| A Woman's Place | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| WELCOME | A Little Background Information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Hi! My name is Nancy and I am a breast cancer survivor.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ *American Cancer Society ANSWERLINE (800)ACS-2345 Disseminates info about resources and services for people with cancer. Your local ACS has literature available regarding cancer and its treatment. *Cancer Information Hotline (800)4-cancer (800) 422-6237 Provides same type of info as the ACS ANSWERLINE above. Has access to PDQ, a data base that supplies dated info on the latest info about each type of cancer. Will conduct a research for the latest protocols available nationally for each type of cancer at each stage of the disease. Distributes literature on a variety of topics related to cancer and cancer treatment. There is no charge for this service. *Leukemia Society of America (800)955-4572 600 Third Avenue NY, NY 10016 Provides info about leukemia, Hodgkins disease, multiple myeloma and lymphoma, and their treatments. UNCONVENTIONAL TREATMENTS *Center for Advancement in Cancer Education (610)642-4810 300 East Lancaster Ave.,Suite 100 Wynnewood, PA 19096 A non-profit organization that provides FREE information and referral regarding non-toxic approaches as adjuncts or alternatives to conventional cancer treatments. Specializes in immune support through clinical nutrition, botanical medicine and psychoimmunology. *People Against Cancer Alternative Therapy Program (515)972-4444,FAX:(515)972-4415 Frank Wiewel, Executive Director 604 East St., PO Box 10 Otho, Iowa 50569 http://www.PeopleAgainstCancer.com Caller completes a membership form and patient questionairre, and People Against Cancer contacts alternative practitioners regarding your situation to determine the best recommendation for your treatment. Report is prepared for $350.00 (tax deductible contribution, as this is a charitable foundation). Patient may have access to PAC for consultation after initial report. *FAIM (Foundation for Advancement of Innovative Medicine) (914)371-3246 FAX: (914)371-4790 100 Airport Executive Park, Suite 105 Nanuet, NY 10954 www.faim.org Organization aimed at fostering greater acceptance of insurance reimbursement for complementary medicine. Publishes "Innovation", a quarterly newsletter which serves as a forum for issues related to innovative medicine. Sponsors related symposia. *The Office of Alternative Medicine )OAM) Clearinghouse (888)644-6226 FAX: (301)495-4757 http://altmed.od.nih.gov Located out of The National Institutes of Health, sends info about alternative treatments currently being researched by OAM. Does not evaluate or recommend treatments. *Canhelp (800)565-1732,(360)437-9384/2291, FAX:(360)437-2272 3111 Paradise Bay Rd. Port Ludlow, Washington 98365-9771 www.canhelp.com For a fee ranging from $400.00 (7-10 days), $550.00 (2-3 days), Pat McGrady, Jr., founder of Canhelp, will research all conventional and unconventional treatments internationally that are available for your type and stage of cancer, and help with the decision-making process. Personalized service, based on review of pertinet medical records. *The Health Resource (800)949-0090,(501)329-5272 FAX:(501)329-9489 933 Faulkner St. Conway, Arkansas 72032 www.thehealthresource.com For approximately $375.00 plus shipping, they will research internationally and report to you all the treatments (conventional, unconventional and clinical trials) available for your type and stage of cancer. *The Moss Reports (718)636-4433 FAX: (718)636-0186 Ralph Moss, Executive Director Equinox Press 144 St. John's Place Brooklyn, NY 11217 www.ralphmoss.com Caller receives report on most promising complementary and alternative treatments for his/her particular cancer diagnosis. The report, which as been personally researched, written and updated by Dr. Moss, also gives an overview of conventional treatment options for caller's type of cancer,an assessment of caller's chances for success with various treatments, which supplements to avoid, and more. Cost is $275.00 for a 60-80 page report. Fee includes unlimited follow up telephone contacts with Ralph Moss. *Patient-Directed Consultations (415)681-5357 FAX:(415)681-9734 Mark Renneker, M.D. 4637 Ulloa St. San Francisco, CA 94116 [email protected] Provides medical advice and info on complimentary and alternative treatment options and physician-to-physician communication and advocacy for patient. Not only for cancer. Initial one-hour consultation costs $250.00, plus sliding scale of $50.00 for minimun one hour to $300.00 per hour follow up assistance. *American Cancer Society ANSWERLINE (800)ACS-2345 Will send very thorough reports describing each of the major unconventional treatments for cancer, who practices them, and a critique of each. *Commonweal (415)868-0970 FAX:(415)868-2230 PO Box 316 Bolinas, CA 94924 www.commonweal.org Aside from counseling and other services,has very good material on both complementary and alternative treatments with both the pros and cons. *Public Inquiries National Cancer Institute Building 31, Room 10A24 9000 Rockville Pike Bethesda, MD 20892 ADDITIONAL RESOURCES Books: *Alternative Medicine: Expanding Medical Horizons-A report to the National Institutes of Health on Alternative Medical Systems and Practices in the U.S. Prepared under the auspices of the workshop on Alternative Medicine (Office of Alternative Medicine), Chantilly, VA. Sept. 14-16, 1992 (To order by credit card, call (202)512-1800 @$25.00 each.--Publication #017-040-00537-7) *Cancer Therapy: The Independent Consumer's Guide to Nox-Toxic Treatment and Prevention by Ralph Moss, Ph.D., Equinox Press,Brooklyn, NY 1996 *Choices in Healing: Integrating the Best of Conventional and Complimentary Approaches to Cancer by Michael Lerner, Ph.D., MIT Press, Cambridge, MA 1994 *Options: The Alternative Cancer Therapy Book by Richard Walters. Paragon Press, Honesdale, PA 1993 *Third Opinion: An International Directory to Alternative Therapy Centers for the Treatment and Prevention of Cancer and Other Degenerative Diseases by John M. Fink. Avery Publishing Group, Garden City Park, NY 1992 ASSISTANCE WITH MAKING DECISIONS ABOUT TREATMENTS (CONVENTIONAL AND COMPLEMENTARY/ALTERNATIVE) *Cancer Care, Inc. Counseling Line 1180 Avenue of the Americas NY, NY 10036 (800)813-HOPE (4673) Can access Cancer Care's counseling line for both counseling and assistance with making decisions about treatments (both conventional and complementary/alternative). Reprinted with permission from Cancer Care. I do not endorse any of the above institutions. I believe everyone should have choices and have tried to offer you some of them. |
In Dec. of 1997 I banged my left breast into the post on the dining room chair. That night when I went to bed, I noticed blood in my bra. I thought, "Gee, I really banged it!" This blood continued for quite a few days, so I thought, "Ok, after the holiday I will have to go to my breast specialist." All of a sudden the bleeding just stopped. After a few days of this I thought,"Great, now I don't have to go to the Dr's." With that thought the bleeding returned. (There really is a reason for all this preamble.) In January I went to the breast surgeon. He said it was probably a papiloma (which I had already had removed once from the right breast, so I wasn't very upset). We set up surgery for the next week. After the PAT I went for the mammo. To my terror, they kept coming back to take more pictures of the Right Breast.... "Wait a minute, the problem is with the left breast.....What is going on?" From there they brought me for an ultrasound. Yes, there in the right breast was a non-palpable mass. Hysteria set in! My Dr. told me the chance of it being cancer was 80%. Why did I ask that question? So, it turned out to be breast cancer. 2cm, stage 2, ER+, no lymph node involvement, lumpectomy. I did 6 months of chemotherapy (CMF) and then 6 weeks of radiation. This was the hardest thing I ever had to do, but I made it!!! And so can you!!!!!!!!!!!!! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Cancer is so limited... It cannot cripple love, It cannot shatter hope, It cannot corrode faith, It cannot eat away at peace, It cannot destroy confidence, It cannot kill friendship, It cannot shut out memories, It cannot invade the soul, It cannot reduce eternal life, It cannot quench the spirit, It cannot lessen the power of the resurrection. By David c. Egner LISTEN When I ask you to listen to me and you start giving advice, you have not done what I asked. When I ask you to listen to me and you begin to tell me why I shouldn't feel that way, you are trampling on my feelings. When I ask you to listen to me and you feel you have to do something to solve my problems, you have failed me, strange as that may seem. Listen! All I asked was that you listen; not talk or do - just hear me. Advice is cheap: 35 cents will get you both Dear Abby and Billy Graham in the same newspaper. And I can do for myself; I'm not helpless; maybe discouraged and faltering, but not helpless. When you do something for me that I can and need to do for myself, you contribute to my fear and weakness. But, when you accept as a simple fact that I do feel what I feel, no matter how irrational, then I can quit trying to convince you and get about business of understanding what's behind this irrational behavior. And when that's clear, the answers are obvious and I don't need advice. Irrational feelings make sense when we understand what's behind them. Perhaps that's why prayer works, sometimes, for some people; because God is mute, and He doesn't give advice or try to fix things. "They" just listen and let you work it out for yourself. So, please listen and just hear me. And if you want to talk, wait a minute for your turn, and I'll listen to you. (anonymous) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 1. write your feelings/thoughts in a journal. The simple act of writing helps us to become aware and clarify our thoughts, feelings, and observations. 2. therapeutic massage=pain management, increases circulation of blood and lymph. 3. acupuncture=studies show acupuncture provides relief for a variety of conditions, includng post-operative and chemotherapy induced nausea and pain. 4. music therapy 5. guided imagery ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The removal of lymph nodes from under the arm, often done during breast cancer surgery, destroys lymphatic vessels. So does radiation therapy. Damage to the lymphatic vessels causes them to become blocked. As a result, the lymph fluids can build up in the tissues and can cause swelling. Up to 60% of women who've had a radical mastectomy have lymphadema, as do about 30% of those who've had a modified radical mastectomy or breast-conserving surgery that includes lymph node removal. The percentage increases for women who also undergo radiation therapy. Arm lymphadema can develop immediately after surgery or weeks, months, or years later. It can be aggravated by injury to the arm, extreme overuse or infection. To avoid trauma to arm after surgery, make sure no one uses your affected arm to draw blood, take your blood pressure, give injections or start an IV. ALWAYS have those procedures done on the other arm. The same goes for chemotherapy. Try not to gain weight after surgery. It'll make you more prone to lymphadema. Watch for signs: swelling, pain, infection or heaviness in your arm-and report them to your doctor promptly. Without treatment the condition may get worse. Treatment to reduce swelling can be complex and require time and effort on your part. Complex decongestive physiotherapy combines manual lymphatic drainage (massage), exercise and compression bandaging. Some treatment involves using a pump to remove fluid. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Breast Cancer Treatment Guidelines for Patients", Version 1, Jan.1999 American Cancer Society/National Comprehensive Cancer Network "The Cancer Conquerer" by Greg Anderson "A Cancer Survivor's Almanac" by National Coalition for cancer survivorship "Recovery from Cancer" by Elaine Nussbaum----I couldn't put this book down. "Living Beyond Breast Cancer", by Marissa Weiss "The Breast Cancer Handbook: Taking Control After You've Found a Lump", by Joan Swirsky and Barbara Balaban---I wish I had read this when I first had my biopsy. Can be purchased at Barnes and Noble. "Dr. Susan Love's Breast Book", by Dr. Susan Love "Ask the Doctor: Breast Cancer" by Vincent Friedewald, M.D. & Aman U. Buzdar, M.D. with Michael Bokulich "Questions and Answers About Pain Control", American Cancer Society,NCI "Sexuality and Cancer", American Cancer Society "Chicken Soup for the Surviving Soul" "Seeing the Crab", Christina Middlebrook "The Wellness Community: A Guide to Fighting for Recovery From Cancer", Harold H. Benjamin, Ph.D." "Cancervive: The Challenge of Life After Cancer", Susan Nessim & Judith Ellis" "Feeling Good", David D. Burns, M.D." "After Cancer", Wendy Schlessel Harpham, M.D." "Straight From the Heart: Letters from Breast Cancer Survivors", Ina Yalof "The Messengers" (true story of Angelic presence and the return to the Age of Miracles) by Julia Ingram & G.W. Hardin VCR TAPES THAT I RECOMMEND "Breast Cancer: What Every Family Should Know", The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists "Progress for Life: a patient's guide to understanding Nolvadex", Zeneca Pharmaceuticals "What I Wish I Knew:6 Women Who Offer Hope & Help in Dealing With Breast Cancer Diagnosis, Sponsored by Amgen, Inc. (Makers of neupogen)." "Cancer Survival Toolbox, National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship (NCCS),301-650-9127"
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THE SOUL MENDERS | During the first months following my cancer diagnosis, I wouldn't acknowledge any kind of healing but physical healing. I wasn't interested in techniques that could help me cope better or extend my life expectancy by a few months; mere remission or "quality of life" didn't capture my attention either. Full recovery was the only option I would accept, and I was willing to do anything and go anywhere to achieve it. When my surgeries and radiation treatments were over, I found myself in that frightening twilight zone of life after treatment. The doctors had done all they could and I was on my own to wonder if I'd be alive or dead by the following year. For the sake of my sanity, I tried hard to convince myself and anyone else who would listen that I was doing just fine and that cancer was no death sentence. My motto became, "I don't write off cancer patients." I was ferocious and flailing. Only two weeks earlier, my lover and I had parted ways. I felt confused and frightened about the future. Alone in bed at night, I looked at the white walls and wondered who would want a 39-year-old cancer patient. Life in my apartment was dismally quiet. Then, Flora entered my life---a skinny feral kitten about four weeks old, full of ringworm, fleas and ear mites. Shivering and alone under the wheel well of my parked car, Flora looked desperately sick. I grabbed hold of her scraggly tail and tugged. Within seconds my hand was scratched to shreds, but I hung on and brought her hissing and complaining to my apartment. At that point, I realized that my lonely life welcomed the commotion of a tiny, angry kitten who would distract me from my own depressing thoughts. With the arrival of the kitten, I pulled my energy away from myself and my fretful imaginings and concentrated on healing Flora. Along with ringworm and fleas, she had a terrible viral infection that had ulcerated her tongue, cheeks and throat. I knew all about ulcers in the mouth, so I sympathized wholeheartedly with this miserable condition. It took weeks, but slowly Flora healed, and along the way we bonded. Soon, she was a loving, trusting ball of black-and-white fuzz who met me at my door each evening when I returned from work. The loneliness of my apartment vanished, and I cherished the success of our health venture together. Although my own future looked uncertain, success with Flora was something I could achieve. Only weeks after I'd finally nursed Flora back to some resemblance of healthy kittenhood, she was diagnosed with feline leukemia. Cancer. Her veterinarian gave her the same sorry prognosis my oncologist had given me: Flora would most likely die within a year or two. My response was instant and unconscious. As soon as Flora's vet handed down the diagnosis, I wrote her off as a lost cause. Quickly, my emotional attachment to her ceased as I began protecting myself from the pain of her death, which I knew would come. The veterinarian told me Flora would die and I simply accepted this. I stopped speaking and playing with Flora because when I did, I ended up sobbing hysterically for my kitten. I even found it difficult to look at her. But Flora simply wouldn't let me pull away. When I'd walk past her, she'd chase after me. Her paw touched my cheek hesitantly each night as she curled up next to me in bed, her purr resonant and strong. If my mood was chilly, she seemed not to notice. Flora did what cats do best: she waited and watched. Her patients finally won out. One night I had an "HA!" experience about my attitude toward Flora. How could I believe my own cancer wasn't a death sentence when I couldn't see the same hope for her? How could I dismiss any being without dismissing myself? Although I was busy blathering about hope and healing, I knew that I honestly saw myself in the grave. That realizations was a profound turning point for me. While slow in coming, it finally hit me like a downpour of hailstones. How often in my life had I turned away from pain and loss, and from honest feelings? Living at "half-life," I'd put away emotion at the first inkling of loss, and nearly lost myself in the process. One night shortly after my awakening, I lit a candle for Flora and myself. We sat together looking at the flame, and I vowed to Flora that I would lover her with wild abandon for as long as she was with me because loving her felt so good. In loving Flora, I knew I would find a way to love myself as well--poor diagnosis and all. For the both of us, each day of life would be a day we could celebrate together. I began a quest to heal Flora that included many of the same gems of complementary medicine I attempted on myself. Flora got acupressure, vitamins, homeopathy, music and color therapy, detoxifying baths and unlimited quantities of hugs, love and affection. Her water bowl had tiny, colorful crystals in it. her collar was a healing green. Most important in this process, though, was the attitude change I experienced from this "mumbo jumbo, as some of my bewildered friends called it. healing stopped being so painfully heavy. It became fun, even silly. When I told my friends I might have my house visited by dowsers to seek out and correct "bad energy vibrations," I damn well had to have a highly developed sense of humor! Over the next few months, I slowly learned that healing is more than heroics over illness. Healing isn't simply an end result; it's a process. Flora helped me reclaim the joy that had died after my cancer treatment and my previous relationship ended. She brought me tremendous peace with her quiet, trusting presence. Finally, as I saw Flora healed, loved and cherished, I new I honestly held the same hopeful vision for myself. Flora is sleek, happy and seven years old today. Her last three tests for leukemia have been negative. At the time of my "AHA!" with Flora, I felt that she was an angel sent to teach me that turning away from love accomplishes nothing. By Susan Chernak McElroy--Chicken Soup for the Surviving Soul
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