Molly Ivins facing third round of cancer

The South Austin resident continues writing her left-of-center column, raising money for the journal where she forged her tart take on politics and, of course, cheerfully gigging Republicans such as the well-coifed governor of Texas. Ivins, 61, tongue-in-cheeked that Gov. Rick Perry's trip to Iraq this week will slow anti-American insurgents. "The mere sight of his hair will do a world of good," she said.

She chatted with two visitors to her home office in Travis Heights without donning her wig of reddish-blond locks; her pate was nearly bald.

The California native, who grew up in the tony River Oaks section of Houston, fielded her latest (and third) cancer diagnosis around Thanksgiving. Surely she could be excused for feeling sorry for herself or slowing down.

"Actually," she said, "I feel pretty good." Renewed chemotherapy appears to be helping.

Ivins has all but forbidden gifts of food and other items. She was overwhelmed with well-intended advice and goodies after she wrote of her initial diagnosis of breast cancer in 1999. The outpouring kept her from telling readers of the recurrences in 2003 and two months ago, her assistant, Betsy Moon, said.

You make a point. I confess. I have found Molly Ivins to have tried to make a career of tearing down our President not because he is an evil man but because he is Republican, conservative, and Christian. So maybe I commented for that reason -- perhaps frustration, and anger at her diatribes over the years.

But I might have made the same comment about Michael Moore, were he to have heart problems, that his lifestyle (eating too much) was the cause of his health issue.

But I am passionate about not holding back for those health matters that the media REFUSES to publicize for political reasons.

I have multiple friends whose wives could not conceive children. They all had endometriosis. They all waited until they were in their late 30s or early 40s. Well, duh. Their condition might be correlated with abortions as young girls. I don't know for sure but I hurt for these friends and their wives. [see http://www.mycpc.org/abort_medical.shtml]

My older sister has had seven (7) abortions. Never married and a wasted life. She has an extremely high probability of contracting breast cancer. Yes, I am passionate about the fact that during her visits to Planned Parenthood over the past 20 years she was never told about her risk.

I have a younger sister who could not conceive a child when she finally wanted one at age 38. She had an abortion at age 16. Her infertility might well be due to her choice back then, both to be sexually active and to have aborted the child.

I have a friend whose 14-year old daughter was sexually active because she was taught in grammar school that it was "her" body and her parents were too addle-brained to say otherwise to her. She has suffered from severe depression since then. The media won't say that the reason for increased depression, among both boy and girl teens, is sexual activity. Not cool and not PC.

So, lifestyle does affect health. And the liberal beliefs might well manifest in poor health. And when the media refuses to publicize this effect -- teen sex leads to depression; abortion leads to breast cancer; abortion leads to endometriosis, which leads to infertility; for political reasons, it gets me steamed.

But you were right to read my motives correclty for commenting on the situation with Miss Ivins, and I regret it.

It's a passionate topic, and people get passionate about it. For every woman you mention who couldn't have children, I could mention women in my acquaintance who had a youthful "accident" and then went on to have families when the time was right for them.

I have to say, you have me beat with SEVEN abortions - I have never known a woman with such a long, shall we say, "learning curve", and I would not be surprised if she had other problems that contributed to overall bad decision-making.

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