Student journalist wanting to hear survivor/patient stories

Options
toeknee456
toeknee456 Member Posts: 5
edited June 2014 in Middle Age 40-60(ish) Years Old With Breast Cancer

Hello - 

My name is Toni and I am a student journalist at SUNY University at Albany. I am currently writing an article that for one of my journalistic writing classes on breast cancer and how it impacts lives of patients and the people in their lives. I would love to hear about anyone's journey with the disease - life before, during and after. Like I said, this story is counting as a final exam for one of my classes and it is not going to be published if privacy is a concern for you. The only other person who will be reading this is my professor. I can't wait to hear from anyone - I find all of your stories inspirational and I just find that this subject is so incredibly important.

If you would prefer not to reply to me through the discussion board, you can send me a private message on the website or please feel free to email me at td314494@albany.edu.

Thank you all & much love!

Toni 

· Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Comments

  • nanasewa
    nanasewa Member Posts: 2
    edited May 2010

    Toni, you can find my story at my blog: http://success-mamrit.blogspot.com and you can leave a comment for me.

    At the moment, I am just going through the side effects of the mammosite and radiation therapy which sends sharp pains to the area. I hear that the site could be filled with fluids. Other people have had the fluids drained and it came back. I am going to check this out with my surgeon later on this month.You will find the results on my blog if it's not too late for your paper.

    One thing though is that my perspective on life has changed. I now realize that life is short and that I should make the most of my life with my loved ones day by day. I have learnt to cherish relationships more than ever. I pray to God every day to take me through life one day at a time. I also believe in divine healing and this diagnosis has actually strengthened my faith in God 'cos I believe that He is not the one who brought me the disease but the devil. God has helped me so far to have a peace of mind and free fromfear. So I can say that I am enjoying life now better than before.

    During the surgery and treatment though, it was tough going and very very painful and stressful but I received great support from my family and my church members and this really helped. I believe that having this kind of support goes a long way to help us.

    Good luck to you!

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • elimar86861
    elimar86861 Member Posts: 7,416
    edited May 2010

    Toni,

    Personally, I don't know that there is an "after" to the disease.  Even those of us with the best possible prognoses still know that recurrence is a real possibility.  There is an "after" to treatment.  My treatment, other than Tamoxifen, was finished last Oct.  For the most part, I don't give my B/C much thought on a day-to-day basis now however every three months my life has the intrusion of some sort of follow-up screening or monitoring.

    Clinicians draw the line at five years, after which a woman can be thought of as "cured."  (My radiated breast looks a little cured, like a ham, haha.)  That's just an arbitrary point to me.  Women with slower growing cancers can still see a recurrence after that point.  The second five year interval is almost more scary to me because I will not be monitored as closely.

    My body, other than when I was having treatments, has never felt sick.  The cancer gave me no symptoms.  Overall, I feel the same right now as I did before my Dx.  That, in itself, is my burden that I take away from my cancer experience...and the knowledge that I can feel just fine, yet may have some malignant cells growing inside my body.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Categories