Off Topic - To the ladies

[Super_sally888]

Hi Everyone,

Hope you're all doing ok.  Quix, hope your arm and your eyes are back to behaving.

I just spent the last 3 days with a friend who died of breast cancer on 28th.  I was with her to the end.  It was not a nice way to die.  She was only 36 and had managed to hide the cancer from everyone.  She had no treatment because she was worried about cost / scared etc.   She left 5 young children (father is absent). Also traumatic as an on-looker.  Such a waste of a young life.

Ladies, PLEASE do your breast exams and mamograms etc.  Breast cancer has very high cure rate if caught early.  See your doctors if you even suspect a problem.

Gentlemen - you can also assist your partners by checking them too.

I am doing much better the past week (after 2 1/2 weeks of feeling terrible).  Nearly back to 'my normal'. :)

Take care and Best wishes to all.

Sally

[yorkieville]

Sally,

    I am so sorry for the loss of your friend. God bless you for remaining by her side. You're the definition of a true friend. My heart breaks for her five children.


Samantha,

   Sweetie, I just sat and cried as I read your post.  Yes, your mom tried to protect you from it. You know, that's what we Moms' do, try to protect our children. Please believe she didn't blame you. The most important thing you can do for your children is take good care of yourself.

Zilla,

    I am so glad your Mom is cancer-free after 10 years!

Hugs,
       Sheila

[Momzilla]

It's such an important thing to share!  Sally, I'm so sorry for your loss.  Like everyone has said, Take care of yourself.  Thank you for reminding us to take care of us!

Samantha, what a horrible loss for you.  I'm so sorry you had to go through that loss through such milestones in your life.  It's so very sad.  

I work for a surgeon who does breast reconstruction after mastectomy, and I can't believe the young women we get in our office!  So young!  We theorize it's from all the hormones and additives in our food (in the US at least).  This is just speculation in our office and from what we read in the trade journals.  But how sad!  And we see so many women having prophylactic mastectomies, meaning they are having their healthy breast removed, as well, to prevent getting future cancer in the opposite side.   We all agree this is most likely what we would do if faced with cancer in one breast.

The wonderful thing is,  breast cancer is not the death sentence it once was.  I know you don't want to hear that, Sally, and I'm sorry to say it.  It DOES happen, of course.  But with imaging techniques, lymph node mapping, improved adjunctive therapies like chemo and radiation, most women do VERY well.  We just have to remember to get our yearly screening done!  Thanks SO much for reminding us, Sally!

My mom has been cancer free for ten years, now after a lumpectomy.  We celebrated after five, which meant she had no greater chance of having a recurrence of cancer than anyone else had of getting it in the first place!  We have pink ribbons all over!  

Take care, girls!  Thanks, again, Sally, and do treat yourself well as you grieve this week.  

Zilla*

[frann]

Thank you for reminding the forum...it is so important... i volunteered for the ACS for many years.
Since i don't drive as i did before it is wonderful to have a dear friend help me share the info with women at church.

If we can save a life... wow... thanks for caring enough to share here too..

God bless,
Frann

[sllowe]

Hi Sally and All,

This is very sad, but it shows how passionate you are Sally, and how much you care, to share this with us.  We must all remember how important it is to have these tests, press for answers, and also a friendly reminder of how much of a difference we can make with the time we share with our family and our friends, be it unfortunately too short, or long . . .

My thoughts and prayers to you all,

SL

[Heather3418]

I feel for both of you.  My gosh Ladies....how horrible.

Sally, you make sure that you take care of YOU.  You have been through alot.  It's a major stressor.  Rest as much as you can, so you stay "feeling better."  You hear?

Smanatha, you and Sally will both be in my prayers.  Sally you have my word, I will continue to take care of my breast health.  I always have and always will.  My Aunt died from breast cancer.  It's not a pretty thing...

Be well, both of you....hugs....Heather

[uk2]

Im so sorry to hear that, how scared she must of been and leavinga family of five gosh!!!

My mum died of breast cancer she hid it from me in the begining iman only child i guess she wanted to protect me but it all came out in the end she fought it on both breast for nearly four years, she got to see me get married to my (awfull ex husband at far too young)  she had no hair then as was having treatment i have pictures and was all blown up as she was on steroids, she manged to make it to my daughters christening (we hurried it up as she did not have long) she was in and out of hospital and we had my daughters first birthday by her nannys bedside. She used to cry when we left as she hated the hopice and wanted to come home but care was not that easy then and dad could not cope with her at home and i had a my daughter thogh i was there every hour i could be between bailing my then husband out of money problems with drugs long story!! she had ten brothers and sisters in all but i only see one now, she refused to see anyone at the end and i think to the last she didnt think she was dying it hurt she didint want to see us i felt maybe she blamed us for her being there but the place was wonderfull and it kept her out of pain but i guess maybe she was agin just protecting us, we were there when she died the hopice called us at 2 am in the morning and me and dad went straight there, my grief eat me up and my first husband left me with my second child pregnant and me and my dad only had each other, 18 months on holiday with a friend he died in his sleep a next door neighbour found him, it would of been me so im glad in a sence it was not but he had been there three days by the time the neighbour had found him i had rung him everyday and had come back as i couldnt get hold of him and knew something was wrong.

My two friendsat the moment our going through laser treatment for adnormal cells on there smears so please be aware of this i must have mine down.

so sorry for the long posting guess it just brought up old thoughts i needed to share.

samantha

[LLWB]

So sorry to hear aboutthe loss of your friend. I know what a terrible blow this can be.  And being there at the end is really really hard.  My husband died at home of metastatic lung cancer, in brain, bone, spine, and liver. I'll never get over it. I hope there is close family to care for her children. Bless you for being there. My mammo just came back okay.  My mom had breast cancer, so do them yearly. We tend to forget just because we have one thing, doesn't mean we can't get another.Take care, hugs and prayers..Maggie