her father gave her a kidney for a transplant last month. Amazing.

Sarah Hyland has been battling a lifelong illness and she’s now ready to talk about it.

The 21-year-old Modern Family star opens up in the new issue of Seventeen magazine about her struggle with kidney dysplasia. Hyland underwent life-saving kidney transplant surgery in early April.

She got her kidney from her father, Edward James Hyland, and says the surgery has given her a new perspective on life

“You know that family is always going to be there for you—no matter what. My dad gave me a freaking’ kidney!” Hyland told Seventeen. “But its also the families that you create outside of your family. And you really find out what kind of people you’re friends with. It was just amazing, and it really opened my eyes to see who’s there for me and who’s not.”

While she recovers, Hyland’s boyfriend, actor Matt Prokop, has been there to support her.

“He helps me with my medication and takes me to doctor appointments and all the stuff that I need to do to take care of myself. Any other 21-year-old guy would not be there, I guarantee it,” she said. “I am one of the luckiest people in the world to have him be there for me.”

She added, “I have a second chance at life, not a lot of people get that.”

For more on Sarah Hyland and her struggle with kidney dysplasia, go to http://www.seventeen.com/sarah and pick up the June/July issue of Seventeen, on newsstands May 22nd.

[From Us Weekly]

Aw. Poor kid. You can read more about kidney dysplasia here. I wasn’t really familiar with the disease, and considering I have a pretty low tolerance for all things medical, it’s best if I don’t try to summarize what’s going on. Suffice to say that her dad saved her life and she seems like a very grounded young woman. I’m surprised we’re only hearing about the transplant after the fact – and I’m assuming that ABC and Modern Family producers worked around Hyland’s schedule and that she has plenty of time to recover.

Photos courtesy of Fame/Flynet, Seventeen.

You know I love Adele, but did you know that I’ve been worried about my girl for months now? Adele’s tour schedule has been all over the place, and she keeps canceling shows month after month because of seemingly unending vocal and throat problems. Adele just cancelled the rest of her 10-city US tour yesterday because of new issues. Adele took to her blog with an exhaustive open letter to her fans to explain what’s gone wrong:

Guys, im heartbroken and worried to tell you that yet again im experiencing problems with my voice. its ridiculous i know! i cant believe it myself. i follow all the advice im given and stick to regimes, rules and practices to the best of my ability but it seems to simply not be enough. i want you to know the full story about my voice troubles so bare with me in this long blog.

i first started having trouble with my voice back in january, it was weakened by a bout of flu from december and never got its complete strength back before i started my UK and European promotional tour, so it just got weaker and weaker until it eventually “broke” as i say. i didnt realise at the time, cause id never had anything wrong with my voice, ever. but id also never sung as much as i was at the time it went. i was diagnosed with laryngitis and ordered to rest intensely for 10 days, and i recovered and went on to do a show in london and a month long promo tour in the U.S and also the brit awards without any hiccups. the whole time i stuck to a strict regime of numerous diets, steaming, vocal rest and vocal warm ups. which is very necessary but insanely grim. After a bit of time off I embarked on my european and UK tours at the end of march and finished at the end of april and everything seemed fine.

in may i went on tour in the U.S, i was in minneapolis which was about half way through the tour. i made a skype call in the morning on the day of the show and during it my voice suddenly switched off like a light! it was literally as if someone pulled a curtain over my throat. i knew something was wrong and panicked but convinced myself id be fine. i got to soundcheck and knew immediately i couldnt perform and with doctors advice cancelled the show. i was mortified and distraught but stubbornly insisted we go to denver for the following day, i did the show even though in the back of mind i knew it wasnt the right thing to do. and during it i felt, what i can only describe as something ripping in my throat. but adrenalin kicked in and i was too embarrassed to not finish the show.

I was sent to LA to rest and get another opinion. this time i was diagnosed with a hemorrhage. which is like a black eye on the vocal chord, it was incredibly tender and dangerous if i was to continue to sing through it. i was ordered to rest, so i flew home and did for a month. then slowly i started fulfilling my commitments. i did a show in london at the itunes festival and then went on to complete the first leg of the rescheduled US shows and perform at the VMAS which were all a blinding success.

however when i got home and prepared to start my UK tour in september i developed a respiratory and chest infection which had nothing to do with any of my voice problems from before but still forced me to cancel 6 shows and a performance at the mercury awards. i was stuffed full of antibiotics, had some time to rest and in the end managed to do 9 shows of the 15. After them and once back home my voice yet again went. mid conversation and it just switched off! i have a hemorrhage again and it is paramount that i rest and therefore wont be able to come and do these already rescheduled U.S shows which are due to start this friday in atlantic city.

the fact is i have never been able to fully recover from any of the problems that ive had and then continue to rest even once im recovered, because of my touring commitments. ive been offered the chance to not tour at all to save anything like this from happening again, but i simply hate letting you down. although now im having to let you down once again through no fault of my own really. if i continue to pick up everything before i have properly conquered these problems and nipped them in the bud. i will be totally and utterly f–ked. singing is literally my life, its my hobbie, my love, my freedom and now my job. I have absolutely no choice but to recuperate properly and fully, or i risk damaging my voice forever.

i have great confidence in believing you know how much this upsets me, how seriously i take it and how truly devastated and annoyed i am by this. wanting to do something so bad and not being able to is the most frustrating thing as im sure you know! my voice is weak and i need to build it back up. I’m gonna be starting up vocal rehab as soon as, and start building my over all stamina in my voice, body and mind. i will be back and im gonna smash the ball out the park once im touring again. i apologise from the bottom of my heart, sincerely i do. i know its not only disappointing because of the show, but its plane tickets, hotel bookings, birthdays, anniversaries and time wasted. but please have faith in me that this is the only thing i can do to make sure i can always sing and always make music for you to the best of my ability. truly yours and yours only forever, adele xx

[From Adele’s Blog]

I do feel really bad for her, and I think her throat/vocal issues are genuine. As in, I don’t think she’s blowing off appearances and tour dates just so she can go shopping and gossip with girlfriends. I think she’s genuinely unwell, and if her throat was up to it, she would be fulfilling her obligations. That being said, she needed to stop this whole catastrophe months ago, when it seemed like she was in health crisis after health crisis – as an Adele super-fan, I think I can speak for most of us when I say this: I’m thinking about my long-term Adele fix, and I want her to have a voice to record more and more albums, and the touring stuff is just gravy. Yes, it’s great to have a pop artist who ACTUALLY SINGS and who depends on her voice night after night. Now just cancel everything, refund the tickets, take six months off, rest, and record a new album.

You want the video again, right?

Photos courtesy of WENN and Fame.

Tennis star Venus Williams is the older of the Williams’ sisters and the one who is known for her risque fashion. (I don’t pay enough attention to sports and I sometimes confuse her with her sister, Serena, which is why I’m specifying.)

Venus was formerly ranked No. 1 in women’s tennis in the world and she’s now at 32 in singles and 20 in doubles, so she’s force to be reckoned with. Her health has led her to be sidelined, though. Venus just pulled out of the US Open and made an announcement that she was diagnosed with a disease called Sjogren’s Syndrome.

In an interview on Good Morning America today Venus said that she felt for years that her stamina was low no matter how much she trained. She explained that about four years ago she felt like she could never get enough air in her lungs. She was diagnosed with exercise-induced asthma at the time. This year she experienced joint swelling, dry eyes and dry mouth as well as fatigue and peripheral nueropathy, which are all symptoms of Sjorgen’s. She explained that it normally takes six and a half years to get diagnosed with Sjorgen’s.

I think I’ve had issues with Sjogren’s for a while. It just wasn’t diagnosed,” Williams said. “The good news for me is now I know what’s happening.”

Sjogren’s is usually triggered by an infection. The symptoms vary, but usually include dryness in the mouth and eyes, joint and muscle inflammation, and fatigue.

“I had trouble with stamina,” Williams said, adding that her doctor diagnosed her with exercise-induced asthma four years ago. But it wasn’t until this summer, when she developed more definite symptoms, that an accurate diagnosis was made.

“I had swelling and numbness and fatigue, which was really debilitating. I just didn’t have any energy,” Williams said. “And it’s not that you don’t have energy; you just feel beat up.”

Deciding to drop out of the U.S. Open wasn’t easy, Williams said.

“… I just felt like, ‘Okay, I could walk out on the court. I’m a tough woman, I’m a tough athlete, I’ve played through a lot of things.’ But what kind of match it would be?” she said. “It was a tough decision, but at the same time I’ve had to come to accept what I’m going through.”

Williams said she’s glad to finally have an explanation for her mysterious, debilitating symptoms.

“It’s a huge relief because as an athlete everything is physical for me — everything is being fit and being in shape,” she said. “I think the best thing that could have happened for me this summer was to feel worse so I could feel better.”

While Sjogren’s has no cure, there are treatments that make symptoms more manageable: Artificial tears and saliva stimulants can ease dryness; anti-inflammatory drugs can reduce joint and muscle inflammation; and certain drugs can help quell the overactive immune response.

“Sjogren’s is something you live with your whole life,” Williams said. “The good news for me is now I know what’s happening after spending years not knowing… I feel like I can get better and move on.”

Williams said she “absolutely” plans to return to tennis.

[From ABCNews.com]

I’ve had health problems in my life. I’m doing great and am hopefully fully recovered now, but years ago there were months when I could barely get around the house and needed a wheelchair outside. So when I hear about health problems I think I get it. I don’t fully remember how bad it was to be that sick, but I was there. It can be awful when your body betrays you. For an athlete, it must be especially devastating. I hope that Venus is able to get the treatment that she needs. I found her story very well told and she sounded like she’s come to terms with it. She will surely bring more awareness to this disease.

You can learn more about Sjogren’s on the website for the Sjogren’s Syndrome Foundation.

Here’s Venus playing tennis on 8/29 and out with her dog on 8/10. Credit: WENN.com

Sad news. George Clooney has spent a significant amount of time in Sudan over the past few months, and during a stay in early January, he contracted malaria. Sad! Of course, malaria is a treatable condition, and this is George’s second time at the malaria fun-house. I hear they let you drink gin and tonic! That’s about it. Basically, you feel like hot death and you wish someone would shoot you in the face.

George Clooney is known for his practical jokes but a recent bout with a serious illness was no laughing matter.

The actor, 49, contracted Malaria during a trip to Africa recently as part of a push for aggressive diplomacy to avoid another potential genocide in the Sudan region. But, his rep says, he’s subsequently made a full recovery despite new reports to the contrary.

“George is completely over the Malaria he contracted while in the Sudan during the first week in January,” his rep tells PEOPLE. “This illustrates how with proper medication, the most lethal condition in Africa, can be reduced to a bad ten days instead of a death sentence.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Web site, “Malaria is a serious and sometimes fatal disease caused by a parasite that commonly infects a certain type of mosquito which feeds on humans.”

The news of his illness broke Thursday via the host of CNN’s Piers Morgan Tonight, who Tweeted that Clooney is still fighting the illness: “It’s his 2nd bout of malaria. Taking medication but feeling rough,” Morgan claimed.

Morgan says Clooney, who taped his interview on Jan. 13, is due to be a guest on his show on Friday and will talk about the condition then.

[From People]

God, George has balls. He talks the talk and walks the walk, and he’s got his second case of malaria to prove it. Oh, CNN has a video clip too – Clooney’s on Piers’ show tonight:

George Clooney contracted malaria while he was in Sudan during the recent election there, he told Piers Morgan during an interview scheduled to air Friday. Clooney was in Sudan working on a his “Enough” project with Google and the United Nations installing equipment to film the historic election. Clooney was helping set up a semicovert satellite photography project to record the voting and any possible fallout. The “Enough” project’s goal is to end genocide.

“The truth of the matter is we are hoping it is one of many tools to continue to apply pressure, at the very least, to gather evidence that could be used at The Hague later if there are – if there are infringements or rules broken … if anyone crosses across the border north or south,” Clooney told Morgan.

It was during this recent work in Sudan that he contracted malaria.

“I guess the mosquito in Juba looked at me and thought I was the bar,” Clooney quipped.

While discussing the matter in a fairly jovial manner, Clooney said it was the second time he had gotten malaria.

“You don’t think President Bashir has – has detached a detail of sickly, vengeful mosquitoes to target you whenever you arrive?” Morgan joked.

“Yeah,” Clooney responded. “I think so.”

A few minutes later Morgan joked in another tweet abut Clooney’s condition.

“Clooney malaria update: now have 24,563 offers to nurse him. But his rep says medication’s worked and he’s OK. Sorry, ladies,” Morgan tweeted.

[From CNN]

See… I went this whole time without making an Elisabetta Canalis/mosquito/blood-sucker joke. Aren’t you proud of me?

Photos courtesy of WENN.

Michael Douglas rounded out the Golden Globes very nicely last night when he presented the award for Best Picture. The crowd went wild, cheering for him and all standing up. Michael quipped “there’s got to be an easier way to get a standing ovation.” He looked great and you could tell that he’s put some weight back in since he’s successfully completed cancer treatments.

I have so admired the way Douglas has handled himself both during his cancer battle and now that he’s tentatively beaten throat cancer. That was a nice tribute to a great actor and a very admirable man. Maybe Douglas will get some more much deserved accolades at the Oscars this year, which are coming on February 27.

Douglas was on Leno on Friday, and he told Jay that after going through cancer he appreciates life more. “I smell the roses. I wake up in the morning and each day is special.” There are rumors that Douglas is currently in talks with a publisher and may be working on an autobiography. That story seems to have originated in the Daily Mail and I wouldn’t put much stock in it, but I hope it’s true. I would love to read his memoir.

Here’s an interview with Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Hones on the red carpet. They say it’s a date night for them. I love Catherine’s dress!

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

This news made me so happy. Kaiser and I have been pretty worried about Michael Douglas after he was diagnosed with stage four throat cancer in August of last year. Douglas, 66, had a walnut-sized tumor under his tongue, and his wife Catherine Zeta-Jones was furious at doctors who took too long to discover the problem. While his outlook seemed positive, and he was hopeful about his prognosis, just the sheer progression of his cancer made it sound grim. From what I understand, Stage 4 cancer is the most serious. Douglas told Matt Lauer that his tumor is gone now, and he thinks he’s beaten cancer.

In his first television interview since undergoing treatment for throat cancer, Michael Douglas tells TODAY’s Matt Lauer that his tumor is gone and he’s got his cancer beat.

“The odds are, with the tumor gone and what I know about this particular type of cancer, that I’ve got it beat,” Douglas said during an interview that will air Tuesday on TODAY. Douglas said that he still has to undergo monthly checks to be sure the cancer is gone, but he’s already quantifying how having the disease has changed him.

“It’s put a timeline on my life,” Douglas said. “I’m 66 now. You know, I’m fortunate I’ve got a mother who’s 88. She’ll kill me. She may be 87. My father’s 94. So, you know, I feel good about those genes. But it’s definitely a third act. And so you’re a little more conscious of your time in how you choose to spend it.”

As for how he’s spending his time now, Douglas is beginning to get back to a normal life. “I’m eating like a pig … I lost about 32 pounds. And I’ve put about 12 back,” Douglas said. Now that his chemotherapy and radiation treatments are done, Douglas has few restrictions on his day-to-day activities. He’s working out at the gym, though “they want to keep the cardio down because they want me to put some more weight on.”

Douglas also says that his experience with cancer has given his life more depth. “You know, maybe it has to do because of everything life threatening. So all of a sudden the affection from my family, from my friends, and from my fans hit me at a much deeper level than I would have ever imagined before. And it gave me a really new appreciation of just how valuable, how precious good friends are and family. And it’s not that I disregarded them before but there’s a much deeper feeling. And I’ve talked to other cancer survivors about this, that — that happens, that you just really, really appreciate what’s important in life.”

Catch more of the interview on TODAY Tuesday morning and the complete interview on Sunday’s “Dateline NBC.”

[From Todayshow.com]

There’s a follow-up article on the Today Show’s website that discusses how this type of cancer can recur and needs to be carefully monitored.

Douglas also explained that his mouth is dry after his salivary ducts were closed from the effects of the chemotherapy. (They’re expected to return to normal after a year.) He said that having a dry mouth affected his sleep and that he also suffers fatigue. Other than that, he says he’s doing well and sounds cautiously optimistic. When Lauer asked him about it he called the radiation and chemotherapy “lousy” though and said “I wouldn’t wish that on my worst enemy.”

Douglas discussed the photographs that came out of him looking gaunt during his treatment, and said they lead his loved ones to worry. He thinks that his dad, Kirk Douglas, came and visited him for a week because of those pictures. As for the paparazzi, he was very matter-of-fact and reserved about how they stalked him while he was at his weakest. “I resent the amount of imposition on our children… there was sort of a macabre enjoyment of sort of watching me go down [healthwise] by the paparazzi.”

Douglas said that facing death helped him experience love and caring from others at a level he hadn’t before. The “affection from my family, my friends and from my fans hit me at a much deeper level than I would ever have imagined before.”

Congratulations to Douglas. He fought hard and it looks like he’s triumphed. He’s now preparing for his role as Liberace and says he’s getting his “fingers ready.” I’m so happy to see him looking healthy and ready to work again.