April 2015 Chemo Crew... Starting in April? Please join us!

Did you guys see the Parade article about Sandra Lee's breast cancer? I read it, and it really annoyed me. I get that these celebrities rely on their looks and health for their livelihood, but then why can't they just keep it all to themselves?

http://parade.com/429878/lhochwald/5-things-sandra-lee-wants-you-to-know-about-breast-cancer/

Before I was diagnosed with BC, I never worried about BC. I had my mammograms, even got called back a couple of times for a re-do, but never worried about it - I didn't have any of the risks, no family history, etc. The other thing was that all the press makes it seems like BC is NBD anymore - look at all these celebrities who had it, cut their boobs off, and never have to worry about it again.. I feel really stupid for admitting this, but I guess it's a case of wanting to believe it.

Now, Sandra Lee -who it sounds like had basically precancer - the one that they are now saying you don't even have to treat - had her boobs cut off because she "didn't want to spend my life looking behind me, thinking, Is the cancer going to come back this year or next year, next week or next month?"

Seriously? Doesn't she know that regardless of MX, BMX, LX or nothing, that you'll spend your life wondering if the cancer is going to come back? She makes it sound like she is completely cured and has nothing to worry about. I am not blaming Sandra Lee - she obviously has the right to make any choice she wants - and I realize that she has to put a positive spin on this due to the nature of her work, however, this is the kind of article that made me complacent and ignorant of the real dangers of breast cancer. It also makes a BMX sound like a piece of cake. They mention an infection in August, but give none of the details of the grueling procedure it is.

Lynne

littleblue I feel the exact same way you do. I've been working out and my body hurts for days after. My nails are still nasty and my skin is dry still.

KB, yeah, I get that the celebrities are worried - they are only human, but my point is that they do a disservice by making it sound so easy breezy - NBD. They act like they are helping, and in my experience, they are not.

Agreed. It's all part of the "normalization" of bc. A dangerous direction f you ask me. Not the road to a cure.

Thanks Kbeee - going to look into it. I think lexapro and tamoxifen interact in regards to a heart condition, as opposed to effectiveness. I will check back w my oncologist,

Littleblue - magnesium...I think I will pursue this

Dizz- so very happy about your complete path response! Yay! I'll do the happy dance for you since you're a little sore. You sure have come a long way. 💃💃💃💃💃💃💃💃💃💃🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉

Yay Heather!!! What a great goal to see your DS's recital! What an awesome report, must give you such POM and make you feel it was all worth it! I don't know what DIEP is vs. other recon, I just know it's all painful and more healing, and I hope you heal quickly.

Lynne

Ok, I'm going to try some non-permanent hair color. I am afraid of what it's going to look like, so I got wash out color. I was coloring it a reddish blond (see profile pic) - but I could only find "bronze attitude" in this wash out color, so it might look really weird. I figure not that I have a couple days over the weekend to play with it, it's worth a try. I still don't have much hair, so most of it might end up on my scalp. I'll take before an after pictures and ask for your honest opinions. I'm just stressing about returning physically to work in a couple of weeks - I don't want to go back with the wig, especially if it's just for a few weeks until I have no question that I have enough hair because that would be weird - I rather go back with cancer head now. I would have totally invested in a polly ponytail if they had a color even close to my original hair color, but they didn't, so I'm not thrilled about doing scarfs or hats at this point.

Lynne

I also found the Sandra Lee article annoying although I can't really say why....maybe it is the notion that there are simple and fool-proof treatments, when we know there aren't.

I'm also very conflicted by the new mammo recs - not that it affects me because I won't be having them any more, and they are relatively ineffective for lobular cancer. BUT...if I hadn't gone in for the mammo and complained about the area, they wouldn't have done the U/S - also negative but unusual, which led to the MRI...and bingo, there it was.

My biggest concern is that insurance companies will jump on the opportunity to stop paying, and that doctors will find it too easy to say to younger women "you're too young for that to be much of an issue".

good news Dizz.

Okay I have a new weird symptom yesterday I noticed that my checks and jaw were tingly. It didn't last long but it was there. I know I've had neuropathy in my face before on several occasions. And I also twisted my neck and that's been irritating me for a couple days. Anyone else with neuropathy have anything going on with their face? It isn't numb just tingly.

I get confused by the recommendations too - I keep thinking how can they say that they don't recommend them when we know so many people in their 40s or YOUNGER that have found BC in a mammogram - but I think it's because we don't want to hear what they are saying, which is that it doesn't matter if they find it or not, the outcome is the same. I get it that it's a numbers game as far as what they are recommending, but I also wonder if the push to have mammogram screenings - obviously as imperfect as they are - is keeping the medical community from discovering a better way to detect or prevent BC.

I think that the insurance companies will continue to cover the mammograms because it's cheaper (at this point) than getting an MRI, and I think that's the better screening tool at this point.

Heather, I agree that the choice of how to treat your BC should be between you and your doctor alone, but as long as women are being told that they do not have to do anything - that they have very viable options aside from cutting off their boobs or even lx and radiation.

My mother had DCIS found at her mamo 3 years ago, she was 81, and her doctor told her that she would not be dying of BC. She had a lumpectomy, and she was given the option of leaving it at that or having radiation, and the only reason they recommended radiation was due to her good health - because she has a good chance of living another 10+ years, she had a greater risk of more DCIS, so radiation helped minimize that risk. I think if she were diagnosed today, they wouldn't recommend the radiation. She, personally, has said she wouldn't do anything if they found cancer in her other breast or reoccurence of DCIS.

CONGRATS Lynne! YAY!!!!!! So glad you're done....hope your skin has continued to fare well, And let us know how the haircolor turns out. I pretty much go au naturale everywhere now. The past few times I tried to wear my wig, it was hard to keep on my head due to the new hair. I don't know how people who ha+ve a head full of hair wear wigs..or maybe mine just doesn't fit properly. Recently I met a friend for lunch and while still in the car I was trying to tame the wig a bit... the next thing I knew, it was off of my head and resting in the back seat!

Dizz, its wonderful to hear your news!! I hope you're feeling and resting well now that you're out of the hospital!!

Renee, so happy for your benign results!!!!! Whew!

Addie, I haven't had any neuropathy on my face either.

When I heard the new recommendations for mammos, it really pissed me off. I immediately thought of all the younger members of our April group. I hope insurance won't use it as an excuse to stop paying. It may turn into a situation where you have to justify it if under a certain age....if so, some women won't want to deal with the hassle. Insurance companies can be so maddening!

I still haven't heard anything on the rads consult. I'm a tad put out with my MO's nurse about this, but that's a long story. I don't think she was thrilled that I wanted my consult with a different Dr than MO wanted to send me to...I believe she had already sent my records to him. Oh well! Its like I told the chemo nurse...I've been through a heck of alot since February, and if an RO is going to cook me alive, then the least he can do is take the time to look at my burns. (A friend who used this guy told me he was always rushed, wouldn't take the time to listen to her or check out her burns) No thank you!

Hope everyone has a good weekend. Fall is my favorite time of year....the leaves are finally starting to turn here. Lovely!!