LEARNING about Breast Cancer:
Fear of the Unknown
When Franklin Delano Roosevelt assumed the Presidency of the United
States in 1933 during the Great Depression, he wisely knew the
desperate plight of the economy was not the only problem. He realized
the spirit of the country had been broken and for many hope had been
lost. Being the clever student of human nature, FDR realized that hope
depends on knowing that other options exist. His famous speech about
the Four Fears included The Fear of the Unknown.
No one is ever prepared for a diagnosis of breast cancer. Breast cancer
jumps out of the shadows and is scary because most folks don't know all
the facts. Our dedicated scientists, clinical researchers-doctors,
nurses, and our patients who participate in clinical trials-are
expanding that understanding daily.
The information on this page, documents I have written as well as
off-site links, are presented to help replace the Fear of The Unknown with Power of Knowledge.
How much is right for you?
A caution, however.
We each deal with Unknown and the feeling of Loss-of-Control-of-My-Life differently.
Some folks are like Joe Friday in Dragnet: "Just the facts, ma'am. Just
the facts." Other folks are empowered by knowing all the details. There
is a third information possibility where folks work as a team with
their husband, sister, mother, best girlfriend, or significant other:
one part of the team is detail-oriented and the other part is
big-picture oriented.
Be comfortable and rely on your TEAMMATES
Which way is right for you? There is only one right way, the way you
are most comfortable. Look back at the big moments in your life. What
worked for you then? That
is the way to deal with this new challenge. So, armed with the
knowledge of what works best for you, you can decide whether to read
the information below or delegate that task to your Teammate!
Cancer Advances: Many Cancer Survivors Initiate Lifestyle Changes to Benefit Their Health
A
review of more than 100 studies of cancer survivors showed that many
survivors initiate diet, exercise, and other beneficial lifestyle
changes following a cancer diagnosis, but that those who are male,
older, and less educated are less likely to adopt such changes. The
term “cancer survivor” refers to a person who is at least one-year
beyond a cancer diagnosis.
Click here to read the full article.
USEFUL LINKS
Read the About Breast Cancer before continuing!
It is a good idea to pick one of these sites and read about "The
Basics" including the anatomy of the breast and the lymph nodes, the
staging system, etc.
| National Cancer Institute |
The website of the National Cancer Institute has a comprehensive
listing of information on all cancers. This link is specific to the BREAST CANCER HOME PAGE
| M.D. Anderson Cancer Center |
The M.D. Anderson Cancer Center website has an especially good section
on Breast Reconstruction in the "Treatments" "Surgery" "Plastic
Surgery" "Breast Reconstruction" section.
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TIPS & STRATEGIES
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COMMUNICATIING YOUR DIAGNOSIS
1) Blogging to keep in contact AND to preserve some quiet time!
| i. |
My
dear patient, this article was written by a man who cared for his wife
with breast cancer. He created a blog site to update their family
and extensive network of friends AND allow them a way to share their
concern, prayers, and support without their cell phone constantly
ringing or the answering machine constantly reminding them of 50
unheard messages. Although his wife died, he and she celebrated
their partnership and many intimate moments of friendship because of
the blog he created for her. Part of his gift back to life and
the woman he loved, was to share a very basic “How To” for other
families in the same situation. |
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| ii. |
I
STRONGLY recommend this for ANY profoundly life-changing situation in
which your family and friends have concern about you and want to offer
support. ANY stage of breast cancer diagnosis is a reason to
create a blog site to share, to get support, and…as always, to help
others. No matter how unfair or difficult our life circumstances,
we can always learn from them and help others in the same situation get
thru them with our insights! We are ALWAYS teachers and students
of life…if we pay attention! |
SURVIVORSHIP ISSUES |
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