12-03-2009, 09:11 AM
sunny Wrote:Hi Sue .... very pleased to hear how well u are doing .. sounds like the worst is behind u now .. well done! Also nice that u had a good holiday to help u forget last year a little bit.
My niece of 35 yrs was diagnosed with breast cancer last November .. in the one duct .. but a little invasive also as I understand (lymph nodes clear). She had a double mastectomy last week. She went for this in the hope it would avoid chemo but she's now been told because of the small invasive bit .. they think she should also have some chemo. Needless to say she is not a happy puppy about this. The op was major enough for her and as she is a Homeopath .. the chemo seems to go against everything she believes in. However if it's needed she will have it I'm sure. She has 2 very small kids and her whole focus is on staying alive for them .. she says she will do whatever she has to to beat this. It's helpful to be able to tell her about people like yourself who have come through it all .. well done Sue!
Hi Sunny
Thanks for sharing this. Sunny, despite the damage done by chemo, I wuld still recommend having the treatment. I understand it must go against everything she believes in and I can imagine how hard it must be for her to accept that the treatment, full of chemicals will poison her system for a while.
All I can say is that the body has the most amazing God given ability to undergo such treatments and despite the damage done, heal itself in time. The fact that she is a homeopath will help her tremendously in ensuring that the damage chemo does, is limited by using her skills and knowledge to co-treat herself during the treatment phase and then in the post treatment phase to repair any damage.
Chemo has to be seen as a type of 'insurance' that will attack any cells that have moved from the intial tumour to other parts of the body. The challenge is to take each treatment at a time and work through the effects. She will need lots of support from family and friends because the treatment is accumualitive and the effects become more felt as time passes.
Standing on this side of the treatments I can see that it is a case of one day at a time, going forward positively and believing that the chemo is also a weapon, one of many that she can use to fight the disease.
Once the treatment is over she will need lots of support to feel like a women again, especially with a double mastectomy but the support is there from many sources if needed.
I am very comfortable now walking around 'bra less' in my home and with friends. In fact I am the 'butt' of many jokes......and I really don't mind. It makes everyone feel comfortable to talk about it, laugh about it and to just accept it. I do wear my prothesis when I go to work but not always when I go out. It takes time but she will get there!!!
Sunny, I do wish her speedy health and recovery and please keep us uopdated on her progress.....it may help others!!!
Sue