USA Today published an article titled, 'Preventative breast cancer surgery has some docs alarmed." The article informs readers about the growing trend of prophylactic mastectomies. The article didn't tell me anything I didn't already know. Young women who are diagnosed with breast cancer are more likely to have their breast(s) removed. I had my first breast removed because the cancer was starting to spread inside of my breast. I had the second breast removed the next year. I don't regret my choice.
I am writing this post in response to the commenters on the USA Today website who are judging women who chose to remove a breast or two prophylactic-ly. Y'all suck. Until you have been diagnosed with cancer, don't mock or judge or know that you would never do what I and other women have done. You don't know what you would do.
Showing posts with label breast cancer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label breast cancer. Show all posts
17 October 2011
10 June 2011
Graduate Student Study on Cancer Survivors and Post-Treatment Life
Reposting from Facebook: Cancer survivors -- help with my master's research! Read the note below & email yacancerstudy@gmail.com. Please repost!
Posted on 5/27/11
If you are a cancer survivor between the ages of 18 and 50, could you please take five minutes to fill out an anonymous online survey for my master’s thesis? I'm a cancer survivor myself and an Occupational Therapy student at California State University, Dominguez Hills. I’m trying to improve the quality of life for those who are experiencing long-term side effects of cancer treatment. My research team has already completed phase I of the study where we interviewed young adult survivors about their experiences with post-treatment life. For phase II we have developed a survey, based on those interviews, that will attempt to see how widespread these experiences are and eventually develop a plan to help survivors improve their quality of life and successfully engage in meaningful activities. The requirements for participating in the study are a diagnosis of cancer between the ages of 18 and 50, chemotherapy and/or radiation as part of your treatment, and completion of your chemotherapy and/or radiation treatment within the last five years. If you or someone you know fits these requirements, please send an email to yacancerstudy@gmail.com with your age and the details of your treatment (surgery, chemo, etc…) and we will send you a link to the online survey. Please repost this on your Facebook page or email to any survivors you know. The more participants we can get, the more we will be able to make a case for this important type of treatment!
Posted on 5/27/11
If you are a cancer survivor between the ages of 18 and 50, could you please take five minutes to fill out an anonymous online survey for my master’s thesis? I'm a cancer survivor myself and an Occupational Therapy student at California State University, Dominguez Hills. I’m trying to improve the quality of life for those who are experiencing long-term side effects of cancer treatment. My research team has already completed phase I of the study where we interviewed young adult survivors about their experiences with post-treatment life. For phase II we have developed a survey, based on those interviews, that will attempt to see how widespread these experiences are and eventually develop a plan to help survivors improve their quality of life and successfully engage in meaningful activities. The requirements for participating in the study are a diagnosis of cancer between the ages of 18 and 50, chemotherapy and/or radiation as part of your treatment, and completion of your chemotherapy and/or radiation treatment within the last five years. If you or someone you know fits these requirements, please send an email to yacancerstudy@gmail.com with your age and the details of your treatment (surgery, chemo, etc…) and we will send you a link to the online survey. Please repost this on your Facebook page or email to any survivors you know. The more participants we can get, the more we will be able to make a case for this important type of treatment!
19 February 2011
Breast Cancer is a money making industry
Article on the many unnecessary surgical biopsies performed in U.S. hospitals: "Study of Breast Biopsies Finds Surgery Used Too Extensively," by Denise Grady, published in the New York Times, 2/18/11
19 October 2010
Still time to vote
If you haven't voted yet, or haven't voted in a while, don't worry, you can still vote for Casting for Recovery in the Pepsi Refresh contest. Right now, CFR is ranked #4 in the health category for the $250,000. I'll write about my experience later, but last month, I attended their Ohio retreat and had a wonderful experience. please help CFR win some money to help the program expand.
07 September 2010
You simply can't do both
Breast Cancer Action, a San Francisco-based advocacy group that seeks to educate the public about potential causes of breast cancer, has a new campaign for Fall 2010. BCA seeks 6,220 signatures for a petition they will send to Eli Lilly, a corporation which makes both rBGH (a potential cancer causing hormone primarily used in dairy cows) AND breast cancer drugs. So far BCA has reached about half the signatures they need. The reason for 6,220 signatures is to equal one signature for each day that rBGH has been on the market.
Please sign the petition, and spread the word.
Please sign the petition, and spread the word.
24 August 2010
Private Quarters
For me, my cancer diagnosis has always been a private matter. I shared it with mainly friends and family. Due to my wedding happening two months after the diagnosis, I probably shared it with more people than I felt necessary, but I didn't want someone attending the wedding to learn about my situation at the wedding. If you were close enough to me to be there, you deserved to know.
At the time of my diagnosis and first surgery, I shared my situation with very coworkers. A few months later, when it came time to begin chemo, I felt that those who worked closely me deserved to learn about my medical status. And luckily, many of my coworkers respected my privacy and didn't gossip. Many colleagues didn't even realize what was happening until it was over, until I stopped wearing my wig. Being almost bald is kind of a giveaway. And I think there are many who still don't know.
My reason for being quiet was because I never wanted to be defined by a few rogue cells that decided to take root and grow within my body. Once you tell people that you have cancer, the disease takes over your life. People begin to look at you differently. Conversations are awkward. I didn't want my life to be only about the cancer.
Today, NPR produced a piece about people who feel differently than me. In fact, one person is quoted as thinking that a television character who is private about having cancer is not believable character. "Turning Cancer, Other Diseases, Into Causes" discusses changes in society's attitude over the past few decades regarding sharing diagnoses and promoting disease awareness.
As I write this blog entry, I wonder if you might find me hypocritical for claiming privacy since I write a blog. My blog began as a way to share what was happening in my life with a few close friends so I wouldn't have to call everyone every time something new happened. As my medical adventures have began to die down, I've wondered if keeping the blog going was necessary. My psychologist encourages me to write a journal as a form of therapy, and this blog is my cancer journal.
And I keep my blog public, just in case someone out there, maybe recently diagnosed with breast cancer, worrying that they may be alone, possibly overwhelmed by a scary sea of rah-rah pink.
At the time of my diagnosis and first surgery, I shared my situation with very coworkers. A few months later, when it came time to begin chemo, I felt that those who worked closely me deserved to learn about my medical status. And luckily, many of my coworkers respected my privacy and didn't gossip. Many colleagues didn't even realize what was happening until it was over, until I stopped wearing my wig. Being almost bald is kind of a giveaway. And I think there are many who still don't know.
My reason for being quiet was because I never wanted to be defined by a few rogue cells that decided to take root and grow within my body. Once you tell people that you have cancer, the disease takes over your life. People begin to look at you differently. Conversations are awkward. I didn't want my life to be only about the cancer.
Today, NPR produced a piece about people who feel differently than me. In fact, one person is quoted as thinking that a television character who is private about having cancer is not believable character. "Turning Cancer, Other Diseases, Into Causes" discusses changes in society's attitude over the past few decades regarding sharing diagnoses and promoting disease awareness.
As I write this blog entry, I wonder if you might find me hypocritical for claiming privacy since I write a blog. My blog began as a way to share what was happening in my life with a few close friends so I wouldn't have to call everyone every time something new happened. As my medical adventures have began to die down, I've wondered if keeping the blog going was necessary. My psychologist encourages me to write a journal as a form of therapy, and this blog is my cancer journal.
And I keep my blog public, just in case someone out there, maybe recently diagnosed with breast cancer, worrying that they may be alone, possibly overwhelmed by a scary sea of rah-rah pink.
22 August 2010
Please Vote!
Please vote for Casting for Recovery in the Pepsi-gives-away-money contest. The deadline for votes is August 31, and you may vote once a day. Thanks!
Click here (or on the widget below) to vote.
Thanks!
Click here (or on the widget below) to vote.
Thanks!
12 August 2010
Six Easy Steps
Six Easy Steps to Getting Complements:
Step 1. Gain weight by eating whatever you want due to depression caused by a cancer diagnosis.
Step 2. Gain more weight by eating whatever you want under doctor's orders while undergoing chemo.
Step 3. Get bloated from steroids being pumped in to you system on a weekly basis due to chemo.
Step 4. Eventually lose the chemo steroid bloat.
Step 5. Have surgery which takes fat from your stomach and uses said fat to rebuild your breasts.
Step 6. Finally lose the weight you gained after your cancer diagnosis so you finally weigh what you did before the cancer diagnosis. (check the blog in a few days for a more serious post on how I actually lost my chemo weight)
Suddenly you will begin to receive all kinds of complements about how skinny you look, even if you weren't all that skinny before the cancer diagnosis.
So now you ask, "How should I respond to all of the complements on my weight loss?" Just smile and say thank you. We don't want to be sharing our secret, or do we?
Step 1. Gain weight by eating whatever you want due to depression caused by a cancer diagnosis.
Step 2. Gain more weight by eating whatever you want under doctor's orders while undergoing chemo.
Step 3. Get bloated from steroids being pumped in to you system on a weekly basis due to chemo.
Step 4. Eventually lose the chemo steroid bloat.
Step 5. Have surgery which takes fat from your stomach and uses said fat to rebuild your breasts.
Step 6. Finally lose the weight you gained after your cancer diagnosis so you finally weigh what you did before the cancer diagnosis. (check the blog in a few days for a more serious post on how I actually lost my chemo weight)
Suddenly you will begin to receive all kinds of complements about how skinny you look, even if you weren't all that skinny before the cancer diagnosis.
So now you ask, "How should I respond to all of the complements on my weight loss?" Just smile and say thank you. We don't want to be sharing our secret, or do we?
24 July 2010
Thank goodness someone out there is less lazy than I am
Sometimes I don't read my magazines on delivery day. Sometimes, I let the publications pile up in the corner by the couch until they are about to collapse. Once the pile reaches a potentially harmful height, I kick off a mass reading spree infusing my brain with entertainment news, desirable travel destinations, and more recipes than I have the time or energy to cook.
Today I read my Cleveland Clinic newsletter, Catalyst, volume 8, issue 2, Summer 2010. Turns out an immunology researcher at the Clinic has found a way to prevent the development and halt the growth of breast cancer tumors in mice, and may figure out the way to do the same in human women. The key word in the prior sentence is may. But nonetheless, a pretty awesome development in the world of medicine. Maybe I should read my magazines sooner.
For more information, check out this online article, "Cleveland Clinic Researchers Develop Prototype Vaccine To Prevent Breast Cancer" (5/31/10).
Today I read my Cleveland Clinic newsletter, Catalyst, volume 8, issue 2, Summer 2010. Turns out an immunology researcher at the Clinic has found a way to prevent the development and halt the growth of breast cancer tumors in mice, and may figure out the way to do the same in human women. The key word in the prior sentence is may. But nonetheless, a pretty awesome development in the world of medicine. Maybe I should read my magazines sooner.
For more information, check out this online article, "Cleveland Clinic Researchers Develop Prototype Vaccine To Prevent Breast Cancer" (5/31/10).
02 March 2010
Bad Penny
Due to full-time employment benefits and a mother who provides me with a secondary (AKA back-up) insurance policy, I am a very lucky cancer patient. Many young adults don't even have one health insurance policy. I am not going to bore with you my rant on how health care costs in this country are outrageously high or how the health insurance industry can act unconscionably in regards to choosing who has coverage and who doesn't based on family health history (death panels? what?!?). Maybe another day. Needless to say, prior to my cancer diagnosis, I used to complain about my employer's health insurance coverage. I don't complain anymore. All I'm going to say on the topic of health insurance coverage is that I am very, very lucky.
But I am going to tell you the tale of when a bill slips through the cracks. In August 2008, when I was initially diagnosed with breast cancer, I went to the fancy hospital located in northern Ohio. I met great doctors, my body underwent a variety of tests, and then I had my mastectomy. All standard medical procedures which were billed to my insurance company. Due to deductables and out-of-pocket-for-the-year, I owed some money. The bills began to arrive in late October. My wedding was in late of October of that year. My cash flow was tight due to the cash needs for wedding and honeymoon-related expenses. I called the hospital billing department to discuss a payment plan, and was informed that as long as the bill was payed in 120 days, I would be fine. Phew! This meant I could put off paying one medical bill immediately and in its entirety, as other cancer-related bills were arriving daily from my local hospital, the local doctors, and outsourced laboratories.
I created a spreadsheet to help me manage my health-related bills. I color-coded cells denoting who was paid and who needed to be paid next. I had columns for check numbers and dates of service. I was more organized than ever before, and all while undergoing chemo (which began soon after our return from the Caribbean).
The problems arose when I began to disseminate the policy information for the secondary policy. I spent hours on the phone calling different billing departments, asking them to resubmit my charges to this "new" insurance provider. By new, I mean new to the cancer coverage, not new to me since I had been covered by the policy for many years.
When I called the fancy hospital up north, my 120 days were just about up. I had paid some of the total amount but not all of it. I thought I had enough time, but whoever took my call did not send the charges to the secondary insurance company, and by not submitting the charges, the bill was sent to collections. Arghh!!!! To make a very long story as short as possible, between the end of February and the beginning of May, I wrote a letter of dispute to the collection agency, regularly telephoned the hospital's billing department who told me everytime I called that the problem would be fixed, and evaded phone calls from the very friendly-sounding chap from the collection agency who just wanted to chat about my bill. Oh and the amount in dispute was about $150, not very much at all.
In May, I got fed-up with the run-around from the hospital; especially after I'd been informed by one lady that I had been talking to the wrong people. One morning, I demanded to speak with a manager. I explained the situation for the Nth time. Luckily, the manager was extremely sympathetic. He reviewed my case, told me he would do his best to retract the amount from the agency, and if not, would then just remove the amount owed from my account. Basically, whatever he did, the result would be me no longer owing the amount. Sounded good to me, and true to his work, in early July, I received a letter from the manager stating that the amount had been adjusted off my account.
Yesterday, I opened a nondescript envelope. I almost didn't open it. The envelope resembled a magazine renewal notice. No such luck. It seems the original collection agency sold my account to another collection agency and this agency would like to collect my $150. How does a non-existent amount move to a new company? Due to my organizational skills relating to only health-related paperwork (the rest of my life in paper is a complete disaster zone), I retrieved my July letter from the manager. This morning I called him. Luckily he remembers me, and in fact, thought he would never hear from me again. We chatted. He is going to investigate for me. Seeing how the amount was erased from my files, so it shouldn't even exist. He is appropriately concerned and confused by this new development. I should hear back from him tomorrow, or Thursday at the latest.
But I am going to tell you the tale of when a bill slips through the cracks. In August 2008, when I was initially diagnosed with breast cancer, I went to the fancy hospital located in northern Ohio. I met great doctors, my body underwent a variety of tests, and then I had my mastectomy. All standard medical procedures which were billed to my insurance company. Due to deductables and out-of-pocket-for-the-year, I owed some money. The bills began to arrive in late October. My wedding was in late of October of that year. My cash flow was tight due to the cash needs for wedding and honeymoon-related expenses. I called the hospital billing department to discuss a payment plan, and was informed that as long as the bill was payed in 120 days, I would be fine. Phew! This meant I could put off paying one medical bill immediately and in its entirety, as other cancer-related bills were arriving daily from my local hospital, the local doctors, and outsourced laboratories.
I created a spreadsheet to help me manage my health-related bills. I color-coded cells denoting who was paid and who needed to be paid next. I had columns for check numbers and dates of service. I was more organized than ever before, and all while undergoing chemo (which began soon after our return from the Caribbean).
The problems arose when I began to disseminate the policy information for the secondary policy. I spent hours on the phone calling different billing departments, asking them to resubmit my charges to this "new" insurance provider. By new, I mean new to the cancer coverage, not new to me since I had been covered by the policy for many years.
When I called the fancy hospital up north, my 120 days were just about up. I had paid some of the total amount but not all of it. I thought I had enough time, but whoever took my call did not send the charges to the secondary insurance company, and by not submitting the charges, the bill was sent to collections. Arghh!!!! To make a very long story as short as possible, between the end of February and the beginning of May, I wrote a letter of dispute to the collection agency, regularly telephoned the hospital's billing department who told me everytime I called that the problem would be fixed, and evaded phone calls from the very friendly-sounding chap from the collection agency who just wanted to chat about my bill. Oh and the amount in dispute was about $150, not very much at all.
In May, I got fed-up with the run-around from the hospital; especially after I'd been informed by one lady that I had been talking to the wrong people. One morning, I demanded to speak with a manager. I explained the situation for the Nth time. Luckily, the manager was extremely sympathetic. He reviewed my case, told me he would do his best to retract the amount from the agency, and if not, would then just remove the amount owed from my account. Basically, whatever he did, the result would be me no longer owing the amount. Sounded good to me, and true to his work, in early July, I received a letter from the manager stating that the amount had been adjusted off my account.
Yesterday, I opened a nondescript envelope. I almost didn't open it. The envelope resembled a magazine renewal notice. No such luck. It seems the original collection agency sold my account to another collection agency and this agency would like to collect my $150. How does a non-existent amount move to a new company? Due to my organizational skills relating to only health-related paperwork (the rest of my life in paper is a complete disaster zone), I retrieved my July letter from the manager. This morning I called him. Luckily he remembers me, and in fact, thought he would never hear from me again. We chatted. He is going to investigate for me. Seeing how the amount was erased from my files, so it shouldn't even exist. He is appropriately concerned and confused by this new development. I should hear back from him tomorrow, or Thursday at the latest.
21 February 2010
Yarn Shopping
Yesterday, Brandon and I drove to the town of Wooster for a Saturday afternoon get-away. Wooster is a lovely town about an hour north of where we live, with cute shops and a few organic/local food-themed restaurants. A delightful vineyard is on the town’s outskirts, so we even stopped for a glass of wine on our way into town. Our destinations in Wooster were a yarn store, a music equipment store, and a bakery/restaurant for dinner. Because we got to town soon before closing time for the yarn and music stores, Brandon and I went our separate ways to visit our respective shopping destinations.
My store of choice was the yarn store. As I wandered among the colorful yarns of varying textures, I couldn’t help but overhear different conversations. The owner of the store seemed to be cultivating an environment where one felt comfortable to discuss any and all topics.
The first conversation I overheard was between the store owner and a woman about my age, maybe a little older. The customer was looking at patterns for infants. She had recently been through the adoption vetting process, and had been approved. Now all she had to do was wait, and make plans to knit a “welcome home” gift for the baby. Since all conversations about babies and adoption make me a little teary, I became misty eyed as I listened to the two ladies chat.
The second overhead conversation was between two ladies as they knit the world’s largest sock (an ongoing project at the store). Their discussion was about family, ailments, hospitals, and psychology. One of the women chose the moment I was standing near the table to reveal her cancer history. She had been diagnosed with breast cancer at 36 or 37 (she looked now to be in her 60s or early 70s). At some point many years ago, she had surgery to remove her ovaries. About two years ago, she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. Her story yesterday afternoon was about the experience of learning that one’s cancer has metastasized and the treatments that followed the new diagnosis. If you have ever been diagnosed with cancer, the fear of learning that your cancer has spread or returned is a nightmare that haunts all visits to the doctor. I could barely contain my sad emotions as I overheard this one woman’s very personal story.
I quickly chose 2 skeins of sparkly blue/gray Borocco yarn, paid for the yarn, and scurried out of the store when I began sobbing. With nowhere to hide, I spotted a nook in the front of nearby bank. I tried to stop crying, and the cold cement seat in the nook helped a bit. Since I have decided to not take anti-depressants, I do need to get better control of my emotions. Luckily Brandon soon wrapped up his shopping and was able to console me. We then went to eat our delicious dinner. I had a goat cheese and spinach salad with crab chowder. Brandon had a goat cheese and sausage pizza. For dessert, Brandon chose bananas foster and I had a Belgian chocolate crème. It was a day that deserved a dessert finale.
My store of choice was the yarn store. As I wandered among the colorful yarns of varying textures, I couldn’t help but overhear different conversations. The owner of the store seemed to be cultivating an environment where one felt comfortable to discuss any and all topics.
The first conversation I overheard was between the store owner and a woman about my age, maybe a little older. The customer was looking at patterns for infants. She had recently been through the adoption vetting process, and had been approved. Now all she had to do was wait, and make plans to knit a “welcome home” gift for the baby. Since all conversations about babies and adoption make me a little teary, I became misty eyed as I listened to the two ladies chat.
The second overhead conversation was between two ladies as they knit the world’s largest sock (an ongoing project at the store). Their discussion was about family, ailments, hospitals, and psychology. One of the women chose the moment I was standing near the table to reveal her cancer history. She had been diagnosed with breast cancer at 36 or 37 (she looked now to be in her 60s or early 70s). At some point many years ago, she had surgery to remove her ovaries. About two years ago, she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. Her story yesterday afternoon was about the experience of learning that one’s cancer has metastasized and the treatments that followed the new diagnosis. If you have ever been diagnosed with cancer, the fear of learning that your cancer has spread or returned is a nightmare that haunts all visits to the doctor. I could barely contain my sad emotions as I overheard this one woman’s very personal story.
I quickly chose 2 skeins of sparkly blue/gray Borocco yarn, paid for the yarn, and scurried out of the store when I began sobbing. With nowhere to hide, I spotted a nook in the front of nearby bank. I tried to stop crying, and the cold cement seat in the nook helped a bit. Since I have decided to not take anti-depressants, I do need to get better control of my emotions. Luckily Brandon soon wrapped up his shopping and was able to console me. We then went to eat our delicious dinner. I had a goat cheese and spinach salad with crab chowder. Brandon had a goat cheese and sausage pizza. For dessert, Brandon chose bananas foster and I had a Belgian chocolate crème. It was a day that deserved a dessert finale.
20 February 2010
FYI OMG
Earlier this week, I learned about the OMG! Cancer Summit for Young Adults. The 3rd annual conference will be held on May 23, 2010 in New York on the campus of Pace University. The event sounds like a wonderful opportunity to meet other young people who share similar cancer-related concerns. The day-long event will offer networking opportunities and host different panel discussions. Panel topics of high interest to me are on fertility issues and living life after cancer, but also listed on the agenda are conversations on employment/insurance, sex & relationships, and social media advocacy. Well known names in the young person's cancer world, including Kairol Rosenthal, author of Everything Changes: The Insider's Guide to Cancer in Your 20s and 30s and Matthew Zachary, founder of I'm Too Young For This!, are highlighted as panel participants, I don't know if I will be able to attend, but I am most definitely considering it.
To learn more about OMG! 2010 go to http://omgsummit.org/2010/index.html. Registration begins on April 5.
To learn more about OMG! 2010 go to http://omgsummit.org/2010/index.html. Registration begins on April 5.
06 February 2010
"Humor in Medicine"
I assume if I mention The Onion, America's Finest News Source, you are aware of the satirical newspaper/website. If not, I'm sorry. Actually I'm not sorry, you should know what it is.
A while back, I was trolling around on The Onion's website and came across this humorous story about a breast cancer run. Enjoy!
A while back, I was trolling around on The Onion's website and came across this humorous story about a breast cancer run. Enjoy!
25 November 2009
Turkey Time
Like an ominous and looming cloud, just like the ones in today's central Ohio sky, I knew this day was coming but it wasn't until noon-time that I realized today was the day. Last year, on the day before Thanksgiving, I had my first chemo session. Wow! I can't believe it has been one year.
During the fourth week of November, Americans typically like discuss thankfulness. In regards to chemo, there isn't much to be thankful. The experience sucks - there is really no other way to describe it. But if I had to say what I am thankful for in regards to chemo, I do have a few thoughts.
I am relieved that despite feeling nauseous at times, I never vomited. My wig wasn't horrible, and many people just assumed I had a slightly bad haircut (and some even complimented me on my new style). And I must recognize the the chemo nurses who made each chemo treatment session bearable, and sometimes, even slightly entertaining.
But in regards to true thankfulness, I am most thankful for my awesome husband, who I'm sure had his moments of frustration or anger, but never let me see them. I could not have survived those 5-months of chemo (or any of the many cancer-related surgeries, doctor's visits, psychological meltdowns, etc... throughout the entire cancer ordeal) without him and his unrelenting and unwavering support. Thank you. I love you.
As I not-so-fondly remember the chemo experience, I can smile and say, also thankfully, that the best part is now -- being finished, and have been finished for over six months. The port was removed last month. No more toxic chemicals flowing through my veins. Phew!
P.S. I can't forget to thank Betsy, who encouraged me to take way more naps than I probably needed. And Daisy, whose squeaks and antics will always make me laugh.
During the fourth week of November, Americans typically like discuss thankfulness. In regards to chemo, there isn't much to be thankful. The experience sucks - there is really no other way to describe it. But if I had to say what I am thankful for in regards to chemo, I do have a few thoughts.
I am relieved that despite feeling nauseous at times, I never vomited. My wig wasn't horrible, and many people just assumed I had a slightly bad haircut (and some even complimented me on my new style). And I must recognize the the chemo nurses who made each chemo treatment session bearable, and sometimes, even slightly entertaining.
But in regards to true thankfulness, I am most thankful for my awesome husband, who I'm sure had his moments of frustration or anger, but never let me see them. I could not have survived those 5-months of chemo (or any of the many cancer-related surgeries, doctor's visits, psychological meltdowns, etc... throughout the entire cancer ordeal) without him and his unrelenting and unwavering support. Thank you. I love you.
As I not-so-fondly remember the chemo experience, I can smile and say, also thankfully, that the best part is now -- being finished, and have been finished for over six months. The port was removed last month. No more toxic chemicals flowing through my veins. Phew!
P.S. I can't forget to thank Betsy, who encouraged me to take way more naps than I probably needed. And Daisy, whose squeaks and antics will always make me laugh.
26 July 2009
Fly Fishing
Casting For Recovery is a national organization, based in Vermont, which provides fly fishing weekend get-away for breast cancer patients and survivors. Founded in 1996, this organization hosts regional retreats through out the year. Best of all, these retreats are free.
I don't know much about this organization, other than I what I have shared with you, but I really appreciate and admire this organizations attempt to get BC patients and survivors into nature, and learn something new.
For more information on this organization, here is the link to their web site:
http://castingforrecovery.org/index.html
I don't know much about this organization, other than I what I have shared with you, but I really appreciate and admire this organizations attempt to get BC patients and survivors into nature, and learn something new.
For more information on this organization, here is the link to their web site:
http://castingforrecovery.org/index.html
05 May 2009
Someone like me?
Last night I attended a potluck supper sponsored by the local breast cancer support group. While I enjoyed myself, I can't help but think how odd it is to spend time with people whose main connection to each other is that we share a personal history of bizarrely mutating cells within our bodies.
So what do I chose to do tonight? Go to my first meeting of the young breast cancer survivors, held in Columbus. I made my first initial contact with this group a few weeks ago, and today is my first opportunity to attend. I am curious to see what it will be like to meet with women who are closer to my age. While I like the women in my local support group, they are all much older and in very different stages of life than me.
Maybe tonight I will meet women who are like me.
So what do I chose to do tonight? Go to my first meeting of the young breast cancer survivors, held in Columbus. I made my first initial contact with this group a few weeks ago, and today is my first opportunity to attend. I am curious to see what it will be like to meet with women who are closer to my age. While I like the women in my local support group, they are all much older and in very different stages of life than me.
Maybe tonight I will meet women who are like me.
04 September 2008
August 2008
On 8/7/08, barely three weeks after I turned 34 years old, I found a lump in my breast. Two weeks later, a doctor told me it was cancer. Since finding the lump, my life has turned upside down and all around (shocking!).
The purpose of this blog is for me to share my experiences with the lump, and its after effects on my life, and the lives of those around me. I also have been told that journaling can be therapeutic. Plus, maybe I will learn to stop writing in the passive tone :)
The purpose of this blog is for me to share my experiences with the lump, and its after effects on my life, and the lives of those around me. I also have been told that journaling can be therapeutic. Plus, maybe I will learn to stop writing in the passive tone :)
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