Former congresswoman wins battle with cancer

Nine was the magic number.

Nine was the number of laps around Duke University Hospital's surgical ward the doctor treating former East Bay Congresswoman Ellen Tauscher for cancer said she must walk in a single day if she wanted to go home.

With Fleetwood Mac's "Don't Stop" blaring through her iPod earbuds, Tauscher had just finished her second excruciating lap when she looked up.

"A woman had lapped me," said Tauscher, now the undersecretary for arms control and international security. "She was a heart-lung transplant patient. She lapped me! Heart and lung transplant? Big deal!

"I did the third lap in a half-hour," Tauscher said triumphantly.

It has been seven months since surgeons rebuilt Tauscher's cancerous esophagus, and the 59-year-old top diplomat looks divine.

Seated at a downtown San Francisco restaurant on a cool, summer morning this week, Tauscher is a slim brunette, a return to her natural color after years as a blonde, sports a dress size from her younger days and says she feels better than ever.

She was in town for meetings and to deliver a speech on nuclear weapon nonproliferation to the Commonwealth Club in Lafayette.

"I went through a period where people didn't recognize me," Tauscher said. "I would almost be on top of people I had known for a very long time, and they wouldn't see me. Then I would smile, and they would say, 'Is that you?' They were shocked. People expected me to look ill."

It was spring 2010 when Tauscher began experiencing a strange swallowing sensation. Bulky food hit what felt like a "speed bump," she said.

But she was busy. She worked in March and April on the strategic arms reduction treaty, or START, with Russia. In May, she flew repeatedly between New York and Washington, D.C., as she helped negotiate a nuclear nonproliferation deal at the United Nations.

Tauscher returned home from Pakistan last summer and saw she had lost 7 pounds in 10 days.

Her doctor said the odds were 100-to-1 that it was anything serious. But the endoscopy told a different story.

She walked into the room after the test and saw her teary-eyed husband, Jim, and an ashen-faced doctor.

"Something tells me you are not a Las Vegas handicapper," Tauscher joked.

The doctors had found a large cancerous tumor lodged in her esophagus near her lungs.

It would be OK, Tauscher repeatedly reassured her shocked and frightened parents, siblings, 20-year-daughter, Katherine, and friends.

Review: Dr. Dre PowerBeats Sport Headphones. | The Geek Runner

A few months ago, I reviewed the Philips In-Ear Headphones ActionFit sport. (See my review). While I was happy with the product of the pair broke after 3 months of use.

Beats by Dr. Dre has a reputation as a pioneer in the industry when it comes to sound quality. The PowerBeats did not disappoint me, the bass response and crisp at the end of high school.

Build: I have read countless critics slamming the build quality of these headphones, and I completely disagree.  I have been very pleased with the qualty of the headphones, they do seem to have a build quality that will give the product longevity.

Fit: In-Ear headphones are not for everybody, finding the proper fit in your ear cavity can sometimes be challenging.  I can say that out of the box, these headphones fit perfectly. They are very lightweight and fit very comfortably in the ear.

Sound: This is were these headphone shine.  The sound is so very well rounded with a bump on the lower end that Beats are famous for.  I major step up from Apple’s white earbuds.

Control iPhone: Another are where I was happy with this product. Philips iPhone control left much to be desired. Button on the powebeats is beautiful and wonderful and can be controlled easily during the race.

What's included: • In the box you will receive a nice carrying case and extension cable for headphones.

Cons: The only thing I have to say will have PowerBeats against them is price. At $ 199, they are an expensive accessory to buy.

Bottom line: If you are looking for a quality training headphone and are willing to lighten your wallet then the PowerBeats are a great sounding and fitting product.

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