Re: Say no to radiation?

[Guest guest]

Congratulations (and welcome), Pert!

--- pert364 wrote:

> -Hi everyone. I am new to the group. December 17th

> was my 7th

> anniversary as a breast cancer survivor.

__________________________________________________

[Guest guest]

Congratulations (and welcome), Pert!

--- pert364 wrote:

> -Hi everyone. I am new to the group. December 17th

> was my 7th

> anniversary as a breast cancer survivor.

__________________________________________________

[Guest guest]

I hear you . I do allow myself to feel. I'm also doing mostly well, upbeat, except last night and today. The Taxol has hit me a lot harder this first time than I expected. My abdomen hurts, my whole right side of my body hurts and my tail bone hurts (probably from sitting in my recliner too much on the last one.). I've talked to the on call Onc, he said all of my pains are normal for Taxol and I've taken vicodin. Anyway, yes, chemo sucks. Like I said, I probably will do radiation, but I still want to know that I researched as best as I could. That's all I was trying to say.

I'm light skinned and my skin is very sensitive. The skin burn doesn't scare me half as much as the possible damage it could do to my lungs or the other things it could do.

LICS June "The best protection any woman can have...is courage." Cady Stanton Secular Breast Cancer Support group: http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/SecularBCSupport/

-----Original Message-----From: breastcancer2 [mailto:breastcancer2 ]On Behalf Of DennisSent: Sunday, January 22, 2006 2:34 PMTo: breastcancer2 Subject: Re: Say no to radiation?

June...I hope that you come out of chemo without ill effects. I hope I come out of chemo without ill effects. That is a big concern for me.

I would love to find the alternative sources to help me heal from the chemo. I am sure they are out there but I haven't figured out the right combination to put in Google.

I'm petrified of radiation and what it will do to my very fair skin. But I am more petrified of cancer. It kind of feels like blackmail might feel. Do you give in and hope the blackmailer will keep his/her word or do you not give in and hope the blackmailer won't do whatever bad thing they have holding over your head?

June...allow yourself to feel all of the emotions that are inside you. I wish I could. I'm still pretty numb. Maybe that means I'm handling it pretty well. Everyone around me thinks I am. I try not to think about it at all. Once I did the research I needed to do and saw both sides of chemo and radiation I stopped thinking about it. Otherwise it would have made me nuts.

To those in the decision making process for any phase of treatment, do your homework. Make appointments with an oncologist, a radiology oncologist, and a plastic surgeon. Talk to women who have been there with conventional and alternative.

The problem is that you have to make a decision eventually and if you are anything like me you will continually doubt that you made the right one. ESPECIALLY if you choose chemo. Chemo sucks and can make even the best of us wonder "WHAT WAS I THINKING?" I just hope radiation isn't like that.

signing off until the next major decision comes along and I hope is has nothing to do with my health!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Guest guest]

I hear you . I do allow myself to feel. I'm also doing mostly well, upbeat, except last night and today. The Taxol has hit me a lot harder this first time than I expected. My abdomen hurts, my whole right side of my body hurts and my tail bone hurts (probably from sitting in my recliner too much on the last one.). I've talked to the on call Onc, he said all of my pains are normal for Taxol and I've taken vicodin. Anyway, yes, chemo sucks. Like I said, I probably will do radiation, but I still want to know that I researched as best as I could. That's all I was trying to say.

I'm light skinned and my skin is very sensitive. The skin burn doesn't scare me half as much as the possible damage it could do to my lungs or the other things it could do.

LICS June "The best protection any woman can have...is courage." Cady Stanton Secular Breast Cancer Support group: http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/SecularBCSupport/

-----Original Message-----From: breastcancer2 [mailto:breastcancer2 ]On Behalf Of DennisSent: Sunday, January 22, 2006 2:34 PMTo: breastcancer2 Subject: Re: Say no to radiation?

June...I hope that you come out of chemo without ill effects. I hope I come out of chemo without ill effects. That is a big concern for me.

I would love to find the alternative sources to help me heal from the chemo. I am sure they are out there but I haven't figured out the right combination to put in Google.

I'm petrified of radiation and what it will do to my very fair skin. But I am more petrified of cancer. It kind of feels like blackmail might feel. Do you give in and hope the blackmailer will keep his/her word or do you not give in and hope the blackmailer won't do whatever bad thing they have holding over your head?

June...allow yourself to feel all of the emotions that are inside you. I wish I could. I'm still pretty numb. Maybe that means I'm handling it pretty well. Everyone around me thinks I am. I try not to think about it at all. Once I did the research I needed to do and saw both sides of chemo and radiation I stopped thinking about it. Otherwise it would have made me nuts.

To those in the decision making process for any phase of treatment, do your homework. Make appointments with an oncologist, a radiology oncologist, and a plastic surgeon. Talk to women who have been there with conventional and alternative.

The problem is that you have to make a decision eventually and if you are anything like me you will continually doubt that you made the right one. ESPECIALLY if you choose chemo. Chemo sucks and can make even the best of us wonder "WHAT WAS I THINKING?" I just hope radiation isn't like that.

signing off until the next major decision comes along and I hope is has nothing to do with my health!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Guest guest]

Thanks Pert, yes, that's what I'm trying to say.

LICS June "The best protection any woman can have...is courage." Cady Stanton Secular Breast Cancer Support group: http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/SecularBCSupport/

-----Original Message-----From: breastcancer2 [mailto:breastcancer2 ]On Behalf Of pert364Sent: Sunday, January 22, 2006 2:53 PMTo: breastcancer2 Subject: Re: Say no to radiation?-Hi everyone. I am new to the group. December 17th was my 7th anniversary as a breast cancer survivor. I was diagnosed with DCIS. However, there we no clear margins (invasive). The tumor was less than 1cm. I had a mastecomy of the right breast. No lymph node involvement. My oncologist said that because it was caught early(Stage 1 and no evidence that the cancer spread outside the breast) I did not have to undergo chemo or radiation. I don't even have to take tamoxifin. A patient has to be comfortable with her decisions on what treatment she undergoes. Remember that you are part of the team when it comes to your treatment.I thank the Lord that I have been cancer free for 7 years. I have graduated to seeing the oncologist every 6 months.Treatment is a very personal choice. Educate your self with the options you have. Ask your team of doctor's questions of the pros and cons of the treatment options. Remember it's your body and your ultimate decision.Pert -- In breastcancer2 , "June" <jamreilly@s...> wrote:>> That's great Val, I'm glad you made the best choices for YOU. These are> personal decisions. I'm not saying I won't do radiation. The Dr.'s don't> always have all the answers. Many people have been damaged by chemo or> radiation. I'm doing chemo, yes. I will most likely do radiation too, but> not without fully educating myself. It's about choice. There are 2 big> things for me here. 1. I want to see my son grow up and hopefully see> grandchildren. 2. I want quality of life, not necessarily quantity. I know> these 2 things are conflicting but... If I am in pain all the time or> suffering the ill effects of treatments gone bad for the rest of my life> then I'd rather not thank you very much. It's a tough decision, they are> all tough decisions to make. I'm in pain right now from the Taxol. I know> this pain is temporary, it will pass. Some treatments hurt you in ways that> are not temporary. If I had to live with the pain I'm in right now and all> night last night I would rather not and I don't want to live on pain meds> the rest of my life either. It's my choice if I want to live that way or> not.> > I know all that sounds angry but it's not really. I'm just trying to> express a point. Radiation is a carcinogen, it's another cancer causing> agent, another risk of getting a different kind of cancer. It does happen.> It is also a risk to lung and heart. The risk might be small, then again,> depending on the patient, their history, it might not. Before I do> radiation I want to know I've educated myself well enough on the subject> that I'm not 2nd guessing what I had done when I can't hardly breathe> because my lung was damaged or when I can't do things I love to do because> my heart was irreparably damaged. I already have a history of heart disease> in my family.> > All I'm saying is that each person has to make their own choices based on> the knowledge that they have. I don't always trust the medical profession.> They have a client, they are selling a product, just like any other service> organization. I want to know what that product is and what all the> possibilities are and if there are other ways.> > nne, I know you say you've had 3 friends who went herbal and who all> died. I've seen success stories with people who've used alternative> methods, and I wish I could find them now so I can find out exactly what> they did. The thing that is scary is there are a lot of quacks out there> selling snake oil remedies. But there are true solutions that I wish I knew> where to go and find, that offer the same success rate as conventional> treatments. The success rate of conventional treatments are high in most> cases, yes, but there still plenty of failures. I've seen news stories,> several of them, years ago, where people were told to put their affairs in> order, they were going to die. They changed their lifestyles, went natural,> did a lot of positive healthy things and the cancer went into remission.> The doctors poo-pooh it all because they are in the business of selling you> what treatments they offer. But you know, conventional remedies don't> always save lives either.> LICS> June> "The best protection any woman can have...is courage." Cady> Stanton> Secular Breast Cancer Support group:> http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/SecularBCSupport/> > > > I have invasive ductal carcinoma, well differentiated (agressive),> negative nodes, very small tumor (less than 1 cm), lumpectomy on the left> side. The surgeons report said nothing in the surrounding tissue. They say> it was all cut out but I elected to have chemo (chemo sucks by the way) and> will go through 6 - 7 weeks of radiation. All because I have an agressive> form.> > Did I want to go through chemo? NO and with my pathology report I may have> been able to skip it and skip radiation but I will endure that also. WHY?> Because I am not a doctor and because I am only 46 years old. I don't want> to endure any more cancer and this agressive treatment was proposed to me> more as a preventative measure than a curative measure. The same with the> Tamoxifen I will take for 5 years.> > I'm an alternative health kind of girl and the fact that I was willing to> endure all this chemical warfare was a surprise to many who know me.> > We all have to make our own choices but I'd say it is best to listen to> your doctors.> > >

[Guest guest]

Thanks Pert, yes, that's what I'm trying to say.

LICS June "The best protection any woman can have...is courage." Cady Stanton Secular Breast Cancer Support group: http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/SecularBCSupport/

-----Original Message-----From: breastcancer2 [mailto:breastcancer2 ]On Behalf Of pert364Sent: Sunday, January 22, 2006 2:53 PMTo: breastcancer2 Subject: Re: Say no to radiation?-Hi everyone. I am new to the group. December 17th was my 7th anniversary as a breast cancer survivor. I was diagnosed with DCIS. However, there we no clear margins (invasive). The tumor was less than 1cm. I had a mastecomy of the right breast. No lymph node involvement. My oncologist said that because it was caught early(Stage 1 and no evidence that the cancer spread outside the breast) I did not have to undergo chemo or radiation. I don't even have to take tamoxifin. A patient has to be comfortable with her decisions on what treatment she undergoes. Remember that you are part of the team when it comes to your treatment.I thank the Lord that I have been cancer free for 7 years. I have graduated to seeing the oncologist every 6 months.Treatment is a very personal choice. Educate your self with the options you have. Ask your team of doctor's questions of the pros and cons of the treatment options. Remember it's your body and your ultimate decision.Pert -- In breastcancer2 , "June" <jamreilly@s...> wrote:>> That's great Val, I'm glad you made the best choices for YOU. These are> personal decisions. I'm not saying I won't do radiation. The Dr.'s don't> always have all the answers. Many people have been damaged by chemo or> radiation. I'm doing chemo, yes. I will most likely do radiation too, but> not without fully educating myself. It's about choice. There are 2 big> things for me here. 1. I want to see my son grow up and hopefully see> grandchildren. 2. I want quality of life, not necessarily quantity. I know> these 2 things are conflicting but... If I am in pain all the time or> suffering the ill effects of treatments gone bad for the rest of my life> then I'd rather not thank you very much. It's a tough decision, they are> all tough decisions to make. I'm in pain right now from the Taxol. I know> this pain is temporary, it will pass. Some treatments hurt you in ways that> are not temporary. If I had to live with the pain I'm in right now and all> night last night I would rather not and I don't want to live on pain meds> the rest of my life either. It's my choice if I want to live that way or> not.> > I know all that sounds angry but it's not really. I'm just trying to> express a point. Radiation is a carcinogen, it's another cancer causing> agent, another risk of getting a different kind of cancer. It does happen.> It is also a risk to lung and heart. The risk might be small, then again,> depending on the patient, their history, it might not. Before I do> radiation I want to know I've educated myself well enough on the subject> that I'm not 2nd guessing what I had done when I can't hardly breathe> because my lung was damaged or when I can't do things I love to do because> my heart was irreparably damaged. I already have a history of heart disease> in my family.> > All I'm saying is that each person has to make their own choices based on> the knowledge that they have. I don't always trust the medical profession.> They have a client, they are selling a product, just like any other service> organization. I want to know what that product is and what all the> possibilities are and if there are other ways.> > nne, I know you say you've had 3 friends who went herbal and who all> died. I've seen success stories with people who've used alternative> methods, and I wish I could find them now so I can find out exactly what> they did. The thing that is scary is there are a lot of quacks out there> selling snake oil remedies. But there are true solutions that I wish I knew> where to go and find, that offer the same success rate as conventional> treatments. The success rate of conventional treatments are high in most> cases, yes, but there still plenty of failures. I've seen news stories,> several of them, years ago, where people were told to put their affairs in> order, they were going to die. They changed their lifestyles, went natural,> did a lot of positive healthy things and the cancer went into remission.> The doctors poo-pooh it all because they are in the business of selling you> what treatments they offer. But you know, conventional remedies don't> always save lives either.> LICS> June> "The best protection any woman can have...is courage." Cady> Stanton> Secular Breast Cancer Support group:> http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/SecularBCSupport/> > > > I have invasive ductal carcinoma, well differentiated (agressive),> negative nodes, very small tumor (less than 1 cm), lumpectomy on the left> side. The surgeons report said nothing in the surrounding tissue. They say> it was all cut out but I elected to have chemo (chemo sucks by the way) and> will go through 6 - 7 weeks of radiation. All because I have an agressive> form.> > Did I want to go through chemo? NO and with my pathology report I may have> been able to skip it and skip radiation but I will endure that also. WHY?> Because I am not a doctor and because I am only 46 years old. I don't want> to endure any more cancer and this agressive treatment was proposed to me> more as a preventative measure than a curative measure. The same with the> Tamoxifen I will take for 5 years.> > I'm an alternative health kind of girl and the fact that I was willing to> endure all this chemical warfare was a surprise to many who know me.> > We all have to make our own choices but I'd say it is best to listen to> your doctors.> > >

[Guest guest]

Marie, I also had a stage 2-3 tumor in my left breast;

it was huge (6 cm), but all 12 lymph nodes were clear.

It was really deep, lying against the chest wall right

over my heart, and even the radiologists were amazed

that it was so hard to feel.

I had a mastectomy followed by 6 treatments of chemo,

and then the doctor said he thought I should do

radiation too. I felt like I'd done enough at that

point and really wanted NO MORE, so I asked him why he

recommended radiation. He said it was because of the

location of the tumor -- if my left breast was a clock

and you were facing me, the tumor was at 7 or 8

o'clock.

I don't know where your tumor was, but if it was on

the inside of your breast and you had one positive

underarm node, the chances are good that it shed cells

to the lymph nodes beneath the breastbone, where they

can't get them for biopsies.

Good luck in your decision. I was 42 when I had my

treatment and I'm 59 now -- it worked!

hugs,

Nan

--- Marie Fernandes wrote:

>

>

> Marie Fernandes

> wrote: Date: Sat, 21 Jan 2006 19:32:09 -0800 (PST)

>

> Subject: Say no to radiation?

> To: breastcancer2

>

> Hello Everyone,

> Perhaps it is a mistake but I am seriously

> thinking about passing on radiation.

> After surgery for my 4cm stage 2-3 ERpositive

> tumor lumpectomy and TAC chemo, I am wondering if I

> should just give my body a rest. Not just because I

> know it will increase my left arm lymphedema but

> feeling that perhaps my heart has been put through

> enough with the adriamycin. Being over 70 and only

> one of thirteen nodes positive I am hesitating.

> left side radiation I have been told will be an

> additional insult to the strong heart that I have

> (had?). I am feeling so well two months past chemo

> however I need more input before continuing

> treatments. Has anyone else had to make this

> decision? Thanks!!! Marie

>

>

>

__________________________________________________

[Guest guest]

Marie, I also had a stage 2-3 tumor in my left breast;

it was huge (6 cm), but all 12 lymph nodes were clear.

It was really deep, lying against the chest wall right

over my heart, and even the radiologists were amazed

that it was so hard to feel.

I had a mastectomy followed by 6 treatments of chemo,

and then the doctor said he thought I should do

radiation too. I felt like I'd done enough at that

point and really wanted NO MORE, so I asked him why he

recommended radiation. He said it was because of the

location of the tumor -- if my left breast was a clock

and you were facing me, the tumor was at 7 or 8

o'clock.

I don't know where your tumor was, but if it was on

the inside of your breast and you had one positive

underarm node, the chances are good that it shed cells

to the lymph nodes beneath the breastbone, where they

can't get them for biopsies.

Good luck in your decision. I was 42 when I had my

treatment and I'm 59 now -- it worked!

hugs,

Nan

--- Marie Fernandes wrote:

>

>

> Marie Fernandes

> wrote: Date: Sat, 21 Jan 2006 19:32:09 -0800 (PST)

>

> Subject: Say no to radiation?

> To: breastcancer2

>

> Hello Everyone,

> Perhaps it is a mistake but I am seriously

> thinking about passing on radiation.

> After surgery for my 4cm stage 2-3 ERpositive

> tumor lumpectomy and TAC chemo, I am wondering if I

> should just give my body a rest. Not just because I

> know it will increase my left arm lymphedema but

> feeling that perhaps my heart has been put through

> enough with the adriamycin. Being over 70 and only

> one of thirteen nodes positive I am hesitating.

> left side radiation I have been told will be an

> additional insult to the strong heart that I have

> (had?). I am feeling so well two months past chemo

> however I need more input before continuing

> treatments. Has anyone else had to make this

> decision? Thanks!!! Marie

>

>

>

__________________________________________________