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 'cancer recurrence'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 02:23:45 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5077690&cid=t_172657_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fthe-best-time-to-be-treated-for-a-dvt%2F2011.07.28 You know I am a cancer survivor – 15 years down the road from a leukemia diagnosis and enjoying a 10 year remission. So whenever something seems weird about my health it’s cancer coming back, right? Wrong! Just how wrong was proven last night. I am writing this from my hospital bed in Seattle. The first symptom of a possible problem came three days ago when I had soreness in my right calf. A pulled muscle? Maybe. But I had not noticed straining it. Back at the gym the next day I had soreness again but thought it was no big deal. Last night it was worse. It hurt some to walk. I got home and, after my wife and son were asleep, got ready for bed. I had a slight fever and then noticed the right calf was not only sore, but swollen and warm. Very strange. I’d never seen that before. Trying... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5077690 Thu, 28 Jul 2011 18:00:02 +0100 5077690 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4693473&cid=t_172657_136_f&fid=39026&url=http%3A%2F%2Fcarolinemfr.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F04%2Fliving-in-its-not-headache-its-brain.html This article talks about finding a brain tumor and their symptoms. I personally know someone who is a brain tumor survivor for over 20 years so I can rationally say it can be beaten. But that little paranoid side of me always cringes at the first sign of a headache. (Source: Caroline's Breast Cancer Blog) Caroline's Breast Cancer Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4693473 Fri, 08 Apr 2011 10:06:00 +0100 4693473 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4677040&cid=t_172657_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_172657_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=4525149&cid=t_172657_136_f&fid=39213&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbeingcancer.net%2F2011%2F02%2F26%2Fjust-another-cancer-hero-guest-post%2F If you sense a theme to our latest Guest Post offerings, you are right on.  Honestly I almost stumble on these excellent examples of cancer writing and living with cancer.  I had no problems assigning the tags “hero” and “attitude” to Pat Steer, a rectal “cancer girl” writing at Life Out Loud Cancer girl, like it or not When you write about surviving cancer for four years, you become known among other bloggers – branded, if you will – as one of the “cancer girls.” And while I love the readers who discovered me and who keep reading, I don’t have any illusions about what keywords make them find my blog. People don’t come here (at least, not very often) to read about my adventures camping in my tiny travel travel, or my dog stories, or tale... Being Cancer Network blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4525149 Sat, 26 Feb 2011 17:23:57 +0100 4525149 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4517324&cid=t_172657_136_f&fid=39213&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbeingcancer.net%2F2011%2F02%2F24%2Fattitude-wins-out-over-cancer-guest-post%2F Earlier this week I wrote about our discomfort with the concept of “hero”.  A lot of what we recognize as this trait might well be related to the concept of “attitude”.  Today’s guest blogger seems to have plenty of that.  And it serves her well.  Jenny writes at Get Out Gertrude! | My battle with Inflammatory Breast Cancer and rediscovering normality Gertrude is the name we decided to call my cancerous breast hence the title of this blog. Although I had to keep my breast through chemo and radiation due to the nature of IBC – once it ‘blew up’ it no longer looked like my breast and I couldn’t wait to get rid of it. Calling it Gertrude was a way of separating it from myself. Words have a lot of power, especially words around cancer,�... Being Cancer Network blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4517324 Thu, 24 Feb 2011 16:59:45 +0100 4517324 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4495383&cid=t_172657_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=4464661&cid=t_172657_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=4233368&cid=t_172657_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fconsidering-my-options-without-femara%2F After writing my last blog on my decision to stop taking Femara, I wrestled all weekend with whether if that was the right thing to do. Cancer is so ominous and survivors have little recourse once treatment is over for preventing a new cancer or breast cancer metastasis. These hormonal drugs (tamoxifen, Arimidex, and Femara), are truly intended to prevent the return or spread of cancer. It is not my intention when writing about my experience to deter anyone from the protective effects these drugs have to offer — which leaves me with the dilemma of what I plan to do in place of taking them. One real option is lifestyle changes. The benefits of a low-fat diet combined with an extensive exercise regimen are well known to me. I have become soft and discouraged, though, since putting on what ... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4233368 Mon, 06 Dec 2010 19:44:36 +0100 4233368 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4214411&cid=t_172657_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fdoes-pain-equal-cancer-spread-a-recurring-theme%2F Black Friday shopping is something I learned about only when I moved to the United States; it is a traditional part of the Thanksgiving holiday, but this aspect of the celebration never caught on with me. The second Thanksgiving that I was here, a friend coerced me into getting up at 3:00 a.m. to be in line at 4:00 a.m. to shop at a local store. I still haven’t recovered. This past Friday, my oldest son — I call this one the Wise Guy — was visiting from Toronto and we decided to simply cruise the mall in the afternoon. Still, it was a lot of walking and people to navigate, so I don’t call that a great shopping excursion. In fact, I ended up feeling worn and broken by the time I got home. Waking up for the next few days proved to be a painful experience. The pain in my right hip has... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4214411 Mon, 29 Nov 2010 18:34:17 +0100 4214411 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4098361&cid=t_172657_136_f&fid=39026&url=http%3A%2F%2Fcarolinemfr.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F10%2Fm-word.html In cancer there are two nasty words no one wants to hear. The R word - recurrence - and the M word - metastases. The R word means it came back. The M word means it spread to other parts of your body. Quite often you get these words together as cancer often returns in another body part.However there are some people who are diagnosed initially with metastatic cancer meaning they have a primary tumor or tumors and it is also found in other body parts. For them a cancer diagnosis is a double whammy. Not only do they have cancer, they have in multiple areas where it needs to be treated. It means (in my non medical mind) that it is in your system and you need to be treated systemically, not just locally as with an early stage cancer. And the treatment and the scrutiny will continue for the rest ... Caroline's Breast Cancer Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4098361 Sun, 24 Oct 2010 13:46:00 +0100 4098361 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3816675&cid=t_172657_136_f&fid=39213&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbeingcancer.net%2F2010%2F08%2F03%2Fmail%2F Columbines I have fallen behind in my correspondence as well as with the blog.  Here are some recent emails. ~ Kristy has been fighting renal cell (kidney cancer) since 2007.  She writes at ♥ FOREVER KRISTY ♥.  See her listing of other renal cell survivor blogs. ~ Randy Perry has been fighting stage IV colon cancer since 2009.  He writes a blog about his extended treatment at Fighting Cancer ~ Lynda is a brain tumor survivor who writes at My Brain Tumour.  “I was actually diagnosed with a benign parasagittal meningioma in July 2006. I was very lucky that as it was positioned on the top of my head it was very accessible and successfully completely surgically removed in the same month. I have my own Ebook which relates my journey through the whole episode which can be found at... Being Cancer Network blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3816675 Tue, 03 Aug 2010 12:34:16 +0100 3816675 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3754035&cid=t_172657_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=3589017&cid=t_172657_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=3354532&cid=t_172657_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fremembering-farrahs-brave-cancer-battle%2F The Oscars are always fun to watch. This year’s awards couldn’t pass without a little controversy though. During the In Memoriam segment, Farrah Fawcett was not included among the actors shown and I was a little perturbed when the segment ended and her face was not shown on screen with the other actors that had passed away during the year. Farah lost her battle with anal cancer and I wrote a blog to commemorate her just after her death. I think she was such a big icon during my life, and especially when I was a young woman, that I almost feel snubbed that they forgot her. Her battle with cancer was chronicled by herself and was terrifically brave.  Her death reminded me that although I beat cancer once I still need to be vigilant against this foe. In my life it claimed a breast, i... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3354532 Wed, 10 Mar 2010 22:59:10 +0100 3354532 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3322585&cid=t_172657_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fnot-on-the-run-to-beat-breast-cancer%2F Today I saw a woman jogging through the snow. She made it look like a walk in the park. I took up skiing just last year and love it, I went back to school and aced some college courses but I just can’t jog further than my mail box! I remember with triumph a time when I ran around the block at my parent’s house. That was 15 years ago and I could only do it once. Truly this is a dream of mine; to be able to lace up my Nikes and run for at least 15 minutes straight. All I can say is that when I battled breast cancer, it’s a good thing I didn’t have to out run it. Sometimes in my mind I feel like superwoman. I went a round with cancer and surgery and chemotherapy and I’m still standing, shouldn’t that mean I could at least run a 15 minute a mile? Seriously, this woman looked great.... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3322585 Mon, 01 Mar 2010 23:39:51 +0100 3322585 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3290967&cid=t_172657_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=2584364&cid=t_172657_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=2528111&cid=t_172657_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=2512750&cid=t_172657_136_f&fid=38061&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FBreastCancerReconstructionBlog%2F%7E3%2F9lRNiC86PFs%2Fmammograms-after-mastectomy-and-breast.html "Do I still need to have mammograms after my mastectomy and breast reconstruction?" I'm asked this question quite often. The truth is there's a lot of ongoing debate about this. Some doctors feel that since there is no "natural" breast tissue left, there is no need to continue monitoring patients. I disagree with this strongly. Breast cancer can come back after mastectomy - there's a 6.7% chance in fact. Breast reconstruction does not increase or decrease the risk of recurrence at all - the recurrence rate is the same whether women have reconstruction or not. Since the risk of breast cancer recurrence is a real one, surely we need to continue some sort of monitoring?Self breast exam is a no-brainer. It's relatively easy to perform and it's dirt-cheap (free). The issue of mammograms is less... Breast Cancer Reconstruction Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2512750 Thu, 18 Jun 2009 12:33:12 +0100 2512750 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2453066&cid=t_172657_136_f&fid=37852&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdonnatrussell.com%2F2009%2F06%2F02%2Fmy-years-of-not-so-magical-thinking%2F Donna Trussell in 2001 My new post on Politics Daily / Woman Up: Research has confirmed what I long suspected: According to The New York Times, early diagnosis of ovarian cancer recurrence provides no survival advantage. In the years after my diagnosis of ovarian cancer – on the morning of Sept. 12, 2001 – simple observation suggested that if I recurred, my next move wouldn’t much matter. Further treatment might give me a few extra months. Or not. You can close the barn door now or you can close it tomorrow. No rush. The horses are still gone. Read more on AOL @ My Years of Not-So-Magical Thinking. Posted in Cancer, Woman Up Tagged: ca125 test, ovarian cancer, recurrence, survivor (Source: Donna Trussell) Donna Trussell blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2453066 Tue, 02 Jun 2009 21:16:35 +0100 2453066 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2406024&cid=t_172657_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fhaving-an-identity-crisis-after-breast-cancer%2F My picture on the bio for this blog was taken about three years ago. In it, as you can see, I have long flowing glossy brown hair. I like the picture and the hair, but it’s not really me. I have been a blonde for most of my life. I was a tow head as a child (white-blonde locks) and as it darkened during my teenage years I learned that squeezing lemon in it along with other drugstore products lightened it up. As I got older I could afford to go to a hair dresser to keep my natural blonde color bright and brassy. Being diagnosed with breast cancer provided an odd opportunity to try out the other side of life…as a brunette. As my hair grew in dark and curly it looked kind of interesting. As it got longer and the curl gave up, it still was fun to have a different look. Family and frien... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2406024 Wed, 13 May 2009 20:40:19 +0100 2406024 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2406025&cid=t_172657_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fside-effects-from-breast-cancer-treatment%2F When I complain to friends about brain functioning issues or eyesight changes due to breast cancer treatment, they generally look at me with the “I know” look and explain that it is all a part of aging. They feel that they experience it too and I just have to accept that it happens to everyone; that it is not because I had breast cancer. I am convinced though that I suffer from chemo brain and that is why my memory lacks and my cognitive functioning isn’t as acute as it once was. In addition, I have often complained of vision changes over the past several years and I am sure it is related to treatment as well. I have suspected that Tamoxifen may play a role. I, like many women my age need reading glasses, but I also have problems with light sensitivity and night vision. I went from a... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2406025 Mon, 11 May 2009 18:56:57 +0100 2406025 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2299180&cid=t_172657_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fliving-in-the-now-as-a-breast-cancer-survivor%2F I caught a bit of a show the other evening called the Dog Whisperer. I was intrigued by it partly because it was a show I hadn’t seen before but mostly because I have a dog that needs a whisperer. My Jack Russell Terrier, Dixie Chick, constantly convinces me that she is over the misbehavior of jumping on visitors. Then when I take her word for it and allow her to greet guests at the door with me she sticks her tongue out as if to say “all bets are off” while she jumps up on friends and foes alike. I stopped just whispering at her years ago. This dog whisperer however had great advice for dogs and people alike. My dog, Dixie Chick As he subdued a small dog he explained to the owner that she had to live in the now; she couldn’t think about what the dog did in the past or she would c... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2299180 Fri, 27 Mar 2009 16:48:02 +0100 2299180 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2260470&cid=t_172657_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=2512758&cid=t_172657_136_f&fid=38061&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FBreastCancerReconstructionBlog%2F%7E3%2FUvv9n0Edy3g%2Fbreast-cancer-recurrence-not-related-to.html One of my breast cancer patients called me today. She recently underwent bilateral mastectomies and immediate breast reconstruction with DIEP flaps. She recovered very well from the surgery but unfortunately her pathology results showed that she had cancer extending almost to the edge of the mastectomy specimen. The exact medical jargon used by the pathologist was.... "invasive carcinoma extending to 1mm from the margin". She also had DCIS (ductal carcinoma in situ) "extending to 0.2mm from the margin."From a purist's perspective, these results still represent "clear margins". In other words, no tumor was found at the edge of the mastectomy specimen so there is no reason to believe there is any cancer left in my patient's breast. BUT, it's very close and that is certainly worrisome.She cal... Breast Cancer Reconstruction Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2512758 Mon, 22 Dec 2008 16:12:25 +0100 2512758 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1975920&cid=t_172657_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fbreast-cancer%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fbreast-cancer-and-support-groups-just-do-it%2F Yesterday while driving and listening to the radio, I heard a report about stress and breast cancer. A study had been conducted over 11 years at Ohio State University. The study included 227 women each divided into groups of about eight or 12, some of which participated in group therapy. The purpose was to determine the benefits of psychological intervention and how it affected breast cancer and recurrence. I found the results astounding! The outcome determined that women who were involved in group therapy were less likely to die from breast cancer. I found the report on ABC health news and here is the quote: “After 11 years, the women who participated in the group therapy were 56 percent less likely to die of breast cancer and 45 percent less likely to have their cancer return, the rese... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1975920 Wed, 19 Nov 2008 20:00:08 +0100 1975920 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1947737&cid=t_172657_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fbreast-cancer%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fplastic-bottles-and-cancerdeciding-if-plastic-water-bottles-are-safe%2F Sister bought me an aluminum water bottle to use this summer and made me promise to never buy water in plastic bottles. Her concern was over the press about the estrogen and carcinogens people were exposed to from the plastic in the bottles leaching into the water. We use a pitcher with a filter for tap water at home. I found it all very confusing and stopped buying bottled water, (except for my son’s energy water) to appease sister but mostly because I believe we should be somewhat sensitive to the environment. Those ads about water bottles piling up at the dump got to me. I make the Big Guy take his energy water bottles to the recycling center and was relieved to find that the plastic PepsiCo uses is safe. Lately there has been some real clear-headed info about which bottles are sa... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1947737 Mon, 10 Nov 2008 18:23:11 +0100 1947737 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1886433&cid=t_172657_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F7AGPP4X5_9o%2F Traditionally, it is difficult to predict whether a cancer will recur, but recently biomarkers have been increasingly used that predict the recurrence of disease such as in prostate or bladder cancer, or chances of survival as in breast cancer. Another milestone has recently been reached, this time with liver cancer - a genetic signature has been identified that predicted whether a liver tumor is likely to occur. A signature made of 186 genes were found by an international team of scientists by probing the gene expression of 6,000 human genes. Correlating the gene expression of some 6,000 human genes with the recurrence at least two years after surgery, and also survival, led to a list of 186 genes as the probable signature for liver cancer recurrence. The team still have to validate the... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1886433 Sat, 18 Oct 2008 06:27:51 +0100 1886433 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1857432&cid=t_172657_136_f&fid=37852&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdonnatrussell.com%2F2008%2F10%2F06%2Fit-sucks-to-be-me%2F I know only too well the interior monologue of the cancer patient, but I wonder how accurately I can depict the mind of the friend or caregiver. I’ll start with the patient’s semi-coherent, conscious or subconscious cry of pain: Noooooooooooooo! Get me out of here! Save me! Don’t let the bad man come in my room! I don’t want to die! I’ll do anything! Give cancer to someone else, anyone but me! I’d rather die than go through this! Easy for you to stay positive — you don’t have cancer! I’m sick of you all! Go away!!!! Hey, where’d you go??!! Help me! I don’t have the strength for this! God, pick on someone else, why doncha? I’m falling apart! Oh so you have a microwave on the blink — try a broken microwave and c... Donna Trussell blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1857432 Tue, 07 Oct 2008 20:41:42 +0100 1857432 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2512775&cid=t_172657_136_f&fid=38061&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FBreastCancerReconstructionBlog%2F%7E3%2FTDJh8qBtPE0%2Fdiep-flap-reconstruction-and-breast.html Can DIEP flap breast reconstruction prevent detection of breast cancer recurrence? This is a very important issue that is often not discussed.A handful of studies have shown that breast reconstruction (with any reconstructive technique) does not impact local recurrence or long term survival in patients with early breast cancer (stage I and II). The rate of local recurrence and length of survival is the same in patients with stage I and II disease whether they undergo immediate breast reconstruction (ie reconstruction at the same time as mastectomy) or not. For this reason most institutions (including ours) offer breast cancer patients with early disease immediate breast reconstruction whenever possible.Patients diagnosed with advanced disease are more likely to be candidates for delayed br... Breast Cancer Reconstruction Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2512775 Sun, 21 Sep 2008 16:56:50 +0100 2512775 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1709804&cid=t_172657_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=1552025&cid=t_172657_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fbreast-cancer%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fchemotherapy-induced-fears%2F Fears are like nightmares; they loom bigger in the dark. So I figure the best way to deal with your fears is to take them out into the light where you can have a better look and face them head on. One of those looming fears for me has been the possible side effects from chemotherapy. My father, who had chemotherapy for non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, survived the lymphoma only to succumb to chemo induced leukemia. At that point there were no treatment options available to combat the leukemia. I have a real fear of developing a non-treatable condition from having been exposed to such strong chemicals during treatment. I have asked my oncologist about it, but the response has been vague, probably because there is not a lot of information available for the long term effects. I had three types of ch... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1552025 Fri, 27 Jun 2008 15:23:32 +0100 1552025 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1461315&cid=t_172657_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=1283665&cid=t_172657_136_f&fid=36051&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FCancerCommentary%2F%7E3%2F246817676%2F In late December 20106, former Yankee and current YES announcer Bobby Murcer was diagnosed with brain cancer. Recently, a new MRI image revealed only a scar tissue and not a recurrence of cancer. Well, that’s really good news, right? There had been differing opinions among doctors about the meaning of the MRI, so as a precaution they scheduled a biopsy for Monday. Murcer had to wait two days for the official word. “We received great news this morning,” he said in a statement issued by YES. “The biopsy revealed scar tissue. It showed no signs of cancer. We are very excited about this news. It’s what we had hoped for all along.” Bobby Murcer was a professional baseball player for 17 seasons. He played for the New York Yankees, San Francisco Giants, Chicago... Cancer Commentary blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1283665 Thu, 06 Mar 2008 16:00:18 +0100 1283665 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1218317&cid=t_172657_136_f&fid=36051&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FCancerCommentary%2F%7E3%2F231509690%2F That may not be unheard of according to a clinical study of a team headed by the international Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research (LICR): What if we could prevent cancer recurrence for years after surgery by giving simple recall injections every two or three years? …has shown that a vaccine against a protein found in cancer cells produces an immune response that can be boosted and strengthened with additional vaccine shots. Patients with resected non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) were treated with this investigational agent, also known as an Antigen-Specific Cancer Immunotherapeutic (ASCI), in another clinical study conducted by GlaxoSmithKline. The results showed a reduction in risk of cancer recurrence in these patients, a finding that prompted GlaxoSmithKline to initiate the larges... Cancer Commentary blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1218317 Fri, 08 Feb 2008 10:08:26 +0100 1218317 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1126514&cid=t_172657_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fbreast-cancer%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fim-not-stupid-i-just-have-chemo-brain%2F Have you ever noticed that when people think that you don’t understand them they speak louder? Lately I have noticed a lot of people yelling at me. The good thing about that is that my hearing is a little less clear since chemotherapy, and my eyesight is suffering a bit, but truly I am not stupid! The truth is that I just need a few more moments than usual to process things. I have been writing about chemo brain for over a year and still no real breakthroughs from the medical community. Since taking the biology class at college I have had the opportunity to understand what a fine mechanism our brains are. They are so finely tuned and efficient, but open and vulnerable to changes in our body’s internal environments. It is all too clear to me that chemo has the ability to affect our cogn... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1126514 Wed, 02 Jan 2008 21:37:59 +0100 1126514 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1123445&cid=t_172657_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fbreast-cancer%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fcounting-on-a-cure-in-2008%2F Well here comes the New Year. I am thinking that there are thousands of women who are looking at it with fear and sadness just having been newly diagnosed with breast cancer. I am sure they are wondering if they will see the other side of this year, I know I thought about how many more New Years I would see after being given a diagnosis of breast cancer. How many of you with a diagnosis, or dealing with cancer that has spread to other organs are finding ways to stay cheerful for your family’s sake? It takes so much energy to play happy when you are dealing with fear and sadness; I hope that you have a support network. Something else that I am thinking about for the New Year’s is how many other women will have to face a breast cancer diagnosis in 2008. That is not even considering the m... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1123445 Mon, 31 Dec 2007 18:42:52 +0100 1123445 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1112134&cid=t_172657_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fbreast-cancer%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fbreast-cancer-and-extra-weight-a-lethal-combo%2F I am going to die if I don’t lose weight. I actually mean that literally. My husband - bless his heart brings me every article he finds about breast cancer, often without reading them first. This one from a Kansas City newspaper (he flies all over for his work) was about a study commissioned by Susan G Komen Foundation. It indicated that for every 11 pounds a woman gains after a breast cancer diagnosis, fatality from breast cancer goes up 14%. That is horrifying! Many recent findings show that extra weight can increase breast cancer risk, but this is beyond what I expected. And to find this out just before Christmas – who is going to eat the turkey? Since reading this article earlier this week, I noticed that I don’t have as great an appetite as usual. Wonder why? Enough said... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1112134 Fri, 21 Dec 2007 21:27:39 +0100 1112134 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1100383&cid=t_172657_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fbreast-cancer%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fthe-most-important-gift-a-woman-can-give-to-her-family%2F Christmas has a different spirit this year. In Michigan, shopping is definitely down and there seems to be so much more need. Charities are concerned about being able to meet their community commitments because it???s been difficult for people to donate compared to previous years. I especially think about women who sacrifice this time of year for their families. Overlooking their health needs and wanting to ensure a special time for their children means that they might let a little lump go forgotten until after Christmas. This time of year provides ample excuses for not having a mammogram or checkup. Of course throughout the year women find reasons to put off a visit to their doctors too but I think at this time of year it is a little easier to ignore the nagging inner voice urging women t... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1100383 Mon, 17 Dec 2007 17:53:48 +0100 1100383 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1096332&cid=t_172657_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fbreast-cancer%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Ffive-years-cancer-freethen-what%2F Somehow five years got to be the magic number for surviving breast cancer. Sadly, the insurance companies here in Michigan don’t agree with that theory; you have to be cancer-free for 10 years; otherwise, it’s considered a pre-existing condition. However, the five-year marker is monumental for many who have battled the disease. When you hit five years, doctors schedule appointments further apart, and survivors cling to the notion that the risk of cancer returning is reduced. For me, I will hit this significant anniversary in late summer of 2008. It somehow doesn’t mean as much to say that you are a four and half year survivor; the remaining months still seem awfully scary. I’ve heard of people having big parties to celebrate five years of being cancer-free, or doing something s... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1096332 Sat, 15 Dec 2007 00:33:38 +0100 1096332 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1057557&cid=t_172657_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fbreast-cancer%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fbreast-cancer-risk-where-you-least-expect-it%2F Every week, I take a few moments to review the other blogs on this site. I can???t tell you how surprised I was by one that Dr. Z did on grapefruit and breast cancer risk. You can read about it in his November 15 blog. So many things are emerging, and I am grateful to have this site and Dr. Z to provide a truth analysis. I even read somewhere that dog owners have an increased risk. (I read it once but haven???t been able to find the article again, so I can???t elaborate). There are some things we need to be reasonable about. Smoking, alcohol and read meat are the main ones in my mind, but others aren???t so easy to determine. For example, there has been much talk about underarm antiperspirants and how they may or may not contribute to breast cancer risk. Same goes for makeup that contains ... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1057557 Wed, 28 Nov 2007 20:01:51 +0100 1057557 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1037099&cid=t_172657_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fbreast-cancer%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fthe-future-of-your-family-after-breast-cancer%2F The nice thing about having kids is watching their lives unfold in surprising ways. With my son it is not really a surprise that he would want to pursue football into college. This is a boy who has been bigger than anyone his age from the get go. But I have learned through breast cancer and all that has followed that his heart is the biggest thing about him. He has become impressively independent and self-reliant, while still letting mom care for him. I couldn’t be prouder. This weekend I’m off to Iowa to visit the college and observe their football program. My son is only a junior, but he is taking this to heart and has pulled his 3.0 average up to a 4.0 average. The exciting thing for me is that with him looking to start his life as a young man, it helps me focus on the future. A... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1037099 Fri, 16 Nov 2007 17:18:36 +0100 1037099 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1027301&cid=t_172657_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fbreast-cancer%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fliving-a-fairy-tale-while-battling-breast-cancer%2F While I was going through chemotherapy, I got to know a woman who had been diagnosed about the time I was. She was tall and attractive, and usually her father would show up to pick her up after treatment. Turns out she was single and her parents were very involved in helping her deal with the disease. She had just become involved with a man about the time she was diagnosed. The relationship continued throughout her treatment although she didn’t involve him in that part of her life. After chemotherapy ended and she finished her radiation, she advised me that she was getting married. Within six months of treatment she planned and had her wedding. It was such a lovely story. She only had a lumpectomy, so she didn’t have the continued concerns for reconstruction. She was ready to get on wi... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1027301 Wed, 14 Nov 2007 20:43:06 +0100 1027301 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1021457&cid=t_172657_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fbreast-cancer%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fthe-nightmare-of-having-cancer-with-no-healthcare%2F There is one thing that honestly keeps me awake at nights; the stories I hear about people with cancer that do not have healthcare. I know that there is a solution, but right now people all over the United States are not only battling cancer, but dealing with where and how to obtain treatment. Even then, these are the lucky ones because they at least have been able to have tests to confirm cancer. Many women I have talked to have found lumps and been unable to afford the tests to determine what they are. Last week I had the opportunity to address my college class, and a young woman shared her story of finding a lump and then spending three weeks trying to find a place to have it checked. Thankfully she found a clinic through an agency and the lump was only a cyst. This summer I heard of a ... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1021457 Mon, 12 Nov 2007 22:23:45 +0100 1021457 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1005435&cid=t_172657_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fbreast-cancer%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fhow-did-you-decide-between-a-lumpectomy-and-mastectomy%2F When my doctor advised me that the margins of the breast tumor weren’t clear after my lumpectomy and that I would need a mastectomy, I thought what choice do I have? I guess I thought it out loud because he told me that several women say that they would rather die than lose their breast. He then told me that most of them return to his office and decide on mastectomy after thinking about the option. Years ago, most women didn’t have the option. Once breast cancer was discovered a mastectomy was scheduled. In many instances this involved a radical mastectomy that removed the lymph nodes and muscle at the same time. Thank heavens for more current research that shows that a lumpectomy in most instances is just as effective and a modified or partial removal of only the affected lymph nodes ... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1005435 Mon, 05 Nov 2007 22:53:13 +0100 1005435 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1001160&cid=t_172657_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fbreast-cancer%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fscared-into-taking-better-care-after-breast-cancer%2F You may have heard the saying “scared straight,” but I think I have finally been “scared smart.” I have spent the past couple of days reviewing the information from the big major study on what increases cancer risk including breast cancer. Perhaps you have heard about it on the news or read something on it. Every news station and most programs have discussed it. It involves a major study that reviewed about 7,000 other studies to determine what things actually do contribute to developing cancer, and what people can do to limit their risks. A number of recommendations were presented including avoiding alcohol, limiting meat and staying slim. Sister has been concerned about my excess weight, and my husband has encouraged me when it even looks like I have lost an ounce – God bless h... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1001160 Fri, 02 Nov 2007 19:15:37 +0100 1001160 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=995184&cid=t_172657_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fbreast-cancer%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fthe-best-gift-you-can-give-to-someone-diagnosed-with-breast-cancer%2F As Breast Cancer Awareness Month wraps up, it doesn’t mean that breast cancer will take a break until next October. I am grateful for the attention the disease has received, however I am frustrated that we are still without a cure. And so, this coming year thousands of more women and men will be diagnosed with breast cancer. People have asked me what they should do upon learning of a friend, colleague or neighbor who has been diagnosed with breast cancer. If you are a survivor you can honestly relate that you know what they are going through. One of the best things you can do however is provide information. People want to know what to expect. They are eager to know everything they can to find out about their situation and risks. They want to know about the disease. One of the reasons tha... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=995184 Wed, 31 Oct 2007 19:47:12 +0100 995184 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=988561&cid=t_172657_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fbreast-cancer%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Finheriting-an-increased-risk-for-breast-cancer-from-your-father%2F Sister and I have just found out that my mother is not a carrier of the BRCA2 gene mutation that increases our risk for breast cancer. What this means is that we inherited this gene mutation from our father. My dad passed away after a battle with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, but he would be heartbroken to think of his daughters dealing with this disease. Genetics testing can reveal if you have an increased inherited breast cancer risk. I started getting yearly mammograms at the age of 40. This was determined by my doctor because my mother had been diagnosed with breast cancer. At the time, I felt that my mother had developed breast cancer through long term Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) as there was no history of breast cancer in either her mother’s or father’s family. It wasn’t unti... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=988561 Mon, 29 Oct 2007 22:48:40 +0100 988561 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=982776&cid=t_172657_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fbreast-cancer%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fmanaging-your-care-while-in-the-hospital%2F Yesterday, my hairdresser related a horror story of her stay in the hospital starting with a 3-hour wait in the ER. It was so bad that the director of the hospital called to make amends. She wasn’t a difficult patient, but the care she got was below acceptable. Any time I have been in the hospital, I have been the best patient. Seriously, I am a great patient. I like to get up and around as quickly as possible, I like to do everything for myself, I don’t complain, I don’t demand anything – what’s not to love? In fact, I know of two different times I was in the hospital that nurses fought over who would be assigned to me. I would like to think though that if I was in real need and became testy that I would still get that attention. Many people hate being in the hospital and some h... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=982776 Fri, 26 Oct 2007 22:57:37 +0100 982776 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=976577&cid=t_172657_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fbreast-cancer%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fi-dont-want-any-more-of-my-friends-to-have-breast-cancer%2F A dear friend of mine is going for a mammogram today. She found two lumps last week, and we are praying that they are just cysts. Her doctor sent her to a breast clinic, so she could also have an ultrasound and speak to a surgeon if necessary. This is an exceptional relatively young woman (under 40) recently married and raising a young girl. I know she is strong enough to deal with whatever comes. However, I trust it won’t be cancer. This spring, another dear friend went through an ordeal after finding something suspicious on her mammogram but thankfully it wasn’t cancer. I am heartsick at the number of women who face breast cancer every day. Those who are newly diagnosed and those who have metastatic breast cancer and those who have survived breast cancer all have one thing in common;... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=976577 Wed, 24 Oct 2007 18:27:04 +0100 976577 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=970258&cid=t_172657_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fbreast-cancer%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fdid-you-know-you-would-get-breast-cancer%2F There is a scripture in the Bible in the Old Testament Book of Job that says “that which I have feared has come upon me.” I think of this often when I am fretting over the idea of cancer returning or spreading. The reason I like this scripture is that it gives me the incentive to not stress over these thoughts and to not allow the fear of recurrent breast cancer to consume me. My husband and I have a little routine. It kind of developed on its own. When I get thoughts about breast cancer, I ask him if I am going to die from cancer and he says, “There is no way, of course not, what a crazy thought.” That’s it. That’s all it takes for me to put those thoughts out of my mind and carry on. I just need to address them. I think just having breast cancer has given me power over it. It... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=970258 Mon, 22 Oct 2007 20:11:59 +0100 970258