Making Medical Decisions
We are given medical decisions all the time. When faced with them, there is the ever popular ' do nothing ' option. The problem with that option is that it probably isn ' t the best option. If you are given a medical decision to make and you decide to ignore your options, you aren ' t doing yourself any favors. However, if you ask doctors you will probably find this to be very common.The next option is to act and make a decision to do something, besides ' nothing ' . This is usually the best option. But when making this decision, the criteria to look at are:- benefits to you, the patient - longer life, less pain, etc- bene...
Source: Caroline's Breast Cancer Blog - June 13, 2017 Category: Cancer & Oncology Source Type: blogs
Its Complicated
Personally, I do not consider myself to be a complicated person. However, alas, my health is very complicated. Yes. I am the kind of patient that forces doctors to consult with other doctors on my health before they see me or offer treatment options. They come to me with big sighs and long and repeated looks at my charts.Nothing is simple for me. I am ineligible for clinical trials because my health is too complicated so I am always kicked off the list. Medications are complicated. I am allergic to lots of things or they might interact with all my other medications.If I go to physical therapy for anything, I can never...
Source: Caroline's Breast Cancer Blog - June 11, 2017 Category: Cancer & Oncology Tags: being a patient health issues unhealthiness Source Type: blogs
Finding Support Resources
In my personal experience the most important thing to do after a ' yucky ' diagnosis (after going to the doctor and taking your meds) is to find support resources. I keep saying that the emotional part of you is just as important of the physical side of you and this is yet another example.First I would ask your doctor for information and then look at the source of the information they give you. For example, at my breast cancer diagnosis I was given a folder of information with resources - including a flyer from the American Cancer Society, and one from a local support organization. Two good places to start. But I was also ...
Source: Caroline's Breast Cancer Blog - June 9, 2017 Category: Cancer & Oncology Tags: cancer resources cancer support emotional toll emotions support group Source Type: blogs
Cures
In the past few days I have learned of treatment breakthroughs for Multiple Myeloma and for Multiple Sclerosis - I have two friends which this will benefit. Both of them are very happy to learn about the progress.TheMultiple Myeloma (MM) news is that they have now found a treatment using immunotherapy which seems to put almost everyone into remission. MM is not curable but if patients can be put into long term remission with this new treatment, it looks like it is a step towards a cure. This news was announced at the ASCO conference last weekend." ASCO Perspective“While it’s still early, these data are a strong sign th...
Source: Caroline's Breast Cancer Blog - June 8, 2017 Category: Cancer & Oncology Tags: cancer cure cancer research medical research Source Type: blogs
Decision Making
Back in junior high I think, we had a class where we were instructed for the next class to make a list of all the decisions we had made in that 24 hour period. I thought I did it right and came into class the next day with a list of three decisions I had made. I quickly learned how wrong I was.Another student stood up with his list and it was long - it listed everything from deciding when to leave the classroom the day before, which way to turn in the hallway, whether to got his locker or not, etc.How wrong was I? Phenomenally. And it was a big learning lesson for me as well.We make decisions constantly. What to eat for br...
Source: Caroline's Breast Cancer Blog - June 7, 2017 Category: Cancer & Oncology Tags: cancer treatment medical decisions stress Source Type: blogs
Balancing Cancer Recurrence Fears
So I have been blogging about cancer recurrences and then I find a study that talks about how to cope with cancer recurrence fears. Basically what it comes down to is counselling, support and knowledge.Astudy was done in Holland and followed several cancer patients and provided information and support on their cancer and recurrence issues. They compared two groups, one who received access to normal psychosocial support. The other group received blended cognitive therapy consisting of:five individual, 1-hour, face-to-face counseling sessionsthree 15-minute Internet chat consultationsaccess to an informational websiteIt does...
Source: Caroline's Breast Cancer Blog - June 6, 2017 Category: Cancer & Oncology Tags: cancer recurrence cancer support fear of cancer wellness Source Type: blogs
More on Olivia
I am beginning to think I am her fan or something as this is my third post about her.... but once again I am blogging about Olivia Newton John and her cancer recurrence. I have another problem with her and her recurrence. This is it in her statement about what her plans are for recurrence:" I decided on my direction of therapies after consultation with my doctors and natural therapists... "Her plan is to focus on radiation and natural therapies.... I don ' t have a problem with natural therapies but I do have a problem with their use without additional medical therapies.I used to work with a woman who was diagnosed with br...
Source: Caroline's Breast Cancer Blog - June 4, 2017 Category: Cancer & Oncology Tags: alternative medicine cancer treatment Source Type: blogs
Going Back To That Recurrence Thing
With cancer, this is what we all want to know. Will it come back?The other day, I blogged aboutcancer recurrences and being on the hook. Of course with Olivia Newton John ' s twenty five year later cancer recurrence, the media is now full of cancer recurrence information.Before I start, I need to state that anyone who says they have cancer and then say they are cured after treatment are idiots. You are not cured after a cancer diagnosis, you only can exhibit ' no evidence of disease ' or NED. While there have been many cancer treatment advances in recent years, there is still no cure. Why do you think you need to keep...
Source: Caroline's Breast Cancer Blog - June 3, 2017 Category: Cancer & Oncology Tags: cancer recurrence cancer research cancer treatment Source Type: blogs
Weird Test Results
We all get these standard medical tests - like a colonoscopy.... I get regular chest x-rays... Why? Because back in the dark ages of my thryoid cancer, they saw a ' thingy ' in my lungs. It was a benign thingy but they wanted annual chest x-rays to check on it to make sure it didn ' t do anything.So after over 25 years of annual chest x-rays for the thingy, I was told they no longer needed annual chest x-rays for thingy ' s, they would wait until any symptoms occurred. Then, as luck would have it, I was put on methotrexate for my rheumatoid. As there is a possibility of lung problems caused by methotrexate, I was put back ...
Source: Caroline's Breast Cancer Blog - June 2, 2017 Category: Cancer & Oncology Tags: cancer bus doctor questions test results Source Type: blogs
How Long Are You On the'Hook' For A Recurrence?
After cancer, we always wonder ' will it come back? ' Actually, we don ' t just wonder, we obsess over this. For a long time, we think every little owie is probably cancer. We can only get our life back on the rails when we learn to cope with this. But still then every so often we still freak ourselves out about something. And life goes on.But post cancer, every so often our doctors tell us something we don ' t like and we go back on that cancer roller coaster. Time goes on. Years start to roll by.... We assume we are good because its been a decade or two....Now I must ask the question ' how long are you on the ' hook ' fo...
Source: Caroline's Breast Cancer Blog - June 1, 2017 Category: Cancer & Oncology Tags: breast cancer cancer recurrence post cancer Source Type: blogs
Once Upon A Time, I Was A Healthy Person
I have many friends who, after cancer, get back to their old lives for the most part. I ' m not talking about that ' new normal ' bull, but just doing normal things like going back to work, taking part in all their family activities and all sorts of regular, every day life things.Me, I did not get to go back to my regular life after breast cancer. My body had other plans for me. It decided it was time to fall apart.After breast cancer, I got gall stones and had my gallbladder out six months after radiation ended. That winter I slipped on the ice, landed on my left hand and started all my lymphedema crap.The following fall ...
Source: Caroline's Breast Cancer Blog - May 31, 2017 Category: Cancer & Oncology Tags: ailments being healthy being me Source Type: blogs
Is Moving On After Cancer A Myth?
I am approachingmy ten year anniversary of the ten year mark after my breast cancer diagnosis. Am I supposed to celebrate? I think so but I am not sure how much of a celebration it is. It doesn ' t mean I can say it is gone for good. It just means that in the ten years since I was diagnosed with breast cancer and I am still here.Now I do know that is a good thing. But am I supposed to celebrate? But I don ' t feel like celebrating. I am not sure that I should celebrate. I certainly won ' t be having a party.The last ten years have been a growing time for me emotionally (and for my waistline). I have had many new experience...
Source: Caroline's Breast Cancer Blog - May 29, 2017 Category: Cancer & Oncology Tags: living with cancer Source Type: blogs
Distractions
I realize I haven ' t been blogging much for the past month or so. We went away for a weekend, we are on our second set of houseguests. This one came with a dog who freaked out one of our cats (who should have stood his ground and growled at the dog and he would have hid because he is really scared of cats).I have also been dealing with lots of fatigue. What is fatigue? When you need 12 hours of sleep each day and then make it through. I also keep getting myself in places where all of a sudden I am so tired I can ' t function.An example is this past Thursday. I got up and went to the grocery store and library in the mornin...
Source: Caroline's Breast Cancer Blog - May 28, 2017 Category: Cancer & Oncology Tags: distractions family quality of life Source Type: blogs
What To Do When A Family Member Has Cancer
Its different when a friend has cancer than when its a family member. When you live in the same house as someone with cancer, you need to be a bit more proactive and protective than when its not someone in the same house.For the person with cancer, they are probably feeling a bit stressed, to say the least. They may isolate themselves or they may act in an uncharacteristic manner - drinking more, eating more or less, etc. Their whole being is probably focused on their diagnosis and how they feel, which may or may not be very well. They are contemplating their odds, their upcoming treatment, etc.This is not a time to make u...
Source: Caroline's Breast Cancer Blog - May 25, 2017 Category: Cancer & Oncology Tags: cancer diagnosis family relationships stress Source Type: blogs
Managing Fatigue
Do you remember how tired you felt during chemo and at the end of radiation? That ' s how tired I feel every day. As a result, my new word of the year is ' no ' . As in:No, I am not going anywhereNo, I can ' t go there tomorrowNo, the only places I am going are the ones I carefully planned.Nothing else. If you want me to do something with you, we need to plan ahead. (Unless an emergency and then I am happy to help.)I cannot drop things and go to the movies or visit someone. I plan what I am going to do and then I plan how long I have to rest and recover.Yesterday I had a fairly normal day and met a friend for lunch (and ga...
Source: Caroline's Breast Cancer Blog - May 24, 2017 Category: Cancer & Oncology Tags: annoyance fatigue tired Source Type: blogs
