[TriciaK]

Juanita, I think both of these posts are "right on". Hearing the words "It's cancer" is the start of an emotional roller coaster. I've been on it a long time. It was really hard when I first heard those words because my little sister, my only sibling, had been fighting BC for 7 years. That was back in 1985 and there wasn't a lot of hope. She actually died a few months after my diagnosis. I remember thinking that I surely would have at least 7 years, because of her courageous example. I wish I had known of a support goup like this at that time. After a double mastectomy I kept on for 5 more years. I was so busy with the psychology practice my husband and I had together that I didn't think very much about having had cancer. I worked especially with women who had been abused, many multiple personalities. They had suffered so much I was able to put my own fears on the back burner in order to help them. Then when the BC showed up again 5 years later I was more concerned. I had to give up my practice because I no longer had the strength for it. I studied psychonueroimmunology under Dr. Carl Simonton and learned to use self-hypnosis to fight the cancer. That and tamoxifen kept me cancer free for 15 more years. I think the daignosis of her2 lung mets in 2004 was harder on me emotionally than the other 2 times. I shed a lot of tears. I felt I had had 2 chances and how did I dare ask to be cancerfree again? But my husband and family wouldn't give up on me and their faith and prayers, plus this wonderful website, and the herceptin plus navelbine and femara, began to turn my emotions around again. Now I am NED, and I think I will go on for more years. I picture at least 10. ( I use a lot of positive visualization!)That doesn't mean I don't still wake up in the night fearful and wondering, especially since I have congestive heart problems, but I have had a long blessed life and I am no longer afraid. I think the emotional part of the whole cancer thing is every bit as important as the physical, and I'm glad we can discuss it. I have gained a lot of insight from this website, and I am most happy to share any feelings and thoughts and experiences I have had in the journey, in case they can be of value to anyone else. It is important to share our feelings with each other and with our loved ones. The worst scenario is to bottle them up and live in fear. Thank you for starting this thread, and for the replies so far. I hope many others will share their feelings. Hugs, Tricia