I Started a New Blog
I started this blog when I was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2007. Blogging really helped me cope with my cancer and its treatment.However my life has moved on. I have blogged about it in the past - that my life was changing - breast cancer is no longer the main focus in my life.My chronic ailments have replaced that focus. While breast cancer never really goes away it turns more to be chronic illness than a terminal one, unless metastases appear. So I have a total of four chronic illnesses - breast cancer, thyroid cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, and fibromyalgia. I also have chronic physical ailments - bone spur, desiccat...
Source: Caroline's Breast Cancer Blog - June 25, 2018 Category: Cancer & Oncology Tags: ailments blogging breast cancer chronic conditions Source Type: blogs

Living With Limitations in the Family
This is the misunderstood side of my life - how I live with limitations. The other day, I visited my mother who also has RA. We went for a walk. I don ' t usually go for walks because I get plenty of exercise at the gym and going for walks isn ' t a great exercise for me. My back hurts and I get tired.Other family members insist my mother go for walks too. They give her directions like if she would walk further she can get in better shape. She also should do her exercises, which she does. And she rides her little stationary bike while watching the news for 30 minutes every night. She gets plenty of exercise and really can ...
Source: Caroline's Breast Cancer Blog - May 9, 2018 Category: Cancer & Oncology Tags: limitations vacation walking Source Type: blogs

After Cancer Coping With The Instant Cancer Bond
So after you get diagnosed with cancer, it seems like everyone you know has cancer because:You have met a lot of other people going through cancer treatment while hanging out at chemo, in support groups, your oncologist ' s waiting room, etc. That part is kind of nice. You find out you aren ' t alone in this cancer business. You have an instant bond with new friends.Then you start hearing about all these other people who are diagnosed with cancer. You feel like you are supposed to be their friend too - because of that cancer bond thing again. Your cancer friends tell you about everyone they know when they are diagnosed wit...
Source: Caroline's Breast Cancer Blog - May 8, 2018 Category: Cancer & Oncology Tags: cancer bonds cancer diagnosis coping friends guilt Source Type: blogs

Blogging Peeves
I love blogging and I love reading other people ' s blogs. But I have a few peeves (of which I cannot claim I have never committed) that just irritate me.Select the correct word. There is a huge difference between they ' re, their, and there; and reign and rein; and its and it ' s. And I can go on. If you aren ' t sure, look it up ondictionary.com orthesaurus.com for help. It will really help people decipher what you are writing about.Spelling, spelling, spelling. If your blog app indicates a word is wrong or autocorrects to something you don ' t understand, correct it. How many people ' s resumes include the term tha...
Source: Caroline's Breast Cancer Blog - May 6, 2018 Category: Cancer & Oncology Tags: blogging Source Type: blogs

What A Stupid Policy
I guess I am back to blogging. I woke up this morning and read the paper. I could not believe this policy." Breast cancer screening is offered to all women aged 50 to 70 in England every three years; they are sent invitation letters to make an appointment for the test. "Apparently in the UK, patients are ' sent invitations ' every THREE years for a mammogram. The parts that piss me off are that patients are only invited for a mammogram (shouldn ' t it be automatically scheduled by their primary care ' s - or another doctor ' s - office?) everythree years. What ' s wrong with annually? Or is it too expensive for the NHS?And...
Source: Caroline's Breast Cancer Blog - May 3, 2018 Category: Cancer & Oncology Tags: breast cancer cancer diagnosis mammogram stupidity Source Type: blogs

Blogosphere, Here I Am
I ' m finally back in the blogosphere. (I ' m not sure I like that term but I ' ll use it). Blogging really helps me cope with life. Its where I share my emotions and thoughts and I ' ve missed it. But I did need the hibernation.Since the middle of February, when my father stopped his chemo and was gone in two weeks, until now, I have been on a roller coaster of emotions. I have been lucky enough not to have lost a family member since my grandmother passed away in 1983 so this was very difficult. In addition, my health made it more difficult for me to do much to help the rest of my family pull together the memorial service...
Source: Caroline's Breast Cancer Blog - May 2, 2018 Category: Cancer & Oncology Tags: blogging emotional toll stress Source Type: blogs

Coming Back to Life
We are slowly coming back to life. We are all still very sad about my father ' s death. But his service is finally this weekend. At the last minute he decided to donate his body to benefit others. However due to his age, 89, and his cause of death, cancer (love those circulating cancer cells), options were limited. He donated his body to Harvard Medical School for research. They will keep his body for up to two years, but more like 12-18 months and then return his ashes to us. In the meantime we are having a celebration of life type service at a local Unitarian church this weekend. The service should provide some...
Source: Caroline's Breast Cancer Blog - April 19, 2018 Category: Cancer & Oncology Tags: death family grief recovery Source Type: blogs

Hibernating, or Looking My Wounds
Often when I am extremely stressed, I find I need to hibernate a bit, and ' lick my wounds ' as they say. For the past month, since my father died, I have been craving time by myself, lots of time alone. (Cats optional.)The only day I usually have nothing on my calendar is a Tuesday. I have had something on my calendar every day since. Yesterday I was supposed to have a doctor appointment but it was cancelled because the practitioner was sick (instead of the patient being sick). That meant my calendar was empty. I got to stay home.I enjoyed my solitude and got lots of things done - like laundry. But also I focused on my we...
Source: Caroline's Breast Cancer Blog - March 28, 2018 Category: Cancer & Oncology Tags: isolation Source Type: blogs

Coping with Other's Cancer
When you are diagnosed with cancer, you are faced with the World of Oncology. Inside that world lies the answers to your questions and how to keep you alive. As you go through diagnosis and treatment, you get to educate yourself on your illness and what ' s involved in getting through it.Oncologists have to go to medical school to learn all this crap. Us patients get the express pass and learn it much faster and more intimately. Doctor ' s say ' may cause nausea and hair loss ' . We know it means we will watch our hair fall out as we shop for a wig and try to keep something in our stomachs. We learn what the truth really i...
Source: Caroline's Breast Cancer Blog - March 24, 2018 Category: Cancer & Oncology Tags: cancer diagnosis cancer information cancer treatment coping Source Type: blogs

That Drama Queen Friend
And this can apply to males as well. But we all have the drama queen friend who spends hours/days/weeks/months agonizing over their latest ailment - a bunion, or a boil, or a blister, or whatever they have.Maybe they got new shoes that caused their feet to develop problems or they tripped and slightly skinned their knee (and ruined a pair of brand new tights). They are in agony with every step. There was so much blood. And it still hurts three days later. I am not trying to minimize real injuries or ailments but just the ones who act like they are on an episode of the " Kardashians " or " Jersey Shore " with every incident...
Source: Caroline's Breast Cancer Blog - March 22, 2018 Category: Cancer & Oncology Tags: being healthy emotions friends Source Type: blogs

Pancreatic Cancer Sucks
I haven ' t been blogging recently because I have been emotionally stressed. It may take me a while longer to get back to it. Myfather, who was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer last May, had metastases by August 1, and was in chemo until Feb 13, died on Tuesday February 27.Since his diagnosis with Waldenstrom ' s lymphoma back in 2013, I had become his oncology interpreter/assistant. I went to the important appointments and answered his questions that the doctor ' s don ' t want to answer.Due to vein damage from chemo for his lymphoma he needed a port. When he did finally get a port, his first question was ' when do I get ...
Source: Caroline's Breast Cancer Blog - March 18, 2018 Category: Cancer & Oncology Tags: death depression family sadness Source Type: blogs

Reprioritized
You may know I live outside Boston, MA. We had two ' little ' snow storms in a row. The news is that we lost power from 10pm Wednesday until 7pm Saturday. Nearly 70 hours of now power makes one rethink everything.Yes we have nearly 12 hours of daylight each day. But it seemed to get dark very early each day. The indoor temperature reached 46 degrees yesterday. On the plus side we were relatively well equipped to lose power. We have a gas stove (hot food), gas hot water heater (hot showers), and a fireplace (some warmth). We also have lots of flashlights and a few lanterns and one tiny solar phone charger. The two cats were...
Source: Caroline's Breast Cancer Blog - March 11, 2018 Category: Cancer & Oncology Tags: taking care of me Source Type: blogs

Apps Aren't Helpful
I found an article inCure Magazine (if you have cancer and aren ' t a subscriber, you are missing out) on this ' cool ' newapp for people living with cancer, called LivingWith. Its supposed to help those of us with cancer in dealing with their disease and its treatment.' With the number of moving parts associated with a cancer diagnosis and its treatments, patients now have a “one stop shop” to help them navigate their journey. 'An app? Seriously? How can an app do that? I am skeptical to start. First, are you sick and dealing with your cancer and you need to find an app and start using it to communicate with your frie...
Source: Caroline's Breast Cancer Blog - March 7, 2018 Category: Cancer & Oncology Tags: cancer diagnosis cancer resources coping online Source Type: blogs

Hidden Scars from Breast Cancer
Yes there are lots of hidden scars in breast cancer. I have discussed the emotional side a lot - which boils down to PTSD for some. But there is also the physical side. Every time you look at your body and see your cancer scars, you are reminded of  your cancer misadventure. Its only a scar that will fade over time but its still there.Back in 1984, I found my first breast lump. Due to the limitations of surgery at the time, I had to have an excisional biopsy. And because of my medical history (three years after thyroid cancer) they had to be sure. (And if you are trying to calculate my age, I am still only 37). So I h...
Source: Caroline's Breast Cancer Blog - March 6, 2018 Category: Cancer & Oncology Tags: breast cancer treatment lumpectomy progress scars surgery Source Type: blogs

Looking for Clues in Art
We think of art, whether modern, post modern, classical, or even neolithic, as a way to express the painter ' s thoughts on their surroundings. It doesn ' t matter if the scene is posed, still life, mythical or something else. The artist take that and makes their artwork a memory of their surroundings to last for centuries.Recently researchers looking atbreast cancer iconograpy through history found two portraits from the early 16th century showing late stage breast cancer." Signs of breast cancer can clearly be seen in " The Night " , painted by Michele di Rodolfo del Ghirlandaio, and " The Allegory of Fortitude " , depic...
Source: Caroline's Breast Cancer Blog - March 5, 2018 Category: Cancer & Oncology Tags: art breast cancer history Source Type: blogs