breast cancer awareness month

[michele u]

Oh, the dreaded month of October for us all! Aren't we all AWARE of breast enough!! I know this month is good for teaching purposes, but goodness sakes, everywhere you look,breast cancer. Even in the magazines. I picked one up at the beauty shop today,(as i was dying my hair brown,with red and blonde highlight!) there was an article by a breast cancer gal that was 33. She started by saying " when you read this, iwill probably be dead!" How depressing! And she was. Why can't they put the article about the lady that is 10 years out from a horrible prognosis. They are out there. All they do is scare us, and everyone else for that matter!
On a lighter note, I want to post a good thing. I am flying to Chicago friday to meet Audrey from this board! She is my inspiration since she has the same kind i do and she went through the same trial as i. That's what we all need to do in October. Meet a friend from this board, call a friend that you've out of touch with, or just take a small trip with your loved ones. That's what october should mean to us--loving and being with people we love!!

[michele u]

Oh, the dreaded month of October for us all! Aren't we all AWARE of breast enough!! I know this month is good for teaching purposes, but goodness sakes, everywhere you look,breast cancer. Even in the magazines. I picked one up at the beauty shop today,(as i was dying my hair brown,with red and blonde highlight!) there was an article by a breast cancer gal that was 33. She started by saying " when you read this, iwill probably be dead!" How depressing! And she was. Why can't they put the article about the lady that is 10 years out from a horrible prognosis. They are out there. All they do is scare us, and everyone else for that matter!
On a lighter note, I want to post a good thing. I am flying to Chicago friday to meet Audrey from this board! She is my inspiration since she has the same kind i do and she went through the same trial as i. That's what we all need to do in October. Meet a friend from this board, call a friend that you've out of touch with, or just take a small trip with your loved ones. That's what october should mean to us--loving and being with people we love!!

[Kristen]

You got that right:), a nice vacation to celebrate the living, the disease free and the for the ones who fought and made it, for the ones who are fighting and not giving up. Great Post. thanks. k

[Lisa S.]

I seem to always read the articles where the woman was diagnosed 30 yrs ago and she is fine even though she had like 50 positive nodes and they told her she'd be dead in 3 days. (ok exaggeration) but I get tired of every success story and no mention of women who lose the battle. The media has to be realistic and report honestly. This is cancer, it's not a cold, there is no cure for stage IV. When you read the articles, you have to remember even though we are all survivors, some are at different stages and our persepctives are different. I surely don't want the world to think everyone survives breast cancer because the simply isn't true. I wish it was. But, I want the truth and we deserve the truth.
Lisa

[celina]

I tend to agree with you, Lisa. While everyone likes to hear the success stories...and God knows there are many, if that was all people read they wouldn't understand the need for continued research. There is a risk of sending the wrong message to the 'general public'...people are suriving cancer now...guess that's taken care of!. (The majority of the people, I would imagine, understand the seriousness of the disease...I hope.)

[Cathy W]

I get a little frustrated with all the emphasis on stage I and rarely is there anything about stage IV. That's why this message board is so important. We can talk to each other and gain the wisdom of others and share with each other.

On the flip side, I use October to demand BC info from the hospital where I get my chemo, then I take it to work and stuff it in the mailboxes of all the women I work with.
Cathy

[chere farr]

hi i am a 3 year SURVIVOR of infiltrating ductal carcinoma -breast cancer and CURE PATIENT.

i had a lumpectomy at stage 2b or 3a. ultimately resulted in segmental mastectomy reaching negative margins at 1mm of the chest wall on superficial margin. the doctors never agreed and ultimately this resulted in a dismissal of ME from the 16th most prestigious cancer research institute in our country after having come from a medical clinic's doctor referral that had ignored my complaints for years. i didn't know where to turn and was scared out of my wits.

i was also MADE to feel scared whether intentionally or not it doesn't matter where or by whom.

what was important is that Your Message somehow got to me and here i am today to help spread the Message. . . WE ARE NOT ALONE AND THERE IS HOPE.

fear restricts and tightens...love opens and empowers, expands and heals us. choose LOVE in this battle at all costs. There Is fear and there Is love. I love you.

Chere Farr-BC SURVIVOR