Posted on 11/11/2010 1:23:03 PM PST by janereinheimer
After having been recently diagnosed with breast cancer, I am encouraged to open this thread by others who would like to share information with others who have joined our sisterhood.
There's so much to learn and so much to take in all at once. Lots of decisions to make, too.
Please feel free to share your experiences and hope that we may save lives in the process, and lift each other up.
-- Jane Reinheimer
After losing a beloved sister to that monster two years ago I have only one thing to say:
FIGHT
FIGHT
FIGHT
FIGHT
FIGHT
FIGHT
and NEVER GIVE UP
I remember her doing a lot of exercises to restore the muscles that had been messed up during the operation. I hope if you have to have surgery, they can do it without messing up your chest muscles.
My wife had a bi-lateral mastecomy in August. A decision she made after considering her family history. The tumor was detected from a regular mamogram (sp) and it was caught before it made it to level 1. Because of her early detection and surgery, her nodes were negative and she required no chemo or radiation treatments at all.
Thank you for your post. I’m sorry to learn of your wife’s death. She sounds like quite a fighter. Exercise is good for lots of things.
Check your local area and see if there are Breast Cancer advisory services. In my town there is a well informed voluntary agency that can recommend or comment on doctors and surgeons in the area. They hear from many women who share their experiences and provide an invaluable service
My cancer was caught very early too.
From a routine mammogram came the cyst. Then the cyst was aspirated — no cancer cells.
So the choice was to either watch the cyst and get more frequent appointments, or have a lumpectomy.
I opted for the lumpectomy and lo and behold, there was a tiny cluster of cancer cells (6mm, I believe) in the tissue beneath where the cyst had been.
From the lumpectomy came a partial mastectomy and removal of 7 lymph nodes, which were negative. The doctor recommended the partial and referred me to an oncologist.
Perhaps because of my age. Not sure. So we’ll see what the oncologist recommends in our meeting tomorrow morning.
— Jane
Thank you. That’s a good idea. I intend to go to women’s groups and talk about the importance of early detection and never never never put off mammograms.
I’m sorry you lost your sister. I agree with you that fighting breast cancer is very important. Blessings.
Genetic testing? My wife’s sister died from breast cancer a couple of years ago. Genetic testing showed all of the sisters with one of the BRCA forms. It could help others. She also participates in the “Sister’s Study”. My wife had a complete hysterectomy and does alternating MRI and Mammograms at 6mo. intervals.
Genetic testing? My wife’s sister died from breast cancer a couple of years ago. Genetic testing showed all of the sisters with one of the BRCA forms. It could help others. She also participates in the “Sister’s Study”. My wife had a complete hysterectomy and does alternating MRI and Mammograms at 6mo. intervals.
BTTT
I walked the 3Day Susan G. Komen in Dallas last week. First time and my last time. Unbelievable women I meet on this journey but behind the scenes of the walk I hate they give to planned parenthood and places that money should not be given too. My best friend was diagnosed last Jan. and I walked with her. She walked the entire 60 miles and completed radiation last Monday.
There is abundant evidence that breast cancer is caused by iodine deficiency. Go to www.breastcancerchoices.org
You will get a wealth of information from this site and will be able to buy the RIGHT kind of iodine, which is Iodoral. The liquid version is called Lugol’s.
Also investigate Dr. David Brownstein, who wrote the book ‘Iodine, why you need it why you can’t live without it’.
Iodine deficiency also causes prostate swelling, breast and uterine fibroids and ovarian cancer.
My wife has battled breast cancer for the past year and I am proud to say that she is cancer free. She had the HER2 protein and her mass was 6 CM.
Everything is mental. Keep your spirits up and never give up the fight - EVER! She chose not to go to support groups because they would have put things in her head and it would have made the struggle all that much harder. We had virtually no support. Family just wasn’t their with the exception of weekly letters from her Aunt. It was tough on our two boys (8 & 16) and our family was rocked. We came through much stronger and closer.
What a wonderful story you have. And I agree that support groups can sometimes be more self-serving than helpful.
But for those groups which are and which touch lives in ways that give others courage, it’s helpful.
My estrogen was very up. Doctor asked me if I’d had hormone replacement therapy and I told him about the “debate” I had with an endocrinologist who wanted to prescribe it. No thanks.
Now, my doctor who is a Breast Care Specialist says it was a good thing I didn’t because it would have been devastating. New research (dated Oct. 19, 2010) now says estrogen not such a good idea.
Apparently estrogen feeds breast cancer cells like little M&Ms.
There’s so much going on out there now with breast cancer research.
I’m really glad that we have an opportunity to share what we’ve learned individually.
you most likely do NOT have high estrogen, but low progesterone, which makes you ‘estrogen dominant’. Go see a good alternative doctor that presribes natural progesterone as well as has a good understanding of the VALUE of iodine.
I too, am a breast cancer survivor. My first “clean” Pet Scan was in May, 2010 and then another good one was done in September, 2010.
I had Stage 3 cancer with the Her2nu factor and positive Estrogen and Progestin factors. The tumor, measuring 5 cm., was fast, fast growing and the initial news was hard to take, obviously.
It was rough for a while but I kept my Irish humor (I named my hated tumor “Black Bart”!)and I tried to stay upbeat. There were days that this was not possible, but you keep trying.
My support group was awesome from my family members to great friends.
However, you will find that there are some family members who do back away, who ask rude questions or don’t know how to handle what is happening to you and that has been an adjustment.
But, in general, the outpouring of positive support, including help from the wonderful volunteers at the American Cancer Society and at the facility where I received my chemotherapy and radiation has been outstanding.
You will find that those of us who have survived cancer have great compassion for those recently diagnosed or who are going through chemo and radiation right now and are facing the uncertain stages of cancer recovery. We know what it is like, we have been there and we will always encourage anyone who needs it.
My wife is awesome. She has taught me a lot throughout this ordeal. Never once (okay, once) did she complain. She was under the age of 40 and was not supposed to get cancer.
Her mother is a naturalist and prescribed a host of natural products that really made a difference. Less than 6 months after chemo and she has a full head of hair. Her doctors marveled at how fast she grew it back. They thought she was still wearing wigs.
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