More Awesome Than You!

Hey guys,
Just needed to sort of announce that my mom just got diagnosed with breast cancer.  I know it's off topic completely:  I'm not asking for replies or anything, so if you want to close the post, JM, that's fine.  I would just like to request that anyone who prays to anything please do so now!  I'd really appreciate it.

Love,
SJ

Don't lose hope!

I have more than 5 friends diagnosed with breast cancer, and operated succeessfully, 10 years ago, overcoming it.

The success of treating the breast cancer is now 95%!

I know the shock is great (my two parents passed away from this dreadful desease long ago), but now your mom can completely be healed, if the stage is early enough.

I've had family diagnosed with it too, but luckily nothing bad came out of it. I hope the same happens to your mom.

Luckily modern medicine does cure most breast cancer cases, like gali pointed out.

*hugs*

So sorry to hear that, but now they can pretty much cure all cancers that they find quickly. Just keep your chin up and think positive.
Hugs from me too.

(((hugs)))

I don't have any nuggets of wisdom to give, but I do agree with gali--medical science has advanced to the point that your mother could completely fight it off, or at least continue to live a normal life.

I'm sorry to hear that SJA, but I'm sure with your love and support she will be fine.

SJA, your mom will be in my thoughts and prayers, as will you. She will make it!

This is not site related at all, so I'm going to send it off to the Podium with all the other random crap. And breast cancer is easily solved. You just need a hot knife and an iron. As a side benefit, your ability to shoot arrows will greatly improve.

...Ladies and gentlemen: this heart-to-heart moment brought to you by Viewers Like You.

Ha ha ha ha ha!
Thanks, everyone, for your thoughts.
And thanks JM...coming from you, those are the kindest words I've ever heard!  I appreciate the laugh, and I'll go warm up the iron. ;)

Thanks, guys, for everything! :-*

Yeah, well, you know, due to my atheistic views, I don't really do prayer. They say there are no atheists in foxholes. This is not really true. I prefer more effective means of directed problem-solving than "hope somebody else fixes it for you". I mean, where we all be if I had taken THAT attitude, hmm?

Since we all are hoping that you will fix 'it' for us, we are grateful that you didn't take that attitude JM.

V :D

I suppose I see a nugget of truth in that...this game would certainly suck without you...
So...any interest in delving into hacks for the real world?  :D

BTW, my mom got into MD Anderson, probably the best cancer treatment center in the world.  Thank God she's a nurse and knows some people.  And I almost laughed today when I heard the word "lumpectomy"  :o.  Couldn't they think of something a little classier to call it?

Thanks again guys! :)

The bottom line is that as far as I'm concerned, the only praying I care for is accompanied by spraying.

I've known people who've had breast cancer and have gone on to live happy and fulfilling lives.  One ex-colleague had it twice, then went on to have two healthy children and as far as I know is still living (this was nearly thirty years ago!)

Hi SJ,

My mom had breast cancer nearly 15 years ago. She had a lumpectomy (despite one doctor recommending mastectomy) and radiation, never even did the chemo. She is perfectly fine today and has never had a recurrence.

I am also a nurse, although I don't work any more. I worked in pediatric oncology. I can attest that most cancers have a high cure rate these days, especially when detected in early stages. Thankfully, cancer is no longer necessarily a death sentence. Lumpectomy is good. It means that the tumor is small and has likely not spread to the lymph nodes. Your mom should have a very good prognosis.

That is true, they don't use the more radical surgery any longer unless it's absolutely necessary. When I read that she needed a lumpectomy I was somewhat relieved for your sake. And getting into the hospital is another great plus. But I do understand your fear, it is always frightening to be hit with news like this. Hang in there SJ, you know we are rooting for you and your mom.

I think the closest thing to a "soft heart" you'll find in JM's possession is the one he ripped out of some hapless fool's chest.

My mother had breast cancer almost 30 years ago, made a full recovery after the mascectomy, and is still going strong.  Don't lose hope.

Well, it's pretty hard to have it MORE than once, I suppose, given that you'll be out of breasts after the second one. Half the population manages without 'em, so eh, can't be that important. Specially when you consider YOU don't actually get any use out of them.

See? The hot knife approach works!

Men can get it too!!!!! 

It also depends on what treatment you have whether or not it can recur.

SJ, I read your notice when you first posted it and I've been thinking about you both since.  Reassuring your mother while having to keep yourself strong must be doubly hard for you.  I have said a prayer, just in case there is someone up there listening.  Stay positive and we'll all help you to stay strong. ((hugs)).

This is somewhat more rare, but the same principle of treatment applies. You'll have to dig harder if that happens, though.

What country do you & your mom live in? Do you have anything like our Macmillan nurses (http://www.macmillan.org.uk/) there? Someone who can give physical & emotional support (http://www.macmillan.org.uk/aboutmacmillan/disppage.asp?id=8109) to your mom and the whole family?

Don't underestimate the emotional support that you will need - you have to support your mother, but that takes some of your energy away from the people you usually look after. Make sure you have friends or family that are willing to keep talking, and are willing to listen while you rant & scream about how unfair it is. One of the great things about the internet is its easy access to information, and another is that no matter what time of day you log on, there's probably someone around. 

When you are able to, find out as much as you can about the cancer. Is it one of those breast cancers that is hereditary? They have gene tests for many of those now (they look for something called the BRCA1 & 2 genes, which are implicated in breast cancer in women and prostate cancer in men), and if one of those is showing up, it is worth asking whether you & other close blood family members should get tested. Having those genes does not guarantee that you will get cancer, but raises the possibility from a small percentage up to maybe 50% - so it is useful to keep self-examining and get professionally screened more frequently than usual. Also, recent innovations in cancer treatment specifically target & try to "turn off" the faulty genes - your mom may be able to get into a clinical trial for a new drug.

I have a vested interest in cancer research. My mum had a particularly nasty form of uterine cancer, and it seems to be hereditary as her aunt had the same thing, but there is no test for the genes yet. Also, it doesn't normally show up until the age of 70+ by which time it's too late - my mum was lucky that she told her doctors about her aunt early on, and they caught it for her at 56. So I am walking around wondering every so often whether I'll get hit by it as well. It doesn't bother me most of the time, just when I'm stressed & insecure.

I'm sorry to hear that SJ however just to reiterate, breast cancer treatment has greatly improved over the last few years.  My grandmother was diagnosed with breast cancer just before I was born in the mid 70's and she's still going strong.  Keep your chin up, and I'm sure things will work out for you and your mother :)

If it doesn't show up until then, it's not a serious problem. Just have the offending organ removed after it's gone past its sell-by date.

The problem with that. JM, is that by the time some cancers are diagnosed, they've already started to infiltrate other parts of the body, like the lymphatic system!  Then it's much harder to treat!

Heh, I had both my breasts chopped off first time, why dick around I thought. Means I can shoot arrows from either side.  ;D

Actually it's like other posters have mentioned, it's the lymph system that is crucial, they often remove lymph nodes under the arm if they suspect it has got to that stage. Breast cancer can also spread to the brain, reproductive organs, liver or lungs. It is still known as breast cancer in that case.

Interestingly when I did chemotherapy the nurses told me that women getting breast cancer are getting younger. They used to see only elderly women, now it's women in their forties. I reckon the crap we put in the ground and in the air, plus the entire electromagnetic spectrum of crap zinging everywhere, has affected our bodies. Humans haven't evolved enough to cope with all the toxins we have introduced to our planet. New Zealand has a clean green image to the rest of the world but we hide the secret that we are not so clean as we would have you believe.

PS Hey SJ, PM me if you wish. RSVP ASAP ;)

Thank you all again, for your kind words, e-mails, and offers...I feel like I've been politely spammed!
Kidding.  I am very grateful to all of you...even JM in some sick, twisted way.  ::)

No news yet...I'll keep you posted when I find something out.  Hang tight, or ten, or whatever!

Hang ten?  I don't think surfing is going to be beneficial for someone with cancer.

roflmao!

Nice one, LK! :D

Yep. The nastiest cancers--lung, breast, melanoma--are nasty because they have a tendency to spread everywhere, as well as growing like crazy and basically eating whatever internal organ they happen to be near. Not fun. But you catch 'em early, and you have a pretty good shot at knocking them off, because we have a better understanding now of what they do and how they do it.

I'll never understand why some people think that environmentalism is altruistic. It's self-interest. We aren't going to "kill the earth" because the biosphere is very robust, but the state that we like and can survive in is hair-trigger delicate, so we have to worry about killing ourselves.

Check out Home of the Archon (http://s91291220.onlinehome.us/brigcath.htm). Very interesting site in general, but there's a link down at the bottom, "Bright Catharsis" that if you click on leads to another page that has a bunch more links, some of which will refer to "Of CT Scans and Kings." Very well written story of being a cancer patient and dealing with the medical system of Halifax.

The world has certainly survived larger extinctions and more mass-destruction than humans have yet to inflict. Besides, you know the saying: Earth first: We'll log and strip-mine the other planets later!

Too true. Makes it kind of scary to think about the time the dinosaur ruled the earth and the mammal was a small furry creature that lived mostly in hiding, lest they become breakfast.

And then...poof, the reptiles were gone, and the mammals rose to power (well not quite as simple as that, but you get the picture :D)

hugs! i know little of breast cancer but depending on what the other posters had said, i'm sure everything's gonna be alright!