My mom.

[Guest guest]

Hello. My name is le and I am a new member of the community. I discovered

this group through a website called " Shirley's wellness cafe " and since I was

already registered with I decided to join in the hope of attaining

some information to help my mom.

My mom turned seventy years old this past November. She is an amazing woman with

so much strength, love, and faith. This past March she discovered what appeared

to be a small but firm pimple on her right breast. Thinking that this was only a

minor irritation she tried to treat it using very simple methods such as corn

starch or medicated body powder to dry it up. However, it did not dry up. The

" pimple " turned into a patch of irritated looking skin which was slightly itchy.

At this point she sought my advice and I felt certain that she may have

contracted a fungus infection. I had such an infection on my leg when I was

younger, and what she had appeared to be the same thing that I had suffered

with. So I recommended that she try an anti-fungal cream, which she did. After

two weeks of trying said cream her condition was no better and still appeared to

be spreading.

Here we are today, June 21st, and her condition is worse than ever. It has

spread across nearly the entire breast. It is very discolored. It has a reddish

purple appearance, and also seems to have some scattered abcesses on it along

with scaling, minor scabbing, and minor discharge. She is not in any pain, which

I am so very thankful and grateful for. However, the situation is not improving.

Hoping to help her I have been scouring the net for information and as you can

already imagine I have come across the deadly and dreaded condition known as

inflammatory breast cancer. I have also encountered another condition on-line- a

breast infection which mirrors inflammatory breast cancer. Naturally we have

been hoping that she is suffering with the infection and nothing more, but from

what I have read on-line the infection doesn't often present in older women, and

all of the signs seem to point to the worst. I have felt increasingly terrified

to say the least. I keep searching- hoping to discover something that will bring

hope. Instead I keep encountering a very bleak and devestating picture.

Thus far my mom has not been to see a doctor. She is, to put it kindly, a bit

suspicious of the medical profession. She has been her whole life, and therefore

she raised her children to harbor that same suspicion. I am not defending her

belief, I am not saying that she is correct, I am simply stating this in order

to explain why she has not seen a physician after nearly four months.

Being raised this way, I eventually came to be what I refer to as a

" naturalist " . I suffer with irritable bowel syndrome and rosacea and I treat

both on my own. I will admit that my diet still needs vast improvement, but I

have made some changes along with taking probiotics daily. While I am not

perfect, I would say that by following this method I am still far healthier than

most people who I have seen who suffer with the same conditions that I do and

who visit a doctor for them regularly.

Since I am a believer in natural methods I searched on-line for natural

treatments for breast cancer- assuming that my mom had this and that the worst

scenario was happening. I came across Shirley's site yesterday evening and the

volume of information both overwhelmed and encouraged me. When I seen that there

was a discussion forum available I decided to join, hoping to learn more and to

possibly attain some help if at all possible.

I know that I am not certain what my mom has. I know that I am in no position to

diagnose her myself, or to ask anyone else to do so. However, if anyone here has

an idea of what this could be, I would greatly appreciate any feed-back or

information. I keep hoping that perhaps this could be something less serious

than cancer, but perhaps I am wrong to hope.

Second, regardless of what it is I know that turning to natural foods and

supplements certainly couldn't hurt, and if anyone has any advice on that as

well I'd appreciate it too. I read about organic flax seed oil and Marine

Phytoplankton at Shirley's site and I'd love to know more.

Thank you for reading this, and for your help, kindness and support.

le.