Cancer Support and Caregivers Who Are Trail Blazers!

[deb_U_taunt]

My best friend put her life on hold for me, too. The world needs more people like you. Love and hugs to you.

Lymph nodes clear is a great sign and with a double mastectomy, depending on staging it could mean no chemo and radiation. Breast cancer in early stages is very treatable. She will be in my thoughts and wish her and her family the best.

Originally Posted by Sparkle

Hi Everyone, and thanks Dapper for pointing this thread out to me.

I'm caring for my best friend who has breast cancer.

She had her double mastectomy and reconstructive surgery yesterday. Everything went really well in the surgeries and her lymph nodes were clear. It was a really really long day. Her wife and I wept with relief when the oncologist surgeon called to say the nodes were clear and that her part of the surgery went beautifully. The tumor was contained and the tissue surrounding it looked very healthy.

The surgeons are a dream team, among the very best of their peers (in their specialities) at one of the best hospitals in Massachusetts. I'm grateful she has health insurance that is robust enough to allow her to go there.

It's all been such a roller coaster, I didn't anticipate that.

I'm exhausted, I feel like I could sleep for a week and we've not even begun the long at home recovery process or learned the pathology of the tumor and what that will mean for her post-surgical treatment options.

I can already see how hard it is going to be to balance caring for her and her family, and taking good care of myself at the same time. I'll have to work on figuring out how to do that. Luckily she has many family members and friends who love her and live near enough to help. I've set up a care calendar. I'm struggling to manage competing priorities right now though.

Thanks again to Dapper for directing me here, and to Tantalizing for reaching out to me and sharing your experiences.

[DapperButch]

Debbie has it right, your friend seems to be in the best position hoped for (clear nodules/double mastectomy).

Glad to hear that your friend has more than just you (for your sake!). Tantalizing stayed home from work for a week or so with me, and then I think the poor girl was only back to work for a day or two before she had to come home to bring me back to the ER. Lovely second surgery. I was at mom's after they discharged me from that one.

Honestly, I really don't remember a lot of it, but Tantalizing was there every step of the way, just like she was with her mom a year later, as her caregiver for breast cancer. I am glad you and she got to talk, Sparkle.

It is good that you are thinking ahead to taking care of yourself and I love the idea of the care calender.

Make sure you come back and keep us updated!

[deb_U_taunt]

Please, send out energy to my friend Meredith. She was told today she is running out of outpatient options. This is her second stomach cancer fight and she isn't winning this time.

[DapperButch]

Originally Posted by deb_U_taunt

Please, send out energy to my friend Meredith. She was told today she is running out of outpatient options. This is her second stomach cancer fight and she isn't winning this time.

I'm sorry to hear about your friend, and will say a prayer for her.

I must ask did she adjust her eating style after the first cancer bout...more to whole food plant based diet...organic...vegetarian/veganish type food? Or did she eat the regular American diet that includes red meat, preservatives, white flour, sugar, etc?

[deb_U_taunt]

Originally Posted by DapperButch

I'm sorry to hear about your friend, and will say a prayer for her.

I must ask did she adjust her eating style after the first cancer bout...more to whole food plant based diet...organic...vegetarian/veganish type food? Or did she eat the regular American diet that includes red meat, preservatives, white flour, sugar, etc?

She didn't change her diet and still won't. The dr told her this week to eliminate gluten and I don't think she will. She has always gotten a lot of exercise and felt that was good enough.

[DapperButch]

Anybody ever think of asking their veterinarian to do a CAT scan on their pet just to check things out?

I'm a freak like that due to the knowledge that over 50% of dogs over the age of 10 die from cancer. They have to be bad off though before there is any way to know they have it, so that is why a scan makes sense.

The problem with doing the scan though, is that every CAT scan we do is exposes us to radiation, which actually increases the growth of any existing cancer cells.

My Vet would probably tell me I am being a nut job. That happens a lot when I talk to my Vet.

I dunno, I think the next time they have his little butt knocked out for a teeth cleaning (which he is well overdue for), they should do a quick scan.

[mustangjeano]

Originally Posted by DapperButch

Anybody ever think of asking their veterinarian to do a CAT scan on their pet just to check things out?

I'm a freak like that due to the knowledge that over 50% of dogs over the age of 10 die from cancer. They have to be bad off though before there is any way to know they have it, so that is why a scan makes sense.

The problem with doing the scan though, is that every CAT scan we do is exposes us to radiation, which actually increases the growth of any existing cancer cells.

My Vet would probably tell me I am being a nut job. That happens a lot when I talk to my Vet.

I dunno, I think the next time they have his little butt knocked out for a teeth cleaning (which he is well overdue for), they should do a quick scan.

Hi Dapper, Would an ultra sound be helpful in spotting potential doggie tumors without the radiation?
Jean, who has had so many cat scans that he glows in the dark.