What every breast cancer patient needs whether they admit it or not
Living with breast cancer is not easy, some fare better then others in their treatments. But for most of us, it is no picnic. It can be difficult to work, do normal daily activities like laundry, cooking, cleaning. We can feel sick as a dog or just plain yucky or fatigued.
If you know someone who is dealing with cancer, please read this list and take it to heart as EVERY cancer survivor needs all items on this list at one point or another during their treatment and recovery time.
1. Help, help, help! Daily activities are pushed to the way side when we don't feel well. We need various forms of help, offer to do something nice for a cancer patient it will make their day!
2. Dinner. Cook or buy a meal for a cancer patient and their family once a week this helps more than I can say. Even if it's macaroni and cheese from Costco and a salad, believe me this is greatly appreciated.
3. Gift cards. Gift cards are a gift from heaven for someone going through cancer treatments or recovery. Gift cards from a local grocery store, Target, Walmart, fast food, it all helps and gives the patient/survivor something less to stress out about!
4. Time alone. Sometimes a cancer patient/survivor just needs some time alone, like we all do. But alone time for a cancer patient can be time to cry in privacy, take a much needed nap or pamper themselves with a bubble bath. Offer to take the kids to the park for an hour, the movies, a play date, an hour of alone time is a gift.
5. Beauty. As women we know we like to make-up and look nice. When we look good we feel good. Take your cancer patient friend for a mani/pedi, splurge on some new make-up, pretty nail polish, get a facial or your make-up done for free at the mall.
6. Cash! Cash is as important as help, these are the two things we need the MOST! Cancer treatments are insanely expensive and many patients end up in debt or bankruptcy due to the medical costs! Do a tip jar or have a fundraiser, have everyone donate a $1 each at your work place or church. Believe me this will bring tears of joy to your cancer patient.
7. Fun. Bring books, magazines, funny movies, inspiring books, self-help anything to help pass the time in the chemo room or at home.
8. Movie tickets. Movie tickets are a great item to give a cancer patient, so that they can escape their cancer for a few hours watching a movie with a friend or loved one and forget they are sick for a while.
9. Blanket. A super soft and pretty blanket is a great gift for a cancer patient. The chemo rooms can be cold, we get cold easily when our immune system is down and it's simply comforting to cuddle up with.
10. Fashion. Something fashionable is awesome! We are still women even though we are sick and some feel a real loss of femininity so surprise your cancer patient with a stylish purse, or hat, blouse, shoes something fun and sassy is great!
Thursday, March 27, 2014
Wednesday, February 12, 2014
I'm not cancers bitch: Your family and your cancer
I'm not cancers bitch: Your family and your cancer: When you have cancer you do not go through it alone. Everyone around you is affected by your diagnosis. You will or have already heard fro...
Monday, February 10, 2014
Sex and Breast Cancer
Sex and cancer are not usually two words you would hear used in a sentence a lot, but when you are married to someone with cancer it is and it's an important issue to deal with. We all know we liked to feel loved, and attractive and of course Hot to our spouse. What is that phrase... "A man likes a lady in the kitchen but a whore in the bed." :) Well for a woman dealing with breast cancer it can be tough to be either.
For me, it was hard. Before the cancer was diagnosed it was easy I was an E cup I had an hour glass figure so feeling sexy and acting it was easy. After the diagnosis I did feel a little betrayed by my right breast (the infected one) and it was sore so I just wanted the damn tumor out! A few days before my mastectomy surgery I remember one night with my husband and telling him this was going to be the last time he would have sex with me with 2 boobs, like a normal woman. I was sad and dreading the loss of my breast in the physical sense, but soooooooooo glad to finally be getting the bitch tumor out! Yes I call my tumor names and truly think of it as an adversary. (the bitch is going down!) Anyways, back to sex. My husband was sweet with me saying it didn't matter and that he loved me anyways and my breasts had just been a bonus to him, that with or without big breasts I was and still will always be beautiful to him. (sniffle sniffle) He can be so sweet sometimes. :)
Due to the pain it was quite a while before we were intimate again after the surgery, and I felt like such a freak. I kept calling myself a circus freak, the one breasted circus freak. It was SO noticeable I mean come on!!! An E cup that's the same as being a DDD. I'm no Dolly Parton But Still!!!! I did have prosthetics but it wasn't the same and when you are naked there is no getting away from it. My hubby was sensitive to my feelings about being a uniboob and he was kiss my enormous scar and not focus on the chest area. I remember when I was going through my last few rounds of chemo around Valentines Day and my chemo nurse flat out asked if my hubby and I were having sex. I said well not really I feel like crap! Hello!!! Chemo!!!! She chastised me and handed me a HUGE handful of female condoms and told me, that I was not being fair to my husband and marriage and to take these and have a happy Valentines Day!!! So Funny!!!! I love my oncology staff they are the best! I will share that whole female condom and cancer experience another time.
The point of the matter is, that sex is a healthy part of marriage and if your spouse can get past your illness and scars let them love you, whether you feel sexy or not or feel like you need it or not. You do and your marriage does, cancer alone can break up a relationship, if you are lucky enough to have a spouse stand by and love you through it reward them and yourself with a little nookie time.
For me, it was hard. Before the cancer was diagnosed it was easy I was an E cup I had an hour glass figure so feeling sexy and acting it was easy. After the diagnosis I did feel a little betrayed by my right breast (the infected one) and it was sore so I just wanted the damn tumor out! A few days before my mastectomy surgery I remember one night with my husband and telling him this was going to be the last time he would have sex with me with 2 boobs, like a normal woman. I was sad and dreading the loss of my breast in the physical sense, but soooooooooo glad to finally be getting the bitch tumor out! Yes I call my tumor names and truly think of it as an adversary. (the bitch is going down!) Anyways, back to sex. My husband was sweet with me saying it didn't matter and that he loved me anyways and my breasts had just been a bonus to him, that with or without big breasts I was and still will always be beautiful to him. (sniffle sniffle) He can be so sweet sometimes. :)
Due to the pain it was quite a while before we were intimate again after the surgery, and I felt like such a freak. I kept calling myself a circus freak, the one breasted circus freak. It was SO noticeable I mean come on!!! An E cup that's the same as being a DDD. I'm no Dolly Parton But Still!!!! I did have prosthetics but it wasn't the same and when you are naked there is no getting away from it. My hubby was sensitive to my feelings about being a uniboob and he was kiss my enormous scar and not focus on the chest area. I remember when I was going through my last few rounds of chemo around Valentines Day and my chemo nurse flat out asked if my hubby and I were having sex. I said well not really I feel like crap! Hello!!! Chemo!!!! She chastised me and handed me a HUGE handful of female condoms and told me, that I was not being fair to my husband and marriage and to take these and have a happy Valentines Day!!! So Funny!!!! I love my oncology staff they are the best! I will share that whole female condom and cancer experience another time.
The point of the matter is, that sex is a healthy part of marriage and if your spouse can get past your illness and scars let them love you, whether you feel sexy or not or feel like you need it or not. You do and your marriage does, cancer alone can break up a relationship, if you are lucky enough to have a spouse stand by and love you through it reward them and yourself with a little nookie time.
Tuesday, January 21, 2014
Breast Cancer and Tattoos
More and more we hear about women covering their cancer and especially their mastectomy scars with beautiful vibrant tattoos. I for one was dead set on getting a tattoo when I was healed enough. I didn't know where I was going to put it but I wanted a breast cancer ribbon tattoo to remind me to stay strong and kick cancers ass.
As a breast cancer patient we go through horrible treatments that often times leaves a lot of physical and emotional scars. I felt all hacked up like a female Frankenstein between all the scars from chemo burning my veins, the port scar, the IV scars, the 16 inch mastectomy scar was a bad one that bothered me a lot. Not to mention the baldness, the radiation burns I did not think there was Anything pretty about my body other then it was still alive.
Those scars were forced upon me, I didn't want them, they were a necessary evil, of the sickness that had invaded my body, like scars from war on a soldier.
I knew I wanted a "pretty scar" a tattoo is in my total control, I can get one or not. With all the ugliness of my cancer scars I had to have one I could smile about and that was "pretty".
Now I ended up having reconstruction to my breast and chose to have a pink breast cancer ribbon over a cross on my right wrist as I lost my right breast. Every time I look down I am reminded that God got me through this once, He can do so again and it gives me the strength I need. It is very pretty and I do not regret it at all.
I do not think that we as society has the right to judge a woman who has beat this awful horrible disease for her choice to cover her chest in beautiful tattoos to cover the scar of her war wounds. We should empower our fellow women for their bravery in their war on breast cancer and support them if they choose to memorialize their loss of limb with a tattoo.
As a breast cancer patient we go through horrible treatments that often times leaves a lot of physical and emotional scars. I felt all hacked up like a female Frankenstein between all the scars from chemo burning my veins, the port scar, the IV scars, the 16 inch mastectomy scar was a bad one that bothered me a lot. Not to mention the baldness, the radiation burns I did not think there was Anything pretty about my body other then it was still alive.
Those scars were forced upon me, I didn't want them, they were a necessary evil, of the sickness that had invaded my body, like scars from war on a soldier.
I knew I wanted a "pretty scar" a tattoo is in my total control, I can get one or not. With all the ugliness of my cancer scars I had to have one I could smile about and that was "pretty".
Now I ended up having reconstruction to my breast and chose to have a pink breast cancer ribbon over a cross on my right wrist as I lost my right breast. Every time I look down I am reminded that God got me through this once, He can do so again and it gives me the strength I need. It is very pretty and I do not regret it at all.
I do not think that we as society has the right to judge a woman who has beat this awful horrible disease for her choice to cover her chest in beautiful tattoos to cover the scar of her war wounds. We should empower our fellow women for their bravery in their war on breast cancer and support them if they choose to memorialize their loss of limb with a tattoo.
Monday, January 20, 2014
What Cancer Cannot Do
WHAT CANCER CANNOT DO
It cannot cripple love,
it cannot shatter hope,
It cannot corrode faith,
It cannot destroy peace,
It cannot kill friendships,
It cannot suppress memories,
It cannot silence courage,
It cannot invade the soul,
It cannot steal eternal life,
It cannot conquer the spirit.
*Author Unknown
Tuesday, January 14, 2014
Beat cancer with nutrition
I don't know about you, but as a cancer patient and mom I don't want to let my body down and give my cancer any chance to grow or survive. I need to know that I have done Everything I can to kick cancers ass out of my body for good!!!!
I am a big believer in supplementing medicine with nutrition or natural assistance along with meds, treatments like chemo or radiation, surgery your body needs the right nutrients in order to become or stay strong and thrive.
About 6 months after I was diagnosed with my breast cancer I started researching cancer and nutrition. I wanted to know where I went wrong and how to change it and even build a better and stronger body in order to ward off and kill cancer.
Here is a list of the best cancer fighting foods:
Vegetables: dark greens like kale, spinach, asparagus, kelp/seaweed, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, sprouts, beets, tomatoes, onions, (yuck I HATE onions, so I supplement garlic), carrots, avocado, yams
Fruits: the darker in color the better: black berries, blue berries, strawberries, cherries, apples, cantaloupe, red grapes, oranges, plum and bananas
Grains: whole grains, multi-grains, barley, oats, wheat, and Ezekial bread, wheat pastas, brown rice
Meats: fish is good, for poultry and red meat non-hormonal and antibiotic free is best and DON'T burn!!! chard meat releases natural cancer causers and you could be eating your way to cancer
Other: Green Tea is awesome!, black tea and coffee in moderation, water, alkaline water, ginger,
****ALWAYS CHECK YOUR DIET WITH YOUR ONCOLOGIST!!!! SOY IS BAD FOR ER POSITIVE BREAST CANCER BUT GOOD FOR OTHERS SO ALWAYS CHECK WITH YOUR ONCOLOGIST!!!!
Hope this helps :) message me for good books on this topic
I am a big believer in supplementing medicine with nutrition or natural assistance along with meds, treatments like chemo or radiation, surgery your body needs the right nutrients in order to become or stay strong and thrive.
About 6 months after I was diagnosed with my breast cancer I started researching cancer and nutrition. I wanted to know where I went wrong and how to change it and even build a better and stronger body in order to ward off and kill cancer.
Here is a list of the best cancer fighting foods:
Vegetables: dark greens like kale, spinach, asparagus, kelp/seaweed, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, sprouts, beets, tomatoes, onions, (yuck I HATE onions, so I supplement garlic), carrots, avocado, yams
Fruits: the darker in color the better: black berries, blue berries, strawberries, cherries, apples, cantaloupe, red grapes, oranges, plum and bananas
Grains: whole grains, multi-grains, barley, oats, wheat, and Ezekial bread, wheat pastas, brown rice
Meats: fish is good, for poultry and red meat non-hormonal and antibiotic free is best and DON'T burn!!! chard meat releases natural cancer causers and you could be eating your way to cancer
Other: Green Tea is awesome!, black tea and coffee in moderation, water, alkaline water, ginger,
****ALWAYS CHECK YOUR DIET WITH YOUR ONCOLOGIST!!!! SOY IS BAD FOR ER POSITIVE BREAST CANCER BUT GOOD FOR OTHERS SO ALWAYS CHECK WITH YOUR ONCOLOGIST!!!!
Hope this helps :) message me for good books on this topic
Tuesday, January 7, 2014
Your family and your cancer
When you have cancer you do not go through it alone. Everyone around you is affected by your diagnosis. You will or have already heard from your doctors mention family and caregivers, these are the people who will take you to and from appointments, go with you, help take care of you when you are sick from chemo or home recuperating from surgery. There are books that help cancer patients talk to their family, and especially children about cancer and how it could affect them and their lives. There are also programs to help caregivers which can be a family member, friend, nurse, home health aid, etc.
The one going through cancer, like me must not forget that their loved ones are going through hell too and need extra hugs, and appreciation.
My mom took the news of my cancer really hard, I am her baby girl, her first born and miracle baby. We were both so shocked that I had it, breast cancer was no were in her side of her family or my dads unless a woman had it and didn't know. My mom offered to cry with me, she took me to try on wigs and even brought me groceries one time and hasn't stopped praying that I will be cured for good!
My dad was my cheerleader always reminding me that we will get through this and that I am a fighter, strong and tough.
My husband was shocked, and worried at first and since then he has been my champion he has no doubt in his mind that I won't beat this and totally kick cancer's ass.
But my kids. Kids are the hard one, they get worried, worry when you are sick from chemo, worried when you go into the hospital for surgery, worry when they see your bald head. (will dedicate a post strictly about cancer and kids)
Even the pets are affected. My big beautiful pit bull mix dog was so sweet and gentle with me after chemo, radiation and all of my operations, my cat has been so affectionate and sticks close to me when I don't feel well and stays by my side when I am recovering from surgery. They can smell the poison of chemo and radiation, they can sense illness and wounds when humans can't.
So don't forget your family, thank them for their support and love, they are a part of you as you are a part of them too.
The one going through cancer, like me must not forget that their loved ones are going through hell too and need extra hugs, and appreciation.
My mom took the news of my cancer really hard, I am her baby girl, her first born and miracle baby. We were both so shocked that I had it, breast cancer was no were in her side of her family or my dads unless a woman had it and didn't know. My mom offered to cry with me, she took me to try on wigs and even brought me groceries one time and hasn't stopped praying that I will be cured for good!
My dad was my cheerleader always reminding me that we will get through this and that I am a fighter, strong and tough.
My husband was shocked, and worried at first and since then he has been my champion he has no doubt in his mind that I won't beat this and totally kick cancer's ass.
But my kids. Kids are the hard one, they get worried, worry when you are sick from chemo, worried when you go into the hospital for surgery, worry when they see your bald head. (will dedicate a post strictly about cancer and kids)
Even the pets are affected. My big beautiful pit bull mix dog was so sweet and gentle with me after chemo, radiation and all of my operations, my cat has been so affectionate and sticks close to me when I don't feel well and stays by my side when I am recovering from surgery. They can smell the poison of chemo and radiation, they can sense illness and wounds when humans can't.
So don't forget your family, thank them for their support and love, they are a part of you as you are a part of them too.
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