posted on November 28, 2002 09:51:31 AM new
Today is Thanksgiving and a time to be spent with friends and family. Cherish the moments - they are so very precious!
Tomorrow if your doctor's office is open and you haven't scheduled your mammogram yet, please pick up that phone and call to set up an appointment. That one call could literally save your life!
Gents, if you have a girlfriend/wife/significant other, please get them to make that call to schedule a mammogram!
I usually post this type of message in May, in conjunction with the Grand Ledge Michigan American Cancer Society Relay for Life Event, but I felt compelled to do it today. Yesterday we found out my sister-in-law has breast cancer - we don't know any details yet or what options/possible courses of treatment may be, but needless to say I felt the need to get the word out to folks here to make that phone call, schedule a mammogram, and keep yourself healthy!
posted on November 28, 2002 10:32:24 AM new
Why is it that men get CT scans for their testicals, but women get to have their breasts mashed flat as a pancake? IMHO, that yearly mammogram they're always pusking on women probably causes cancer--it can't be all that good for you. When they start using CT scans for women, I'll use it. Until then, self-examination is the route for me.
edited to add an "h" where it was most needed...
Censorship, like charity, should begin at home; but unlike charity, it should end there --Clare Booth Luce
[ edited by bunnicula on Nov 28, 2002 10:39 AM ]
posted on November 28, 2002 04:41:35 PM new"Why is it that men get CT scans for their testicals, but women get to have their breasts mashed flat as a pancake"
Because they're there!
(krs envisions having testicles mashed flat as pancakes by bunnicula)
posted on November 28, 2002 09:43:33 PM new
Ever get stuck on the shelf. I did this year and pulled part of my skin off. Talk about pain! UGGH!!
S.H. Thanks for the reminder and I'm sure you know there is a website which can be clicked on to get mammograms to the poor.
I'm also sorry to hear about your sister-in-law. I wish her the best.
posted on November 29, 2002 08:10:27 AM new
Kraftdinner, breast cancer does not run in my family or my sister-in-law's family. She had a routine mammogram earlier this summer and it came back with something abnormal. They did another one and then she had tissue samples taken during a biopsy. She goes for more testing on Monday and then they meet with their doctor to find out what's the next step.
I agree that with today's medical advances the survival rate for many cancers, including breast cancer, are much higher if the cancer is detected early.
If you haven't had a mammogram in awhile, please make that call! Yes they can be uncomfortable, but I guess I look at it this way - giving up a little comfort while the procedure is done is better than giving up one's life! I have had mammograms done before and they honestly were not the horror stories I'd heard them to be. I truly believe the technician operating the equipment is the key - if something really hurts during the procedure, tell the technician right away. If they make adjustments and it still is very painful, demand another technician. It is your health you are dealing with and you shouldn't be afraid to speak up!
While you're scheduling your mammogram, schedule your pap and pelvic exam too! Keep yourself healthy!
posted on December 4, 2002 07:29:51 AM new
My sister-in-law went to the doctor on Monday and she has three options:
1) lumpectomy followed by radiation and chemo
2) mastectomy
3) mastectomy with reconstructive surgery
I spoke to my brother last night - he said he and my sister-in-law will be meeting with a team of folks on Friday - surgeon, oncologist, nursing staff, etc., who will spend 6-8 hours reviewing all kinds of information with them, answering questions etc.
In the meantime they will be researching breast cancer treatments etc., so they will be well prepared for their meeting on Friday.
Ladies, please please please if you haven`t had a mammogram (pap/pelvic too!) in awhile, pick up that phone and call your doctor! This is a gut wrenching thing to have to go through......
posted on December 4, 2002 11:43:48 AM new
I'm truly sorry for your your sister sallyhoffman. Cancer has hit my family as well and I know that when a family member gets it, you all feel like you have it. There's so much cancer in the world anymore. 1 out of 3 will get it. And, I know it's my imagination but it seems like only good people get it. You never hear of people like Manson or those types getting cancer. My thoughts will be with you and your family. I have faith that things will work out for your sister.
posted on December 4, 2002 04:36:50 PM new
OUCH!!! Calamity - Gives me goose bumps just reading that.
SallyHoffman - I agree that regular OBGYN check-ups are the way to go. The latest reported benefit of mammograms is that not only will they find a tumor earlier, but since they also show calcium deposits in the breasts, that helps doctors be aware that the woman MIGHT be prone to calcium in their arteries. Sounded to me like the more calcium deposits in the breast, the more likely they were also beginning to block the veins. So...and added benefit of mammograms.
I'm sorry to hear of your S-I-Ls diagnosis. That's a hard pill to swollow for sure. I've often thought I'd go for the lumpectomy followed up by radiation and/or chemo, rather than the full removal of a breast. From what I've read...the 5 year survival rate is pretty close for those who choose the radical surgery or the lump and lymph node removal. If I were her, I'd read everything I could about the current survival rates for all choices....plus I'd get a second opinion.
She's lucky to have your support during this very rough time in her life.
posted on December 7, 2002 06:50:17 PM new
I spoke to my brother last night and we did get some encouraging news. My brother and sister-in-law met with an inter-disciplinary team comprised of a surgeon, oncologist, radiologist, nurses, etc. During this 6 hour meeting, the team reviewed a lot of detailed information with my brother and sister-in-law, including the proposed treatment plan (lumpectomy, followed by radiation, followed perhaps by chemo).
Denise's cancer is a grade 1 type cancer (based on a scale of 1 to 4, with 4 being the most serious). They said based on the pathology reports from her biopsies that the tissue samples were "borderline benign", which they are hoping means that the cancer has been detected in its very early stages.
They won't know until they do surgery and examine surrounding tissue/lymph nodes to see if the cancer has spread. Denise will be part of a clinical study using some new methods to determine if the lymph nodes are cancerous. We have lymph nodes all over our bodies, many concentrated under the armpits. There are lymph nodes called "sentinels", which are like the body's first line of defense against disease - each person has a different number of sentinel lymph nodes and they are located in different parts of the body. As the cancer begins to spread, the sentinel lymph nodes are the first areas to be affected. The doctors will use radioactive material along with a blue dye to determine where these sentinel nodes are and will take tissue samples to determine if they are cancerous. Bottom line is that this procedure, done at the same time as the lumpectomy, is a less invasive procedure than traditional methods of testing surrounding tissue/lymph nodes and means less recovery time.
Denise is also an excellent candidate for the pill version of chemotherapy (Tamoxifen), which has fewer and less severe side effects than the infusion/intravenous type of chemotherapy.
Jeff and Denise meet with her physician on Monday to review the plan of action and if he agrees, then it will be time to schedule the lumpectomy. They are hoping to get the surgery done before Christmas, but they'll have to wait and see how soon it can be scheduled. Then 6 weeks after the surgery Denise will go through radiation treatments - 5 days a week for 6 weeks. Then based on pathology reports of the sentinel lymph nodes, she may begin taking Tamoxifen as chemo treatments.
Jeff said he and Denise both felt a sigh of relief after this meeting yesterday. They know they still have a long way to go, but the fact that it appears the cancer was detected early and that she is such an excellent candidate for the pill version of chemotherapy suggests that this will be a totally treatable disease.
Please keep those prayers coming - they are helping!
posted on December 7, 2002 09:27:56 PM new
As a Retired Mammography Technologist I do agree that Mammograms are uncomfortable. When it comes to your health it is important to not have caffine or chocolate approximately 1 week before a mammogram as that will cause some pain. Remember when you go for your mammography no underarm deodorant because it contains aluminum chloride and aluminum is metal and that will show up as little calcifications. But most important is the monthly breast check that you do yourself. Get to know your breasts and the lumps that are there and when you feel a strange one that is when you see your physician. It has been stated that women who do monthly breast checks find their lumps first.
posted on December 11, 2002 07:12:52 AM new
The following is from an email from my brother explaining the latest news on my sister-in-law.....
> We had a Dr. appointment on Monday. At that time, we learned that the
> surgeon Denise has been seeing (a male) will not perform the operation,
> because she is enrolled in the sentinel study. It turns out the surgeon
> we met with last Fri. during the interdisciplinary conference will
> actually perform her surgery. She is in charge of the sentinel study
> for MSU through the National Institute of Health and has a lot more
> knowledge and experience than the original surgeon. She also happens to
> be married to the surgeon Denise has been seeing. She is supposed to be
> the best surgeon in the area for this type of surgery. So, that was
> really great news!
>
> We thought we would have the surgery scheduled on Mon. while we were at
> the Dr. appointment, however, they were backlogged. They called Denise
> yesterday with the surgery details (we didn't actually have a Dr.
> app't.).
>
> Surgery is scheduled for next Wed., Dec. 18. She reports to the hospital at 6:00 am. They will inject her with the radioactive material
> and blue dye at 8:00 am, and surgery follows at 9:00 am. Since she is
> part of the sentinel node study, we're not sure exactly which of two
> groups she will be assigned. Maybe we will learn more at the time of
> surgery.
>
> If she is in one group, they plan to remove the mass, and the sentinel
> nodes. Then, while she is still in surgery they quickly examine the
> nodes to determine if the cancer has spread. If so, they remove more
> nodes. If not, they stop. However, they continue to study the sentinel
> nodes for another day or 2. If the results test positive for cancer,
> she will have to undergo another surgery to remove more nodes. If not,
> no more surgery is needed.
>
> If she is in the other study group, she will receive standard
> treatment, which is removal of the mass and several nodes (not just the
> sentinel nodes) all in one operation. These then, will undergo further
> study.
>
> The operation itself is out-patient, and may require one over night
> stay. But, that all depends on how things go.
>
> Sorry this is so much information, but the procedures are quite
> complicated, and I'm not sure I fully understand everything that is
> supposed to go on depending on the study group assignment.
>
> She will be looking at 2 weeks of recovery at a minimum. At this
> point, since surgery is so close to the Holidays, we are thinking about
> taking off starting next week, until either Jan. 2, or possibly Jan. 6.
> Of course, everything depends on how the operation goes, and the
> recovery at home afterwards.
>
> In the meantime, we continue to ask for prayers for:
>
> Strength for Densise to endure all that will happen and follow in
> subsequent days, weeks, and months,
>
> Widsom for the medical team, so they will know exactly what to do at
> the right time,
>
> Understanding so that we will be better able to understand what is
> happening and why,
>
> And of course, quick healing and recovery, and complete restoration of
> Denise's health.
posted on December 19, 2002 05:15:07 PM new
Well, yesterday didn't go exactly as planned. I woke up at 5:00am ready to drive to Lansing to be with my brother while Denise had surgery and instead saw roads that looked like ice rinks! Freezing rain overnight had made the roads incredibly icy - school was canceled due to the icy conditions, so I ended up staying home to take care of my two school-age children (hubby and I decided that staying home was a lot safer than trying to drive icy roads which had already had a lot of fender-bender accidents). My sister-in-law's brother and his wife, who also live in Lansing, were at the hospital, so at least my brother didn't have to wait in the waiting room by himself. It really tore me up not to be there for him - I bawled when I saw all the ice on the roads, but the Mommy part of me took over and said not to chance the three of us (me and the two kids) getting into an accident....
Anyway, I spoke to my brother last night and he gave me an update on what happened at the hospital. Denise is taking part in the clinical study of sentinal lymph nodes, which means when they did the lumpectomy, they only removed the three identified sentinal lymph nodes, instead of all the lymph nodes found in her armpit. The good news is that the 10 minute test to check the sentinal lymph nodes did not detect any cancer. Further testing of these nodes will be done over the next 24-48 hours to ensure the nodes are truly cancer free. The surgeon who performed the operation has the most experience with this clinical study of sentinal lymph nodes and said that the 10 minute test not showing cancer was a good sign - her experience has shown that the extended 24-48 hour testing of the nodes typically reveals them to be cancer free.
The bad news is that the tumor in Denise's right breast was larger than the doctors had anticipated, so they needed to remove more surrounding tissue. The tissue samples were sent to the lab for further testing. If it turns out that some of this tissue is cancerous, Denise will then be faced with the decision of undergoing a complete mastectomy or undergo radiation/chemo. She has another doctor's appointment on Monday to review test results, which hopefully will all be in by then (apparently there are a lot of folks scheduling surgeries before the end of the year, which means things like lab worked are getting back-logged, so they don't know exactly when they will get all the test results back).
This waiting for news is so nerve-wracking! I didn't get much sleep last night just thinking about the whole situation. I can only imagine what my brother and sister-in-law were going through. I hope they get those test results by Monday so they can start making plans for the next course of action, whatever that might be.
Please keep those prayers and positive thoughts coming! Your support is truly appreciated!
posted on December 19, 2002 05:42:28 PM new
Please know that you are all in our thoughts and prayers.
You did the right thing by staying home.
thank you for sharing with us.
{{{especially for you sallyhoffman}}}
posted on December 20, 2002 10:19:20 PM new
sallyhoffman:
My wife had breast cancer in 1994. She found a lump in her rt breast. Went to our family doctor. When the Biospy returned positive for cancer, our family doctor, had a copy of her last mammogram which was negative. She had caught it in the early stages.
She was given a list of 3 surgeons that were cancer specialists. We went to see all 3. The first 2 treated all types of cancer for male & female, they both wanted to remove the breast & treat her with chemo.
The 3rd surgeon was a young doctor who treated nothing but women for cancer. His office was at the Women's Hospital. He stressed How important it was to have a mammogram & how important it was for her to check her breasts. She found the lump 4 months after her last mammogram.
To make a long story short she had the cancer removed plus all the lymph nodes on he rt side followed by radiation & chemo treatment. She did get some what sick from chemo & very bad burns from the radiation.
She would get very tired. Later as the months past she was able to do some shopping. It took her almost 3 yrs to get back to normal housework.
This is the part your brother must understand, as well as the children if they have any. She will always have that deep fear of cancer and so will he. Everytime she goes for a check up that fear will be there.
He will be as big of part of her recovery process as anyone. It will be a big test for him.
My wife & I went on our first real vacation this past summer sence the cancer. Love is a great thing. She still gives me goose bumps each I look at her. Gosh what a lucky man I am..
posted on December 21, 2002 11:45:18 AM new
Zoomin, Linda_K, and Fred, thank you for the words of encouragement.
Fred, my brother and sister-in-law are two of the strongest, most resilient people I know. They have endured so much since they have been married - countless miscarriages and a still birth in trying to start a family (I think they have given up on the idea of becoming parents, which is so sad because they are kind, patient, loving, and nurturing - they would be great parents!); my brother's diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, and an infection which invaded his hip and destroyed most of the cartilege in the joint, causing one leg to be shorter than the other (he wears a special shoe on that foot with a built-up sole to equalize the height difference); the death of Denise's mother a number of years ago and her father's passing in late October of this year.
Despite all these setbacks, they remain positive and have a great attitude. I truly admire them! They have a strong faith in God and know they have the love and support of family and many friends to help them through this most difficult time.
I understand your comment about the fear of recurring cancer whenever Denise goes for a checkup. My Dad is a two-time cancer survivor (colon and prostate), and every time he goes for a checkup, we all are on pins and needles waiting to hear the test results.
Fred, you are a gem of a husband - you obviously love your wife a great deal and are a major part of her support system. Thank you so much for sharing your story - your insights will be passed along to my brother and his wife.
posted on December 21, 2002 12:08:57 PM new
sallyhoffman, I am sorry about your sister-in-laws cancer.
last summer my older sister was diagnosed with breast cancer...
cancer runs in our family on both sides so we always do self exams, mammagrams on a regular basis and see our Drs. on a regular schedule.
my sister followed all the procedures religiously and came up clean...then she started bleeding from her nipples...they found a huge mass in one breast and also a mass in the other breast...both were in the milk ducts so they were undetected by the mammograms...
she has had a double radical mastectomy (including the lymph nodes) and has gone through chemo...she is now on an extensive set of radiation treatments...they know the cancer has spread because of the bloodtests.
they think her cancer was there for as long as 5 years without being detected...
we still don't know of the outcome but are praying she will survive this...we just lost our oldest sister to breast cancer 2 years ago.
The oldest sister had breast cancer 23 years ago and then it came back, only this time we lost her.
posted on December 21, 2002 02:38:13 PM new
Rarriffle, thanks for sharing your story. I am so sorry to hear about the loss of your oldest sister due to breast cancer. Prayers are being sent your way to your sister who was diagnosed last summer. May she complete the radiation treatments and learn that the cancer is completely gone from her body.
I have been involved for the past two years with the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life event, a 24-hour walk-a-thon to help raise awareness and money for ACS. I met a gal from here on the Internet who was auctioning off Relay for Life Bears for the Grand Ledge, Michigan Relay for Life event - a town about 2 hours away from me (Grand Ledge is just outside Lansing where my brother and sister-in-law live). She was a team captain who herself was a breast cancer survivor. We have since become friends and the past two years I have helped raise money for Grand Ledge's Relay. After learning about my sister-in-law's condition, I spoke to one of my son's classmates fathers, who is trying to organize a team for the Midland Relay for Life event and told him to "sign me up"! This year my participation in the Relay will be to honor my sister-in-law. Anyone interested in learning more about the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life event can find info on the ACS' website www.cancer.org.
posted on December 21, 2002 03:55:15 PM new
sallyhoffman, thank you for your kind words and prayers..we will take all we can get..my sister has a great faith in god and that helps her each day to keep her strength up and her will steadfast.
posted on December 22, 2002 12:35:49 PM new
Hi back at you Fred. The love you have for your wife continues to flow through our monitors. She's a very lucky lady.
posted on January 11, 2003 01:20:11 PM new
A quick update on my sister-in-law Denise. As mentioned earlier in the post, she had a lumpectomy on Wednesday, December 18th. The tumor was larger than anticipated and when she and my brother met with the doctor the following Monday to review test results, they learned that 2 out of the 3 sentinal nodes also tested positive for cancer. Denise is scheduled for a mastectomy this Tuesday, January 14th. The surgery will start at 7:30 am and should last about 2 hours. It is considered outpatient, but they may keep her over night if necessary, depending on how she feels. A visiting nurse will go to their house the first few days to check up on her, and help with 2 drainage tubes that she will need when she goes home. She may need radiation in addition to chemo, but they need to wait for all of the pathology reports before the treatment plan is finalized. Recovery will be a minimum of two weeks, but will likely take much longer since this procedure is much more involved than the one she had in December.
Ladies, now that it's 2003, have you made that call to your doctor to schedule your mammogram and/or pap/pelvic exam? If not and it's time to do so, write yourself a note to call first thing Monday morning!
posted on January 14, 2003 05:37:19 PM new
We received word from my brother Jeff that the surgery went well and they are optimistic, but won't know for sure until all the pathology reports come back sometime next week. The doctor was glad they decided to take out all the lymph nodes, as one was a lot larger than anticipated and could be cancerous.
Denise will have a visiting nurse come to their house over the next few days, starting maybe as early as later tonight. Jeff said Denise told him the nurse would be there tonight, but he wasn't sure she had gotten the information right since she was still kind of out of it. I just can't believe that they consider this operation an outpatient type thing and that she's home already! On the upside, hopefully she'll be able to get more rest at home than in the hospital.
posted on January 14, 2003 05:59:47 PM new
Sally, glad she came through the surgery OK. Belive it or not, when I started in nursing, this was a 5 day hospital stay, automatically.
Rariffle, I'm so sorry about your sister.
You have the right to an informed opinion -Harlan Ellison
posted on January 17, 2003 08:35:05 AM new
I just got off the phone with my brother and they got the best news - all the lab reports are back and the rest of the tissue came back negative for cancer! All the remaining lymph nodes (including the one that was larger than the rest) and the surrounding tissue around the tumor were clear, meaning no cancer! My brother said he and Denise cried the first happy tears in two months! I got all choked up while I was on the phone with him.
They go to the doctor next Tuesday to find out what's next - whether the doctor will be really aggressive with treatment or not so aggressive since the lab reports came back with such wonderful news. Jeff said that even if Denise has to go through both chemo and radiation, they feel so much better knowing the cancer didn't spread.
Thanks much for all the prayers! Keep them coming - they are working!
posted on March 15, 2003 02:50:40 PM new
Quick update on my sister-in-law. On Monday she went through the second of 4 chemo treatments (each are spaced three weeks apart). After the first treatment, her stomach bothered her a lot and she had a hard time keeping food down. This time they gave her some anti-nausea medicine that really seemed to do the trick - she's been eating well and not as tired/groggy as she was after the first chemo treatment.
Her red blood cell count is good, so anemia isn't an issue at this point. Her white blood cell count was really low after the first chemo treatment, so this time she was given an injection to help keep her white blood cell count up - the last thing she needs is to get sick and not be able to fight off something as simple as a cold because her resistance is low! Her doctor told her to try to stay away from people as much as possible - she said when she went back to work after the first chemo treatment, she stayed in her office, didn't attend any meetings or socialize with co-workers.
Her hair fell out last weekend, and yesterday (Friday) she was fitted with a wig made from human hair. I don't know the details, but somehow the wig was fitted to her head and the hair can be colored to match the color of her own hair. My brother said they took a bunch of pictures of her hairstyle and saved some of her hair before it fell out so the stylists could make the wig look as close to her natural hairstyle as possible.
After chemo, Denise will be going through 6 weeks of radiation therapy - 15 minutes, 5 days a week, for 6 weeks. We don't know the details of that yet - just taking it literally one day at a time.
Thanks everyone for the well-wishes and prayers. I really do appreciate it.
Ladies, I can't stress enough that if you haven't had a mammogram in awhile, please pick up that phone and make an appointment! At times I feel so helpless in not being able to do more for my brother and sister-in-law. That's when I start posting messages reminding folks to schedule those exams - life is too precious!
Time for the Happy Dance