the 'C' word (it's a long one!)

I know exactly how you feel Princess. My best wishes to your Aunt. :)

Jo, my grandmother also passed away from breast cancer, and I was 4 months pregnant with my son. It would have been her first great grandchild. The loss of never being able to share my child with my grandmother hurt enormously. I always felt that she was looking over me and my son. He was also born only a few days before her birthday as well.

Steve, big hugs to you and your family. Stay strong. You are an inspiration to others that have to fight this terrible fight.

Deborah, I am right there with you too. I have to go for yearly mammograms, and was even sent to a surgical oncologist who gave me three options... one of them being a radical double mastecomy - all because my risk is so high. I hope never to have to encounter this horrible disease, but at the same time I always feel like it's an axe hanging over my head. :(

i'm only 23 years old. not at all a high risk for breast cancer. but every time i go in for my yearly check up, i make sure she does an exam. she's told me a few times that i don't really need to worry about it yet, but oh well! she taught me how to do self exams, but i'd rather have her do it! i don't trust myself! way too paranoid!

RETURN OF THE 'C' WORD!!!

update: my aunt still doesn't know if she's got cancer again or not. they did an endoscopy in her stomach and found patches that were red and enflamed so they took biopsies (sp) of them. she won't have the results till i think thursday. but she is feeling better... no more puking...

new case: i just got an email from my grampa saying that he went to the doctor for what he though was pneumonia. doctor sent him to the hospital in wenatchee, wa for further tests and found that on top of the pneumonia, he also has type 4 cancer of the lungs. they gave him 3 to 6 months to live... up to 10 months if the chemo works. i had no idea how to answer an email like that. what do you say? sorry? too bad? i want to fly out and see him so bad (it's been over 10 years) but it could kill him. due to his heart condition he can not have ANY excitement whatsoever. a small town parade put him in the hospital for 2 weeks. so i guess i'm just stuck on my side of the country and him on his....

i am so sorry to hear this. sending love to you and your aunt and your grampa. :hug:

i lost my boyfriend to testicular cancer when i was 21... i can't imagine going through it again.

omg! that's unimaginable! thanks for the good thoughts!

Sorry to hear this python princess. He'll be in my prayers. I have my next checkup day after tomorrow. just a little scared......

Steve

Wow! All these replies are making me sentimental.... My best-friend's mother died of leukemia in May of this year and my other best friend was informed last year by her doctors that she had pre-cervical cancer... She treated it and it came out again this year... :( She has to go treat it again..

I have not had a great history when it comes to cancer. Several of my family's closest friends have been stricken down by it, several of my friends families, and I was even dating a girl when she found out she had leukemia and was given 2 months to live (has since pulled a miracle recovery and is in remission). Few things get me all choked up, as cancer does. Cancer is unbelievable. It causes your body to wage war against itself. It's a horrible internal struggle. However, cancer has a way of bringing people together. It can tear down walls like nothing else. It can bring two people with absolute hatred for each other into a tight embrace. It can and will destroy your plans, but the key is to not let it destroy your life. If anything, it provides a chance to connect with someone on a deeper level. Even if life is failing, it's a chance to appreciate those who we surround ourselves with.

This one really hits home. My grandmother just had a bout with breast cancer. She is so far cancer free since her surgery. So that a plus.

Now they think my mom has it, they found a huge mass with her mammogram the other day and now they want to do a lot of testing. This one really scares me because my mom isn't healthy like my grandmother id. She has been ill for almost 4 years losing so much weight. She is 5ft 4 and weighs about 90 lbs. She has had problems with an eating disorder in the past so I don't know if thats the cause of the weight loss, I have tried to intervene but she just doesn't want any help. I think she has given up. So with the possibilty of breast cancer, I am really scared.

With this I have vowed to myself, my husband and my two children that I will live a healthy lifestyle. I already eat healthy, I get lots of exercise. I will go and do all of my check ups. I WILL quit smoking, thats the biggest part. I have already put a plan in place to quit.