Breast Cancer: Changing for the better and weight loss too!

 

My pain tolerance has increased. But the way I handle doctors has also changed dramatically. I remember at the start of this cancer treatment, I would listen to doctors and thought they knew best.

But nearly one year on,  I realise that medicine is a business.  Making money is the driver, even for doctors. Patients are often the humiliated victims.

I feel pathetic now, the way I let the doctors put the port in my arm which nearly killed me.  If I had my time again I would handle it a lot differently.  I would be stronger and make sure that the doctors knew that they were working for me.

But, that is the past and I am really trying hard to be positive at the moment.  But my anger at doctors came about  nine days ago when I met the skin specialist.

 

I told him, “I don’t want cortisone”.  I want natural remedies or something else to stop the dermatitis.  He was a young doctor and listened and smiled and me.  He nodded when he should and gave me the sympathetic eye, so that I thought I could trust him.  Then, guess what happens?

He prescribes me cortisone cream for my breast.

 

I didn’t take it and I didn’t buy it.  I went to my favourite Dr. Stenger in Seeheim and he saved the day again.  He said I should put Zinc based baby cream on my breasts.  I did.  Two days later the pain stopped now one week later the skin is almost normal again. 

This proves that you don’t need drugs all the time and cortisone is a very strong medicine.  I think it was the cause of my cancer.  I was on it for about nine months and it battered my weak immune system, killed off my little vitamin D I had in my body and BANG... metaplastic breast cancer arrived.

 

Anyway, I have an appointment today and I will find out if I will have more radiation or not.  So lets see.

 

Weight

I have lost just under one stone or 13.2 pounds or 6KG!

I feel great and everyone is saying how well I look.   My hair has started to grow back very black and my eyebrows too!

Comments

[Judit]

Great news!

Doctors :( - but I am not that surprised - though sad to read that it is not different in Germany...

[Renu]

Pleased to hear that you lovely hair has started to grow again. :-))) Lots of love

Renu x

[kumari bowry]

so chirpy that I can hear you in this computer blog. stay like this and this incident in your life will be history. i agree with holistic way. haldi the healer of everything. God be with you and others always.

lots of love and hugs to kintan, isha and ian and of course for you

kumari aunty

[Rakhi]

Lovely to read your most recent posting, I'm glad it's starting to come together again and even your hair is growing back gloriously black unlike the rest of us who are unfortunatley going white - Rakhi

[Irene]

Hi Bena. Knowing what you do now having gone through the process, what would you have changed?

I've researched this MBC triple neg cancer to death (pardon the expression) and have delayed all treatment until I have all the facts in hand. My last dr's. appt. has said that I have a 50% chance of cancer coming back virulently elsewhere in my body.

If I agree to dose dense chemo (1 hr treatments every 2 weeks for 2 months followed by 4 hr treatments every 2 months plus bi weekly Neupogen and all the other anti nausea and steroid pills during treatment..... followed by radiation), my odds of living a longer life increase to 85%. I was also told that given my cancer is triple negative, this stretch of treatment would be it. Six months and then no more medication of any sort.

Any comments? Actually from anyone out there?

[bena roberts]

Hi Irene,
I am still in pain and have some chemo symptoms -but I am looking and feeling much better. If I could change anything - I would have said no to the port and had stronger drugs to help me battle Taxotere.

The longer you wait the more chance it will spread and then the more chemo you will have to have. What you must have above is strong -but if I can do it - so can you. I had 2.5 hour treatments six times. 7 weeks of rads and 5 operations in total. Hefty but my advice is to stop fighting it emotionally and get treatment to get better.

I was given two years to live - now I have done the treatment they say that if I stay cancer free for 3 years I should live beyond 60-70 and I really want to do that.

I know you will make the right choice - love and hugs bena

[irene dickson]

hi friends , im just home from hospital yesterday . i had taken ill and didnt know what was wrong with me . i was brought into cancer center and was diagnosed as having no white cells at all in my body .i was put on iv drip with antibiotics and fluids after a few days i felt fine again but still very tired . my next chemo on thurs might have to be defered but i have to go and see my consultant on thurs anyway . i will be given an injection next day after every chemo to try and keep white cells up . has any one else had this experience ? hope you are all doing well . i pray for each and every one of you every day and think about you all . god bless you all friends x

[bena roberts]

HI Irene - I know how you feel. I had very low white blood cells during chemo and you just get so tired. I have never had an injection after chemo but you should post this in our Facebook Group as I am sure that someone there can help you.
Warm hugs Bena

[Carole]

Hi Bena, It's Carole, Philip's mum in Manchester. I have had cancer too (twice now). I was diagnosed for a second time in July 2008 and had a mastectomy in the September also starting eight cycles of chemotherapy which finished in April 2009. I was really pleased with my reconstruction in April 2010 and am being "balanced up" with an operation next Monday :-) My hair has been growing now for eighteen months and although it is quite long now, I still wear my wig. I just couldn't get used to short hair. My love and best wishes to you. I am sure all will go well. Carole xxx

[bena roberts]

Carole! How lovely to hear from you. I still have so many fond memories of you and Phil and Manchester United. (Haven't supported them though after how awful they were to David Beckham!).

I am so sorry you had cancer - I remember you had an illness when we met before. But I am glad that you are on the mend. My love and hugs and best wishes back to you - Bena