Necessity of breast cancer awareness plus what I’ve learned

Debbie Dunn Moore is very grateful to add her name to the ranks of the thousands of breast cancer survivors. Her breast cancer journey began just before Christmas of 2009 when she discovered a 3- by 5-inch tumor in the left side of her left breast. Under the wonderful care of Dr. Dharmen Patel, Dr. John Boys, Dr. Mark Patterson, and Dr. Joe Austin, she went through 8 rounds of chemo, a double mastectomy, and 35 days of radiation. As of November of 2010, she has been “in remission” or “cancer-free.” Here are the main lessons that she has learned:

(1) Be aware of what your breast already looks and feels like so that if it changes, you are alert enough to catch any signs of breast cancer early – before it has time to spread to other parts of your body. Other than a lump, please be aware that other potential signs of severe breast cancer include a dimple or indentation on your breast (don’t just think it is gravity kicking in because you are getting older as Debbie did), a rash on the breast, puckering of the breast, nipple discharge, and noticeable breast shrinkage. Visit a doctor as soon as possible. If you don’t have insurance, visit the Health Department to see if they might be of assistance.

(2) Joining a cancer support group such as the one held at Laughlin Hospital in Greeneville, Tennessee, can be extremely helpful.

(3) Maintaining a positive attitude and a sense of humor (even if it only be gallows humor) can make a world of difference in your recovery potential.

(4) Having a good support system of family and friends is extremely helpful.

(5) The power of prayer can truly work miracles.

If you would like to know more about Debbie’s breast cancer journey, feel free to read this blog at http://healingseeker.wordpress.com/. She is also writing a book on the topic that is coming out in 2012. When the book becomes available, she will post details on her website at http://askdjlyons.com/ and on this blog.

A great resource for women of Greene County, TN who are in need of a free mammogram. Click on FREE MAMMOGRAM SCREENINGS. If you are not from Greene County, TN, check with your local hospital. They may very well provide that same service as well.

Cozy Chemo Memories

You may find it odd to hear the word cozy and chemo used in the same sentence; nevertheless, thanks to the wonderful care of my oncologist, I am truthfully able to say that.

When I first found out that I had to go through chemo, I was terrified. I had watched the movies and seen the shows where people walked out of chemo rooms looking like death warmed over. Prior to that first day, where I had similar feelings to a kid attending their first day of kindergarten, I was relieved when I was shown the circle of recliner chairs. They weren't exactly like this beautiful lounge chair that you see in the picture as the leg rest was connected instead of being separate; however, they were just about as cozy-looking as that. Doesn't that picture just beg for you to hunker down in that chair with a comforter and a book? It looks so inviting! You should see some of the other chairs they have on that website. They all shout COMFORT to the nth degree. If you click on the above link, you will see what I mean.

Little did I know how very lucky I was. Apparently, there is another oncologist in our fair city whose chemo room contains stright-back chairs. I would not have enjoyed that at all.

Instead, I was able to walk into that chemo room with a laptop DVD player, my comforter, a book, my prayer shawl, and my comfy slippers. I was able to sit in one of those cozy recliners to receive my chemo treatments. My husband brought me food after I got settled. And thanks to modern medicine and the anti-nausea medicine, I was able to eat and enjoy what he brought.

So although I am very grateful that I no longer have any necessity of having to receive chemo treatments or any other kind of cancer treatments other than my low-dosage chemo tablet I take daily for five years, I do have pleasant memories associated  with chemo thanks to those very cozy recliner chairs.

How to go through first Red Devil chemo session in harmony and ease

Should you have the diagnosis of breast cancer or some other form of cancer requiring four or eight chemo sessions, you will most likely be given either a combination of A and C (Adriamycin and Cytoxan) or T (Taxotere) and Benadryl. A chemo session takes three or four hours to administer.

Other names for A or Adriamycin are ADR, Rubex, and hydroxyldaunorubicin. Most people call this particular drug the RED DEVIL. This is the part of chemotherapy that causes most people to lose their hair. Typically, it also causes you to pee orange or red for a day or two after each chemo session unless you stay hydrated with lots of liquids. They will always perform an echocardiogram prior to getting this chemo drug to make certain your heart and ejection fraction is strong enough to endure this drug.

Other names for C or Cytoxan are CTX and Neosar. This is the also the drug that can cause the rather common side effect of messing with your taste perception.

Other names for T or Taxotere are RP 56976 and NSC-628503. It is always given in conjunction with Benadryl and either Pepcid or Zantac to help you get through the dosage more comfortably. Additionally, your doctor will issue you a prescription for a light steroid to take the night before and the morning of your chemo session. The Pre Meds for this session only take about an hour to administer followed by an hour-long IV bag of Taxotere. You will need somebody to drop you off and pick you up due to the aftereffects of the Benadryl. The two most common side effects of this chemo drug is bone pain and messing with your taste perception.

Sometimes you may have a severe enough case of cancer that you will undergo perhaps four rounds of A & C followed by a possible four rounds of T. Understand that every cancer diagnosis and treatment is different. You could have the exact same diagnosis as somebody else and the exact same treatment plan; however, your reaction to this treatment could be entirely different due to the chemical make-up of your body and your attitude. Therefore, this article is the chronicle of one woman's experience. If you have a different experience, please share it in the comment section for the benefit of others.

Should you be getting the A & C combo, here is what you might expect to experience.

Click BREAST CANCER to read the entire article on eHOW.com.