stop the madness

Add a pretty organic bar of soap with those cloths and tie it up with some rustic twine or ribbon and you have a nice stash of holiday gifts!

I was that onr....now six years of feeling like cancer was nothing, easy,...only had lumpectomy.. I have cancer in lymph node requires removal..... Hasn't spread yet elsewhere... Am 85

I only just heard about DiM. I don't have an opinion on it but, because studies show that it kills breast cancer cells in lab tests (but killing cells in a petri dish is not the same as killing only them in the human body of course) have increased the amount of cruciferous vegetables in my diet since they're the primary source of it. And am eating more organic, fresh vegetables in general anyway...

I had dim here but I had side effect from that too. Also indole 3...I'm feeling really lost now cause I'm alone with this.... Really scared about making it with surgery again to remove nodes..and have tube to empty every 3hours. I will be 86 Thursday and no plans.. Be alone again....people never guess my age as I look younger for some reason and Drs see I'm mobile so they don't really know me. Sad. So sad

The only lymph node surgery I had was a sentinel node excision and biopsy. I didn't have any tubes or anything to deal with but am sure you'd rather not have this to deal with either. Can you ask your oncologist for referral to a counselor trained to work with breast cancer survivors? Unfortunately, there are other women, in your age group, also facing some of the same things and it might at least be a place where they will know and understand you. The reality is that a lot of us got cancer simply because we lived long enough where the odds turned against us and, from a different perspective, living to become 86 is a triumph. But I understand how dismaying this is and hope you'll rally through it.

Thank you so much... Good idea...Will do. God bless you..

Had Sentinel node biopsy in 2016 ..this is recurring breast cancer so they want to do a dissection... Would love to hear from anyone who had this..and how do you have tube with bulb attached and still be able to sleep or do anything?

I'm.not sure what to do at 63 since my cancer returned.
They say more chemo and then a double mastectomy as the cancer is now in both breasrs and the lymph nodes.
Had very adverse reactions to chemo in first instance so am concerned about doing chemo again.
Would appreciate any helpful advice.
Thank you

Hello @fightcancer1000,

I'm so sorry to hear that your cancer has returned. I had breast cancer a year ago and now have atypical lobular hyperplasia, so I know the feelings associated with another diagnosis. My second diagnosis isn't cancer, but I know how you're feeling. I had a reaction to chemo treatments as well. I'm not sure if the reactions you are talking about were during the actual administration of chemo, or how you reacted to chemo a few days following infusion. I had, I think, was an allergic reaction to chemo right at the beginning of starting the second cycle of chemo. My blood pressure went sky high, I became very flushed and hot, and had trouble speaking (not slurred speech - just couldn't get any words out). They pumped me full of meds and gave me a half dose of Xanax to calm me down. They started treatment about 15 minutes after the reaction and I was fine. Before administering subsequent infusions, they gave me meds to combat any reactions and no other reactions occurred. At age 63, you are still young and have a long life ahead of you. If chemo is recommended and you're not comfortable going that route again, then get a second opinion. There might be other treatment options. If a reaction to the chemo is the deciding factor, then speak to your oncologist about your fears and what can be done to combat the reaction. If it's anxiety about treatments, ask for something that will calm you down before your treatment starts. Believe me, the 1/2 dose of Xanax made me relaxed but not "out of it" and treatments were much better. Don't let fear control your decisions....make your decisions once informed. I wish you well!

Is there a visiting nurse organization or senior services organization in your community? Sometimes a local volunteer ambulance/EMT unit will address a daily need … especially as it will be for a limited time.

Your doctors office could possibly help you locate a service for the drain . There may be breast cancer support groups in your area. There are support groups online .

But reaching out into your community for connecting with people, generally, might be a good idea especially as cooler months arrive. Libraries often have general audience as well as senior dedicated programs.

Happy Birthday 🎈