thomasdevos
10-03-2009, 01:19 PM
My friend has breast cancer
My friend has breast cancer. She just turned 50. This year she also lost her job, has seen his father eighty-something by getting a pacemaker and broke his foot. All these events took place in just 4 months prior. Talk about stress!
In this particular moment, the news is "good". The specialist actually told him "if you had to have breast cancer, it is best to get"! I am not an expert by any means, but that sounds like an oxymoron to me. There is type a "good"?
The radiologist tried to calm the fears of my friends as much as possible, explaining that she was lucky he was caught at a very early stage. By mammography, ultrasound and biopsy, it is very small and very localized. The other of these two doctors said that since these are all signs of an excellent prognosis, they estimated that a lumpectomy would be all she would need. Of course, this was also followed by "unless the surgeon feels differently and believes that radiation could be justified."
When she write me by mail with news, I felt a wave of nausea myself. After all, I am, but just a year younger, so I felt his fear and terror to wonder who could / would be the next to announce such news. Being a writer my way of coping was to launch Web searches for types, treatments, groups and outcomes for an article.
Several sites mentioned the various types, stages and treatments. Too many to become an expert on most of the time. Since my friend is still in the "Numb" stage, as she said she did not tell me what kind it was contracted. But when it does, I will go to some more user-friendly sites (I loved Susan G. Komen and The City of Hope) and start my detailed research there.
The patient who is also the line of attack my co-hort decided. She wants to know what-ifs, what-points and are the closest support group around her. As a single woman, she happily set up a major base of women, only to have another nearby. Who is as necessary as wonderful. However, it will likely also attend meetings of other people who are "in the same boat."
I say this with my own experience with a very different illness. I have rheumatoid arthritis. I was very fortunate to have a base very family friendly. My husband gives me weekly injections. My adult children are more than willing to come to the rescue with a meal and laundry. I learned to be a little less control and leave a little of what I have always considered my "work" is leased to others who are no longer valid. But what really helps my two friends for support. We never actually met face to face, but we have known for more than six years now and it is our cyber-connection that has seen us through times that our families simply can not understand! We met through a now defunct website of rheumatoid arthritis
We are all 49. A married, childless. One. And me too. We share many things, all of which help us get through bad times and make the right seem even more promising. I applauded a lady when she decided to take her hobby of painting and go professional. One applauded me when I decided to rejuvenate my writing career after a hiatus of 26 years. I was rooting sections when it is returned to university to get his diploma. Both were online saying that my start ENBREL injections give me stories in a more "normal" routine and told me about their positive reactions and rebates due to medication stronger.
So while I still have to work to further develop their knowledge about the disease my friend, I know one of the best things I can provide a list of support groups for breast cancer that she can communicate and s' involved with immediately. Even if they are an anonymous support group, they will give him comfort invaluable information and it would probably not receive from the medical community.
I also hope that when the new year begins, she finds a sense of strength and renewal that will have a positive result.
Reference Site:
breast cancer treatment (http://breast-cancer-treatment-cure.com)
www.breastcancer.org (http://www.breastcancer.org/)
en.wikipedia.org (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breast_cancer)
www.cancer.gov (http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/types/breast)
breastcancer.about.com (http://breastcancer.about.com/)
My friend has breast cancer. She just turned 50. This year she also lost her job, has seen his father eighty-something by getting a pacemaker and broke his foot. All these events took place in just 4 months prior. Talk about stress!
In this particular moment, the news is "good". The specialist actually told him "if you had to have breast cancer, it is best to get"! I am not an expert by any means, but that sounds like an oxymoron to me. There is type a "good"?
The radiologist tried to calm the fears of my friends as much as possible, explaining that she was lucky he was caught at a very early stage. By mammography, ultrasound and biopsy, it is very small and very localized. The other of these two doctors said that since these are all signs of an excellent prognosis, they estimated that a lumpectomy would be all she would need. Of course, this was also followed by "unless the surgeon feels differently and believes that radiation could be justified."
When she write me by mail with news, I felt a wave of nausea myself. After all, I am, but just a year younger, so I felt his fear and terror to wonder who could / would be the next to announce such news. Being a writer my way of coping was to launch Web searches for types, treatments, groups and outcomes for an article.
Several sites mentioned the various types, stages and treatments. Too many to become an expert on most of the time. Since my friend is still in the "Numb" stage, as she said she did not tell me what kind it was contracted. But when it does, I will go to some more user-friendly sites (I loved Susan G. Komen and The City of Hope) and start my detailed research there.
The patient who is also the line of attack my co-hort decided. She wants to know what-ifs, what-points and are the closest support group around her. As a single woman, she happily set up a major base of women, only to have another nearby. Who is as necessary as wonderful. However, it will likely also attend meetings of other people who are "in the same boat."
I say this with my own experience with a very different illness. I have rheumatoid arthritis. I was very fortunate to have a base very family friendly. My husband gives me weekly injections. My adult children are more than willing to come to the rescue with a meal and laundry. I learned to be a little less control and leave a little of what I have always considered my "work" is leased to others who are no longer valid. But what really helps my two friends for support. We never actually met face to face, but we have known for more than six years now and it is our cyber-connection that has seen us through times that our families simply can not understand! We met through a now defunct website of rheumatoid arthritis
We are all 49. A married, childless. One. And me too. We share many things, all of which help us get through bad times and make the right seem even more promising. I applauded a lady when she decided to take her hobby of painting and go professional. One applauded me when I decided to rejuvenate my writing career after a hiatus of 26 years. I was rooting sections when it is returned to university to get his diploma. Both were online saying that my start ENBREL injections give me stories in a more "normal" routine and told me about their positive reactions and rebates due to medication stronger.
So while I still have to work to further develop their knowledge about the disease my friend, I know one of the best things I can provide a list of support groups for breast cancer that she can communicate and s' involved with immediately. Even if they are an anonymous support group, they will give him comfort invaluable information and it would probably not receive from the medical community.
I also hope that when the new year begins, she finds a sense of strength and renewal that will have a positive result.
Reference Site:
breast cancer treatment (http://breast-cancer-treatment-cure.com)
www.breastcancer.org (http://www.breastcancer.org/)
en.wikipedia.org (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breast_cancer)
www.cancer.gov (http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/types/breast)
breastcancer.about.com (http://breastcancer.about.com/)