http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/Herceptin/BR00012
The above link is one that my daughter in law (Jen Ry's wife) sent to me. It explains the type of cancer that I have so that even I can understand it and the treatment that I am currently on-Herceptin.
I am surprised in reading this that I was able to go on Herceptin since it is now just being approved for early stage HER2 positive cancer. The article states that prior to this it was approved for people who's cancer had spread to other areas (metastatic) breast cancer. Although my cancer is (was) very aggressive it had not yet spread any further than the fatty tissue surrounding it, so thank goodness anyway for me!
I remember both the surgeon and the oncologist saying (as I am sure you do too David and Lenny) that my cancer was one of the most aggressive that there is etc etc etc but that we were lucky because of the new treatments that had just arrived.
On another note-I have two message boards that I frequent that are for those of us with breast cancer. On these boards the ladies do often post about comments that have been made to them, comments that really are quite stupid and hurtful in nature. I don't know that anyone has said anything to me that has been hurtful, and even if they had I have probably let it go because goodness knows I have said some pretty dumb things in my life to others as well.... but two things do stick in my head.
A few years back David and I had gained quite a lot of weight and were not eating very healthy at all. We both began weight watchers and started working out. After two years I lost 90 pounds. Now this was not an easy weight loss, it took lots of work and commitment. After I was diagnosed someone wondered if my weight loss was due to my cancer. Now I can understand why one would think that but this person also knew about our eating the weight watchers way, our exercise regime and knew that David had lost a lot of weight as well. So the comment was a bit irritating to me. By the way, my danged weight is on the rise again, well it has shifted I guess despite daily two mile walks....danged meds that I am on anyway....oh, could it also be the not so good eating habits that I have once again started!!!
The other was just recently. I was on my way to the northwoods and stopped to get gas. Now when I was bald, every time that I had to give someone my license so that they could verify that I was truly me, I wondered if they were going to question my identity. Some folks looked but never said a word. This younger guy did speak up saying that he wasn't sure that this was really me and he seemed hesitant about letting me use my card. Now I really was thankful that he did question me and am always glad when they ask to see ID but I guess on this day I just wanted to get to the cabin. So after his umpteenth, 'I don't know if this is really you', I said to him, 'Well cancer does that to a person'. Needless to say that was the end of it.
Compare for yourselves-
Pre-cancer ID
And a picture taken about the time that my identity was being questioned-
OK nuff said I guess I shouldn't have been crabby to the guy huh?
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