Breast Cancer

[DesmoLu]

akmnstr, best wishes and hugs to you and your wife. I hope that you are taking care of yourself, finding some time to just breathe, maybe even tinker on the bike. Remember that a more physically and mentally healthy you will be an even better support source for your wife, even if you may feel selfish or strange taking care of yourself at a time like this.

My aunt, who helped raise me and is pretty much my second mom started treatment a couple of months ago. She is probably the strongest woman I've ever met and it is truly amazing to watch her take on this battle, her faith never faltering.
Funny story: I went home to visit her in September just after the surgery and when she showed me her scar, strangely enough, all I could think was "damn, this 50+ year old has phenomenal breasts, I have one hell of a family!"

[akmnstr]

Funny story: I went home to visit her in September just after the surgery and when she showed me her scar, strangely enough, all I could think was "damn, this 50+ year old has phenomenal breasts, I have one hell of a family!"

I don't think of breast quite the same as I used to.  Now I see a woman in a seductive low cut top and now I think, "those are nice but they can get ya later."

[triangleforge]

I don't think of breast quite the same as I used to.  Now I see a woman in a seductive low cut top and now I think, "those are nice but they can get ya later."

We're giving my sister a T-shirt for Christmas that reads "Of course they're fake -- the real ones tried to kill me!"

[akmnstr]

We're giving my sister a T-shirt for Christmas that reads "Of course they're fake -- the real ones tried to kill me!"

[DesmoLu]

We're giving my sister a T-shirt for Christmas that reads "Of course they're fake -- the real ones tried to kill me!"

That's awesome! 

All women have a love/hate relationship with their breasts. Breast cancer is scary for the voluptuous, but fertility issues suck too for the less endowed ($15K + just to have a baby? umm, no thanks!), and for those with implants, the chances of catching cancer early on are far less likely.

anyone bought any of the "Save the boobies" tees? I think that campaign is a good, catchy fund raising idea.

[Slide Panda]

Though this info doesn't directly apply to your wife, the NY times recently had an article about some of the advances in treating brain cancer
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/17/health/17tumor.html?em - hopefully some of the information will help.

I can say from a sort of experience, that there's plenty of hope. My dad's been dealing with metastasized melanoma for quite a number of years. He's had some surgeries, but through that all - he's been going strong. For example, he basically remodeled their entire house by himself. He's had a positive attitude all the way, and I think that's played an important factor.

Very recently, he went into the hospital because of a seizure. That was due to swelling from a previously undiscovered tumor on his brain. Though that incident took some fight out of him - he's still positive. Radiation started Monday, though tired from that he's still positive.

I guess what I'm trying to say in a rambling way is that keep a positive outlook, which will help your wife do the same. My dad was diagnosed years ago, I hope your wife will be able to look back on this all years from now too.

[rgramjet]

AK, Godspeed and a quick recovery to your wife! 

Question, what are your and her thoughts about the new recommendations to delay mammograms to age 50 and not doing self exams?

[sbrguy]

best of luck and goodluck.

in a way your chances are very good, breast cancer is one of the best treated forms of cancer with the highest cure rate and more research dollars are put toward that type of cancer than any other.

heaven forbid someone gets pancreatic cancer or lung cancer, both of those have much lower survival rates and have far less reasearch dollars than breast cancer 10 fold.  i've watched a good never smoking friend die of lung cancer and its just the most sad thing you will ever see.

good luck and best wishes.

[akmnstr]

AK, Godspeed and a quick recovery to your wife! 

Question, what are your and her thoughts about the new recommendations to delay mammograms to age 50 and not doing self exams?

Good question.  My wife is 48 so under the recommendations someone like my wife would not have a mammogram.  So to me it is bad advice.  My wife never had a mammogram.  She sometimes thinks of herself as superwoman and never got one.  She noticed her lump when it was rather large.  A very bad way to go about detection.  Her form of cancer is so aggressive that it is possible that it could have grown to its final size in just a few months.  Had she had a Mammogram every 2 years, the tumor could have grown to its large size within the span between exams. 

Lately we have been hanging out a lot at the M.D. Anderson cancer center.  We see a few younger women there.  I find it very sad to see a woman there, bald, in the prime of her life.  Yeah, I don't think the recommendation is a good one and I expect it to soon be reversed. 

[akmnstr]

best of luck and goodluck.

in a way your chances are very good, breast cancer is one of the best treated forms of cancer with the highest cure rate and more research dollars are put toward that type of cancer than any other.

heaven forbid someone gets pancreatic cancer or lung cancer, both of those have much lower survival rates and have far less reasearch dollars than breast cancer 10 fold.  i've watched a good never smoking friend die of lung cancer and its just the most sad thing you will ever see.

good luck and best wishes.

I was reading about the history of breast cancer yesterday.  What you say about funding is true, but it wasn't always that way.   In the early 90s breast cancer received less then 5% of the federal research $.  I don't know what the current figures are, but it clear that the advocacy by women has been very affective on both awareness and $s flowing into research.  I wouldn't put it down as unjust or wrong.  I would say that the breast cancer advocacy movement is a good model on how to address other forms of cancer and other diseases.   Also, the breakthroughs in the treatment of any forms of cancer tends to have benefits to the treatment of other forms.  My wife has been approached about participating in a Chemo trial that has been shown to be affective in another form of cancer.   Current research is looking into genetic manipulations that may result in great leaps forward in the treatment of all cancers. 

And, I am very sorry to hear about your friend.  Years ago one of my best friends died of melanoma likely due to exposure to agent orange in Nam.  His case was a statistical oddity since he was African American.  My Dad died due to complications associated with his lymphoma.   Cancer sucks in any form. 

[sbrguy]

i will admit it wasn't always that way.

luckily breast cancer got a lot of "good publicity" as does some forms of lymphoma for research as you hve the whole team in training and most importantly the komen foundation, etc.  these groups have definitely made a difference in research dollars.

[DesmoLu]

There is an interesting discussion going on right now regarding insurance companies possibly refusing to pay for mammograms for women under 50 due to some "new government study." Study sounds like complete bullshit to me.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/11/19/mammogram.guidelines.insurance/index.html

[akmnstr]

As I understand it, it is not the recommendation of the gov and will not likely become part of the official recommendations.  I think the study is based upon a statistical analysis of risk factors.  Of the risk factors age is dominant and risk dramatically increases after 50.  Sound reasoning, if your dealing with mallard ducks or white tailed deer, but we humans get upset when our young women with cancer (like my wife), are consider statistical outliers.

[Stella]

One of the license plate options in Colorado is breast cancer awareness (which I have on my monster).  Quite often on my commute, I follow a car driven by a woman with this same plate. 

Her plate reads:  IWAS31

[sbrguy]

bordering on political statement following:

hey its the "free market" the insurance companies can do whatever they want right and that is good because they will "always" do what is best for the customer..  .. yeah right.