Survived the breast cancer breakfast. Although I declined a pink ribbon pin on arrival - why will I wear a red Aids ribbon but not a pink breast cancer one? - and found most of the crowd there alienating, it was interesting to hear a young breast cancer survivor, as she called herself, a 29-year-old also on herceptin whoswe boyfriend found her lump.
And it was interesting to hear Mother Earth talk, presenting herself as this super honest, hyper casual doctor who is an expert on breast cancer, who is so honest that she even spoke about her going into early menopause cos of anxiety.
Interesting too that she differed from The Tango Man in two respects. She said that it was nonsense to say that reconstruction surgery could not be done immediately following masectomy - yet The Tango Man said if I did choose surgery as an option (I didn't), then it was best I did not have immediate recontruction and waited until I finished my treatment (herceptin I think he was referring to).
Also, she said it was ok to use an hormonal cream for vaginal dryness on breast cancer patients; The Tango Man is dead against it. Well, dead against it for patients who have a hormone-receptor cancer.
What I also enjoyed about the breakfast was talking to my sister's friend who sat on my left. She is in her 5th, and last, year of tamoxifen and when she said she spends so much money on medication for the side-effects of tamoxifen, I was astounded. She takes blood thinners (I only had to take them before, during and after a longhaul flight - for the duration of the holiday plus a week before and after, that is) and has reflux and.... I said I didn't want to know, as I don't want to even know about them.
Anyway, now into a new breast cancer blog. Robyn Semanko's I am 30 years old and have breast cancer. Direct and unsentimental, Robyn's blog is honest and straightforward. A mother of two from Minnesota in the US, I like the fact that she says she wants to stay angry because "when I am angry nothing can hurt me. I think we'll keep angry for now and get rid of something else that I don't need, like kindness or generosity or something, who needs those," she wrote on May 16.
I live in Johannesburg, South Africa, where I was diagnosed with breast cancer on Thursday January 15 2009. This is my journey with cancer and other musings as surveyed - initially temporarily hairless - from under my hats.
You're not alone. I know lots of women who are uncomfortable at these things.
ReplyDeleteI did have immediate recon. before treatment. It was all fine, but kind of unexpected. All that was found before surgery was DCIS, so we thought I'd have surgery & be done. Surgery found 2 invasive tumors & most lymph nodes positive - bummer! So change of plans - tons of treatment. I think there was some concern about how the recon. would do, but it was totally fine. BTW, my onc. also said vag. cream was OK.