3 types of cancer, how do I not live in fear?
I had Hodgkin's Lymphoma 23 years ago. Was successfully treated with radiation therapy +surgery. 10years later they confirmed I had what is now considered an overdose of radiation (standard amount at the time). It caused a chronic thyroid condition, and receding gums, half my teeth fell out... healthy teeth :'( . 21 years after the radiation, I was diagnosed with invasive breast cancer and Padgets disease, both diseases in both breasts and both nipples, caused by the radiation therapy. (they NO LONGER administer such large doses, they are more educated in radiation therapy now). Chemo, full mastectomy, and tram flap reconstruction later, now on tamoxifen. I feel no anger that the radiation has had such lasting effects, I have lived, loved, become a parent and for the most part I have been healthy for decades. The doctors saved my life. But I fear recurrence, and mostly I fear more long term complications. I had the least amount of chemo possible and no more radiation as they now fear my heart may not stand too much more cancer treatments. I fear leukemia etc as my life has proven you CAN get secondary cancers from treatment. I live in limbo. If I have thrush... the docs send me for an internal ultrasound, if I have constipation...they order a colonoscopy, their caution keeps me in this world of fear. I try not to be scared, but it is the first thing that enters my head every morning when I wake.
Found new lump in dissected armpit this morning.
Hi everyone, I've not been on here for a few months as my life's been pretty full of non-cancery things. I recently left the family home with my two little ones and it's been an intensely stressful and emotional experience. Anyhow, this morning whilst showering, I found a lumpy area in the armpit which has had all the nodes removed with my mastectomy. I'm less than a year out of active treatment. I was on tamoxifen but switched to zoladex & exemestane a few months ago. I'm also on a clinical trial investigating palbociclib as a preventative. The feel of the lump is all too familiar, but I just don't want to face it. I don't want to tell anyone because sharing the knowledge of its existence means it's really there and I have to do something about it. I'm giving myself a day of denial then I'll have to think about that shit-awful process of scans and needles to confirm helldom. I'm not sure, even, if I should contact my breast surgeon or my oncology trials team. Damn this Ahole SOB disease. Any lymph-cleared, irradiated ladies out there, can you tell me if lumpy scar tissue might be a possibility? Marg @Zoffiel I know you had a local recurrance in the axilla. How did this play out for you? Any help or advice would be appreciated!alcohol and breast cancer reoccurence
Hi everyone, just wondering everyone's thoughts on this topic. It was splashed all over the news yesterday in Melbourne. That having more than 60mls per day-the equivalent of 1/2 a bottle or less a week can increase our chances of reoccurrence! I know we all want to do everything we can to reduce this risk but at the same time live our lives to the fullest! After only finishing chemo in August and having my final surgery 4 weeks ago it is still fresh on my mind and I still feel nervous about drinking, although I have always loved a glass of wine! what are your thoughts? how much do you now drink since finishing treatment? LibbyLifestyle and Diet Changes After Cancer.
Hi all, I have done chemo from Feb to April after surgery in Dec. Radiotherapy was done in May. My herceptin treatment will continue till next Feb. I thought that was it, until I heard several cases of cancer recurrence around me!!! Ok, to be exact, at least 7-8 cases. Most of them are breast cancer cases but there were 2-3 other cancers. Some of them came back within months, some a few years and even one after a decade. These negative news unnerved and puzzled me. So I started to researching the many questions I had. I wonder if you ladies ever experience this (hearing negative news like that)? Do you ever ask why? My researching seems to point out that lifestyle (physical, emotional, mental) and diet changes are extremely important to avoid a recurrence. I read about how animal protein promotes cancer growth. And I have made further adjustments to my diet. I hardly take animal protein and it's been a few months now... not easy cos I need to feed a family who still eats meat. Has anyone heard about the Gerson Therapy? Apparently lots of cancer patients benefited from this therapy. And it's beneficial for even patients who have done the conventional treatments.
Breast cancer recurrence
Hi! The recent news about Olivia Newton-John being diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer, has really put the fear of breast cancer recurrence right back center stage in my head. I was diagnosed with early breast cancer in 2011, so am six years clear...despite the odds being in my favor of no recurrence, I am, once again, more than ever, scared, that there are no guarantees for anyone. Olivia Newton-John is one of my all time favorite people, and I am really shocked by her news. I sincerely hope she will be okay... Cynthia.
Do you worry about your cancer coming back?
If the answer is yes, you're not alone. Feeling anxious and frightened about breast cancer returning is very common for people who have had breast cancer. We've produced a video about how to cope with the fear of recurrence. Check out the video here: https://www.bcna.org.au/understanding-breast-cancer/fear-of-cancer-recurrence/ And then come back and talk to us. What makes you afraid that your breast cancer may come back? How do you manage your anxieties? Are videos like these helpful?