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madubois63 · 03-17-2006, 07:42 AM

I never saw this thread and am glad to learn about everyone. I see a lot of you are/were in the health care field. I once read something about artificial light being a culprit...also someone mentioned chemicals.

I worked in the printing industry for nearly 20 years. Not blaming anyone, but I am sure that the stuff I worked with was not good for me. I started at 18 as a part time secretary (should have stayed that way) for a small printing company...before long, I was operating a huge camera that needed two rooms - one room for the actual camera where I loaded artwork that was to be printed and the dark room where I loaded large sheets of film (20 x 24) and then developed the negatives. I mixed chemicals and used large open trays for developing for years. I also burned plates (for the presses) and developed them with more chemicals. After getting married and having two babies to care for, I worked at a gym running the nursery. Hectic, but good job to have when you have kids...I brought my kids with me. when the kids started school so did I...I worked at a teacher's aide so that I had off when the kids had off. As they got older, I decided it was time to go back to work full time. I took a job at another print shop. My husband and I divorced at that time and then I was diagnosed with IBC. After chemo, I received SSD and was able to stay at home and recoup from surgery and radiation. I then went to college and finally earned my Associates in Paralegal Studies {with honors

}. I did an internship at a great firm that ended up offering me a job. I handled divorce cases and loved my job. I also continued on with school, working towards my Bachelors and did bankruptcies on the side. And then came the cough...Since the relapse I have not worked. Now my official job is surviving and taking care of the kids (my son is 16, my daughter is almost 15 and my baby is a Bernese Mountain dog). I now spend my time going to the oncology center, cleaning and cooking, reading, surfing the net, painting glass, support groups, Reiki and I just started drawing again.

03-17-2006, 07:42 AM	#55
madubois63 Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: LI, NY Posts: 660	Glad this came back up... I never saw this thread and am glad to learn about everyone. I see a lot of you are/were in the health care field. I once read something about artificial light being a culprit...also someone mentioned chemicals. I worked in the printing industry for nearly 20 years. Not blaming anyone, but I am sure that the stuff I worked with was not good for me. I started at 18 as a part time secretary (should have stayed that way) for a small printing company...before long, I was operating a huge camera that needed two rooms - one room for the actual camera where I loaded artwork that was to be printed and the dark room where I loaded large sheets of film (20 x 24) and then developed the negatives. I mixed chemicals and used large open trays for developing for years. I also burned plates (for the presses) and developed them with more chemicals. After getting married and having two babies to care for, I worked at a gym running the nursery. Hectic, but good job to have when you have kids...I brought my kids with me. when the kids started school so did I...I worked at a teacher's aide so that I had off when the kids had off. As they got older, I decided it was time to go back to work full time. I took a job at another print shop. My husband and I divorced at that time and then I was diagnosed with IBC. After chemo, I received SSD and was able to stay at home and recoup from surgery and radiation. I then went to college and finally earned my Associates in Paralegal Studies {with honors }. I did an internship at a great firm that ended up offering me a job. I handled divorce cases and loved my job. I also continued on with school, working towards my Bachelors and did bankruptcies on the side. And then came the cough...Since the relapse I have not worked. Now my official job is surviving and taking care of the kids (my son is 16, my daughter is almost 15 and my baby is a Bernese Mountain dog). I now spend my time going to the oncology center, cleaning and cooking, reading, surfing the net, painting glass, support groups, Reiki and I just started drawing again. __________________ Maryann Stage IV Inflammatory BC 1/00 Mod Rad Mastectomy 24nod/5+ Adriomycin Cytoxin Taxol Tamoxifen 4 1/2 yrs Radiation - 32 x Metastatic BC lung/liver 10/04 thorocentesis 2x - pleurodesis Herceptin Taxatiere Carbo Femera/Lupron BC NED 4/05 chemo induced Acute Myeloid Leukemia 5/06 Induction/consolidation chemo bone marrow transplant - 11/3/06 Severe Host vs Graft Disease of liver BC mets to lung 11/07 Fasoladex Herceptin Zometa Xeloda GVHD/Iron overload to liver Avascular Necrosis/morphine pump 10/10 metastatic brain tumor steriotactic radiosurgery