I say yes, you say no, OR People are Strange

Joy - the mammo really hurt on both sides today. I just wanted to avoid major surgery not keep them out of vanity or because I like them - I get freaked out for very minor surgery. My ILC did show up on mammo, so that was the only good thing. Having MRI's is SO much better.

Covert, I have a really good and old friend, a lawyer no less and future member of parliament. He SWEARS by his faith healer and insisted that I must let him take me to see her. So I did. She can supposedly stave of metastasis and he credits her with curing his macular degeneration and DXing a friend's cancer correctly.

It was an interesting experience, although I can't say that I will make a habit of it. 

Joy - bargain - I pay $700 for MRI.

Momine - when we were in Ireland last year, I saw Yew trees - I kissed them and thanked them

Ouch!!! Mine was in a clinic near RPAH Sydney in 2009.

I fought the right mx with everything I had but reluctantly agreed it was best since I had six freakin' tumors that had gone undetected with mammo and ultrasound.  (MRI did the trick!)  Though I had no medical reason to do so, I had the left removed as well.  Good thing I did, too.  DCIS and LCIS throughout, plus ADH.  My breasts were just BAD.

I need one of those t-shirts:  "Yes, they're fake.  The real ones tried to kill me!"

Momine - great point!  But you see, evil big pharma has corrupted the natural substance and turned it into poison.  Wholly natural is not necessarily good for you either, though.  Cyanide (naturally occurring in peach pits, apple seeds, and other foods), snake and spider venom, poison ivy....the list of bad stuff goes on and on. That's why scientific research is so important - what's the dosage that cures the ill without killing the patient?  What delivery method best accomplishes that?  What modifications to the original are necessary?

I read a series of books in which Mother Nature was sentient and weather systems her first line of defense against humans.  Looks like she has other methods of protecting herself, too! 

Happy lucky good morning to all!

Scoooooot

We still get our chests examined by the oncologist Lassie, but there's not much to it due to a lack of tissue.  In Australia most things are covered but not MRI's yet.  I'm not sure about those with private insurance.

Scoot, I know just what you mean.  I sit on the fence more as I worry that there may be a genuine  useful treatment going untested and unused.  What if many are progressing when they could be saved?  So really it's the same concern that we both have.  If only the researchers could put all the alternatives to the test and settle it once and for all.That's why I'm glad they're testing some diets now.  Maybe Metformin will change things, I have my fingers crossed that it will really work on those cancer stem cells.

I read that earlier Mary, very scary.   They can never get 100% of tissue. I have a lipoma on my ribcage or that's what they say it is.  It seems there's no guarantees whatever path we choose so we just have to hope for the best and feel confident that our decision is right for us and our lifestyle.

Good Morning Everyone!

It's another chilly day in SW Virginia.  Perfect weather for Athena!

Sunflowers ... Tim is doing better, but his knee is still bothering him.  I guess it takes awhile for the swelling to go down.

Scoot .. My cancer was found on mammogram.  I am so fortunate for that.  The first couple of years I had mammo's every six months, now I've graduated to once a year.

Susie .. The only MRI I've ever had was on my neck.  I hated every minute of it. 

Mary .. Keeping your SIL in my thoughts.  I know her appointment is later this month.

Joy .. I was given a choice on my treatment ... mastectomy or lumpectomy and radiation.  I didn't question the fact that I was only given two choices until after the fact.

Hope everyone has a real nice day,

Bren

Scoot, yes, and there is also an issue of predictability, strength etc if you are dealing with "raw" natural medicine.

As far as your BMX, I had exactly the same thing happen. Lobbied to have lefty removed along with the sick breast. Several docs thought it was overkill, since lefty was supposedly clean of cancer (according to mammo, ultrasound, MRI and CT-scan). However, like yours it had LCIS, DCIS and ADH. I have absolutely no regrets. 

Yep, Scoot, that was one of the slightly shocking discoveries I made through this ordeal - how little they can actually see with all their fancy machines. I figure it is all a bit of a crap shoot. In an odd way I find it sort of liberating. No real sense in worrying about the outcome of a crap shoot.

Hey, PiP!!!  I'm just popping in for the first time in a long time, too!  How fortuitous!

(winking at Scootaloo: For-Too-itous! or however your horsie spells his name!)

Huge congratulations to Covertanjou!

And huge hugs to ((((((((((((((((((Scuttlers)))))))))))))))))).

And to all!

Susie, I understand from a learned source on another thread, that you folks down under live on meat only. You misled us with your lovely fish dinner stories

Meat is much cheaper to buy here in Australia than in the UK.  Or so our English visitors inform us as they gorge on our meat.  We certainly seem to love our meat barbecues. Our cattle and sheep roam across vast cattle stations, not on cramped feedlots.  I personally rarely eat meat.  I eat a lot of oily fish, and vegetarian foods at other times as I'm an ethical semi-vegetarian.  I might rarely eat meat when out to get the nutrients I may be missing, but I won't buy meat.  We're all individuals.

Yay!  Good news, susie!

Joy, I agree totally.  We're all individuals and need to respect each other's choices.  Until they start infringing on MY choices, that is!  :-)  

Good morning, all! 

Good Afternoon Everybody!

It's a perfect day for Athena ... low humidity and about 65 degrees out.  Too chilly for me though.  I'm ready for it to warm up.

Pip and Ann ... It's so good to see you. I think of you both often and remember all the fun we had together at NOTL.

Susie .. I'm glad you got the all clear on your mammogram.

Scoot .. Can't wait to hear more about your new adventures!  Maybe we'll need to trade in our scooters for horses and be a real posse.  I think chaps are so cute. 

I hope everyone is having a great Friday.

hugs,

Bren