HonCode

Go Back   HER2 Support Group Forums > her2group
Register Gallery FAQ Members List Calendar Search Today's Posts Mark Forums Read

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 09-11-2007, 10:29 AM   #1
Jean
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: New Jersey
Posts: 3,154
Interesting Topic.....

This is an interesting topic...how people cope and deal with disaster.
It has always intrigued me and has been a mystery for me.
When I was a young child I had a neighbor who had taken in a realtive and her young son who had come from a prison of war camp in Germany. I certainly did not understand anything about a war that occured before I was born. I only knew it was strange that they had numbers tatooted on their arms. Many years later when I understood the full impact of the war I was shocked. I could not understand how this sweet kind woman dealt with it. I remember having a conversation with her (she was well into her late 80's at the time )..a sweet grandmotherly type of person. I asked her how she was able to deal with the camp. She said, "You had to survive." She was able to raise a kind and beautiful son into a wonderful man. I was just amazed by it. How some people can turn a disaster or horrifying experience into a positive energy. Like Joe and Christine did by deveopling this wonderful site.

There are psychotherpists who specialize in treating cancer patients.
It is not easy to clean out ones psyche of old hurts and grievances.
Hopefully as a result, they are better able to cope with the disasters and also to enjoy life.

For instance, today I am taking lunch to a dear friend, whose son was a victim of 9/11. I do not know how she is able to cope with her loss. The world is a very scary place. We are not immortal thats for sure.
I do not have the answers...to this grand mystery called life. What makes
people tick...I am just grateful for those that support one another and try to make a difference...no matter how tiny.

Every day is a gift.
Hugs,
Jean
__________________
Stage 1, Grade 1, 3/30/05
Lumpectomy 4/15/05 - 6MM IDC
Node Neg. (Sentinel node)
ER+ 90% / PR-, Her2+++ by FISH
Ki-67 40%
Arimidex 5/05
Radiation 32 trt, 5/30/05
Oncotype DX test 4/17/06, 31% high risk
TOPO 11 neg. 4/06
Stopped Arimidex 5/06
TCH 5/06, 6 treatments
Herceptin 5/06 - for 1 yr.
9/06 Completed chemo
Started Femara Sept. 2006
Jean is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-11-2007, 05:51 PM   #2
Andrea Barnett Budin
Senior Member
 
Andrea Barnett Budin's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: LAND OF YES! w/home in Boca Raton, Florida Orig from L.I., N.Y. Ever hovering IN THE NOW...
Posts: 1,904
Exclamation Becoming Empowered

To read Jean's words is to ingest wisdom. Healing old wounds and grievances is among the greatest of challenges for a human being. But it must be done, or psychology will become physiology. What dwells in our minds is expressed in our bodies -- sending a distress signal to us, telling us to wake up and HEAL. We each have the power to consciously override any wrong messages being sent to our body. We can command it to get its' act together and start functioning properly. Yes, we may need help -- surgery, medicines, therapy to get on track. We'd be foolish to deny such access to ourselves. But letting go of anger, resentment, bitterness, sorrow and the inability to forgive are acts of self-love! Realizing our PERSONAL EMPOWERMENT to call joy and harmony, wellness and loving energy to us is among the gifts that Jean refers to in her post above. Finding generosity of Spirit, kindness, compassion, understanding, humble gratitude for all you have, seeing your blessings and feeling awe in each day are all bestowed on those who stop struggling against the wrongs foist upon us. Such (an abusive childhood, dx w/bc, enduring physical and psychic pain for way too long along w/horrendous fatigue and depression) are each opportunities to evolve and grow in magnificent ways.

Must say that I had to resort to therapy + Ativan + anti-depressants + digesting books that guided my spiritual journey to reach the joyful place I am today. My hot flashes are intolerable and all day every day. My fatigue is being helped by several supplements (listed in 6/30 thread TO "SUPPLEMENT" OR WAIT). I have a terrible cold and feel like total S**T, but there is a smile on my face -- because I embrace being alive with a fervor never known by me before. Still searching for hot flash answers to be sure. On a mission.

Once a good friend commented (as many have over the years) -- You always have a smile on your face. It reflects my nature, my True Self, my Spirit if you will. I said to my friend, It is easy to smile when everything is going well in your life. (The comment was made after my bc dx.) Then I added, It takes a bit of effort to keep smiling when things are not going so well... You're amazing, Judy said to me. You see, I KNOW that what we think all day determines how we will *feel*. AND, it predicts outcome! So I focus all my energy on thinking thoughts full of love, happiness at waking up this morning to a gorgeous new day and serenity -- KNOWING that I am doing everything I possibly can to CALL my desired destiny to me. I live AS IF what I want were ALREADY HERE. That is what I have been doing since '95. I recommend it highly! I feel great and I remain NED. Stable. I wish exactly that to all my Soul Sisters who I feel so very close to. Our bond is simply there, along with our love for one another. That's a most beautiful thing. A gift, as Jean says.
Andi

__________________
Andi BB
'95 post-meno dx Invasive LOBULAR w/9cm tumor! YIKES + 2/21 nodes. Clear mammo 10 mnths earlier. Mastec/tram flap reconst/PORT/8 mnths chemo (4Adria/8CMF). Borderline ER/PR. Tamoxifen 2 yrs. Felt BLESSED. I could walk and talk, feed and bathe myself! I KNEW I would survive...

'98 -- multiple mets to liver. HER2+ 80%. ER/PR- Raging, highly aggressive tumors spreading fast. New PORT. 9 mnths Taxotere Fought fire w/fire! Pronounced in cautious remission 5/99. Taxotere weekly for 6 wks, 2 wks off -- for 9 mnths. TALK ABOUT GRUELING! (I believe they've altered that protocol since those days -- sure hope so!!)
+ good old Vit H wkly for 1st 3 yrs, then triple dosage ev 3 wks for 7 yrs more... The "easy" chemo, right?! Not a walk in the park, but not a freight train coming at 'ya either...

Added Herceptin Nov '98 (6 wks after FDA fast-tracked it for met bc). Stayed w/Vit H till July '08! Now I AM FREE! Humbly and eternally grateful for this life-saving drug! NED since '99 and planning on keeping it that way. To hell w/poor prognosis and nasty stats! STOPPED VIT H JULY '08...! REMAIN STABLE... Eternally grateful...Yes is a world & in this world of yes live (skillfully curled) all worlds ... (e e cummings) EVERY DAY I BEAT MY PREVIOUS RECORD FOR # OF CONSECUTIVE DAYS I'VE STAYED ALIVE. Smile KNOWING you too can be a miracle. Up to me and God now...
Andrea Barnett Budin is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -7. The time now is 02:05 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2026, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Copyright HER2 Support Group 2007 - 2021
free webpage hit counter