MedWorm.com provides a medical RSS filtering service. Over 6000 RSS medical sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest items from the 'Life with Breast Cancer' source. Mon, 17 Nov 2008 22:49:28 +0100 http://blog.healthtalk.com/breast-cancer/life-with-breast-cancer/remembering-my-season-of-chemotherapy/ This is hunting season in Michigan. My husband has been spending the past weekends hunting with a bow and now gun season starts. My father was a sportsman so I grew up well-acquainted with hunters and the like. My husband hunts for deer, my dad hunted for moose. Unfortunately, he was good at it, so like most responsible hunters, we had to eat the meat, and we ate a lot of it when I was little (Moose are really big!). I can tell you right now how moose meat tastes. I hate it. I am not a big fan of deer meat either, but my husband is good at disguising the meat in certain dishes. When I started chemotherapy in the fall of 2003, it was hunting season. My husband got a couple of weekends in but didn’t want to be away too much while I was undergoing treatment. Fall has always been my favorit... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1961388 Fri, 14 Nov 2008 22:28:12 +0100 1961388 http://blog.healthtalk.com/breast-cancer/life-with-breast-cancer/plastic-bottles-and-cancerdeciding-if-plastic-water-bottles-are-safe/ Sister bought me an aluminum water bottle to use this summer and made me promise to never buy water in plastic bottles. Her concern was over the press about the estrogen and carcinogens people were exposed to from the plastic in the bottles leaching into the water. We use a pitcher with a filter for tap water at home. I found it all very confusing and stopped buying bottled water, (except for my son’s energy water) to appease sister but mostly because I believe we should be somewhat sensitive to the environment. Those ads about water bottles piling up at the dump got to me. I make the Big Guy take his energy water bottles to the recycling center and was relieved to find that the plastic PepsiCo uses is safe. Lately there has been some real clear-headed info about which bottles are sa... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1947737 Mon, 10 Nov 2008 18:23:11 +0100 1947737 http://blog.healthtalk.com/breast-cancer/life-with-breast-cancer/chemo-brain-organization-and-add/ Sister has been listening to me complain about what I call brain damage. After four years, I really believe that I am continuing to suffer from chemo brain. Every now and then, I go over the symptoms with Sister who feels they relate to ADD, so she got me a book on it. Having chemo brain, I seldom read a book from cover to cover starting on chapter one. Because this book is written for people with ADD it is not designed to be read conventionally anyway; this helped me to stick with it. Skimming through the chapters, I began to see how chemo-brain could be diagnosed as ADD. This isn’t so far fetched. Back in December of 2006, I was invited to participate in a Webcast on HealthTalk about chemo brain (worth listening to from the archives if you have the time). The other guest was a doct... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1943574 Sat, 08 Nov 2008 00:52:39 +0100 1943574 http://blog.healthtalk.com/breast-cancer/life-with-breast-cancer/conquering-my-fear-of-cancerand-spiders/ Gracious and fearless. These are two characteristics that I felt were important for a woman to possess when I was in my 20s. That never changed. But here I am decades later and I still haven’t developed these qualities no matter how hard I have worked at it. I can however say that I have overcome some incredible fears. Cancer is one. After my battle with it, I can honestly say it doesn’t terrify me, but now I realize it wasn’t dying that I was afraid of, I was most afraid of losing my hair and my dignity. Well, I lost my hair but never my dignity. Spiders are my most recent conquered fear. It was actually a spider that helped me achieve that, and as peculiar as it sounds it was a mother spider. Under the eaves trough of my garage, right at the front in the middle, a beaut... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1939858 Wed, 05 Nov 2008 21:21:28 +0100 1939858 http://blog.healthtalk.com/breast-cancer/life-with-breast-cancer/denial-a-natural-response-to-a-breast-cancer-diagnosis/ On Friday we packed up the car, and headed out to the east coast. The trip was designed to get our son out to a college to meet with the football coach. We decided to drive because of the time of year and the fall vista that would greet us along the way. It also would allow us to travel on to visit with my husband’s sister in New Hampshire. The drive was spectacular. It was a very long trip, but with little traffic and great weather we arrived feeling rested and delighted with the New England states. Along the way my husband and I had plenty of time to talk, dream and plan. My son gets to sleep and watch movies in the back, so typical of a teenage son we didn’t hear from him much. I asked my husband if he remembered how he felt when I told him I had breast cancer. The morning I... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1930482 Tue, 04 Nov 2008 01:40:02 +0100 1930482 http://blog.healthtalk.com/breast-cancer/life-with-breast-cancer/what-to-buy-someone-going-through-breast-cancer/ What is the best gift to give someone who has just been newly diagnosed with breast cancer? Flowers usually work for everybody. A precious friend sent flowers as soon as I told her about the diagnosis. My sister–in-law sent them to my house as soon as I got home from surgery. While most women think that spending money on something that will not last is a waste, Dr. Phil listed smelling flowers among one of the best ways to fight stress; it causes you to stop and take a deep breath. I love flowers, and they are appropriate for someone home from surgery and limited in mobility, but I wouldn’t suggest flowers for anyone undergoing chemotherapy as some smells can increase nausea. To this day, I cannot buy particular scented hand soap because the smell seemed too intense and triggered nause... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1911655 Mon, 27 Oct 2008 23:38:13 +0100 1911655 http://blog.healthtalk.com/breast-cancer/life-with-breast-cancer/dont-let-cancer-hide-in-your-house/ I continue to encourage all women to get mammograms and tested regularly for breast cancer, now I also encourage them to have their husbands tested for prostate cancer. My husband had no symptoms to alert us to cancer in his prostate; it was found during a routine checkup. He is now back to work and feeling pretty good after his ordeal last week to attack prostate cancer that was diagnosed earlier this year. Because he had brachytherapy, which is radiation, the side effects will be in full force in a couple of weeks and then take a couple of more weeks to subside - a small price to pay for beating cancer. Lately Bobby, my husband has been crediting me with saving his life. I didn’t do any of the procedure of course, but I was the one who insisted he have regular checkups once we got marr... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1907926 Fri, 24 Oct 2008 18:07:09 +0100 1907926 http://blog.healthtalk.com/breast-cancer/life-with-breast-cancer/pink-ribbons-breast-cancer-and-big-guys/ In my quest for merchandise with pink ribbons, I came across a case of Propel Fit Water with a new label on each bottle showing the pink ribbon in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. I buy this flavored bottled water for my youngest son who I call the “Big Guy.” As I have mentioned in past blog posts, he has earned this title along with the nickname “Moose” for being a 6′3″ 295-pound offensive tackle. So I am planning to send this big football player to school each day with bottled water adorned with pink ribbons. Frankly, as much as he avoids all things pink for obvious reasons, I don’t think this high school senior will mind. Kathy-Ellen and the “Big Guy” T.J, (his real acronym) has made an effort to be open and honest about his ... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1902232 Wed, 22 Oct 2008 21:43:53 +0100 1902232 http://blog.healthtalk.com/breast-cancer/life-with-breast-cancer/breast-cancer-and-the-urge-to-nest/ We made it through a tough week; my husband has pretty much recovered from the brachytherapy he received for prostate cancer. I don’t think he was ready for the fatigue and malaise that accompanies any in-hospital procedure though, or the effects of the drugs. Fortunately, he did rest over the weekend and gave into urges to nap. I have had my own recovering from his ordeal to do. His bout with cancer has made me feel that we have been infiltrated. Before when it was just me in the household that had a bout with cancer, I thought we had secured our home from further threat. Now I am finding myself desiring to nest and stay home so nothing else gets in. This has led me to spend the weekend tidying the house and adding a few decorating touches. I love the fall, but I didn’t want t... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1892190 Mon, 20 Oct 2008 19:35:46 +0100 1892190 http://blog.healthtalk.com/breast-cancer/life-with-breast-cancer/my-husband-gets-treated-for-prostate-cancer/ This has been one tough week! Bobby, my husband had brachytherapy this week to address prostate cancer that was diagnosed this summer. I don’t like being in the hospital and undergoing surgery or treatment, but I have decided that I dislike even more watching a loved one go through it. Actually, the procedure went really well for my husband. He was admitted early Wednesday and they inserted tiny catheters all over the prostate gland and then they placed radioactive beads in the catheters four times over two days. When Bob comes home he will not be radioactive as none of the beads were left in the gland. This is an amazing procedure. The hardest part for him was that he had to lie perfectly still on his back without a pillow or being able to move his legs for two days. He needed medic... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1888546 Fri, 17 Oct 2008 17:59:39 +0100 1888546 http://blog.healthtalk.com/breast-cancer/life-with-breast-cancer/turning-to-you-my-friends-during-cancer-and-tough-times/ On Saturday I visited my eldest son in a Toronto hospital and today I will spend the day in the hospital while my husband has brachytherapy for his prostate cancer. I see a theme here. As I do with all of my friends I am asking for you to pray for my husband as he goes through this procedure and battles cancer. I am also asking you to keep my son, Josh, in your prayers as he awaits an opening in a treatment facility. Kathy-Ellen (Source: Life with Breast Cancer) Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1880295 Wed, 15 Oct 2008 18:23:42 +0100 1880295 http://blog.healthtalk.com/breast-cancer/life-with-breast-cancer/how-the-bad-economy-affects-breast-cancer/ I am wondering how the economy is affecting breast cancer. With more people losing their jobs, more people will be without healthcare and fewer women will get tested; that’s one way breast cancer will be affected. Another way is that charitable giving to organizations that support research to find a cure for breast cancer may also go down. The economy issues and the presidential race dominating the media breast cancer awareness month is not getting as month attention as it usually does compared to last year. Money doesn’t just drive the economy; it drives breast cancer awareness and research. I wrote in a blog post long ago about how President Nixon declared war on cancer over 20 years ago. That is the longest war that Americans have ever fought and it’s not over. We have spent trill... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1873230 Mon, 13 Oct 2008 22:38:11 +0100 1873230 http://blog.healthtalk.com/breast-cancer/life-with-breast-cancer/bringing-sexy-back-into-your-life-after-breast-cancer/ Years ago before breast cancer touched my life, I saw a photograph of a beautiful woman who had lost a breast to cancer. The self portrait showed this woman naked from the waist up with up stretched arms and a scar where a breast should have been. The other breast was hidden by the pose. She was truly beautiful and the photograph was sexy. I didn’t get it then, but now I realize that she was extraordinary to have been able to reveal her sexuality and the brutality of the disease at the same time. For me sexy doesn’t come as easy. The last time I felt really sexy was when my husband whisked me off wig, prophylactic bra and all for a romantic weekend for Valentines Day during my chemotherapy. Just a few months later, after treatment was complete, all the sexy was gone. Well, it’s time ... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1859827 Tue, 07 Oct 2008 20:37:38 +0100 1859827 http://blog.healthtalk.com/breast-cancer/life-with-breast-cancer/ideas-for-survivors-to-celebrate-pink-month/ October is a time of celebration and thanksgiving for me. I celebrate because I am a breast cancer survivor and this is my month. Canadian Thanksgiving also falls in October which gives me another chance to eat turkey and be thankful for surviving breast cancer. October really is OUR month to shine. In 2008 more people than ever before are surviving breast cancer. The fear factor has gone way down as we no longer see a diagnosis of breast cancer as a death sentence. We are winning little by little over the disease. This calls for celebration; as a survivor, your life calls for celebration! Last year I made an oversized pink ribbon to wear on my lapel. This year I have other ideas to share with you to make your month fun. How about tying a pink ribbon around one of the trees in your front y... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1851315 Fri, 03 Oct 2008 21:42:08 +0100 1851315 http://blog.healthtalk.com/breast-cancer/life-with-breast-cancer/think-pink-toilet-paper-streamers-cheerleaders-my-son-and-breast-cancer/ Last night our house was toilet papered; every tree draped with streams of white. A huge sign was posted on our window highlighting the fact that a “Rocket” lives here. The Rocket is my son; he is a member of the Rocket Football team and the toilet-papering and sign-posting is the work of cheerleaders. It is all in fun for homecoming, with the big game being tonight and the homecoming dance tomorrow. As I watch the games every Friday night, under the lights, I get especially entertained by the enthusiasm of the great bunch of beautiful young women leading the cheers. They are exuberant, healthy and loud! They are also young, with enormous futures ahead of them. I am not a mother of girls, but my boys have had enough friends who are girls and attended enough dances for me to get... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1833515 Fri, 26 Sep 2008 19:34:35 +0100 1833515 http://blog.healthtalk.com/breast-cancer/life-with-breast-cancer/healthcare-and-the-presidential-election-out-of-control/ This is a seriously important federal election that is fast becoming the most disappointing election I have ever witnessed in my life. What began with a wealth of diversity and experience of potential leadership has turned into an exhibition tantamount to two roosters strutting around the barnyard; lots of noise, but little action. The only recent article I have read where anyone has said anything concerning health insurance, the most important issue to me, was about Elizabeth Edwards and I know she isn’t running for president this year. We are all facing issues that are affecting our families and our futures. Duh, like you don’t know that, but it is important to keep that thought in the forefront as we approach the election of a new president. I can’t think of another time in histor... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1815956 Mon, 22 Sep 2008 21:20:52 +0100 1815956 http://blog.healthtalk.com/breast-cancer/life-with-breast-cancer/dark-thoughts-about-cancer/ Breast cancer continues to shake up my world. A dear member of the family had a recent scare almost 20 years since having a mastectomy to remove a small cancerous lump. This time the mammogram on her remaining breast looked suspicious so she was called back for a second test. Thankfully that proved that there was nothing indicative of a new breast cancer. The great part was that she was at a clinic that gave her the results immediately after that second test so she didn’t have to wait it out in fear and trepidation. “The waiting is the hardest part” is not only lyrics to an old rock song, but is a reality for women who have found a lump. I was fortunate enough to be at a clinic that did an immediate ultrasound when my mammogram showed a suspicious lump. The doctor could t... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1802965 Wed, 17 Sep 2008 23:58:01 +0100 1802965 http://blog.healthtalk.com/breast-cancer/life-with-breast-cancer/high-health-insurance-costs-mean-no-vacation/ Sister is in Italy swimming in the Mediterranean Sea. She and her husband have taken a much-deserved vacation, but who doesn’t deserve a vacation? After five and a half years of marriage I am still waiting for a honeymoon. When I got married I was an immigrant from Canada so I couldn’t leave the country for three months while I was being processed. Then that very summer while we were planning our romantic trip, I was diagnosed with breast cancer and the rest is well-documented on this Life with Breast Cancer blog. I want a vacation and a honeymoon, and I don’t want to take them at the same time. Travel is great fun, but not when you’re sick or recovering. Even the car travel after reconstructive surgery in Baltimore (a ten hour drive from Detroit) was a challenge. Baltimore is a di... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1783012 Wed, 10 Sep 2008 21:39:47 +0100 1783012 http://blog.healthtalk.com/breast-cancer/life-with-breast-cancer/healing-words-writing-about-your-breast-cancer/ If you have never tuned into a Webcast on HealthTalk, you are missing out! I was invited to participate in a Health Now Webcast last week and had such a great time with Judy Forman, the host of Health Now. The topic was on journaling and how it can help people deal with disease, pain and other conditions. Judy is really terrific; I have enjoyed her webcasts in the past, but having the opportunity to talk to her directly was really special. Her guest was Dr. Pennybaker, who has done extensive research into the effects of writing down your thoughts and feelings to deal with medical conditions. Dr. Pennybaker’s wife is a breast cancer survivor so he could really relate to my story; thankfully she is doing well and has also written extensively about her battle and the disease. Judy was a... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1775775 Mon, 08 Sep 2008 19:51:14 +0100 1775775 http://blog.healthtalk.com/breast-cancer/life-with-breast-cancer/christina-applegate-ups-the-ante-in-the-fight-against-breast-cancer/ Last week when the young actress Christina Applegate announced that she had battled breast cancer by having her breasts removed, I was elated that she turned her battle into a crusade to promote MRI screenings and genetic counseling. I was saddened more so by the fact that such a young woman has to be struck with it in the first place. She has been diagnosed as a BRCA II carrier with a genetic predisposition to breast cancer. I can write a blog post every day about it, but you know that if a young Hollywood actress is talking about it millions of people are listening. This makes me ecstatic about the possibilities that this may open up, now that Hollywood is taking a stand against cancer. A while back, two Hollywood producers were introduced to each other through their oncologist while eac... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1764337 Thu, 04 Sep 2008 17:30:18 +0100 1764337 http://blog.healthtalk.com/breast-cancer/life-with-breast-cancer/universal-healthcare-belongs-in-a-democracy/ I am breaking with Christian conservatism in my support of the Democratic Party and healthcare for the upcoming election. Many of you will get to the “Christian conservatism” part of my statement and be ready for an argument. Well, I can’t help my convictions, they’re a huge part of me, but I hope with democratic social policy that I will be able to help people that can’t get what they need on their own. Mainly this relates to healthcare. I am convinced that without a one payor universal healthcare system in the United States that many women will continue to go untreated for breast cancer and there will continue to be needless deaths from the disease. I am incensed by right wing conservatives who continue to extol the present system of healthcare and ramble o... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1755315 Tue, 02 Sep 2008 23:46:36 +0100 1755315 http://blog.healthtalk.com/breast-cancer/life-with-breast-cancer/life-circumstances-that-distract-from-your-breast-cancer/ Elizabeth Edwards has a lot to deal with these days. Her husband, in the past month, was exposed for having an affair, their presidential bid is definitely over and maybe his political career too. I wonder how much of this matters in the light of her dealing with metastasized breast cancer. If she is like most of us, breast cancer has taken a back seat to her family issues. I think the media has proven to be more sensitive in the way they are handling John Edward’s confession, perhaps in part because of Elizabeth’s condition. However, yesterday I heard a radio program where a comment was made about these political wives stupidly standing by their man for their own gain. Who thinks of this stuff? If you love someone enough to marry him, why is it so far-fetched that you would lo... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1739550 Thu, 28 Aug 2008 16:34:35 +0100 1739550 http://blog.healthtalk.com/breast-cancer/life-with-breast-cancer/hormonal-treatment-options-after-tamoxifen/ The blog posts that I wrote last year on Arimidex (anastrozole) and aromatase inhibitors are still garnering a lot of comments and readership. It seems that many women are suffering from the painful and sometimes debilitating side effects from these hormonal drugs. I stopped taking Arimidex in the fall of 2006 and returned to taking tamoxifen, which causes me no ill effects. I am now revisiting the whole hormonal treatment option. My doctor determined that I should spend one more year on tamoxifen. I then have the option to take additional years of an aromatase inhibitor like Arimidex or Femara. I can put off thinking about it for the year obviously, but then I think about flying solo (meaning sans drugs to combat cancer) and I have to consider the aromotase inhibitor as an option. Studies... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1734327 Tue, 26 Aug 2008 16:21:34 +0100 1734327 http://blog.healthtalk.com/breast-cancer/life-with-breast-cancer/finding-lumps-after-breast-reconstruction/ For the most part, my reconstructed breasts are smooth and natural. Pressing in on them, however, reveals to me small, hard masses. I only have a couple that I can find, but it did cause some alarm initially. The surgeon assured me that they were fat tissue that had hardened as a result of the transplanted tissue and were completely unrelated to any breast cancer issues. I sometimes wonder if I am completely safe though. Last week the other breast cancer blogger on HealthTalk, Suzette, wrote about her recent experience in finding a lump and undergoing a biopsy only months after breast reconstruction. The thing I admire about Suzette is her knowledge of her body and her vigilance against recurring breast cancer. I learn a lot from reading her blog posts. Thankfully, the results were negativ... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1709804 Thu, 14 Aug 2008 23:56:25 +0100 1709804 http://blog.healthtalk.com/breast-cancer/life-with-breast-cancer/brilliant-idea-universal-screening-for-breast-cancer/ It is still baffling to me that in other countries like Norway, Canada and France, every woman can be screened regularly for breast cancer. Right now with the treatment options that are available like surgery and chemotherapy, detecting breast cancer early is key to surviving the disease. So doesn’t it make sense that every woman over the age of 40 be given the opportunity to get regular screening? You would think the richest most powerful country in the world would have been one of the first to figure that out. When women in Canada and Norway are living to an average age of 83 and women in France to 84, isn’t it a red flag that in the United States the life expectancy of women is only 80? (Life expectancy estimates for 2007, according to the Population Reference Bureau). One o... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1696483 Mon, 11 Aug 2008 23:48:39 +0100 1696483 http://blog.healthtalk.com/breast-cancer/life-with-breast-cancer/there-are-worse-things-than-breast-cancer/ A vibrant, happy, responsible 18-year-old boy was killed in an unlikely boating accident late yesterday. He was a friend of my son’s and my husband, and I know his father. We watched him play football with my son the past two seasons, and he had just graduated from high school with all the excitement and optimism all 18-year-olds have. It is hard to think of anything worse than a cancer diagnosis when you are faced with it, but this is worse, much worse. Just last week I wrote a blog about another teen who suffered from the tragedy of a motorcycle accident. It is getting to the point where I want to lock up my own teens for a decade. We are still having challenges with my older son who took a lot of the emphasis off of my treatment four years ago with his issues and behavior. I found tha... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1686620 Thu, 07 Aug 2008 06:08:19 +0100 1686620 http://blog.healthtalk.com/breast-cancer/life-with-breast-cancer/now-is-the-time-for-our-breast-cancer-battle-cry/ We have heard nothing new or exciting regarding breast cancer treatment for quite a while now. It is so frustrating when you are hoping for a major breakthrough towards a cure. Even the fact that so much headway has been made on the genetic front with regards to breast cancer hasn’t garnered better treatment options. The best treatment option that has come out of genetic profiling is to remove healthy body parts to prevent cancer. We have been sending men into space for decades. Man has even walked on the moon. Why then can we not find a cure or a safe easy treatment for breast cancer? Do we need more money? Do we need more brains? Do we need more motivation? This is a huge issue with me. The government gives 900 million dollars a year to breast cancer research, the Susan G Komen org... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1668784 Wed, 30 Jul 2008 23:33:09 +0100 1668784 http://blog.healthtalk.com/breast-cancer/life-with-breast-cancer/breast-cancer-is-unfair-but-so-is-life/ This weekend a dear friend’s nephew was struck by a car while driving his motorcycle. He will probably lose his leg below the knee. He is only 17. I am heartbroken for this family knowing what is facing them and because I have my own 17-year-old son. I’m sure his mother would gladly sacrifice two good breasts to spare her son’s leg. We know that cancer or tragedy doesn’t work that way. It doesn’t choose one in the family and then spare the rest. There is so much unfairness in all of this. I remember over 20 years ago sitting beside the bed of a family friend who was dying of breast cancer. I remember vividly her looking at me with disbelief saying “this is so unfair.” She had been a nurse for most of her life and now in her late 60’s she had ... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1661055 Mon, 28 Jul 2008 23:37:58 +0100 1661055 http://blog.healthtalk.com/breast-cancer/life-with-breast-cancer/can-cancer-make-you-adapt-to-stress/ In June, I took a much-needed vacation with Sister to Mackinaw Island in Northern Michigan. Today I am on a much-needed vacation with dear girlfriends in middle Michigan. We laugh and talk and cry and do all the good things girls do when they get together. This is all part of my “Have more fun” plan. Since I was diagnosed with breast cancer five years ago, my life has been an ongoing saga and it is fast becoming an epic. On Wednesday I sat with my husband during his consultation with a radiologist regarding treating the prostate cancer he was diagnosed with last month. We are still in a whirlwind with my youngest son who will be a senior this year and is fretting that he hasn’t yet got an offer to play college football. My eldest son is battling emotional issues and refus... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1655759 Fri, 25 Jul 2008 21:44:35 +0100 1655759 http://blog.healthtalk.com/breast-cancer/life-with-breast-cancer/soaking-up-life-the-cancer-survivor-way/ Twenty-one years ago this summer is the one and only time I ever played golf. You might then wonder, as my husband did, why I bought a brand new set of ladies golf clubs last week. Well, for one thing they were on sale but most importantly they were blazoned with the breast cancer hope pink ribbon, and the shafts of the clubs are pink. I bought the Wilson Hope ladies (pictured below) set of golf clubs. I am reaching my five year breast cancer survivorship since my diagnosis. I have decided that my life needs to be filled with more fun things so I am taking up golf since Tiger Woods makes it look fun and lucrative. My family has even planned a trip to Lake Tahoe for Christmas! I don’t ski, but I foresee a set of pink skis in my future to stand beside my new golf set. These past sever... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1649367 Wed, 23 Jul 2008 19:34:16 +0100 1649367 http://blog.healthtalk.com/breast-cancer/life-with-breast-cancer/we-will-beat-cancer/ On Saturday, I had the privilege of standing in front of a couple hundred people that attended an American Cancer Society sponsored Relay for Life event. After speaking for a few minutes, I then got to hold the banner with three other survivors and walk the lap around the track leading the group of survivors. What an awesome time for me. These people were giving up 24 hours of their time to show their dedication to finding a cure for cancer. As I related my relationship with cancer, I realized how this disease has ravaged my family and that I can’t afford a moment of complacency in dealing with it. My story reveals a family history of battling this insidious disease. I know we’ve been together on this blog for over two years now, but maybe a quick overview of my story is warranted. In ... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1646467 Tue, 22 Jul 2008 17:24:19 +0100 1646467 http://blog.healthtalk.com/breast-cancer/life-with-breast-cancer/have-you-done-your-part-to-contribute-to-the-cure/ The American Cancer Society (ACS) hosts Relay for Life events all over the country. It celebrates those that have survived cancer and remembers those who have lost their lives to it. I love this organization and have even applied for different positions within their local offices, which unfortunately I have not been successful in obtaining. However, I really do love this organization. My family has been dealing with cancer from the mid eighties and we have always been able to get valuable support and services from the Canadian counterpart as well as our American offices. When I was little, I remember my mother selling daffodils and helping to plan events with the ACS. This Saturday, I have the honor of being a part of a local Relay for Life event. I have been asked to be the speaker to the... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1631707 Wed, 16 Jul 2008 21:29:50 +0100 1631707 http://blog.healthtalk.com/breast-cancer/life-with-breast-cancer/sex-and-cancer-do-docs-focus-more-on-mens-needs/ I am learning a lot going through the process of decision-making with my husband regarding his recent prostate cancer diagnosis and treatment. For one thing, doctors are taking his sexuality very seriously and how it will be affected by treatment seems to be a priority. So I wonder, is this because he is a man? How come no one prepares us for the bad body image, loss of sexual desire and even the loss of sensation that is associated with having a breast removed? Is it less important because we are women? I know that for women of child-bearing years there seems to be a lot of support to ensure that fertility is still intact, but that isn’t the same as our sexuality. What about single women of any age who are still dating and needing to feel like they are sexual beings? There is really ver... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1623069 Mon, 14 Jul 2008 21:37:44 +0100 1623069 http://blog.healthtalk.com/breast-cancer/life-with-breast-cancer/enjoying-the-sun-as-a-cancer-survivor/ Michigan has been getting more than normal rain this summer. When it is sunny, it is hard to resist getting outside to bathe in it. Since I have been in my 20s I have been protective of my skin by using sunscreen daily, even in the winter when I am going to be outside. Because of all of the great news that has accompanied vitamin D, I have actually purposely exposed my skin to the sun this year since the sun is the best source of vitamin D. I still protect my face (for vanity reasons mostly), and I really only expose my skin for maybe five minutes at a time. As breast cancer survivors, we need to avoid other cancers and skin cancer is one we really need to be vigilant about. For safety reasons, I really do limit my sun exposure. I also take a vitamin D supplement. We now know that vitamin ... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1606283 Thu, 10 Jul 2008 19:36:21 +0100 1606283 http://blog.healthtalk.com/breast-cancer/life-with-breast-cancer/newly-diagnosed-cancer-and-your-treatment-options/ When I was diagnosed with breast cancer, the breast cancer clinic immediately set up a meeting with a surgeon. The surgeon was wonderful and told me that I would need a lumpectomy. That was it, I didn’t question it, and because of the nature of the diagnosis and size of the tumor everyone seemed to suggest some urgency. After surgery, I was referred to an outstanding oncologist, but once again he told me the treatment I would receive and I complied. This past week, I sat with my husband who was newly diagnosed with prostate cancer, and we listened as the surgeon went through all of the treatment options; their cure rate, side effects and expected outcomes. I have to say, I was a little jealous that I didn’t get the same kind of information about my diagnosis. Before we went to that con... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1594047 Mon, 07 Jul 2008 18:29:40 +0100 1594047 http://blog.healthtalk.com/breast-cancer/life-with-breast-cancer/we-the-people-demand-healthcare-reform/ Last week, CNN reported that lobbyists spend 2.5 billion dollars to influence the American government. As startling as that figure is, a full 20 percent of that (about 500 million dollars), is spent by the healthcare industry. Imagine, that is approximately 1.2 million dollars on healthcare for each man woman and child in the United States. I don’t know about you, but by my calculations that is enough money to ensure coverage for everybody. Even more provoking is the question of how much profit is made by the health insurance industry if they can afford to throw away this kind of money to influence policy? Further, how is this money spent, who does it go to and what do they do with it? For the sake of all Americans we need answers to these questions. While most families are struggling to... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1564243 Thu, 03 Jul 2008 00:09:14 +0100 1564243 http://blog.healthtalk.com/breast-cancer/life-with-breast-cancer/cancer-strikes-my-home-again/ Last week I got the results for all of the tests I went through because of a concern over bone pain in my lower back. I was overjoyed to learn that I am totally cancer free! The tests showed that the pain is due to a tear in my lumbar disk. My husband, friends and family were also very happy that we weren’t facing anything more serious. The happiness lasted for about five hours. My husband, who for my sake is vigilant with his health and has annual checkups, received a call from his doctor asking him to come in immediately for an appointment. My husband advised me that the urgency was due to a result on his annual tests. We now know… my husband has been diagnosed with prostate cancer. Another round of cancer in my family has me dealing with an overwhelming combination of emotions f... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1556549 Mon, 30 Jun 2008 18:55:31 +0100 1556549 http://blog.healthtalk.com/breast-cancer/life-with-breast-cancer/chemotherapy-induced-fears/ Fears are like nightmares; they loom bigger in the dark. So I figure the best way to deal with your fears is to take them out into the light where you can have a better look and face them head on. One of those looming fears for me has been the possible side effects from chemotherapy. My father, who had chemotherapy for non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, survived the lymphoma only to succumb to chemo induced leukemia. At that point there were no treatment options available to combat the leukemia. I have a real fear of developing a non-treatable condition from having been exposed to such strong chemicals during treatment. I have asked my oncologist about it, but the response has been vague, probably because there is not a lot of information available for the long term effects. I had three types of ch... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1552025 Fri, 27 Jun 2008 15:23:32 +0100 1552025 http://blog.healthtalk.com/breast-cancer/life-with-breast-cancer/breast-cancer-not-just-a-womans-disease/ I came across an article I saved from the newspaper about a local man’s battle with breast cancer. He found a lump on his breast and subsequently had surgery and chemotherapy like his women counterparts. He continued to coach little league throughout treatment and credits that with helping him deal with the whole thing. In addition to losing his hair, he also lost his mustache. He was fortunate that his wife is a nurse and urged him to see a doctor immediately when he showed her the lump. The article was short; he dealt with it and moved on. As a woman with breast cancer tied up in pink ribbons, it is hard to imagine a man dealing with the disease. It is the one diagnosis that I am sure no man ever expects to hear. The only benefit a man has in this battle is his lack of estrogen; otherw... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1531887 Wed, 18 Jun 2008 23:54:08 +0100 1531887 http://blog.healthtalk.com/breast-cancer/life-with-breast-cancer/health-insurance-denies-a-needed-mri/ A dear friend and wonderful woman has fallen victim to health insurance dictatorship. I find it odd that people are so afraid of universal, one-payer health coverage yet allow their insurance companies to control their care. This friend of mine has no choice! Her employer deducts her monthly health insurance money from her paycheck, and she assumes their insurance coverage. The free market system is not alive and well in the healthcare industry. Once the provider has the contract with your employer, your options are limited to that one company. A while ago that dear friend of mine found a lump under her arm. Her doctor ordered a mammogram which didn’t show anything, so after several months he ordered an ultrasound. Still finding it inconclusive, he ordered an MRI. In fact, if you are at ... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1522532 Mon, 16 Jun 2008 22:24:49 +0100 1522532 http://blog.healthtalk.com/breast-cancer/life-with-breast-cancer/a-much-needed-escape/ Sister and I are taking a break from the world this week. We are spending five days on Makinac Island, a small Victorian-style island here in Michigan that you have to travel to by ferry. No cars are allowed on the island, and the only mode of transportation is either foot or by horse. I have come to really love the women in my life. My sister and my dearest friends bless me beyond measure. Sister and I especially share a crazy sense of humor, a love of food and the real talent of how to do absolutely nothing. So this week will be filled with laughter, food and lots of lazing around. Of course we will walk and explore the island and all of the usual tourist places and most importantly we will make memories. I can’t tell you how much I need this time away, but I am sure that many of y... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1519012 Fri, 13 Jun 2008 23:27:58 +0100 1519012 http://blog.healthtalk.com/breast-cancer/life-with-breast-cancer/using-weight-watchers-to-fight-breast-cancer/ The last time I did the Weight Watcher’s program was after the genetics oncologist told me that in order to battle cancer, I needed to lose a lot of weight. I did the Weight Watcher’s core plan and ended up losing 20 pounds by the time I went for DIEP flap breast cancer surgery. The core program allows you to eat as much of the listed foods as you need to not feel hungry. I never felt hungry on the program and all of the food included is healthy and falls in line with recommendations for reducing cancer risk because of low fat, high nutrition content. Well, I have lamented how the weight came back after surgery when I spent six months in pain on Arimidex and a bunch of other excuses I could name. Truly I was also diet fatigued, I just couldn’t get the momentum going again... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1509261 Wed, 11 Jun 2008 21:45:08 +0100 1509261 http://blog.healthtalk.com/breast-cancer/life-with-breast-cancer/i-think-hillary-clinton-could-have-cured-cancer/ Maybe I should say that she would have been commander of the final battle that beat cancer if she became President of the U.S. Allow me to explain further. I am blown away by the tenacious spirit of Hillary Rodham Clinton. I didn’t start out last fall as a supporter, but she has earned my respect and I have been inspired by her. Imagine that vigor and focus directed towards finding a cure for breast cancer. I think she has shown us what a woman can do when she is determined. It is the same determination we as breast cancer patients have all had to demonstrate during treatment. We experience one victory in overcoming the effects of chemotherapy just to have to get up the next day and start all over again. We lose our hair, our charm and our ability to take life for granted, but we do not ... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1500419 Fri, 06 Jun 2008 17:30:23 +0100 1500419 http://blog.healthtalk.com/breast-cancer/life-with-breast-cancer/tell-us-about-your-breast-cancer-event/ This week in Detroit they had the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure. The American Cancer Society has been hosting their community events as well. All these efforts are to raise money and awareness for breast cancer. One thing that my sister and I would love to do is the three day walk. They are also having a Race for the Cure in Detroit this fall. This event is a little steep though, with participants having to raise over $2,000 in personal donations. Planning for this may take me to 2009.Our cure is coming and it is events like these that are fueling the battle. When you get close to a victory it is not time to relax, but time to press on with even greater efforts. Each year I like to give a forum for people that are participating in something for breast cancer to let us know all about it.... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1488839 Mon, 02 Jun 2008 23:42:05 +0100 1488839 http://blog.healthtalk.com/breast-cancer/life-with-breast-cancer/helpful-tips-for-a-more-relaxing-mri/ At 3:00am Thursday morning I was woken up by a panic attack. I was thinking about the MRI that was scheduled for a few hours later and it prompted me to recall the claustrophobic atmosphere of the machine. That in turn initiated the panic attack which frightened me more than the thought of the scan. I was able to settle down long enough to fall asleep again for about two minutes before the alarm went off. An MRI scan creates a magnetic resonance image using magnetism and radio waves to provide an image of internal organs. In order to accomplish this, the patient is inserted into a tube that is quite contained and can provoke claustrophobia in the staunchest of people. The benefit is that it gives images no other piece of equipment can and it also emits no radiation, so it is safe. It provi... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1480951 Fri, 30 May 2008 21:21:55 +0100 1480951 http://blog.healthtalk.com/breast-cancer/life-with-breast-cancer/the-finishing-touches-of-breast-reconstruction/ With summer weather approaching, not having nipples is actually pretty convenient. It is easier to throw on a bathing suit or tank top and not concern myself with what may be poking through. However, I have decided to continue with this part of the reconstruction of my breasts, and have nipples created and the areola tattooed. Reconstruction for me has been a journey, and not a short one. Many women know the length of the process involved in getting implants and taking the time to inflate the original pouch before replacing it with the final implant. DIEP flap, although a major surgery, does not take as much time to get to the final results; perhaps just the follow-up surgery to create the cosmetic nipples and any touchups. Part of the reason it has taken so long with me is that I have bee... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1475464 Wed, 28 May 2008 21:11:30 +0100 1475464 http://blog.healthtalk.com/breast-cancer/life-with-breast-cancer/ive-had-it-with-this-cancer-business/ Lying on the table for my bone scan this week was like a bit of deja vu. About eight months after I finished chemotherapy, I had a scare with bone pain in my neck. Off to the radiologist the oncologist sent me to ensure that there was no trace of cancer in my bones. That turned out to be degenerative and the doctor was concerned about arthritis. I was grateful that it was only arthritis. That I could live with – operative word being “live.” So there I was Monday in the basement of the hospital in the nuclear medicine department wondering if all the nuclear activity would promote more cancer for me to worry about, and also wondering when I turned into such a wimp. I was complaining about having to lie still for the half hour it would take, I had to ask for a blanket because I was cold... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1461315 Wed, 21 May 2008 18:06:50 +0100 1461315 http://blog.healthtalk.com/breast-cancer/life-with-breast-cancer/what-kind-of-cancer-survivor-are-you/ You know that song by Tim McGraw, “Live like you were dying?” It’s about a man who learns he is dying and does all the things he ever dreamed of doing. Cancer does that to many people. They learn that they have cancer and decide that they are finally going to take that cruise, or learn that sport or any number of exciting things. It causes them to finally let go and live it up. For me, not so much. I actually have become more cautious; I spend time wondering if my affairs are in order and trying to organize my life. It has narrowed my life and I can’t tell you why. When I was participating in a study and was asked to describe my day, I was appalled at how routine my life has become and how little risk and joie de vive I put into it. I often think about a woman I heard of, who, upon... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1454891 Mon, 19 May 2008 18:22:08 +0100 1454891 http://blog.healthtalk.com/breast-cancer/life-with-breast-cancer/does-your-pain-trigger-fear-of-metastasis/ This month I am going for an MRI and a bone scan on my lower spine. I have been experiencing pain in my lower spine and due to the fact that I’m a breast cancer survivor that had cancer spread to my lymph nodes it has to be thoroughly checked out. That is how cancer has changed my life. I don’t just get to complain about getting old, or laugh off my bent over stature, I have to go get tests! Thankfully, the measures that I have taken since being tested as a BRCA carrier have paid off by reducing my risk of a new breast cancer to only 2.5%, far lower than the normal average. Yet the fear of metastasis is a real one; having had 8 of 11 lymph nodes test positive, I need to stay vigilant even after intense chemotherapy. I revisited my diagnosis with my oncologist yesterday as she wrote a p... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1443256 Wed, 14 May 2008 19:00:03 +0100 1443256 http://blog.healthtalk.com/breast-cancer/life-with-breast-cancer/does-a-great-attitude-prevent-cancer/ A cousin once told me that she wouldn’t get cancer because she was so positive and had such a great attitude about life; I wanted to punch her. She said this while my niece, 10 years old at the time was trying to overcome side the effects from six years of treatment for childhood leukemia. In addition, my father was in remission for non-Hodgkins and my mother had battled breast cancer. Did she think we were just a family of bad attitudes? Since then I have realized that it was her way of attempting to ward off cancer. She had seen a lot of it too, aunts had died from it, uncles had battled it and even her father would eventually develop a type of cancer. In a way I thought I was protected from getting cancer because I fit into the caregiver role, and certainly that meant I would be left ... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1437167 Mon, 12 May 2008 19:16:13 +0100 1437167