MedWorm provides a medical RSS filtering service. Over 6000 RSS medical sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest medical blog items that have been tagged with 'breast cancer diagnosis'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 02:31:38 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5159655&cid=t_163757_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fbattle-breast-cancer-with-the-best-research-medicine-and-doctors%2F In my family there are a number of people who are interested in and who have pursued alternative medicine. Sister knows a lot about it, and I have an aunt who has devoted her career and most of her life to exploring health food and alternative medicine and treatments. For my part, I research it extensively. While I am not professing to be an expert or even extremely knowledgeable, I am wary of any claims to curing or successfully treating cancer outside of conventional medicine. These methods are best considered as complementary treatments, and there may be excellent benefits to pursue healthful options during conventional treatment, but not by foregoing tried-and-true Western medicine. With regards to invasive breast cancer, I just do not know anyone who has been truly cured or successful... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5159655 Mon, 22 Aug 2011 20:11:25 +0100 5159655 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5140176&cid=t_163757_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Flife-after-the-battle-with-breast-cancer%2F I am in North Carolina on vacation this week. My husband and I have been enjoying leisure time fishing, exploring, and watching the sun set over the mountains. Vacation time is important to me, and even though I am a full-time student and our income is drastically reduced, I would not go without it. I can’t tell you if this is because of having been threatened by breast cancer, or because of the change in attitude towards life I experienced when my dad died. It was after his death that I realized that life was for the living, that when it was over it was over, and all the things you wanted to do wouldn’t get done. My dad didn’t live for tomorrow. He enjoyed each day as it came. He was the most patient, content person you could ever meet. When he was in the hospital before his death... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5140176 Wed, 17 Aug 2011 15:05:27 +0100 5140176 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5077966&cid=t_163757_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fyou-get-to-choose-your-doctors%2F I write often about how it is important to work with doctors you like and can trust. I was reminded of this last week when I had my four-month oncologist appointment. I love my oncologist, Dr. Khan. He has a gentle spirit, he is always cheerful, and he is always happy to see me. I spend much of the appointment asking about the chances of cancer returning and reviewing the effects of all the treatment I had. He in turn spends much of the appointment reassuring me and reminding me that although he can never say that breast cancer is completely cured, he is convinced that I will be around for a long, long time. He can be so confident because even his patients who have had cancer return or metastasize tend to live a long time with the chronic condition. Dr. Khan is very aggressive in treating ... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5077966 Thu, 28 Jul 2011 16:22:26 +0100 5077966 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5008550&cid=t_163757_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fthe-best-evidence-says-mammograms-should-begin-at-age-forty%2F There was much hoopla a few years ago over recommendations by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force to limit mammography screening to women ages 50 to 74 every other year. But there is less fanfare over new findings coming out of a study in Sweden, which suggests that regular mammograms in women ages 40 to 49 (the age group excluded by the new task force guidelines) prevented up to 30 percent of deaths from breast cancer. People, this is significant! The task force ignored studies like these ongoing in Sweden and Canada for their model, which was based on statistical data. The Swedish mammogram study spanned 29 years and included over 130,000 women. The task force’s answer to recent studies has been to recommend a baseline mammogram for women in their forties to look at breast density,... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5008550 Fri, 08 Jul 2011 14:39:24 +0100 5008550 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4853114&cid=t_163757_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fbreast-cancer-patient-not-welcomed-by-airline%2F Outrage was my initial response to the story of the woman who was turned away from a Korean Airlines flight last week because of stage 4 breast cancer. Crystal Kim wanted to fly from Seattle to her homeland of Korea after being diagnosed with terminal stage 4 breast cancer. Despite her doctor’s notes to the contrary, Korean Airlines decided she was too frail to travel and denied her boarding. The airline was following International Air Transport Association guidelines, which recommend that terminally ill passengers be evaluated by airline medical personnel before being allowed to fly. These, however, are only guidelines — and another carrier, Delta, who allowed Ms. Kim to board one of their flights, indicated that medical recommendations from doctors who knew her were enough for th... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4853114 Mon, 23 May 2011 13:44:45 +0100 4853114 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4829216&cid=t_163757_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fjudge-rules-that-mom-with-breast-cancer-cant-parent%2F I have been following the story of Alaina Giordano, the North Carolina woman whose two children (ages 5 and 11) have been removed from her care and placed in the custody of their father because she has stage 4 breast cancer. It doesn’t matter that Giordano’s cancer is under control; it doesn’t seem to concern Judge Nancy Gordon that the children’s father lives in Chicago and that she is relocating the children far from their home. It only matters that this judge feels they will do better by being with the non-ill parent. Is Judge Gordon surmising that women with breast cancer can no longer parent? Since when did breast cancer take away our ability to be a loving, caring, and responsible parent? I wanted to write about this when I first heard about it from my editor last week.... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4829216 Mon, 16 May 2011 18:18:14 +0100 4829216 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4709356&cid=t_163757_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fbeating-breast-cancer-is-like-taking-on-a-pitbull-you-dont-know-you-can-do-it-until-you-do%2F The other night my dog Dixie and I went for our usual walk around the neighborhood. We look ridiculous, since Dixie generally walks me while I hold on to her with all my might. To say she’s not well trained on a leash — after 10 years — is an understatement; however, she has me well-trained. Generally, we feel quite safe and arrive home without incident. This night was the exception. Half way through our trek, we were confronted by a pit bull loose in the neighborhood and obviously without an owner. My reaction was not what I would have expected. I quickly swooped up my little Dixie — a Jack Russell terrier — in my arms and yelled at the pit bull to go home while lunging at it aggressively. Initially, the pit bull repeatedly turned away and turned back — at least until Dixie de... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4709356 Wed, 13 Apr 2011 20:22:02 +0100 4709356 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4677040&cid=t_163757_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fnot-writing-much-longer-i-hope%2F I only learned tonight that Ann Romney, the wife of Mitt Romney, a presidential candidate wannabe, was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2008. I didn’t know that until now, but I was happy to learn that she was diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer — ductal carcinoma in situ DCIS. Technically, carcinoma in situ is a pre-cancer. My mother was diagnosed with breast cancer in situ when she was 60; she survived that and then survived lung cancer later. Women diagnosed at that early age are often considered cancer-free after a lumpectomy to remove the tiny tumor. I was not so lucky. When I was diagnosed, the cancer was invasive and had spread to several lymph nodes. That was over six years ago. I survived and I have been writing about it for five years. I never figured that I would sti... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4677040 Mon, 04 Apr 2011 15:52:09 +0100 4677040 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4592638&cid=t_163757_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fdont-be-bullied-into-treatment-youre-not-comfortable-with%2F .If you have ever been bullied, you know that you don’t realize it at first. Initially, people tend to blame themselves for how others treat them. I was bullied as a child by a group of girls, and I can tell you that your first instinct is to think it is your fault. As a new student in a new school, I was ostracized for the first few months. At eight years old, school was my whole life, so you can imagine how much the rejection of the other students affected me. It took me well into adulthood to find it easy to make new friends. Of course I am over it now, but it had a long-lasting effect. As adults we don’t call it bullying, we call it intimidating. Often we admire people who can intimidate others, regardless of the outcome. Perhaps that is why bullying has becoming epidemic among chi... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4592638 Mon, 14 Mar 2011 18:35:31 +0100 4592638 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4566298&cid=t_163757_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fkeep-copies-of-your-medical-records%2F I have a huge file with all the test results and pathology reports that pertain to my breast cancer. It was helpful for a while, especially when I met with the genetics counselor and the surgeons who did my reconstructive surgery. I even had my bone scans and x-rays for a while, when I carried them with me to Johns Hopkins in Baltimore to discuss prophylactic mastectomy and DIEP flap surgery. It was my oncologist’s secretary who carefully copied every test and made sure to give it to me as I left each office visit. She suggested I keep it nearby since it could prove helpful to have. Now it is just a huge file taking up room in my file cabinet. I seldom if ever look at it anymore, and it seems almost obsolete since losing both of my breasts. Truthfully though, just knowing that I have acc... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4566298 Wed, 09 Mar 2011 17:26:17 +0100 4566298 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4549905&cid=t_163757_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fthinking-about-breast-cancer-at-dollywood%2F I had a great week vacationing in the mountains of Tennessee. It was the first time I had been to this state, and I am in love with it. When we left for Tennessee, there was still snow in the mountains and our hope was to get some skiing in. By the time we arrived, rainstorms had washed away much of that snow, along with our goal to ski in the Smoky Mountains. But it turned out that not being able to ski didn’t detract from a wonderful time and one of our best vacations. We stayed in Gatlinburg and the surrounding area. Much of our time was spent in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park, which not only provided some of the most beautiful mountaintop views, but housed some wonderful historical sites. We were really close to Dollywood, too — that’s Dolly Parton’s theme park. The... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4549905 Fri, 04 Mar 2011 19:39:29 +0100 4549905 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4512584&cid=t_163757_136_f&fid=39212&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbahtocancer.com%2F2011%2F02%2Fbefore-it-begins%2F Last week at the hospital really reinforced for me just how scary the diagnosis stage of breast cancer is – even if the lump turns out to be a thing of nothing, the bit that gets you to there can be horrible. Also, in the last couple of weeks, I’ve had several email exchanges and conversations with people going through diagnosis, and this too has made me think about how, once you are in the realms of Actual Cancer, it’s easy to forget about how difficult the stage before was. So today, I’m going to offer you some advice if you are in possession of a lump that you’re not sure about. I hope it helps. The first thing is the most important. If you find a lump, go to your GP. Now. Cancer is like toothache or cleaning out the fridge or doing your tax return: leaving... Bah! to cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4512584 Wed, 23 Feb 2011 10:15:03 +0100 4512584 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4495383&cid=t_163757_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fpreventing-lymphedema-prior-to-treatment%2F I am worried about lymphedema. This is a condition that can develop with breast cancer treatment and involves swelling in the arm or chest after lymph nodes are removed, which clogs the flow of lymph fluid from that area. It’s something that I have been concerned about every now and then, and as I wrote earlier this week, I am aware of things I can do to prevent it. Lately though, when reading about lymphedema, it appears that it’s something we should be thinking about when we first start discussing breast cancer treatment. Surgery and radiation therapy can cause lymphedema by removing or destroying lymph nodes and vessels draining lymph fluid from the arm and chest. Lumpectomies and mapping of lymph nodes are among the techniques that doctors are using to reduce the risk of t... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4495383 Fri, 18 Feb 2011 20:47:08 +0100 4495383 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4489923&cid=t_163757_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fpink-wristbands-to-remember-a-life%2F My son, the Big Guy, has a new girlfriend. She is adorable and not just because she only comes up to his waist. She is beautiful with big dark eyes and is refreshingly direct and witty. We had the opportunity to meet her at Christmas when the Big Guy brought her by for a visit. Since then we’ve got to know her a little bit and are as taken with her as he is. When I met her, the one thing I noticed right away was the pink band she wore around her wrist. She explained that it was in memory of her dance teacher. A woman who had been a big part of her life had not only been diagnosed with breast cancer, but had died from it. It had impacted this special young woman and gave her a reason to become part of the fight against the disease. I am always surprised by people’s connection to breast... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4489923 Wed, 16 Feb 2011 21:04:37 +0100 4489923 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4464661&cid=t_163757_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fa-new-way-to-help-protect-breast-cancer-survivors%2F During one of my classes, the instructor showed a slide of a woman’s arm afflicted with lymphedema. Until then I had never seen a picture of it. The slide showed the affected arm beside the woman’s unaffected arm, and it was pretty apparent that lymphedema had swollen the arm to more than twice its size. It was the first time I had really seen what lymphedema could do. It jolted me and rekindled my fears about this condition. Having had lymph nodes removed during my mastectomy makes me a candidate for lymphedema. I make sure I tell nurses and doctors to measure my blood pressure using my other arm. When I get fatigued, I notice that my arm feels a little numb, and it reminds me that something else has been affected by breast cancer. I asked my doctor if I should get a medical alert bra... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4464661 Fri, 11 Feb 2011 21:18:31 +0100 4464661 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4455438&cid=t_163757_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fmy-new-challenge-thanks-to-breast-cancer%2F My blog has been neglected by the fact that I am in over my head. Here I am in the middle of my pursuit of a second bachelor’s degree in nursing, wondering if I can weather it through. This is tough stuff. It helps to remind myself, though, that if it was easy there wouldn’t be a nursing shortage. There is a lot of stuff to learn, but I think a nurse needs to know all of it. So I am stuck in the middle of the program feeling a little bit challenged. I felt in over my head during breast cancer treatment too. Starting with two surgeries and then 6 months of chemotherapy, there were times I wondered if I could tough it out. The truth is we have no choice, we have to go on. One thing that we must do after we have been diagnosed with breast cancer is to resolve that we will get through it. ... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4455438 Wed, 09 Feb 2011 21:03:55 +0100 4455438 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4419375&cid=t_163757_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fbe-tough-enough-to-take-care-of-yourself-through-breast-cancer%2F There was a lot of hoopla about Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler last week. During the NFC Championship game against the Green Bay Packers, Cutler hurt his knee. This game was to determine which team was going to the Super Bowl, and when Cutler seemed to check out, the victory ultimately went to Green Bay. The uproar that erupted was caused by sportswriters, fans, and even Cutler’s own teammates, who questioned his toughness and commitment to the team and wondered whether he even had an injury. Ultimately, an MRI showed that indeed Cutler had suffered a serious knee injury. This weekend, instead of apologizing, the accusers seemed to think he should have been tough enough to play the duration of the game with an injury. You are probably wondering what this story has to do with br... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4419375 Mon, 31 Jan 2011 22:08:56 +0100 4419375 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4361253&cid=t_163757_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fbreast-cancer-and-oral-contraception%2F I was diagnosed with breast cancer just eight months after I married and moved to Michigan. My husband and I agreed that raising my two boys from a previous marriage was fulfilling enough and we didn’t need — or want — to have any more children. My decision to take the birth control pill was discussed with my doctor, and of course any concerns I had about it causing breast cancer were taken into consideration. Only 20 months before my diagnosis, I had a mammogram and follow-up ultrasound that showed no signs of a tumor. You can imagine how distraught I was at being diagnosed with breast cancer but even more perplexed at how a tumor of over 2 centimeters had developed so rapidly in my right breast. My new doctor and I had no reason to suspect that the birth control pill and its increa... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4361253 Tue, 18 Jan 2011 17:53:21 +0100 4361253 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4349656&cid=t_163757_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fthe-test-i-would-insist-on-if-i-found-a-breast-tumor-now%2F When I was initially diagnosed with breast cancer, the surgeon felt that a lumpectomy would sufficiently remove the tumor. The day after surgery, my surgeon explained to me that the margins were not clear and that I would subsequently need a mastectomy which was performed two weeks later. Two things greatly concerned me — one, did the cutting through the tumor mean that cancer cells had an opening to travel into the rest of my body, and two, how aggressive would treatment have to be to deal with any of the cells that had spread? Years later I have the same concerns. I am worried that cancer cells that escaped the original tumor are lurking somewhere in my body, and I am wondering if maybe the aggressive treatment will yield new cancers or problems later in life for me. A lot of these con... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4349656 Fri, 14 Jan 2011 16:24:13 +0100 4349656 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4331194&cid=t_163757_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fhealth-care-is-not-a-right-for-breast-cancer-survivors%2F Do our representatives really think that their time is best spent trying to repeal health-care reform? After the midterm elections, I wrote a blog about breast cancer survivors not wanting another fight, but it looks like the fight is on. Does the new Republican-dominated House of Representatives truly not care that breast cancer survivors are threatened by insurance company decisions that limit or deny their coverage — or even eject them? I have been barraged with comments over the past few years from people newly diagnosed with breast cancer who can’t get coverage. They either can’t afford it or are denied for having a pre-existing condition. New reform is set to ensure that no one can be denied coverage for a pre-existing condition. Many people really do go without health insuranc... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4331194 Mon, 10 Jan 2011 20:24:32 +0100 4331194 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4322657&cid=t_163757_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Ffight-breast-cancer-with-a-theme-song%2F I have a theme song. It changes from time to time, but I always seem to have a song in my head that sticks for a while. Usually a song just comes to me and somehow I know it is my song. I know it sounds a little crazy, but when I tell people that I have a theme song, they tend to want one too. The year that I was diagnosed with breast cancer was the first year I remember having a theme song. Months before I got my diagnosis, Matchbox Twenty had a song called “Unwell” that I kept singing over and over in my head. The main refrain just seemed to be what I was feeling: “I’m not crazy, I’m just a little unwell/I know right now you can’t tell… “ I was feeling out of sorts and a little crazy. I couldn’t explain why I was so uninspired and de-motivated. When I learned I had brea... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4322657 Fri, 07 Jan 2011 19:02:43 +0100 4322657 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4259133&cid=t_163757_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fcan-you-afford-to-find-out-if-you-are-at-high-risk-for-breast-cancer%2F Let’s face it: Women who test positive for either of the genetic mutations for breast cancer have an unenviable disadvantage. According to the National Cancer Institute, breast cancer risk among the general population is about 12 percent, while about 60 percent of women with BRCA1 or BRCA2 will develop breast cancer — that’s five times the risk. Also, the average age for the general population to develop breast cancer is 60, yet the average age of onset in those with a genetic predisposition to breast cancer is in the 40s. If you are in one of these groups, you need to know it. Genetic testing is the only way to determine if you are in either of these high-risk groups. I am a huge advocate for testing since it saved Sister’s life; she had an early hysterectomy that discovered s... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4259133 Tue, 14 Dec 2010 15:16:56 +0100 4259133 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4163027&cid=t_163757_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fbreast-cancer-you-either-get-it-or-you-dont%2F I can’t remember what it felt like to have real breasts. Even though I am thrilled with the results of my recent breast reconstruction revisions, I am questioning if I will ever be truly a whole woman again. I just don’t feel normal — I feel like a breast cancer survivor — and putting a new set of breasts on my chest doesn’t make me feel like I used to. If anything, I feel even less normal. To be honest, I don’t usually think this way. These sentiments are all coming out of an experience I had a couple of days ago. I made the mistake of explaining the DIEP flap surgery I had to reconstruct my breasts to a woman that had never been through breast cancer. I have always been excited about the procedure and the results from the surgery that took my excess tummy fat and made a pair ... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4163027 Fri, 12 Nov 2010 15:48:52 +0100 4163027 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4105941&cid=t_163757_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fyou-dont-have-a-good-reason-to-avoid-a-mammogram%2F What’s your reason for not getting a mammogram? Well, whatever it is, it’s not a good one. There is no good reason to avoid regular mammograms or annual breast screening. I am hearing a lot of reasons why women have not been getting their breasts screened annually after the age of 40, and I can absolutely confirm that I haven’t heard a good one yet. Most, if not all, breast experts and cancer organizations are sticking to the original guidelines of annual mammograms after age 40. Dr. Kristi Funk confirmed this when I spoke to her recently, and the American Cancer Society, among others, continues to recommend these guidelines. Mammograms save lives: They provide the best tool for early detection, and we don’t have a better method as yet. An MRI might actually provide better insight... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4105941 Mon, 25 Oct 2010 19:12:42 +0100 4105941 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4086460&cid=t_163757_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fbe-the-manager-of-your-breast-cancer-treatment%2F Taking charge of our care after a breast cancer diagnosis is not something most people do with any great confidence. Most of us are reluctant to challenge or question our doctors’ directives. Ultimately, though, we need to get grounded and find a way to get involved. The doctors have the knowledge and experience, but we have the intuition and ultimate responsibility for our life. Becoming a manager of your health care doesn’t mean you have to have all the expertise of a physician; it simply means that you take the initiative to learn about the disease, its treatment options, and the best services available to you. It might include asking your doctor for more explicit information or seeking second opinions from other providers. It definitely means that you put some focus on learning... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4086460 Wed, 20 Oct 2010 16:35:13 +0100 4086460 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4045291&cid=t_163757_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fis-your-life-worth-the-cost-of-an-annual-mammogram%2F Driving home tonight I heard a radio ad for a local clinic that will provide mammograms for 85 dollars. Apparently, as the ad puts it, if you don’t have insurance a mammogram can cost you hundreds of dollars. The significance of a mammogram in the effort to detect breast cancer early and save lives is enormous. That makes 85 bucks a real bargain — who wouldn’t pay that amount to save their life? The sad thing is that millions of women in America don’t have insurance, and many of them can’t afford 85 dollars either. There are clinics and organizations nationwide, however, that will provide mammograms for free to women who don’t have insurance and can’t afford to pay for one. I urge anyone in this situation to call their local American Cancer Society office to inquire about fre... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4045291 Fri, 08 Oct 2010 15:57:12 +0100 4045291 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3987201&cid=t_163757_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fchest-x-rays-are-an-important-test-for-breast-cancer-survivors%2F Last week I had a chest X-ray. It is just in time because I see my oncologist this upcoming week, and she has been asking me to get one for almost 2 years. Regular chest X-rays are a part of staying vigilant after battling breast cancer. I have found some information that suggests that 60 to 70 percent of deaths from breast cancer are because the cancer metastasized to the lungs. This is too scary for me. I don’t like to think about breast cancer spreading to other organs in my body. I know, of course, that it is possible, even though I have already taken precautions, like removing my ovaries and the prophylactic mastectomy of my healthy breast. When cancer was diagnosed in my right breast, however, it had already spread to the lymph nodes. That is why early detection is so important —... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3987201 Mon, 20 Sep 2010 19:03:13 +0100 3987201 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3980976&cid=t_163757_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fcelebrate-the-story-of-your-breast-cancer-warrior%2F When I got my breast cancer diagnosis, my biggest fear was dying from cancer and not getting an opportunity to make an impact in this world. I didn’t suddenly want to be rich or famous, but I wanted to make sure that I had touched lives. What would be my legacy? How would people remember me? I thought about the shoeboxes of collected memories under my bed, and the neatly stacked file folders with interesting projects I wanted to start — would there be time, and would those memories matter to anyone else? Six years later, I have had time to put my memories on the wall and share them with my family and friends. I have been able to put my projects in perspective, and I am embarking on a new mission to get a second bachelor’s degree, this one in nursing, so I can truly be of some val... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3980976 Fri, 17 Sep 2010 14:45:07 +0100 3980976 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3885512&cid=t_163757_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fthe-good-stuff-can-outshine-a-breast-cancer-diagnosis%2F There is a Bible book in the Old Testament called Job, which tells the story of a man who had everything in life. Job was a well-respected and good person who was prosperous and had a big family. But when God allowed Satan to test Job, he lost everything, including his children. While he was sitting forlorn and discouraged, his wife — who I assume was just as adversely affected by all the loss — told him to curse God and die. I don’t blame her for her sentiment at the time. Job, however, resisted all urges to turn on God and refused to give up his faith. In the end, God restored everything to Job and more. Lately I have heard more than one person give themselves the name of Job. We are all tempted to see our particular hardship as the worst thing that could happen to anyone. A woman ... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3885512 Thu, 19 Aug 2010 15:45:18 +0100 3885512 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3823117&cid=t_163757_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fthe-benefits-of-female-friendship%2F Every year the girls get together for an up-north vacation. There are seven of us in a two-bedroom, one-bathroom cottage — and it works! Hosted by a dear friend who owns the cottage and supplies all of our needs, this yearly getaway provides lots of camaraderie, talk, and tears. It is always a treat and we have a great cook among us. This past weekend was the annual event. We spent Friday on a three-hour kayaking trip down the river. Seven middle-aged women kayaking in a line, dodging fallen trees and sandbars, provided lots of laughs and challenges. Needless to say, it also allowed us to feel no guilt curling up on couches and chairs in the large living room to watch movies and graze on tons of snacks on the rainy Saturday that followed. Our fireside chats are always fun too. We e... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3823117 Wed, 04 Aug 2010 20:01:00 +0100 3823117 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3813161&cid=t_163757_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fbreast-cancer-treatment-and-recovery-are-rights-for-all-women%2F Although breast cancer can develop in men, it is a disease that strikes at the heart of women’s rights. In my previous blog entry, I wrote about the law that protects a woman’s right to reconstruction after a mastectomy — the Women’s Health and Cancer Rights Act of 1998. I was new to America and still navigating the complex world of insurance companies with co-pays and deductibles when my mother-in-law brought me the pamphlet following my mastectomy. I was so relieved to learn that there was a law that would ensure I could feel whole again. The Women’s Health and Cancer Rights Act covers women who have lost a breast or breasts because of cancer or non-cancerous diseases. The law requires all group health insurance plans to cover: All stages of reconstruction of the breast on whi... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3813161 Mon, 02 Aug 2010 19:41:58 +0100 3813161 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3790884&cid=t_163757_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fdoes-it-matter-when-we-get-breast-cancer%2F A radio news program I heard this morning reported that a greater percentage of women today develop breast cancer under the age of sixty-one. Having gone through the treatment and aftermath of the disease as well as reading comments on this blog, I can well attest to that fact — many women who develop breast cancer these days are in their forties and fifties. We are mothers with younger children, we are in the prime of our careers, and we are not expecting to be hit with this disease. I was diagnosed with breast cancer when I was 44. It sure wasn’t anything I was expecting at that time in my life. Like a lot of people, I thought of breast cancer as a disease that only older women had to worry about. I am just getting into my fifties, and breast cancer will dog me for the rest of m... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3790884 Mon, 26 Jul 2010 18:02:22 +0100 3790884 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3780355&cid=t_163757_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fbreast-cancer-diagnosis-and-treatment-can-women-trust-it%2F2010.07.22 The news wasn’t good this week for women concerned about breast cancer. First came the story that some women were diagnosed with breast cancer, very early stage, had treatment –- including disfiguring surgery -– and then found out they never had cancer in the first place. The pathologist goofed, maybe even a second pathologist also misread the biopsies. How does this happen? Not surprisingly it comes back to the clinical experience of the doctor. Properly diagnosing breast cancer, whether through radiology scans or pathology biopsies is not always easy. And in many communities the general radiologists and pathologists just don’t have enough specialized experience. This leads to mistakes, especially when the suggestions of possible cancer are subtle and minute. (more…) ... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3780355 Thu, 22 Jul 2010 21:00:33 +0100 3780355 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3761592&cid=t_163757_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fhair-paste-for-chemo-hair%2F Yesterday I went to the salon to get my hair done for a family wedding this weekend. It reminded me that when I was at the BRCA conference earlier this summer in Toronto, I sat beside a woman whose hair had just begun to grow back — it was barely three-fourths of an inch long. She lamented that she had a wedding to go to that coming weekend and had no idea how she was going to look good with the limited amount of hair she had to work with. I recommended that she try using a hair product that my hairstylist recommended and showed me how to use when my hair began growing back. It’s a fun product called hair paste. When hair starts growing back, it isn’t quite the hairdo we were dreaming about during chemotherapy. My hair was curly and looked like I had four tufted patches on my... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3761592 Fri, 16 Jul 2010 16:03:59 +0100 3761592 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3754035&cid=t_163757_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fis-cancer-gone-or-just-waiting-to-get-me%2F Every now and then I struggle with the question of whether cancer will come back or if it is hiding inside of me and is just looking for an opportunity to plant its ugly, insidious self in some organ. I don’t understand if the cancer went away or if it is just dormant. When it comes to breast cancer no one likes to tell you that you are cured, and when the word remission is used it just sounds like the cancer has gone into hiding. Like most breast cancer survivors, I say things like “I had cancer,” or “I don’t have breast cancer anymore,” but this doesn’t speak to the actual status of cancer in my body. Some experts like to say that we all have cancer cells in our bodies — it is just a matter of whether it develops or not. I tested positive for the BRCA... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3754035 Wed, 14 Jul 2010 18:50:38 +0100 3754035 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3699665&cid=t_163757_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fwhy-does-god-allow-breast-cancer%2F As a little girl, somehow I got the impression that God was watching everything I did and would clobber me for any bad behavior. I am sure this came from a mother who wanted to instill the fear of God in me — and it worked. But in my early twenties, I developed my own relationship and understanding of God that has only grown deeper as I get older. For me, now, He is a loving father. Like many people who are diagnosed with cancer, I turned to God with questions and prayers after my breast cancer diagnosis. I didn’t think God gave me cancer, but I knew He somehow had allowed it in my life. I was comforted knowing that He would be with me through my battle against the disease. I was also convinced that He had a plan and a purpose for me to go through this trial. I know there are many who ... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3699665 Fri, 25 Jun 2010 13:32:33 +0100 3699665 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3691053&cid=t_163757_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fdid-god-give-you-breast-cancer-2%2F As a little girl, somehow I got the impression that God was watching everything I did and would clobber me for any bad behavior. I am sure this came from a mother who wanted to instill the fear of God in me — and it worked. But in my early twenties, I developed my own relationship and understanding of God that has only grown deeper as I get older. For me, now, He is a loving father. Like many people who are diagnosed with cancer, I turned to God with questions and prayers after my breast cancer diagnosis. I didn’t think God gave me cancer, but I knew He somehow had allowed it in my life. I was comforted knowing that He would be with me through my battle against the disease. I was also convinced that He had a plan and a purpose for me to go through this trial. I know there are many who ... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3691053 Wed, 23 Jun 2010 16:36:40 +0100 3691053 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3671969&cid=t_163757_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fsupport-for-the-breast-cancer-survivors-who-inspire-us%2F When a woman is diagnosed with breast cancer, it affects her home, her family, and her community. I am so grateful when I hear of organizations that benefit and support women in their fight against breast cancer. Often it is survivors themselves who start these groups that support breast cancer awareness and the needs of patients. In addition, I am inspired by the survivors in our communities and workplaces — by their tenacity and indomitable spirit — but mostly by their concern for others who also battle the disease. Today, I am grateful for a corporate initiative through Bright Starts to reward and support these inspirational survivors. Each year, Bright Starts honors and rewards eight women for their inspirational fight against breast cancer. Not only have these women persevered, th... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3671969 Thu, 17 Jun 2010 23:26:51 +0100 3671969 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3625729&cid=t_163757_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fis-a-breast-cancer-vaccine-on-the-horizon%2F The Cleveland Clinic in Ohio is vaccinating mice against breast cancer — and they are seeing some very promising results. This means that there may be a breast cancer vaccine in the foreseeable future; this is too wonderful to even hope for. The scientists working on the vaccine were able to prevent tumors from growing, but were also able to reduce the size of already growing tumors. They were able to target a protein found in most breast cancers and use it in the vaccine. Dr. Vincent Tuohy, an immunologist and the lead scientist, suggests that human studies could begin as early as next year. It will be a long process to work through FDA requirements and raise the funding for further studies in humans, but this is so promising. Dr. Tuohy was inspired by the vaccines that protect children... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3625729 Wed, 02 Jun 2010 20:37:07 +0100 3625729 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3610477&cid=t_163757_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fcelebrating-breast-cancer-survival-on-memorial-day%2F This Memorial Day weekend is a good time to celebrate surviving breast cancer. It marks the start of another great summer season that usually involves holidays and fun, and it is already a day off from work and the daily routine. Why Memorial Day? My thought was that since I may not be successful if I launch a campaign to create a national holiday to celebrate cancer survival, maybe I should just claim a ready-made national holiday. This led me to conclude that Memorial Day is probably the best choice. It isn’t a stressful holiday where you have to wrap presents or entertain for days, family often gathers, and there is plenty of food and fun — not to mention fireworks. In fact, it is the fireworks that have me sold on Memorial Day as the best choice for a national day to celeb... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3610477 Fri, 28 May 2010 16:17:49 +0100 3610477 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3589017&cid=t_163757_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fbreast-cancer-survivors-can-donate-blood%2F I have been under the completely mistaken assumption that breast cancer survivors can’t be blood donors. Somewhere, I heard that if you had been diagnosed with cancer and then also had chemotherapy, you were not eligible to give blood. I think about giving blood often and urge family members and friends to give. I have often wished that I could contribute to blood banks and drives, but truly believed that having had breast cancer eliminated me. Yesterday I decided I really didn’t know for sure and that I should look into it. On its list of eligibility requirements for blood donation, the American Red Cross states that people diagnosed with cancer can donate if the cancer was treated successfully and at least 12 months have passed with no cancer recurrence. This is a change from their p... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3589017 Fri, 21 May 2010 21:09:01 +0100 3589017 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3573894&cid=t_163757_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fa-resource-to-help-understand-health-care-reform%2F With the final outcome of health-care reform being signed into law by President Obama a few months ago, many believe the deed is done. But many others, like me, think the journey for more accessible health care for Americans has just begun. Either way, most of us are still trying to understand just what has been gained through reform that did make it into law. As breast cancer patients and survivors, we especially know how important it is to understand our health care and what is available to us and our families. I have been perusing several resources to clarify the changes to health care and the benefits to the American people. The ones that have helped me the most are the April 5, 2010 issue of Time, the May 2010 issue of Money, and a new book written by the staff of the Washington Post:... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3573894 Mon, 17 May 2010 16:39:38 +0100 3573894 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3566781&cid=t_163757_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Freducing-my-breast-cancer-risk-through-exercise%2F The American Cancer Society recommends that adults get at least 30 minutes of exercise five times a week to reduce the risk of developing cancer. They also tout the benefits of exercise to survivors of estrogen-positive breast cancer. Exercise is known to lower estrogen production, and it works for both post- and premenopausal women. With this in mind, I try to achieve the 30-minute goal each day by walking my Jack Russell terrier, Dixie. She is 9 years old and loves to sleep in, but boy does she love her walks. I also call it strength conditioning — she pulls so strongly on the leash that it is a real workout for me. Lately I have been considering adding a quick workout at the gym three times a week to my schedule. This will help me with the cancer risk, but I have to admit it is all ab... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3566781 Fri, 14 May 2010 19:22:08 +0100 3566781 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3560443&cid=t_163757_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fsomething-is-missing-from-my-reconstructed-breasts%2F A breast without a nipple is like a car without an engine — it is beautiful to look at but you can’t turn it on! I miss my real nipples. Talking to several women at the BRCA conference I attended in Toronto, many of them had the same lament. Regardless of the reconstructive procedure, we all miss the sensation we used to get from our nipples. I can’t conjure up that same feeling, and I have to honestly say sex is not the same. It is still great, don’t get me wrong, but that special effect that came from sensitive breasts is — well, regretfully gone. I have tried to view all the new changes to my body and psyche that came from breast cancer with curiosity. It compels me to research and study the effects of surgery and the drugs on my body and mind. I find it interesting ... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3560443 Wed, 12 May 2010 19:14:34 +0100 3560443 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3552507&cid=t_163757_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fcancer-and-the-environment%2F My editor sent me an article titled: “Americans are bombarded with cancer sources.” Now there is a good wake-up call. The article, which talks about a new report issued by the President’s Cancer Panel, explains that while most researchers believe that two-thirds of cancers are caused by lifestyle (not my contention of course), other factors like radon from the ground, medical imaging, and pollution play a significant role in increasing cancer incidence in the United States. This means the environment we live in. It was President Nixon who declared a war against cancer nearly 40 years ago, and we have not won it yet. The two “soldiers” in this war who released this report, Dr. LaSalle Leffall and Margaret Kripke, were appointed by George W. Bush and have been investigating carcino... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3552507 Mon, 10 May 2010 18:27:32 +0100 3552507 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3545592&cid=t_163757_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Ffight-like-a-girl%2F At the BRCA conference I attended in Toronto this week, a young woman was sporting a great t-shirt with the pink-ribbon symbol and the words “fight like a girl.” Girls really are the best fighters. I don’t mean the kind of fighting with fists or weapons, nor do I mean the kind of bullying that sadly goes on in school playgrounds. I mean the kind of fighting that changes lives. Girls will stand their ground for their rights, go to war for their children, and fight for their lives when faced with breast cancer. This kind of fighting takes tenacity, willpower, and courage. This t-shirt brought to mind the times I advocated for loved ones and especially how I became a warrior for myself. I can honestly say breast cancer brought out the warrior in me. While the conference itself was beyon... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3545592 Fri, 07 May 2010 21:11:09 +0100 3545592 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3538357&cid=t_163757_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fbreast-cancer-claims-georgy-girl-lynn-redgrave%2F This winter I wore a helmet while skiing. I was encouraged to do this because of the death last year of the beautiful actress Natasha Richardson. While taking ski lessons with her son at a resort in Montreal, she fell on the bunny hill and bumped her head; she died later from the effects of that bump. Richardson seemed so trim and in shape — I figured that it was just as easy for me to have a ski accident, since I am not so trim and in shape, and I’m a relatively new skier to boot. I thought of her a few times when I wore my helmet. My husband said I had the jazziest helmet on the hill, but that was probably because kids were the only other ones who were wearing helmets. Natasha Richardson was a member of the famous Redgrave family of actors, which included her mother Vanessa and ... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3538357 Wed, 05 May 2010 19:58:55 +0100 3538357 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3529967&cid=t_163757_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fbreast-cancer-across-the-border%2F I am in Canada visiting with family this week while waiting to attend the breast cancer conference with Sister on Wednesday in Toronto. While lounging at Sister’s this weekend, I picked up a magazine from the stack under her coffee table. It was one of Canada’s premier women’s magazines, Chatelaine. I love this magazine — my mother used to buy me a subscription every year when I lived here. As far back as I remember, Chatelaine addressed breast cancer. They would have a supplemental section a couple of times a year for Look Good, Feel Better, the Canadian Cancer Society’s self-esteem program for women going through breast cancer treatment. Actually, when I was in my twenties I questioned why they would keep reminding women that they could get breast cancer — now I applaud t... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3529967 Mon, 03 May 2010 19:59:12 +0100 3529967 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3515578&cid=t_163757_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fstaying-abreast-of-better-health-practices%2F Steven Narod, MD, is a foremost authority on BRCA cancers. I met him after my genetics team at the University of Michigan referred Sister to him in Canada. Dr. Narod is affiliated with the Women’s College Research Institute in Toronto and is what you would expect from a passionate researcher — quirky and optimistic. Sister has been proactive about her diagnosis and is involved in a study in Canada where she is tested twice yearly; she receives a mammogram in January and an MRI in May. Her goal is to keep her breasts, and aggressive monitoring will identify any sign of a breast tumor early. She also stays abreast (pun intended) of continuing research and findings regarding genetic breast cancers. A hysterectomy two years ago reduced Sister’s risk of both breast cancer and ovarian canc... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3515578 Wed, 28 Apr 2010 18:35:30 +0100 3515578 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3508394&cid=t_163757_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fwhos-really-controlling-your-health-care%2F For the past year I have been debating health-care reform on the national front at Washingtonpost.com. People in America have been so concerned about big government takeover of health care that their fears have played right into the hands of big business. The practice of targeting and cancelling policies of people diagnosed with serious and chronic illness is well documented. Last week the news agency Reuters reported that WellPoint, the country’s largest insurance agency with nearly 34 million policyholders, had cancelled the policies of at least two women diagnosed with breast cancer [Editor’s note: WellPoint has issued a statement denying these allegations]. This isn’t new — breast cancer is expensive to treat and easy to profile, so insurers know what groups of people are most ... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3508394 Mon, 26 Apr 2010 18:30:19 +0100 3508394 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3494506&cid=t_163757_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fmy-hair-is-back-and-so-is-my-vanity%2F Finally! After five years, my hair is back to where it was before I was diagnosed with breast cancer. When my hair first started growing back after chemotherapy, it was completely different than what I was expecting. It was dark and curly, and the texture was thicker than my ”real” hair. I didn’t mind it much, mostly because I was so grateful not to be bald anymore. It was also a novelty to have short, dark, curly hair when most of my adult life I had shoulder-length, blond, straight shiny hair. As my hair continued to grow, it lost the curliness and I had long wavy brown hair — this was a novelty for me too. I actually felt like a sexy, sultry brunette. What I didn’t feel was like myself. For a few years, I struggled with my appearance. I liked how I looked as a brunette, bu... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3494506 Wed, 21 Apr 2010 18:06:34 +0100 3494506 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3472003&cid=t_163757_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Ffiber-does-good-things-for-my-family%2F Fiber is big news in nutrition. Every time I look into eating better and ways to improve my health or lose weight, I find another article on fiber — and I’ve gotten a lot of great information right here on EverydayHealth.com. Lately I have been looking into claims that increasing fiber in your diet can reduce the risk of colon cancer and even other cancers, including breast cancer. I can’t confirm these claims with what I have learned so far, but I can’t imagine that it would hurt. The one thing that I can tell you for sure is that fiber has done great things for my family. My boys have grown up with whole-wheat bread in our house, and in the past few years, I have bought only cereal, crackers, and baked goods made from 100% whole-wheat flour. My husband got on the fiber b... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3472003 Wed, 14 Apr 2010 17:34:23 +0100 3472003 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3463795&cid=t_163757_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fbreast-cancer-is-the-winning-story-at-the-masters-tournament%2F In May 2009, Amy Mickelson was diagnosed with breast cancer. She has been battling the disease for the past 11 months and has been bedridden for much of that time. Amy is a mother of three children and the wife of Phil Mickelson, the winner of the 2010 Masters golf tournament. Like many people, I tuned in to watch the Masters this past weekend because Tiger Woods was playing. I am not a huge fan of Tiger’s, but like a lot of people I was disappointed when I learned of his lapse in character and integrity over the past years. I am hoping for his family’s sake that Tiger can get his career and personal commitments back on track, so I tuned in hoping to see him do well. I can relate to his wife, Elin Nordegren, since I was betrayed by my first husband in a similar way. For obvious reasons... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3463795 Mon, 12 Apr 2010 17:56:58 +0100 3463795 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3456849&cid=t_163757_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fno-one-owns-the-breast-cancer-gene-anymore%2F About 10 years ago, a cousin of mine introduced me to the Human Genome Project. He was very excited about the science and process of identifying all the human genes and their sequences. The potential for scientific and medical breakthroughs was staggering. As I got interested in the research and began to follow the project, I was appalled by the business interests involved. Specific business groups began the process of patenting some of the genetic components and findings. It would be like you owning your home and property only to find that someone else owned and had the rights to all the earth on your lot. Although companies argued that by being able to profit from their findings they could continue research and development, it is pretty obvious that individuals and stock holders would b... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3456849 Fri, 09 Apr 2010 17:23:55 +0100 3456849 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3449091&cid=t_163757_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fmartina-navratilova-faces-a-new-opponent-in-breast-cancer%2F The tennis champ Martina Navratilova announced just recently that she was diagnosed with breast cancer. It is DCIS, ductal carcinoma in situ, which is the earliest form of the disease. Ms. Navratilova has elected to have a lumpectomy followed by several weeks of radiation, which is pretty standard treatment for DCIS. But that aside, we breast cancer survivors know all too well the shock and fear Martina has had to deal with after getting this diagnosis. So much for diet and exercise preventing breast cancer, as suggested by researchers at a conference in Spain recently. Martina Navratilova has to be one of the most fit women I know of. I truly admire all her accomplishments. Like Martina, so many women really do take care of their bodies and health in every way and still get hit with this... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3449091 Wed, 07 Apr 2010 18:31:09 +0100 3449091 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3441009&cid=t_163757_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Ffight-breast-cancer-with-hope%2F “Once you choose hope, anything is possible.” I found a beautiful plaque with this quote and hung it in my bathroom. Why my bathroom? Well, that is the one place that I know most of my guests will end up visiting — and actually read what is on the wall. Hope has been a theme lately in my life. My brother-in-law and I had a discussion about it recently. He is a motivator, a businessman, and a marathon triathlete. He has established orphanages in Africa and is invited to speak at leadership conferences often. I think this makes him an expert on hope. Recently he began working with a mission in downtown Toronto serving meals to homeless people. He finds that the homeless who suffer most are the ones who truly feel hopeless. It isn’t just those who are down and out that need ho... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3441009 Mon, 05 Apr 2010 18:05:16 +0100 3441009 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3429404&cid=t_163757_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fnot-just-happy-to-be-alive-after-breast-cancer%2F Every time I reach for chocolate or order french fries, I am reminded that I need to be more vigilant about my health. When I do give in to temptation (which is pretty often), I feel guilty. Which brings up my next thought: Why do we feel guilty about doing something for ourselves that makes us feel good? I know the answer is that we should feel more compelled to make the best choices for ourselves, even if they don’t make us feel great at the time. But let’s face it — the occasional indulgence is good for the soul. Last week’s report from Europe on breast cancer being avoidable through diet and exercise does not help my case. It reawakens all the guilt many of us feel over getting breast cancer in the first place and all the questions we ask ourselves about what we may ha... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3429404 Wed, 31 Mar 2010 19:56:22 +0100 3429404 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3420717&cid=t_163757_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fbreast-cancer-and-my-unique-security-problem%2F I travel across the border between Canada and Michigan almost once a month to visit my family in Ontario. Thanks to breast cancer, I have an interesting problem — I have three pieces of ID that I use, each with a picture of me sporting a different hairdo and hair color. In this age of increased scrutiny and tighter border security, having this distinction is not a good thing. Several times I have had border officers look at my passport, then my permanent resident card (”green card”), and after noticing that I am blonde in one and brunette in another, ask for a third piece of ID. It doesn’t help that I then give them my driver’s license, which shows me with a third hair color. This happened because I got my driver’s license when I was wearing a wig during treatment for b... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3420717 Mon, 29 Mar 2010 20:39:52 +0100 3420717 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3404094&cid=t_163757_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fbreasts-get-good-ratings-and-an-uncomfortable-viewer%2F Like a lot of people in America, I tuned in to watch Dancing with the Stars Monday night. It was the premiere for the new season and a new celebrity cast. It’s really fun to watch actually. Every season I notice the outfits become more risqué and the show becomes a little less family oriented. This new season is no exception. One thing that is pretty obvious, well a lot of things actually, is the women’s breasts. I don’t know if it is intentional to show the jiggle, or if it is just because breasts get good ratings. All I know is you can’t miss them.  Maybe America’ fascination with breasts is what makes losing one to breast cancer especially difficult. I don’t want to suggest that losing a body part and battling a terrifying disease as not difficult, but losing a breast real... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3404094 Wed, 24 Mar 2010 21:19:08 +0100 3404094 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3395334&cid=t_163757_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fhealth-care-reform-a-breast-cancer-victory%2F I am sitting in my family room this Sunday evening listening to the final debate in the House of Representatives over health care reform. It is overwhelming to think that finally there will be a solution to the huge lack of accessible health care for millions of Americans. I am relieved to know that finally in America health care will be a right, and not a privilege. This is an important step in the quest for a cure for breast cancer. No matter what treatment researchers find, it won’t be a cure unless all women have access to it. Those of us that have fought and won our battle with breast cancer won’t be denied insurance for having a pre-existing condition. More women will survive breast cancer because they have screening at a critical early time; Ensuring that all women in America ca... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3395334 Mon, 22 Mar 2010 18:48:42 +0100 3395334 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3362542&cid=t_163757_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fincluding-family-in-breast-cancer-decisions%2F My son – The Big Guy – injured his knee last fall and had minor surgery to repair a torn meniscus. This is huge in his world because he is a college football player attending school on an athletic scholarship. This past week he injured his knee again and I am beside myself with worry about him, his emotions, and his future. Of course I am not at all concerned about his football, that is the least important to me, but not to him. We have different perspectives and different priorities. Truthfully though this is a minor injury and if we can get him to rest and stay off his knee this should clear on its own, but I still worry. The Big Guy is only 18 and can’t see beyond the next few years. For many of us that face breast cancer we often find that our priorities are different than our fa... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3362542 Fri, 12 Mar 2010 22:26:00 +0100 3362542 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3327250&cid=t_163757_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fbattling-breast-cancer-with-memories%2F Cancer is a family affair. One life may be affected but all lives are disrupted. When you talk to someone who had a mother or sister or wife or daughter that battled breast cancer, it is plain that they felt the pain of that diagnosis and the fear of loss. It is at those times a family needs to remember all the happy days they had. I think of all the happy days in my family’s life and am grateful that they outweigh the cancer days. Making memories becomes so important for those of us that survive cancer and realize how much those happy days we created before the diagnosis meant to us during the battle. I think this is what is fueling my need for family pictures all over the house. For the past three months I have been buying frames and photo books and even have one wall in the hallw... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3327250 Wed, 03 Mar 2010 15:34:14 +0100 3327250 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3314773&cid=t_163757_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Feveryone-deserves-a-lifetime%2F I am starting to hear ads in Michigan for the 3-day walk to end breast cancer. Many of you have written to me about your participation in this event and how rewarding it is. The one thing that I love about this year’s ad is the line at the end when the announcer says that “everybody deserves a lifetime.” I am sure that I have heard this line before, but it really hit me this week. The whole medical community, all the research and info sites like everydayhealth.com are dedicated to the premise that everyone deserves a lifetime. No one’s life should be cut short because a tumor began to grow in their breasts. The United States has a 5- year survival rate of over 90%. This is so exciting when you think about it. People are surviving the disease. My concern is how well we recover after... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3314773 Sat, 27 Feb 2010 03:36:43 +0100 3314773 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3290967&cid=t_163757_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Ftaking-inspiration-from-other-breast-cancer-survivors%2F There is a lot of transition in my life right now. I am working on new projects and my husband is refocusing his career while my boys are working on major plans of their own. During times like this, not necessarily bad times, but when I am not the one being able to predict how we will all end up, I feel agitated and overwhelmed. I am not one to back away from risk or change, but I do fantasize about going in my office covering myself with a blanket and sitting under the desk until everything works out. Sounds crazy, but I’ve come a long way from when I used to imagine locking myself in the closet. I didn’t have these feelings when I was diagnosed with breast cancer. I really am a fighter. Show me injustice and I’ll speak up, pick on my friend and you pick on me. Take on o... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3290967 Fri, 19 Feb 2010 20:22:33 +0100 3290967 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3283785&cid=t_163757_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fis-it-seasonal-affective-disorder-or-breast-cancer-depression%2F It’s snowing today. Well, it is Michigan. I keep asking my husband, ‘What self-respecting Canadian (me) moves south of the border and stops in Michigan?’ I grew up in northern Ontario where it snowed a lot more than Michigan. The difference in the winter weather between the two places is huge though. In the little city where I grew up we had tons of snow, but we also got a lot of sunshine. The sun shone almost every day in the winter, so much so that our city was called the sunshine capitol of the North. It made for a fun winter. Even though I had a great weekend skiing in the north part of Michigan and we haven’t had near the snow we had last year, I am finding the gloomy winter almost unbearable this year. Usually I muddle through but I have to say that I am battl... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3283785 Wed, 17 Feb 2010 23:08:07 +0100 3283785 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3189351&cid=t_163757_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fcancer-patients-need-treatment-but-that-doesnt-mean-we-trust-it%2F There is no way to express the horror I feel over the devastation and human suffering caused by the earthquake in Haiti. It is beyond understanding how these people are coping in the midst of this. I watched the news with real heartbreak as some Haitians refused to eat rations provided off of trucks. One individual took the package and started telling everyone not to eat it as the date said it was expired. People started rejecting the packaged food and throwing it on the ground as the truck drove off. Others chased after the truck begging them to provide more. As friends and family expressed their dismay at this scene, I began to comprehend. Imagine people desperate for food receiving something as foreign to them as a small package of nutrition. There could have been mistrust. Remember, Ha... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3189351 Tue, 19 Jan 2010 18:39:02 +0100 3189351 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3105248&cid=t_163757_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fmemorials-to-the-battle-with-breast-cancer%2F Almost all breast cancer survivors can remember where they were, the day and the time when they heard the words “you have breast cancer.” Lately I haven’t thought about this very much, but the other day I drove by the building that housed the clinic where my doctor was, and where I was the day she told me I had breast cancer. But, this is Michigan and now that building like many others here is empty and for lease. That morning, (the one when I heard “those” words) I dropped my husband off at the airport which is only about three miles from the doctor’s office. He had to take a flight at 11:00 and my doctor’s appointment was at the same time. He had to be away for work and though he wanted to be at my appointment I made it clear he needed to go and that I would be ... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3105248 Fri, 18 Dec 2009 20:52:13 +0100 3105248 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3012585&cid=t_163757_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fpanel-recommendations-on-breast-cancer-not-popular%2F There is a lot of discussion about the newly released guidelines for mammogram screening for breast cancer. We got hundreds of comments on the last blog I wrote about these guidelines just after they were released Monday. They recommend that the age of women receiving annual mammograms should be moved to 50 from 40 and only done bi-annually. It seems we may not see these guidelines enacted. This turnabout from federal agencies came after a huge outcry. If you read through even a few of the comments posted to my blog on the issue, you can see why. These comments are about peoples’ lives. It is their story about their battle with breast cancer. Many wrote about sisters or mothers or wives who lost their life to the disease. It is apparent that breast cancer has impacted not just the one wi... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3012585 Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:26:57 +0100 3012585 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2927526&cid=t_163757_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fconnecting-women-to-breast-cancer-trials%2F I am continually amazed at the power people have – regular people like you and me – to affect the battle against breast cancer. Recently a wonderful organization and Web site was brought to my attention. BreastCancerTrials.org is a non-profit organization that was started by two women just like us that had been diagnosed with breast cancer. Joan Schreiner experienced how difficult it was to find a trial that could help her battle with the disease and envisioned a service that could help others find trials and research studies that could benefit them. Joanne Tyler shared her vision and together these women found sponsors to help them build an organization and develop the Web site. They came up with a wonderful Web site that is interactive and user friendly. It allows you to post your in... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2927526 Mon, 26 Oct 2009 16:18:06 +0100 2927526 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2920446&cid=t_163757_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fdr-kristi-funk-on-breast-cancer-and-genetic-testing%2F I was so blessed to get some time to talk with Dr. Kristi Funk in a phone interview. In my last blog I shared the first part of our interview when I asked her about choosing a lumpectomy over a mastectomy. While she was willing to put forth her thoughts on my questions, Dr. Funk is very supportive of her profession as a whole, indicating that a woman needs to discuss all her options with her own surgeon. Genetic testing for the BRCA gene mutation is one of the biggest advancements recently that we have made in the battle against breast cancer in my mind. So this was definitely an issue I wanted to explore further with Dr. Funk. I know that genetic testing is now being examined by oncologists to help determine the types of treatment to prescribe for a patient with breast cancer, but I wante... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2920446 Fri, 23 Oct 2009 15:49:29 +0100 2920446 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2901809&cid=t_163757_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fdr-kristi-funk-a-true-soldier-in-the-war-against-breast-cancer%2F There are a lot of commendable efforts and a number of special people involved in making a difference in the war against breast cancer. This October I wanted to highlight some of those efforts and at least one of those special people. When I heard about Dr. Funk, I knew I had to get to know more about her. You can’t help but notice that Dr. Kristi Funk is a beautiful woman. You only notice that for an instant though because the moment she starts talking you realize she is a brilliant doctor passionate about battling breast cancer. She is someone I want in my army! Fortunately, Dr. Funk has placed herself in the front lines of the army against breast cancer for all of us. She founded Pink Lotus Medical Center in Beverly Hills which has the distinction of being a women’s medical ... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2901809 Fri, 16 Oct 2009 17:26:34 +0100 2901809 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2886685&cid=t_163757_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fhope-never-dies%2F We celebrated the arrival of my niece’s daughter into the world this weekend. Sister and I have 5 kids between us and the youngest is The Big Guy (my son) at eighteen. It has been eighteen years since the birth of the last baby in our family. This is pretty exciting. It is made more exciting by the fact that as a childhood leukemia survivor, Nicole my niece, was told she may never have children. The birth of this little girl is a reminder that hope is alive. I think of all the women who face a breast cancer diagnosis with real hope. We hope it hasn’t spread. We hope treatment will arrest it. We hope we have beaten it once and for all. Our hope is real and it sustains us. I think too of those who hoped to survive breast cancer and didn’t. I am awed that even then hope neve... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2886685 Mon, 12 Oct 2009 16:08:36 +0100 2886685 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2879758&cid=t_163757_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fbig-pink-bus-battles-breast-cancer%2F Because of my blog a lot of people contact me to tell me about their efforts to promote breast cancer awareness or other initiatives to battle breast cancer. Actually most of them are worthwhile. I am always amazed by the devotion and dedication people have in helping others. I am even more amazed when I hear about a story like the one that was on my local news today. A woman in her 40’s was diagnosed with breast cancer just after leaving her job. She had no health care and no income. She actually did some research to look for a place she could go to die; there was no way that she was going to be able to afford treatment. With a little help from her local cancer society, she found a program that treated women with cervical or breast cancer that had no health insurance, it saved her l... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2879758 Fri, 09 Oct 2009 17:39:52 +0100 2879758 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2865882&cid=t_163757_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fthe-nfl-goes-pink-for-breast-cancer-awareness-month%2F Number 10 on the Pittsberg Steelers football team wore pink cleats during Sunday night Football so did the quarterback, Ben Rothlesberger. Some of the players on other teams wore pink shoes today too. Coaches on the sidelines had baseball caps with pink beaks. Many players in the NFL wore pink gloves and pink arm bands and used pink towels on the bench. A couple of players even had pink socks on, but they all had a pink ribbon on their helmet. NBC went as far as to post tag lines on the television screen in pink while commentators of most networks broadcasting games wore pink ties. The NFL went pink this weekend for Breast Cancer Awareness month. Big bruising basher football players looking mighty pretty in pink. Some of them did it for their moms, some for their girlfriends or wives but a... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2865882 Mon, 05 Oct 2009 22:22:02 +0100 2865882 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2857563&cid=t_163757_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fbra-shopping-after-breast-cancer-isnt-the-same%2F My favorite bra is black. It’s not my favorite because it’s black or because it has lace or anything like that, it is because I like the way it makes my breasts feel and look in my sweaters. I couldn’t find that bra in another color, so my favorite bra is black. I got my first bra when I was 12 years old, long before I needed one, and ever since I thought bras were so pretty. I loved shopping for lingerie and especially looking at the varieties of colors and styles of bras. Buying intimate apparel used to be a real favorite excursion. Now shopping for lingerie and especially bras is something I avoid. I didn’t realize that until I thought about the fact that my favorite bra is black and that I should look for another one. Then it occurred to me that I wasn’t t... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2857563 Fri, 02 Oct 2009 21:07:39 +0100 2857563 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2834445&cid=t_163757_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fseventeenth-century-women-and-breast-cancer%2F Several years ago I visited the Detroit Art Institute. It was a date with my husband when he was still my boyfriend, even before he was my fiancee. My husband made a great boyfriend. This visit to the museum made a real impact on me for a number of reasons, for one it was the first time I saw an original Van Gogh. I’ll never forget however the group of teenage girls touring the institute with an older woman whom I assumed was their teacher. They were in the room of renaissance paintings which had a beautiful almost life size portrait of a nude woman reclining on a chaise. The portrait was stunning and so was the woman. Women of that time, in paintings anyway, were usually depicted, like her, full figured with round tummies and full firm breasts. The teacher of the group of girls ruin... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2834445 Fri, 25 Sep 2009 19:25:39 +0100 2834445 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2828432&cid=t_163757_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fgenetic-testing-for-cancer-could-save-your-life%2F I think it is great that there are Web sites and organizations dedicated to making everyone aware of the genetic risk for breast cancer. Being aware is not enough though. People need access to the test. Unfortunately many insurance companies have stringent rules as to who gets tested. At over $3,000.00 a pop I’m sure they’re just trying to save a little money; they are a business after all. And, at over $3,000.00 a pop, most people who are denied the test by their insurance carrier or don’t have insurance coverage can’t afford it. This is sad, this test can save lives, in fact, this test can save a whole family. It made the difference for my family. I tested positive, which got Sister to get the test, when she tested positive her oldest daughter Nicole got the test.... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2828432 Thu, 24 Sep 2009 18:14:17 +0100 2828432 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2820557&cid=t_163757_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fnaively-thinking-that-breast-cancer-wont-change-who-you-are%2F I was adamant that I wasn’t going to let breast cancer change me. It wasn’t going to affect my life and it sure wasn’t going to have any lasting effect. That just wasn’t going to happen in my world. I soon learned how wrong I was. Not being impacted proved not to be possible. The life changing outcome that came with a breast cancer diagnosis has been a theme coursing through many of my blogs over these past years. I am changed, my life has changed, there is no going back. I have been thinking lately though that it wasn’t breast cancer that had the power to change me, but rather it was finding my own seat of strength and power that transformed me and affected my life. I discovered that I could rise to the challenge that came with treatment. I was able to overco... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2820557 Mon, 21 Sep 2009 21:00:08 +0100 2820557 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2809864&cid=t_163757_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fthe-chicken-catcher-vsthe-opera-singer-and-cancer-survivor%2F Kudos to the winner of America’s Got Talent, but I’m not sure he deserved to win. His talent was marginal at best, so I have to say that people were swayed by his story. An unemployed chicken catcher with a family to support who sang to his wife was America’s choice to win the million dollar prize and a show in Vegas. It seems the sister dance team or the over-the-top percussion team would make a greater show in Vegas, but Americans weren’t going for that. It even appeared that America was going to select the remarkably talented opera singer who had overcome cancer when the final two stood side by side. But no, America wanted the chicken catcher. Isn’t that how it goes sometimes? You know how it should be, you sense what would make a better story, but it doesn... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2809864 Fri, 18 Sep 2009 20:43:09 +0100 2809864 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2778655&cid=t_163757_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fbreast-cancer-wall-of-honor-post-your-thoughts-and-memorials-here%2F Beneath every breast cancer diagnosis is a beating courageous heart. Breast cancer has proven it does not discriminate based on race, class, intelligence, beauty or even gender. It strikes at our home, our community and doesn’t spare our loved ones. Whether ourselves, a friend, a colleague or family member, we feel the heartache and pain that comes with the disease. As often as breast cancer wields its hideous reality in someone’s life, just as often that person rises to the challenge and inspires us beyond the heartache. There are over 2.5 million breast cancer survivors in America. Women who have fought the good fight and have won. There are precious souls too who have fought the battle and have lost but they are no less special in the memories of those who loved them. In tru... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2778655 Wed, 09 Sep 2009 16:08:21 +0100 2778655 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2758066&cid=t_163757_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fted-kennedy-another-casualty-of-the-war-on-cancer%2F This past August has proven to be the deadliest month in the entire war in Afghanistan, but still there is no comparison to the casualties from another war that America has been fighting for almost 40 years; the war on cancer. Since 1971 when president Nixon declared war on cancer we have seen better and more effective treatments, we have seen less people dying from the disease and others living longer than was initially expected. What we have not seen is a cure. We have even forgotten that we are still at war. We lost a champion for universal health care and a man who worked to initiate the war on cancer when Senator Ted Kennedy died last week. He especially understood how this war was continuing to rage and found himself in the midst of battle when he was diagnosed with an incurable brai... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2758066 Tue, 01 Sep 2009 21:38:04 +0100 2758066 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2725221&cid=t_163757_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fgenetic-counseling-and-its-influence-on-breast-cancer-decisions%2F Genetic counseling was a choice I made.  I decided to have genetic counseling to determine if I had a genetic predisposition to breast cancer; it was in conjunction with my decision to have reconstructive surgery. My oncologist and I were discussing the options available to reconstruct the breast that had been removed. After having a breast cancer diagnosis I had questions as to whether I should consider prophylactic removal of my other breast to reduce the risk of breast cancer in my remaining breast. He was aware of the other cancers in my family and so suggested that genetic counseling could help me determine the risk for another breast cancer diagnosis. Testing positive for the BRCA II gene mutation created new issues. How my sister would be affected, her girls and my children was the... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2725221 Fri, 21 Aug 2009 21:46:29 +0100 2725221 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2699856&cid=t_163757_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fthe-anticipation-of-a-breast-cancer-diagnosis%2F This past weekend we invited my in-laws for Sunday dinner. I have the best mother and father-in law in the world. I love them dearly and hadn’t seen them since my father-in-law’s 90th birthday at the end of June. When their expected time of arrival passed and we didn’t hear from them I started to worry. After they appeared to be more than a half hour late I was really concerned. When they finally showed up at the door over an hour and a half past when I expected them, I was so relieved. Turns out they were delayed by construction and traffic which I hadn’t expected on a Sunday. The afternoon went terrifically and we had a great time with them as usual. Waiting with concerned anticipation before they showed reminded me of all the times I waited with  the same antici... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2699856 Thu, 13 Aug 2009 16:14:58 +0100 2699856 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2630337&cid=t_163757_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fexplaining-hereditary-cancer-to-your-children%2F Yesterday my youngest son, “The Big Guy,” asked me if the cancer I had ran in the family. He is only 18 so we have not alarmed him about the possibility that he could test positive for the BRCA 2 gene mutation for breast cancer. Since Sister and I inherited it from my Dad, there is the possibility that my future grandchildren can inherit it from my sons. My niece Nicole tested positive and is expecting her first child, her younger sister refuses to get tested. I hadn’t expected the question, so I answered as best I could telling him that as he gets older we will get him tested and I would like to start him on a vitamin regime to ensure he has a strong immune system. He could develop prostate or breast cancer if he is predisposed with the gene mutation. It reminds me why w... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2630337 Wed, 22 Jul 2009 22:16:34 +0100 2630337 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2614045&cid=t_163757_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fbreast-cancer-isnt-always-just-about-you%2F When I was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2003, I was newly married and had just relocated to a new country. My mother was battling lung cancer and my eldest son was going through intense issues of his own. My having breast cancer just made everyone mad. My mother was mad because I couldn’t be there for her, my youngest son was mad because I couldn’t spend time with him like he needed to get used to his new home. My eldest son was mad because that was his thing at the time and my husband was just mad. It seemed that breast cancer wasn’t about me, it was about how it affected their lives. Today it is evident that my family is still rebuilding after the cancer bomb. My youngest son is still a little resentful of time missed with mom and my husband needs extra attention. My... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2614045 Fri, 17 Jul 2009 21:25:04 +0100 2614045 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2606193&cid=t_163757_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fthe-power-of-hope-to-fight-breast-cancer%2F When you are given a breast cancer diagnosis you immediately realize that your world has been changed. The one thing that gives us the power to go on is hope. We hope that the cancer was caught early. We hope that the doctor will get all the cancer when he does the surgery and we hope that the cancer hasn’t spread. Hope is a powerful thing. It keeps us searching for answers and fixes our eyes on the future. Hope is the seed that faith grows on. Faith is believing that we have what we hope for. Faith is unshakable trust in the outcome, but faith doesn’t grow without hope. A lot of people that get depressed during treatment have given up hope. The sick feelings and drudgery of chemotherapy and radiation can have that effect. That is when we need support from other people. Finding... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2606193 Wed, 15 Jul 2009 20:59:06 +0100 2606193 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2584364&cid=t_163757_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fdepression-and-tamoxifen-what-you-need-to-know%2F Depression is a condition that many women develop either during or after treatment for breast cancer. It is often serious and usually cannot be ignored or told to go away. It is something you need to discuss with your doctor if it is prolonged and/or interfering with the quality of your life. In past years there also has been some concern about women who take antidepressants and the effect these drugs might have on breast cancer recurrence. I wrote about this in 2007 after a study indicated that women on antidepressants had an increased risk for breast cancer and that there were some findings that antidepressants might interfere with the efficacy of tamoxifen, a highly prescribed drug designed to lower estrogen levels and reduce the risk of breast cancer recurrence. According to Dr. Ed Zim... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2584364 Wed, 08 Jul 2009 18:57:39 +0100 2584364 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2556324&cid=t_163757_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fwhen-do-you-quit-the-fight-against-cancer%2F “You are not finished when you lose, you are finished when you quit.” That is a quote that has stuck with me for years, but I can’t tell you where it comes from. It is timely as I think about the death of Farrah Fawcett. Farrah may have lost her battle with cancer, but she never quit. During high school, all the girls wanted to look like Farrah. Some of the girls succeeded in copying her tousled locks, and some of them - like me - didn’t no matter how hard we worked at it. Then at college, almost 4 out of 5 guys had her poster on their wall. She was an icon for my generation and so it is disturbing to lose her to a horrible bout with cancer. Her battle with anal cancer is well known and also well documented by Farrah herself in a documentary she worked on during h... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2556324 Mon, 29 Jun 2009 19:24:20 +0100 2556324 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2528111&cid=t_163757_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fmy-trick-for-not-worrying-about-cancer-recurrence%2F No one gives you a warranty after breast cancer treatment and tells you you’re cured. Personally I don’t think very much about a breast cancer recurrence. It does come to mind now and then, but it doesn’t worry me much and for that I am grateful; I have enough to worry about. I know it is something that is possible and I also know that many breast cancer survivors worry about this a lot. Their fear isn’t unfounded, but neither should it be all consuming. Chances are you will not get another bout of breast cancer. The part I don’t like is that no one and nothing can guarantee that. So we worry. Some of us a lot and some of us a little. We can get statistics from our doctor of our risk and we can also try to compare ourselves with other women who have battled th... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2528111 Fri, 26 Jun 2009 18:54:49 +0100 2528111 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2512828&cid=t_163757_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Freaching-milestones-after-breast-cancer%2F Another significant milestone in my life has been reached. Last Friday I had my 50th birthday! I share my birthday with my husband, who is a couple of years older, but having been born on the same day assures me that he won’t ever forget it. For breast cancer survivors decade birthdays like this one really do mean something, we cherish each year after our diagnosis and generally don’t take them for granted. To mark my new decade I have finally decided on staying blonde and will soon have a new picture on my blog to show the new (and older) me. My updated photo I don’t feel any different than I did last year and last year I didn’t feel like I was as old as 49. Women have come a long way and I think we age a lot different than our mothers did. I do have to admit though that my mom h... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2512828 Wed, 17 Jun 2009 20:50:32 +0100 2512828 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2474084&cid=t_163757_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fa-pat-on-the-back-for-breast-cancer-survivors%2F Wow! What a whirlwind time for me. The Big Guy just went thorough his graduation week. It started May 29 with his prom. He had a date and wore a white tuxedo. Then he had the honors convocation where he got to wear a satin striped collar, white cord and white tassel instead of the school colors. We credit Bobby his stepdad with getting him to study and ultimately graduate with honors, I am one of those moms that is charmed with crayons and construction paper so not a big help in pushing for better grades. Then he had an athletic banquet where he was awarded all area first team for discus throwing. On Saturday we sat through the pomp and ceremony of the main convocation where again he wore the white tassel and special get-up and finally finished the whole shebang with a graduation celebrati... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2474084 Sun, 14 Jun 2009 05:05:11 +0100 2474084 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2442582&cid=t_163757_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Freactions-to-cancer-and-focusing-on-a-cure%2F Cancer grows in healthy bodies. That is why it sometimes takes a long time before it is found. Cancer cells can be hiding and waiting to blossom and we don’t even know it. I didn’t smoke or drink and I got plenty of sleep and tried to eat healthy. I buckled my seat belt when I was in a car as a passenger or driver and took vitamins. Cancer had no right choosing my body.  Some of us feel that way and others berate themselves for not being more mindful of how they were treating their bodies. Either way, cancer is like a terrorist working its insidious devious plan while we go about our lives unaware. We know that keeping our weight down helps reduce the risk for breast cancer. We know that eating less meat and avoiding alcohol also helps reduce our risk. Outside of that, we don’t know... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2442582 Wed, 20 May 2009 18:53:09 +0100 2442582 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2442583&cid=t_163757_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fno-regrets-about-my-breast-reconstruction%2F Breast reconstruction is a huge part of the decision many survivors make when deciding on mastectomy or lumpectomy. I had a mastectomy and then a year and a half later had reconstruction. The DIEP flap surgery that I had that involved removal of the healthy breast and replacing both with tissue from my tummy has proven over time to have been a great decision for me. I love that I have real breast lumps and that I look and feel normal. With summer coming I, like many women, am reassessing my body which includes yet another attempt to take off those pounds that crept on over the long, long winter in Michigan. This year though I am really motivated to get the final touches done to my breast reconstruction. I still need nipples and areolas. A final reshaping of one breast is required too but I... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2442583 Mon, 18 May 2009 20:58:15 +0100 2442583 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2415731&cid=t_163757_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fno-regrest-about-my-breast-reconstruction%2F Breast reconstruction is a huge part of the decision many survivors make when deciding on mastectomy or lumpectomy. I had a mastectomy and then a year and a half later had reconstruction. The DIEP flap surgery that I had that involved removal of the healthy breast and replacing both with tissue from my tummy has proven over time to have been a great decision for me. I love that I have real breast lumps and that I look and feel normal. With summer coming I, like many women, am reassessing my body which includes yet another attempt to take off those pounds that crept on over the long, long winter in Michigan. This year though I am really motivated to get the final touches done to my breast reconstruction. I still need nipples and areolas. A final reshaping of one breast is required too but I... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2415731 Mon, 18 May 2009 20:58:15 +0100 2415731 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2349546&cid=t_163757_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fwhat-has-breast-cancer-taught-you%2F Several years ago I saw a sign in a store that has stuck with me. It read: Hire a teenager while they still know it all! I have one of those in my house – the teenager- not the sign and it is so true. Teenagers really do think they know it all. To some extent I’m sure that was me at 44 years old when I was diagnosed with breast cancer. I really did think I had a grasp on what I needed to know to achieve my goals and live out my life. A breast cancer diagnosis sure brought to light some things I really needed to know and didn’t. What I learned from breast cancer: I learned that there are not a million tomorrows I learned that I can’t control what happens tomorrow I learned that I love people more than things I learned that success has more to do with the love I give than the money I... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2349546 Wed, 15 Apr 2009 16:37:08 +0100 2349546 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2367360&cid=t_163757_86_f&fid=36669&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffadelibrary.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F04%2F15%2Fadvanced-breast-cancer-diagnosis-and-treatment%2F Title: Advanced breast cancer: diagnosis and treatment Source: NICE The Skinny: Updates and replaces NICE technology appraisal guidance 62 (published May 2003), 54 (published December 2002) and 30 (published September 2001). The advice in the NICE guideline describes the tests, treatment, care and support that patients with advanced breast cancer should be offered. It does not specifically describe the care of patients with early breast cancer or those with rare or non-cancerous tumours of the breast. Documents For healthcare professionals: CG81 Advanced breast cancer: NICE guideline (26p, 222.55 Kb) CG81 Advanced breast cancer: NICE guideline (MS Word format) (26p, 586 Kb) CG81 Advanced breast cancer: full guideline (122p, 3.03 Mb) CG81 Advanced breast cancer: quick reference guide (14p... Fade Library blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2367360 Wed, 15 Apr 2009 09:34:41 +0100 2367360 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2349547&cid=t_163757_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Futilizing-facebook-after-a-breast-cancer-diagnosis%2F A couple of months ago I set up an account on Facebook.com at the suggestion of my editor for this blog.  It’s a network for sharing your life with others and keeping in touch with friends and acquaintances. This was fun, but I have to say it was also a bit of a shock to me. I thought that I was being really progressive for my generation and social group, so I was shocked to find that many of my friends already had themselves on Facebook. Sister was even on Facebook and hadn’t told me! Anyway, what a great way to keep your friends up to date with your life and do a little bragging. I posted ski pictures and I put my kid, the big guy, on there and I also posted a link to my blog here at Everyday Health. Last week I posted pictures from my niece’s wedding; what a convenience. So I was... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2349547 Mon, 13 Apr 2009 17:11:52 +0100 2349547 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2326675&cid=t_163757_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fmichelle-obama%25e2%2580%2599s-gaffe-teaches-us-to-extend-grace%2F I love the story about a European Queen that invited the horticultural society to a luncheon. Because her gardener had worked so hard in creating a beautiful royal garden, the queen also invited him to join them. Everyone showed up in finery and jewels while the gardener who wore his best was obviously ill dressed for the occasion. As they sat down at the table a tiny bowl with warm water and a slice of lemon was placed beside each plate. With calloused and dirt stained hands the gardener immediately grasped the bowl and started to drink from it. Everyone gasped and a few snickered when they realized that he had drank from the finger bowl provided to wash their hands between courses. The queen in order to cover the embarrassment of the gardener also picked up her bowl with both hands and d... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2326675 Wed, 08 Apr 2009 16:24:17 +0100 2326675 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2326676&cid=t_163757_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Ffighting-for-the-breasts-of-the-future%2F We celebrated a family wedding this weekend. It was so wonderful to see my oldest niece Nicole marry a terrific young man. This is especially joyous for us as Nicole survived childhood leukemia and was recently diagnosed with the BRCA II gene mutation. This is the beginning of a new life for her and cancer can’t stop it. Her plan is to have her children before the age of thirty as recommended by her doctors so that she can then review her options to reduce her risk of breast cancer. It is a huge burden for this young woman to carry as she begins her new life. I wrote last week about Congresswoman Wasserman Schultz who at 42 battled breast cancer and is now putting her efforts towards educating younger women about their risk of breast cancer. Our own Suzette Lipscomb battled breast cancer... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2326676 Mon, 06 Apr 2009 20:48:04 +0100 2326676 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2299174&cid=t_163757_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fkeeping-breast-cancer-a-secret%2F I was diagnosed with breast cancer in August of 2003 and started a new job the end of September, only five days after having a mastectomy. I told my manager about the breast cancer when I was offered the job as I knew that my first six months of work would also be the same six months of grueling chemotherapy.  When chemotherapy started in October and I showed up with a wig to cover my bald head, my coworkers applauded me on the new look. At that time none of them knew about the breast cancer and I asked my manager not to tell. Perhaps it was too big a secret for her; I discovered that she had told many of my coworkers one at a time. Why I wanted to hide the fact that I had breast cancer is something I can’t say for sure. I think it made me feel empowered over the disease. I was also for... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2299174 Wed, 01 Apr 2009 16:04:20 +0100 2299174 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2299186&cid=t_163757_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fdo-big-bonuses-and-greed-influence-cancer-research%2F I noticed a pink cap and ribbon adorning a pop bottle the other day. The label announced that funds were being donated to the Susan G. Komen organization to find a cure. Over the weekend I have been wondering how that’s been going for them. Susan G. Komen has been raising funds from huge corporations through consumer marketing for several years but I haven’t heard of any breakthroughs for a cure. The American Cancer Society is also working diligently to find funds for the cure as are many other wonderful groups. I don’t blame the organizations of course, but I wonder what everyone is up to? Are there scientists that are locked away in underground laboratories on the verge of uncovering a cure? Are learning institutions and hospitals wheeling in barrels full of money to ensure that fi... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2299186 Mon, 23 Mar 2009 17:30:57 +0100 2299186 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2277205&cid=t_163757_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fa-breast-cancer-diagnosis-always-means-a-chance%2F The other day, we suffered a huge tragedy in our area of Michigan. Four teens aged 16 to 19 were in a car waiting at red light when they were plowed into by a speeding car. The drunk driver behind the wheel of the car that hit them escaped with mild injuries while all four teens were killed. Being a mother of a 17 year old and a 20 year old, I have to say that this has really affected me. Frankly it has affected most everyone in Metro Detroit.  These kids were on their way to a Pizza Hut at eight o’clock at night, following all the rules of the road as well as the ones laid out by their parents. In a sense they were sitting ducks with no warning of what was headed their way. It would be easy to equate this somehow with being hit with a cancer diagnosis out of the blue. The truth is ... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2277205 Thu, 19 Mar 2009 16:32:16 +0100 2277205 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2277206&cid=t_163757_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fhow-to-get-a-mammogram-if-you-cant-afford-one%2F My husband and I really enjoy grocery shopping together. Yesterday we spent some time going through our huge supermarket and kept adjusting our meal plans based on some of the high prices and choosing sale items instead. A lot of American families are doing this right now. Fortunately, our main chain originates in Michigan and is trying to accommodate the shrinking budgets of families here. Trying to balance food, bills, utilities and health costs for a family is placing huge strain on households throughout the nation. Not many household budgets today include screening for a mammogram. I think a lot of women are forgoing important tests so they can feed their kids, and you can’t blame them. I had to rethink my blog of Friday urging everyone to tell someone to get a mammogram. It occurred... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2277206 Mon, 16 Mar 2009 20:06:41 +0100 2277206 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2260470&cid=t_163757_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fget-a-mammogram-or-tell-someone-else-to%2F What are you doing today? Sitting at a desk at work? Hanging out with the kids? Meeting a friend for lunch? I had a dear friend that I would meet to have coffee with every couple of weeks and inevitably we would discuss the importance of women having routine mammograms. This was in Toronto before I moved to the States, so it was in everybody’s lifestyle to have routine check ups and mammograms – but that’s another blog topic altogether. So, ironically both of us have been diagnosed with and battled breast cancer since our coffee chats. Vigilance doesn’t keep breast cancer away; it just lets you know it’s around. I’m thinking about this as I am celebrating the wonderful women in my life. I love all my friends and some I haven’t even met face to face yet, we’re just cyber and... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2260470 Fri, 13 Mar 2009 21:02:11 +0100 2260470 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2260472&cid=t_163757_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fbarbie-and-the-breast%2F Barbie turns 50 this week. I think we all know who she is. I got my first Barbie Doll when I was 5 years old. I played with Barbies until I was 12, I even learned to sew by making outfits for her. At least I don’t have to search very far to determine the source of  the misguided self image I grew up with. I thought to be beautiful you had to have long legs, a tiny waist, no rear and big breasts. Imagine how many young women suffered brain damage trying to morph into a doll that was created in a toy factory. Now we learn that she was modeled after a German sex doll – go figure. Truthfully though, breasts are beautiful. I never thought of mine that way until after I had two children. I was one of those women whose breasts got better after childbirth, not worse. I went from an A cup to a... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2260472 Wed, 11 Mar 2009 19:41:23 +0100 2260472 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2260473&cid=t_163757_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Ffear-of-breast-cancer-and-the-courage-to-fight-it%2F I was in Virginia this past week on a ski vacation and somehow ended up at the top of the longest and most difficult hill for my first run. The bright orange signs lining the entrance to the ski lift that said “experts only” should have been my first clue. I am not an overconfident skier, I am a beginner. My husband however who has extensive experience skiing thought that my overcautious approach and slower pace would allow me to handle this ski hill just fine. Once I got to the top of the hill, I learned quickly the difference between being fearless and being courageous. I had to get to the bottom of the hill, but it wasn’t going to be without great fear and trepidation. I was courageous enough however to suck it up and show great spirit in taking the initiative to get down. I later... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2260473 Mon, 09 Mar 2009 17:10:09 +0100 2260473 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2260479&cid=t_163757_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Freally-living-after-breast-cancer%2F In the spirit of trying new things and embracing change after breast cancer, I have decided to take up skiing. Actually besides the beautiful treasure box that my son gave me, ski equipment from my husband has proven to be one of the best gifts I have ever received in my life. In fact, I have been skiing several times since Christmas and surprisingly I seem to have been born to ski! The most extraordinary thing is that I am fearless, and after a few times I progressed to the black diamond hill. I decided to forgo lessons and tried an intermediate hill the first time out and have only been going uphill since then. My husband who usually gives me jewelry, which is my favorite type of gift, also has made sure that I am up to date with electronics. It was a bit of shock to him then when I insi... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2260479 Mon, 23 Feb 2009 22:51:29 +0100 2260479 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2129416&cid=t_163757_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fbreast-cancer%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Faccording-to-geneticists-sister-and-i-are-better-off-dead%2F It all sounds so great. The medical community has deemed that we can prevent women from getting cancer. No, it’s not a vaccine, its selective birth. They are suggesting to women that they can have their embryo tested, while in the womb, and destroyed if he or she tests positive for the breast cancer gene defect BRCA I and BRCA II. I guess what comes next is women who have the gene will be mandated to be tested so as not to allow a baby to be born with the predisposition to breast cancer. It won’t stop there. What about people with MS, or people with autism? This is the road to selective birth; perhaps leading to the creation of better humans. Does this mean that Sister and I are now undesirable humans? Basically, those of us who carry the breast cancer gene defect should never have bee... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2129416 Fri, 23 Jan 2009 18:44:27 +0100 2129416 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2107981&cid=t_163757_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fbreast-cancer%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fevery-breast-matters%2F There is a story about thousands of starfish washing up on a beach in South Africa. They ended up being too far from the water to get back on their own and were destined to perish. One man hearing their plight determined to do what he could and hurried to the beach. He began to throw them one at a time the several yards back to the sea. He saw another man standing and watching him so urged him to help throw the starfish back into the sea with him. The second man just stood and said “What does it matter? There’s too many, you can’t help them just give up.” The first man picked up another starfish and threw it far out into the water - “It matters to that one” he replied. The truth is that every stride we make towards a cure may be too little too late for t... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2107981 Wed, 14 Jan 2009 18:58:24 +0100 2107981 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2098166&cid=t_163757_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fbreast-cancer%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fyoure-invited-to-my-funeral%2F   When my mother would get mad at someone she would make a point of telling me that that person was not allowed to come to her funeral. As hilarious as this sounds, I being the dutiful and co-dependant daughter would always nod in support. Clearly this is not something that I would have to enforce to please my mother at that point. I don’t know of anyone who has not thought about their mortality after a breast cancer diagnosis. For me, it led to thinking about the funeral and that lead to my issue.When I was diagnosed, I was newly married and just moved to Michigan. A divorce a few years previous had separated me from longtime friends and associates. So my dilemma was that I was newly diagnosed with breast cancer realizing that very few people would attend my funeral if it came to t... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2098166 Mon, 12 Jan 2009 20:13:57 +0100 2098166 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2095170&cid=t_163757_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fbreast-cancer%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fhow-do-you-tell-friends-and-family-that-you-have-breast-cancer%2F When I was diagnosed with breast cancer, there were very few people that I told right away. Mostly this was because I needed to know what I was dealing with so that I could give them the whole story and the prospect of a happy ending. My boys were 15 and 12, and I told them weeks later than everyone else, and I told them casually. We all have our own way of dealing with hard times and issues in our lives; some of us want everyone involved and some of us want to handle it by ourselves. I don’t believe there is any one right way. The best way really is to tell your family and loved ones in a way that you can handle. Breast cancer isn’t about them, it happened to you. It’s about you. We would all like to believe that there is an expert for everything. Most of us that have be... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2095170 Fri, 09 Jan 2009 23:26:23 +0100 2095170 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2053364&cid=t_163757_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fbreast-cancer%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fanticipating-breast-cancer-treatment-is-a-little-like-anticipating-a-snowstorm%2F For a couple of days, we have been anticipating a huge snowstorm in Southeast Michigan; it arrived after midnight. I grew up in Northern Ontario, so snowstorms don’t scare me. I have the right amount of respect for the havoc they can cause; actually at 16 I did my drivers test for my license in a snowstorm. The worst thing about a storm is the anticipation, which is true for most things. When I found out that I had breast cancer, my worst fear was of the side effects of chemotherapy. Most of us have heard the horror stories about sickness from chemo. I willed myself to stop thinking it would be horrible and anticipate that I would be fine through treatment. I don’t know if that is what helped, but I can assure you that chemotherapy, although tough, did not cause me more than a ... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2053364 Fri, 19 Dec 2008 18:54:25 +0100 2053364 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2047802&cid=t_163757_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fbreast-cancer%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fwishing-you-peace-and-contentment-in-a-stressful-world%2F In my life, it seems like breast cancer opened a Pandora’s box of trouble and turmoil. The thing is that most of it is unrelated to breast cancer, I just use the diagnosis as a marker for the start of an even more difficult journey then the one that lead me to that point in my life. Breast cancer itself is a remarkable and terrifying opponent. It is greater than ourselves yet challenges us to grow and toughen up. Although I had personal strife with finances and family, when I was diagnosed and begun battling the disease, the world was not falling apart. I think of women now who are being told that they have breast cancer, I know exactly the feelings and questions that come to them with that blow. What I can’t imagine is how much more scary it is to wonder if you can deal with t... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2047802 Wed, 17 Dec 2008 23:58:50 +0100 2047802 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2027971&cid=t_163757_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fbreast-cancer%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fanger-over-health-insurance-companies-dictatorship%2F I have taken a break from Tamoxifen. I don’t have any adverse symptoms with Tamoxifen like I did with Arimidex. This is why I stopped taking it and asked my doctor to put me back on Tamoxifen. Lately I have been getting a pain in my lower leg, which may be just a muscle issue, but because one of the most severe side effects of Tamoxifen can be a blood clot, I stopped the drug until I see my doctor next week. I have become completely over cautious - with reason - since the breast cancer diagnosis. This isn’t my issue today though. I was thinking about all this because I need to refill the Tamoxifen for this month. My insurance company has just decreed that all long-term prescriptions must be filled by mail. They plan to institute this by increasing the co-pay of repeats after 3 ... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2027971 Mon, 08 Dec 2008 18:34:56 +0100 2027971 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2011651&cid=t_163757_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fbreast-cancer%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Ftaking-control-of-my-weight-and-trying-to-eat-cancer-fighting-foodagain%2F It’s back to Weight Watchers for me. I am not able to stay on track by myself, and it’s not just a weight issue. One thing about Weight Watchers is that it forces me to stick to healthy and nutritious cancer fighting food. In addition, I feel better, have more energy and I look much better. I find that having red meat two days in a row gives me black circles under my eyes. Having salt gives me bags under my eyes, and too much sugar or fried food makes me look like Cloris Leachman; an 82-year-old (I can only wish that I am that attractive when I get to her age). You think with all this motivation I would be able to stick to a good diet myself. Well, I have learned these past weeks that I am prepared to sacrifice beauty for cheesecake and energy for fried shrimp. I seem to be all... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2011651 Wed, 03 Dec 2008 22:31:53 +0100 2011651 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2006556&cid=t_163757_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fbreast-cancer%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Flearning-to-live-with-chemo-brain%2F I had the best Thanksgiving holiday. I told you last week that we were spending Thanksgiving Day with my in-laws and we had a wonderful day. Sister came the next day for the remainder of the weekend, and we had so much fun. On Sunday, I had a brunch so that my friends could meet sister and her husband. They loved her, of course, and Sister felt blessed to have the opportunity to meet them. I woke up this morning fulfilled and happy. The greatest thing about this weekend was that I now get to benefit from all the work I did to get ready for my guests; my house was clean and clutter-free. It felt great to get ready for the day and not feel inundated with all the piles of stuff I needed to go through. Even though I put off sorting through my piles, they were a relentless reminder that my task... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2006556 Mon, 01 Dec 2008 22:23:45 +0100 2006556 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1930482&cid=t_163757_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fbreast-cancer%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fdenial-a-natural-response-to-a-breast-cancer-diagnosis%2F 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://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1911655&cid=t_163757_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fbreast-cancer%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fwhat-to-buy-someone-going-through-breast-cancer%2F 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://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1873230&cid=t_163757_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fbreast-cancer%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fhow-the-bad-economy-affects-breast-cancer%2F 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://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1802965&cid=t_163757_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fbreast-cancer%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fdark-thoughts-about-cancer%2F 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://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1764337&cid=t_163757_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fbreast-cancer%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fchristina-applegate-ups-the-ante-in-the-fight-against-breast-cancer%2F 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://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1739550&cid=t_163757_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fbreast-cancer%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Flife-circumstances-that-distract-from-your-breast-cancer%2F 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://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1709804&cid=t_163757_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fbreast-cancer%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Ffinding-lumps-after-breast-reconstruction%2F 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://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1696483&cid=t_163757_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fbreast-cancer%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fbrilliant-idea-universal-screening-for-breast-cancer%2F 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://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1655759&cid=t_163757_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fbreast-cancer%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fcan-cancer-make-you-adapt-to-stress%2F 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://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1594047&cid=t_163757_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fbreast-cancer%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fnewly-diagnosed-cancer-and-your-treatment-options%2F 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://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1556549&cid=t_163757_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fbreast-cancer%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fcancer-strikes-my-home-again%2F 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://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1522532&cid=t_163757_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fbreast-cancer%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fhealth-insurance-denies-a-needed-mri%2F 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://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1500419&cid=t_163757_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fbreast-cancer%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fi-think-hillary-clinton-could-have-cured-cancer%2F 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://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1480951&cid=t_163757_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fbreast-cancer%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fhelpful-tips-for-a-more-relaxing-mri%2F 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://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1461315&cid=t_163757_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fbreast-cancer%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Five-had-it-with-this-cancer-business%2F 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://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1443256&cid=t_163757_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fbreast-cancer%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fdoes-your-pain-trigger-fear-of-metastasis%2F 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://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1437167&cid=t_163757_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fbreast-cancer%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fdoes-a-great-attitude-prevent-cancer%2F 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 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1423765&cid=t_163757_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fbreast-cancer%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fa-left-over-problem-from-a-mastectomy%2F When a woman has a mastectomy, there often is a funny thing that happens to the tissue that is left. For these women, the tissue or fat pad that was the tail of the breast that remains after surgery migrates to the area under the arm. The result is an uncomfortable mound of flesh that makes you look like you have a bulge of fat on the side of your body. I noticed this when I went to buy a bra for my prosthesis before I had reconstruction. It was difficult to just buy a bra in my usual size because I now had this extra bit that had to be tucked in somewhere from under my arm; it ended up just bulging through the side band of the bra. Fortunately for me, I was able to address this during reconstruction. After the initial surgery to create the breasts through the DIEP flap procedure, I still... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1423765 Mon, 05 May 2008 22:48:02 +0100 1423765 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1411868&cid=t_163757_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fbreast-cancer%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fgenetic-information-nondiscrimination-act-passed%2F This bill has been 10 years in the making, but last week all the time and effort from those that support the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act paid off. I have written extensively about BRCA genetic testing for breast cancer and how it saved my sister’s life and helped me to decide on a prophylactic mastectomy. I have also encouraged other survivors to get tested. One of the major stumbling blocks for many (justifiably) was the genuine concern that knowing they had a predisposition to breast cancer would also mark them for discrimination from health insurance companies and employers. That fear, my dear friends, is no longer a threat. The passing of this bill means that employers cannot ask for this information, and neither can health insurance providers. In the recent past, if yo... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1411868 Wed, 30 Apr 2008 23:21:21 +0100 1411868 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1389294&cid=t_163757_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fbreast-cancer%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fbrca-ii-testing-saved-my-sisters-life%2F Many of us breast cancer survivors somehow find a blessing in having been diagnosed and treated for breast cancer. Usually the blessing comes in the form of a deeper realization of our selves and an increased desire to impact our world. For me, now, the blessing may very well be my sister’s life. Last Wednesday, Sister went to her surgeon for the follow-up appointment from the hysterectomy in March that she had to lesson her risks of developing breast and ovarian cancer as a BRCA II carrier. Her surgeon discussed the pathology report from the organs that had been removed, and we were shocked by the results. The report showed changes in cells in the fallopian tubes near her ovaries. These changes are consistent with someone who develops ovarian cancer (see image below). It was the doctor�... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1389294 Mon, 21 Apr 2008 20:13:38 +0100 1389294 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1383787&cid=t_163757_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fbreast-cancer%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Faccess-to-brca-testing%2F Without any plan or treatment, a BRCA carrier can have a risk of developing breast cancer as high as 80%. Your risk does not become lower because you haven’t been tested or don’t know about it. In my case and sister’s case, we were offered mammograms at the age of 40 because my mother had been diagnosed with breast cancer. Had she not developed breast cancer no one would have suggested that I be tested for the BRCA genetic predisposition to the disease. I was a carrier regardless and after we discovered that it came from my father’s side of the family, it became clear how important genetic testing actually is. My sister subsequently got tested and now because of her positive results was able to take steps to minimize her risks. When I met with a gynecology oncologist at University ... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1383787 Fri, 18 Apr 2008 22:28:03 +0100 1383787 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1325548&cid=t_163757_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fbreast-cancer%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Flosing-healthy-body-parts-to-stay-alive%2F I think a hysterectomy is a tough surgery on any woman. Even deciding on having the surgery is a tough one. Having to deal with making the decision to cut out healthy parts can’t be easy. For me it truly meant battling breast cancer head on, for Sister it is about preparing for battle that you hope won’t come. Because she tested positive for the BRCA2 gene mutation, there is the constant looming threat of the disease, so the hysterectomy is just one step in her vigil against breast cancer. Surgery wasn’t easy for Sister, she didn’t come out of anesthetic whistling Dixie, and I think she blames me for making it look easy since I seldom have a problem and wake up looking for the party. She felt sick and queasy and miserable for several days but I am happy to say that she is well on h... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1325548 Tue, 25 Mar 2008 16:29:26 +0100 1325548 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1292366&cid=t_163757_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fbreast-cancer%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fliving-with-brca-breast-cancer-gene-mutation%2F Sister goes for a prophylactic oophorectomy this week. That is the medical way of saying that she is having her ovaries removed because of the increased risk of ovarian cancer she has from being a BRCA2 carrier. She was tested after I was diagnosed with breast cancer and tested positive for the gene mutation. She is determined to keep her breasts however and will just be very vigilant about testing for breast cancer. Ovarian cancer is really more insidious only because there is no standardized testing to catch it at an early stage. In addition, Sister has had a colonoscopy and will continue to get this test on a regular basis. She has an MRI on her breasts yearly and is part of a study monitoring high risk candidates for breast cancer being conducted in Canada. Living with the BRCA II gene... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1292366 Tue, 11 Mar 2008 01:13:30 +0100 1292366 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1286494&cid=t_163757_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fbreast-cancer%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fdid-god-give-you-breast-cancer%2F What kind of a question is that? Well, are you honest enough to admit that you have thought about it? Honest enough to admit that in the scheme of things you may even have thought how unfair it was that you got breast cancer? I blame God for a lot of things in my life, and I praise him for many more, but I never blamed him for breast cancer. Honestly. I have been a little angry at God though, like Jonah in the Old Testament, but then I remember that Jonah also ended up in the belly of a whale and I think it may be a better idea to get over it. My anger has been more like a sense of injustice, which includes more than just breast cancer. I get to feeling like I shouldn’t have to bear such adversity. So there is my real sin; who am I to think that I should be above trials? In fact, my bibl... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1286494 Fri, 07 Mar 2008 14:00:59 +0100 1286494 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1275003&cid=t_163757_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fbreast-cancer%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fwhen-do-you-stop-being-a-breast-cancer-survivor%2F I have often wondered if the only way to truly be a cancer survivor is to die of something else. It has been almost five years since my diagnosis, and I am still called a breast cancer survivor. What I like about it is that World War II heroes are called survivors and so are Vietnam Vets. I too have survived a battle, it was very personal, but it did threaten my home and my loved ones, if not my country. What astounds me most is the number of women that become survivors every year. It is no longer a title reserved for just a few. The good thing is that we are all surviving; the bad thing is that more and more of us are fighting the battle for our lives. It’s like waking up and finding out you belong to the mob family. You don’t choose it and it will always be a part of who you are. You... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1275003 Mon, 03 Mar 2008 14:00:59 +0100 1275003 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1246710&cid=t_163757_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fbreast-cancer%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fthere-is-no-one-to-blame-for-my-breast-cancer-diagnosis%2F In my January 25th blog “If I had only known I was a BRCA gene carrier sooner.” I wrote about my extended family and how I could have known sooner that I was a BRCA II carrier if they had only told me. The truth is that although members of my extended family had a suspicion that there was a genetic breast cancer gene mutation in my father’s family, the actual testing didn’t take place until just over a year ago. Sister finally got to the core of the issue. Although we were not informed at that time, neither would it have made a difference in my circumstance. I was diagnosed with breast cancer long before that. I therefore have to let you know that they are fine people who had no intention of allowing me to suffer unnecessarily. In addition, there was such a strong link to cancer th... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1246710 Wed, 20 Feb 2008 22:26:56 +0100 1246710 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1196090&cid=t_163757_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fbreast-cancer%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fthe-world-needs-nicole-a-reminder-about-cancer-genetics-risk-assessment%2F Have I told you about my niece Nicole? She is an amazing young woman. At 4-years-old, she was diagnosed with acute leukemia and suffered a lengthy treatment protocol. Her teenage years had her battling with the after effects of treatment but that in no way impinged on her ability to be a leader in her school and a peer counselor. She developed a love of music and a passion for African orphans. She spent her school breaks volunteering in an orphanage in Africa and only tolerated a year at university before she gave in to the desire to live among the children in the orphanage halfway around the world. They were so delighted they helped build a mud hut all her own for her to live in. One of her jobs was to name the young children that were brought to the group of huts and buildings that made ... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1196090 Sat, 02 Feb 2008 00:05:38 +0100 1196090 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1173536&cid=t_163757_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fbreast-cancer%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fthe-nerve-of-breast-cancer-intruding-like-that%2F Breast cancer certainly has no discretion when it decides to show up. After celebrating five years of marriage on December 29, 2007, I couldn’t help but think how this disease has woven itself through the fiber of my wedded bliss. Our first summer in our new home only seven months married, and I found the lump. The ensuing battle that accompanied treatment took all my energy for the next six months. Thankfully, I had a husband who participated in the battle and had no intention of altering his commitment to me - so much though for the newlywed honeymoon period. Losing the breast and being exposed to treatment deteriorated some of the passion I felt as a new bride. My husband, bless his heart, embraced his bald, one-breasted wife with the same vigor and desire he showed me the day we got ... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1173536 Wed, 23 Jan 2008 22:30:24 +0100 1173536 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1142793&cid=t_163757_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fbreast-cancer%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fwhen-faith-isnt-enough%2F My faith in God is my greatest asset. Over most of my life, I have learned that my life is in His hands and He is a compassionate and loving God. My spiritual life is strong and I readily share it with others. My humanity is the part of me that reminds me of my weakness and keeps me humble and aware of my mortality. I believe all that the Bible says, but I know in my heart that there are no promises that I won’t have trials, illness and tragedy over my life to deal with. I have had to learn through and because of breast cancer to be less strong. I have had to learn to be human and allow room for my fears. It is because of my fears and my greater need of God that I have learned more about Him and grown deeper in Him. Many come to a belief in God through illness, my illness came at a time ... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1142793 Thu, 10 Jan 2008 21:45:58 +0100 1142793 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=702083&cid=t_163757_87_f&fid=34865&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thecancerblog.com%2F2007%2F06%2F28%2Fcancer-in-the-foreshadows%2F Filed under: Breast Cancer, Cancer SurvivorsNot too many years ago, I got breast cancer. I call it chance, coincidence, fate and on some days, even luck. For today's purposes, I'll call it foreshadowing. I didn't know it then -- way back in 1993 when I did a genogram project in grad school for a counseling class -- but it seems cancer was in my cards. I hinted at the possibility in my research paper and commented on how my family history might put me in the direct line of fire. But my suspicions in no way caused me any worry for the 10 plus years that followed. And still, even after my breast cancer diagnosis and subsequent treatment, I didn't remember I'd predicted this might happen to me. Not until I pulled my yellowed, faded assignment from an old box in the garage a few days ago did I ... The Cancer Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=702083 Thu, 28 Jun 2007 04:00:00 +0100 702083